Sunday, December 8
TD Arena
2:00 PM
College of Charleston
vs
Coker
Coker Presents Post-Final Exam Test For Cougars
12/7/2019 6:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (4-4, 0-0 CAA) vs. COKER (2-3, 1-1 SAC)
Game #9
December 8, 2019 • 2:00 p.m. (ET)
TD Arena/John Kresse Court (5,100)
at Charleston, S.C.
Television: FloSports
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM | 94.7 FM)
Series History: CofC Leads 10-0
Last Meeting: CofC def. Coker, 68-54, on Dec. 12, 2013 in Charleston, S.C.
Internet: Live Statistics at www.CofCStats.com
Live On-Demand Video: FloSports Subscription at http://bit.ly/2JP6sGV
Tickets: www.CofCSports.com/tickets
Twitter: @CofCBasketball
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Sixth Year at CofC: 105-69
Sixth Year Overall: 105-69
Coker: Jarred Merrill
First Year at Coker: 2-3
First Year Overall: 2-3
TELEVISION AND RADIO (FloSports and College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
Color Analyst: Danny Johnson
GAME PREVIEW
Coker (2-3) presents a post-final exams test for the College of Charleston men's basketball team (4-4) on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena. It will be the Cougars' first home game since Oklahoma State on Nov. 13 and road trips to Marshall, UCF and the Wooden Legacy tournament in Anaheim, Calif. During their time away, the team claimed quality wins over high-major opponents in Marshall (Conference USA) and Providence (BIG EAST) in addition to playing larger rotations on the floor in preparation to get guys more experience prior to their 18-game Colonial Athletic Association slate, which will kick-off at the end of the month. CofC is receiving votes in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll and looking to bounce back from a sixth-place finish at the Wooden Legacy last week on the West Coast.
A LOOK AT COKER
The Cobras return 11 players from last year's squad and are led by first-year head coach Jarred Merrill, who previously served as an assistant coach for four seasons at Mercer. CofC is one of two NCAA Division I opponents on Coker's schedule this season, next to a 73-59 road loss at Gardner-Webb out of the Big South Conference on Dec. 3. Sunday's game will count as an exhibition for the NCAA Division II school which was picked to finish 12th in the South Atlantic Conference.
GAME PROMOTIONS
It's Kids Day presented by Great Clips and all youth tickets are priced at just $5 and the first 200 kids will receive a free mini basketball. The team will sign autographs on the court following the game. Tickets are still available for purchase online at: www.CofCSports.com/tickets
Please Note: Fans should plan to arrive early to the game and avoid traffic with Second Sunday taking place simultaneously with Sunday's game on nearby King Street.
COUGARS ON THE AIRWAVES
Fans can listen to all CofC men's basketball games throughout the 2019-20 season on ESPN Radio 910 AM and 94.7 FM in Charleston or via a live audio link at: www.charlestonsportsradio.com. Voice of the Cougars Everett German will call the action live from TD Arena along with color analyst Danny Johnson on the College of Charleston Radio Network.
PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#10 Zep Jasper, G, 6-1, 175, So. (7.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.1 apg, 28.1 min)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 190, Sr. (20.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.1 apg, 32.6 min)
#2 Brevin Galloway, G, 6-2, 215, Jr. (10.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 28.3 min)
#24 Jaylen McManus, F, 6-7, 230, Sr. (10.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.3 apg, 28.0 min)
#33 Osinachi Smart, C/F, 6-8, 240, Jr. (4.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.4 apg, 17.9 min)
PROJECTED COKER STARTERS
#2 Chandler Lindsey, G, 5-11, 169, So. (9.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.2 apg, 24.8 min)
#3 Royce Hunter, G, 6-3, 188, Jr. (18.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 32.4 min)
#5 KJ Harris, G, 6-2, 175, So. (5.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 2.4 apg, 24.8 min)
#14 Williams Onyeodi, F, 6-5, 210, Fr. (4.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.4 apg, 12.0 min)
#21 Noel Pinnock, F, 6-6, 195, So. (7.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.4 apg, 23.8 min)
INSIDE THE SERIES
College of Charleston leads 10-0 in the all-time series with Coker dating back to the 1972-73 season. The Cougars are 7-0 when playing the Cobras at home in Charleston. In both teams' last meeting on Dec. 12, 2013, former CofC big man Adjehi Baru led the team with a game-high double-double performance of 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 68-54 victory at TD Arena.
LAST 10 GAMES IN SERIES
W, 130-36 on 1/6/73 in Hartsville, S.C.
W, 145-88 on 1973 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 69-49 on 1/25/86 in Hartsville, S.C.
W, 66-65 on 1/24/87 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 60-50 on 2/27/88 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 82-44 on 2/9/89 in Hartsville, S.C.
W, 71-42 on 12/8/90 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 72-44 on 12/1/94 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 54-45 on 11/23/99 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 68-54 on 12/12/13 in Charleston, S.C.
THE YOUNG GUNS
At the Wooden Legacy, several of the young players on the squad gained valuable minutes of play against Wake Forest, Providence and UCF and provided a spark offensively and defensively off the bench. Freshman forward DeAngelo Epps played a career-high 18 minutes versus the Demon Deacons and grabbed three boards, while freshman guard Brenden Tucker saw 18 minutes of action against UCF in the fifth-place game and dished out a team-leading three assists. Sophomore guard Quan McCluney also reset career highs in points (5), three-pointers made (1) and minutes played (17) in the UCF game.
UP NEXT
After the Coker game, the Cougars will embark on their last non-conference road trip of the season traveling to Richmond for a Dec. 14 tilt in Richmond, Va. – the first of back-to-back games against Atlantic 10 Conference opposition. They will then return home to take on VCU on Dec. 18 and then close out non-conference play versus South Carolina State on Dec. 21, both games at TD Arena.
"We have a great schedule and have gotten through the first eight games. We have four games and 10 practices before we get into our next season. All of these games will provide a different kind of challenge for us. We have to be ready for the challenge, accept it and be ready to play at a high level over the next two weeks before the holiday break." – Head Coach Earl Grant
UCF RECAP
UCF 77, College of Charleston 56
• For the eighth time this season, College of Charleston went with the starting five of Zep Jasper, Grant Riller, Brevin Galloway, Jaylen McManus and Osinachi Smart (4-4).
• The Knights have now won four-straight games in the all-time series with College of Charleston. It was the third contest that both teams played against each other in an in-season exempt tournament next to the 2011 Battle 4 Atlantis and 2016 Charleston Classic.
• Grant Riller extended his double-digit scoring streak to 36 consecutive games with a team-high 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field versus UCF. He has now tabulated 1,960 career points to date which is the third-most among NCAA Division I active career scoring leaders.
• Osinachi Smart led the team in rebounding for the second-straight game with eight boards including four on the offensive glass against UCF.
• Sam Miller made a career-high three blocked shots versus UCF.
• Quan McCluney came off the bench and knocked down a career-high five points on 2-of-4 shooting from the field including his first career 3-pointer in the second half against UCF.
• Brenden Tucker dished out three of the team's 11 assists in the ballgame versus UCF. It marked a career best for him as well as in minutes played (18).
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"Going into a tournament like the Wooden Legacy, we learned a lot about ourselves. How much endurance you have to have to play three games in four days. But, we also realized that we can compete with anybody. I thought we did some good things defensively in California and had some good positive signs offensively. This week has been a great opportunity for us to grow and try to get better as a team, so we can get ready to play Coker on Sunday." – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on having the week off to study for exams and reflecting on what the team learned out in California last week
"They (Coker) played Gardner-Webb really close. They play really hard. They play small ball with four guards. They had a very competitive game against a really good team in their league in (No. 9-ranked) Lincoln Memorial. We need to prepare for them like we do anyone else. We have to focus on how we play the game and not who we play. I'm sure they will present a good challenge with us being off from games for a week." – Coach Grant on Coker
"When these teams have an opportunity to play on this stage, they really compete. It's a big game for them. We have to be prepared and have a great game plan, so we can go out and execute at a high level." – Grant on playing a NCAA Division II school having been an NCAA Division II student-athlete at Georgia College
Game #9
December 8, 2019 • 2:00 p.m. (ET)
TD Arena/John Kresse Court (5,100)
at Charleston, S.C.
Television: FloSports
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM | 94.7 FM)
Series History: CofC Leads 10-0
Last Meeting: CofC def. Coker, 68-54, on Dec. 12, 2013 in Charleston, S.C.
Internet: Live Statistics at www.CofCStats.com
Live On-Demand Video: FloSports Subscription at http://bit.ly/2JP6sGV
Tickets: www.CofCSports.com/tickets
Twitter: @CofCBasketball
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Sixth Year at CofC: 105-69
Sixth Year Overall: 105-69
Coker: Jarred Merrill
First Year at Coker: 2-3
First Year Overall: 2-3
TELEVISION AND RADIO (FloSports and College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
Color Analyst: Danny Johnson
GAME PREVIEW
Coker (2-3) presents a post-final exams test for the College of Charleston men's basketball team (4-4) on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena. It will be the Cougars' first home game since Oklahoma State on Nov. 13 and road trips to Marshall, UCF and the Wooden Legacy tournament in Anaheim, Calif. During their time away, the team claimed quality wins over high-major opponents in Marshall (Conference USA) and Providence (BIG EAST) in addition to playing larger rotations on the floor in preparation to get guys more experience prior to their 18-game Colonial Athletic Association slate, which will kick-off at the end of the month. CofC is receiving votes in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll and looking to bounce back from a sixth-place finish at the Wooden Legacy last week on the West Coast.
A LOOK AT COKER
The Cobras return 11 players from last year's squad and are led by first-year head coach Jarred Merrill, who previously served as an assistant coach for four seasons at Mercer. CofC is one of two NCAA Division I opponents on Coker's schedule this season, next to a 73-59 road loss at Gardner-Webb out of the Big South Conference on Dec. 3. Sunday's game will count as an exhibition for the NCAA Division II school which was picked to finish 12th in the South Atlantic Conference.
GAME PROMOTIONS
It's Kids Day presented by Great Clips and all youth tickets are priced at just $5 and the first 200 kids will receive a free mini basketball. The team will sign autographs on the court following the game. Tickets are still available for purchase online at: www.CofCSports.com/tickets
Please Note: Fans should plan to arrive early to the game and avoid traffic with Second Sunday taking place simultaneously with Sunday's game on nearby King Street.
COUGARS ON THE AIRWAVES
Fans can listen to all CofC men's basketball games throughout the 2019-20 season on ESPN Radio 910 AM and 94.7 FM in Charleston or via a live audio link at: www.charlestonsportsradio.com. Voice of the Cougars Everett German will call the action live from TD Arena along with color analyst Danny Johnson on the College of Charleston Radio Network.
PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#10 Zep Jasper, G, 6-1, 175, So. (7.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.1 apg, 28.1 min)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 190, Sr. (20.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.1 apg, 32.6 min)
#2 Brevin Galloway, G, 6-2, 215, Jr. (10.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 28.3 min)
#24 Jaylen McManus, F, 6-7, 230, Sr. (10.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.3 apg, 28.0 min)
#33 Osinachi Smart, C/F, 6-8, 240, Jr. (4.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.4 apg, 17.9 min)
PROJECTED COKER STARTERS
#2 Chandler Lindsey, G, 5-11, 169, So. (9.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.2 apg, 24.8 min)
#3 Royce Hunter, G, 6-3, 188, Jr. (18.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 32.4 min)
#5 KJ Harris, G, 6-2, 175, So. (5.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 2.4 apg, 24.8 min)
#14 Williams Onyeodi, F, 6-5, 210, Fr. (4.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.4 apg, 12.0 min)
#21 Noel Pinnock, F, 6-6, 195, So. (7.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.4 apg, 23.8 min)
INSIDE THE SERIES
College of Charleston leads 10-0 in the all-time series with Coker dating back to the 1972-73 season. The Cougars are 7-0 when playing the Cobras at home in Charleston. In both teams' last meeting on Dec. 12, 2013, former CofC big man Adjehi Baru led the team with a game-high double-double performance of 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 68-54 victory at TD Arena.
LAST 10 GAMES IN SERIES
W, 130-36 on 1/6/73 in Hartsville, S.C.
W, 145-88 on 1973 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 69-49 on 1/25/86 in Hartsville, S.C.
W, 66-65 on 1/24/87 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 60-50 on 2/27/88 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 82-44 on 2/9/89 in Hartsville, S.C.
W, 71-42 on 12/8/90 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 72-44 on 12/1/94 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 54-45 on 11/23/99 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 68-54 on 12/12/13 in Charleston, S.C.
THE YOUNG GUNS
At the Wooden Legacy, several of the young players on the squad gained valuable minutes of play against Wake Forest, Providence and UCF and provided a spark offensively and defensively off the bench. Freshman forward DeAngelo Epps played a career-high 18 minutes versus the Demon Deacons and grabbed three boards, while freshman guard Brenden Tucker saw 18 minutes of action against UCF in the fifth-place game and dished out a team-leading three assists. Sophomore guard Quan McCluney also reset career highs in points (5), three-pointers made (1) and minutes played (17) in the UCF game.
UP NEXT
After the Coker game, the Cougars will embark on their last non-conference road trip of the season traveling to Richmond for a Dec. 14 tilt in Richmond, Va. – the first of back-to-back games against Atlantic 10 Conference opposition. They will then return home to take on VCU on Dec. 18 and then close out non-conference play versus South Carolina State on Dec. 21, both games at TD Arena.
"We have a great schedule and have gotten through the first eight games. We have four games and 10 practices before we get into our next season. All of these games will provide a different kind of challenge for us. We have to be ready for the challenge, accept it and be ready to play at a high level over the next two weeks before the holiday break." – Head Coach Earl Grant
UCF RECAP
UCF 77, College of Charleston 56
• For the eighth time this season, College of Charleston went with the starting five of Zep Jasper, Grant Riller, Brevin Galloway, Jaylen McManus and Osinachi Smart (4-4).
• The Knights have now won four-straight games in the all-time series with College of Charleston. It was the third contest that both teams played against each other in an in-season exempt tournament next to the 2011 Battle 4 Atlantis and 2016 Charleston Classic.
• Grant Riller extended his double-digit scoring streak to 36 consecutive games with a team-high 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field versus UCF. He has now tabulated 1,960 career points to date which is the third-most among NCAA Division I active career scoring leaders.
• Osinachi Smart led the team in rebounding for the second-straight game with eight boards including four on the offensive glass against UCF.
• Sam Miller made a career-high three blocked shots versus UCF.
• Quan McCluney came off the bench and knocked down a career-high five points on 2-of-4 shooting from the field including his first career 3-pointer in the second half against UCF.
• Brenden Tucker dished out three of the team's 11 assists in the ballgame versus UCF. It marked a career best for him as well as in minutes played (18).
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"Going into a tournament like the Wooden Legacy, we learned a lot about ourselves. How much endurance you have to have to play three games in four days. But, we also realized that we can compete with anybody. I thought we did some good things defensively in California and had some good positive signs offensively. This week has been a great opportunity for us to grow and try to get better as a team, so we can get ready to play Coker on Sunday." – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on having the week off to study for exams and reflecting on what the team learned out in California last week
"They (Coker) played Gardner-Webb really close. They play really hard. They play small ball with four guards. They had a very competitive game against a really good team in their league in (No. 9-ranked) Lincoln Memorial. We need to prepare for them like we do anyone else. We have to focus on how we play the game and not who we play. I'm sure they will present a good challenge with us being off from games for a week." – Coach Grant on Coker
"When these teams have an opportunity to play on this stage, they really compete. It's a big game for them. We have to be prepared and have a great game plan, so we can go out and execute at a high level." – Grant on playing a NCAA Division II school having been an NCAA Division II student-athlete at Georgia College
Players Mentioned
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