Saturday, January 4
TD Arena
4:00 PM
College of Charleston
vs
James Madison
Cougars Close Out Tough Three-Game Stretch With James Madison On Saturday
1/3/2020 8:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (9-6, 3-0 CAA) vs. JAMES MADISON (8-6, 1-2 CAA)
Game #16
January 4, 2020 • 4:00 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 9-5
Last Meeting: CofC def. James Madison, 70-53, on Jan. 31, 2019 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: 110-71
Sixth Year Overall: 110-71
James Madison: Louis Rowe
Fourth Year at JMU: 42-70
Fourth Year Overall: 42-70
TELEVISION AND RADIO (FloSports and College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
Color Analyst: Danny Johnson
GAME PREVIEW
Riding a four-game winning streak, the College of Charleston men's basketball team (9-6, 3-0 CAA) closes out a tough three games in six days stretch with James Madison (8-6, 1-2 CAA) on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 4 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena. While it's still early, the Cougars are currently tied with Northeastern atop the Colonial Athletic Association standings with a perfect 3-0 mark to start off conference play. The fruits of the team's labor during the non-conference are starting to show as Charleston is playing its best basketball of the season. In an 81-69 victory over Towson on Jan. 2, the Cougars had five players in double figures including a game-high 28 points from senior guard Grant Riller. He is currently one of three players in the league to be ranked among the most proficient offensive players in the nation with a 114.7 rating on 33.2 percent of the team's possessions. Riller has consistently been on this list since his sophomore season at The College. Meanwhile, JMU enters the contest fresh off a 64-60 road win at UNCW. The Dukes were picked to finish fourth in the preseason CAA Poll receiving three first-place votes.
THE BOOK ON JAMES MADISON
James Madison was also challenged in the non-conference and opened its season with a 79-74 victory over Charlotte. The Dukes later played defending national champion and No. 11-ranked Virginia on the road. Like Towson, they will have played all three of the top preseason teams in the league to open up the year in preseason favorite Hofstra (L, 76-82), CofC and Northeastern (L, 72-88). JMU has been one of the toughest teams in the CAA with numerous games coming down-to-the-wire and decided in single digits in the past and present. Junior guard Matt Lewis returns to lineup and is the team's leading scorer averaging 17.8 points per game. He was named to the preseason All-CAA First Team along with Grant Riller.
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. (7.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.7 apg, 28.9 min)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 190, Sr. (21.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 32.5 min)
#2 Brevin Galloway, G, 6-2, 215, Jr. (11.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 29.0 min)
#24 Jaylen McManus, F, 6-7, 230, Sr. (9.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.3 apg, 27.3 min)
#20 Sam Miller, F, 6-9, 240, Sr. (7.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 23.2 min)
PROJECTED JAMES MADISON STARTERS
#1 Matt Lewis, G, 6-5, 195, Jr. (17.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.1 apg, 35.2 min)
#5 Darius Banks, G, 6-5, 220, Jr. (12.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.6 apg, 31.1 min)
#3 Deshon Parker, G, 6-4, 195, So. (9.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.4 apg, 31.6 min)
#23 Michael Christmas, F, 6-6, 225, Fr. (7.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.8 apg, 22.1 min)
#24 Dwight Wilson, F, 6-8, 250, Jr. (10.6 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 0.5 apg, 22.6 min)
WHAT 2 WATCH 4
Grant Riller needs 16 more points to surpass former all-time leading scorer and CofC Athletics Hall of Famer Ken "Gus" Gustafson for second on the all-time career scoring list at The College. Gustafson previously held the record for 36 years with 2,135 career points until 2011 NBA Draft Pick Andrew Goudelock broke his record back in 2011. Riller, who was the fastest player in school history to reach 1,000 points, has tabulated 2,120 career points to date. He is the school-record holder for most points scored in a single game (43 points versus Hofstra on 2/14/19) and was invited to the Chris Paul CP3 Elite Guard Camp this past summer. Riller became only the third player in program history (NAIA and NCAA Division I Eras) to surpass the 2,000-point mark next to Gustafson and Goudelock. He also ranks in the Top 15 in career points in CAA history.
COFC ALL-TIME CAREER SCORING LIST
1. Andrew Goudelock (2007-11) – 2,571
2. Ken Gustafson (1971-75) – 2,135
3. Grant Riller (2016-Present) – 2,120
4. Jarrell Brantley (2015-19) – 1,914
5. Greg Mack (1981-85) – 1,901
6. Joe Chealey (2013-18) – 1,827
7. Sam Meade (1970-74) – 1,812
8. Thaddeous Delaney (1994-97) – 1,564
9. Dontaye Draper (2003-07) – 1,541
10. Jeff Bolton (1999-02) – 1,527
SERIES HISTORY
College of Charleston leads 9-5 in the all-time series with James Madison. Both teams split the regular-season series last year protecting each of their home courts. Always a dog fight between the two schools, seven of the last 10 meetings have been decided in single digits and one in overtime. CofC has won the last three contests against the Dukes when playing at TD Arena.
LAST 10 GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 70-53 (+17) on Jan. 31, 2019 in Charleston, S.C.
L, 58-69 (-11) on Jan. 5, 2019 at Harrisonburg, Va.
W, 81-78 OT (+3) on Feb. 15, 2018 at Harrisonburg, Va.
W, 66-59 (+7) on Jan. 27, 2018 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 67-62 (+5) on March 4, 2017 at North Charleston, S.C.^
W, 73-60 (+13) on Jan. 21, 2017 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 53-51 (+2) on Jan. 12, 2017 at Harrisonburg, Va.
L, 52-56 (-4) on Feb. 11, 2016 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 65-62 (+3) on Dec. 31, 2015 at Harrisonburg, Va.
L, 61-68 (-7) on Feb. 22, 2015 at Harrisonburg, Va.
^ CAA Tournament
TOWSON RECAP
College of Charleston 81, Towson 69
• For the fifth-straight contest, College of Charleston went with the starting five of Zep Jasper, Grant Riller, Brevin Galloway, Jaylen McManus and Sam Miller (4-1).
• With the win, College of Charleston now leads 10-7 in the all-time series with Towson. The Cougars have won three-straight games in the series and five straight when playing the Tigers at home at TD Arena.
• Grant Riller notched a game-high 28 points on a season-tying nine makes from the field against Towson. He was one rebound show of a double-double with eight rebounds. Riller extended his double-digit scoring streak to 43-consecutive games and has now tabulated 2,120 career points to date. It was also his 11th 20-point game of the season.
• Sam Miller was also shy of a double-double performance with a career-high tying 16 points and team-high nine rebounds versus Towson. He also added two blocked shots against the Tigers and opened the game with the team's first bucket for the third-straight contest.
• Brevin Galloway drained a trio of 3-pointers and turned in 11 points with three assists versus the Tigers. He extended his double-digit scoring streak to three-straight games.
• Zep Jasper shot a career-best 10-for-10 from the free throw line and ended the night with 12 points versus Towson. It marked his sixth game in double figures this season.
• Jaylen McManus reached double figures with 10 points against Towson. It was the eighth of the season and 13th of his career.
• The Cougars dished out 10 assists with a season-low two turnovers against Towson. It was the team's ninth time this season to share the ball more than 10 times in a contest.
• For just the second time this season, CofC had five players score in double figures in the same ballgame next to the team's road win at Marshall on Nov. 19.
• Towson was the fourth-straight opponent to be held in the 60s and the third-straight opponent the Cougars defeated by more than 10 points (+12).
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"This is a developing team. We lost three guys (Jarrell Brantley, Marquise Pointer and Nick Harris) from last year, who were here from Day One with me. Anything I would say, they would repeat it quick. Now, I'm playing some younger guys and guys who are in newer positions. Sam (Miller) and Jaylen (McManus) hadn't been in this position before, where they are one of the main threats to score. They are starting and it's a new situation for them. For Zep (Jasper), it's never been his team shared that role with Marquise. Now, it's his team as the point. They are all coming into their new roles. The exciting thing is, this team has a lot of potential to continue to grow. We have seen them grow as the days and weeks go by. Hopefully, we can stay humble, work hard and get better throughout the journey." – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on how his team has grown over the course of the season to this point
"It's a coach's dream to have five. Some of it has to do with unselfishness. We only had two turnovers and 10 assists. Our guys are looking for each other and doing a good job of sharing the ball." – Coach Grant on five players scoring in double figures against Towson
"It's Saturday at 4 p.m. We don't have our students here, so we need our fans to show up for the game. We had a good crowd against Towson, but need to get 4,000 in here on Saturday. James Madison is a very good team. They played at Wilmington and there are no nights off in the CAA. We have to come up with a good plan and put our best foot forward on Saturday." – Grant on a quick turnaround to play James Madison on Saturday
"It means a lot. It's what we have been preparing all year for and the coaches are doing a good job of making sure we are prepared on such a short notice. We are looking to finish out the New Year with another win on Saturday." – Senior Guard Grant Riller on the team's 3-0 start to conference play
"We played probably the toughest non-conference schedule in our conference, it has prepared us well and continues to serve us well as we continue to play more games in conference play." – Senior Forward Sam Miller on the team's 3-0 CAA start
"It was a regular-length road trip, but for some reason, I don't know if it was just coming back so soon after Christmas, but it felt like we were out there for a while (at Drexel and Delaware). It felt really nice to get some sleep in our own beds. We are looking to close out this stretch of a lot of games with one more win." – Miller on being back home after starting off conference play on the road during winter break
Game #16
January 4, 2020 • 4:00 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 9-5
Last Meeting: CofC def. James Madison, 70-53, on Jan. 31, 2019 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: 110-71
Sixth Year Overall: 110-71
James Madison: Louis Rowe
Fourth Year at JMU: 42-70
Fourth Year Overall: 42-70
TELEVISION AND RADIO (FloSports and College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
Color Analyst: Danny Johnson
GAME PREVIEW
Riding a four-game winning streak, the College of Charleston men's basketball team (9-6, 3-0 CAA) closes out a tough three games in six days stretch with James Madison (8-6, 1-2 CAA) on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 4 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena. While it's still early, the Cougars are currently tied with Northeastern atop the Colonial Athletic Association standings with a perfect 3-0 mark to start off conference play. The fruits of the team's labor during the non-conference are starting to show as Charleston is playing its best basketball of the season. In an 81-69 victory over Towson on Jan. 2, the Cougars had five players in double figures including a game-high 28 points from senior guard Grant Riller. He is currently one of three players in the league to be ranked among the most proficient offensive players in the nation with a 114.7 rating on 33.2 percent of the team's possessions. Riller has consistently been on this list since his sophomore season at The College. Meanwhile, JMU enters the contest fresh off a 64-60 road win at UNCW. The Dukes were picked to finish fourth in the preseason CAA Poll receiving three first-place votes.
THE BOOK ON JAMES MADISON
James Madison was also challenged in the non-conference and opened its season with a 79-74 victory over Charlotte. The Dukes later played defending national champion and No. 11-ranked Virginia on the road. Like Towson, they will have played all three of the top preseason teams in the league to open up the year in preseason favorite Hofstra (L, 76-82), CofC and Northeastern (L, 72-88). JMU has been one of the toughest teams in the CAA with numerous games coming down-to-the-wire and decided in single digits in the past and present. Junior guard Matt Lewis returns to lineup and is the team's leading scorer averaging 17.8 points per game. He was named to the preseason All-CAA First Team along with Grant Riller.
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. (7.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.7 apg, 28.9 min)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 190, Sr. (21.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 32.5 min)
#2 Brevin Galloway, G, 6-2, 215, Jr. (11.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 29.0 min)
#24 Jaylen McManus, F, 6-7, 230, Sr. (9.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.3 apg, 27.3 min)
#20 Sam Miller, F, 6-9, 240, Sr. (7.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 23.2 min)
PROJECTED JAMES MADISON STARTERS
#1 Matt Lewis, G, 6-5, 195, Jr. (17.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.1 apg, 35.2 min)
#5 Darius Banks, G, 6-5, 220, Jr. (12.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.6 apg, 31.1 min)
#3 Deshon Parker, G, 6-4, 195, So. (9.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.4 apg, 31.6 min)
#23 Michael Christmas, F, 6-6, 225, Fr. (7.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.8 apg, 22.1 min)
#24 Dwight Wilson, F, 6-8, 250, Jr. (10.6 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 0.5 apg, 22.6 min)
WHAT 2 WATCH 4
Grant Riller needs 16 more points to surpass former all-time leading scorer and CofC Athletics Hall of Famer Ken "Gus" Gustafson for second on the all-time career scoring list at The College. Gustafson previously held the record for 36 years with 2,135 career points until 2011 NBA Draft Pick Andrew Goudelock broke his record back in 2011. Riller, who was the fastest player in school history to reach 1,000 points, has tabulated 2,120 career points to date. He is the school-record holder for most points scored in a single game (43 points versus Hofstra on 2/14/19) and was invited to the Chris Paul CP3 Elite Guard Camp this past summer. Riller became only the third player in program history (NAIA and NCAA Division I Eras) to surpass the 2,000-point mark next to Gustafson and Goudelock. He also ranks in the Top 15 in career points in CAA history.
COFC ALL-TIME CAREER SCORING LIST
1. Andrew Goudelock (2007-11) – 2,571
2. Ken Gustafson (1971-75) – 2,135
3. Grant Riller (2016-Present) – 2,120
4. Jarrell Brantley (2015-19) – 1,914
5. Greg Mack (1981-85) – 1,901
6. Joe Chealey (2013-18) – 1,827
7. Sam Meade (1970-74) – 1,812
8. Thaddeous Delaney (1994-97) – 1,564
9. Dontaye Draper (2003-07) – 1,541
10. Jeff Bolton (1999-02) – 1,527
SERIES HISTORY
College of Charleston leads 9-5 in the all-time series with James Madison. Both teams split the regular-season series last year protecting each of their home courts. Always a dog fight between the two schools, seven of the last 10 meetings have been decided in single digits and one in overtime. CofC has won the last three contests against the Dukes when playing at TD Arena.
LAST 10 GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 70-53 (+17) on Jan. 31, 2019 in Charleston, S.C.
L, 58-69 (-11) on Jan. 5, 2019 at Harrisonburg, Va.
W, 81-78 OT (+3) on Feb. 15, 2018 at Harrisonburg, Va.
W, 66-59 (+7) on Jan. 27, 2018 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 67-62 (+5) on March 4, 2017 at North Charleston, S.C.^
W, 73-60 (+13) on Jan. 21, 2017 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 53-51 (+2) on Jan. 12, 2017 at Harrisonburg, Va.
L, 52-56 (-4) on Feb. 11, 2016 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 65-62 (+3) on Dec. 31, 2015 at Harrisonburg, Va.
L, 61-68 (-7) on Feb. 22, 2015 at Harrisonburg, Va.
^ CAA Tournament
TOWSON RECAP
College of Charleston 81, Towson 69
• For the fifth-straight contest, College of Charleston went with the starting five of Zep Jasper, Grant Riller, Brevin Galloway, Jaylen McManus and Sam Miller (4-1).
• With the win, College of Charleston now leads 10-7 in the all-time series with Towson. The Cougars have won three-straight games in the series and five straight when playing the Tigers at home at TD Arena.
• Grant Riller notched a game-high 28 points on a season-tying nine makes from the field against Towson. He was one rebound show of a double-double with eight rebounds. Riller extended his double-digit scoring streak to 43-consecutive games and has now tabulated 2,120 career points to date. It was also his 11th 20-point game of the season.
• Sam Miller was also shy of a double-double performance with a career-high tying 16 points and team-high nine rebounds versus Towson. He also added two blocked shots against the Tigers and opened the game with the team's first bucket for the third-straight contest.
• Brevin Galloway drained a trio of 3-pointers and turned in 11 points with three assists versus the Tigers. He extended his double-digit scoring streak to three-straight games.
• Zep Jasper shot a career-best 10-for-10 from the free throw line and ended the night with 12 points versus Towson. It marked his sixth game in double figures this season.
• Jaylen McManus reached double figures with 10 points against Towson. It was the eighth of the season and 13th of his career.
• The Cougars dished out 10 assists with a season-low two turnovers against Towson. It was the team's ninth time this season to share the ball more than 10 times in a contest.
• For just the second time this season, CofC had five players score in double figures in the same ballgame next to the team's road win at Marshall on Nov. 19.
• Towson was the fourth-straight opponent to be held in the 60s and the third-straight opponent the Cougars defeated by more than 10 points (+12).
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"This is a developing team. We lost three guys (Jarrell Brantley, Marquise Pointer and Nick Harris) from last year, who were here from Day One with me. Anything I would say, they would repeat it quick. Now, I'm playing some younger guys and guys who are in newer positions. Sam (Miller) and Jaylen (McManus) hadn't been in this position before, where they are one of the main threats to score. They are starting and it's a new situation for them. For Zep (Jasper), it's never been his team shared that role with Marquise. Now, it's his team as the point. They are all coming into their new roles. The exciting thing is, this team has a lot of potential to continue to grow. We have seen them grow as the days and weeks go by. Hopefully, we can stay humble, work hard and get better throughout the journey." – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on how his team has grown over the course of the season to this point
"It's a coach's dream to have five. Some of it has to do with unselfishness. We only had two turnovers and 10 assists. Our guys are looking for each other and doing a good job of sharing the ball." – Coach Grant on five players scoring in double figures against Towson
"It's Saturday at 4 p.m. We don't have our students here, so we need our fans to show up for the game. We had a good crowd against Towson, but need to get 4,000 in here on Saturday. James Madison is a very good team. They played at Wilmington and there are no nights off in the CAA. We have to come up with a good plan and put our best foot forward on Saturday." – Grant on a quick turnaround to play James Madison on Saturday
"It means a lot. It's what we have been preparing all year for and the coaches are doing a good job of making sure we are prepared on such a short notice. We are looking to finish out the New Year with another win on Saturday." – Senior Guard Grant Riller on the team's 3-0 start to conference play
"We played probably the toughest non-conference schedule in our conference, it has prepared us well and continues to serve us well as we continue to play more games in conference play." – Senior Forward Sam Miller on the team's 3-0 CAA start
"It was a regular-length road trip, but for some reason, I don't know if it was just coming back so soon after Christmas, but it felt like we were out there for a while (at Drexel and Delaware). It felt really nice to get some sleep in our own beds. We are looking to close out this stretch of a lot of games with one more win." – Miller on being back home after starting off conference play on the road during winter break
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballCharleston Women's Basketball Post Game Press Conference vs. Charleston Southern (11/7/25)
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