Saturday, January 9
TD Arena
1:00 PM
College of Charleston
vs
Drexel
Photo by: AlSamuels.com
Cougars Welcome Dragons Into Their Home Lair For CAA Weekend Series at TD Arena
1/8/2021 7:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (3-6, 1-1 CAA) vs. DREXEL (5-2, 0-0 CAA)
Game #10 and #11
January 9, 2021 • 1:00 p.m. (ET)
January 10, 2021 • 1:00 p.m. (ET)
TD Arena/John Kresse Court (5,100)
at Charleston, S.C.
Television: FloSports
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (The Zone 94.7 FM | 910 AM)
Series History: CofC Leads 13-6
Last Meeting: CofC def. Drexel, 75-66, on Feb. 29, 2020 in Charleston, S.C.
Internet: Live Statistics at www.CofCStats.com
Live On-Demand Video: FloSports Subscription at https://bit.ly/2ZN9NQq
Tickets: www.CofCSports.com/tickets
Digital Game Program: www.CofCSports.com/publications
Twitter: @CofCBasketball
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Seventh Year at CofC: 121-85
Seventh Year Overall: 121-85
Drexel: Zach Spiker
Fifth Year at Drexel: 54-83
12th Year Overall: 156-195
TELEVISION AND RADIO (FloSports and College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
Color Analyst: Danny Johnson
GAME PREVIEW
After playing its last three games on the road, the College of Charleston men's basketball team (3-6, 1-1 CAA) welcomes Drexel (5-2, 0-0 CAA) into its home lair for a Colonial Athletic Association home-opening weekend series on Saturday, Jan. 9 and Sunday, Jan. 10 at TD Arena. Tipoff between the Cougars and Dragons is slated for 1 p.m. (ET) on both days. It will mark the CAA debut for Drexel as last weekend's games were postponed due to positive COVID-19 cases in the UNCW program. For CofC, graduate senior guard Payton Willis had an impressive debut week as the Cougars split their conference-opening series at Delaware. The transfer from Minnesota registered a career-high tying 21 points on Jan. 2 and a game-high tying 17 points as the Cougars claimed a 66-59 victory over UD on Jan. 3. For the week, Willis averaged a team-leading 19.0 points per game along with 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.5 steals versus the Blue Hens. He also shot a team-best 54.5 percent from long range making six of his 11 attempts. Willis has scored in double figures in all but one contest this season for the Cougars and is currently on a six-game double-digit scoring streak. Charleston will have its hands full versus the league's top scoring defense as the Dragons have held opponents to 63.7 points per game (No. 45 nationally) and a 25.4 percent accuracy from behind the three-point arc (No. 10 nationally).
SCOUTING DREXEL
The Dragons are led by two preseason All-CAA First Team selections in Camren Wynter (19.9 ppg) and James Butler (13.1 ppg). They have won five of their last six contests including an 85-68 road victory at Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 19 and an 81-77 home win against Saint Joseph's on Dec. 17. Drexel, one of the more experienced and veteran teams in the league, was picked to finish fourth in the preseason conference poll.
COUGARS ON THE AIRWAVES
Fans can listen to all CofC men's basketball games throughout the 2020-21 season on The Zone 94.7 FM and ESPN Radio 910 AM 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 alongside color analyst Danny Johnson on the College of Charleston Radio Network.
PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#12 Zep Jasper, G, 6-1, 170, Jr. (13.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 29.7min)
#0 Payton Willis, G, 6-4, 190, Gr.-Sr. (14.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 33.7 min)
#5 Brenden Tucker, G, 6-3, 180, So. (6.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.1 apg, 21.3 min)
#21 Lorenzo Edwards, F, 6-8, 215, Gr.-Sr. (4.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.9 apg, 16.9 min)
#33 Osinachi Smart, C/F, 6-8, 240, Sr. (5.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.4 apg, 26.7 min)
PROJECTED DREXEL STARTERS
#11 Camren Wynter, G, 6-2, 175, Jr. (19.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.4 apg, 35.4 min)
#5 Zach Walton, G/F, 6-6, 205, Gr.-Sr. (9.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 30.0 min)
#21 Mate Okros, F, 6-6, 193, So. (5.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 30.9 min)
#23 T.J. Bickerstaff, F, 6-8, 207, So. (11.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 apg, 23.9 min)
#51 James Butler, F, 6-8, 228, Gr.-Sr. (13.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.6 apg, 27.9 min)
SERIES HISTORY
College of Charleston leads 13-6 in the all-time series with Drexel. The Cougars have won six of the last seven contests between the two schools in the series. Last year, CofC swept the regular-season series with the Dragons for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
LAST 10 GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 75-66 (+9) on Feb. 29, 2020 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 76-65 (+11) on Dec. 28, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pa.
W, 73-61 (+12) on March 10, 2019 in North Charleston, S.C.^
W, 86-84 (+2) on Feb. 9, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pa.
L, 78-79 (-1) on Jan. 10, 2019 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 66-59 (+7) on March 4, 2018 at North Charleston, S.C.^
W, 89-67 (+22) on Feb. 10, 2018 at Charleston, S.C.
L, 82-87 OT (-5) on Jan. 5, 2018 at Philadelphia, Pa.
W, 80-67 (+13) on Feb. 25, 2017 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 90-76 (+14) on Jan. 28, 2017 at Philadelphia, Pa.
^ CAA Tournament
COUGAR DEFENSE
Charleston has always hung its hat on its defense. In the two of their last three games, the Cougars have held their opponents to their lowest-or second-lowest scoring output of the season. Georgia State, ranked No. 2 in the nation at the time in scoring offense averaging 97.2 points a game, was held to 72 points on Dec. 21, while Delaware was held to a season-low tying 59 points on Jan. 3. CofC has also taken care of the ball and currently ranks No. 53 nationally and tops in the league in turnovers per game (11.7 avg.).
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"Obviously, we knew it was a new season coming into conference play. Everybody was undefeated. No one had played a game or won or lost a game. We knew how important it was to get off to a good start. Certainly on the road, you want to steal games the best you can. It's hard to win games in the league on the road and at home. I thought we did a great job and made progress the last couple of weeks. We played a lot of guys and started to defend the way we are capable of. Sharing the ball a lot better. It was a huge deal for us to go on the road and find a way to win against a team that was picked as preseason No. 2. Hopefully, we can build on it and get ready for our games this weekend." – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on starting off CAA play with a 1-1 week at Delaware
"In both games we did good things. There was a spell in that first game that there were breakdowns in defense. We let them (Delaware) have baskets that they should not have gotten. In the second game, we looked more like College of Charleston Basketball. We really took care of the ball, shared it and guarded hard. They didn't score in the 60s. We did a really good job of controlling the tempo and playing at our pace. I was proud of our guys. We have to build on those games. All of these games will present different challenges on Saturday and Sunday from here-on-out." – Coach Grant on playing solid basketball the last three halves of its last two games
"He is very unselfish, so he passes the ball. Our offense is going to be by committee. Certainly, we had three guys in double figures in the Delaware game. Our bench has provided a good lift for us with 23 points in that last performance. Payton is who I thought he would be. That's why we wanted to recruit him a couple of years ago, when he left Vanderbilt. Unfortunately, we didn't get him and he went to Minnesota. This time around, it just happened pretty quickly. We felt comfortable with him and he felt comfortable with us. He is a steady influence in terms of his leadership and maturity. Obviously, he can score the ball as well. I am definitely proud of what he is doing and proud he is part of our program." – Grant on the play of graduate senior guard Payton Willis
"It was a great win for us, especially coming off a few game losing streak. That was our first win without Brevin (Galloway). It was also huge for us to get our first conference win." – Graduate Senior Guard Payton Willis on winning the second game of the Delaware series on Sunday
"It was super different. It took me back to high school and my AAU days. Having to play on Sundays. I like it, especially in these times. Any time you can get on the court is good." – Willis on adjusting to the Saturday-Sunday format in league play
"I definitely think we are progressing as a team. Chemistry wise. We are still trying to put together a full 40-minute game. We are getting close and put about 35 together in our last games at Delaware. We are getting there and making progress for sure. – Willis on the team playing well in its last three halves of basketball
Game #10 and #11
January 9, 2021 • 1:00 p.m. (ET)
January 10, 2021 • 1:00 p.m. (ET)
TD Arena/John Kresse Court (5,100)
at Charleston, S.C.
Television: FloSports
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (The Zone 94.7 FM | 910 AM)
Series History: CofC Leads 13-6
Last Meeting: CofC def. Drexel, 75-66, on Feb. 29, 2020 in Charleston, S.C.
Internet: Live Statistics at www.CofCStats.com
Live On-Demand Video: FloSports Subscription at https://bit.ly/2ZN9NQq
Tickets: www.CofCSports.com/tickets
Digital Game Program: www.CofCSports.com/publications
Twitter: @CofCBasketball
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Seventh Year at CofC: 121-85
Seventh Year Overall: 121-85
Drexel: Zach Spiker
Fifth Year at Drexel: 54-83
12th Year Overall: 156-195
TELEVISION AND RADIO (FloSports and College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
Color Analyst: Danny Johnson
GAME PREVIEW
After playing its last three games on the road, the College of Charleston men's basketball team (3-6, 1-1 CAA) welcomes Drexel (5-2, 0-0 CAA) into its home lair for a Colonial Athletic Association home-opening weekend series on Saturday, Jan. 9 and Sunday, Jan. 10 at TD Arena. Tipoff between the Cougars and Dragons is slated for 1 p.m. (ET) on both days. It will mark the CAA debut for Drexel as last weekend's games were postponed due to positive COVID-19 cases in the UNCW program. For CofC, graduate senior guard Payton Willis had an impressive debut week as the Cougars split their conference-opening series at Delaware. The transfer from Minnesota registered a career-high tying 21 points on Jan. 2 and a game-high tying 17 points as the Cougars claimed a 66-59 victory over UD on Jan. 3. For the week, Willis averaged a team-leading 19.0 points per game along with 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.5 steals versus the Blue Hens. He also shot a team-best 54.5 percent from long range making six of his 11 attempts. Willis has scored in double figures in all but one contest this season for the Cougars and is currently on a six-game double-digit scoring streak. Charleston will have its hands full versus the league's top scoring defense as the Dragons have held opponents to 63.7 points per game (No. 45 nationally) and a 25.4 percent accuracy from behind the three-point arc (No. 10 nationally).
SCOUTING DREXEL
The Dragons are led by two preseason All-CAA First Team selections in Camren Wynter (19.9 ppg) and James Butler (13.1 ppg). They have won five of their last six contests including an 85-68 road victory at Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 19 and an 81-77 home win against Saint Joseph's on Dec. 17. Drexel, one of the more experienced and veteran teams in the league, was picked to finish fourth in the preseason conference poll.
COUGARS ON THE AIRWAVES
Fans can listen to all CofC men's basketball games throughout the 2020-21 season on The Zone 94.7 FM and ESPN Radio 910 AM 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 alongside color analyst Danny Johnson on the College of Charleston Radio Network.
PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#12 Zep Jasper, G, 6-1, 170, Jr. (13.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 29.7min)
#0 Payton Willis, G, 6-4, 190, Gr.-Sr. (14.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 33.7 min)
#5 Brenden Tucker, G, 6-3, 180, So. (6.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.1 apg, 21.3 min)
#21 Lorenzo Edwards, F, 6-8, 215, Gr.-Sr. (4.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.9 apg, 16.9 min)
#33 Osinachi Smart, C/F, 6-8, 240, Sr. (5.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.4 apg, 26.7 min)
PROJECTED DREXEL STARTERS
#11 Camren Wynter, G, 6-2, 175, Jr. (19.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.4 apg, 35.4 min)
#5 Zach Walton, G/F, 6-6, 205, Gr.-Sr. (9.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 30.0 min)
#21 Mate Okros, F, 6-6, 193, So. (5.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 30.9 min)
#23 T.J. Bickerstaff, F, 6-8, 207, So. (11.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 apg, 23.9 min)
#51 James Butler, F, 6-8, 228, Gr.-Sr. (13.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.6 apg, 27.9 min)
SERIES HISTORY
College of Charleston leads 13-6 in the all-time series with Drexel. The Cougars have won six of the last seven contests between the two schools in the series. Last year, CofC swept the regular-season series with the Dragons for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
LAST 10 GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 75-66 (+9) on Feb. 29, 2020 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 76-65 (+11) on Dec. 28, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pa.
W, 73-61 (+12) on March 10, 2019 in North Charleston, S.C.^
W, 86-84 (+2) on Feb. 9, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pa.
L, 78-79 (-1) on Jan. 10, 2019 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 66-59 (+7) on March 4, 2018 at North Charleston, S.C.^
W, 89-67 (+22) on Feb. 10, 2018 at Charleston, S.C.
L, 82-87 OT (-5) on Jan. 5, 2018 at Philadelphia, Pa.
W, 80-67 (+13) on Feb. 25, 2017 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 90-76 (+14) on Jan. 28, 2017 at Philadelphia, Pa.
^ CAA Tournament
COUGAR DEFENSE
Charleston has always hung its hat on its defense. In the two of their last three games, the Cougars have held their opponents to their lowest-or second-lowest scoring output of the season. Georgia State, ranked No. 2 in the nation at the time in scoring offense averaging 97.2 points a game, was held to 72 points on Dec. 21, while Delaware was held to a season-low tying 59 points on Jan. 3. CofC has also taken care of the ball and currently ranks No. 53 nationally and tops in the league in turnovers per game (11.7 avg.).
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"Obviously, we knew it was a new season coming into conference play. Everybody was undefeated. No one had played a game or won or lost a game. We knew how important it was to get off to a good start. Certainly on the road, you want to steal games the best you can. It's hard to win games in the league on the road and at home. I thought we did a great job and made progress the last couple of weeks. We played a lot of guys and started to defend the way we are capable of. Sharing the ball a lot better. It was a huge deal for us to go on the road and find a way to win against a team that was picked as preseason No. 2. Hopefully, we can build on it and get ready for our games this weekend." – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on starting off CAA play with a 1-1 week at Delaware
"In both games we did good things. There was a spell in that first game that there were breakdowns in defense. We let them (Delaware) have baskets that they should not have gotten. In the second game, we looked more like College of Charleston Basketball. We really took care of the ball, shared it and guarded hard. They didn't score in the 60s. We did a really good job of controlling the tempo and playing at our pace. I was proud of our guys. We have to build on those games. All of these games will present different challenges on Saturday and Sunday from here-on-out." – Coach Grant on playing solid basketball the last three halves of its last two games
"He is very unselfish, so he passes the ball. Our offense is going to be by committee. Certainly, we had three guys in double figures in the Delaware game. Our bench has provided a good lift for us with 23 points in that last performance. Payton is who I thought he would be. That's why we wanted to recruit him a couple of years ago, when he left Vanderbilt. Unfortunately, we didn't get him and he went to Minnesota. This time around, it just happened pretty quickly. We felt comfortable with him and he felt comfortable with us. He is a steady influence in terms of his leadership and maturity. Obviously, he can score the ball as well. I am definitely proud of what he is doing and proud he is part of our program." – Grant on the play of graduate senior guard Payton Willis
"It was a great win for us, especially coming off a few game losing streak. That was our first win without Brevin (Galloway). It was also huge for us to get our first conference win." – Graduate Senior Guard Payton Willis on winning the second game of the Delaware series on Sunday
"It was super different. It took me back to high school and my AAU days. Having to play on Sundays. I like it, especially in these times. Any time you can get on the court is good." – Willis on adjusting to the Saturday-Sunday format in league play
"I definitely think we are progressing as a team. Chemistry wise. We are still trying to put together a full 40-minute game. We are getting close and put about 35 together in our last games at Delaware. We are getting there and making progress for sure. – Willis on the team playing well in its last three halves of basketball
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
C/F
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
G
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