The Chants and Bulldogs will face off in the second semifinal Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPNU
March 3, 2010
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Coastal Hosts UNC Asheville in the Big South Semifinal
The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team (27-5), the top seed in the 2010 Big South Men’s Basketball Championships, will face fourth-seeded UNC Asheville Thursday, March 4 at 8 p.m., in Kimbel Arena. The game will be broadcast on THE TEAM 93.9 FM in Myrtle Beach with Matt Hogue on the call. The game also will be broadcast on ESPNU with Jon Sciambi and LaPhonso Ellis on the call. The Chanticleers are coming off an 82-73 win over VMI in the Big South Tournament quarterfinal.
A Coastal Carolina Win Would...
- Continue the best start in school history after 33 games.
- Give Head Coach Cliff Ellis his 664th career win and his 52nd with Coastal.
- Improve the Chanticleers to 17-1 at Kimbel Arena.
- Add on to the school record for wins in a season.
- Complete a three-game sweep of UNC Asheville
- Move the Chants into the Big South Tournament championship for the first time since 2005-06.
Storylines
- Coastal Carolina and UNC Asheville will meet in a Big South Tournament game at Kimbel Arena for the third time in the last five years. The Chants defeated the Bulldogs 78-62 in the 2006 Big South Tournament quarterfinals, while the Bulldogs exacted revenge in the 2007 edition, defeating Coastal 77-64. Before those two games, the last time the two teams met in the tournament was in 1990, with the Chants defeating the Bulldogs 76-73 to earn the BSC Tournament championship.
- Coastal Carolina’s 27 wins as of March 2 is tied for third for the most wins in Division I college basketball. Syracuse and Murray State lead the nation with 28 wins, while Coastal is tied with New Mexico, Kansas and Kentucky with 27 wins.
- This will be the first time that the Big South Tournament semifinals will be held in Kimbel Arena. The Chants have hosted three quarterfinal games, including Tuesday night’s 82-73 win over VMI.
Scouting UNC Asheville
The Bulldogs defeated fifth-seeded High Point 84-73 Tuesday night in a Big South Conference quarterfinal. J.P. Primm led Asheville with 23 points and made it a double-double with 11 assists, while Sean Smith added 20 points. Asheville shot 47.6 percent from three-point range in the win. Primm leads the Bulldogs with a 12.4 scoring average, while John Williams leads UNCA and the Big South with 78 blocked shots.
Series vs. UNC Asheville
Coastal Carolina holds a 29-27 series advantage over UNC Asheville, including winning both meetings this season. Redshirt-junior Chad Gray (Kingstree, S.C./South Carolina) hit a mid-range jumper with five seconds left to give the Chants a 58-57 road win Jan. 7. Coastal then defeated Asheville 98-62 Feb. 6 as redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) tied a season high with 24 points. Harris is averaging 13.4 points per game in 10 meetings against Asheville.
Big South Tournament History
Coastal has posted an 11-19 record in the history of the Big South Conference Tournament. The Chanticleers won the event three times, 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1992-93 and advanced to the 2005-06 championship game for the first time since 1993. The Chanticleers have faced UNC Asheville five times in the Big South Tournament and are 2-3 in those meetings, including defeating Asheville 76-73 to win the 1990 Big South Tournament.
Johnson on Fire in First Half of VMI Win
Redshirt-senior Logan Johnson (Knoxville, Tenn./South Doyle) matched his career high in the first 20 minutes of the 82-73 win over VMI in the Big South Tournament quarterfinal. He was 7-of-12 from the field and 5-of-9 from three-point range for 19 points. He added two second-half free throws to establish a new career high of 21 points in the win. Johnson also had five assists, four rebounds and a steal in the win.
Gray Gets Going in the Second Half
Redshirt-junior Chad Gray (Kingstree, S.C./South Carolina) scored 12 second-half points to help the Chants defeat VMI 82-73 in the Big South Tournament quarterinfal March 2. Gray was 5-of-7 from the field in the second 20 minutes and also had four rebounds in the second stanza. On the season, Gray is averaging 8.2 points per game in the second half, which is tops on the team.
Harris Does the Little Things in the VMI Win
Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) pulled down 16 rebounds, had four assists and five steals to go along with his 12 points in the 82-73 win over VMI in the Big South Tournament quarterfinal March 2. Harris is now averaging 11.6 rebounds in his last five games played.
Chants Earn All-Conference Awards
Coastal Carolina University head men’s basketball coach Cliff Ellis was named the Coach of the Year, while the Chanticleers earned two All-First Team selections, one All-Freshman Team honoree and one All-Academic Team member as the Big South Conference announced its annual postseason awards March 1.
Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) and redshirt-junior Chad Gray (Kingstree, S.C./South Carolina) earned First Team honors, while freshman Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio/New Creations (Ind.)) was named to the All-Freshman Team. Redshirt-senior Logan Johnson (Knoxville, Tenn./South Doyle) also was selected to the All-Academic Team.
Ellis earns his first Coach of the Year honor at Coastal and his sixth as a collegiate head coach. He guided the Chanticleers to a 26-5 overall record and a 15-3 conference record, both marks a school record and good for Coastal’s fifth-ever Big South regular-season title. The Chants also had a plus-16 overall turnaround, which sets a Big South record for turnarounds from the previous campaign. Ellis has a 663-389 overall record and a 51-40 record in his three years as the Chants’ mentor. Ellis has now been named Coach of the Year in four different conferences (Sun Belt, ACC, SEC, Big South) and becomes Coastal’s fifth Big South Coach of the Year and first since 1999-2000.
Harris earns his second straight First Team selection after averaging 14.8 points and 9.8 rebounds a game this season. He has rewritten the record books at Coastal, as he is the all-time leader in rebounds, blocked shots, field-goal percentage and games played. He also is the only player in Big South history to score over 1,300 points and grab 1,100 rebounds. Harris scored a season-high 24 points twice this year in wins over Bridgewater and UNC Asheville. He also pulled down 19 rebounds in a win over Charleston Southern Feb. 20. He becomes the Chants’ ninth multiple first-team All-Big South honoree and is the first to do it since Jack Leasure in 2005-06 and 2007-08.
Gray earns First Team honors in his first season on the court for the Chants. He is averaging 14.3 points and 4.8 rebounds for Coastal and is shooting at a 51.2 percent clip. He hit the game-winning jumper with five seconds left in a 58-57 win over UNC Asheville and scored a career-high 31 points in a win against Savannah State. Gray had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a win at VMI and scored 24 points twice in wins against Georgia Southern. He has scored in double figures 23 times this season and is third on the team with 24 blocked shots.
Greenwood becomes Coastal’s 12th All-Freshman Team honoree as he has averaged 9.0 points and 3.3 assists for the Chants this season. Greenwood is shooting 48.8 percent from the field and is averaging three rebounds a contest. He earned Big South Freshman of the Week honors four times this season and scored a season-high 20 points to go along with five assists, four steals and three rebounds in a win over VMI Dec. 3. He had a block of an attempted go-ahead three-pointer at UNC Asheville to give the Chants the one-point win and had 17 points in wins over Indiana State and Gardner-Webb. Greenwood is ninth in the Big South in assists and third in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Johnson, who has a 3.56 grade-point-average in business management, is averaging 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists this season for the Chanticleers. He is shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 72.6 percent from the free-throw line. Johnson had a career-high 21 points in the win over VMI and scored 14 points in the win over Winthrop Jan. 2. He currently is eighth all-time on Coastal’s career assists list and had seven assists in the win over VMI Feb. 27. He will graduate from Coastal with a degree in business management in the Spring of 2010.
Chants Sweep Weekly Awards
Coastal Carolina senior guard Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio) has been named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, while teammate Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio) has been named The Crons Brand Freshman of the Week for games played the final week of the regular-season, it was announced Feb. 28 by the Conference office.
Edwards had the hot hand in two Big South wins this past week to help the Chanticleers clinch the regular-season title. He shot 68.4 percent from the floor (13-of-19), 57.1 percent from three-point range (4-of-7) and averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. In the 71-48 win over Liberty that clinched the No. 1 seed, Edwards scored a team-high 13 points and dished out three assists. Edwards then led the Chants with 20 points to go along with seven rebounds and six assists in the 101-71 win over VMI. He was 8-of-11 from the field, 3-of-4 from three-point range and had a steal in the victory over the Keydets.
Greenwood averaged 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the two Big South wins this past week. He started the week with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in the victory over Liberty. On Saturday against VMI, he had 11 points, a career-high eight assists and five rebounds. For the week, Greenwood made 60.0 percent of his field goals (9-of-16) and 40.0 percent of his three-point shots (2-of-5).
Trio Honored at Senior Day in the Win over VMI
Coastal Carolina seniors Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune), Logan Johnson (Knoxville, Tenn./South Doyle) and Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) were honored before Saturday’s game 101-71 win over VMI. The three players have been instrumental in the Chants’ Big South regular-season title and combined has scored 2,850 career points, 1,770 career rebounds and 659 career assists.
First-Half Surge Lifts Chants Over Liberty
Coastal Carolina had another stellar first half at Kimbel Arena, outscoring Liberty 34-15 and holding the Flames to just 23.1 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes of the 71-48 win. Coastal has outscored its opposition 650-407 in the first half of home games while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor.
Defense Dominates Charleston Southern Win
Coastal Carolina held Charleston Southern to just 26.3 percent shooting from the field in the 47-37 win over the Bucs Feb. 20. CSU was just 6-of-31 from the field in the first half and the Chants held the Bucs’ leading scorer, Jamarco Warren, to just 2-of-12 from the floor. Coastal Carolina outrebounded Charleston Southern 41-37 and forced CSU into 13 turnovers.
Defense Dominates Charleston Southern Win
Coastal Carolina held Charleston Southern to just 26.3 percent shooting from the field in the 47-37 win over the Bucs Feb. 20. CSU was just 6-of-31 from the field in the first half and the Chants held the Bucs’ leading scorer, Jamarco Warren, to just 2-of-12 from the floor. Coastal Carolina outrebounded Charleston Southern 41-37 and forced CSU into 13 turnovers.
Harris Boards Season-High in CSU Win
Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) pulled down a season-high 19 rebounds in the 47-37 win over Charleston Southern Feb. 20. Fourteen of his rebounds came on the defensive end. It was the second-highest rebound output by a Big South player in a conference game this season. Harris now has 1,131 career rebounds.
Greenwood Named Big South Frosh of the Week
Coastal Carolina freshman Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) has been named The Crons Brand Freshman of the Week for games played Feb. 15-21, it was announced by the Conference office.
Greenwood averaged 12.0 points and 4.0 assists for the Chanticleers, and was an impressive 11-of-13 from the field ( =.846 percent) in two games – including 10-of-10 from inside the arc. He scored 13 points, went 6-of-7 from the floor and handed out three assists in Coastal’s win at North Carolina Central on Feb. 15. He followed that up with a team-high 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in Saturday’s win over Charleston Southern, in addition to five assists and two steals. Greenwood also kept CSU’s Jamarco Warren in check on defense, as he held Warren to 2-of-12 shooting.
McLaurin Stuffs Stat Sheet in the NCCU Win
Redshirt-freshman Sam McLaurin (Havana, Fla./East Gadsden) had just two points in the 68-57 win over North Carolina Central Feb. 15, but he was valuable in other categories against the Eagles. McLaurin pulled down seven rebounds, had a career high four assists and blocked three shots in the win. He leads the team with 54 blocks.
Late-Game Heroics Lift Chants Over Radford
Freshman Danny Nieman (Concord, N.C./Hargrave Military) hit a free throw with 0.5 seconds left to give Coastal a 52-51 win over Radford Feb. 13. The Nieman free throw was set up by a steal from redshirt senior Logan Johnson (Knoxville, Tenn./South Doyle) on Radford’s last offensive possession. Coastal won its second game of the season by a one-point margin as the Chants defeated UNC Asheville 58-57 Jan. 7.
A Tale of Two Halves
Coastal Carolina shot 51.6 percent from the floor and held a 37-21 halftime lead in its 52-51 win over Radford Feb. 13. The Chants also held Radford to 8-of-26 from the field in the first 20 minutes and had as much as an 18-point first half lead. The Chants also forced Radford into 14 first-half turnoveres. Radford came back and held the Chants to 3-of-19 from the floor in the second half, while shooting 10-of-19 from the floor. Radford outscored Coastal 30-15 in the final 20 minutes.
Chants Continue to Set Big South Records
Coastal Carolina became the first team in Big South history to win back-to-back games by 30 points or more. The Chanticleers defeated Gardner-Webb 96-60 Feb. 4 and UNC Asheville 98-62 Feb. 6. Coastal Carolina owns a scoring margin of +15.3, which is ahead of the Big South single-season mark set by Winthrop in 2006-07 (+13.4). The Chants also are +16 in the overall win column and +10 in Big South games. That is the best year-to-year improvement in Conference play based on the same number of League games the previous season. Liberty posted a 6-win improvement during a 12-game Conference schedule in 2002-03. In Big South games, the League’s top overall year-to-year improvement is +10, which was accomplished by Radford in 2008-09. (Note courtesy of Mark Simpson).
Harris, Nieman Earn Weekly BSC Award
Coastal Carolina redshirt senior forward Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C.) has been named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, while teammate Danny Nieman (Concord, N.C.) has been named The Crons Brand Freshman of the Week for games played Feb. 1-7, it was announced by the Conference office.
Harris averaged 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 72.0 percent from the field (18-of-25) in two Big South wins last week. He scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the 96-60 win over Gardner-Webb on Feb. 4, as he hit 8-of-10 from the field and corralled seven defensive boards in just 24 minutes of action. Harris then tied his season-high with 24 points in the Chanticleers’ 98-62 victory over UNC Asheville on Feb. 6. He added nine rebounds, three steals and two assists in the win.
Nieman came off the bench to average 11.5 points, 7.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds in Coastal Carolina’s two wins last week – well above his season averages of 5.8 points, 3.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds entering the games. In the Chants’ victory over Gardner-Webb, Nieman scored 13 points and dished out six assists, in addition to going 5-of-8 from the field and grabbing four rebounds. Against UNC Asheville, he handed out a season-high nine assists to go along with 10 points, four rebounds and two steals. For the week, Nieman was 10-of-16 from the floor (=62.5 percent) and committed just two turnovers in 50 minutes of action.
Trio Close to Double-Doubles in UNCA Win
The Chanticleers were close to having three players record double-doubles in the 98-62 win over UNC Asheville Feb. 6. Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while freshman Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio/New Creations (Ind.)) had 16 points and nine boards. Freshman Danny Nieman (Concord, N.C./Hargrave Military) had 10 points and a game-high nine assists.
Chants Flirt With Scoring Margin Record vs. GWU
Coastal Carolina was up by as many as 46 points in its 96-60 win over Gardner-Webb Feb. 4. The Chanticleers almost broke the school record for scoring margin in a Big South win. The record is 38 points set Jan. 28, 1989 in a 94-56 win over Radford. Coastal’s 36-point win was the most against a Division I opponent since the Chants defeated Georgia Southern 61-21 Jan. 2, 1997. Coastal then matched that scoring margin in a 98-62 win over UNC Asheville Feb. 6.
Chants Collect 20-Win Season
With its 96-60 win over Gardner-Webb, Coastal Carolina collected its 20th win of the season. It is the first 20-win season for Coastal since 2005-06 and its ninth in program history. Head Coach Cliff Ellis also has now guided four different schools to 20-win season. He led South Alabama, Clemson and Auburn to the 20-win plateau. Coastal also tied the Big South record by getting to 20 wins in its 24th game.
It’s Better to Give Than Receive
Coastal Carolina dished out 21 assists in the 96-60 win over Gardner-Webb Feb. 4. Senior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) and freshmen Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio/New Creations (Ind.)) and Danny Nieman (Concord, N.C./Hargrave Military) all had six assists in the win. Coastal now has had 20 or more assists in a game 10 times this season.
Chants on Fire from the Floor
Coastal Carolina converted on 60 percent of its field goals in the 96-60 win over Gardner-Webb Feb. 4. It is the second-highest field-goal percentage of the season for the Chanticleers. Senior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) and redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) combined to go 16-of-21 from the floor.
Coastal Triples in Win over Presby
The Chanticleers went 10-of-16 from three-point range in the 64-46 win over Presbyterian. Senior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) was 4-of-5 from three-point range for 12 of his 18 points. Redshirt-junior Chad Gray (Kingstree, S.C./South Carolina) and freshman Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio/New Creations (Ind.)) had two triples apiece. It was Coastal’s best three-point shooting night since Feb. 25, 2006 at Radford (71.4 percent).
Chants Receive Vote in AP Poll
The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team received a vote in the Associated Press Top-25 men’s basketball poll, it was announced Jan. 25. This is the first time the Chanticleers have received a vote in the AP poll in school history. Coastal received a vote in the ESPN/USA TODAY Coaches’ poll Dec. 14. Coastal tied with Harvard for 46th place with the one vote.
Greenwood Contributes on Both Ends of the Floor vs. CSU
Freshman Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio/New Creations (Ind.)) scored 14 points and dished out two assists in the 64-56 win at Charleston Southern Jan. 23. But Greenwood might have been even better on the defensive end, as he had two rebounds, a blocked shot and held the Bucs’ leading scorer, Jamarco Warren, to just 1-of-14 from the field and 1-of-11 from three-point range. Greenwood had a big layup to put the Chants up 54-52 with 4:10 left, then hit two free throws with 2:06 left that put Coastal up 60-54.
McLaurin’s Big Second Half Lifts Chants Over CSU
Redshirt-freshman Sam McLaurin (Havana, Fla./East Gadsden) pulled down nine rebounds and had six big second-half points in the Chants’ 64-56 win at Charleston Southern Jan. 23. McLaurin gave the Chants a 50-49 lead with 5:59 left. He then stretched Coastal’s lead to 56-52 with 3:08 left. Seven of McLaurin’s nine rebounds also came in the second half.
Harris Takes All-Time Big South Rebounding Lead
Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) pulled down 15 rebounds in the 75-58 win over High Point Jan. 16. This included becoming the Big South Conference’s all-time rebounding leader, breaking High Point’s Arizona Reid’s mark of 1,014. Harris now has 1,131 career boards to go along with 1,419 points.
Edwards Ties Career High in High Point Win
Senior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) tied a career high by scoring 28 points in the 75-58 win over High Point Jan. 16. The senior was 9-of-12 from the floor, including making both of his three-point attempts, and was 8-of-11 from the free-throw line. Edwards also scored 28 points in a 100-97 win over VMI Feb. 14, 2009.
Gray Gets 20 in High Point Win
Redshirt-junior Chad Gray (Kingstree, S.C./South Carolina) scored 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting in the 75-58 win over High Point Jan. 16. Gray now is the second leading scorer at 14.3 points per game and has scored in double figures in 23 of the 30 games he has played.
Harris Grabs 1,000th Rebound in Radford Game
Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) pulled down his 1,000th career rebound in the 62-52 loss to Radford Jan. 14. He is now the second player in Big South history to have 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, joining Arizona Reid of High Point in that select group.
Win Streak Snapped By Highlanders
Coastal Carolina had its 12-game winning streak snapped in a 62-52 loss to Radford Jan. 14. The streak was tied for the longest winning streak in school history. The streak included six Big South wins, four of which were on the road, and a two-game sweep of Southern Conference foe Georgia Southern.
Greenwood Named Big South Co-Freshman of the Week
Coastal Carolina guard Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio) has been named The Crons Brand Co-Freshman of the Week for games played Jan. 4-10, it was announced today by the Conference office.
Greenwood averaged 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals in three Chanticleer wins last week. He was 13-of-23 from the floor ( =56.5 percent) and 14-of-17 from the line ( =82.4). Greenwood scored 13 points, including two big three-pointers in the second half, and tallied four assists and four steals in Coastal’s win over Presbyterian on Monday. He followed that performance with 12 points and eight rebounds at UNC Asheville, and blocked the Bulldogs’ final field goal attempt at the buzzer to preserve a one-point win. Greenwood also hit four free throws in the second half, including two with 1:06 remaining. He wrapped up the week with 17 points, three assists and three steals at Gardner-Webb on Saturday, as he was 5-of-6 from the floor and 7-of-9 from the line.
Rebounds Big in Gardner-Webb Win
Coastal Carolina had a 42-20 rebounding advantage in the 80-64 win at Gardner-Webb Jan. 9. This included 11 rebounds from redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune), who had the 40th double-double of his career. Coastal Carolina now has a +6.6 rebounding margin this season.
Ellis Wins 650th Career Game vs. Presbyterian
Head Coach Cliff Ellis secured his 650th career win as a head coach in a 76-62 win over Presbyterian. Ellis has a 663-389 overall record in coaching stops at Cumberland, South Alabama, Clemson, Auburn and Coastal Carolina. Ellis has 585 wins as a Division I head coach.
Chants Fastest to 15 Wins in Big South History
Coastal Carolina became the fastest team in Big South history to win 15 games in a season, as the Chanticleers claimed their 15th victory in their 17th contest, breaking the previous record of 18 games. Three teams set the initial mark of 15-3 -- Liberty in 1991-92, UNC Greensboro in 1994-95 and VMI in 2008-09. Coastal Carolina can now tie the Big South mark after 20 games, which is 17-3. The same 1991-92 Liberty Flames and 2008-09 VMI Keydets share this record. (Note courtesy of Mark Simpson)
Gray Gets Going in Second Half vs. UNCA
Redshirt junior Chad Gray (Kingstree, S.C./South Carolina) scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half of a 58-57 win over UNC Asheville Jan. 7. This included the game-winning jumper with 5.2 seconds remaining to give the Chants the one-point advantage.
De-fense, De-fense
Coastal Carolina held Winthrop to a 24.6 shooting percentage in its 57-47 win over the Eagles Jan. 2. That is the lowest opponents’ field-goal percentage since Coker shot 23.1 percent in a 70-35 Coastal win Nov. 30, 2005. Coastal had 28 defensive rebounds and six blocked shots, four of which came from redshirt freshman Sam McLaurin (Havana, Fla./East Gadsden).
Nieman Steals the Show vs. Winthrop
Freshman Danny Nieman (Concord, N.C./Hargrave Military) had four steals in the 57-47 win over Winthrop Jan. 2, including a huge steal and layup to give the Chants a 43-38 lead with 6:29 remaining. Nieman also had 10 points and a game-high six assists in the win over the Eagles.
Chants Enjoy Perfect December
For the first time in school history, the Coastal Carolina men’s basketball team finished December with an unblemished record. The Chants were 7-0 in December, which includes Big South road wins over VMI and Liberty and two wins against Georgia Southern. Coastal had a +21.9 scoring margin in December and shot 55 percent from the field in the seven wins.
Chants Ranked 10th In Mid-Major Poll
The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team is ranked 10th in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, released March 1.
The Chanticleers received 453 votes and are in the top-25 for the ninth week in a row. Coastal Carolina is the only Big South team in the top-25. Butler leads the poll, followed by Gonzaga, Northern Iowa, Cornell and St. Mary’s in the top-five.
Chants End SoCon Slate with Perfect 4-0 Record
Coastal Carolina finished its four games against Southern Conference schools with a perfect record after its 76-64 win over Georgia Southern Dec. 29. Coastal opened the season with a 70-59 win over the College of Charleston Nov. 13. Coastal defeated Elon 69-46 in the NIT Season Tip-Off in Durham, N.C. The Chants then defeated Georgia Southern in the two team’s first meeting 69-58 in Statesboro, Ga.
Gray Named Big South Player of the Week
Coastal Carolina redshirt-junior forward Chad Gray (Kingstree, S.C.) has been named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for games played Dec. 14-22, it was announced by the Conference office.
Gray averaged 27.5 points and shot a sizzling 84.0 percent from the floor in two Coastal Carolina wins, helping the Chanticleers get to 10-2 on the year. In the Georgia Southern win on Dec. 15, Gray was 10-of-12 from the floor and finished with 24 points. He also had four rebounds and was 3-of-4 from the free throw line in 28 minutes off the bench. In the Savannah State win on Dec. 19, Gray had a career-high 31 points, going 11-of-13 from the field and 9-of-11 from the charity stripe, and corralled nine rebounds in the victory. For the week, Gray was 21-of-25 from the field (.840), 12-of-15 from the line (.800) and averaged 6.5 rebounds.
Chants Continue Sizzling Shooting
Coastal Carolina shot an amazing 63.5 percent from the floor in its 91-70 win over Savannah State Dec. 19. That is the best percentage by Coastal in a game since 72-60 win over Liberty Feb. 23, 2006, where the Chants shot 63.6 percent from the floor. On the year, Coastal is shooting 48.5 percent from the floor, which leads the Big South.
Scoring Margin High in Coastal Games
Twenty-two of Coastal’s 28 games this season have had a scoring margin of 10 points or more. This includes the 68-57 win over N.C. Central Feb. 15. The only five games that did not have that large a margin was a 76-69 loss to Cal State Northridge Nov. 24, a 58-57 win over UNC Asheville Jan. 7, a 64-56 win at Charleston Southern Jan. 23, a 67-64 loss at Winthrop Jan. 30, a 69-65 loss at High Point Feb. 11 and a 52-51 win at Radford Feb. 13.
Harris Breaks Blocked Shot Record
Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) completed his milestone trifecta at VMI Dec. 3 with his first blocked shot. He now owns the career blocked shot record by himself, passing DuWayne Cheatum’s 112 rejections. Harris has 136 blocks to go along with his school record 1,131 rebounds and his 1,419 points, which is ninth in school history in points.
Inside the VMI Box Score
The VMI games always present some interesting stats in the box score. The Dec. 3 game was no different.
- Coastal Carolina set a Big South record Thursday night by making 49 field goals in its 111-97 win over VMI. It was a record for a Big South Conference game. The previous record was 47 by Liberty at VMI Feb. 21, 2007.
- Coastal Carolina had 82 points in the paint, as 41 of its 49 field goals were in the paint.
- Every Chanticleer that played had one rebound and all but one had one assist.
- The score at the under-eight media timeout was 28-25 Coastal. The score at the under-four media timeout was 46-40 Coastal.
- VMI made 13 three-pointers, while Coastal attempted just 12.
- Coastal’s 111 points tied for ninth all-time in a single game. It also was the most since its 115-50 win over Lees-McRae Dec. 28, 2003.
Duo With Double-Doubles in Three Straight Wins
Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) and freshman Chris Evans (Chesapeake, Va./Petersburg) both recorded double-double’s in the Chants’ 97-44 win over Allen Nov. 28. Harris had his 35th career double-double, scoring 22 points and pulling down 13 rebounds in just 17 minutes of action. Evans had his first double-double of his career with 10 points and 11 rebounds in the win over the Yellow Jackets.
Then in the VMI win Dec. 3, Harris and redshirt-junior Chad Gray (Kingstree, S.C./South Carolina) had double-doubles. The duo had 20 and 14 points, respectively, while both had 10 rebounds.
Then in the Liberty win Dec. 5, Harris had 16 points and 12 rebounds while senior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Harris is 12th the nation in double doubles with 15 and has 45 in his career.
Frosh Fueled Win Over VMI
The freshmen trio of Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio/New Creations (Ind.), Danny Nieman (Concord, N.C./Hargrave Military) and Chris Evans (Chesapeake, Va./Petersburg) combined for 52 points in the 111-97 win over VMI Dec. 3. Nieman scored 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Greenwood and Evans added 20 and 10 points, respectively. Greenwood added five assists and four steals, while Evans was 4-of-6 from the floor and had five rebounds.
A November to Remember
Coastal Carolina had great success in the month of November. The Chanticleers went 5-2, which included wins over Southern Conference opponents College of Charleston and Elon and a win against Missouri Valley Conference foe Indiana State. Also, the two losses were to 2009 NCAA Tournament teams in Duke and Cal State Northridge. The Chants led the Big South in scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage defense, three-point field goal percentage defense and rebounding margin in the first month of the season.
Harris, Greenwood Sweep Big South Weekly Awards
Coastal Carolina redshirt-senior forward Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C.) was named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, while Chanticleers’ guard Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio) was named The Crons Brand Freshman of the Week for games played Nov. 23-29, it was announced by the Conference office.
Harris averaged 21.3 points and 10.7 rebounds in three games, leading Coastal Carolina to a 2-1 mark. He started the week scoring 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a 77-62 win over Indiana State. Harris went 13-of-14 from the free throw line and connected on his first career three-pointer in the win. He also had a blocked shot and two steals as Coastal defeated a Missouri Valley Conference member for the first time in school history. Harris then had 20 points and eight rebounds in a seven-point loss to 2009 NCAA Tournament team Cal State-Northridge, in addition to two steals and two assists. He ended his week with 22 points, 13 rebounds and four steals against Allen and became Coastal Carolina’s all-time leading rebounder in the win.
Greenwood scored in double figures in all three games and averaged 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He scored a career-high 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting in the win over Indiana State, in addition to two assists and four steals against the Sycamores. Greenwood then added 10 points, four rebounds and three assists vs. Cal State-Northridge, and concluded the week with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists Saturday against Allen.
Harris Hits 1,000 Points in His Career
Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) scored his 1,000th-career point Nov. 21 in a 99-56 win over Voorhees. His free throw with 18:36 left in the second half gave him the milestone. Harris is the 16th Chanticleer in school history to reach 1,000 points. He now is eighth in scoring and needs 47 points to pass William Calvin for the seventh spot.
Charity Stripe Kind for Chants vs. Indiana State
Coastal Carolina shot a sizzling 84.4 percent (27-of-32) from the free-throw line in its 77-62 win over Indiana State Nov. 23. At one point in the game, the Chants made their first 16 free throws and made 24 of their first 25 freebies. The Chants bumped their season free-throw mark to 67.5 percent. Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) was 13-of-14 from the line, while redshirt-junior Chad Gray (Kingstree, S.C./South Carolina) was 6-of-7. It was the most free throws in a single game by the Chants since Feb. 25, 2006 against Radford, when they hit 33 free throws.
Greenwood Looks Smooth in Indiana State Win
Freshman Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio/New Creations (Ind.)) scored a career-high 17 points and added four steals in the 77-62 win over Indiana State Nov. 23. Greenwood was 7-of-12 from the field and had three rebounds and two assists.
Harris Back to Double-Double Mode
Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) returned to his double-double form, scoring 23 points and adding 15 rebounds in the 69-46 win over Elon Nov. 17. Harris was 11-of-17 from the field and 14 of his 15 rebounds were on the defensive end. It was his second double-double of the season and he now has 45 in his career after the VMI game.
Block Party vs. Elon
Coastal Carolina had eight blocked shots in its 69-46 win over Elon Nov. 17. Redshirt-freshman Sam McLaurin (Havana, Fla./East Gadsden) had five blocks in the win, which was a career high and the most by a Chanticleer in over 10 years. Coastal now has 142 blocked shots in 32 games.
Harris Named Big South Co-Player of the Week
Coastal Carolina redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) was named the Big South Conference’s Co-Men’s Basketball Player of the Week Nov. 16.
Harris recorded his 31st career double-double with 21 points and 17 rebounds in the Chanticleers’ 70-59 win over SoCon South Division preseason favorite College of Charleston Friday night. Harris went 9-of-17 from the floor, grabbed six of his 17 rebounds on the offensive front, and added four steals, an assist and blocked shot. It was his 13th consecutive double-double, dating back to last season.
Rebounding Key to Early-Season Success
Coastal Carolina outrebounded Elon 45-26 Nov. 17 in its 69-46 win over the Phoenix. Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) and redshirt-freshman Sam McLaurin (Havana, Fla./East Gadsden) had 15 and 11 rebounds, respectively, in the win. Coastal Carolina now is averaging 39.7 rebounds a game and has a +6.6 rebounding margin.
A Game of Runs
Coastal Carolina started the game against #9 Duke with a 6-0 run, as a backdoor layup from redshirt-senior Logan Johnson (Knoxville, Tenn./South Doyle) and dunks from redshirt-freshman Sam McLaurin (Havana, Fla./East Gadsden) and senior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) were mixed with four Duke turnovers. The Chants, though, went 7:28 in the first half without scoring as Duke took a 33-19 halftime lead. Coastal would cut that lead to 10 at the start of the second half on layups from Johnson and McLaurin, but Duke would outscore the Chants 41-30 in the second half for the 25-point win.
Edwards Provides Spark for Coastal at Duke
Senior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) scored a team-high 12 points and had five rebounds and a steal against #9 Duke Nov. 16. Edwards was 2-of-5 from three-point range and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line. He now is averaging 15.0 points per game against ACC schools in his career.
Chants Score Hustle Points in CofC Win
Coastal Carolina outrebounded the College of Charleston 49-30, scored 17 second-chance points and had 20 points off Cougar turnovers in the 70-59 win Nov. 13. Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) had 17 rebounds, while redshirt-freshman Sam McLaurin (Havana, Fla./East Gadsden) had five offensive boards.
Nieman Impresses in Opener
Freshman Danny Nieman (Concord, N.C./Hargrave Military) scored seven points, had three steals and ran the point for 22 minutes in his first game as a collegian, the 70-59 win over the College of Charleston Nov. 13. The Chants outscored the Cougars by 21 points with Nieman in the lineup.
Harris Named to the Preseason All-Big South Team
Redshirt senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) was named to the Preseason All-Big South Team, it was announced Oct. 13 at the League’s annual Media Day. Harris also has been named to the All-Big South Teams by Lindy’s, Blue Ribbon and the Sporting News.
Harris, an All-Big South First Team selection last year, averaged 15.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game in 2008-09. He had a streak of 11 straight double-doubles for the Chanticleers and had 19 total his redshirt-junior season. Harris had career highs of 33 points and 22 rebounds in the 100-97 win over VMI Feb. 14. He also became the seventh player in Big South history to pull down 600 rebounds, have 100 steals and dish out 100 assists in a career. Harris is on track to become the second player in Big South Conference history with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his career.
Art Parakhouski of Radford was named the Big South Preseason Player of the Year, while Jamarco Warren of Charleston Southern, Grayson Flitner of Gardner-Webb, Joey Lynch-Flohr of Radford and Nick Barbour of High Point joined Harris on the Preseason All-Big South Team.
Chants Picked Eighth in Big South Preseason Poll
Coastal Carolina’s men’s basketball team was picked to finish eighth in the Big South Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll, announced Oct. 13 at the League’s annual Media Day.
Radford was picked to win the Big South Conference, garnering 23 of 24 first-place votes and 239 points overall. UNC Asheville was picked to finish second with 191 points. Winthrop earned a first-place vote and 179 points overall for third place, while Gardner-Webb was picked to finish fourth with 130 points. VMI (125 points) and High Point (124 points) were fifth and sixth, respectively, while Liberty was seventh with 119 points. That was one point ahead of the Chanticleers, who received three third-place and three fourth-place votes. Charleston Southern (53 points) and Presbyterian (42 points) rounded out the poll.
Chants Add Three New Assistants to Staff
Coastal Carolina adds three new assistants to the coaching staff for the 2009-10 season. Associate Head Coach Don Hogan heads to Conway after spending the last 16 seasons as head coach at West Florida. Hogan was Cliff Ellis’ first recruit at South Alabama and the duo also were on the same staff at Clemson from 1984-89. Gus Hauser comes to Coastal after spending the last two seasons at Louisiana-Monroe. Hauser also worked on Reggie Theus’ staff at New Mexico State and with Rick Pitino at Louisville. Richie Riley joins the Chanticleer staff after spending three seasons at Pikeville College in Kentucky. He was the recruiting coordinator for Pikeville for three seasons, where he was named a top-five recruiter by the website RecruitingRumors.com. Director of Basketball Operations Jimbo Tolbert returns for his third season on Coach Ellis’ staff, while David Long comes on as the graduate head manager.
Two Publications Pick Chants Third in Big South
Both the Sporting News and the Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook have chosen Coastal Carolina to finish third in its preseason publication. Sporting News chose the Chants to finish behind Radford and Winthrop and had redshirt senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) on its All-Big South team. Blue Ribbon picked the Chants to finish behind Radford and UNC Asheville and also had Harris on its preseason All-Big South Team. The publication also had freshman Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods (New Creations (Ind.)) as its Big South Newcomer of the Year.
Kimbel Has Its Advantages
Coastal Carolina’s Kimbel Arena may seat just over 1,000 fans, but it has been large for the Chanticleers the last six seasons. Coastal Carolina is 50-7 (87.7 percent) since the start of the 2002-03 season in non-conference games at Kimbel. Coastal Carolina had a stellar 14-1 overall record at home in 2005-06, the most home victories since the program went Division I for the 1985-86 season. CCU is also 85-28 (75.2 percent) overall at the Conway campus venue in the last seven years.
Ellis High On Active Division I Career Wins List
Head Coach Cliff Ellis is 11th in Division I wins by an active coach. Here is a list of the top 20 active coaches in Division I wins.
1. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke) 858
2. Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) 827
3. Jim Calhoun (Connecticut) 822
4. Bob Huggins (W. Virginia) 662
5. Gary Williams (Maryland) 646
6. Tom Penders (Houston) 643
7. Homer Drew (Valparaiso) 617
8. Roy Williams (N. Carolina) 610
9. Bo Ryan (Wisconsin) 597
10. Mike Montgomery (Cal) 589
11. Cliff Ellis (Coastal Carolina) 585
12. Larry Hunter (W. Carolina) 580
Rick Byrd (Belmont) 580
14. Pat Douglass (UC Irvine) 572
15. Rick Pitino (Louisville) 571
16. Ben Braun (Rice) 570
17. Bobby Cremins (CofC) 539
18. Stew Morrill (Utah State) 509
19. Rick Barnes (Texas) 495
20. Dave Bike (Sacred Heart) 494
Coach Ellis Can Be Seen and Heard
Head Coach Cliff Ellis will have a radio and television show for the third straight season. The Cliff Ellis Show can be seen on WPDE-TV Channel 15 at 12 p.m., on Sunday’s during the basketball season. The Chanticleer Call-In for basketball will start Tuesday, Dec. 1 from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Logan’s Roadhouse in the Coastal Grand Mall. Matt Hogue will be the host for the hour-long show, which will take place Jan. 19 and 26; Feb. 2, 9, 16 and 23 and March 9 if the Chants make the NCAA Tournament. The call-in number for questions to Coach Ellis is 877-264-5371.
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