Men's Basketball Wraps Up Global Sports Classic Saturday vs. North Carolina A&T
More Information:
Game 6
Coastal Carolina (1-4) Vs. NORTH CAROLINA A&T (3-3)
Global Sports Classic
Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
Time: 2:30 p.m. PST
Place: Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nev.
Series: North Carolina A&T leads 2-0
Radio: THE TEAM 93.9 FM (Matt Hogue)
Live Stats: www.UNLVRebels.com
TV/Live Video: None
Chants Look for Two in a Row With Game Against North Carolina A&T
The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team (1-4) will look to make it two victories in a row as the Chanticleers face North Carolina A&T (3-3) Saturday, Nov. 29 at 5:30 p.m. EST (2:30 p.m. PST) in the final day of the Global Sports Classic at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The game can be heard on THE TEAM 93.9 FM in Myrtle Beach with Matt Hogue on the call. Coastal Carolina is coming off an exciting 69-60 overtime win over Western Illinois Nov. 28.
A Coastal Carolina Win Would...
- Give the Chants its second victory of the season.
- Give the Chants its first ever-win over North Carolina A&T. Coastal Carolina is 0-2 lifetime against the Aggies.
- Give Head Coach Cliff Ellis his 627th career win and his 15th with the Chanticleers.
- Give the Chants back-to-back wins in an exempt tournament for the first time since Coastal Carolina beat Long Island and UCF in the 1986 Central Florida Tournament.
- Give the Chants back-to-back wins for the first time since Coastal Carolina beat Charleston Southern and Winthrop Feb. 2 and 6, 2008.
- Give the Chants its 10th all-time win against a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Storylines
- Coastal Carolina and North Carolina A&T meet for the first time since the 1986-87 season despite being only 3 1/2 hours away from each other.
- The Western Illinois game was Logan Johnson’s best game of the year. The redshirt junior had nine points and three rebounds in the overtime win over the Leathernecks. He also was 3-of-5 from the free-throw line.
- The Chanticleers are nearing the conclusion of a five-game trip away from Conway. Coastal Carolina will be on the road for nine days and four games during the Global Sports Classic.
- Coastal Carolina will have a mix of youth and experience this season as the Chanticleers have six players in their fourth year of school and eight juniors and seniors. Coastal Carolina also has seven newcomers, including five freshmen, on the roster.
Scouting North Carolina A&T
The Aggies are coming off a 67-60 win over Texas-Pan American at the Global Sports Classic. Tavarus Alston led North Carolina A&T with 16 points and seven rebounds while Nicholas Wilson added 13 points. The Aggies are led in scoring by Ed Jones, who is averaging 12.6 points per game. North Carolina A&T’s other wins have come against the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and Talladega College.
Series vs. North Carolina A&T
North Carolina leads the all-time series 2-0 with both contests coming in the 1986-87 season. The Aggies won in Conway 64-47 and in Greensboro 97-58. Coastal Carolina is 9-7 all-time against schools from the MEAC.
Viva Las Vegas
Coastal Carolina is playing in an exempt tournament for the first time since the 1991-1992 season as the Chanticleers have four games set in three different sites over the Thanksgiving break in the Global Sports Classic. Coastal Carolina actually played in two games on campus sites to open the tourney, then travelled to Las Vegas to play two games in the Thomas and Mack Center. Coastal Carolina faces Florida State Saturday, Nov. 22, in Tallahassee, Fla., and are at Cincinnati Monday, Nov. 24 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Coastal Carolina then will play Western Illinois Friday, Nov. 28 and North Carolina A&T Saturday, Nov. 29 in Las Vegas, Nev. The last exempt tournament the Chanticleers played in was the Great Alaska Shootout Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 2001. The Chants also will travel 7,187 miles during the Global Sports Classic.
Harris Stuffs Stat Sheet in Western Illinois Win
Redshirt junior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) had a season high 27 points and made it a double-double with 13 rebounds in the 69-60 overtime win over Western Illinois Nov. 28. Harris was 12-of-16 from the floor and had three steals and two blocked shots on the night. Sixteen of Harris’ 27 came in the first half as he helped the Chants to a season high 55.8 percent from the field in the win. His third rebound of the game also earned Harris his 500th career rebound, becoming just the 49th player in Big South history to pull down 500 career caroms.
Comeback Kids
Coastal Carolina was trailing by 10 points with 7:06 remaining in regulation against Western Illinois, but the Chants hit 6-of-9 field goals in those last seven minutes and sent the game into overtime, where the Chants would take the 69-60 win. A big reason for the comeback was sophomore Anthony Breeze (Greenville, S.C./Greenville), who had nine of his 14 points in the last 2:14 of regulation and in overtime. His tip-in with two seconds left sent the game into overtime and he scored five points in the extra session.
Chants Starting Lineup in State of Change
Coastal Carolina had its fourth different starting lineup in as many games in the 82-56 loss to Cincinnati Nov. 24. Senior Mario Sisinni (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips) and redshirt junior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) are the only Chants to start all five games this season. Coastal used the same starting five in the Western Illinois win as in the Cincinnati loss for the first repeat starting lineup of the season. Coastal Carolina’s five starters scored 42 of the 56 points against the Bearcats.
Chants Off to Good Starts in Global Sports Classic
Coastal Carolina has had good starts in its losses to Florida State and Cincinnati. Against the Seminoles, Coastal Caroilna built a 15-point lead at the 8:35 mark of the first half and led most of the first half. Coastal Carolina shot 51.7 percent in the first half against FSU. Then against Cincinnati, Coastal Caroilna had a six-point lead eight minutes in and shot 53.3 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes.
Turnovers Doom Chants in Florida State Loss
Coastal Carolina played its most complete game of the season Nov. 22 against Florida State, shooting 50 percent from three-point range, 76.5 percent from the free-throw line and outrebounding the Seminoles 33-32. Coastal Carolina also had a 15-point lead in the first half. The Chants were hurt by 22 turnovers as FSU scored 28 points off Chant miscues in the 82-70 win. Coastal Carolina is averaging 20 turnovers after four games this season.
Coastal Carolina Shows Range In FSU Game
The Chanticleers shot 11-of-22 from three-point range in the 82-70 loss to Florida State Nov. 22. Junior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) and freshman Dexter Moore (Bluefield, W. Va./Hargrave Military) had four three-pointers apiece, while senior Mario Sisinni (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips) had two triples for the Chants. Coastal Carolina now is shooting 34.1 percent from behind the arc this year.
Harris Goes for the Daily Double in Savannah State Game
Redshirt junior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) recorded his 12th career double-double in the 66-65 loss to Savannah State Nov. 18, scoring 16 points and adding 14 rebounds. His rebounding total was just two away from a career high, while he tied a career high with four blocked shots. Harris is third in the Big South with a 9.2 rebounding average after getting 11 caroms in the 82-70 loss to Florida State.
Moore Finds His Range Against SSU
Freshman Dexter Moore (Bluefield, W. Va./Hargrave Military) was 4-of-6 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range as he collected his first double-figure scoring performance of his career in the 66-65 loss to Savannah State Nov. 18. Moore now is 10-of-23 from behind the arc this season.
Breeze Efficient in Season Opener
Sophomore Anthony Breeze (Greenville, S.C./Greenville) led Coastal Carolina in scoring with 15 points in the 80-59 loss to Coker Nov. 15. Breeze was 6-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line in 21 minutes. The sophomore also had four rebounds and led the team in scoring for the second time in his career.
Harris Returns to the Court
Redshirt junior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) played in his first game since Dec. 9, 2007 in the loss to Coker Nov. 15. Harris missed the last 20 games of the 2007-08 season due to a thumb injury suffered in the 80-68 loss to UNC Wilmington. The Lejeune, N.C., native had 13 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots against the Cobras.
Welcome to Chant Basketball for Seven Players
There are seven players on the roster who are newcomers on the 2008-09 squad. Redshirt freshman Jon Pack (Dallas, Ga./East Paulding) redshirted last season and has had a year of pracitce in Coach Ellis’ system. Junior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Washington (Chipola J.C.)) helped Chipola Junior College to a 68-5 record in his two years with the Indians. Freshmen Dexter Moore (Bluefield, W. Va./Bluefield (Hargrave Military)) and Darius Steger (Guntersville, Ala./Guntersville) will both vie tor time at point guard. Moore helped Hargrave to a Post-Graduate National Championship, while Steger was a Class 4A All-State First Team in Alabama. Freshman Sam McLaurin (Havana, Fla./East Gadsden) was the Big Bend Player of the Year last season for East Gadsden High School. Freshman Marcus Macellari (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph’s) was a First Team selection by the South Bend Tribune. Junior Marshawn Martin (Columbia, S.C./Richland Northeast) made the team after walking on in the fall and will also see time at point guard.
Breeze Comes Back from All-Freshman Performance
Sophomore Anthony Breeze (Greenville, S.C./Greenville) returns to the lineup this season after averaging 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in his rookie campaign for the Chanticleers. He was named to the All-Freshman Team for his efforts, becoming the 11th player in Coastal Carolina history to be named to the All-Freshman Team. Breeze was a two-time Freshman of the Week honoree and had a season-high 25 points against Cincinnati Nov. 16.
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 14 active coaches in Division I wins as of Nov. 26, 2008
1. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke)............ 809
2. Jim Calhoun (Connecticut)....... 779
3. Jim Boeheim (Syracuse)........... 776
4. Bob Huggins (W. Virginia)........ 619
5. Tom Penders (Houston)............ 611
6. Gary Williams (Maryland).......... 607
7. Homer Drew (Valparaiso)......... 587
8. Roy Williams (N. Carolina)....... 565
9. Bo Ryan (Wisconsin)................. 560
10. Ben Braun (Rice)...................... 55811. Cliff Ellis (Coastal Carolina)..... 548
12. Pat Douglass (UC Irvine)....... 547
13. Larry Hunter (W. Carolina)..... 544
14. Rick Byrd (Belmont)................. 542
Chants Picked Eighth in Big South Preseason Poll
The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team has been picked to finish eighth in the Big South Conference in 2008-2009, the League announced Oct. 14 in its annual Basketball Media Day in Concord, N.C. The poll was voted on by the Big South’s head coaches and a media panel.
The Chanticleers earned 107 points in the poll. Coastal Carolina had one second-place vote and 12 votes in the top-five of the conference. The parity of the league in 2008-2009 was shown in the poll, as Winthrop, last year’s Big South Tournament champion, was picked to win the conference with 202 votes and nine-first place votes, but the Eagles also received one 10th-place vote. Seven teams earned a first-place vote in the poll.
Winthrop was followed by Radford (189 points, seven first-place votes), Gardner-Webb (188 points, three first-place votes) and Liberty (148 points, two first-place votes) in the top four. High Point was picked fifth with 132 points and one first-place vote, while Charleston Southern was sixth with 128 points and one first-place vote. VMI was picked just ahead of the Chanticleers with 110 points and one first-place votes. Coastal Carolina was next, followed by 2007 Big South co-regular season champion UNC Asheville (83 points) and Big South newcomer Presbyterian (33 points).
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 31-5 (86.1 percent) since the start of the 2002-03 season in non-conference games at Kimbe. 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 62-22 (73.8 percent) overall at the Conway campus venue in the last six years.
Harris Named to Blue Ribbon Preseason All-Big South Team
Coastal Carolina University redshirt junior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) was named to the All-Big South Preseason Team by the Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook, it was announced Sept. 24. The magazine also forecasted the Chanticleers to finish in fifth place in the Big South Conference standings.
Harris, a 6-5 forward, returns to the Chant lineup after missing most of last season with a thumb injury. Harris averaged 7.9 points and 2.8 assists in the eight games he played for Coastal Carolina. This included a 14-point, 14-rebound performance against Presbyterian Dec. 7 and a 16-point, 10-rebound night at Houston Nov. 24. The redshirt junior had 13 blocked shots in eight games and now has 74 in his career, which is tied for fourth in Coastal Carolina history.
Harris was joined by Liberty’s Anthony Smith, Charleston Southern’s Omar Carter, Gardner-Webb’s Grayson Flittner and Radford’s Joey Lynch-Floor on Blue Ribbon’s All-Conference Team. The magazine picked Smith as the Player of the Year, with Liberty’s Seth Curry earning Preseason Newcomer of the Year honors.
Chants to Unveil New Uniforms This Season
The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team will have new uniforms for the 2008-09 season. The uniforms, made by Nike, will have more of a bronze accent on the sides and in the type and also will include last names on the back of the uniform. The men’s basketball team will now be the only team on campus with names on the back of the uniforms.
Coach Ellis Can Be Seen and Heard
Head Coach Cliff Ellis will have a radio and television show for the second straight season. The Cliff Ellis Show can be seen on WDPE-TV Channel 15 starting with a preview show Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. There will be a Dec. 7 show and then it will pick up after the New Year on Sunday’s at 12 p.m. The Chanticleer Call-In for basketball will start Thursday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m., at Logan’s Roadhouse in the Coastal Grand Mall. Matt Hogue will be the host of the hour show, which will take place every Thursday during the season excpet for the Christmas and New Year holiday and Feb. 26, as the Chants have a game at Charleston Southern.
Harris Hosts Block Party
Redshirt junior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) is fourth in career blocked shots in Coastal Carolina history. Harris has 82 blocks in his career, as he passed Derek Wilson (1985-89) for fourth place Nov. 15 against Coker. The blocked shots record is 112, set by DeWayne Cheatam from 1987-91. Harris also is 10th all-time in career rebounding average at 7.0 caroms per game.
Charleston Southern Game Has Date Change
The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball game at Charleston Southern has been moved from Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008, to Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009, it was announced today. The game will remain at 7:30 p.m. at the CSU Field House in Charleston, S.C.
With the change, Coastal Carolina will have just one Big South game before the New Year (vs. Presbyterian Dec. 3) and will have 10 days off before the next contest against Southern Virginia Dec. 13.
Marshawn Goes from Walk-On to In the Rotation
Junior Marshawn Martin (Columbia, S.C./Richland Northeast) made the team through the walk-on tryouts, and the point guard could see considerable time for the Chanticleers this season. Martin originally came to Coastal Carolina to run track, as he was the two-time 800-meter state champion at Richland Northeast High School.
Gray Joins Chants Roster, Has to Sit Out 2008-09
Junior Chad Gray (Kingstree, S.C./Florida Prep (South Carolina)) will practice wtih the team but will not see game action in 2008-09 due to NCAA transfer rules after transferring from South Carolina to Coastal Carolina over the summer. Gray played for the Gamecocks for two seasons, averging 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds a contest last season. He had a career-high 10 points against Georgia as a freshman.
Leasure Left Mark on Chanticleer Program
For the first time since March 4, 2004, Coastal Carolina will play a game without Jack Leasure on the roster. Leasure ended his Coastal Carolina career by scoring 1,893 points, which is second in Coastal Carolina and sixth in Big South Conference history. His 411 career three-pointers set a Big South record and Leasure is the eighth player in Division I history to post more than 400 three-pointers in his career.
Coastal Carolina Bit By Injury Bug in 2007-08
Injuries were a big story for Coastal Carolina in 2007-08. Nine different Chanticleers started games as Jack Leasure, Anthony Breeze (Greenville, S.C./Greenville) and Steven Sexton (Monticello, Ky./Wayne County) were the only players who played in all 28 games. Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) missed 20 games to a thumb injury, while Everage Richardson did not play after Jan. 21 after appendectomy surgery.
Chanticleers Sign Miller to Letter-of-Intent
The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball program has signed Devin Miller (Chicago, Ill./Martin Luther King (Kennedy-King College)) to a National Letter-of-Intent, Head Coach Cliff Ellis announced Nov. 13.
Miller, a 6-5 guard, is averaging 16 points and is shooting 52.9 percent from three-point range this season for Kennedy-King College in Chicago, Ill. Miller also is shooting 47 percent from the floor for the Statesmen. Miller attended Martin Luther King High School and went to prep school at Boys to Men Academy in Chicago. Miller also received interest from Eastern Illinois and Chicago State.
Chanticleers in the Pros
There are plenty of former Chanticleers playing professionally overseas this season. Pele Paelay is averaging 15.3 points and 7.2 rebounds a game for the Kaiserslautern Braves in Germany. Moses Sonko is averaging 12.0 points and 6.6 rebounds a contest for UJAP Quimper in France. Clint Reed is averaging 5.4 points and 1.9 rebounds a game for the Sydney Spirit in Australia.
Everyone Stay in Their Seats
Coastal Carolina played in 10 games that were decided by five points or less in 2007-08, going 6-4 in those contests. The Chanticleers had another game against Charleston Southern Feb. 2 go into overtime ending with a seven-point Coastal Carolina victory. The Chanticleers are now 0-1 this year after falling 66-65 to Savannah State Nov. 18. Coastal Carolina also had an overtime game turn into a nine-point win against Western Illinois.
Big South Could Be Wide Open in 2008-09
The Big South Conference loses nine of the 10 players that were on the All-Big South First and Second Teams in 2007-2008, including all five players on the First Team. The only player that is back with his respective team is VMI’s Chavis Holmes. Coastal Carolina did have an All-Freshman Team selection in Anthony Breeze (Greenville, S.C./Greenville), as he averaged 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Breeze was joined on the All-Freshman Team by Jamarco Warren and Omar Carter of Charleston Southern, Charles Corbin of Winthrop and Jeremy Anderson of Liberty, all of whom return to their respective teams this year.
Up Next
Coastal Carolina returns home and opens the Big South schedule against Presbyterian Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., in Kimbel Arena.
Stats
News
Schedule
Roster
