The Chanticleers and Keydets will play a televised game in Lexington, Va., with a 9 p.m., tipoff.
Dec. 1, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Chants Open Big South Play at VMI
The Coastal Carolina University men's basketball team (5-2, 0-0 Big South) opens Big South play Thursday, Dec. 3 at VMI (3-2, 0-0 Big South). Tipoff is at 9 p.m., at Cameron Hall in Lexington, Va. The game will be televised on MASN with Matt Hogue and Nate Ross on the call. That feed will be picked up on WMBF Extra on HTC Digital Cable channel 92. The game also will be broadcast on THE TEAM 93.9 FM with Trip Durham on the call. Coastal Carolina is coming off a 97-44 win over Allen Nov. 28.
A Coastal Carolina Win Would...
- Move the Chants to 19-6 all-time in Big South openers.
- Give Head Coach Cliff Ellis his 642nd career win and his 30th with the Chanticleers.
- Improve the Chants to 1-1 in televised games this season.
- Give the Chants its second-straight regular-season win against VMI.
- Improve Coastal to 9-5 all-time against the Keydets.
- Give Coastal its earliest sixth win of the season since 1981-82.
Storylines
- Three of the Big South's top freshmen will be on display tonight. Coastal Carolina's Kierre Greenwood is the current Big South Freshman of the Week after averaging 13.3 points in three games last week. Greenwood currently is averaging 8.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists a game. VMI freshman Stan Okoye and Nick Gore combine to average 20.4 points and 10 rebounds a game.
- Joseph Harris has had a successful career against the Keydets. In seven games against VMI, Harris is averaging 17.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 1.0 block per game while shooting 63.8 percent from the field. Harris had career highs of 33 points and 22 rebounds in the 100-97 win over the Keydets Feb. 14, 2009.
- Coastal Carolina will play two Big South games in December for the first time in school history. In fact, this is only the fourth year that the Chants have played a conference game in December. This includes last year's 56-53 overtime loss to Presbyterian Dec. 3, 2008. Coastal also played Dec. 12, 1985 and Dec. 9, 2000 with both contests against Winthrop.
- Courtesy of the Big South Conference's Mark Simpson, Joseph Harris became the 94th player in Big South history with 1,000 career points when he surpassed the milestone Nov. 21 against Voorhees. He is just the second player in Big South history with 1,000 points, 800 rebounds, 150 steals and 100 blocked shots. He joins Campbell's Joe Spinks, who accumulated 1,711 points, 954 rebounds, 220 steals and 155 blocks for the Camels from 1990-94. Harris is three rebounds shy of becoming the third player in League annals with 1,000 points and 900 rebounds.
Scouting VMI
The Keydets are coming off a 108-93 win over Lynchburg College Nov. 30 to improve their record to 3-2 on the year. Keith Gabriel scored 34 points, which included six three-pointers, while Michael Sparks had 25 points. Ron Burks had 13 assists and seven steals in the win over the Hornets. Gabriel leads the team, averaging 20.2 points per game. VMI leads the Big South with a 93.2 points-per-game average.
Series vs. VMI
Coastal Carolina holds an 8-5 series advantage, but are looking to snap a three-game losing streak in Lexington, Va. The last meeting occured in the 2009 Big South Tournament quarterfinals, with the Keydets coming out on top 96-76. Coastal Carolina won the last regular-season meeting between the two schools 100-97 Feb. 14, as Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) and Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) combined for 61 points, with Edwards hit the game-winning three pointer as time expired.
A November to Remember
Coastal Carolina had great success in the month of November. The Chanticleers went 5-2, which includes 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 Tournaments 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. For the week, Harris was 19-of-40 from the floor (.475), 2-of-4 from three-point range (.500), 24-of-32 at the line (.750), and averaged 2.7 steals and 4.3 offensive rebounds.
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. For the week, Greenwood was 15-of-27 from the field (.556) and 8-of-10 from the line (.800).
Chants Receive Votes In Mid-Major Poll
The Coastal Carolina University men's basketball team, fresh off a 5-2 start to the 2009-10 season, received votes in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll Nov. 30. The Chanticleers are one of two Big South schools to receive votes in the poll. The Chants received 15 votes in the poll. Gonzaga leads the Mid-Major poll, followed by Butler in the second spot. Portland, Northern Iowa and Illinois State round out the top-five, while Big South foe Radford received 26 votes.
Duo With Double-Doubles in the Allen Win
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.
Chants Close to Rebounding Record in Allen Win
The Chanticleers had 60 rebounds in the 97-44 win over Allen Nov. 28. That mark was just six away from a school record. The Chants had 66 rebounds in a win over Limestone. Twenty-two of the 60 rebounds came on the offensive end, while all 13 players that suited up had at least one rebound.
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 15th in scoring and needs 13 points to pass DuWayne Cheatam for the 14th spot.
Points in Paint Hurt Chants Against Northridge
Cal State Northridge scored 46 points in the paint in its 76-69 win over Coastal Carolina Nov. 24 in the NIT Season Tip-Off. The Matadors had 10 layups in the second half, as it outscored the Chants 42-31 in the final 20 minutes. Coastal Carolina also was outrebounded 41-33 by the Matadors.
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. Chants on Fire in Voorhees Win Coastal Carolina ended the Voorhees game shooting 58.1 percent from the field, including going 64.3 percent in the second half. That was a season-high and the best since a 78-69 win over Winthrop Jan. 24, 2009 (Coastal had a 59.5 percent shooting clip in that game). Coastal also had 50 points in the paint and 28 points off of turnovers in the win over the Tigers.
Chants at 4-1 for First Time Since 1993-94
With its 77-62 win over Indiana State Nov. 24, the Chanticleers improved to 4-1 for the first time since the 1993-94 season. That team started the season 4-1 and ended the campaign with a 15-11 record.
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 34 after the Indiana State 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 35 blocked shots in seven 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 42.9 rebounds a game, has a +10.7 rebounding margin and tops the Big South in two of the three rebounding categories.
Edwards Hit the 20-Point Mark
Senior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) scored 20 points in the 69-46 win over Elon Nov. 17, which is the third time that Edwards has reached the 20-plus point mark in his career. Edwards averaged 13.5 points per game in the NIT Season Tip-Off after he went 7-of-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line in the win.
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.
Harris Picks Up Where He Left Off
Redshirt-senior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) scored 21 points, had 17 rebounds and four steals in the 70-59 win over the College of Charleston Nov. 13. The 17 rebounds is tied for ninth in Coastal Carolina history for a single game. Harris was 9-of-17 from the field and had a blocked shot, which put him two away from the all-time school record.
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.
Gray Makes His Chant Debut
Redshirt-junior Chad Gray (Kingstree, S.C./South Carolina) made his debut in a Chanticleer uniform in the 70-59 win over the College of Charleston. He scored 17 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field. He also grabbed eight rebounds, had a blocked shots and two emphatic dunks in the final minutes of the win.
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.
Ellis High On Active Division I Career Wins List
Head Coach Cliff Ellis is 14th in Division I wins by an active coach heading into the 2009-10 season. Here is a list of the top 20 active coaches in Division I wins.
1. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke) 839
2. Jim Calhoun (Connecticut) 809
3. Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) 806
4. Bob Huggins (W. Virginia) 644
5. Tom Penders (Houston) 632
6. Gary Williams (Maryland) 629
7. Homer Drew (Valparaiso) 605
8. Roy Williams (N. Carolina) 600
9. Bo Ryan (Wisconsin) 580
10. Mike Montgomery (Cal) 574
11. Ben Braun (Rice) 566
12. Rick Byrd (Belmont) 565
13. Larry Hunter (W. Carolina) 564
14. Cliff Ellis (Coastal Carolina) 563
15. Pat Douglass (UC Irvine) 562
16. Rick Pitino (Louisville) 556
17. Bobby Cremins (CofC) 520
18. Stew Morrill (Utah State) 488
19. Dave Bike (Sacred Heart) 483
20. Rick Barnes (Texas) 477
Welcome to Chant Basketball for Five Players Coastal Carolina welcomes five newcomers for the 2009-10 season. Two freshman point guards enter the mix in Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods (New Creations (Ind.)) and Danny Nieman (Concord, N.C./Concord (Hargrave Military)). Greenwood averaged 19 points and 9.3 assists per game his prep year at New Creations High School in Indiana, while Nieman averaged 10 points and seven assists his prep season at Hargrave Military Academy. Freshman Tre Lee (Hampton, Va./Bethel) was part of the Peninsula District Championship team his senior season at Bethel High School in Hampton, Va. Forward Chris Evans (Chesapeake, Va./Petersburg) was an All-State Second Team selection by the Associated Press his senior season at Petersburg High School in Chesapeake, Va. Anthony Raffa (Strathmere, N.J./Wildwood Catholic (Albany)) will sit this season out after transferring from the University at Albany. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds for the Great Danes last season.
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.
To The Point
Freshmen Kierre Greenwood (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods (New Creations (Ind.)) and Danny Nieman (Concord, N.C./Concord (Hargrave Military)) will look to fill the point guard slot left after Mario Sisinni graduated. Greenwood is penciled in as the starter, but Nieman will also see plenty of action. The third option is to move Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Washington (Chipola J.C.)) back to the point. He played there the final six games after Sisinni hurt his ankle, averaging 14.2 points per game in that slot.
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 37-6 (86.0 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 72-27 (72.7 percent) overall at the Conway campus venue in the last seven years.
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 Dec. 1 and 8; Jan. 5, 12, 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.
Chanticleers in the Pros
Former Coastal Carolina men's basketball players Pele Paelay and Moses Sonko are playing professionally in Europe this season. Paelay currently is averaging 12.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game for Etoile Charleville-Mezieres in France. Sonko is averaging 13.9 points and 4.6 rebounds a contest for Aix-Maurienne Savoie Basket in France.
Up Next
Coastal Carolina is at Liberty Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m., in the Vines Center in Lynchburg, Va., to conclude its two-game roadtrip.
Stats
News
Schedule
Roster
