Men's Basketball Travels to Atlanta to Face Georgia State Saturday
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Chants Visit Atlanta to Face Georgia State Before Christmas Break
The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team (3-7) heads to Atlanta, Ga., and the Georgia State Sports Center to face Georgia State University (3-7) Saturday, Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. Coastal Carolina will look to start a new winning streak after falling to the College of Charleston 73-58 Dec. 17. The game can be heard on THE TEAM 93.9 FM in Myrtle Beach and on the internet at www.GoCCUSports.com with Matt Hogue on the call. This is the last game for the Chanticleers before the Christmas holiday.
A Coastal Carolina Win Would...
- Give the Chants a win over Georgia State for the second straight season.
- Give Head Coach Cliff Ellis his 629th career win and his 17th with the Chanticleers.
- Give Head Coach Cliff Ellis his 18th win over the Panthers. Ellis has a 17-4 record against Georgia State, including a 1-0 record at Coastal Carolina.
- Give Head Coach Cliff Ellis a 9-5 record over Georgia State head coach Rod Barnes. Ellis was 7-5 against Barnes while Ellis was at Auburn and Barnes at Ole Miss.
- Break its 32-game losing streak against non-conference opponents on the road dating back to Nov. 22, 2003.
Storylines
- Head Coach Cliff Ellis will be coaching in his 1,000th game today. Ellis has a 628-371 record as head coach at Cumberland, South Alabama, Clemson, Auburn and Coastal Carolina. Ellis also earned his 500th win against Georgia State while at Auburn.
- Redshirt junior Logan Johnson earned season-highs in points (12), rebounds (6) and steals (3) against the College of Charleston Dec. 17. Johnson was 5-of-6 from the free-throw line in the first half and also dished out two assists against the Cougars.
- Georgia State is the only opponent the Chants are playing this season from the Colonial Athletic Association. Coastal Carolina is 6-19 against CAA teams.
- Coastal Carolina has not played in Atlanta since it lost 100-63 to Georgia Tech Dec. 17, 1997.
- 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 Georgia State
The Panthers are coming off an 84-64 loss to Georgia Tech Dec. 17 in Atlanta. South Florida transfer Dante Curry scored 21 points in his season debut, going 4-of-7 from three-point range. Joe Dukes is averaging 14.4 points per contest, while Trae Goldston is at 13.4 points a game. Dukes also is averaging 5.0 assists a game. Georgia State and Coastal Carolina have a common opponent in Florida State. Coastal Carolina fell to the Seminoles 82-70 in Tallahassee while Georgia State lost 62-57 in Atlanta.
Series vs. Georgia State
Coastal Carolina won the only previous meeting between the two schools 79-68 Dec. 22, 2007 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The Chants committed just three turnovers as Jack Leasure and Everage Richardson scored 18 and 16 points, respectively. The Chants were down by as many as 17 points before making a furious second-half run.
Chants Start Hot, End Cold vs. C of C
Coastal Carolina made eight of its first 11 shots against the College of Charleston to take an eight-point lead on three occasions in the first half. The Chants then went just 13-of-46 (28.3 percent) the rest of the way to fall 73-58 Dec. 17. On the year, Coastal Carolina is shooting 49 percent from the floor in the first half and 41.5 percent in the second.
Edwards Perfect on Weekend
In Coastal Carolina’s two wins over Southern Virginia and Virginia-Wise, junior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) was a perfect 11-of-11 from the field. This included going 7-of-7 from three-point range. Edwards had 23 points in the Virginia-Wise win and added seven rebounds and three assists. He is averaging 10.3 points and 4.6 rebounds a game.
Harris Hosts Block Party
Redshirt junior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) is now second in career blocked shots in Coastal Carolina history. Harris has 91 blocks in his career after having three swats in the Virginia-Wise win. The blocked shots record is 112, set by DeWayne Cheatam from 1987-91. Harris also is eighth in career rebounds with 546.
Pack on Track
Redshirt freshman Jon Pack (Dallas, Ga./East Paulding) was 6-of-7 from the floor and 3-of-5 from the line for a career-high 15 points in the 90-51 win over Virginia-Wise Dec. 14. Pack also had six rebounds on the game after grabbing a career-high nine against Southern Virginia. Pack is averaging 4.2 points and 3.7 rebounds a contest.
Sexton Hits Threes and Dishes Rock in SVU Win
Senior Steven Sexton (Monticello, Ky./Wayne County) scored a career-high 18 points and tied a career-high with six assists in the 89-59 win over Southern Virginia Dec. 13. Sexton was 5-of-9 from three-point range and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line in 27 minutes of action. He also dished out six assists, which was a team high. Sexton is now averaging 8.0 points and 1.8 assists a game.
Chants on Fire in Southern Virginia Game
The Chanticleers shot 58.2 percent from the floor and 52.2 percent from three-point range in the 89-59 win over Southern Virginia Dec. 13. Coastal Carolina was 12-of-23 from beyond the arc. while sophomore Anthony Breeze (Greenville, S.C./Greenville) was 8-of-10 from the floor. This is the highest field-goal percentage since shooting 60.7 percent in a 99-97 win over VMI Jan. 15, 2007.
Everyone in the Scorebook in the Southern Virginia Win
All 12 players that dressed scored in the 89-59 win over Southern Virginia Dec. 13. This included three’s from junior Marshawn Martin (Columbia, S.C./Richland Northeast), senior Ashton Lawrence (Greer, S.C./Riverside) and freshman Dexter Moore (Bluefield, W. Va./Hargrave Military) in the final minute of action.
Bench Vital to Chants This Season
Coastal Carolina’s bench has outscored its opponents’ bench 264-179 after eight games this season, including scoring 40 points in the 56-53 overtime loss to Presbyterian Dec. 3. Sophomore Anthony Breeze (Greenville, S.C./Greenville) had 18 points off the bench, while junior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) added seven points. Coastal Carolina is averaging 26.4 points per game off the bench.
Chants Go in Extra Time For Second Time
Coastal Carolina is now 1-1 in overtime games this season after falling to Presbyterian 56-53. Earlier in the year, Coastal Carolina defeated Western Illinois 69-60 in overtime. Coastal Carolina is 2-1 in overtime under Head Coach Cliff Ellis and is 23-18 in school history in extra frames.
Breeze Goes Global
Sophomore Anthony Breeze (Greenville, S.C./Greenville) was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Global Sports Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. Breeze averaged 12.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in the four tournament games. He scored nine points in the last 2:14 of regulation and overtime of the 69-60 win over Western Illinois. His tip-in with two seconds left sent the game into overtime against the Leathernecks. Breeze led the Chanticleers with 15 points against North Carolina A&T. Florida State’s Toney Douglas was named the Most Valuable Player of 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 then-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 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.
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 36.5 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 leads the Big South with a 9.6 rebounding average after getting 11 caroms in the 82-70 loss to Florida State.
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.
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 33-6 (84.6 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 64-23 (73.6 percent) overall at the Conway campus venue in the last six years.
Ellis High On Active Division I Career Wins List
Head Coach Cliff Ellis is 12th in Division I wins by an active coach. Here is a list of the top 15 active coaches in Division I wins as of Dec. 17, 2008
1. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke)............ 812
2. Jim Calhoun (Connecticut)....... 783
3. Jim Boeheim (Syracuse)........... 781
4. Bob Huggins (W. Virginia)........ 623
5. Tom Penders (Houston)............ 614
6. Gary Williams (Maryland).......... 611
7. Homer Drew (Valparaiso)......... 588
8. Roy Williams (N. Carolina)....... 569
9. Bo Ryan (Wisconsin)................. 564
10. Ben Braun (Rice)...................... 560
11. Mike Montgomery (Cal)........... 55412. Cliff Ellis (Coastal Carolina)..... 550
13. Pat Douglass (UC Irvine)....... 548 Larry Hunter (W. Carolina).... 548
15. Rick Byrd (Belmont)................. 545
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 Sporting New Uniforms This Season
The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team are in new uniforms for the 2008-09 season. The uniforms, made by Nike, have more of a bronze accent on the sides and in the type and also include last names on the back of the uniform. The men’s basketball team are now 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.
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.
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 15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds a game for the Kaiserslautern Braves in Germany. Moses Sonko is averaging 11.2 points and 6.4 rebounds a contest for UJAP Quimper in France. Clint Reed is averaging 5.9 points and 2.2 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 0-2 this year after falling 66-65 to Savannah State Nov. 18 and 56-53 to Presbyterian Dec. 3. 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 from Christmas Break to face East Carolina Sunday, Dec. 28 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Game time is at 3 p.m.
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