- November 11th, 2009, 7:52 pm
#284359
Winthrop Eagles
(Last Season: 11-19 overall; 9-9 in Big South, T-5th, lost in first round of Big South Tournament)
Head Coach: Randy Peele
Returning Players (with stats from 08-09 season):
F Charles Corbin, jr. (6-7, 227) – 9.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 46.3 FG%, 25.0 3PT% (4 made threes), 72.6 FT% - 24.1 min/game
G Andre Jones, so. (6-2, 190) – 9.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 36.4 FG%, 33.7 3PT% (34 made threes), 75.0 FT% - 26.1 min/game
F Mantoris Robinson, sr. (6-5, 205) – 7.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.2 spg, 44.9 FG%, 24.4 3PT% (11 made threes), 53.3 FT% - 28.2 min/game
G Justin Burton, jr. (5-10, 162) – 5.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.5 apg, 35.5 FG%, 33.3 3PT% (20 made threes), 86.5 FT% - 21.8 min/game
G Reggie Middleton, so. (6-1, 185) – 5.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 29.6 FG%, 21.4 3PT% (12 made threes), 61.9 FT% - 23.3 min/game
F George Valentine, jr. (6-8, 240) – 4.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 64.3 FG%, 0 made threes, 65.4 FT% - 18.7 min/game
G Raymond Davis, sr. (6-4, 195) – 3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 35.8 FG%, 24.2 3PT% (15 made threes), 50.0 FT% - 13.3 min/game
F Chris Malcolm, so. (6-7, 208) – 3.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 47.0 FG%, 100 3PT% (1 made three), 58.1 FT% - 14.0 min/game
C Andy Buechert, sr. (6-10, 235) – Redshirted in 08-09 - 07-08 stats: 3.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 40.0 FG%, 0 made threes, 46.5 FT% - 15.5 min/game
G Chad Dewitt, sr. (6-2, 185) – 1.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 33.3 FG%, 16.7 3PT% (1 made three), 0 made FTs – 9.7 min/game – Played in 6 games
Players that are Gone:
F Cameron Stanley (6-6, 225) – 8.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 39.7 FG%, 25.9 3PT% (22 made threes), 75.8 FT% - 23.7 min/game
G Byron Faison (6-1, 200) – 4.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 42.4 FG%, 33.3 3PT% (21 made threes), 84.6 FT% - 13.4 min/game
G Marc-David Vil (6-4, 196) – 1.7 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 34.8 FG%, 20.0 3PT% (1 made three), 25.0 FT% - 6.8 min/game – Played in 12 games
F Jonathan Rice (6-6, 231) – 0.7 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 25.0 FG%, 0 made threes, 0 made FTs – 2.7 min/game – Played in 3 games
Newcomers:
C Matt Morgan, so. (6-9, 226) – Transfer from St. Bonaventure – 07-08 stats: 3.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 55.6 FG%, 0 made threes, 73.5 FT% - 11.4 min/game
G Gideon Gamble, fr. (6-7, 178) – Redshirted in 08-09
G Robbie Dreher, fr. (6-4, 180)
C Julius Francis, fr. (6-11, 243)
G Taylor Dunn, fr. (6-2, 195) – Walk-on
G Reggie King, fr. (6-2, 208) – Walk-on
About the Eagles:
After reaching the NCAA tournament for four straight seasons, a down year can be expected, as veteran players transition out and a new batch of players become the primary weapons for a program. But nobody associated with the Winthrop program expected a down year to mean an 11-19 overall record and a 5th seed in the Big South tournament (along with the first round exit). Head coach Randy Peele and the Eagle roster struggled mightily early in the season and never were able to dig out of the hole that was created. The biggest culprit for Winthrop last season was an awful shooting percentage, which caused the Eagles to constantly try to win games 62-60 and fight for wins over teams they had dominated in the past several years. So with most of the players coming back this season, Peele’s obvious task is to figure out how to get the Eagles to put the ball in the basket at a much better rate, otherwise a fan base and administration that has become accustomed to winning could become extremely impatient.
One of the major keys to Winthrop’s past successes has been due to strong point guard play. Sophomore Reggie Middleton showed glimpses of being capable of handling that role as a freshman until a foot injury ended his season early. Middleton had a very strong assist/turnover ratio, however his outside shooting was very weak. He will be expected to limit his three-point attempts if he cannot improve much in that area. Sophomore Andre Jones returns at the shooting guard position, and while he had his ups and downs, he proved during his freshman season that he is unafraid to take big shots, and he emerged as the go-to guy on the floor as the season went along. Junior Justin Burton will serve again as the back-up point guard, and he is a stronger shooter than Middleton, but also more turnover-prone. Freshman Robbie Dreher is likely to be a key weapon off the bench for the Eagles. Dreher will likely be put into the shooting guard spot, though he is capable of running the point if it is necessary. Senior Raymond Davis struggled to find his shot last season, but he will add some depth to the backcourt and small forward spot. The guards will need to prove that they can hit jumpers this year in order to open up the floor for the rest of the team. Jones, Dreher, and Burton are all capable of being zone-busters, and if Middleton can improve greatly on his shooting percentages, he can add another dimension to the Eagle offense.
The Winthrop frontcourt has much more depth this season than it did last year, so there are a variety of players and combinations that Peele can use at the forward and center spots. One of the sure things will be senior Mantoris Robinson at the small forward spot. Robinson’s reputation as a lock-down defender is well known, and the Eagles are hoping his offensive game can take a step up this season. Redshirt-freshman Gideon Gamble will back Robinson up, and brings a more offensive-minded, perimeter-oriented game to that position. In the post, Winthrop welcomes back senior Andy Buechert, who missed the entire 08-09 season due to a knee injury. Buechert brings size and physicality to the paint that the Eagles missed last year. He will battle for minutes at the center spot with sophomore Matt Morgan. Morgan transferred to WU from St. Bonaventure and Peele considers him his best post scorer. Juniors Charles Corbin and George Valentine will share the power forward spot. Corbin was the leading scorer and rebounder for Winthrop last season, showing an ability to hit mid-range jumpers and battle down low. He was forced to play many minutes at the center position due to the absence of Buechert, but he will be able to play his more natural power forward spot this year. Valentine is more defensive oriented than Corbin, but he showed off a drastically improved offensive game toward the end of last season, and he is considered to be the most improved player on the roster coming into this season. Sophomore Chris Malcolm can fill in at a few different positions and showed his worth as a very strong shot-blocker last season. Malcolm gets pushed around in the post at times, but he will find minutes due to his athleticism and ability to play at a variety of spots on the floor.
The Eagles cannot possibly shoot as poorly as they did last season, can they? Any uptick in the shooting percentages will help Winthrop’s win-loss record quite a bit. The defense was strong down the stretch last season, and should be even stronger this year as they have more size and experience than they had a year ago. A championship-caliber defense will make Winthrop a contender, but the hopes of getting back to the Dance will hinge on the emergence of some offensive firepower. The offense will be better than it was a year ago, but the Eagles could be a year away from getting back to their championship form.
My Prediction:
20-9 overall, 13-5 in conference – 2nd place finish – lose in finals of Big South Tournament
(Last Season: 11-19 overall; 9-9 in Big South, T-5th, lost in first round of Big South Tournament)
Head Coach: Randy Peele
Returning Players (with stats from 08-09 season):
F Charles Corbin, jr. (6-7, 227) – 9.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 46.3 FG%, 25.0 3PT% (4 made threes), 72.6 FT% - 24.1 min/game
G Andre Jones, so. (6-2, 190) – 9.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 36.4 FG%, 33.7 3PT% (34 made threes), 75.0 FT% - 26.1 min/game
F Mantoris Robinson, sr. (6-5, 205) – 7.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.2 spg, 44.9 FG%, 24.4 3PT% (11 made threes), 53.3 FT% - 28.2 min/game
G Justin Burton, jr. (5-10, 162) – 5.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.5 apg, 35.5 FG%, 33.3 3PT% (20 made threes), 86.5 FT% - 21.8 min/game
G Reggie Middleton, so. (6-1, 185) – 5.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 29.6 FG%, 21.4 3PT% (12 made threes), 61.9 FT% - 23.3 min/game
F George Valentine, jr. (6-8, 240) – 4.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 64.3 FG%, 0 made threes, 65.4 FT% - 18.7 min/game
G Raymond Davis, sr. (6-4, 195) – 3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 35.8 FG%, 24.2 3PT% (15 made threes), 50.0 FT% - 13.3 min/game
F Chris Malcolm, so. (6-7, 208) – 3.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 47.0 FG%, 100 3PT% (1 made three), 58.1 FT% - 14.0 min/game
C Andy Buechert, sr. (6-10, 235) – Redshirted in 08-09 - 07-08 stats: 3.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 40.0 FG%, 0 made threes, 46.5 FT% - 15.5 min/game
G Chad Dewitt, sr. (6-2, 185) – 1.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 33.3 FG%, 16.7 3PT% (1 made three), 0 made FTs – 9.7 min/game – Played in 6 games
Players that are Gone:
F Cameron Stanley (6-6, 225) – 8.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 39.7 FG%, 25.9 3PT% (22 made threes), 75.8 FT% - 23.7 min/game
G Byron Faison (6-1, 200) – 4.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 42.4 FG%, 33.3 3PT% (21 made threes), 84.6 FT% - 13.4 min/game
G Marc-David Vil (6-4, 196) – 1.7 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 34.8 FG%, 20.0 3PT% (1 made three), 25.0 FT% - 6.8 min/game – Played in 12 games
F Jonathan Rice (6-6, 231) – 0.7 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 25.0 FG%, 0 made threes, 0 made FTs – 2.7 min/game – Played in 3 games
Newcomers:
C Matt Morgan, so. (6-9, 226) – Transfer from St. Bonaventure – 07-08 stats: 3.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 55.6 FG%, 0 made threes, 73.5 FT% - 11.4 min/game
G Gideon Gamble, fr. (6-7, 178) – Redshirted in 08-09
G Robbie Dreher, fr. (6-4, 180)
C Julius Francis, fr. (6-11, 243)
G Taylor Dunn, fr. (6-2, 195) – Walk-on
G Reggie King, fr. (6-2, 208) – Walk-on
About the Eagles:
After reaching the NCAA tournament for four straight seasons, a down year can be expected, as veteran players transition out and a new batch of players become the primary weapons for a program. But nobody associated with the Winthrop program expected a down year to mean an 11-19 overall record and a 5th seed in the Big South tournament (along with the first round exit). Head coach Randy Peele and the Eagle roster struggled mightily early in the season and never were able to dig out of the hole that was created. The biggest culprit for Winthrop last season was an awful shooting percentage, which caused the Eagles to constantly try to win games 62-60 and fight for wins over teams they had dominated in the past several years. So with most of the players coming back this season, Peele’s obvious task is to figure out how to get the Eagles to put the ball in the basket at a much better rate, otherwise a fan base and administration that has become accustomed to winning could become extremely impatient.
One of the major keys to Winthrop’s past successes has been due to strong point guard play. Sophomore Reggie Middleton showed glimpses of being capable of handling that role as a freshman until a foot injury ended his season early. Middleton had a very strong assist/turnover ratio, however his outside shooting was very weak. He will be expected to limit his three-point attempts if he cannot improve much in that area. Sophomore Andre Jones returns at the shooting guard position, and while he had his ups and downs, he proved during his freshman season that he is unafraid to take big shots, and he emerged as the go-to guy on the floor as the season went along. Junior Justin Burton will serve again as the back-up point guard, and he is a stronger shooter than Middleton, but also more turnover-prone. Freshman Robbie Dreher is likely to be a key weapon off the bench for the Eagles. Dreher will likely be put into the shooting guard spot, though he is capable of running the point if it is necessary. Senior Raymond Davis struggled to find his shot last season, but he will add some depth to the backcourt and small forward spot. The guards will need to prove that they can hit jumpers this year in order to open up the floor for the rest of the team. Jones, Dreher, and Burton are all capable of being zone-busters, and if Middleton can improve greatly on his shooting percentages, he can add another dimension to the Eagle offense.
The Winthrop frontcourt has much more depth this season than it did last year, so there are a variety of players and combinations that Peele can use at the forward and center spots. One of the sure things will be senior Mantoris Robinson at the small forward spot. Robinson’s reputation as a lock-down defender is well known, and the Eagles are hoping his offensive game can take a step up this season. Redshirt-freshman Gideon Gamble will back Robinson up, and brings a more offensive-minded, perimeter-oriented game to that position. In the post, Winthrop welcomes back senior Andy Buechert, who missed the entire 08-09 season due to a knee injury. Buechert brings size and physicality to the paint that the Eagles missed last year. He will battle for minutes at the center spot with sophomore Matt Morgan. Morgan transferred to WU from St. Bonaventure and Peele considers him his best post scorer. Juniors Charles Corbin and George Valentine will share the power forward spot. Corbin was the leading scorer and rebounder for Winthrop last season, showing an ability to hit mid-range jumpers and battle down low. He was forced to play many minutes at the center position due to the absence of Buechert, but he will be able to play his more natural power forward spot this year. Valentine is more defensive oriented than Corbin, but he showed off a drastically improved offensive game toward the end of last season, and he is considered to be the most improved player on the roster coming into this season. Sophomore Chris Malcolm can fill in at a few different positions and showed his worth as a very strong shot-blocker last season. Malcolm gets pushed around in the post at times, but he will find minutes due to his athleticism and ability to play at a variety of spots on the floor.
The Eagles cannot possibly shoot as poorly as they did last season, can they? Any uptick in the shooting percentages will help Winthrop’s win-loss record quite a bit. The defense was strong down the stretch last season, and should be even stronger this year as they have more size and experience than they had a year ago. A championship-caliber defense will make Winthrop a contender, but the hopes of getting back to the Dance will hinge on the emergence of some offensive firepower. The offense will be better than it was a year ago, but the Eagles could be a year away from getting back to their championship form.
My Prediction:
20-9 overall, 13-5 in conference – 2nd place finish – lose in finals of Big South Tournament
- By LUGrad2000
- By ballah09