- November 9th, 2008, 8:38 pm
#207898
Charleston Southern Buccaneers (Last Season: 10-20; 4-10, 8th in Big South; Lost in First Round of Big South Tournament; RPI - 326)
Head Coach: Barclay Radebaugh (4th season at CSU)
Players that are Returning:
F Omar Carter, So. (6'5", 220 lbs) – 15.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.2 spg, 44.0 FG%, 35.9 3PT% (55 made threes), 73.6 FT%
G Jamarco Warren, So. (5'11", 160 lbs) – 13.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.0 spg, 37.0 FG%, 34.5 3PT% (76 made threes), 76.9 FT%
G Tovi Bailey, So. (6'1", 175 lbs) – 6.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 41.5 FG%, 34.1 3PT% (14 made threes), 60.7 FT%
C Giedrius Knysas, Sr. (6’10”, 213 lbs) – 4.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 50.5 FG%, 41.7 3PT% (5 made threes), 57.9 FT%
F Quinton Goods, Jr. (6'9", 207 lbs) – 3.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 57.8 FG%, 25.0 3PT% (1 made three), 44.4 FT%
G Austin Johnson, So. (6'3", 191 lbs) – 3.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 38.8 FG%, 36.4 3PT% (16 made threes), 69.6 FT%
G JT Knight, Sr. (6'2", 188 lbs) - .8 ppg, .4 rpg, 58.3 FG%
Players that are Gone:
G Chris Moore (6'2", 195 lbs) – 13.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.0 spg, 46.0 FG%, 42.6 3PT% (81 made threes), 78.2 FT%
G Shelton Carter (6’5”, 195 lbs) – 8.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 45.8 FG%, 40.0 3PT% (22 made threes), 69.6 FT%
F Brandon Macklin (6’7”, 230 lbs) – Played in 9 games, 3.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 44.1 FG%
F Shawn Outen (6’7”, 215 lbs) – 3.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 39.7 FG%, 53.8 FT%
F Marquise DuVall (6’7”, 230 lbs) – 3.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 50.0 FG%, 66.7 FT%
G Terrance Grier (6’5”, 185 lbs) – 1.8 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 32.6 FG%, 25.0 3PT% (7 made threes)
New Players:
C Billy Blackmon, Jr. (6’10”, 205 lbs) – Transfer from Indian River CC
F Kelvin Martin, Fr. (6’5”, 197 lbs) – Cook County HS, Adel, GA
F Kenny Mitchell, Fr. (6’7”, 208 lbs) – Columbia HS, Decatur, GA
F Joel Lamb, Fr. (6’7”, 194 lbs) – Southwest Atlanta Christian Acad., Atlanta, GA
G Glenn Self, Fr. (6’0”, 162 lbs) – George Washington HS, Charleston, WV
F Sean Sweeney, Jr. (6’4”, 210 lbs) – Transfer from Penn State-Brandywine
Barclay Radebaugh has had difficulty with turning the CSU basketball program into a consistent winner. He seems to bring in good recruits, but for his first few years, he had trouble developing those recruits over the course of their careers, and often, they do not seem to even stay with the program. However, last season’s recruiting class paid immediate dividends for the Bucs, with the entire batch of freshmen playing well, and all of them return this season, bringing about some rare hope for a program that has not seen much success in recent years.
The biggest reason for hope for CSU comes from the return of the Big South’s reigning Freshman of the Year, Omar Carter. Carter can score inside and outside, rebound, and is one of the toughest match-ups in the league. Carter will man the small forward spot while two other sophomores take the backcourt spots. Jamarco Warren and Tovi Bailey did not make the headlines that Carter did, but they will be just as big a part of any success that Charleston Southern may find this year as Carter will be. Warren played well all season long last year, showing very deep range from outside. Bailey struggled early last season, but played very well down the stretch, running the point for the Bucs and showing a strong outside shot as well. Austin Johnson was the other key freshman last season, and will likely see some good minutes off the bench.
Joining the batch of sophomores will be a pair of returnees in the frontcourt. Quinton Goods got some quality minutes last season at the power forward spot. Goods, and ECU transfer, never seemed to really find his rhythm, but has the size and athleticism to put up decent numbers this year for the Bucs. Giedrius Knysas starts at center, and while he had a very productive sophomore season two years ago, he dropped off quite a bit last year. Knysas has the potential to be one of the more versatile big men in the league, but he struggles with being consistent. The frontcourt for the Bucs should get some help from this season’s recruiting class. Billy Blackmon is a JuCo transfer that brings height to CSU’s roster. He will likely challenge Knysas for minutes at the center position. The freshman class features a trio of forwards, with all three capable of stepping in and giving Radebaugh quality minutes. Kelvin Martin, Kenny Mitchell, and Joel Lamb are the three freshmen forwards, and all have decent size and good athleticism. Those three have the potential to make the same sort of impact that Carter, Warren, and Bailey did last year for the Bucs.
There is little doubt that CSU should be able to score on the perimeter and be pretty solid off the dribble with the sophomores on the roster. However, the frontcourt for the Bucs in recent years has lacked the physicality and size to keep the program consistently competitive in the conference. This year’s version of the Bucs should be one of the more athletic and deep teams that Radebaugh has had since he has been at Charleston Southern. They will likely score enough to win, but their defense and rebounding will play a large role in determining whether they finish in the top or bottom half of the league. I believe they will have stretches where they play well, but they will still have some struggles at time, and that will keep them from reaching the upper reaches of the Big South.
My Prediction:
14-15 overall, 8-10 in the Big South; Fifth place finish; Will lose in the semifinals of the Big South Tournament
Head Coach: Barclay Radebaugh (4th season at CSU)
Players that are Returning:
F Omar Carter, So. (6'5", 220 lbs) – 15.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.2 spg, 44.0 FG%, 35.9 3PT% (55 made threes), 73.6 FT%
G Jamarco Warren, So. (5'11", 160 lbs) – 13.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.0 spg, 37.0 FG%, 34.5 3PT% (76 made threes), 76.9 FT%
G Tovi Bailey, So. (6'1", 175 lbs) – 6.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 41.5 FG%, 34.1 3PT% (14 made threes), 60.7 FT%
C Giedrius Knysas, Sr. (6’10”, 213 lbs) – 4.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 50.5 FG%, 41.7 3PT% (5 made threes), 57.9 FT%
F Quinton Goods, Jr. (6'9", 207 lbs) – 3.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 57.8 FG%, 25.0 3PT% (1 made three), 44.4 FT%
G Austin Johnson, So. (6'3", 191 lbs) – 3.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 38.8 FG%, 36.4 3PT% (16 made threes), 69.6 FT%
G JT Knight, Sr. (6'2", 188 lbs) - .8 ppg, .4 rpg, 58.3 FG%
Players that are Gone:
G Chris Moore (6'2", 195 lbs) – 13.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.0 spg, 46.0 FG%, 42.6 3PT% (81 made threes), 78.2 FT%
G Shelton Carter (6’5”, 195 lbs) – 8.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 45.8 FG%, 40.0 3PT% (22 made threes), 69.6 FT%
F Brandon Macklin (6’7”, 230 lbs) – Played in 9 games, 3.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 44.1 FG%
F Shawn Outen (6’7”, 215 lbs) – 3.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 39.7 FG%, 53.8 FT%
F Marquise DuVall (6’7”, 230 lbs) – 3.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 50.0 FG%, 66.7 FT%
G Terrance Grier (6’5”, 185 lbs) – 1.8 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 32.6 FG%, 25.0 3PT% (7 made threes)
New Players:
C Billy Blackmon, Jr. (6’10”, 205 lbs) – Transfer from Indian River CC
F Kelvin Martin, Fr. (6’5”, 197 lbs) – Cook County HS, Adel, GA
F Kenny Mitchell, Fr. (6’7”, 208 lbs) – Columbia HS, Decatur, GA
F Joel Lamb, Fr. (6’7”, 194 lbs) – Southwest Atlanta Christian Acad., Atlanta, GA
G Glenn Self, Fr. (6’0”, 162 lbs) – George Washington HS, Charleston, WV
F Sean Sweeney, Jr. (6’4”, 210 lbs) – Transfer from Penn State-Brandywine
Barclay Radebaugh has had difficulty with turning the CSU basketball program into a consistent winner. He seems to bring in good recruits, but for his first few years, he had trouble developing those recruits over the course of their careers, and often, they do not seem to even stay with the program. However, last season’s recruiting class paid immediate dividends for the Bucs, with the entire batch of freshmen playing well, and all of them return this season, bringing about some rare hope for a program that has not seen much success in recent years.
The biggest reason for hope for CSU comes from the return of the Big South’s reigning Freshman of the Year, Omar Carter. Carter can score inside and outside, rebound, and is one of the toughest match-ups in the league. Carter will man the small forward spot while two other sophomores take the backcourt spots. Jamarco Warren and Tovi Bailey did not make the headlines that Carter did, but they will be just as big a part of any success that Charleston Southern may find this year as Carter will be. Warren played well all season long last year, showing very deep range from outside. Bailey struggled early last season, but played very well down the stretch, running the point for the Bucs and showing a strong outside shot as well. Austin Johnson was the other key freshman last season, and will likely see some good minutes off the bench.
Joining the batch of sophomores will be a pair of returnees in the frontcourt. Quinton Goods got some quality minutes last season at the power forward spot. Goods, and ECU transfer, never seemed to really find his rhythm, but has the size and athleticism to put up decent numbers this year for the Bucs. Giedrius Knysas starts at center, and while he had a very productive sophomore season two years ago, he dropped off quite a bit last year. Knysas has the potential to be one of the more versatile big men in the league, but he struggles with being consistent. The frontcourt for the Bucs should get some help from this season’s recruiting class. Billy Blackmon is a JuCo transfer that brings height to CSU’s roster. He will likely challenge Knysas for minutes at the center position. The freshman class features a trio of forwards, with all three capable of stepping in and giving Radebaugh quality minutes. Kelvin Martin, Kenny Mitchell, and Joel Lamb are the three freshmen forwards, and all have decent size and good athleticism. Those three have the potential to make the same sort of impact that Carter, Warren, and Bailey did last year for the Bucs.
There is little doubt that CSU should be able to score on the perimeter and be pretty solid off the dribble with the sophomores on the roster. However, the frontcourt for the Bucs in recent years has lacked the physicality and size to keep the program consistently competitive in the conference. This year’s version of the Bucs should be one of the more athletic and deep teams that Radebaugh has had since he has been at Charleston Southern. They will likely score enough to win, but their defense and rebounding will play a large role in determining whether they finish in the top or bottom half of the league. I believe they will have stretches where they play well, but they will still have some struggles at time, and that will keep them from reaching the upper reaches of the Big South.
My Prediction:
14-15 overall, 8-10 in the Big South; Fifth place finish; Will lose in the semifinals of the Big South Tournament
- By LU Armchair coach