Previewing College of Charleston's 2010-11 Season

2. College of Charleston (22-12, 13-3 SoCon)

Bobby Cremins enters his fifth year in Charleston still in search of his first Southern Conference title and NCAA Tournament berth.

The Cougars lasted tasted the success of a berth to the NCAA postseason back in 1999, when the Cougars went through the league unscathed with an 18-0 mark in their inaugural season as members in the league, forging one of the most-dominant seasons in the history of Southern Conference hoops.

Cremins might have his most dominant team in his five years in the Low Country this season, returning three starters from a team that knocked off 10th-ranked North Carolina in early January and one that made it to the SoCon semifinals and won 22 games last season.

The Cougars will again be a factor in the SoCon’s South Division and might be the second-most talented team in the league behind league favorite Wofford.

If the Cougars want to get back to the "Big Dance," they’ll need to find a way to improve on the defensive end of the floor.

Last season, the Cougars finished the 2009-10 season, ranking 11th out of the league’s 12 teams in scoring defense (73.3 PPG) and ninth in field goal percentage defense (44.8 PCT).

However, the Cougars did do a good job in and around the paint, utilizing their athleticism to rank second in the league in blocked shots (4.8 BPG).

One other improvement that also must be made is in rebounding the basketball, as the Cougars ranked in the bottom three of the league’s statistical columns concerning rebounding, including ranking dead last in rebounding margin (-8.9).

It was a record-breaking season shooting the ball from the perimeter for the Cougars, who led the league in three pointers made per game last season (9.6 3PT. PG). In fact, the Cougars’ 326 triples made last season set a new school standard.

Cremins should have a team more than capable of eclipsing the 20-win plateau for the fourth-consecutive season, and one that, with arguably the league’s best backcourt, has a chance to claim its first league and punch its first NCAA Tournament berth in 12 years.

The Backcourt

The College of Charleston has established quite a tradition of great backcourts since joining the SoCon back in 1998. The Cougars have showcased the likes of Jermel President, the late Jeff Bolton, Tony Williams, Dontaye Draper and Troy Wheless just to name a few.

Now you can add junior two-guard Andrew Goudelock (19.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 131 assists, 97 threes, 39.3 3PT. FG%) to that star-studded list, and Goudelock might be the best of that illustrious list.

Goudelock should become the school’s all-time leading scorer this season, and will be asked to handle even more of the leadership role with the graduation of all-league guard Tony White, Jr.

Goudelock is one of the most versatile guards in the SoCon, as he can play either the one or two positions in the backcourt.

Goudelock was absolutely sensational in CofC’s triumph over the Tar Heels last season, as Goudelock turned in an effort worthy of his projected SoCon Player of the Year status, scoring 24 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field, including going 4-of-8 from three-point range in the win.

Joining Goudelock as a starter in the Charleston backcourt entering the 2010-11 season will be Donovan Monroe (12.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 69 assists, 45 steals). Monroe is a physical guard, and is maybe the best athlete on the team.

He is also strong on the glass, as he is the Cougars’ best rebounding guard. Monroe will take on a bigger leadership role this season for the Maroon and Gold, with the graduation of Tony White, Jr. in the CofC backcourt.

Monroe was a preseason All-SoCon selection and enters the 2010-11 season just 77 points shy of the 1,000-point plateau for his career.

Two of the difference-makers off of the bench for the Cougars last season, were Andrew Lawrence (4.7 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 1.1 APG) and redshirt freshman Jordan Scott. Lawrence was a clutch perimeter shooter in his first season as a Cougar last season, coming off the bench to knock down 36-of-103 (35.0 PCT) triples last season.

Scott was a player who red-shirted last season and was a talented player at Darlington High School prior to coming to the Low Country, averaging 15.6 PPG and shot 35.5 PCT from three-point range.

Scott will likely serve in back-up role behind Goudelock at the point, while Lawrence will likely serve in a back-up role at the two guard behind Monroe.

The Frontcourt

Two years ago, Wiggins was regarded as the league’s top defender, and no one will forget the nickname he earned during that campaign, as the "Steph-Stopper" for his performances against Davidson’s All-American guard, Stephen Curry.

It was Wiggins’ perimeter defense that allowed the Cougars to shock the Wildcats, knocking Davidson from the SoCon Tournament in the semifinals a couple of years ago.

Wiggins has 68 career steals and has started in all but one game he has ever started in (68-of-69 games) as a Cougar.

Joining Wiggins in the Cougars’ frontcourt will be one of mid-major basketball’s top centers, in Jeremy Simmons (11.9 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 59.7 FG%, 56 blocks).

Simmons is one of the most explosive leapers in the SoCon, and is one of the primary reasons the Cougars were ranked second in the SoCon in blocked shots last season.

His 544 rebounds rank him fifth on CofC’s rebounding charts, since joining the Division I ranks.

Simmons is a preseason All-SoCon selection and came up big in the stunning win over North Carolina last season, as he scored 13 points, blocked four shots and had a career-high four assists in the overtime victory.

He’ll be a key ingredient in CofC’s title hopes once again this season.

One of the positives heading into the 2010-11 season for the College of Charleston should be the frontcourt, which returns Antwaine Wiggins (8.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG in ‘08-09) after missing the entire 2009-10 season after tearing his ACL only a few seasons prior to the start of the season. 

Willis Hall (5.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 51.3 FG%) was one of the pleasant surprises for the Cougars last season, and he returns in an expected starting role underneath for the Cougars heading into the 2010-11 season.

Hall played in all 34 games for the Cougars last season, starting seven of those contests in his freshman season in the Low Country. For his efforts last season, Hall was selected to the SoCon’s All-Freshman team.

Matt Sundberg (3.4 PPG, 1.7 RPG) is a talented perimeter shooter and frontcourt player who will once again come off of the bench for the Cougars this season.

Sundberg, a 6’8", 210-pound junior from Kennessaw, GA, and saw action in 26 games for the Maroon and Gold last season, Sundberg connected on 20-of-53 three-point field goals, which equates to 37.7 PCT from three-point range.

Twenty of Sundberg’s 30 field goals last season were triples.  

The Newcomers

College of Charleston’s top incoming talent from Cremins’ latest recruiting class is forward James Carlton. Carlton might even be the top newcomer of the year in Southern Conference basketball and he comes to CofC from Winterville, N.C., where he starred for South Central High School.

Carlton was rated a 3-star prospect at the power forward position by Rivals.com. He averaged 15 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks as a senior.

Joining Carlton as a talented newcomer for the Cougars will be Nori Johnson, who spent a season at Fork Union Military Academy before joining Cremins’ College of Charleston club.

The 6’5" swingman is an excellent athlete and put up good numbers during his prep career at Byrnes High School in Duncan, S.C., averaging 20.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, two steals and 1.4 assists per game as a senior.

During his one season at Fork Union, Johnson helped lead the Blue Devils to a 22-6 record, while averaging 14 points and six boards per game.

Adding even more depth and size to the frontcourt is Trent Wiedeman, who should also see some quality minutes this season for the Cougars. Wiedeman, a 6’8", 240-pound product of Greater Atlanta Christian in Suwanee, GA., is another highly recording prospect.

According to ESPN College Basketball Recruiting Rankings, he is rated as the No. 63 prospect in the nation.

He averaged 15.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game as a senior, helping lead the Spartans to a state championship title and 32-1 record.

Final Prediction

College of Charleston probably has a more talented team than the one that finished 22-10 last season. The Cougars will not only be Wofford’s primary contender in the SoCon South Division, they will also be one of the favorites to punch an NCAA Tournament ticket in 2010-11.

Preview of College of Charleston vs. Maryland

Opening Tip: Tonight’s meeting between the College of Charleston and Maryland Terrapins in the 2K Sports Classic directed towards Coaches vs. Cancer , marks only the second all-time meeting between the two teams.

As a Trans America Athletic Conference member, College of Charleston claimed one of the school’s greatest athletic accomplishments in the only other meeting between the two, as the Cougars stunned Maryland, knocking off the 22nd-ranked Terps, 75-66, in the 1997 NCAA Southeast Regional first-round matchup. The win still remains CofC’s only Division I NCAA Tournament win.

Game Preview: Coming off a 22-10 campaign, College of Charleston heads to the Comcast Center to take on a Maryland club that claimed a share of the regular-season ACC Title and finished the season with a 24-9 final record, after being ousted in the NCAA Tournament’s second round, as a result of a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Michigan State’s Kalin Lucas.

Despite losing the services of ACC Player of the Year Greivis Vasquez to graduation, the Terps should be in the thick of the ACC race once again this season, returning junior All-American guard Sean Mosley (10.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG) and one of the ACC’s top big men, in 6’10" sophomore Jordan Williams (9.6 PPG, 8.6 ). Senior point guard Adrian Bowie will have the unenviable task of replacing Vasquez at the point this season.

The Terps were a team that loved to push the basketball last season, averaging a league-best 79.7 PPG, which also ranked 12th nationally.

College of Charleston will look to junior guard Andrew Goudelock (19.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 131 assists, 97 threes, 39.3 3PT. FG%), who Cremins has frequently called one of the best players he has ever coached, for leadership and scoring tonight if the Cougars want to spring the upset.

One of the matchups to watch entering the contest this evening will be between Maryland’s All-ACC center Williams and CofC’s All-SoCon center Jeremy Simmons (11.9 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 59.7 FG%, 56 blocks). Look for Antwaine Wiggins to draw the assignment of trying to shut down Maryland’s leading returning scorer Mosley.