Winthrop

2008-09 Winthrop Basketball Preview: #139

Joel Welser — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:06:35 -0700

Winthrop Eagles

Overall Rank: #137

Conference Rank: #2 Big South

2007-08: 22-12, 10-4, 1^st

2007-08 postseason: NCAA

This might not be the same Winthrop team that has dominated the Big South over the last few years, but it might be again in another year or two. With the loss of four of the top five scorers from a year ago, there will be some growing pains, but Coach Randy Peele's team could compete for a conference championship this season...they just will not dominate quite yet.

Who's Out:

Michael Jenkins...Taj McCullough...Chris Gaynor...Antwon Harris...that sounds like an All-Conference Team. Instead, and unfortunately for Winthrop fans, it is the list of Eagles who have graduated. Jenkins and Gaynor were the heart and soul of the team. Jenkins averaged 13.9 points per game and knocked down over two long balls per contest. Gaynor ran the show and dished out 4.1 assists and just 1.6 turnovers. Finding somebody else who can do that will not happen overnight.

Who's In:

Some newcomers will be asked to play a pivotal role this year. And none may be more important than junior college transfer Raymond Davis. The 6-4 wing is pretty much a shooter, but he has plenty of speed to get open looks. Once he starts using his size and speed to get to the basket, Davis will be tough to deal with. Incoming freshman Andre Jones might not have to wait very long before he becomes the best shooter on the team. With point guard Reggie Middleton, the Eagles backcourt will be talented yet again, just far less experienced. Forwards Gideon Gamble, Chris Malcolm and Case Stiglbauer will provide plenty of depth. Gamble was a great pick-up for the Eagles and he is expected to become a major contributor sooner or later. Senior Cameron Stanley, a transfer from Wake Forest, is eligible to play immediately. He never saw much action with the Demon Deacons, but Stanley should play an important role on the young Eagles team.

Who to Watch:

There are some players returning, most notably returning starters Charles Corbin and Mantoris Robinson. Corbin had a fine freshman campaign, averaging 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds. He will be asked to do more and be a leader of the team. Robinson is a solid rebounder from the wing, but he needs to show that he can be a better scorer now that he will be given the opportunity. And so will plenty of other players like Antwon Harris and the highly touted Byron Faison, who only averaged 10.3 minutes per game as a freshman.

Final Projection:

While the backcourt adjusts to life without Jenkins, Gaynor and Harris, the frontcourt might have to pull a little more weight than they are used to pulling. A lot of that will fall on Corbin, but Andy Buechert, a 6-9 center, will have to do his share too. The former junior college transfer did not earn too much playing time his first year at Winthrop, but he has the skills to be a decent center and will at least grab plenty of rebounds. It will take some time, but by the time the conference season rolls around, the Eagles will be a dangerous team in the Big South.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Justin Burton, Sophomore, Guard, 2.3 points per game

Byron Faison, Sophomore, Guard, 3.9 points per game

Mantoris Robinson, Junior, Guard, 5.9 points per game

Charles Corbin, Sophomore, Forward, 6.6 points per game

Andy Buechert, Senior, Center, 3.0 points per game

Poll: What Will be Thursday's Big Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:06:24 -0700

Seven Day Stretch: Championship Week Review

Rob Carpentier — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:40:33 -0700

The “Curse” bit Stanford, Valparaiso, Arizona and even me last week. That’s right; I was the victim of my own making. I went on a national radio show to talk a bit on the upcoming NCAA Tournament and when asked about which team I thought was “this year’s George Mason”, I talked about South Alabama. The Jaguars lost that very night on their home floor to put their NCAA status in serious doubt. Sorry, Jags…next time I’ll keep my mouth shut.

Seven Day Savior (Team): George Mason Patriots

Everybody’s darling of two years ago, (remember the Final Four run?), is back! Mason won the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament by defeating William & Mary this past Monday night. The Patriots are going to be a scary opponent for whoever draws them in the Field of 65. They still have five players from that Final Four squad, including two, Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell, who played significant minutes on that 2006 team. That experience, coupled with the solid coaching of Jim Larranaga, makes Mason a solid choice for a “Cinderella” getting past the first round. What makes this story even more unlikely is that the Patriots were only the #3 seed in the conference tourney and this was the first time that that any of the Patriot players had won the conference tournament title. Even the Final Four team had to get an at-large bid on Selection Sunday.

Honorable Mention to Davidson as the Wildcats were able to complete a perfect conference season, both regular and tournament. Davidson will be a difficult opponent, too, as close losses to North Carolina, Duke and UCLA can attest.

Seven Day Savior (Player): Michael Jenkins, Winthrop Eagles

After the week he had in the Big South Tournament, how could anyone not pick the Eagle senior? Jenkins, who has dedicated this season and Winthrop’s to a teammate who was killed last year, led the Eagles in the first two games of the Big South Tourney and then exploded in the title game. In that game, against a UNC-Asheville team that had already swept the Eagles in the regular season, Jenkins score 20 of his team’s first 30 points and finished with 33. Jenkins is clearly one of those kids that is going to be a handful for any BCS conference team in the upcoming NCAAs. It’s not as if Jenkins is the only good player on the Winthrop squad. Coach Randy Peele can count on scoring from several of Jenkins’ teammates should a team decide to take Jenkins out of the game. Jenkins is unselfish, he’s a leader and he has the look of a young man who will do whatever it takes to win his next game.

News of the Week: The Return of Lute

It was announced earlier this week that Lute Olson will return to the sidelines for Arizona starting next season. This has some serious ramifications, not the least of which is the probable end of Kevin O’Neill’s short term as head coach. Olson’s return goes deeper than that, though. Over the past several seasons Olson’s Arizona squads had fallen closer and closer to mediocrity. Olson, who is a proponent of the motion offense and zone defenses, had been consistently outcoached by his Pac-10 Conference brethren and it was only the talent that Olson had on his roster that prevented a full collapse. The only way to change that is for Olson to come back reenergized and committed to getting Arizona to the top of the Pac-10, let alone the nation, again. While he can still do that, the reality is that Olson isn’t getting any younger, a fact that other pac-10 schools will undoubtedly point out to recruits. Olson had been making recruiting mistakes over the past several years in that he was only going after blue-chippers and those “glue guys” that every good team needs to make a deep run in March weren’t getting much playing time. There is nothing that indicates that Olson will have changed his recruiting strategy.

Arizona had an opportunity to have Olson leave with dignity, and he still may. After all, a coach with his track record does deserve to leave on his own terms, but this is going to be a long-term problem for Arizona as Olson probably only has a few years left in him at best. With his return, Arizona will see the transfer in Pac-10 power, which is moving towards the California schools, become more pronounced, and it may take a long time for Arizona to fully catch up once Lute does call it a career.

Game of the Week (The one you DON’T know about): Miami v. Virginia Tech

In order for this game to take place in the ACC Tournament, Miami first needs to take care of North Carolina State. Assuming that happens, this game could be huge. Depending on how things break, the ACC could be looking at only four bids to the NCAA Tournament. If that’s the case, that means that Miami, Va Tech and Maryland are fighting for one berth. This could change, of course, if two of these three teams make a deep ACC run. However, a game between the Hurricanes and the Hokies could have serious implications for both teams’ postseason aspirations. Miami is actually in a better position to suffer a loss and still receive an NCAA bid. That’s because, even though the Hokies finished higher in the final ACC standings, they did so because they only had to face the “tough” teams, (Duke and UNC), once each. Virginia Tech needs this game badly. At a time when most bracketologists are talking about the “bubble” games coming up in the Pac-10 Tournament, none of those may be bigger than this potential match-up.

Seven Days Under the Radar: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame finished in third place in the Big East, arguably the toughest conference in the country, yet no one has really talked up their chances in the Big East Tournament. That’s because the Irish are much better in the friendly home confines of the Joyce Center than they are on the road. However, the Irish did win five conference road games, and while only the Villanova win stands out at all, Notre Dame has slowly been gaining confidence away from home. They have a very good “go-to” player in Luke Harangody and they can shoot from beyond the arc. The only thing that Coach Mike Brey has to be able to do is convince the Irish that every defensive stop they can get is important. If the Irish play decent defense then they very well could be playing for the conference title on Saturday.

Seven Days on the Hot Seat: Sidney Lowe, North Carolina State

Lowe is only finishing his second season in Raleigh but this year has been a disaster as far as Wolfpack fans are concerned. Lowe took over a program that was becoming the consistent third power in the ACC behind UNC and Duke. However, fans thought that Lowe’s predecessor, Herb Sendek didn’t win enough and they didn’t like his methodical offensive system. When the head coaching position opened NC State took a run at several higher profile candidates, (like Steve Lavin), but ended up “settling” on Lowe. When I say “settling”, I mean that Lowe was clearly not NC State’s first choice. That being the case Lowe could have thought of himself as keeping the seat warm until someone else was ready. In other words, because he wasn’t the first choice, and in spite of his NBA coaching pedigree Lowe has a much shorter leash when it comes to rebuilding. But that’s Lowe’s problem; he shouldn’t be rebuilding. Most observers felt that NC State should at least be an NCAA Tourney team this season. One thing’s for sure, there isn’t anyone who pegged the Wolfpack for anywhere near last place and that’s exactly where they stand. Lowe will get some slack because he lost point guard Farnold Degand in late December to an ACL tear. Losing your point guard isn’t a good thing, especially when his only back-up is a true freshman. That was Lowe’s predicament heading into the New Year. However, that doesn’t explain the coaching blunders and the complete meltdown competitively by the Pack over the last three weeks. This doesn’t sit well in Raleigh. Lowe won’t lose his job at the end of this season, but anything less than a top three finish in the ACC next year will mean a pink slip.

Seven Days of Head Scratching: The “Curse”

I’ve made a great deal of “hay” about the “curse” that I “created” when I started the SDS column back in January. In all honesty, I have never really believed in it or any other real superstitious thing. I simply thought it was a fun thing to add to the column. However, except for one week, every team that I’ve either given the Seven Day Savior award to, either the team award or to a player on that team, has lost the following week. This has included small schools, like UNC-Asheville, which went on a three game losing streak the week of their selection as the Savior of the week, and big schools, like Stanford, which I selected as my Seven days Under the Radar team last week. The Cardinal proceeded to go out and lose two straight games in Los Angeles to close out their Pac-10 regular season. Because of these odd happenings, I am now really beginning to believe in the curse. Look let’s face it, I have people holding candle-light vigils now on the quads of their favorite school pleading with the powers-that-be in an attempt to prevent me from putting them in the dreaded Seven Day Stretch. I was thinking that once the brackets for the Big Dance come out, that I’ll write a supplemental SDS mentioning all the possible teams that my favorite team might face…that way I can do my part to help my school win a national title.

You know what I’ve really figured out over the years? There are people who really think like this. I also figured out that I take myself way too seriously sometimes. Everybody have a great weekend of college hoops, (really, is there any other kind?), and get ready to go dancing.

Man, I love my job!

Buzzer Beater: Bubble Weekend Review

Jason Brubaker — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:49:36 -0700

- How about North Carolina's Danny Green? The sixth-man extraordinaire provided a huge lift for the Heels on Saturday, totaling 18 points, 8 rebounds and 7 blocks as they knocked off Duke in Cameron. Green's ability to play inside or on the perimeter gives UNC a huge advantage. Green can play either forward spot, as well as shooting guard, meaning UNC can match-up with any type of line-up thrown at them. With Wayne Ellington gaining more confidence, Ty Lawson returning to full strength, and Tyler Hansbrough continuing to be…well...Tyler Hansbrough, the Heels are looking pretty good for a deep tournament run.

- Also, a very classy move by the Duke fans to don blue ribbons for the game in honor of Eve Carson, the UNC student body president who was murdered last week. As Dick Vitale pointed out, Saturday's game was huge in the basketball world, but pales in comparison to what's really important in life. The Cameron Crazies can certainly be annoying and come close to crossing the sportsmanship line (witness the Speedo Guy), but they showed their true colors with this gesture.

- Finally showing a pulse, Syracuse pulled a off a huge win over Marquette on Saturday to bolster their resume. However, with fellow bubble dwellers USC, Kentucky, Ohio State, Arkansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Baylor and Kansas State also winning over the weekend, the Orange may want to win a game or two in the big East Tourney to feel comfortable about dancing.

- Is there another dynasty brewing in college basketball? Move over UCLA, UK and Carolina...here comes Winthrop. Okay- that may be pushing it, but the Eagles are quietly turning into the giants of the Big South Conference. With a 66-48 win over UNC-Asheville on Saturday, they clinched their 4th consecutive league crown and tournament berth. Owning wins over Georgia Tech and Miami (Fl.), this season, the Eagles could play spoiler in the tournament again this year. Last year, they knocked of Notre Dame in the first round, and led by guard Michael Jenkins, they’re not going to back down from anyone.

- They say good teams always win the close games. In that case, UCLA must be great, as they squeaked out another nail-biter against Cal on Saturday. Like their OT win over Stanford on Thursday, the Bruins again benefitted from a questionable call, as they managed to wrest the ball away from Cal's Ryan Anderson in the closing seconds with no foul call, despite enough physical contact to warrant a NC-17 rating. Then, Josh Shipp lofted a prayer over the corner of the backboard...a seemingly illegal shot that the officials allowed. The win likely secured a #1 seed in the NCAA, and the Bruins look to be ready for a third straight run to the Final Four...although they may want to be sure they have room for the officials on their team bus.

- Kentucky may have locked up a tourney berth with a in over Florida in the "Bubble Battle" Sunday. Read that sentence again, because these are the same Cats who lost at home by 16 to Gardner-Webb and by 9 to San Diego as they struggled mightily in the non-conference portion of their schedule. Yet they still managed 12 wins in the SEC, finally buying into Coach Billy Gillispie's defense-at-all-costs mentality. Even without star freshman Patrick Patterson, and despite a mid-February blowout loss to Vandy, the Cats have been remarkably steady in the conference, and they could be a tough out in the tourney.

- From that same game, Florida may have played itself out of the tournament, despite a valiant comeback in Rupp Arena on UK’s Senior Day. Down 16, the Gators battled back, but couldn’t quite make it over the hump. On the plus side, the future for Florida looks as bright as the Gainesville sunshine. Guards Jai Lucas and Nick Calathes played brilliantly at times this season, and should be even better as sophomores next year. Center Maresse Speights may not be the next coming of Al Horford or Joakim Noah, but he’s certainly capable of performing at an All-SEC level. With everyone slated to return next year, plus the addition of a great recruiting class, the Gators should be back in the national spotlight soon.

- Which Big Ten team could stick around the NCAA Tournament the longest? Try Purdue, who finished 15-3 in the conference and 24-7 overall. Indiana, despite the great inside-outside tandem of DJ White and Eric Gordon, has appeared shaky at best since Kelvin Sampson’s departure. Michigan State, a pre-season Final Four favorite, has hit some snags in the road, including scoring only 36 points against a bad Iowa team. The Spartans have also suffered losses to Indiana, Purdue and Wisconsin since mid-February, and finished the season with a loss to Ohio State. Wisconsin has been solid all year, but they’ve struggled with smaller, athletic teams, such as Duke and Marquette. The Boilers meanwhile, have no glaring weaknesses outside of the youth. They’re balanced offensively, with six players averaging at least six points, and they’re incredibly tough defensively, allowing only six opponents to score 70 or more points.

- Finally, congratulations to all those who punched their dance ticket over the weekend - Belmont, Drake, Winthrop and Austin Peay. They join Cornell as the first entries in the field of 65….with an exciting week yet to come. Let the Madness begin!

2008 NCAA Tournament Capsule: Winthrop

Joel Welser — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:54:33 -0800

Winthrop

Big South (22-11, 10-4)

Big Wins: 11/18 vs Georgia Tech (79-73), 12/4 Akron (68-58), 12/29 at Miami (76-70)

Bad Losses: 12/18 at Mount St. Mary’s (59-64), 1/12 at High Point (61-62), 2/6 at Coastal Carolina (49-50),

Last NCAA Appearance: 2007, Second Round loss to Oregon

Coach: Randy Peele (First NCAA appearance)

Probable Starters:

Chris Gaynor, Senior, Guard, 9.7 ppg, 4.2 apg

Michael Jenkins, Senior, Guard, 14.3 ppg, 2.5 apg, 4.2 rpg

Mantoris Robinson, Sophomore, Guard, 6.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg

Taj McCullough, Senior, Forward, 11.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg

Charles Corbin, Freshman, Forward, 6.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Antwon Harris, Senior, Guard, 6.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg

Byron Faison, Freshman, Guard, 3.9 ppg, 1.0 rpg

George Valentine, Freshman, Forward, 2.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg

Andy Buechert, Junior, Center, 3.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

Winthrop wins games with its defense. The team only allows about 58 points per game and the opposition shoots under 40 percent from the floor. The Eagles will not just sit back and force their opponents to take tough shots; they go after the ball and nab almost nine steals per game. That does lead to the occasional open shot for the other team, but it also leads to easy buckets for Winthrop which helps ignite an offense that can occasionally be stagnant. First year coach Randy Peele’s squad is also deceptively tough and physical in the paint and they will not allow anybody to get position under the basket without a fight.

No individual is a great rebounder, but the team is pretty solid on the glass. Playing in the Big South might inflate their numbers a little bit, but this is a group that was even on the boards against Miami and Georgia Tech earlier this season. Forward Taj McCullough has stepped into a starting role and leads the team with 5.7 rebounds per contest. Fellow starting forward Charles Corbin adds 4.2 per game, but it is McCullough who has developed into a solid scoring threat inside and out.

Why They Can Disappoint:

At times the offense can be inconsistent and it will be up to point guard Chris Gaynor to get his team back in the flow. The senior has about a 2.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and that is one of the best in the nation. Gaynor is quick, explosive and very experienced. Yet, this is still a group that can have trouble scoring at times. Usually Winthrop can survive a four minute scoring drought by playing great defense and exploding for some points later, but that might not work when looking for an upset in the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles are also one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the nation. As a whole, they shoot under 60 percent and nobody, not even the walk-on down the bench, shoots over 72 percent.

Who To Watch:

Traditionally Winthrop’s talent has been in the backcourt and that is no different this year. Michael Jenkins is the team’s leading scorer and will score in just about every way feasible. He hits over two three-pointers per game and will use his quickness to get to the bucket. Mantoris Robinson and Antwon Harris have split starts on the other wing. Neither has the scoring prowess or shooting range of Jenkins, but they will get to the basket and help out on the glass.

- More 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage

- All 2008 Tournament Capsules

Daily Dribble: Tuesday Report Card

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:02:40 -0800

The Report Card

A new series, the Daily Report Card tells you all you need to know about the day in college hoops. From good to bad and bad to worse, I'll be laying down the law.

A - Winthrop

The Eagles success shouldn't be a surprise by this point. Two years ago they won 23 games and were a few seconds from upsetting Tennessee to advance to the 2nd round of the Big Dance. Last year they did advance to the 2nd round, winning 29 games along the way. Yet, after the loss of Craig Bradshaw and others, this year's team is quietly going under the radar to the tune of 14 wins and a 5-1 conference record. Another tournament seems far-fetched in 08 as it will be hard to overcome challenges from UNCA and High Point just to win the Big South. But they have wins over ACC teams like Georgia Tech and Miami, and a win against UNCA later this week would push them back into first place in the conference.

B - Michael Beasley

There's no particular reason why he's on today's Report Card.. or why he gets a B and not an A. Mainly there was no one to fill this spot today and it gave me another chance to ogle at Beasley's ridiculous stats. You expect numbers to drop off in league play, but Beasley has just been silly. Against Iowa State, in only 22 minutes mind you, he had 35 points and 13 rebounds. That's in 22 minutes. Barely half a game. In his last two games, he has 62 points and 28 rebounds in just 50 minutes. 50 minutes is barely longer than an NBA game.. and Beasley put up 62 and 28 in that span. Wow.

C - The ACC

Outside of UNC and Duke.. what the hell is going on in the ACC? Boston College sits in third place.. while Virginia sits in last. Yet, these teams along with everyone in between are just about equally talented (though I expect FSU to slowly drift securely into last place). Last year, 9 league teams were in the Top 52 RPI. This year, only 4 teams are in the Top 49.. including Clemson and Miami who don't seem to be much better than the Georgia Tech or Maryland's of the world. What will be funny of course is when the season ends, out of this morass will come a handful of NCAA Tournament teams.. a few of which will be destined for early-round upsets.

D - VMI

The Keydets occasionally get pub for lighting up some poor D2 opponent for 150 points (they've scored 120+ three times this year). And Reggie Williams, their leading scorer (27 ppg) occasionally gets mentioned in NBA Draft circles because of his numbers. And on the season, they're scoring a ridiculous 93 ppg. Yet none of the scoring is leading to wins. Against D1 teams, they're just 5-9 and destined to fizzle out in Big South play. Like the reverse gimmick offense of Northwestern.. ultimately it doesn't matter how you play, it just matters if you win.

F - Jerome Dyson & Doug Wiggins

These guys don't get the low grade because I particularly care about whatever it is they did to get suspended. They get the low grade because without them in the lineup, UCONN has played two of its best games of the year.. beating Indiana and Louisville. These guys are like the Tiki Barber of college hoops.

Previous Best / Worst

January 28th - Rutgers / Doris Burke

January 25th - Ron Hunter / Princeton Offense

January 23rd - Kentucky / Archbishop Burke

January 22nd - DJ Augustin / Scott Sutton

January 21st - New York Giants / Marquette

January 20th - Maryland / ESPN.com editors

January 18th - Cleveland State / Marquette

January 17th - Drake / HP Laptops

January 14th - Roy Hibbert / Michigan State

January 10th - Tony Bennett / Saint Louis

January 9th - DJ White / CSTV

January 8th - Robert Morris / Schedule Makers

January 7th - Wayne Ellington / Illinois

January 6th - Herb Sendek / Kentucky

Daily Poll: Who Will Win the Big South?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 16:33:39 -0700

Big South Preseason All-Conference Team

Press Release — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 07:32:51 -0700

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – High Point University senior Arizona Reid (Gaffney, S.C.) has been voted the Big South Conference 2007-08 Preseason Men’s Basketball Player of the Year by the League’s Head Coaches, Sports Information Directors and media panel, it was announced today at the Conference’s annual Basketball Tip-Off Media Luncheon at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Concord, N.C. This year’s preseason All-Conference team features four players who were named to the League’s All-Freshman team in 2004-05.

Reid was the Conference’s Player of the Year in 2006-07, after leading the Big South in rebounding (9.5 per game) and finishing second in scoring (21.0) – the first player in League history to average 20 points and nine rebounds in one season. He was an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press last season and received All-District honors from the USBWA and the NABC. Reid also was fourth in the Big South in field goal percentage (.509), 10th in free throw percentage, tied for 13th in blocks per game, fourth in offensive rebounds and first in defensive rebounds. In League play last year, Reid increased his totals to 26.0 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. He also scored in double figures in 29 games, including 19 straight, surpassed the 20-point mark 19 times with five 30-point outings, and brought down a Big South single-game record 25 rebounds against VMI in late February. Reid received 21 first-place votes and finished with 134 points in the voting to earn a spot on the preseason All-Conference team.

2007-08 Big South Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team

Arizona Reid, High Point, Sr., F
Reggie Williams, VMI, Sr., F
Michael Jenkins, Winthrop, Sr., G
Jack Leasure, Coastal Carolina, Sr., G
Chris Gaynor, Winthrop, Sr., G

Williams, who received six first-place votes and 106 total points, became the first player in Big South history to lead the nation in scoring last year with his League-record 28.1 points per game average. He was named NABC All-District 4 second-team, ranked in the top four in the Conference in points (1st), rebounding (4th), field goal percentage (3rd) and assists (3rd), and also ranked ninth in free throw percentage and 10th in steals. Williams set new Big South and VMI records for most points in a season (928), became the first player in Conference history to log three 40-point games in a career and topped 40+ points in four games last season. He had nine double-doubles, scored in double figures in 31 games last season and had 15 30-point games. Williams needs just 351 points to become the Big South’s all-time leading scorer.

Jenkins enjoyed a breakout season last year for the Eagles as he earned First-team All-Conference honors as well as All-Tournament team accolades in his first year as a starter. He developed into one of the team’s top scoring threats as well as being a defensive stopper on the perimeter. He led Winthrop in scoring with 14.8 points per game and surpassed every single season individual career best last year. Jenkins led the Big South in three-point shooting percentage (41.5 percent), scored in double figures 27 times and tied a school and Big South record for three-pointers in a game with 12 vs. North Greenville. He led the Eagles to a 77-66 win over Missouri State in the ESPNU BracketBusters with his 25-point performance and seven 3-pointers, and posted seven rebounds and 11 assists in Winthrop’s 74-64 NCAA Tournament win over Notre Dame.

Leasure has been a Conference honoree all three seasons at Coastal Carolina – All-Freshman in 2005, First-team All-Conference and Player of the Year in 2006 and Second-team All-Conference in 2007. He led CCU to its second .500-or-better season last year for the first time since 1993-94, and became just the 14th player in CCU history to reach 1,000 points in his career (currently at 1,424). Leasure enters his senior year third all-time in Big South history with 300 career three-pointers. In 2006-07, he led Coastal and ranked seventh in the League at 15.6 points per game. He also ranked in the top 10 in the Conference in three pointers (3.0 pg), three-point field goal percentage (.372), assists (3.6 pg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8). He scored in double-figures in 12-of-14 League games last year and 25-of-30 games overall.

Gaynor was named Collegeinsider.com’s National Mid-Major Most Valuable Player in 2006-07 after helping the Eagles to a 29-5 overall record, 14-0 Big South mark and NCAA Tournament first round win. He has started all 95 games of his career at Winthrop (out of 98) and has been the Eagles’ floor general since his freshman season. He ranked first in the Big South last year in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.16) and was fourth in assists (4.39), while adding eight points a game. Gaynor saw his career games started streak end due to an injury in early December, but he still led the squad with 46 steals and ranked among the Conference leaders in the steals category. He scored a career-high 19 points vs. Liberty on Feb. 6 to help fuel a 80-76 come-from-behind win. He enters his senior season in fourth-place on the Winthrop all-time assist list with 427.

2007-08 Winthrop Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 09:56:58 -0700

Winthrop Eagles

Overall Rank: #84

Conference Rank: #1 Big South

2006-07: 29-5, 14-0, 1^st

2006-07 postseason: NCAA

Winthrop only lost five games last year. And even the great teams in the not so great conferences will lose a conference game or two, but not the Eagles. Their five loses were to North Carolina, Maryland, Wisconsin, Texas A&M and Oregon. However, it will not be the same this year for Winthrop and new Coach Randy Peele. The Eagles lose a large number of players and will have to mix in seven freshmen. The conference is still theirs for the taking, but another victory in the NCAA Tournament might be asking a little too much.

Who’s Out:

Despite all the losses, Winthrop does return a couple starters. Center Craig Bradshaw, forward Phillip Williams and guard Torrell Martin have wrapped up their collegiate careers and are the three starters lost. Bradshaw averaged 13.5 points and a team high 6.3 rebounds during his senior campaign. Williams complimented Bradshaw in the paint quite well and the Eagles will need to quickly find an entire new frontcourt. Martin averaged 14.5 points per game and was a big threat from long range. It was not just his scoring though that will be missed, Martin was second on the team in rebounding with 5.7 per game and provided a much needed rebounder out of the backcourt. Guard Kyle Moore was a decent option down the bench, but it is the absence of DeAndre Adams that that goes well beyond basketball. The crowd favorite died from injuries suffered in a car accident in May. Seldom used Jason Killeen and Anthony Williams will not be returning to the program.

Who’s In:

The need for Winthrop is up front and they found a couple players who are ready to make an immediate impact. At 6-9 and 230 pounds, junior college transfer Andy Buechert will provide a much needed big body. With his experience and ability to score with his back to the basket, Buechert could be starting right away. Rainer Blickle will find himself competing for playing time this year. The 6-7 forward is a quality all around player and has a nice stroke from long range. The question is whether or not he is tough enough to handle the power forward position where the team needs him the most. Chris Malcom, Charles Corbin and George Valentine will bring plenty of depth to the forward spots. The lanky Malcom is already an accomplished shot blocker and will immediately be a presence on the defensive end. The addition of one of the best recruits to ever suit up for Winthrop is almost here. Eagle fans had to wait for a year while Byron Faison redshirted during the 2006-2007 season. That says a heck of a lot about the depth of the program when such a highly touted recruit redshirts. At 6-1, Faison stayed off the radar of some higher profile colleges, but the guy is a superb athlete and can flat out score. He has a nice stroke that extends well beyond the three point arc and will get to the basket with ease. The lack of experience might keep him out of the starting lineup for now, but it will not likely last long. Point guard Justin Burton and combo guard Marc-David Vil will find it difficult to see too many minutes during their freshmen campaigns.

Who to Watch:

Even with the departures, there is still plenty of talent on the perimeter. Michael Jenkins led the team with 14.8 points per game last year and is a tremendous shooter from long range. Jenkins is already a star, but he can take his game to the next level if he can find a way to get to the basket more often. Point guard Chris Gaynor was often left out of the spotlight with Jenkins and Martin on the wings, but the senior point guard is a decent shooter and a great distributor. Gaynor averaged 4.4 assists and just 1.4 turnovers per contest last season and those numbers will only get better. Antwon Harris and Mantoris Robinson will battle for the starting job to replace Martin. Neither come close to the shooting ability of Martin, but they are decent scorers who can help the depleted frontcourt on the glass.

Final Projection:

And the lone returning impact player in the frontcourt is Taj McCullough. The 6-7, 222 pound senior will need some help from the newcomers, but McCullough can get on the glass and step outside and hit the mid-range jumper. Winthrop will not be as good as they were last year and they surely will lose more than five games and possibly even one or two in the conference. Yet there is more talent here then meets the eye and anybody else winning the Big South and reaching the NCAA Tournament would be a surprise.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Chris Gaynor, Senior, Guard, 7.8 points per game

Michael Jenkins, Senior, Guard, 14.8 points per game

Antwon Harris, Senior, Guard, 5.5 points per game

Taj McCullough, Senior, Forward, 7.9 points per game

Andy Buechert, Junior, Center, DNP last season

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Winthrop guard Adams passes away due to car accident injuries

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 16 May 2007 21:45:02 -0700