There isn’t much scoring talent returning
to the College of Charleston outside of Dontaye Draper, but
nobody else had the opportunity last year. This season, those
who were once roleplayers, will now shine. That pressure will
fall on the shoulders of sophomores Tavon Nelson, J.R. Hairston
and Josh Jackson who all showed promise in limited action as
freshmen.
Who’s Out:
The backcourt loses starters Tony Mitchell and Stanley Jackson,
as well as contributor Robert Swain. Mitchell averaged 14.9
points during his senior campaign, Stanley Jackson put up 10.6
and Swain added 6.6 per contest. Mitchell and Swain were the
biggest deep threats on the squad and that slack will have to be
picked up by Draper. Bernard Jackson and Jeff Horowitz are the
losses to the frontcourt. Bernard Jackson started 26 games
averaging 10.9 points and a team high 6.2 rebounds per game.
Horowitz, who opted to transfer after his sophomore season,
averaged 3.6 points and 3.6 rebounds while earning eight starts
during the 2004-2005 campaign.
Who’s In:
There isn’t anything spectacular here besides Philip McCandies,
but the rest are all solid roleplayers who, eventually, can
develop into starter quality players. McCandies, a transfer from
Virginia Tech, averaged five points and three rebounds, while
starting 13 games for the Hokies two years ago. Ideally the 6-9,
220 pound center will be starting beside returnee Josh Jackson,
but one of the centers might be relegated to the bench if the
Cougars opt for a smaller lineup. Javon Parris, Ryan Scott,
David Lawrence, Renardo Dickerson and Marcus Hammond will all
fight for minutes in the backcourt. Parris, who can play at both
guard spots, will see minutes because of his defense while the
rest of his game matures. Lawrence, a wing player, joins
Charleston from Daytona Beach Community College. Dickerson, who
averaged 15.0 points last season at Miami Dade Community
College, brings some experience to the group of newcomers.
Hammond redshirted last season and is ready to make a big impact
for the Cougars. The 6-3 shooting guard can drive the lane but
is his best from behind the arc. Ben Brown and Jermaine Johnson
will add some depth to the frontcourt. Brown needs to bulk up a
bit, but at 6-10 and 195 pounds, has the potential to become a
major contributor. Johnson redshirted last season and the
Anaheim, California native is ready to bang up the SoCon
competition. He’s a big 6-7 and 250 pounds and will compete for
minutes as a freshman.
Who to Watch:
The backcourt will be fun to watch. Drew Hall
is a stable pass-first point guard and Dontaye Draper will
become the go-to scorer. The pressure will be on Draper to
replace Tony Mitchell. The 5-11, 180 pound junior has the tools
to lead the team. A year ago he averaged 12.0 points and 2.7
assists per game. Draper’s shooting from beyond the arc will
need to improve. He shot only 28.3% from three point land last
year and still put up four attempts per contest. With few other
long range options, the Cougars will need Draper to put up
better numbers than that this season.
Projected Conference Rank:
The talent that has kept C of C
strong over the last few years is gone and Coach Tom Herrion has
to hold his troops together during the transition period. If he
can’t, the likes of Chattanooga, Furman, Georgia Southern and
Appalachian State will gladly, and easily, take over the 2nd
place spot.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected Starting Five:
Drew Hall, Senior, Guard, 3.6 points per game
Dontaye Draper, Junior, Guard, 12.0 points per game
Tavon Nelson, Sophomore, Guard, 2.6 points per game
Josh Jackson, Sophomore, Center, 5.1 points per game
Philip McCandies, Junior, Center, DNP last season
