CSU vs. Presbyterian Game Notes

THE GAME
The Buccaneers complete a three-game homestand and also the season-series with Presbyterian as they host the Blue Hose for a 7:30 PM start at the CSU Field House. The Bucs are looking to snap a five-game overall losing streak and a three-game slide at home. They are also attempting to get back into the post-season picture. Due to the addition of Presbyterian and Gardner-Webb to the Big South conference, the guidelines for inclusion in the post-season tournament differs from years past when all teams gained entrance. This season, with Presbyterian ineligible for post-season play, one team will be left out of the field. At the present time, CSU trails High Point by two games in the win column. However, the Bucs have two games in hand over High Point and hold their own destiny to some degree. The Blue Hose are 8-7 in conference play and would be assured a spot if they were eligible, which they will be next season. The Blue Hose prevailed over the Buc s, 63-54, in the first meeting of the season, on January 17th. CSU will continue to play short-handed with Jr-Center Billy Blackmon and Fr-Forward Kelvin Martin inactive for this game.

SINGING THE BLUE HOSE
The Blue Hose claimed the first meeting between the two schools, 63-54, at home on January 17th. The game was marked by a scoreless drought of more than seven minutes by the Bucs to close the game. Sr-Center Giedrius Knysas led CSU in scoring in that matchup, notching 14 points. However, So-Guard Jamarco Warren endured a tough-shooting night, struggling to 2-of-13 from the field. Sr-Forward Bryan Bostic led the Hose with 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting from the field.

Presbyterian has had a good inaugural campaign in the Big South Conference. At 8-7 in conference play, the Blue Hose are currently in fifth place in the conference and if eligible would be in contention to host a first round game in the Big South tournament.

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THE LAST TIME OUT…

So-Forward Omar Carter continued his torrid play, notching his third straight double-double (18 pts/12 reb). Carter led the Bucs in both scoring and rebounding, but it wasn’t enough as the Bucs fell to the Radford Highlanders, 71-80. Jr-Center Art Parakhouski paced the Highlanders with 29 points, including 11 makes from the foul line. With the win, Radford swept the season-series from CSU and also claimed a two-game lead in the race for the Big South Conference regular season title. So-Guard Jamarco Warren chipped in 16 points for CSU in the loss.

BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL

Buccaneers freshman forward Kelvin Martin has quickly become an offensive factor for CSU. “K-Mart” as he is known, established a new career high for points and rebounds in each of his first five games. He scored 6 points against Iowa, bettered that with 11 against Furman, tallied 14 against College of Charleston, one-upped that with 15 against Toccoa Falls and took it one point further with 16 against The Citadel. He also increased his rebounding totals in each of his first four games. He recorded his first double-double against CofC on Nov. 20th (14 pts/11 reb), made it two straight with his second (15 pts/15 reb) aginst Toccoa Falls and accomplished the feat for a third-straight game 11/25 vs. The Citadel (16 pts/10 reb). Martin again established a new career-high, scoring 23 points to share the team lead with Omar Carter against the Covenant C ollege Scots on 12/13. The feat was made all the more impressive by the fact that Martin accomplished it on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 shooting from the foul -line. He added his fourth double-double of the season (12 pts/13 reb) 1/5 vs. VMI.

RIGHT ON THE JA-MARC-O
Bucs sophomore guard Jamarco Warren has been one of the nation’s premier outside threats in his sophomore season and now stands as the CSU single-season record-holder for three-point field goals. Warren, who connected on 76 three-point field goals in his freshman year (2nd most in school history) has hit 89-of-219 attempts thus far this season (41%), eclipsing the former school record of 81 set by Chris Moore during the 2007-08 season. Warren has four regular season games remaining to set the bar higher for future Bucs including himself in his final two years of eligibility. Warren has at least shared the team lead in scoring in 18 of the Bucs 25 games this season: 18 @ Iowa; 28 vs. Furman; 20 vs. College of Charleston; 28 vs. Toccoa Falls; 25 vs. The Citadel; 15 vs. North Florida; 29 @ High Point; 17 @ Cincinnati; 21 @ Florida State; 22 vs. Virginia Tech; 19 vs. UNC Asheville; 22 vs. VMI; 24 @ Liberty; 12 @ Radford; 19 vs. Winthrop; 20 @ UNC Asheville; 21 @ VMI; 21 vs. Liberty.

O-MAR OH-MY
Turning in perhaps the best freshman season in Charleston Southern (Baptist College) history, Omar Carter was tabbed as the 2007-08 Big South Freshman of the Year. Carter was named by league coaches as a pre-season All-Big South selection entering his sophomore season. To this point, Carter has certainly lived up to those lofty expectations, second on the team behind Jamarco Warren with an average of 13.1 points per game. Carter also leads the team with 8.0 rebounds per game and is third in steals with 22. Carter has recorded three consecutive double doubles twice this season, including a current three-game streak. (2-9 @ VMI, 2-14 vs. Libert y, 2/16 vs. Radford). He also had three straight (1/27 vs. Morris, 1/31 @ Coastal Carolina , 2/2 vs. High Point) and has recorded eight for the season, which is tops on the team.

2008-09 Big South Pre-Season All-Conference Team

Anthony Smith Liberty Senior Guard
Chavis Holmes VMI Senior Guard Omar Carter CSU Sophomore Forward
Grayson Flittner Gardner-Webb Junior Guard
Joel Lynch-Flohr Radford Junior Forward

italic - Big South Pre-Season Player of the Year
PRE-SEASON PROGNOSTICATING
The 2008-09 pre-season Big South basketball poll produced some of the tightest results in history, leading to the belief of many that the conference race may be more nip-and-tuck than ever. Each of the top seven teams in the poll received at least one first place vote. That number includes the Bucs, who have been tabbed sixth, coming off of an eighth place finish last season.

20 08-09 Big South Pre-Season Projections

1. Winthrop (9) 202
2. Radford (7) 189
3. Gardner-Webb (3) 188
4. Liberty (2) 148
5. High Point (1) 132
6. Charleston Southern (1) 128
7. VMI (1) 110
8. Coastal Carolina 107
9. UNC Asheville 83
10. Presbyterian 33

First Place Votes in Parentheses

BANKING WITH BARCLAYS
The Buccaneers are currently in their fourth season under the tutelage of head coach Barclay Radebaugh. In his first three seasons, Radebaugh posted a record of 31-58. However, Radebaugh has turned Charleston Southern into one of the most reputed recruiting schools in the Big South and has ushered onto campus two of the most heralded recruiting classes in program history. He has claimed landmark wins in the Charleston City Championship twice (2005, 2006) and has entered the Buccaneers into their 2008-09 schedule, which in his estimation is the toughest non-co nference schedule a CSU team has ever faced.

FRESH FACES ON THE SIDELINE
The Buccaneers have two new coaches on the sideline for the 2008-09 season. Courtney Brooks, joins the coaching staff as an assistant coach after spending the previous seven seasons as the head coach at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy where he guided SACA to two class-A Georgia state championships. Another newcomer to Radebaugh’s staff is Director of Basketball Operations Charlie Witt. Witt joins the CSU staff after occupying an executive position with Target. However, he is no stranger to the Bucs program, having previously assisted with the Barclay Radebaugh Youth Basketball Camps as well as the Elite Senior Camp. During his playing days, Witt was a captain for Rochester Community & Technial College during the 1995-96 season.

FRESH BUT FAMILIAR FACES ON THE SIDELINE
Returning to CSU are assistant coaches JD Powell and Bob Richey. Powell, who played for C lemson, enters his fifth season with the Bucs. Radebaugh calls Powell “without a doubt, one of the top assistants in the Big South Conference.“ Richey returns for his third season as recruiting coordinator for the Bucs. His arrival from North Greenville has directly coincided with two of the top recruiting classes in program history. He is also in charge of player development for Bucs’ guards and coordinates team travel.
SOPHOMORE SENSATION
As of 2/21, Bucs So-Guard Jamarco Warren was fourth in the Big South in scoring (18.4 ppg). That is just behind VMI’s Sr-Guard tandem of Chavis Holmes (1st - 21.9 ppg) and Travis Holmes (3rd - 19.6 ppg) and Liberty’s Seth Curry (2nd - 20.6). , the brother of Davidson’s Stephen Curry, who leads the nation in scoring. Warren at least shared the Bucs team lead in points in their first seven games of the season. Warren is also second in the Big South in three-point field goal % (41%). He has hit 89-of-219 attempts from outsi de this season. His 85 makes are also good for second in the conference behind VMI’s Austin Kenon. Kenon has hit a conference-best 95 three-pointers thus far, including seven against the Bucs in their two meetings.

DIAPER DANDIES
CSU will look for scoring from one of the most highly touted freshman classes in program history. Currently, the Bucs have five freshman on the roster, with two expected to contribute significant minutes.

Kelvin Martin (6-5, 197) from Adel, GA. Martin was rated the 87th-best prospect in the country by ESPN.com. He averaged 28.3 points per game in high school, and averaged a double-double for his senior season.

Joel Lamb (6-7, 194) from Atlanta, GA. Rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com. Played for CSU assistant coach Courtney Brooks at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy and averaged 18 points per game and 10 rebounds per game as a senior.

IF IT AIN’T BROKE…
The Buccaneers were fo rced to use a different starting lineup for the first time in nine games when they played UNC Asheville on 1/3. The lineup change was forced due to a broken forearm suffered by Jr-Center Billy Blackmon. The lineup of: So-Point Guard - Tovi Bailey, So-Guard - Jamarco Warren, Fr-Forward - Kelvin Martin, So-Forward Omar Carter, Jr-C Billy Blackmon, had posted a record of 5-4. Blackmon, who has not dressed since the injury on 12/29, is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the Buccaneers season. Fr-Forward Kelvin Martin (Partially torn MCL - Right Knee) has joined Blackmon on the shelf, and is also expected to miss the rest of the year. Due to the injuries, the Bucs have dressed Fr-Guard Glenn Self. However, Self has not seen playing time and will red-shirt the season with a shoulder injury.

PRAISE WARREN-TED
After a record-setting campaign in 2007-08 in the awards department, sophomore guard Jamarco Warren was the first Buc to claim a weekly award i n 08-09. Warren was named the Choice Hotels Big South Player of the Week for the week of November 17-23. During that stretch, Warren averaged 25.3 points per game in three contests, leading the Bucs in scoring in all three games, while they posted a 2-1 record with wins over Furman and Toccoa Falls. He shot a ridiculous 62% from the floor (28-of-35), including 59% from three-point range (16-of-27). Included was 10-of-12 from the field against Toccoa Falls. Warren established a new career-high with 28 points against Furman and replicated the feat with 28 against Toccoa Falls.
A LONG AND WINDY ROAD
The Buccaneers are facing what Barclay Radebaugh calls the toughest schedule in program history. Including their games thus far this season, CSU has posted a 181-262 record against the 20 different opponents they will face throughout the season.

How the Bucs Have Fared Against 08-09 Opponents:

Iowa 0-1
Furman 7-8
College of Charl eston 23-47
Toccoa Falls 1-0
The Citadel 12-19
North Florida 2-0
High Point 10-11
Covenant College 2-0
Cincinnati 0-1
Florida State 0-5
Virginia Tech 0-4
UNC Asheville 28-32
VMI 3-11
Liberty 19-25
Radford 18-38
Presbyterian 4-6
Winthrop 19-29
Gardner-Webb 1-4
Morris College 1-0
Coastal Carolina 31-21

Total 181-262

The Bucs have posted the most victories against Coastal Carolina (31) and suffered the most defeats against College of Charleston (47). College of Charleston has also been the most played opponent (70 meetings - 23-47).

CSU will play four opponents for the first time (Iowa, Toccoa Falls, Cincinnati and Morris).

THE LAST TIME THE BUCS…

Won 20 games in a season
(1986-87 - 21-9 record)
Had a five-game winning streak
(2004-05 - 5 games)
Had a 10-game wi nning streak
(1986-87 - 10 games)
Had a 10-game losing streak
(2008-09 - 10 games)
The Bucs scored 100+ points
(December 13, 2008 vs. Covenant College)
Played a multi-overtime game
(1998-99 @ Coastal Carolina - W, 98-93 3 OT)