RE: Official Game Thread: Western Carolina
WESTERN CAROLINA is 7-2 and has been close in most games. They have 4 overtime wins: over UNC Asheville, Tennessee Tech, NC A&T, and an unusually weak College of Charleston at 2-5. They have not lost an overtime game this season. One of their 2 losses was a 2 pointer: 64-66 to Troy. The other a blowout to VCU. Like last year they are still dangerous on offense and weak on defense: Kenpom rates them 195 overall, but 147th on Offense, and 260th on Defense.
Mason Faulkner controls the game with the ball in his hands at point, and can either score (16.4 ppg) or make the assist (4.6 ast, 2nd in the SoCon to Neftali Alvarez). His stats are very similar to last year’s, but he’s hotter from 3 (.407 to .313). Matt Halvorsen is having a blistering senior season, scoring 15.7 ppg on .420 from 3 with 3.8 makes (tie for 5th in D1 and 2nd in the SoCon to Kaiden Rice). Freshman Sin’Cere McMahon is gaining playing time (16.0 min) with strong shooting from 3 (1.0 makes - .500). Former all-freshman Kameron Gibson has not played. Is he injured?
6-9 235 Xavier Cork has made an enormous step forward offensively, averaging 15.4 ppg (it was 4.1 last year in less than half the minutes). He’s second in the SoCon with 2.4 blocks (to 7-1 Hayden Koval’s 2.8), and averages 6.6 rebounds.
The newest addition is a big one: the NCAA blanket waiver has allowed 6-7 222 Cory Hightower, a Flint, Michigan, native and Junior transfer from Presbyterian, to become eligible. He is a former Big South All Freshman, and honorable mention all-conference as a Sophomore. He took the floor for the first time in their last game against College of Charleston and got 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists (but also 4 t.o.’s) in 34 minutes. They are a much more dangerous team with him.
This will be tough. The Bucs MUST show more consistent effort than they did the last two games against Lee and Alabama, especially on the boards. Kenpom has it for the Bucs 72-69. The Cats will get their points, so the Bucs must take advantage of their defensive lapses to score themselves.
The real season starts now. Go Bucs!
Guards:
#11 6-1 190 Sr-Tr Mason Faulkner; 36.9 min., 16.4 ppg on .407 from 3 (1.6 makes); 6.3 rebs, 4.6 ast, 1.4 stl, 3.7 t.o.’s
#2 6-1 183 Sr Matt Halvorsen; 38.4 min., 15.7 ppg on .420 from 3 (3.8 makes – 5 in D1, 2 in SoCon); 2.7 reb, 1.4 ast, 0.8 stl, 0.9 t.o.
#1 6-1 187 So Travion McCray; 32.3 min., 12.1 ppg on .260 from 3 (1.4 makes), 3.8 reb, 3.0 ast, 1.3 stl, 2.3 t.o.
#0 6-1 167 Fr Sin’Cere McMahon; 16.0 min., 5.9 ppg on .500 from 3 (1.0 makes), 1.1 reb, 1.4 ast, 1.1 t.o.
#14 6-3 192 Jr Kameron Gibson; former all Frosh has not played???
#21 6-3 185 Sr Marcus Thomas; 6 games, 9.2 min., 3.7 ppg on .143 from 3 (0.2 makes), 2.2 reb
Front Court:
#12 6-7 222 Jr-Tr (Presby) Cory Hightower; 1 game, 34.0 min., 17.0 ppg, 7.0 reb, 3.0 ast, 4.0 t.o.
#13 6-9 235 So Xavier Cork; 28.2 min., 15.4 ppg, 0 3’s, 6.6 reb, 2.0 asst, 2.4 blk, 2.7 t.o.
#4 6-7 195 So Tyler Harris; 29.9 min., 9.4 ppg on .458 from 3 (1.2 makes), 5.4 reb, 1.4 ast, 2.6 t.o.
#25 6-8 218 Rs-Fr Ahmir Langlais; 12.8 min., 4.3 ppg, 0 3’s, 3.7 reb, 0.9 t.o.
#5 6-6 195 Fr Josh Massey; 9.5 min., 2.0 ppg on 0 3’s, 2.1 reb
(This post was last modified: 12-29-2020 11:07 AM by swvabucsfan.)
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Official Game Thread: Western Carolina
