Can College of Charleston pull another shocker?
I was a little concerned when I saw the comparative stats between Carolina and the College of Charleston, which the Tar Heels take on tonight at 8:30 in a true road game at the cozy TD Arena.
The Cougars are 3-0, they are averaging more than 90 points a game and giving up only 74. Their scoring margin is plus-16 compared to Carolina’s plus-11.5. Their rebounding margin is plus-16, while UNC’s is only plus-8 and they have 14 more offensive rebounds which is a concern Hubert Davis expressed after his team’s first two games.
So, naturally, I was worried this might be another 2010, when the Heels lost the only game they have ever played at Charleston’s home arena. That was when South Carolina and Georgia Tech legend Bobby Cremins coached the Cougars and Roy Williams was on his way to the only time his UNC team did not play in the NCAA tournament.
You remember the 2009-10 season, right? Defending national champs had lost four starters including Tyler Hansbrough, who still gets the loudest cheers when recognized at home games 12 years later.
On January 4, 2010, the Tar Heels were 11-3 and still ranked No. 9 in the country. But that didn’t last long, as they went 5-12 from there and were relegated to the NIT, losing to Dayton in the title game. Charleston was postseason-bound for the third straight year. Despite Ed Davis’ 19 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks, the Cougars took Carolina into overtime, where Andrew Goudelock’s 3-pointer won it with two seconds left.
I looked deeper into the comparative data, like shooting percentage from both the field and 3-point line and how well their opponents shoot, especially the long ball. The Heels are way ahead in all that, plus the analytics, like overall ranking, offensive and defensive efficiency and how often each team goes to the foul line.
And, of course, the coaching. The cagey Cremins is long retired and Charleston’s new coach is Pat Kelsey, who previously was the head man at tiny Winthrop College. So, I felt even better.
The students and fans stormed the court after the 2010 upset, and there remains a plaque hanging in the Cougars locker room commemorating that game. Let’s hope there’s not another hung.
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