| 2020 Mako Medical Wolfpack Invitational - Charleston Southern (0-1) vs. Eastern Kentucky (1-0) |
RALEIGH, N.C. - Charleston Southern opens their 2020-21 season in Raleigh, N.C. at the 2020 Mako Medical Wolfpack Invitational taking on the host N.C. State and Eastern Kentucky.
Despite battling injuries down the stretch to end 2019-20, the Bucs return a deep squad and three potential day one-impact freshmen for a 2020-21 Big South title pursuit. Headlining the returners is the 2020 Big South Defensive POY and First Team member
Phlandrous Fleming Jr. who sat among the league's top-10 in nearly every statistical category a season ago.
The Bucs also have an experienced senior core of
Ty Jones,
Deontaye Buskey and
Sean Price alongside Fleming, playing countless minutes since stepping foot on campus.
That experienced core as well as three exciting freshmen led the Bucs to a No. 3 preseason rank in the Big South Poll, their highest since the 2013-14 season when they were South Division favorites.
A WIN ON FRIDAY WOULD...
- Give the Bucs their second-straight win in the series
- Bring CSU back even in series history (2-2)
- Make it back-to-back seasons the Bucs defeated Eastern Kentucky
- End the Mako Medical Wolfpack Invitational with a victory
- Be the fourth win versus a current Ohio Valley Conference member (Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State)
SCOUTING THE COLONELS
- Year two under head coach A.W. Hamilton had the Colonels rolling late in 2019-20 leading to a Preseason No. 4 prediction for this season. Eastern Kentucky went 12-6 in OVC play after a slow start in nonconference last season.
- The 2020-21 roster sees a mix of veterans and youth including 9 upperlcassmen and 5 true freshmen. Two f the top-three scorers from the 2019-20 season return in the form of Jomaru Brown (18.4 ppg) and Tre King (11.3 ppg) as well as three of their starting five from last season's meeting with the Bucs. Both Brown and King were named Preseason All-OVC athletes as they look to lead a Colonels' program on the rise in the Ohio Valley.
- In last season's matchup, CSU shot the lights out from deep connecting on seven of their first 12 attempts. EKU was led by Ty Taylor's 20 points, Michael Moreno's 14-point, 11-rebound double-double and Jomaru Brown's 15 points.
LAST TIME VS. EASTERN KENTUCKY
- Five players finished the night in double figures, but a near triple-double from All-Big South guard Phlandrous Fleming Jr. led the way as Charleston Southern downed Eastern Kentucky 76-69 Saturday night.
- Fleming sat at nine points, five rebounds and six assists at the break and took over early in the second half finishing the night with 20 points, 11 boards and seven assists to go along with two blocks to help seal a win.
- Charleston Southern (5-6) shot the lights out early knocking down 18 of their first 26 shots and seven of 12 from deep to create a 12-point margin over the home Colonels (3-9) at the break.
- Sitting at a 14-all tie after both teams traded early buckets, the Bucs went on an 18-4 run to break the game open and led by as much as 16 before fending-off an Eastern Kentucky run over the closing moments.
- CSU enters the Christmas holiday break at 3-1 in December and winners in four of their past five contests behind Fleming's third double-double of the season and a season-high five Bucs in double figures.
ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY
- Charleston Southern has played 15 contests on Nov. 27 in program history with a record of 8-7 thanks to five wins in their first six contests on this date.
- Of the 15 contests played on Nov. 27, two have been neutral site games with CSU splitting those versus The Citadel in 1997 and Southern in 2010. Only five of the 15 games on this date have come since the turn of the century.
- Friday's opponent, Eastern Kentucky, is the first pro- gram from the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) the Bucs have played on Nov. 27.
