Thursday, October 31, 2019

WCU Basketball: Game #1 at Georgia Bulldogs









When: Tuesday, November 5 - Time: 7:00 pm
Where: Stegeman Coliseum, Athens, Ga.
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-Radio Announcers: Gary Ayers (PBP), Daniel Hooker (color)
TV/video: SECN+
Live Stats: Georgia Live Stats

The Series: Western Carolina has played at Georgia 6 times since 1993, with the last game played in 2013.  The Cats are 06 against the Bulldogs.

"Despite finishing last season with an 11-21 overall record and losing their best player (Nicolas Claxton) from that team, Anthony Edwards’ presence has many thinking the Bulldogs can return to the NCAA Tournament this March. Anthony Edwards. A native of Atlanta and the nation’s No. 2 overall recruit according to the 247sports Composite Rankings, Edwards brings legitimate star power to Athens along with the kind of skill set that could make him the top pick in the 2020 NBA Draft."

When the Cats travel to Athens, they will be facing a team with two games under their belt, which should be a major advantage for the dogs, as the Cats have not played an exhibition game this season. 

Georgia's two exhibition games were against Valdosta State and the second against the Charlotte 49ers.  The dogs opened the season with a 93-81 win over Valdosta State in an exhibition at Stegeman Coliseum. Georgia's starting lineup featured three newcomers including freshmen Anthony Edwards and Toumani Camara, as well as graduate transfer Donnell Gresham Jr. In his freshman debut, Edwards led Georgia in scoring, posting 18 points and finishing 7-of-11 from the field. Three other Bulldogs contributed double-digit points including senior Tyree Crump (15), junior Rayshaun Hammonds (16) and freshman Sahvir Wheeler (10).

In Charlotte, NC  the Bulldog's Tyree Crump scored 19 points – including a pair of key second-half 3-pointers – to lead Georgia to a 77-69 victory over the 49ers in a second exhibition at Halton Arena. Anthony Edwards added 15 points, Christian Brown chipped in 14 and Rayshaun Hammonds notched 11. Crump and Hammonds grabbed a team-high seven rebounds apiece.












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Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations


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Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Game #9 - VMI Keydets



For the ninth game of the season, the Cats travel to Lexington, VA to play the VMI Keydets.

The Cats have won all five games against the Keydets since their return to the Southern Conference in 2014, can we make it six in a row on the road?


Game #9 - VMI Keydets

When: Saturday, November 2 - Time: 1:30 pm  EST
Where: Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium (10,000), Lexington, VA
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-Radio Announcers: Gary Ayers (PBP), Daniel Hooker (color), Greg McLamb (sideline)
TV/video:  ESPN+
-TV/Video Announcers: Wade Branner (PBP), Chip Tarkenton (Analysis)
Live StatsVMI Live Stats
Game Notes:    WCU         -          VMI
VMI Message Board:   Keydet SportsTalk

The Series: Western currently leads the series with VMI, by a 21-3 margin. The Cats and Keydets first played on the gridiron in 1978, and the Cats currently own a fifteen game winning streak, having swept the Keydets since their return to the Southern Conference.

The last game played vs. VMISeptember 23, 2018 - WCU wins Wild SoCon Opener, 52-50 over VMI Cullowhee, N.C. – Tyrie Adams rushed for a season-high 117 yards and scored his fourth touchdown on the ground this season, adding three TD passes to help lead Western Carolina to a wild 52-50 victory over VMI in the squad’s Southern Conference season opener Saturday afternoon in front of 12,759 fans at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.

Head Coach: Scott Wachenheim - Scott Wachenheim enters his fifth season as VMI’s head football coach, and he continues to guide the program with a steady hand in one of the toughest conferences in FCS. The program continues to build a solid foundation with young personnel, and since his debut season in 2015, Wachenheim has transformed expectations and attitudes within the VMI football program and has shown that sustainable success can be attained with enthusiasm, hard work, resilience, and dedication.

Last Season's Record (VMI): 2018 - 1-10 overall, 1-5 home, 0-5 away,  0-8 SoCon

This Season's Record (VMI):  2019 -  4-4 overall, 2-2 home, 2-2 away, 3-2     -The Keydets kicked off the season with a loss at Marshall but rebounded with a win versus Mars Hill. In the third game of the season, the Keydets picked up an overtime win over ETSU on the road. VMI then had back to back losses to Robert Morris and Wofford, then beat the Citadel in Charleston, and won in OT over Samford in Lexington, before falling to Mercer by 7 points in Macon. The Keydets had a bye week just prior to playing WCU.

Offensive Formation: Air Raid
-2018 Offensive: 23.4 ppg. (93rd in FCS)
Defensive Formation: 3-4
-2018 Defensive: 48.2 ppg. (124st in FCS)
Starters returning/lost:    19   /   8
Offensive starters - Returning/Lost:  8   /  3
Defensive starters - Returning/Lost:   8   /   3
Specialist - Returning/Lost:    3    /    0
Letterwinners Returning: 56

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Four VMI football players were named to the Preseason All-Southern Conference teams announced by the league at the 2019 SoCon Football Media Day. Senior wide receiver Javeon Lara was named first-team offense, while junior quarterback Reece Udinski was named to the second-team offense. On the defensive side, junior AJ Smith was named to the first-team defense and on special teams, senior Rohan Martin was named a second-team return specialist. The Kevdets were picked to finish 9th by both the coaches and Media in the SoCon polls.

Despite the rainy conditions in Macon on Oct 19, VMI junior quarterback Reece Udinski broke the FCS record of consecutive passes without an interception held by Jimmy Blanchard of Portland State in 1999 with 344 consecutive passes without a pick. Udinski finished his record-setting day with a 26-of-46 passing effort for 263 yards and one touchdown. In the same game redshirt junior running back Alex Ramsey gained 125 yards on the ground against the Bears and now has four 100-yard rushing games this season. Ramsey scored his 17th rushing touchdown for the season, tying the school mark set by Thomas Haskins in 1995.

Currently, VMI ranks 3d in scoring in the SoCon, averaging 34.6 points per game, while the Cats are last with an average of 16.9 points per game.  The Keydets rank last in rushing yardage, just behind the Cats, but are 6th in rushing defense, giving up 206.9 yards per game, while the Cats rank last in that category. In the passing game, the Keydets lead the conference in pass offense, putting up an average of 305 yards per game, while the Cats come in at 6th place, with 167.5 yards. 

2019 VMI Statistics  (8 games)
Rushing Offense: 1082 yards
Yards per game: 135.2
Yards per rush: 3.9 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 63
TDs rushing: 20
Passing Offense: 2440 yards or 305 yards per game
Avg. per pass: 6.7 yards
Passing 1st downs: 115
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 228-365-1
TDs Passing:15
Total Offense: 3522 yards or 440 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost: 8-5
3d Down Conversions: 54 of 134 (40%)
4th Down Conversions: 12 of 19 (63%)
Field goal - attempts: 11-17
PAT-Attempts: 30 of 31
On-side kicks: 0-2
Red Zone Scores: 33 of 36 (92%)
Red Zone Touchdowns: 25 of 36 (69%)
Punts - Yards: 44- 1819 - Avg per punt: 41.3


Game predictions:  Per the Massey Ratings, the Cats have only a 19% probability of winning (30-42) over the Keydets. I'm going to differ with Massey on this one, as the Cats pick up their first DI win, as well as their first conference win of the season, with at 38-35 victory over the Keydets in Lexington, VA/


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Monday, October 28, 2019

2019 SoCon Football Power Rankings - Week #9




Welcome to Purple & Gold's 2019 SoCon Football Power Rankings.  This week's rankings are after nine (9) weeks of play.

Each Monday throughout the season, we'll release that week's Power Rankings.





1. (1)  Wofford (5-2, 4-1 SoCon)

Next:  at Clemson

2. (2) The Citadel (5-4, 3-2 SoCon)
Next:  at ETSU

3. (3)  Furman (5-3,  4-1 SoCon)
Next:  at Chattanooga

4(4)  Chattanooga (4-4, 3-1 SoCon)
Next:  Furman

5. (6) Samford (4-4, 3-2 SoCon)
Next:  at Mercer

6. (5)  VMI (4-4, 3-2 SoCon)
Next:  Western Carolina

7. (7)  Mercer (3-5, 2-3 SoCon)
Next:  Samford

8(8) ETSU (2-6, 0-5 SoCon)
Next:  The Citadel

9. (9)  Western Carolina (1-7, 0-5 SoCon)
Next: at VMI

Watch for Friday's SoCon picks.......


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8 Days Until WCU Basketball Tip-off (Ahmir Langlais)




Welcome to the 2019 WCU basketball tip-off countdown. We will count down the remaining days until WCU basketball tips off at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA on November 5th.

In this season's countdown, we will meet the coaches and team members as we countdown. We will highlight the Seniors first, then Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen in that order.

9 Days until Tip-off - now we highlight the freshman.......


#25 Ahmir Langlais




Position:  Forward
Height/Weight: 6'7"  210 lbs
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga
High School: Holy Spirit Prep


 


Prior to Western Carolina: “We are so excited to add Ahmir Langlais to our 2019 recruiting class,” Prosser stated. “Ahmir is a fantastic young man and we are so pleased to welcome him and his wonderful family into ours. Ahmir is already a very good player, but there is no limit to the player that he could be over the course of his college career.” Langlais played at Holy Spirit Prep as a senior for head coach Ty Anderson and was named to the GISA Class AAA All-State team after he averaged 10 points, 8.5 rebounds and two blocks per game in 2018-19. Langlais transferred to Holy Spirit Prep from Parkview High School prior to his senior year. At Parkview, Langlais averaged 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game as a junior to claim a spot on the Region 7-7A All-Region first team. Langlais earned a spot on the honorable mention All-Region team as a sophomore. He played AAU Basketball for Atlanta Xpress and head coach Sam Norwood.



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Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations


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Sunday, October 27, 2019

9 Days Until WCU Basketball Tip-off (Xavier Cork)




Welcome to the 2019 WCU basketball tip-off countdown. We will count down the remaining days until WCU basketball tips off at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA on November 5th.

In this season's countdown, we will meet the coaches and team members as we countdown. We will highlight the Seniors first, then Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen in that order.

9 Days until Tip-off - now we highlight the freshman.......


#13 Xavier Cork




Position:  Forward
Height/Weight: 6'9"  225 lbs
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Sulphur Springs, Texas
High School: Sulphur Springs HS





Prior to Western Carolina:  Xavier Cork is a 6-9 forward from Sulphur Springs, Texas and attended Sulphur Springs High School playing for head coach Clark Cipoletta. During his senior season, Cork was named the District 15-5A Co-Most Valuable Player and a TABC All-Region 2 player as he helped lead the Wildcats to their first UIL State Tournament Final Four appearance since 1925. Cork played AAU Basketball for Dallas Showtyme and head coach Erwin Clark. “Xavier Cork is the type of student-athlete that we will always recruit. He is a great kid and a very good student,” Prosser stated. “On the court, Xavier will add a dynamic to our team that we absolutely need. He possesses the size and athleticism to impact the game at both ends of the floor, whether it be finishing at and around the rim on offense or defending and influencing shots for our opponents on defense. Xavier’s progress in the last year has been remarkable, and the sky is the limit for him as a player. We are very fortunate to add Xavier to our team.”.



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Saturday, October 26, 2019

10 Days Until WCU Basketball Tip-off (Tyler Harris)




Welcome to the 2019 WCU basketball tip-off countdown. We will count down the remaining days until WCU basketball tips off at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA on November 5th.

In this season's countdown, we will meet the coaches and team members as we countdown. We will highlight the Seniors first, then Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen in that order.

10 Days until Tip-off - now we highlight the freshman.......


#4 Tyler Harris




Position:  Guard/Forward
Height/Weight: 6'7"  186 lbs
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
High School: Independence HS





Prior to Western Carolina:  Harris attended Independence High School in Charlotte and signed with the Catamounts during the early signing period.

“We could not be more excited to officially welcome Tyler and his family into our Western Carolina Basketball family,” Prosser stated. “Tyler is a wonderful young man and a very good student. On the court, his upside is limitless. Tyler is just scratching the surface of the player that he will be over his career in Cullowhee, and we feel very fortunate that he will pursue that potential in a WCU uniform.” Harris, a 6-7 forward, will complete his prep career this season at Independence after transferring to the school from Northside Christian. During his junior year, Harris helped to lead NCA to the NCISAA 2A playoffs. Harris played AAU Basketball for Upward Stars Charlotte for head coach Derix Bell.



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Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations


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Friday, October 25, 2019

11 Days Until WCU Basketball Tip-off (Travion McCray)




Welcome to the 2019 WCU basketball tip-off countdown. We will count down the remaining days until WCU basketball tips off at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA on November 5th.

In this season's countdown, we will meet the coaches and team members as we countdown. We will highlight the Seniors first, then Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen in that order.

11 Days until Tip-off - now we highlight the freshman.......


#1 Travion McCray




Position:  Guard
Height/Weight: 6'1"  176 lbs
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Timmonsville, S.C.
High School: Village Christian HS





Prior to Western Carolina: As one of the top unsigned seniors in North Carolina, Travion McCray of Village Christian in Fayetteville found a home for the next four years. McCray chose Western Carolina University and Head Coach Mark Prosser over Charleston Southern, USC-Upstate, and Radford. McCray helped lead Village Christian to a runner-up finish in the NCISAA 3-A state championships and a 22-13 overall record in one of the toughest divisions in the state. McCray can play both on the ball or off the ball, he is really skilled in coming off screens and hitting the open shot, he is strong ball-handler, he can get to the paint off the dribble and is a sturdy defender. McCray on his commitment, “I felt like they had enough pieces to put around me that could make us a great team. The coaching staff made me feel great and stayed attached from the time they started showing interest in me until the time I made my decision. Coach Prosser told me what he expected from his players and his coaches and I knew that was the program I wanted to be a part of.



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Thursday, October 24, 2019

12 Days Until WCU Basketball Tip-off (Kameron Gibson)




Welcome to the 2019 WCU basketball tip-off countdown. We will count down the remaining days until WCU basketball tips off at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA on November 5th.

In this season's countdown, we will meet the coaches and team members as we countdown. We will highlight the Seniors first, then Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen in that order.

12 Days until Tip-off - now we highlight the sophomores.......


#14 Kameron Gibson


Position:  Forward
Height/Weight: 6'3"  186 lbs
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
High School: Walnut Hills HS

2018-19 (Freshman): Named to Southern Conference All-Freshman Team after he averaged 13.6 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game...Made a team-leading 78 3-pointers as he shot 40.4 percent behind the arc...Led the Catamounts with 435 points scored...Scored a career-high 34 points at SMU (11/14) in his third collegiate game...Surpassed the 20-point mark on six occasions...Finished in double figures in 21 of 32 games played while leading the Catamounts in scoring in nine games.

Prior to Western Carolina: Earned both Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) Athlete of the Year as well as second-team all-district plaudits as a senior ... A four-year varsity player, he led the ECC in scoring with an 18.1 point per game average on 54.4-percent shooting from the floor that included 46.6-percent shooting from beyond the arc ... Added 4.2 rebounds and two assists per game ... As a junior, averaged just under 10 points per game at 9.5 points per game to rank third on his high school team ... Shot 50.8-percent from the floor while averaging 2.2 rebounds per game as a junior ... Listed as the fifth-rated shooting guard in the state of Ohio in 2018.




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Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Game #8 - (#14) Furman Paladins






For the Catamount's eighth game of the season, the #14 ranked Furman Paladins travel up the mountain to the Cullowhee valley for the 2019 football edition of The Football Battle for Purple Supremacy.   The Cats have dropped three straight to the Paladins and are looking for a Homecoming victory.

Game #8 -  #14 Furman Paladin
When: Saturday, October 26 at 3:30 pm
Where: E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-Radio announcers: Gary Ayers (PBP), Greg McLamb (color)
TV/video: ESPN3 or ESPN+
-TV Announcers: Daniel Hooker (PBP), Color: Rik Richards; Sideline: Summer McMahan
Live Stats:   WCU Live Stats
Game Notes:  WCU   -    Furman 

The Series:  The Cats are 12-31-2 overall against the Paladins in the series in a series that started back in 1972. The Cats have lost 3 in a row to Furman, with the last win coming in 2015 in Cullowhee, by a final score of  48-10. Coach Speir is 2-5 vs. the Paladins.

Head CoachClay Hendrix - Introduced as Furman’s new head football coach on December 19, 2016, Clay Hendrix in two seasons has already reinvigorated a Paladin football program long accustomed to success. Hendrix, a former standout Paladin offensive guard and assistant coach who returned to his alma mater following a decade as an assistant coach at the United States Air Force Academy, directed Furman to an 8-5 campaign and Football Championship (FCS) playoff appearance in 2017, improving on a three-win 2016 season and defying a preseason No. 7 Southern Conference tab by playing for a share of league title in the regular-season finale en route to finishing a consensus No. 20 in two major FCS polls.

The last game played vs. Furman:  September 29, 2018 - Second Half Comeback Falls Short at Furman, 44-38 - Greenville, S.C. – Tyrie Adams tossed a career-high-tying five touchdown passes including two apiece to Daquan Patten and Owen Cosenke while accounting for 472 yards of total offense on Saturday afternoon, but Western Carolina was unable to overcome a 21-point halftime deficit, falling to the Furman Paladins, 44-38, in Southern Conference action at Paladin Stadium.

Games that the Paladins played before the WCU contest:  (7 games) The Paladins opened the season at home against Big South foe Charleston Southern with a 46-13 win. The Paladins then played back-to-back FBS opponents, a loss to Georgia State 42-48), then traveled to Virginia Tech for the second loss of the season. Furman opened its conference season at home against Mercer with a 45-10 victory, then remain at home to play ETSU, picking up a 17-19 win. The Paladins then hit the road to Birmingham to play Samford, and a 58-14 win over the Bulldogs, then returned home to play the Citadel, who pulled off the upset with a 10-27 win over the Paladins.

Last Season's Record (Furman): 6-4 overall, 3-1 home, 3-3 away, 6-2 in the SoCon

This Season's Record (Furman): 4-3 overall, 3-1 home, 1-2 away, 3-1 in the SoCon

Offensive Formation:  Multiple (option - flexbone look)
-2018 Offensive: 27.2 ppg. (64th in FCS)
Defensive Formation:   3-4
-2018 Defensive: 28.2 ppg. (61st in FCS)
Starters returning/lost:    17  /  7
Offensive starters - Returning/Lost:  8  /  3
Defensive starters - Returning/Lost:  7  /  4
Specialist - Returning/Lost:  2  /  0
Lettermen - Returning/Lost:  41 / 18

The defending co-champion and nationally ranked #14 Furman Paladins were ranked to finish second-place in a both preseason polls by the SoCon coaches and media. In other honors, first-team all-conference tabs were junior offensive tackle Bo Layton, redshirt sophomore bandit Adrian Hope, and junior placekicker Grayson Atkins. Named to the second team were junior tailback Devin Wynn, redshirt senior offensive tackle Andy Godwin, senior wide receiver Thomas Gordon, and junior linebacker Elijah McKoy.

Furman's defense is led by a pair of inside linebackers, senior Donavan Perryman (75 tackles, 3 TFL in '18) and junior Elijah McKoy (91 tackles, 2 sacks in '18), redshirt sophomore All-American bandit Adrian Hope (FCS leading 15.0 sacks in '18), and senior safety Bryan Okeh, whose 24 career starts top all defenders.

On special teams, the Paladins junior All-American placekicker Grayson Atkins does it all (11x13 FGs, including four from 50+yards in '18), he also handles the punting (42.8 avg. in '18) and kickoff duties that saw him register a league-best 25 touchbacks in 2018.

The Paladins were upset and embarrassed last week on their Homecoming, by arch-rival The Citadel in Traveler's Rest, so we can expect the Paladin's best effort against the Catamounts. Of most concern to the Catamounts is their running game, averaging 6.2 years per carrying this season. Given that the Cats defense has had little to no success in the rush defense, this week's opponent my surpass last week's rushing total by the Wofford Terriers of 428 yards, averaging 8.7 years per carry.  Folks, this could get real ugly.

2019 Furman Statistics (7 games)
Rushing Offense: 2132 yards
Yards per game: 280
Yards per rush: 6.2 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 93
TDs rushing: 20
Passing Offense: 1037 yards or 148 yards per game
Avg. per pass: 15.3 yards
Passing 1st downs: 40
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 133-69-4
TDs Passing: 11
Total Offense: 2997 yards or 428.1 ypg
3d Down Conversions: 39/86 - 45.35 %
4th Down Conversions: 4/9 - 44.44 %
Field Goal: 6 of 6
On-side kicks: 1 of 3
Red Zone Scores: 23 of 24
Red Zone Touchdowns: 21 of 24
Avg per punt:  43 yards
Fumbles-Lost: 9 - 5
Sacks: 12

Game prediction: Per the Massey Ratings, the Cats have only a 3% probability of winning (14-42) over the Paladins. According to Massey, Western Carolina should be 1-7 after this game. I've got to agree on the loss for the Cat's Homecoming game in Cullowhee.


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13 Days Until WCU Basketball Tip-off (D.J. Myers)




Welcome to the 2019 WCU basketball tip-off countdown. We will count down the remaining days until WCU basketball tips off at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA on November 5th.

In this season's countdown, we will meet the coaches and team members as we countdown. We will highlight the Seniors first, then Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen in that order.

13 Days until Tip-off - now we highlight the sophomores.......


#5 D.J. Myers
                                         




Position:  Forward
Height/Weight: 6'6"  200 lbs
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
High School: Hargrave Military Academy





2018-19 (Freshman): Saw action in 30 games with 11 starts...Averaged 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game...Finished with 11 points against Wright State (11/7) in his first collegiate game...Grabbed a career-high seven rebounds against Jacksonville State and Southern Miss, both occurring at the Cancun Challenge.

Prior to Western Carolina: Began his prep career at Neuse Christian before transferring to Hargrave Military Academy for his junior and senior seasons ... Originally committed to Longwood out of high school ... a versatile wing that averaged double-figure scoring over his prep career, improving his average from 14.5 points as a freshman to 16.5 as a sophomore ... He also averaged over 4.0 rebounds per game including six as a freshman ... Named the Virginia Independent Conference (VIC) Player of the Year as a junior, averaging 19.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game ... Earned first-team all-state on a Hargrave team that set a school-record with 26 wins and earned a spot on the prestigious postgraduate team for his senior year.



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Tuesday, October 22, 2019

WCU 2-Deep Roster vs. Furman


14 Days Until WCU Basketball Tip-off (Douglas Elks)




Welcome to the 2019 WCU basketball tip-off countdown. We will count down the remaining days until WCU basketball tips off at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA on November 5th.

In this season's countdown, we will meet the coaches and team members as we countdown. We will highlight the Seniors first, then Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen in that order.

14 Days until Tip-off - now we highlight the sophomores.......


#10 Douglas Elks

Position: Guard/Forward
Height/Weight: 6'4"  189 lbs
Class: Redshirt Sophomore
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
High School: Ravenscroft School
Other College: Roanoke College


2018-19: Did Not Play due to NCAA transfer rules.

Prior to Western Carolina: Attended Roanoke College during the 2017-18 school year where he averaged 2.2 points per game and 1.9 rebounds per game in 28 games played.

https://www.roanokemaroons.com/sports/mbkb/2017-18/bios/elks_douglas_scp0


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Monday, October 21, 2019

2019 SoCon Football Power Rankings - Week #8




Welcome to Purple & Gold's 2019 SoCon Football Power Rankings.  This week's rankings are after eight (8) weeks of play.

Each Monday throughout the season, we'll release that week's Power Rankings.





1. (2)  Wofford (4-2, 3-1 SoCon)

Next:  Chattanooga

2. (6) The Citadel (4-4, 2-2 SoCon)
Next:  Mercer

3. (1)  Furman (4-3,  3-1 SoCon)
Next:  Western Carolina

4(3)  Chattanooga (4-3, 3-0 SoCon)
Next:  at Wofford

5. (4)  VMI (4-4, 3-2 SoCon)
Next:  bye

6. (5) Samford (3-4, 2-2 SoCon)
Next:  ETSU

7. (8)  Mercer (3-4, 2-2 SoCon)
Next:  The Citadel

8(7) ETSU (2-5, 0-4 SoCon)
Next:  at Samford

9. (9)  Western Carolina (1-6, 0-4 SoCon)
Next: Furman


Watch for Friday's SoCon picks.......


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15 Days Until WCU Basketball Tip-off (Malik McCrimmon)




Welcome to the 2019 WCU basketball tip-off countdown. We will count down the remaining days until WCU basketball tips off at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA on November 5th.

In this season's countdown, we will meet the coaches and team members as we countdown. We will highlight the Seniors first, then Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen in that order.

15 Days until Tip-off - now we highlight the juniors


#23 Malik McCrimmon

Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 5'10"  176 lbs
Class: Junior
Hometown: Robbins, N.C.
High School: North Moore HS


Prior to Western Carolina:  Transfer from  Sandhills Community College




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Sunday, October 20, 2019

16 Days Until WCU Basketball Tip-off (Marcus Thomas)




Welcome to the 2019 WCU basketball tip-off countdown. We will count down the remaining days until WCU basketball tips off at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA on November 5th.

In this season's countdown, we will meet the coaches and team members as we countdown. We will highlight the Seniors first, then Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen in that order.

15 Days until Tip-off - now we highlight the juniors

#21 Marcus Thomas



Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 6-3" 180 lbs
Class: Junior
Hometown: Mint Hill, N.C.
High School: Moravian Prep






2018-19 (Sophomore): Saw action in all 31 games with three starts... Scored a career-high 32 points at Chattanooga (1/31)...Finished in double figures in 13 games including a stretch of five straight games...Pulled down a career-high eight rebounds against Hiwassee (11/17)... Tied a career-high with three steals at UNC Asheville (12/8)... Went a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line against The Citadel (2/16)...Ranked second on the team with 10 blocked shots including a career-high two blocks against Furman (2/7)... Logged a season-high 35 minutes at UNCG (2/21).

2017-18 (Freshman): Played in 24 games...Made his first career start at ETSU (2/17)...Averaged 5.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game...Finished in double figures in six games including a season-high 21 points against UNC Asheville (12/17)...Grabbed three steals against UNC Asheville...Pulled down a season-best six rebounds against Furman in the SoCon Tournament quarterfinals.

Prior to Western Carolina: Finished his prep career at Moravian Prep in Hudson, N.C., after being a 1,000 point scorer at Independence High in Charlotte, N.C. ... Was selected to the all-conference team twice as a prep player while being named Player of the Year in the conference as a senior ... Was also named to the All-District 9 team and was an East-West All-Star selection ... As a senior in high school, averaged over 19 points per game after a junior campaign which saw him score at a 15 points per game clip.



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Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations


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Saturday, October 19, 2019

17 Days Until WCU Basketball Tip-off (Matt Halvorsen)



Welcome to the 2019 WCU basketball tip-off countdown. We will count down the remaining days until WCU basketball tips off at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA on November 5th.

In this season's countdown, we will meet the coaches and team members as we countdown. We will highlight the Seniors first, then Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen in that order.

17 Days until Tip-off - now we highlight the juniors 


#2 Matt Halvorsen


Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 6-1" 174 lbs
Class: Junior
Hometown: Kingsport, Tenn
High School: Christ School (N.C.)

2018-19 (Sophomore): Started 30 of 31 games...Averaged 11.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game...Led the Catamounts with an 86.4 free throw shooting percentage...Also led the Catamounts in assists (88), assists per game (2.8), 3-point field goal attempts (218) and minutes (1,087)...Scored a career-high 26 points against Hiwassee (11/17)...Posted three games with 20-plus points...Led WCU in scoring in five games...Pulled down a career-high six rebounds in three games, including both games of the Cancun Challenge...Played a career-high 43 minutes at Furman (12/1)...Finished in double figures in scoring 18 games.

2017-18 (Freshman): Saw action in 32 games with 16 starts...Averaged 8.5 points and 1.1 rebounds per game...Scored a season-high 21 points at Samford...Grabbed a season-best three rebounds on four occasions...Led the Catamounts in scoring in six games...Logged a season-best 33 minutes against Appalachian State...Finished in double figures in scoring in 14 games...Appeared on the 2017-18 Southern Conference Honor Roll

Prior to Western Carolina: Played prep basketball at Christ School in Arden, N.C. ... As a senior, selected to the All-NCISAA 3A team ... Named Carolina Athletic Association Player of the Year ... Earned All-Carolina Athletic Association honors ... Connected on over 100 3-pointers for the second-straight year ... Set the career Christ School 3-point mark with 285 made triples ... Finished with 1,235 career points to rank fourth in the Christ School record books ... As a junior, averaged 16.1 points, three rebounds and three assists per game and was named All-Carolina Athletic Association, as well as earning an Ingles' Player of the Week honor ... His team finished with a 23-8 record and won both the regular season and tournament conference championships before advancing to the NCISAA 3A quarterfinals ... Made 111 3-pointers during the year to set a new Christ School single-season record ...As a sophomore, was named all-conference and helped lead the team to a regular and conference tournament championship while advancing to the semifinals of the NCISAA 3A championships ... Played his first season as a prep at Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, Tenn., where he earned first team all-conference underclassmen while helping the team win a conference and district championship.


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Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations


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Friday, October 18, 2019

This week's Purple & Gold football picks (10-19-19)




It's week #8 in the SoCon, and time to pick Saturday's games.


This week's fearless game predictions.....





-The Citadel (3-4, 1-2 SoCon) at Furman (4-2, 3-0 SoCon) 1:00 PM - watch on ESPN3
The Citadel travels to the upstate to visit the Paladins in Traveler's Rest in the 99th game between these two SoCon rivals. Furman rolls this year, picking up a 35-14 win over the Bulldogs.

-Western Carolina (1-5, 0-3 SoCon) at Wofford (3-2, 2-1 SoCon) 1:30 pm - watch on ESPN+
The Cats travel to Spartanburg, SC to play the preseason #1 Bulldogs. The Cats usually don't have much luck winning in Sparkle City, and this year is no different. The Bulldogs keep their hopes for another conference championship alive with at 37-21 win over the Cats.

-VMI (4-3, 3-1 SoCon) at Mercer (2-4, 1-2 SoCon) 3:00 pm - watch on ESPN+
The surprising Keydets travel to Macon, Ga to face the floundering Bears. VMI continues its winning ways as they put away the Bears by a 28-17 final score.


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18 Days Until WCU Basketball Tip-off (Mason Faulkner)



Welcome to the 2019 WCU basketball tip-off countdown. We will count down the remaining days until WCU basketball tips off at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA on November 5th.

In this season's countdown, we will meet the coaches and team members as we countdown. We will highlight the Seniors first, then Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen in that order.

18 Days until Tip-off - now we highlight the juniors 

#11 Mason Faulkner



Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 6-1" 181 lbs
Class: Redshirt Junior
Hometown: Glasgow, Ky.
High School: Caverna HS






2018-19: Did Not Play due to NCAA transfer rules.

Prior to Western Carolina: Transferring to WCU from Northern Kentucky where he has been the past two seasons ... Will have to sit out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules will have two years of eligibility remaining ... Played in 65 total games with one start for the NKU Norse, averaging 6.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game over the two years including a 7.4 point per game average as a freshman ... Earned Horizon League Freshman of the Week plaudits after scoring a then-career-high 24 points against Youngstown State followed by 16 points against Cleveland State ... Usurped his career benchmark as a freshman with a career-best 29 points including 23 in the second half alone against Detroit Mercy;

High School: A former Mr. Basketball finalist from Caverna High ... Led the Commonwealth of Kentucky in scoring as a senior in 2015-16, averaging 35.9 points per game while also averaging 10 rebounds, four assists, and 2.1 steals per game ... Was the co-Fifth Region Player of the Year from the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches (KABC) as a senior, adding to a litany of accomplishments that included first team all-state honors two seasons ... A prolific scorer, finished his prep career with a school-record 3,148 career points scored and over 600 career rebounds ... Was a three-star recruit by Scout.com and Rivals out of high school.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

19 Days Until WCU Basketball Tip-off (Adam Sledd)


Welcome to the 2019 WCU basketball tip-off countdown.

We will count down the remaining days until WCU basketball tips off at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA on November 5th. In this season's countdown, we will meet the coaches and team members as we countdown. We will highlight the Seniors first, then Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen in that order.

19 Days until Tip-off

#44 Adam Sledd






Position:  Forward
Height/Weight: 6-8"  220 lbs
Class: Senior
Hometown: Roanoke, VA
High School: Virginia Episcopal School





2018-19 (Junior): Saw action in 30 games with four starts...Averaged 1.9 points and 1.8 rebounds per game...Made his first start of the season against Southern Miss (11/21) and scored six points... Scored 11 points off the bench in a win at The Citadel (1/12)...Grabbed a season-best six rebounds against The Citadel (2/16)

2017-18 (Sophomore): Played in 31 of 32 games, all coming off the bench... Averaged 1.9 points and 1.2 rebounds per game... Scored a season-high eight points at ETSU while playing a season-best 15 minutes... Grabbed a career-high six offensive rebounds and eight total rebounds against Hiwassee ... Appeared on the 2017-18 Southern Conference Honor Roll

2016-17 (Freshman): Appeared in 30 of WCU's 32 contests ... Started in 23 contest ... Made collegiate debut in the season opener against Miami ... First appeared in the starting lineup against UNC Asheville (12/17) and started every game for the rest of the season ... Scored in double-figures eight times ... Ripped down double-figure rebounds twice ... Picked up a pair of double-doubles against VMI (01/12) and College of Charleston (12/22) ... Led or shared the team lead in scoring five times ... Led or shared the team lead in rebounding seven times ... Scored a career-high 16 points at VMI (01/12) and versus Mars Hill (12/28) ... Ripped down a career-best 12 rebounds versus College of Charleston (12/22) ... Knocked down a season-high five free throws at UNCG (01/07) as he went 5-of-7 from the charity stripe ... Connected on a season-high seven shots from the field against Mars Hill (12/28) ... Named the team's Most Improved Player at the end of the season ... Appeared on the 2016-17 Southern Conference Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Finished his prep career at Virginia Episcopal School ... Spent his freshman and sophomore campaigns at Cave Spring High School ... As a sophomore, averaged 14.9 points and eight rebounds per game ... Named a Timesland Sizzlin' Sophomore ... Had the highest field goal percentage for a season at Cave Spring as a freshman at 65 percent ... As a junior, averaged six points and nine rebounds per game ... The team advanced to the state championships where they eventually fell to Blue Ridge ... Played travel ball for Spectrum Sports Academy Age 17 Elite Black team ... Won the Big Shots Myrtle Beach 1 Tournament, an NCAA certified event ... The team was selected to play in the highest talent division and went 5-0, beating teams from South Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Louisiana and Iowa ... Also a standout on the soccer pitch where he was named First Team All-Conference and Goalie of the Year while playing for Cave Spring ... Also, set the record for most saves in a season while playing for CSHS.




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