Resurgence of a rivalry: Three things to know when Coastal Carolina visits Winthrop
Josh Ferguson wasn’t there.
Ferguson, one of two seniors on the Winthrop men’s basketball team, has experienced a lot in his four years: He’s conquered the Big South. He’s been to the NCAA Tournament. He’s played in some of the most formidable venues in the country, like Cameron Indoor Stadium.
And yet, he has no more institutional knowledge than his team’s underclassmen in regards to the rivalry between Coastal Carolina and Winthrop — a matchup that was highly anticipated during the 33 years the Chanticleers were in the Big South.
The last time the two schools met was in the 2015-16 season. The next season, Ferguson’s freshman year, Coastal Carolina moved to the Sun Belt Conference — and the schools haven’t played since.
“I just know what they told me when I got here,” Ferguson told The Herald before a practice on Thursday afternoon. “They were always talking about the small gym … and (how) it’s always packed, players playing like it’s a championship game.”
Ferguson continued: “It should be a lot of fun. It’s another game, but it’ll be more fun trying to bring that back and get the community into it. I know a lot of them remember it.”
Here are three things to know ahead of the game on Saturday night.
Remembering the rivalry: ‘It was serious’
The last time the two schools played was Feb. 18, 2016, in Rock Hill. Winthrop was led by Xavier Cooks, who notched 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Keon Johnson, who scored 16 points and added six assists.
Johnson, who soon became the program’s all-time Division I leading scorer, was a junior. Winthrop won, 79-67.
By that point, Winthrop and Coastal had been rivals for a while. It made sense: Coastal Carolina’s compact stadium, seating 3,600, made for a rocking atmosphere — and both schools were so good, they often had to go through each other to win a conference title.
By the end of the 2016 season, the two schools had earned 14 of the league’s 31 NCAA Tournament bids, and they’d met in the conference tournament several times, including in the two seasons prior to the final game, in 2014 and 2015.
“It became a major rivalry between the student bodies, between the Conway, Myrtle Beach community and Rock Hill,” Winthrop head coach Pat Kelsey said. “It was serious, and that was made very apparent to me. And then when we would play down there, it would be a big deal for their students.
“When we played them here … I mean, all the stuff I do on campus to try to win the minds and hearts as I say, and try to put butts in the seats at games? You didn’t have to do much with Coastal.”
When the schedule was announced, Winthrop athletic director Ken Halpin said in a statement that the program was thrilled to “re-establish a longtime rivalry” against Coastal Carolina.
“To have the first game in Rock Hill, hopefully in front of a packed Winthrop Coliseum, should be an incredible environment for both our student-athletes and fans,” Halpin said.
The two schools are scheduled to meet the next four years — beginning in Rock Hill on Saturday at 7 p.m., continuing in Conway in 2020 and so on.
“Part of this is us, me, the athletic department, the school educating the students on what this rivalry means,” Kelsey said. “We’re playing a series over several years. It’s not just a two-year deal ...
“We’re trying to sort of bring that rivalry back a little bit.”
Scouting report: Winthrop Eagles
Coastal Carolina hasn’t played Winthrop in four seasons — but even if the Chanticleers played the Eagles last year, they still might not recognize them.
As of recently, Winthrop has started two freshmen, forward Chase Claxton and point guard Russell Jones, and DJ Burns, another first year, has typically been the first player off the bench. The Eagles also start Chandler Vaudrin, a transfer who’s playing in his first season of eligibility this year, and the sharpshooting graduate transfer, Hunter Hale.
Jones, at 5-foot-8, and Vaudrin, at 6-foot-7, carry out most of the team’s ball-handling responsibilities. Their different sizes naturally give them different identities and strengths — but Vaudrin isn’t afraid to hit the floor and dive after loose balls, and Jones is expected to haul in defensive rebounds.
This Eagles team (4-4) has shown symptoms of its youth, like when it lost to Tennessee Tech at home in November. But, conversely, it’s achieved history: At No. 18 Saint Mary’s, the Eagles notched a win, 61-59, that will probably mean something to this program for years to come. It was the third win over a ranked team in program history — and the first since 2007.
Winthrop will look to push the game’s pace and shoot well from beyond the arc. The Eagles are shooting 32 percent from three this season.
Scouting report: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
The most striking statistic about Coastal Carolina (5-4) is this: In wins, the team averages 96 points per game; in losses, it averages just over 65.
The Chanticleers are riding a two-game win streak heading into Saturday, notching wins against Delaware State on Nov. 30 and Greensboro on Wednesday.
They’ve dropped two games decided by one possession — one less than their counterparts on Saturday, who’ve recorded three losses of the kind. The first was the team’s season opener against Big South powerhouse Campbell, 75-74, and the other was against Northern Kentucky, 69-68.
They’re led by guard Tyrell Gumbs-Frater, who averages 15.8 points per game. The team, like Winthrop, will also look to play fast and will rely on its guard play. The Chanticleers are shooting over 40 percent from three on the season.
Game details
When? Saturday at 7 p.m.
Where? Winthrop Coliseum, Rock Hill, S.C.
Tickets? Use promo code BEATCC while ordering online, and the tickets are $5. Visit this Winthrop website for more details.
This story was originally published December 6, 2019 at 4:10 PM.
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