Winthrop planning on another long night in Rock Hill for Charleston Southern

Has Charleston Southern men’s basketball been unable to adapt to the cavernous Winthrop Coliseum’s dimensions?

Is it the hotel the Bucs are staying in when they come to Rock Hill?

Is it just an anomaly?

Winthrop hosts Charleston Southern Wednesday night eager to stretch its home winning streak against the Bucs to 15 games. A victory would also give the Eagles (14-6, 6-3 Big South) their sixth straight win for the first time since the 2009-10 team won seven in a row.

One of the common struggles for Charleston Southern (8-12, 4-5) in its Rock Hill losses is poor shooting from distance.

Under coach Barclay Radebaugh, the Bucs’ offense has been predicated on the point guard - Saah Nimley the last four years, freshman Armel Potter now – driving the ball into the heart of the defense, before kicking a pass out to shooters spaced all over the 3-point line. Generally, every Charleston Southern player on the floor can knock in a 3, and even with Nimley graduated, the Bucs are still 12th in NCAA in 3-pointers made (over 10 per game).

“The past means absolutely nothing,” Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey said after Tuesday’s practice. “I see a very potent offensive team. Their KenPom numbers are really good. They have a system and they believe in their system. They’re gonna spread you, space you, shoot a bunch of 3’s. We’ve got to be on it to defend these guys tomorrow night at 7 o’clock.”

Charleston Southern’s troubles from beyond the arc in Rock Hill stem from its reliance on 3-point offense. The Bucs are 10th nationally in percentage of field goal attempts that are 3’s, at close to 47 percent.

Accordingly, defending the 3-point line was emphasized extensively during Winthrop’s practice Tuesday at the Coliseum. Charleston Southern guard Patrick Wallace’s name came up a time or two, after the N.C. State transfer banged in seven triples, part of his season-high 25 points during the Eagles’ one-point win in North Charleston back in December.

Like most teams, Charleston Southern’s 3-point shooting percentage plummets in losses. The Bucs hit 42 percent in victories, but only 33 in defeats. That stat bodes well for the Eagles Wednesday night, provided they can play the perimeter defense of which they’re capable. None of Winthrop’s last seven opponents have shot better than 35 percent from 3-point range.

“I just think our defense is better because there is want-to,” said Kelsey. “I think our guys were tired of hearing about how they didn’t defend like a typical Winthrop team. We stubbed our toes in a couple of games there at the beginning of the month and the answer was to be nastier, tougher and more conscientious on the defensive end.”

This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 7:28 PM with the headline "Winthrop planning on another long night in Rock Hill for Charleston Southern."