Cougars look to live up to high expectations

Lofty expectations have been tempered by reality for the College of Charleston men's basketball team, which last year posted a 27-9 record and advanced to the second round of the College Basketball Invitational Tournament.

The Cougars are the preseason pick to win the Southern Conference South Division; guard Andrew Goudelock (16.7 ppg) is the preseason choice for player of the year; and fellow guard Tony White Jr. (12.0 ppg) joins Goudelock on the preseason all-conference team.

Living up to those expectations is what the team has set as its goal.

The reality, however, is that 6-7 junior forward Antwaine Wiggins (8.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg) is out for the season with a torn ACL, replaced by 6-2 junior Donavan Monroe (8.7 ppg), last year's sixth man and a spark plug for the team. The Cougars have been beset by a number of nagging

injuries in the preseason. And to reach the team's expectations, newcomers will have to step up quickly.

"I've said this all along. I think our starting five will be fine. I really do," said coach Bobby Cremins, who enters his fourth season at the College of Charleston. "Casaan Breeden (a 6-8 senior transfer from Florida State) has to get his feet a little more wet. After that, we've got to have the most inexperienced bench in the country. We will have sophomores and freshmen. Out of that group, we've got one player that has a little playing time, Matt Sundberg, who has not practiced since Day One (tendinitis)."

Cremins said last year he reveled in the team's depth, particularly with Monroe and 6-8 sophomore center Jeremy Simmons (6.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg).

"I think that's what made our team," Cremins said. "Now, these freshmen and sophomores have to step up. I'm depending on them."

The freshmen who must come through are 6-6 forward Willis Hall, 6-1 guard Andrew Lawrence and 6-9 Rashad Wright.

Hall is a physical player who averaged 15.6 points and 7.8 rebounds at Charlotte Christian and, oh by the way, broke the school scoring record previously held by NBA first-round pick Stephen Curry.

Lawrence played at Heat Academy in Martinsville, Va., and his father played for Cremins when he was coaching at Appalachian State.

Wright averaged 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds at South Kent in Agawam, Mass.

Monroe said stepping into the starting rotation will be a new experience but "basically it's just getting in and handling business. I'm playing hard from the start."

Goudelock said the preseason honors were nice, but don't mean anything unless they come at the end of the season. And he said in some respects the preseason injuries can be viewed as opportunity.

"We want the people to get (healthy), but at the same time we can work on different things with different lineups," Goudelock said. "You get to see how people react to different things. Once (the freshmen) are out there, I think it will be OK.

"Our expectations are real high and the people coming back have a lot of talent. I'm not too worried about what's going to happen once the first game or two happens and we get the jitters out."

White said he has been waiting for this season ever since the Cougars lost in the championship game of last year's Southern Conference tournament.

"I don't think there's any pressure on us," White said. "Everybody has to elevate their game to another level.

"I'm very impressed with our freshmen. I honestly feel we might have the best freshmen in the country. I have that much confidence in them."

The team's schedule this season is exciting with trips to Tennessee, Clemson and Hawaii (for the Diamond Head Classic over the Christmas holidays), plus a visit from defending national champion North Carolina on Jan. 4. And Cremins said he expects the league to be as challenging as ever.

"This is our third year of rebuilding the program," Cremins said. "We know what our goal is. Our goal is to win the championship. But things have changed (with Wiggins' injury).

"I think we have the makeup to do a lot of really good things. But it's going to take a little patience."