VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
The Bears rank second in the league in scoring with 94.8 points per game and fourth in the country. This is a club under first-year head coach Ryan Odom that averaged 65 points per game last season in John Lentz' final season in Hickory.
"They are brand new," head coach Chuck Benson said. "It's the same cast of characters for the most part with the exception of Keenan Palmore. However, they have changed from being defensive oriented to being offensive oriented."
Lenoir-Rhyne's only loss of the season came at home to No. 13 Lincoln Memorial in a 123-122 four-overtime instant classic.
The Bears have favored an up-tempo style of play this season predicated on shots from distance. The Bears have hoisted 279 three-pointers to date (17th nationally and third in the SAC). L-R has made a nation's best 13.3 threes per game at a 43.0 percent clip (ninth nationally and first in the league).
Furthermore, the Bears are distributing the ball exceptionally well. The Bears rank second in the country in assists per game with 20.3 and are fifth in the nation with an other-worldly 1.66:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Lenoir-Rhyne's resurgence has been helped by Old Dominion transfer Keenan Palmore. The senior is the only player in the country with multiple triple doubles this season. He had 24 points, 14 boards and 10 rebounds in a 92-83 win over Catawba and 14 points, 10 boards and 13 assists in a 105-77 triumph over Livingstone.
Palmore, who may remind some of LMU alum and 2014-15 South Atlantic Conference player of the year Lorenzo Ross, has acted as a scorer and a distributor. He averages 19.0 points per game (fourth in the SAC) with 7.9 assists per game. That latter tally is the fourth best figure in the country. Palmore is also 11th nationally with five double-doubles.
"He plays to get into the paint as a big guard," Benson said. "If you don't have multiple defenders to stop him, he's very crafty and nifty to find gaps and get to the rim. He's a great passer with great vision to find open men. The guys that they have got back are great off the catch to knock down threes."
Palmore has plenty of help. Rob Noyes, Will Perry and Reed Lucas all average at least 14 points per game. Noyes is the SAC's leader and 26th in the country with 9.9 collected caroms a contest. He also ranks first in the country in field goal percentage (76.7 percent).
Perry and Lucas both average at least three made triples a game. Perry tallies 3.22 while Lucas averages 3.44, which are 34th and 18th in the nation, respectively.
Turnovers have been Carson-Newman's prime problem as it has faltered to a winless start in conference play. The Eagles are averaging 19.3 turnovers per game in league action.
In all six of C-N's losses this season, with the exception of a defeat at LMU, the Eagles' opponent has generated at least 20 points off turnovers.
"No one is happy that we're 0-4 in conference play," Benson said. "Everytime we get a chance to play, it's an opportunity to learn and grow. I still think this is a team with great potential. We need better play out of our guards because our biggest concern this first semester has been our turnovers. Our guards need to take better care of the basketball and not gamble as much. We do that, we give ourselves a much better chance because we've been efficient offensively when we don't turn it over."
Also of slight concern in conference action, while C-N has Charles Clark (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Sawyer Williams (Owenton, Ky.), Carson Brooks (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Josh Rogers (Bristol, United Kingdom) all averaging double figures overall, only Williams and Clark are averaging double digits in SAC play.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Bears is set for 4 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 3:45 on Mountain Country 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
