VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (5-1, 0-0 South Atlantic Conference) carries the nation's number five scoring offense when it begins SAC play Saturday afternoon at 4 against Limestone (2-4, 1-0 SAC) inside Holt Fieldhouse.
"We've had a really good array of experiences in our first six games, and it's allowed us to work through what our actions and counters are to a variety of different strategies." Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "Hopefully we are ready to take on a Limestone team that can defend at a high level and is capable of winning games. They beat us here last year, so we know what lies ahead."
Carson-Newman has crested the century mark in four of its first six games, and all three games inside Holt Fieldhouse. This has led to the Eagles averaging 95.7 points per game - fifth nationally and second in the SAC.
Carson-Newman has crested triple digits 37 times under head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson and 199 times all-time. One needs to go back to the 2017-18 season to find three. 100-point games in a five-game stretch. That year, the Eagles had eight, 100-point games.
The Eagles are shooting a staggering 56.6 percent from the field and 48.8 percent from three in their three home games this year. Oh, and yeah, averaging 109 points per game in Holt.
In spite of losing starting center Bryant Thomas, Carson-Newman picked up where it left off last year rebounding the ball. C-N has outrebounded its opposition by double digits in five of its first six games. C-N's average of +12.8 on the glass is the second-best rebounding margin in the country and the best in the South Atlantic Conference.
Carson-Newman has outrebounded three straight teams by double digits just three times this century (once this season), and can do it for a second time in a month against Limestone. Carson-Newman was +14 on the glass in last year's win over the Saints in the Timken Center, but even on the glass in a loss in Holt Fieldhouse to Limestone.
Nick Brenegan has scored in double digits in 12 consecutive games. He is the only Eagle with a double-digit scoring effort in every game this year for C-N. Brenegan is averaging 16.5 points per game in his 17 career starts.
John Zhao leads the country in three-point field goal percentage. The junior is making a staggering 76.2 percent of his threes. While he went 0-for-1 from deep against King in game two, and 1-for-1 against Lander in game four, Zhao has made a minimum of three threes in the rest of the Eagles' games. He is making 2.67 per game, to rank eighth in the SAC.
"I have said it a lot, John is an incredible worker," Benson said. "He spends time daily working on his game and body. He has put in the time to deserve the outcomes he's getting. We've got a big enough sample size now to declare that he is the most efficient basketball player on planet earth. It's just a testament to the work he's put in, but also the prayers of his mother."
Nick Brenegan's 3.5 made triples per game are the second most in the SAC and 12th nationally. He also ranks 17th nationally and third in the SAC in percentage at 51.2 percent for the season. Brenegan has buried multiple threes in every game this season. He's made a three in 13 straight games dating back to last season.
Limestone head coach Kyle Perry is a familiar face. Perry helped Carson-Newman to a South Atlantic Conference championship in his first season as an assistant during the 2002-03 season. He was Dale Clayton's associate head coach in his fourth and final year on the banks of Mossy Creek. Perry is 2-3 coaching against his old school. C-N and Limestone have split their two conference series since Limestone joined the SAC.
"They have an ability to defend with pressure," Benson said. "They are unique because they can take away the interior while playing with their speed and quickness to defend scrambles. We know our hands are full. We think this is the sort of game that has a little extra juice because of his association with Carson-Newman in the past."
Tipoff between the Eagles and Saints is set for 4 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Talk 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloMbb.
