VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (9-15, 6-12 South Atlantic Conference) makes the short trek on 11E to tangle with Tusculum (16-10, 11-7 SAC) Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Carson-Newman is looking to sweep the season series with Tusculum for a third time in the last four seasons. Tusculum swept last year's season series, but the Eagles have won five of the last seven contests, including four of the last five in Greeneville.
The matchup is crucial for positioning for the league tournament. With four games remaining, the Eagles are two games removed from a two-way tie between Newberry and Lenoir-Rhyne for seventh place in the standings. Meanwhile, Tusculum has a one-game edge for fourth place and hosting responsibilities for the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
Tusculum is the nation's top offensive rebounding team. The Pioneers average 16.42 offensive boards per game. Tusculum has topped 20 offensive boards in six games this year, including 21 against the Eagles in a 72-68 loss to Carson-Newman in Holt Fieldhouse.
"The thing that they've done this year that's so impressive is not only do they make it tough to score points, but they are the best offensive rebounding team in the nation," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "They are tough and physical. Not only is it a rivalry game, but if you don't bring your hard hat and blue collar, you'll be in for a tough one."
Tusculum has won five of its last six games, with the lone blemish coming in an 87-72 road loss at Queens. In the five wins in that span, the Pioneers have held their opponents to 70 points or less. In that span, Pioneer opponents are shooting 41 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from three. No team has made more than eight threes against the Pioneers in the wins in that stretch. Queens however knocked down 12-of-23 triples.
"JT has done a good job putting together a roster built around defense and rebounding," Benson said. "They do that really, really well. They are a unique scout and approach. It's why they find themselves sitting in the top four and sitting in position to host a conference tournament quarterfinal game."
Brandon Mitchell has been a formidable post presence for the Pioneers. He ranks seventh in the country in total blocks with 55 swats this year. Additionally, he is the top offensive rebounder in the league and seventh nationally with 3.81 offensive boards per game. In the first meeting this year, Mitchell had five offensive boards and four blocks.
Carson-Newman's 51.8 percent shooting effort in the first meeting this season is one of just five games this year where the Pioneers have allowed 50 percent shooting.
Carson-Newman's defense has picked up since switching to a zone defense on Feb. 1 against Anderson. While the Eagles are 2-3 in that span, they've limited their last five foes to 75 points or less. Since the switch, Eagle opponents are averaging 69.6 points per game, while shooting 39.6 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from three. All of those totals are well below the Eagles' season averages.
Kaleb Wallace (Atlanta, Ga.) has started to come into his own over the five-game stretch. He enters the contest at Tusculum off a career-high 17 against Catawba. Wallace has averaged 9.4 points on 46 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from the three over the five-game stretch. He scored double digits in three straight games and four of the last six.
"He's been here for four or five months," Benson said. "He's been willing to put in extra work to buy in at a higher level. Most, if not all freshmen go through this process. He's really started to put it together these last three-to-four weeks and hope he continues to gain confidence through the offseason heading into next year."
Jaylan McGill (Charlotte, N.C.) is looking to fight off a five-game slump. In February, he's averaging 2.6 points per game on 28 percent shooting from the field and 23 percent shooting from beyond the arc
Tipoff between the Eagles and Pioneers is set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 7:15 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
