JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (6-2, 1-0 South Atlantic Conference) will match wits with one of the top turnarounds in the Southeast Region when UVA Wise (6-2, 0-1 SAC) arrives in Holt Fieldhouse Saturday for a 4 p.m. tip.
The Highland Cavaliers have lost two straight after starting the season 6-0. However, UVA Wise has already surpassed its win total from a year ago (the Cavaliers were 4-24 last season).
"They are one of the most improved teams in the region," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "They have been strong offensively in all aspects of the game and have added in sound defense. We have our hands full and know that it'll be a challenging game."
UVA-Wise head coach Blake Mellinger should ring a bell to Carson- Newman fans. Mellinger is no stranger to teaching the game of basketball as his father and grandfather were both coaches, making him a third generation coach in the Mellinger family.
Blake's grandfather, Arnold, is the only men's basketball player to have his jersey retired at C-N. The elder Mellinger competed for the Eagles from 1954-57 and scored 1,826 career points, ranking seventh all-time in Carson-Newman history.
UVA Wise brings the SAC's second-leading scorer to Holt Fieldhouse. Bradley Dean averages 18.1 points per game. Dean had scored in double figures in the first seven games of the year for the Cavaliers before hitting a snag in a loss to Tusculum where he was limited to 2-of-12 shooting and seven points. He has made a three in every game and counts three 20-point efforts this season, including a career-best 34 against Warren Wilson.
"Two things jump off," Benson said. "Physically, he is bigger and stronger. Secondly, and maybe more importantly, he is playing so confidently. It's just oozing off of him. I think we have some guys who have those same traits. I love it when guys play with great confidence and passion and he's doing that."
Carson-Newman and UVA Wise both rank in the top three in the SAC in both scoring offense, offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency. The Eagles, Cavaliers and Lincoln Memorial are all in the mix for the top three in those statistical categories.
UVA Wise is 19th nationally in scoring, averaging 86.6 points per game. The Cavs rank fifth in three-point field goal percentage at 42.9 percent and are the top team in the SAC. They make 10.6 threes per game to rank 18th nationally.
The Eagles rebounding has been off the charts good to start 2022. C-N has produced a double-digit rebounding margin in five of its last six games and has been outrebounded once (by Clayton State). Carson-Newman is 14th nationally and leads the SAC in rebounds. The Eagles are seventh nationally in rebound margin (+11.1).
"We have an alignment between what we as coaches are asking and the players willingness to do it," Benson said. "Then we have personnel who can physically pull it off. It's not a fair request to ask an Adam Cavalier to go deliver us a sub five-minute mile, but we can go ask Ren Dyer to yank down some rebounds."
Carson-Newman has outrebounded its opposition by double figures in four straight games. This is the longest such streak this century. In fact, Carson-Newman has only ever outrebounded three straight teams by double figures once before (Brevard, Coker and Newberry to close the 2016-17 regular season).
The Eagles are one of 21 schools shoot better than 50 percent from the field this season. However, the Eagles are just one of three schools on that list to also rank in the top 60 nationally in offensive rebounding (Nova Southeastern and East Stroudsburg are the others). Carson-Newman is second in the SAC in both field goal percentage and offensive rebounding.
Ren Dyer's four double-doubles this season rank sixth in the country and tied for first in the SAC. Dyer has 11 double-doubles for his career. He has passed Charles Clark's 10 career double-doubles and is eight away from matching Shaun Jones' record 19.
Carson-Newman has kept back-to-back foes below 60 points. Should the Eagles hold UVA Wise 60 points or below, it will mark the first time since 2012-13 that the Eagles have kept at least three straight teams below that marker. C-N did it to four straight that year (Wingate, Tusculum, Lenoir-Rhyne and Mars Hill). The last time it happened before that was 1998-99 en route to a SAC title game appearance.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Highland Cavaliers is set for 4 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Talk 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
