VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
VIDEO: Men's Basketball preseason hype video
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For a fourth time in five years, Carson-Newman starts off its season with a SAC/Conference Carolinas Challenge featuring matchups against both Lees-McRae and King.
The Eagles take on Lees-McRae Saturday at 5:30 p.m. before wrapping up the weekend at UVA Wise's Prior Convocation Center at 2 p.m. Sunday against the Tornado.
"We know what to expect from both Lees and King," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "Personnel has changed a little bit, but we know what the Bobcats and Tornado are going to do. We're going to do what we're going to do. It's a perfect styles makes the fights scenario that will determine the outcome after 40 minutes."
Carson-Newman men's basketball is 43-23 all-time in season opening games. The Eagles are 7-4 over the last 11 seasons in lidlifters.
Carson-Newman dropped a buzzer-beater heartbreaker in last season's opener to Lees-McRae. Justin Nicholson banked a three as the final horn sounded to help Lees-McRrae stave off Carson-Newman. C-N rallied from 14 down to tie the game at 70 with 18 seconds left before Nicholson's heroics.
Carson-Newman has not started a season 2-0 since the 2018-19 campaign when it rattled off five consecutive victories to open the year, defeating Lander and Southern Wesleyan in a conference challenge to open the season. In the fourth year of this SAC/Conference Carolinas Challenge, C-N has been swept once (2019) and split with King and Lees-McRae twice (2021 and 2022).
Lees-McRae was picked to finish ninth in the Conference Carolinas preseason poll. The Bearcats were only down two at the halftime break in an exhibition contest with Marshall before falling 103-85 on Nov. 1. Rodney Smith had a team-high 21 points on 8-11 shooting and 2-3 from three-point range in tonight's exhibition at Marshall.
The opening weekend features two electrifying offenses. Both Lees-McRae and King ranked in the top 35 in scoring offense a year ago and were two of the five highest-scoring offenses in Conference Carolinas. King poured in 82.7 points a night, while Lees-McRae sat one spot behind the Tornado, averaging 81.6 points per game.
However, while the two sides offenses were elite a year ago, the defenses gave up points. Both LMC and King ranked in the bottom 25 of scoring defense. King gave up 90.7 points per game (289th), while LMC gave up 82.0 points a night (265th).
King was selected 11th in the 13-team league. These are the first two of four non-conference games C-N will play against Conference Carolinas. Matchups with Belmont Abbey and Southern Wesleyan follow.
King dropped its exhibition contest with East Tennessee State on Nov. 6, 73-56. Jordan Akal led the Tornado, scoring 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting, while pulling six rebounds.
Carson-Newman will be looking to find ways to replace 1,000-point scorer Luke Brenegan as well as two-time SAC Defensive Player of the Year and the program's all-time leading shot blocker Bryant Thomas.
Carson-Newman returns 58.8 percent of its scoring from last season. Ren Dyer and his 10.6 points per game are the high water mark among returning players.
After 1,000-point scorer Luke Brenegan's graduation, one of John and Amy's baby boys is still with the program. Nick earned preseason All-SAC honors heading into his junior year. Brenegan started the final six games of his sophomore season.
As a starter, he averaged 16.83 points per game on a 49.2/48.3/85.7 slash line. He averaged 2.5 made threes per game in that stretch. He knocked down a career-best five threes against Wingate (Feb. 18) and had four rebounds on three occasions, at Belmont Abbey (Jan. 4), at Mars Hill (Feb. 8) and against Emory & Henry (Feb. 22).
He dished out multiple assists in all six games he started, including a season-high four at MHU, at Wingate and against E&H. Overall, he had seven games where he scored in double figures.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Bobcats is set for 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 5:15 p.m. with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Talk 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
