East Carolina Basketball Preview: ECU vs. USF

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

The lead reached double figures when John Fields’ dunk made it 63-52 with just under ten minutes to go. It would grow to as many as 23 when Greyson Sargent canned a three with under a minute to play.

East Carolina turned up its defensive intensity in the second half, which led to better opportunities on the offensive end. The Pirates concluded the game shooting 44.7 percent (34-of-76) from the floor—including an 8-of-23 performance from deep. The Bishops finished at 32.5 percent and only 22.7 from long range.

The defensive woes partially stemmed from turnovers—ECU committed 17 on the evening—which led to NC Wesleyan having fast break opportunities with the numbers in their favor.

The Pirates must do a better job of rebounding—particularly on the defensive end—as they allowed the Bishops to collect 18 offensive boards.

It seemed as though Mack McCarthy approached the game with a plan similar to the one he used in the season opener versus Limestone. He tinkered with the starting line-up and continued to experiment throughout the night. All 14 players saw minutes and ten of them logged more than 11. No one played more than 26 minutes.

Each team placed four players in double figures.

Brock Young, who made his first start in the purple and gold, finished with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. He also committed five turnovers, however, as he still learns to play under control at times. John Fields led the Pirates with 12 points. Cory Farmer, who had started the first three contests, came off the bench and had his best game of the season. He knocked down three of his five three-point attempts and registered 11 points. Darrell Jenkins finished with 12.

The Bishop’s Lenny Hall led all scorers with 19 points. Trey Drake, the smallest player on the court at 5’8, pulled down 11 rebounds and scored 10 points to register a double double. Jarmel Arrington and Buddy Williams also reached double figures by dropping 12 and 10 points, respectively.

East Carolina ’s redshirt freshman center Chad Wynn also saw his most extensive action to date and started his first game for the Pirates. He had 9 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in 16 minutes of action. Fellow freshman Jamar Abrams also contributed 6 points.

On to Tampa to tangle with the Bulls…

After starting the season by splitting four winnable games at home, East Carolina will hit the road for the first time on Saturday when it travels to Tampa to meet Big East foe South Florida at 7 p.m. inside the Sun Dome.

These two former CUSA foes met last season in Greenville. USF won that match-up 65-52 and dominated the Pirates, 51-28, on the boards.

The Bulls (2-3) opened the season with three consecutive losses under new coach Stan Heath—who was the head man at Arkansas last year. Since those defeats at the hands of Cleveland State, Buffalo and Rhode Island, USF has registered a couple of wins over intra-state foes. First, the Bulls stampeded Florida Atlantic, 100-69. The last time out, they trimmed ACC opponent Florida State by a 68-67 final.

Although they’ve only scored more than 70 points once this season, the USF line-up features firepower with five players averaging in double figures. The Bulls are shooting 46.4 percent as a team, but a blazing 47.5 (38-80) from behind the arc. Their opponents have shot 44.3 percent and are averaging 71.8 points per contest.

Senior center Kentrel Gransberg (6-9, 270), who is a transfer from LSU, averages a double double with 16.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.

Sophomore guard Chris Howard, who logs a team high 32.4 minutes per contest, is the team’s second leading scorer (12.2 ppg), has dished out 37 assists (to 16 TO) and has hit 22-of-26 from the free throw line.

Soloman Bozeman (6-0, 165), who produces 11.8 points a game, is the team’s top three-point threat and has connected on an astounding 13-of-19 attempts thus far.

Guards Dominique Jones and Jesus Verdejo also average double figures with 11.4 and 11 points, respectively.

Forwards Orane Chin (6-7, 195) and Mobolaji Ajayi (6-9, 225) help Gransberry on the inside. Chin has the ability to step out and has made all six of his three-point attempts. Ajayi is scoring 3.2 points in just over 12 minutes per game, but he does have 11 turnovers.

Keys to Victory for ECU

1. Control Kentrel - Wynn and Fields will need to control the huge Gransberry in the post so the Pirates won’t be forced to play much zone against the strong shooting Bulls.
2. Start Quickly- East Carolina can ill-afford slow starts like it has had in their past three games. It will be tough to overcome a 10-point plus deficit in the first road game.
3. Win the Battle of the Arc- For the Pirates to shock USF, they must defend the arc well as the Bulls shoot 47.5 percent from deep. Meanwhile, they must have their best shooting performance of the year from behind the arc—as nine or ten three-pointers will likely be needed.

Final ECU Prediction & Analysis

The Pirates will face their toughest challenge to date in South Florida. This Bulls come in at 2-3, but they will likely be too much—particularly at home—for a young East Carolina team playing its first game away from Williams Arena-Minges Coliseum.

USF 79 - East Carolina 60