Rob Stone, the next big thing.

[smidger9]

South Carolina State Student Courier, Sports Edition

The Season Ahead

The Courier recently sat down with head basketball coach Rob Stone and talked about the upcoming season. Coach Stone seemed upbeat about the outlook of the new team but sad about the loss of the seniors who led this team to great new heights.

"We will be good this season. I know we have set the bar heigh and a few of the freshmen seem nervous about the expectations we have set for them. At South Carolina State we expect to be the best team in the league. We go into every game not hoping, but knowing we can win and that in most situations we will be the best team. No matter who the opponent is.

Its hard to lose a group of seniors who had grown together and meshed as one. We had a team full of upper classmen and they had a lot of pressure on their shoulders but they had the mindset that I wanted, Winning is all that matters. They were the winningest group of players to ever wear the Red of South Carolina State and they have forever engraved a new image on this school and league.

This new group of freshmen will have to step into some big shoes, but I think they can do it. This might be a down or rebuilding year for us, but I think over the season we can take a few bumps in the road and grow as a team. This offseason has been one of the most rigorous I have held as a coach. I've had the boys running non stop and shooting jumpshots until their nails bleed. Its been a good offseason for them."

Roster:

PG BJ Anderson 6' OVR 70
SG Marcus Forbes 6'6 74
SF Errol Stockman 6'6 78
PF Jordan Butler 6'9 72
C Channing Stiggers 7'3 72

Bench:

1 PF Tobias Strong 6'7 68
2 SG Mo Olomo 6'4 66 (Walk on)
3 SF Zack Terry 6'7 66
4 C Jaime Temple 6'9 67
5 PG J'aron McFadden 6'3 64

"I think our starting 5 is the best in out league, in fact I would say our starting 5, even as most are freshmen, is one of the best in the country. We pulled in a top 25 recruiting class and usually that gets labeled as a rebuilding year but these kids seem ready to play high level ball from day 1."

Schedule

November:
@ Miami
@ Williams & Mary
vs Northwestern
@ Wofford
@ Rider
@ Morgan State

"We play Miami at their place, it will be a good first test for the team. We play a hard William & Mary team at their house. We bring in Northwestern out of the Big 10, that will be the biggest opponent to step into our gym. We were offered into the BlackJack Shootout, its a tough field with all 4 teams being in the NCAA Tournament last season."

December:
vs Marshall
vs Santa Clara
@ UNC Asheville
High Point
@ Gonzaga
@Drexel

"December will be a hard month for us. We do a lot of traveling, and we bring in some tough opponents. Marshall and Santa Clara were both tournament teams last year and are both prestigious teams coming to play in out House. UNC-A is a good squad and High Point won their conference last season. Traveling to Gonzaga will be a high light of our season. Plus we got an invite to the Cougar Classic which has been known to host upcoming Mid Major schools."

January/Febuary

vs Delaware State
vs Howard
vs Bethune Cookman
vs Coppin State
@ Winston-Salem St.
@ Florida A&M
vs MD-Eastern Shore
vs Norfolk State
@ NC A&T
@ Hampton
@ Bethune Cookman
@ Coppin State
vs Winston-Salem St.
vs Florida A&M
@ MD Eastern Shore

"The MEAC schedule is always tough we always feel like we have a big red X on our backs and opposing teams let us know that. They give us hell and make it tough to play our game. It will be another fun year."

[smidger9]

As the season is set to begin the polls have been relasesed and this is this years preseason favorites!

1. Duke
2. Michigan St
3. Cincinnati
4. Kentucky
5. Louisville
6. Oklahoma
7. Ohio State
8. Wisconsin
9. Oklahoma State
10. West Virginia
11. Memphis
12. Florida
13. Mississippi State
14. Kansas
15. Maryland
16. Georgia tech
17. High Point
18. Texas
19. Gonzaga
20. Clemson
21. Va Tech
22. UNC
23. Alabama
24. Charlotte
25. Washington

The Mid Major top ten

1. High Point
2. Gonzaga
3. Saint Mary's
4. Creighton
5. Towson
6. Liberty
7. South Carolina State
8. Cornell
9. VCU
10. Winthrop

Pre Season All-Americans

PG Demontez Stitt Clemson
SG James Harden ASU
SF J Horne Ariz
PF Gani Lawal GT
C A.J Ogilvy Van

Player of the Year

Gani Lawal GT

Freshman of the Year
Nkeruwem Duff, Duke




Pre Season Players

All Conference

B Tunnell Hamp
M Forbes SCST
E Stockman SCST
M Freeman Hamp
C Stiggers SCST

Player of the Year

M Freeman HAMP

Freshman

C Stiggers SCST

[smidger9]

Pre Season MEAC

South Carolina State
"The favorite to win this conference every year, Coach Stone has build a powerhouse in South Carolina."

Hampton
"Solid team that could sneak into the NCAA with an at large"

Winston-Salem State
"The Rams always find their way into a close 2nd or third in this confernce, could this be the year they win it all?"

Florida A&M
"A team with talented freshman, and senior leadership. Could be a very nice team by season's end."

MD Eastern Shore
"The best inside out game in the MEAC. Might turn some heads if first year coach can get his kids to rally around his new offense."

Howard
"A surprise team with all starters being seniors"

Bethune Cookman
"Tujun Kanter might have to score 40 points a night to get this teams some win, he is the only talented player on this team; but he might be able to win player of the year with a good season."

Morgan State
"An expirenced team with a coach on the hot seat. If they can come together they might salvage a poor schedule with road games at Duke and at Maryland."

Norfolk State
"They are just waiting until next season when transfer Julian Vaughn can play and will be one of the best MEAC players."

NC A&T
"A rebuilding year for a MEAC bottom feeder."

Coppin State
"Looks like the head coach might be on his way out after this season."

[smidger9]

Andy Katz Radio Show on ESPN Radio

Andy Katz
"Today we have up and coming head coach Rob Stone of South Carolina State University. Over the past 2 seasons has has complied 28-9, and 31-6 record, at a no name school in just his first two seasons! He has beaten major teams like Texas, UNC, Maryland, and his team almost upset #1 Syracuse last season... in the Carrier Dome no less. Coach Stone its good to have you on the show today, hell, I am honored to have such a hot name as yours here. But down to business, how have you done this at such a small school.?"

Rob Stone
"Well Andy, its actually kinda easy..."

Andy Katz
"Easy? What.. how has it been EASY?"

Rob Stone
(Chuckles) "Well I have a pretty good offense, I grew up watching and learning the dribble drive, and when I got this gig I was thinking how can I incorporate the dribble drive and the flew. Well I got lucky, I had a couple shooters on this team and it was pretty easy to see how to make it all come together, so before you know it I have a team that can score 70 + points a game even against big time teams and that causes a problem. You see a few other teams doing this these days, Boston College, William & Mary, VMI just changed their scheme to be more like mine, and a few other schools around here. I held a coaching clinic this summer and you wouldn't believe who I had there. I had Roy Williams, Gary Williams, Rick Barnes, Bill Self; to name a few. They all wanted to know how I was doing it."

Andy Katz
"Seems like a pretty tall order, I still find it amazing looking at your recored here, over 50 wins and only 15 losses. Now I know you play in a pretty cupcake league, but before you got to SCST your team was a cupcake! You didn't inherit the greatest team..

Rob Stone
"Well, well now. I think I had wonderful kids. I had Jessie Burton and Everett Spencer, and as you know Spencer was an NCAA All-American, and he will have his jersey retired later this season. He was also drafted in the 1st round by the LA Lakers..He was no cupcake, I did transform him into a superstar in some regards, but I can't play for him.

Andy Katz
Spcencer was a special player... how will you replace his production?

Rob Stone
"Well.... honestly I think we can go above and beyond this year. We may not have a guy who can score 30 a night.. but we have a collection of tremendous players coming in who can certainly fill the bill. I think you will be surprised, BJ Anderson, Marcus Forbes, Jordan Butler, and Mo Olomo can all easily score in double figures, in fact it will be asked of them. Channing Stiggers with his great size I would expect a double double a night from him in our league. And all these guys are great at defense, especially sophomore Errol Stockman is easily the best defender in the MEAC."

Andy Katz
"Looks like you will be on the winning side from day one with players like that! How do you see this season turning out."

Rob Stone
"Our goal each season has been NCAA tournament, and so far my kids have not let me down. I think this year we wont to win most of our OCC games, and especially all of our big name school games, with trips out West to play Gonzaga I think its a goal to beat them. We would love to make a run in the tournament as well.. we went Sweet Sixteen last year, I think we could again. It all counts on how ready these freshmen are."

Andy Katz
"Well I think you guys can do that, you have a great head on your shoulders and all the pieces in place. Good Luck Coach!"

[Deuce2223]

Good luck with the coming season. Your starting lineup is pretty solid but it will be interesting to see what player steps up to replace Spencers's #. My guess is a big load from the bigman Stiggers in the middle. Typcially that is what I have seen from small school legacies once they land a talented bigman. Your bench looks like it gives you nice size and depth too. At most small schools those guys would be starters.

Make sure you leave a ticket in willcall for me when you take on the Zags at the Kennell. I can't afford a real ticket. They should've made it about 10,000 so us common working folks could actually go to games.

[smidger9]

Quote: Originally Posted by Deuce2223

Good luck with the coming season. Your starting lineup is pretty solid but it will be interesting to see what player steps up to replace Spencers's #. My guess is a big load from the bigman Stiggers in the middle. Typcially that is what I have seen from small school legacies once they land a talented bigman. Your bench looks like it gives you nice size and depth too. At most small schools those guys would be starters. Make sure you leave a ticket in willcall for me when you take on the Zags at the Kennell. I can't afford a real ticket. They should've made it about 10,000 so us common working folks could actually go to games.

Thanks man, I think my 2 freshmen shooting guards can atleast compare to his numbers, one is quick with good inside shooting and one is a 3 point assassin. So we will see how that duo works out. Stiggers will be the focal point of my offense since he could run the court to keep up with transition.

Onto recruiting almost every player came in and surprised me with how highly they were rated, I exceeded a few mid 60s but not almost a starting lineup of 70s+, Stiggers however will be a beast at 7'3 he will be 5 inches taller than any other center in our league.

And I will have 2 ticks for you at will call, but get ready it will be an instant classic.

[smidger9]

South Carolina State Student Courier, Sports Edition



The first week of the 2010 basketball season has arrived and the Bulldogs faced two out of conference opponents to open the season. In the first game of the season the Bulldogs played an ACC foe in the Miami Hurricanes and came away with a big victory in Coral Gambles, Florida winning 71-68 against an athletic Miami team lead by junior point guard Malcolm Grant who shot almost lights out earning 18 points for his team but he was no match for freshmen sensation BJ Anderson. BJ in his first game as a Bulldog scored 33 points and had 7 assist, he shot a staggering 12-20 and a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line. Also showing a diaper dandy performance was Channing Stiggers who had 14 points and 15 rebounds and a pair of blocks to single handily stop a Hurricane post play.

Mia 68
SCST 71

SCST
Anderson 33 points, 7 assist
Forbes 2 points, 3 assist, 2 steals
Stockman 4 points, 2 rebounds
Butler 2 points, 9 rebounds
Stiggers 14 points, 15 rebounds

Bench:
Mo Olomo 5 points
Terry 5 points, 3 rebounds
McFadden 4 points

Miami
Grant 18 points, 3 assist
Rios 8 points
Jones 14 points, 9 rebounds
Russell 9 points, 8 rebounds
Gamble 4 points, 7 rebounds

SCST is now (1-0).

In the second game of the week the Bulldogs travelled to Williamsburg, Virginia to face the Tribe of William & Mary, the winners of the Colonial Conference last season. The Tribe was listed as a powerhouse in their league but was no match for SCST and the high scoring offense that comes with this freshmen class. Four players scored in double figures, lead by Stiggers with 20.

WM 49
SCST 67

SCST

Anderson 17 points, 5 assist, 4 rebounds
Forbes 13 points
Stockman 3 points, 7 rebounds
Butler 10 points, 6 rebounds
Stiggers 20 points, 11 rebounds

W&M
McCurdy 3 points, 5 assist
Sexton 8 points
Andrews 11 points
Cammon 9 points, 10 rebounds
Kitts 8 points, 5 rebounds

SCST is now 2-0

[smidger9]

South Carolina State (SCST) at Wofford (WU)
November 17, 2010	1	2	Final
South Carolina State	38	24	62	Player of the Game: Channing Stiggers (11 points, 10 rebounds)
Wofford	27	22	49

South Carolina State
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Anderson	33	5-11	2-5	0-3	1	4	2	0	3	0	12
Forbes	29	5-6	1-2	3-3	5	3	1	0	0	0	14
Stockman	27	0-4	0-4	6-6	4	1	1	0	0	0	6
Butler	28	4-5	1-1	0-0	3	0	1	2	0	1	9
Stiggers	33	4-10	0-0	3-4	10	0	1	2	3	2	11
TEAM TOTALS		22-50	4-18	12-18	34	10	5	7	11	7	62

Wofford
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Nixon	21	3-4	0-	1-2	2	1	1	0	6	0	7
Salters	15	1-7	0-4	0-0	1	2	0	0	3	5	2
Dahlman	34	4-10	2-6	0-0	3	0	2	1	1	3	10
Martin	32	1-7	0-1	0-0	4	2	3	0	3	2	2
Meredith	34	5-9	0-0	2-2	6	0	0	0	2	4	12
TEAM TOTALS		21-66	3-21	4-8	16	10	10	1	21	16	49