Western Carolina Men’s Basketball: What to Expect This Season
Contents
The Western Carolina Men’s basketball team is gearing up for another season and there is a lot of excitement surrounding the program. Head Coach Larry Hunter has built a strong foundation and the team is poised to make some noise in the conference. Here’s a look at what to expect from the Catamounts this season.
Introduction
The Catamounts are coming off their best season in recent memory, winning 28 games and reaching the semifinal round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Second-year head coach Dustin Johnson has his squad ready to make another run at a conference title and a berth in the NCAA tournament this season. Here’s a look at what to expect from Western Carolina men’s basketball in 2019-20.
The Team
The team this season is young, with only two seniors on the roster. The team will be lead by those two seniors, Jahmyr Gibbs and KJ Noons. Other important returners include: Tray Long (redshirt-junior), Olivier Nkamhoua (redshirt-sophomore), and Marcus Fitzgerald (sophomore). Newcomers to the team that could make an immediate impact are: transfers bouna ndiaye (junior) and Josiah Jeffers (redshirt-freshman). redshirt freshman Josh Hall will also be looked to contribute this season.
The Schedule
The Catamounts will play a total of 31 games this season, including 16 at home in the Ramsey Center, four on the road, and four at a neutral site. The non-Conference Schedule is highlighted by matchups against UNC Wilmington Davidson, Furman, and South Carolina
Big South play will begin on December 29th at home against Campbell. Other home conference games include Liberty, Gardner-Webb, High Point Longwood, Winthrop, and Radford. The Catamounts will travel to take on Presbyterian, Charleston Southern UNC Asheville and Coastal Carolina
The season will come to a close with the 2020 Big South Men’s Basketball Tournament from March 4-7 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina
The Rivalry Games
The Rivalry Games are the most important games of the season for the Western Carolina Men’s Basketball team These are the games against our biggest rivals: Clemson, Duke, and North Carolina We expect these games to be tough and competitive, but we always give our best effort and try to come out on top.
The Conference Tournament
The conference tournament is the annual postseason tournament for the Western Carolina men’s basketball team The winner of the tournament receives the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship The conference tournament is a single-elimination tournament that traditionally has been held at the end of the regular season
The NCAA Tournament
The NCAA Tournament is the most important event in college basketball and it’s one of the most exciting and unpredictable sporting events in the world. Every year, 68 teams from across the country compete in a single-elimination tournament to decide the National Champion
The tournament is divided into four regions, and each region has 16 teams. The teams are seeded from 1 to 16, and the top four seeds in each region receive a bye into the second round.
The first round of the tournament is played on Thursday and Friday, and it features some of the most exciting games of the entire event. The first round is when upsets happen most often, and it’s not uncommon for a lower-seeded team to make a run all the way to the Final Four.
The second round is played on Saturday and Sunday, and it features the eight winners from the first round matchups. The second round is when the real contenders start to emerge, and it’s usually when we see the first of many close games.
The Sweet Sixteen is played on Thursday and Friday of the following week, and it features the eight winners from the second round matchups. This is when things really start to get serious, as we begin to narrow down our field of contenders.
The Elite Eight is played on Saturday and Sunday of that same week, and it features the four winners from the Sweet Sixteen matchups. This is when we see some truly great basketball games as both teams are just one win away from making the Final Four.
Finally, The Final Four is played on Saturday and Sunday of that same week, and it features the two winners from Elite Eight matchups. This is where we crown our national champion, as only two teams are left standing at this point.
So what can you expect from Western Carolina men’s basketball this season? Well, they’ll almost certainly be playing in The NCAA tournament come March Madness time. And who knows? They might just make a run all
The Fans
The Catamounts men’s Basketball team is one of the most storied programs in Southern Conference history. The team has won the Conference Tournament an astounding 10 times and has made 14 appearances in the NCAA tournament The Catamounts are also one of only two teams in the conference to have won an NCAA tournament game, which they did in 1995 against Louisville. So, it’s safe to say that the Catamounts have a rich tradition of success.
This season, the team is looking to make some noise in the conference once again and they will be led by senior guard Devin Peterson. Peterson was named to the preseason All-SoCon team and is averaging 17.5 points per game so far this season. The Catamounts will also be relying on junior forward Haboubacar Mutombo, who is averaging a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds per game
The Catamounts have a passionate fan base that loves to show their support for the team. The fans are known for being loud and rowdy and they often pack the arena for home games If you’re looking for a great atmosphere at aCatamounts basketball game you won’t be disappointed.
The Media
This season, the Western Carolina men’s basketball team is expected to be one of the best in the country. The team is loaded with talent, and they have the potential to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament
The media has been generous in their praise of the team, and they are predicted to be a top-10 team in the nation. They will be one of the favorites to win the conference, and they should be in contention for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament
The pressure will be on the team to perform, but they have the talent and experience to handle it. They have a chance to have a special season, and they will be must-see TV for college basketball fans.
The Coaching Staff
The Western Carolina Men’s basketball team is led by Head Coach Mark Prosser. Prosser is in his second season as the team’s Head coach and he has a lot of experience with the game of basketball He played collegiately at Wofford College and then went on to coach at various schools around the country.
Prosser has assembled a strong Coaching Staff that includes assistant coaches Steve Smith and Michael Porter Smith is a former head coach at Appalachian State University and Porter has coached at both the collegiate and professional levels.
With Prosser and his staff leading the way, the Western Carolina Men’s basketball team is poised for a successful season
The Future
Western Carolina Men’s Basketball is gearing up for an exciting season. They have a lot of young talent and are looking to make some noise in the conference. Here’s what to expect from the team this season:
The team will be led by junior guard Devontae Cacok. Cacok was named to the All-SoCon Preseason team and is expected to have a breakout year. He’ll be flanked by sophomores Matt Halvorsen and Onno Steger, who both had solid freshman campaigns. The team will also benefit from the return of senior center Mike Amius, who missed all of last season with an injury.
The Catamounts will look to improve upon their 13-17 record from last season and make a push for the postseason. They’ll have their work cut out for them in a tough SoCon, but with a talented core of players, they should be in contention for a spot in the conference tournament