Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop goes for a fifth straight win as it welcomes Radford for the Winthrop Coliseum Wednesday night for a Big South Conference men's basketball showdown.
WINTHROP (17-9, 7-4 Big South)
| WINTHROP PROBABLE STARTERS |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
Noteworthy |
| G |
11 |
Kasen Harrison |
6-2 |
Sr. |
13.3 |
2.2 |
3.9 |
1.2 |
'23-24 Big South Preseason All-Conference / Reached 1,500 career points after 8 at Charleston Southern / Became 29th player in program history with 1,000 points in the same game / Passed 450 career assists (482) / 14th Eagle to reach 300 / In double-figures for 20-of-25 games, including a 24 point performance vs. Georgia Sou. / Career-high 9 assists vs. Longwood & at USC Upstate |
| G |
2 |
Ryan Jolly |
6-3 |
Gr. |
3.8 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
0.6 |
Missed game at Upstate / Started three straight games and five of the last seven / Had 9 points, 4 rebounds in win at Charleston Southern / Scored season-high 11 points (vs. D1) off the bench in win at Queens |
| G/F |
10 |
Nick Johnson |
6-4 |
Sr. |
12.4 |
2.8 |
1.5 |
1.4 |
Career-high 28 points in triple OT win over Charleston Sou. / Tied career-high of four steals vs. PC / Also had 22 vs. Mercer, 20 at Queens, 21 at Upstate / Ranked 8th in Big South with 1.4 spg / at least 1 steal in 23-of-26 games played / 12-for-14 at free throw line last 3 games |
| F |
12 |
K.J. Doucet |
6-7 |
Sr. |
13.6 |
5.5 |
1.0 |
0.8 |
24-25 Big South Preseason All-Conference / Posted back-to-back double-doubles (at Indiana/vs. Upstate) / Moved past 1,600 career points (1,646) / In double-figures in 21-of-26 games / Averaging 13.0 ppg in Big South / 4th in Big South in free throw attempts |
| F |
4 |
Kelton Talford |
6-7 |
Sr. |
16.3 |
7.8 |
0.9 |
1.2 |
4 straight games with 20 or more points / Big South career leader in field goal percentage (.649) / 7th double-double of the season with 25 points, 10 rebounds vs. PC / '23-24/'24-25 Big South Preseason All-Conference / '22-23/'23-24 Big South All-Conference First Team / Moved into 3rd on the all-time rebound list (871), 4th in career points (1,756) |
SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: 42-45
Series Streak: L1
Record at Winthrop Coliseum: 20-18
Streak at Winthrop Coliseum: W1
Prosser vs. Radford: 3-3
- This marks the 89th meeting all-time between the Eagles and Highlanders
- Radford won the first meeting this season, 87-67 in Radford, Va.
- The Eagles, who swept the 2023-24 regular season series with Radford, looks to avoid getting swept this season
- In last year's meeting at the Winthrop Coliseum, the Eagles won 92-88 in triple overtime
WINTHROP IN BIG SOUTH
- Eagles are 7-4 after the road win at USC Upstate and have won four straight
- At 7-4 the Eagles are in 3rd place in the Big South standings
- So far this season the Eagles are 5-0 at home and 2-4 on the road in league play
- First in the Big South in scoring (85.5) and 5th nationally
- The triple overtime game vs. Charleston Southern was the second straight season the Eagles played a triple overtime during league play
- Last season the Eagles earned a 92-88 triple overtime win over Radford at home
- Hold a 36-9 record at home vs. Big South opponents since 2019-20 and are 205-93 (68%) all-time in league home games
- Eagles are 357-243 all-time in regular season league games as the 357 wins are the most by any Big South program in history
WINTHROP
- Leading the nation in free throw attempts per game (30.2) and free throws made per game (20.3) as of Feb. 10
- 14 home wins at home this season and for the 10th time in program history with at least 14
- Earned 11th straight home win and 11th straight in the Winthrop Coliseum with the win over Gardner-Webb (3-1 at Rock Hill Sports & Event Center this year)
- Posted the 5th 100-point game of the season in the 105-95 win at USC Upstate
- The five 100-point games are the most by any Eagle team in program history for a single-season
- It was also the 20th all-time 100-point game against a D1 opponent in which the Eagles are 18-2 in those contests
- In the win over Gardner-Webb the Eagles scored 90-plus points for the fourth time in conference play (first two wins in conference play were by the exact score of 95-76 over USC Upstate and Longwood)
- The 102 points in the win over Charleston Southern was the 4th 100-point game of the season
- Eagles have 18 games this season with 80 or more points, 10 with 90 or more and five 100-point games
- The program record for most games with 90 or more points is 11 set by the 1992-93 squad
- Reached 10 wins before the start of conference play for the first time since the 2015-16 season
- Kelton Talford leads the team in scoring at 16.3 ppg, K.J. Doucet is next at 13.6 ppg, Kasen Harrison is averaging 13.3 ppg and Nick Johnson is at 12.4 per game
- Talford is 4th in the league, Doucet is 17th and Harrison is 18th in scoring and Johnson is 20th
- Talford is third in the Big South in rebounding (7.8) and first in field goal percentage (.654)
- In the loss at UNC Asheville Talford had 21 points while Bryce Baker came off the bench for 24 points
- It was the 5th time this season the Eagles had at least two players scored 20 or more points in the same game (second time in conference play)
- Eagles have three players ranked among the Top 6 in the Big South for free throw attempts as Talford is 2nd, Johnson is 4th, and Doucet 6th
- Eagles had 48 free throw attempts in the win over Mercer, the 5th game of the year with 40 or more trips to the foul line
- Johnson had a career-high 28 points in the triple overtime win over Charleston Southern, 17 of which came in the overtime periods (it was his 3rd 20-point game of the season)
- The buzzer-beating win over William & Mary was the 100th victory for Mark Prosser and the 800th win in program history
- Voted to finish second in the Big South Conference preseason poll
- Eagles had two players on the preseason all-conference teams
- Talford was voted to the first team and Doucet was voted to the second team
- This marks the 1,436th game in program history and hold an all-time record of 814-621
- Winthrop has more wins than any other Big South school (257) since the 2012-13 season and the closest is UNC Asheville with 226
- Mark Prosser is in his fourth season as head coach of the Eagles (8th head coach in program history) and holds a 71-50 record now in his fourth season
- Prosser earned his 100th career win on Nov. 15 vs. William & Mary, which was also his 100th game
- coached at the helm of the Winthrop program
- Prosser is coaching in his 240th career game and 212th at the NCAA D1 level
- Led the team to 23 wins, the most by a first-year head coach in program history
- Prosser tied Towson State's Terry Traux (1992-93) for the most conference wins by a first-year coach with 14
- The newcomers include five transfers and one true freshman
- The transfers are Ryan Jolly (Graduate Student/Piedmont), Tommy Kamarad (Senior/Arkansas
- Tech), Tai Hamilton (Sophomore/William & Mary), Logan Duncomb (Junior/Xavier) and Bryce Baker (Junior/Old Dominion)
- The one true freshman is Paul Jones III, a guard out of Suffolk, Va.
- Jolly scored more than 1,000 points in his career at Piedmont
- Kamarad started 28-of-30 games last year and was named to the Great American Conference
- All-Tournament Team as his team captured the championship
- Baker played in 59 games in his first two seasons at Old Dominion
SEASON HONORS/AWARDS
- Kelton Talford
- (Big South Conference Player of the Week – Jan. 13)
- Averaged 19.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg while shooting 80 percent from the floor
- Helped the Eagles to a 1-1 record on the week that ended with a 95-76 victory over Longwood
- Posted 21 points and 10 rebounds in the loss at Gardner-Webb
- Had 19 points, 9 rebounds in the win over Longwood
- (Big South Conference Preseason First Team)
- All-Big South First Team Selection in 2022-23 and 2023-24
- Started 28-of-31 games as he led the team in scoring (14.1) and rebounding (5.7)
- Ranked 13th in the Big South in scoring and 11th in rebounding while leading the conference in field goal percentage
- Paul Jones III
- (Big South Conference Co-Freshman of the Week)
- Averaged 16.5 ppg on the week while shooting 55 percent
- Started the week with nine points in the loss at Gardner-Webb
- Scored 24 points in the win over Longwood, which included 22 first half points
- Finished 6-for-11 behind the arc
- K.J Doucet
- (Big South Conference Preseason Second Team)
- Started 30-of-32 games and was second on the team in scoring at 12.4 ppg
- Second on the team in three-pointers made (51) and field goals made (129)
CAREER MILESTONES
Kasen Harrison
- Just surpassed 1,500 career points after eight points at Charleston Southern
- In the process he reached 1,000 career points as an Eagle (29th player in program history)
- Surpassed 400 career assists (482) as he's dished out 331 as an Eagle to move into 10th all-time
- Played in his 100th career game on Mar. 2, 2024 vs. Gardner-Webb
- Made his 100th career start in the game at Florida State (currently 127 games played)
- Is 16 assists away from tying his career-high (118) for a single-season)
Kelton Talford
- Reached 1,000 points and 500 career rebounds in 2023-24
- Has 1,756 career points, ranking 4th all-time in scoring at Winthrop
- Now trails 3rd all-time (Xavier Cooks) by 22 points
- His 871 career rebounds are ranked 3rd all-time in program history
- Became 11th player in Big South history with 1,500 points/800 rebounds
- Is currently the career leader in field goal percentage in Big South history at .649
- Is 1-of-11 NCAA D1 active players with 1,700 points/800 rebounds in a career
- 39th player in Big South history with 1,000 points and 700 rebounds
- Became the 104th player in Big South Conference history to reach 500 career rebounds
- Became the 67th player in league history to join the 1,000/500 club
- He became the 65th player in league history to reach 600 rebounds
- Became the 48th player in Big South history with 1,000 points and 600 rebounds
- Has 20 career double-doubles after his 21 points, 10 rebounds at Gardner-Webb
- Became the program leader for most free throw attempts (692), passing Keon Johnson's all-time mark of 610
- Overtook George Valentine for the most games played by a single-player in program history after playing at Indiana and now has 142 in his career
Nick Johnson
- Reached 1,000 career points in the win at Radford last season and recently surpassed 1,300
- points (now has 1,367)
- Made his 100th career start at Radford (130 games played)
- Reached 500 career rebounds after six boards vs. PC (508)
- Dished out his 100th career assist vs. Queens and surpassed 100 steals
K.J. Doucet
- Surpassed 1,000 career points after 22 points at Coastal Carolina (2023)
- Moved past 1,600 points in his career (1,640) after 14 points vs. Gardner-Webb
- Joined the 1,000 point/500 rebound club and now has 582 boards in his career
- His 51 threes in 2023-24 were a career-best for a single-season
Ryan Jolly
- Scored 1,371 career points in his collegiate career between Piedmont and Lander
- Had 15 points in the opener vs. his former team (Piedmont)
- Currently sitting with a career total of 1,465 points
- Has 355 career assists, 430 career rebounds and 168 career steals
SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ARE ON SALE
Fans can purchase single-game tickets for all home contests for the 2024-25 season by visiting
www.winthropeagles.com/MBBTickets2425 or call text ticket office at (803) 323-2345.
BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE
Tickets for the 2025 Hercules Tires Big South Basketball Championships at Freedom Hall Civic Center in Johnson City, Tenn., are now on sale online at
www.BigSouthSports.com/Tickets. Full ticket booklets covering all 16 games over nine sessions feature courtside seating ($650) and general seating ($250) for the March 5-9 tournament. Separate men's and women's booklets for the respective eight games and five sessions cost $350 (courtside) and $150 (general). For additional details, visit the official Hercules Tires Big South Basketball Championship home page at
http://www.bigsouthsports.com/HoopsChamps25.
CHAMPIONSHIP ANNIVERSARIES
This year celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 1999-2000 team that captured a second straight Big South Conference championship. Under the guidance of second-year head coach Gregg Marshall the Eagles posted an overall record of 21-9 and were 11-3 in the conference (2nd place). Winthrop defeated fourth-seeded UNC Asheville 75-62 in the Big South title game and faced 3rd -seeded Oklahoma in Tucson, Ariz. in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Greg Lewis was voted the Big South Tournament MVP.
It is also the 20th anniversary of the 2004-05 team that went 27-6 on the season and 15-1 in Big South play on its way to the first of four straight league titles for the second time. Eagles opened conference play with a 76-68 victory before reeling off 15 straight wins to take the regular season championship. Eagles rolled in the conference championship game, 68-46 over Charleston Southern as Torrell Martin was named the Big South Tournament MVP. The team was seeded 14th in the NCAA Tournament and faced #3 Gonzaga in Tucson, Ariz as it fell 74-64. The 18 consecutive wins is the 3rd longest winning streak in program history and 2nd longest in a single season.
It has been 15 years since the Eagles captured the 2009-10 Big South Title. The Eagles were 19-14 overall and 12-6 in the Big South. Eagles started off league play with a 1-3 record before going on to win 11-of-12 league games and earned the 3rd seed. Opened the tournament with an 80-72 win over 6th-seeded Liberty before defeating 2nd-seeded Radford 61-46 and then top-seeded Coastal Carolina on its home court, 64-53. Mantoris Robinson was named the Big South Tournament MVP.
TUNE IN TO THE EAGLES
Fans can listen to the games all season long on OTS Media of Rock Hill (94.3 FM), which is the flagship station for Winthrop Athletics. In addition, most games will simulcast on 730 ESPN Charlotte and AM 1450 WGNC Gastonia. Make sure to tune into the pregame show, which begins 30 minutes before tipoff and also follow the postgame show to hear interviews, analysis, stats and more!
All home games as well as all Big South games home or away are available to watch through the Big South Network on ESPN+. To watch live Big South games on ESPN+, you need a subscriber. ESPN is currently offering a discount between Oct. 25-Dec. 2 to get 12 months for the price of nine. For more information how to subscribe, click here.
UP NEXT
Winthrop remains at home as it welcomes High Point to the Winthrop Coliseum for a 2 p.m. tipoff. The first 500 fans through the doors will receive a Big Stuff bobblehead doll.
STAY SOCIAL
To keep up with the latest news on the Winthrop men's basketball program, follow the Eagles on Twitter (@Winthrop_MBB), Instagram (@Winthrop_MBB) and Facebook (/WinthropMBB).
