Rock Hill, S.C. – After a week off, the Winthrop men's basketball team is back in action on the road Thursday night as it takes on Longwood in the Big South Conference ESPNU Wild Card matchup.
WINTHROP (19-10, 9-5 Big South)
| WINTHROP PROBABLE STARTERS |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
Noteworthy |
| G |
11 |
Kasen Harrison |
6-2 |
Sr. |
13.5 |
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 (494) / 14th Eagle to reach 300 / In double-figures for 24-of-29 games, including a 24 point performance vs. Georgia Sou. / Career-high 9 assists vs. Longwood & at USC Upstate |
| G |
15 |
Tommy Kamarad |
6-8 |
Sr. |
3.7 |
2.7 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
9 points in the win at PC / Has started last four games / Posted 16 points, 8 rebounds in win at USC Upstate / Had 9 points, 5 rebounds in win over Gardner-Webb / Averaging 4.2 rpg over last six games |
| G/F |
10 |
Nick Johnson |
6-4 |
Sr. |
12.5 |
3.2 |
1.6 |
1.3 |
Career-high 28 points in triple OT win over Charleston Sou. / Coming off first double-double as an Eagle with 10 points, 10 boards at PC / Had back-to-back games with 20 or more points at Upstate/vs. Radford / Ranked 7th in Big South with 1.3 spg / at least 1 steal in 24-of-29 games played |
| F |
12 |
K.J. Doucet |
6-7 |
Sr. |
13.6 |
5.6 |
1.1 |
0.8 |
24-25 Big South Preseason All-Conference / Had first 20-point game in league play with 24 at PC / Posted back-to-back double-doubles (at Indiana/vs. Upstate) / Closing in on 1,700 career points (1,688) / In double-figures in 23-of-29 games |
| F |
4 |
Kelton Talford |
6-7 |
Sr. |
16.1 |
7.8 |
0.9 |
1.1 |
8th double-double of the season at PC with 17 points, 12 rebounds / Big South career leader in field goal percentage (.649) / Approaching 1,800 career points (1,799) and 900 rebounds (895) / '23-24/'24-25 Big South Preseason All-Conference / '22-23/'23-24 Big South All-Conference First Team |
DANK BURRITO WATCH PARTY FOR ESPNU WILD CARD GAME AT LONGWOOD
Dank Burrito will be hosting a Watch Party for the men's basketball game at Longwood on ESPNU Thursday Night. Come join other Winthrop fans at Dank Burrito in Rock Hill, S.C. to route on your Eagles. Fans can enjoy their weekly Thirsty Thursday promotion which allows them to receive a free co-branded stadium cup with a purchas of a meal and showing a valid Winthrop ID.
SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: 19-8
Series Streak: W1
Record at Joan Perry Brock Center: 0-1
Streak at Joan Perry Brock Center: L1
Prosser vs. Longwood: 3-5
- This is the second meeting this season and 28th overall between Winthrop and Longwood
- The Eagles won the first meeting 95-76 behind 14 three-point field goals and 54 percent shooting
- Winthrop has now won three of the last five meetings and over the last 10 each team has won five times
WINTHROP IN BIG SOUTH
- Eagles are 9-5, have won six of the last seven games and are all alone in third place of the Big South Standings
- A win at Longwood would give the Eagles a chance at finishing second in the league after the UNC Asheville loss at PC Wednesday
- So far this season the Eagles are 6-1 at home and 3-4 on the road in league play
- Have won the last three road games (at Charleston Southern/Upstate/PC)
- First in the Big South in scoring (84.4) 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
- Eagles are 359-244 all-time in regular season league games as the 359 wins are the most by any Big South program in history
WINTHROP
- Leading the nation in free throw attempts per game (29.4) and free throws made per game (19.9) as of Feb. 24
- 15 home wins at home this season and for the 5th time in program history with at least 15
- One more home win will tie the program record for the most in a single-season
- Posted the 5th 100-point game of the season in the 105-95 win at USC Upstate
- Eagles are one win away from the 15th 20-win season since becoming an NCAA Division I member in 1985-86
- One more win and the Eagles will have the second 20-win season under Mark Prosser
- 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 16.1 ppg, K.J. Doucet is averaging 13.6 ppg, Kasen Harrison is averaging 13.5 ppg and Nick Johnson is at 12.5 per game
- Talford is 4th in the league, Doucet is 16th in scoring, Harrison is 17th and Johnson is 19th
- Talford is third in the Big South in rebounding (7.8) and first in field goal percentage (.648)
- Talford is on the verge of becoming the 2nd Eagle all-time to reach 1,800 career points and 900 career rebounds (Charles Brunson was the first)
- Eagles have three players ranked among the Top 7 in the Big South for free throw attempts asTalford is 2nd, Johnson is 4th, and Doucet 7th
- This season the Eagles have made 576 free throws, which are the 4th most in a single-season in program history
- The 852 free throw attempts are the 3rd most in a single-season
- 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)
- Johnson is coming off his first double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds at PC
- Talford also had a double-double at PC with 17 points and 12 rebounds (his second against PC this 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 1,439th game in program history and hold an all-time record of 816-622
- Winthrop has more wins than any other Big South school (259) since the 2012-13 season and the closest is Radford with 333
- Prosser is in his fourth season as head coach of the Eagles (8th head coach in program history) and holds a 72-51 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 243rd career game and 215th 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
- Surpassed 1,500 career points and with three guaranteed games remaining has a chance to reach 1,600 (1,573)
- At Charleston Southern he reached 1,000 career points as an Eagle (29th player in program history)
- Surpassed 400 career assists (494) as he's dished out 343 as an Eagle to move into 9th 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 130 games played)
- Is four 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 1,799 career points, ranking 3rd all-time in scoring at Winthrop as he passed Xavier Cooks in the game vs. High Point
- His 895 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 1,800 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 (712), 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 145 in his career
Nick Johnson
- Reached 1,000 career points in the win at Radford last season and recently surpassed 1,400
- points (now has 1,406)
- Made his 100th career start at Radford (133 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 (1,688) after 11 points vs. Radford
- Joined the 1,000 point/500 rebound club and now has 600 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 returns home for less than a 48 hour turnaround as it hosts UNC Asheville on Saturday, Mar. 1 at 4 p.m. in the regular season finale for both teams. It is Senior Day for the Eagles as all seniors will be recognized in a pregame ceremony.
STAY SOCIAL WITH THE EAGLES
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).
