Week 14 Men's Basketball Preview: Coastal Carolina

Coastal Carolina returns home this week for a pair of games as conference play continues to tighten in the Sun Belt. After splitting a tough road swing, the Chanticleers will look to build momentum in Conway against Arkansas State before welcoming UMass in the return leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge.

Arkansas State at Coastal Carolina

The Chanticleers’ first game of the week comes against the visiting Arkansas State Red Wolves. Coastal Carolina enters the matchup with a 14-10 overall record and sits at 7-5 in conference play. Arkansas State comes in on a three-game losing streak and currently sits at 13-10 overall (5-6 Sun Belt).

Coastal Carolina is coming off a road week in which its five-game winning streak was snapped in a close loss at South Alabama, before bouncing back with a four-point victory over ULM.

In the win against the Warhawks, guard AJ Dancler tied his career high with 32 points and knocked down six 3-pointers. Dancler is now averaging 15.4 points per game, good for second on the team and 13th in the conference. He is also tied for the team lead in rebounds at 5.6 per game.

Dancler is joined in the backcourt by Rasheed Jones and Josh Beadle. Despite two rough shooting games on the road, Beadle still ranks in the top 10 in the conference in scoring at just over 16 points per game. Jones also sits inside the top 15 in the league in scoring, while adding 4.9 rebounds per game and shooting just under 40 percent from deep.

Arkansas State enters the week coming off two home losses. Old Dominion visited Jonesboro and handed the Red Wolves a heartbreaking four-point loss, which was followed by Marshall coming to town and leaving with a 70-61 victory.

The Red Wolves are a balanced offensive team, with five players averaging double figures and another scoring just under 10 points per game. Matt Hayman leads the group at 12 points per game, while fellow starting guards Christian Harmon and Chandler Jackson also average double figures.

Bench production has been a major factor for Arkansas State this season, and the game could come down to which team gets more from its reserves. Forward Jaxon Ellingsworth averages over 10 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while guards Joey Chammaa and TJ Caldwell both average more than nine points. Chammaa was the Red Wolves’ leading scorer early in the season before an injury sidelined him for an extended stretch.

Coastal Carolina’s bench impacts the game in a different way. While scoring has been limited, center Derrick Green has become a key piece by providing physicality and rebounding. Freshman Tristan Thompson has emerged as a strong defensive presence, and DaJohn Craig has been one of the team’s better perimeter shooters.

With both teams similar in 3-point shooting and rebounding, turnovers could be the deciding factor. Arkansas State leads the conference in turnovers at 14.2 per game, more than one higher than any other team, while Coastal Carolina ranks near the bottom of the league at just over 10 per game.

Tipoff: Wednesday, Feb. 4, 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT)

TV: ESPN+

Radio: WRXZ 107.1 (Coastal Carolina), 107.9 KFIN (Arkansas State)

For more information on tickets, fans can click here. Fans can also contact the ticket office via phone at 1-877-4-CHANTS, or via email at tickets@coastal.edu.

UMass at Coastal Carolina

In the return leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge, Coastal Carolina welcomes UMass to Conway.

The Minutemen dropped their first MAC-SBC Challenge game to Marshall and will be coming off a matchup against Central Michigan. In their most recent contest, UMass defeated Eastern Michigan 70-67 to improve to 14-9 overall (5-6 MAC).

Like the Chanticleers, UMass is led by a top-10 scorer in its conference. Leonardo Bettiol averages 17.4 points per game and adds eight rebounds per contest, presenting a potential matchup problem for Coastal Carolina’s frontcourt. Guard Marcus Banks Jr. also ranks inside the top 10 in the MAC in scoring at 15 points per game, while shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc.

Turnovers have been an issue for the Minutemen, who give the ball away 13.3 times per game. Similar to the Arkansas State matchup, that could be where the game is decided, as both teams shoot comparable percentages from deep. Coastal does hold a slight rebounding advantage, but UMass excels at limiting opponents on the glass, allowing just 31.7 rebounds per game.

Defense could play a major role, especially when it comes to slowing down each team’s top scorers. Both teams rank inside the top five of their respective leagues in points allowed per game and top two in opponent 3-point percentage. Whichever team does a better job limiting the opposing stars will have a strong chance to win.

UMass has also shown it can compete in high-scoring games, losing to Bowling Green 101-100 and nearly knocking off undefeated Miami (OH) in an 86-84 contest.

Tipoff: Wednesday, Feb. 4, 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT)

TV: ESPN+

Radio: WRXZ 107.1 (Coastal Carolina), WEEI 105.5 (UMass)

For more information on tickets, fans can click here. Fans can also contact the ticket office via phone at 1-877-4-CHANTS, or via email at tickets@coastal.edu.