Week 16 Men's Basketball Preview: Coastal Carolina

Coastal Carolina took down the red-hot Ragin’ Cajuns last week, and will return home with a rare six day break to face James Madison. The Chanticleers will also welcome Marshall to Conway in what could be a crucial game in the top of the Sun Belt standings.

James Madison at Coastal Carolina

Similar to the Louisiana game, Coastal Carolina will face a team on a winning streak, as James Madison’s three-game run has helped the Dukes improve to 14-13 (6-8 Sun Belt). Coastal’s 69-65 road victory over Louisiana moved the Chants to 16-11 (8-6) and kept them within striking distance of the conference lead. It will be the first matchup between the two teams this season, with the second coming in the regular-season finale.

Josh Beadle led the Chants against Louisiana with 29 points, the second-most of his career. On the season, Beadle is tied for fifth in the conference at 17 points per game and leads the team with three assists per game. Although he is shooting 26.3% from three-point range this season, he has gone 5-for-6 from deep over Coastal’s last two games.

The Chanticleers’ other two guards round out the “big three,” as AJ Dancler and RaSheed Jones both rank in the top 20 in the conference in scoring. Over the last nine games, Dancler is averaging 19.1 points per game and has been an impressive rebounder from the guard position, pulling down 5.6 boards per game. Jones is averaging just under 15 points per game and, like Dancler, is shooting just under 40% from 3-point range. In the UMass thriller, Jones played a team-high 50 minutes and scored 26 points.

James Madison is also headlined by a trio of scorers, led by forward Justin McBride. The 6-foot-7 junior is just behind Beadle in scoring at 16.8 points per game and is shooting 40.9% from deep. Guards Cliff Davis and Bradley Douglas are also averaging double figures. Davis has led the Dukes in scoring in five of their last six games, including a 25-point performance against Georgia State.

The matchup will be intriguing on both ends of the floor, as each team’s strengths clash with the other’s weaknesses. Offensively, the Dukes rank fifth in the conference in offensive efficiency and second in 2-point percentage, according to KenPom. Coastal counters with the fourth-most efficient defense in the conference and the second-best 2-point defense.

On the other end, Coastal features one of the least efficient offenses in the conference, while James Madison has one of the least efficient defenses, according to KenPom. The turnover battle could be key. Coastal prefers to keep its turnovers around 10 per game but showed it can win with more against Louisiana. James Madison ranks among the worst teams nationally in forcing turnovers, averaging just 8.9 per game.

Tipoff: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN+

Radio: WRXZ 107.1 (Coastal Carolina), JMU Radio Network (James Madison)

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.

Marshall at Coastal Carolina

On Senior Night and in their home finale, the Chanticleers welcome Marshall to Conway in what could be a two-game swing at the top of the Sun Belt standings. Marshall enters the week at 17-10 (9-5) and is coming off a win against South Alabama on Monday. Before traveling to Conway, the Thundering Herd will visit Boone to face conference-leading App State.

This will be the second matchup between the teams this season after Coastal defeated Marshall 85-83 in Huntington in January. In that game, two guards from each side took over. For the Chants, Beadle and Dancler each scored 26 points. For Marshall, Jalen Speer scored 24 before fouling out, and Noah Otshudi finished with 30.

While Speer and Otshudi are major scoring threats, Marshall’s leading scorer this season has been Wyatt Fricks. The 6-foot-10 forward is averaging 15.4 points and 5.7 rebounds and is coming off a 27-point performance against South Alabama. Speer and Otshudi are both averaging more than 14 points per game.

Barring any changes, Coastal is expected to start Beadle, Dancler, Jones, Hill and Peat for the 26th and 27th consecutive games. Marshall’s lineup has been less consistent. Landen Joseph started over Caleb Hollenbeck against South Alabama, and Erich Harding has started the last few games at center in place of the injured Matt Van Komen. It remains unclear when, or if, Van Komen will return.

Role players could be the difference, even if it doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. For Marshall, Joseph has been impactful defensively while also contributing offensively. Shamarrie Hugie, Caleb Hollenbeck and Wilson Dubinsky provide different scoring looks off the bench. For Coastal, Reggie Hill has been strong on the boards, while Tristian Thompson and Dajohn Craig bring defensive presence from the guard spots. Derrick Green’s physicality has also earned him more minutes. The supporting cast that performs best will likely determine the outcome.

Tipoff: Saturday, Feb. 21, 1 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN+

Radio: WRXZ 107.1 (Coastal Carolina), WMUL-FM 88.1 (Marshall)

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.