Week 12 Men's Basketball Preview: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Coastal Carolina enters the week on a three-game winning streak, with the last two coming on the road against Marshall and Georgia Southern. The Chanticleers have already surpassed their win total from last season and will look to continue their form at home against Texas State and Southern Miss.

Texas State at Coastal Carolina

The Chants begin their week welcoming the Texas State Bobcats for the final time as conference opponents. Both teams enter the matchup with identical overall and conference records, sitting at 11-9 (4-4 Sun Belt).

Josh Beadle leads Coastal into the home stretch, averaging 16 points per game, which ranks seventh in the Sun Belt. Beadle has been a major factor in the Chants’ three-game winning streak, scoring a total of 69 points during that span. For Coastal to extend its streak, Beadle will need to continue that production.

Beadle’s backcourt mates were also sensational in the two most recent road wins. AJ Dancler scored 26 in an 85-83 win over Marshall, followed by a 20-point, 10-rebound performance in a 79-75 overtime victory at Georgia Southern. RaSheed Jones posted 28 points against the Eagles and was the lone source of offense at times. Coastal’s success will largely depend on how far this trio of guards can take them.

While the guards will draw much of the attention, Coastal Carolina’s role players have also stepped up. Forward Reggie Hill is averaging 6.6 points and 5.6 assists while shooting nearly 40 percent from three. Dajohn Craig is also shooting nearly 40 percent from deep while providing strong defense. Center Nadrick Peat ranks among the top five in the conference in blocks, averaging 1.6 per game.

Texas State enters the week after an undefeated stretch, picking up road wins over Louisiana and Southern Miss. Guard Kaden Gumbs led the Bobcats in scoring in both games, posting 18 points in each.

Gumbs, a three-year starter, is averaging a career-low nine points per game but remains a challenge for opposing defenses. He is also averaging 3.6 assists per contest and, while not a high-volume shooter from deep, is shooting a career-best 47.4 percent from three. Gumbs has also been disruptive defensively, averaging 2.1 steals per game.

His backcourt partner, Mark Drone, has shown improvement in nearly every category from last season. Drone ranks second on the team in scoring at 13.1 points per game while averaging more than two assists and rebounds per contest. He is also shooting 34.5 percent from three.

While the backcourt has been strong for the Bobcats, freshman forward DJ Hall has emerged as a bright spot this season. Hall leads the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game and paces the Bobcats on the glass, pulling down 7.8 rebounds per contest.

In what has been an up-and-down year, Texas State will look to extend its winning streak to three and continue climbing the standings in its final season in the Sun Belt.

Tipoff: Thursday, Jan. 22, 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN+

Radio: WRXZ 107.1 (Coastal Carolina), The Varsity Network (Texas 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.

Southern Miss at Coastal Carolina

Southern Miss visits Conway on Saturday, Jan. 24, after a stop in Atlanta to face Georgia State. The Golden Eagles are coming off a week in which losses to Troy and Texas State knocked them out of first place in the conference. They currently sit at 11-9 (5-3 Sun Belt).

Forward Tylik Weeks leads Southern Miss, averaging 17.9 points per game. Weeks also averages 6.8 rebounds per contest and will present a challenge in the post for the Chants, despite shooting just 8.3 percent from three. If he maintains this level of production, Weeks will be in contention for first-team all-conference honors at the end of the season.

Djahi Binet has also been a presence in the paint for the Golden Eagles. Binet is averaging just under 10 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while ranking among the most efficient players in the conference, shooting better than 65 percent from the field.

With Isaac Taveras sidelined after a strong start to the season, Southern Miss continues to search for a consistent perimeter threat. Dylan Brumfield has been the closest to filling that role, playing the second-most minutes on the team while averaging nine points and three assists per game. Izzy Hart has flashed scoring potential at the guard position but has struggled to find consistency.

The Golden Eagles will need to improve in two key areas to find success in Conway and down the stretch in conference play. Southern Miss averages 13.2 turnovers per game, ranking among the four worst marks in the league and nearly three more than Coastal. The Golden Eagles also shoot below 30 percent from three, more than two percentage points worse than the thirteenth-ranked team in the conference.

Tipoff: Saturday, Jan. 24, 1 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN+

Radio: WRXZ 107.1 (Coastal Carolina), The Varsity Network (Southern Miss)

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.