NCDS: Mike Morrell, Asst. Coach - Charleston Southern

As our Charleston Southern team battles for seeding in next week’s BigSouth Tournament, I can’t help but think back on everything that has gone into this season. One of my favorite sayings in coaching is, “failing to prepare, is preparing to fail.” Whether that is the preparation of one’s individual skills over the summer, preparing your body with early weight workouts in September, or getting ready for an opponent in late January…it is all preparing to win! Both our team and staff believe that we have prepared adequately enough to compete for a BigSouth Championship. Now we stand one game away from securing a top-four finish and the right to host a first round tournament game. Coastal Carolina will visit the Buc Dome tomorrow; a win will get us a first round tournament game on our home floor, a loss and we will hit the road with the hopes of keeping our tournament dreams alive.

Last entry, I talked about finishing strong and putting ourselves in the proper position to make a run in late February. Since then, we are winners of three straight, beating a very good UNC-Asheville team at home, escaping UNC-Wilmington with a hard fought Bracketbusters win on the road, and taking care of business versus a tough Gardner-Webb team this past Tuesday.  Our leaders have stepped to the fore front and shown the ability to close out games.

Jamarco Warren has played exceptionally well over this stretch, earning BigSouth Player of the Week honors for the second time this season and having Kelvin Martin back from an ankle sprain has been a huge boost to our team. While Jamarco and Kelvin have been catalysts for us all year…it has been the play of guys like Johathan Brooks, Kenny Mitchell, and Troy Pierce to name a few that have taken our energy and focus to another level. During February and coming down the “home stretch” of the season, it is assuring as a coach to be able to look at your bench and have confidence in guys and know that they will be able to get the job done when their number is called. Their preparation earlier in the season and every day in practice has given them the confidence to play with abandonment and help our team compete for a BigSouth Championship.

All of our preparation since last season concluded will culminate over this next week. The challenge to our team over the last month has been to “finish strong!” The work has been put in over the last six months and our players have put themselves in a position to make a run at the BigSouth Championship. It is a great feeling to be playing meaningful games in late February when so much is on the line. As one of my former bosses and mentor George Pitts always said, “the hay is in the barn, now we just got to go win.” This is where we find ourselves now at CSU.

As we enter our last game, much is on the line. A top four BigSouth finish and home court advantage in the tournament are just a few of the storylines. It will also be the last time Jarmarco Warren plays in the Buc Dome as we bid farewell to our seniors. Jamarco will leave CSU as the second all-time leading scorer and will finish somewhere in the top ten among all-time BigSouth scorers by this season’s end. He is a quiet kid, but an assassin on the floor. He will also end his career as one of only four players in BigSouth history to have made 300 three-point field goals and 300 assists. He has been the heart and soul of CSU basketball for the last four years and his grit and determination will be felt here in Charleston for years to come. Without a doubt he will be remembered, not only as one of the greatest players in CSU history, but also in BigSouth Conference history. While Jamarco is short in stature at 5’9, he is far from shortness of heart. Jamarco has been our leader all year and the “fuel” that runs our team and this will not change as we prepare for the BigSouth tournament. I am looking forward to watching his home finale this Saturday. He will have a great career after CSU wherever he lands and we will miss him greatly.

Best of luck to everyone as the regular season comes to a close and conference tournaments get underway! Best wishes.

In Hoops,

Mike Morrell