Winthrop 2007 NCAA Tournament Capsule

Winthrop Eagles - Big South

Seed: #11 - Midwest Region

Big Wins: 11/18 at Mississippi State (74-63), 12/29 at Old Dominion (71-65), 2/16 at Missouri State (77-66)

Bad Losses: 11/20 at Maryland (60-71), 12/4 at Wisconsin (79-82), 1/2 at Texas A&M (51-71)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2006, First Round loss to Tennessee

Coach: Gregg Marshall (0-6 in 6 NCAA appearances)

Probable Winthrop Starters:

• Chris Gaynor, Junior, Guard, 7.6 ppg, 4.7 apg

• Michael Jenkins, Junior, Guard, 15.3 ppg, 3.0 apg, 3.8 rpg

• Torrell Martin, Senior, Guard, 14.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg

• Phillip Williams, Senior, Forward, 8.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg

• Craig Bradshaw, Senior, Forward, 13.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.2 bpg

Key Roleplayers for Winthrop:

• Antwon Harris, Junior, Guard, 5.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg

• De’Andre Adams, Sophomore, Guard, 2.1 ppg, 2.8 apg

• Mantoris Robinson, Freshman, Guard, 2.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg

• Taj McCullough, Junior, Forward, 8.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:
The +6.8 rebound margin sounds good, but we are talking about the Big South, right? Sure that inflates the number a little bit, but Winthrop did outrebound North Carolina and held in there against Maryland. The Eagles can lose the battle on the glass against superior opponents, but Craig Bradshaw, Phillip Williams and Taj McCullough are still a formidable group in the frontcourt that can out hustle anybody to a rebound.

The Eagles do a great job of sharing the ball to find the open shot. Point guard Chris Gaynor dishes out 4.7 assists per game and only turns it over 1.4 times. He is a great playmaker and can create off the fast break or in the halfcourt set.

Why Winthrop Can Disappoint:
Gaynor and Williams are the only players on the team with respectful free-throw shooting numbers. Bradshaw gets to the line 4.5 times a game and only makes 60.4% of those and that could hurt the Eagles down the stretch in a close game. While the forwards versatility on offense creates problems for the opposition, their defense on the interior is questionable. A true post player can hurt the Eagles, if they can find a way to get the ball past the solid perimeter defense and into the paint.

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Who To Watch:
The stars of the team are on the wings in Michael Jenkins and Torrell Martin. The upperclassmen have been through a lot during their careers and will not be intimidated by the scrutiny of March. Jenkins went from a roleplayer as a sophomore to a superstar as a junior and ranks in the top 30 nationally in three-point field goals made and three-point field goal percentage.Martin is solid long range shooter himself, but will get to the basket and the glass more than Jenkins.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 75.3 (57th in nation, 3rd in conference)

Scoring Defense: 60.9 (25, 1)

Field-Goal Percentage: 48.1 (27, 1)

Field-Goal Defense: 40.8 (42, 1)

Free-Throw Percentage: 62.7 (307, 8)

Rebound Margin: 6.8 (13, 1)

Assists Per Game: 16.7 (20, 2)

Turnovers Per Game: 13.0 (67, 1)

Joel’s Bracket Says: Second Round loss to Oregon

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