Last Year: 15-17; 4th (10-8) in the Big South Conference, No Postseason
Head Coach: Mark Prosser (3rd Year, 38-26 at Winthrop)
Projected Starting Lineup
| PG Sin’Cere McMahon – 6’1″, 167 – Graduate Senior |
| SG Kasen Harrison – 6’2″, 190 – Senior |
| W Nick Johnson – 6’4″, 210 – Senior |
| PF Kelton Talford – 6’7″, 205 – Senior 0. |
| C Alex Timmerman – 6’10”, 267 – Graduate Senior |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Kasen Harrison: 11.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.2 spg, 45.2% 3FG
Sin’Cere McMahon: 13.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 0.6 spg, 37.2% 3FG
Nick Johnson: 12.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.4 spg, 37.4% 3FG
Kelton Talford: 16.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 0.7 apg, 66.9% FG, 6.0 FTA/G
Alex Timmerman: 11.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.6 bpg, 52.0% FG
Experienced Reserves
| G Michael Anumba – 6’4″, 220 – Senior |
| F Chase Claxton – 6’7″, 195 – Senior |
| G Isaiah Wilson – 6’1″, 170 – Junior |
| F/C Michael Moore – 6’10”, 220 – Senior |
| G Xavier McKelvy – 6’2″, 180 – Sophomore |
| F KJ Doucet – 6’7″, 210 – Junior |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Michael Anumba: 7.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.4 spg, 37.5% 3FG (2021-22 stats)
Chase Claxton: 5.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 1.1 apg, 1.1 spg
Isaiah Wilson: 5.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.0 spg (7 games played)
Michael Moore: 0.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.5 bpg, 55.6% FG
Xavier McKelvy: 3.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.2 apg, 0.4 spg, 50.0% FG
KJ Doucet: 16.7 ppgg, 5.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.1 spg, 31.5% 3FG @ Fort Valley State
Freshmen
| F Yoro Diallo – 6’8″, 205 – Redshirt Freshman |
| G Noah Van Bibber – 6’5″, 190 – Freshman |
Some teams are good at everything. A rare few are great at everything. If you are a fan of contrast, excitement, and not making things too easy, there are other models to consider. For example, a squad which can bomb away from deep, but which has an acute allergy to rebounds; perhaps one which shoots the ball at a very tidy rate – but had better, because of all the turnovers.
Things were nothing if not interesting last season for Winthrop. A program which has been the class of the Big South Conference for most of the past two decades, the Eagles went for an unenjoyable ride last winter. After a regular season title in Mark Prosser’s first season, the Eagles fell off to 15-17 last year, their first losing season in a decade. Despite a high-scoring lineup, Winthrop played a bit slower than usual last season – and they were significantly worse as a team defensively. Winthrop ranked 303rd in opponent points per game, and allowed their foes to make 47.0% of their shots overall – 339th in the land. The offense was highly reliant on the three point shot and trips to the free throw line, and the rebounding situation was, well, rough.
With three of the top four scorers back from last season, plus a couple of guys returning from redshirt and some transfers who should help shore up the areas of need, Prosser feels like he’s got a better mix this season. And with last year’s Big South champ – UNC-Asheville – returning most of their roster, the Eagles know that there’s work to be done if they want to get back to the top.
Kelton Talford wasn’t part of the rebounding problem last year. Despite weighing in at just under 200 pounds, he ranked second in the Big South with 89 offensive rebounds, and piled up eight double-doubles. He had such a big year overall that his breakout landed Talford on the All-Big South first team. On a team full of three point shooters, Talford doesn’t let his rangy frame deter him from pounding the ball inside – he plays his game almost exclusively in the lane. Whether he’s bullying someone on the block or slashing in from the wing, Talford works diligently to get a bucket or to get fouled. He finished fourth in the Big South in both free throws made and attempted – and Talford led the Big South in field goal percentage. His field goal rate was buoyed by 21 dunks, it wasn’t just the best in the Big South – Kelton ranked sixth in the nation by cashing in 66.9% of his shot attempts overall last year. Talford was such a one-man wrecking crew that his 35 putback tries were better than three times more than anyone else on the team, per Hoop-Math. “I’ve been in the post my whole life,” Talford told the Rock Hill Herald. “But I’m undersized for a post guy, so just being smart and making smart decisions down there, even with my footwork and just getting a good angle on the shot. So I think that’s really helped me a lot.” With his crafty approach, great touch, and relentless nature, Talford is a physical force who offers mismatch potential which is vital to the Eagle offense. Talford made a solid 41.2% of his shots away from the rim last season, per Barttorvik, but just one of those tries – a miss – came from distance. To reach the next level as a scorer, he must expand his range – and make a bit more than 65.7% of his foul shots.
The Winthrop attack is led very much by guard play, and there is variety and plenty of experience in Prosser’s backcourt. Sin’Cere McMahon and Kasen Harrison return as starters, and there are plenty of other talented guys vying for minutes as well. McMahon was a big reason that the Eagles ranked 42nd nationally in made triples and 30th in 3FG%, as his 72 hits from the land of trey were good for fifth in the Big South. McMahon also ranked 11th in the nation by making 89.5% of his free throws, and joined Talford in the league’s top five free throw makers. While he’s small and slight, McMahon is very quick and can confidently create his own shot. Though he doesn’t shoot it nearly as often from inside the arc, McMahon drives the ball assertively when he puts it on the deck and isn’t afraid of contact. He can run the show, but McMahon is more effective off the ball and working around screens. A former Western Carolina transfer, McMahon is a 38.1% career shooter from distance, and demands attention from opposing defenses. It’s a good thing that Prosser has such efficient scorers as McMahon and Talford; the Eagles attempted the seventh-fewest 2FG’s per game in the country last year, and Prosser will be counting on his scorers to continue earning trips to the free throw line as a safeguard against scoring droughts.
Harrison fit right into Prosser’s lineup at the point in his first year after transferring in from Lamar. He’s not the deep threat that McMahon is, but can put it on the floor and create for those around him better than anyone else returning from last year’s roster. One of many Eagles who battled nagging injuries during the season, Harrison is also a key defender. There are few perimeter stoppers on the roster, and Harrison is both solidly-built and has the attitude to match up against a wide range of opposing guards. If Harrison can keep a tighter handle on his turnovers, it will help the entire Eagles offense to be more efficient at volume as opposed to relying on the high-percentages but worryingly slim margin for error which the team endured last season. The Eagles attempted just 52.2 shots per game in 2022-23, which ranked 355th out of 363 Division I programs. Despite not preferring to bomb away from deep, Harrison is a 38.4% shooter from deep over his three seasons when he does decide to launch, and he has forced defenders to respect his jumper. Overall, Harrison provides a reliable presence to keep the offense moving, and has gained the confidence to keep improving with a year’s experience. Prosser’s returning veterans have formed a tight bond, and want to succeed together. “It’s a brotherhood now,” Talford said this summer. “Going through the adversity we did, everybody buying in and sticking together and supporting one another. It drew us closer. It’s more of a brotherhood than teammates at this point.” Harrison agrees. “On some teams, when a lot of new people come in, it don’t really work, and I feel like we all made it work. We all had a tight bond together,” he told the Rock Hill Herald.
Two key members of the backcourt are coming off of medical redshirts, and will be counted on to play major minutes now that they are healthy. Michael Anumba went down in the Eagles’ first game of the year, depriving Prosser of a big, physical presence on the perimeter and arguably the team’s best defender. Anumba, who is French and prepped in Britain, has been extraordinarily consistent over the course of his four full years in Rock Hill. He’s played between about 24 and 28 minutes per game while starting 116 tilts, and has averaged between 6.4 and 7.7 points each season. A strong rebounder for his size – especially on the offensive end – Anumba is a streaky but capable outside shooter who can heat up and cause problems for the opposition all over the court. With just one season left to play, Anumba is determined to make it a good one. Something which will give any of the guards competing for minutes this year a leg up will be if they can prove to Prosser that they will value his team’s possessions. The Eagles coughed up the 52nd-most turnovers per game in the country last season, despite the experienced depth in the Eagles’ backcourt. Isaiah Wilson hasn’t been a great percentage shooter so far in his career, but the Winthrop staff believe that he’s got untapped scoring ability. A former Richmond transfer, Wilson started six of the Eagles’ first seven games last year before being lost for the rest of the season. In fact, he’s started 24 games through his first three seasons, though Wilson has averaged just 13.3 minutes so far. He’s got useful quickness at both ends of the floor, and this winter, Wilson is hoping to make his most lasting impact yet.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 55.1% – Team Effective FG% (14th) |
| 54.8% – Opponent Effective FG% (342nd) |
| 8.8 – 3FG Made Per Game (40th) |
| 0.806 – Team Assists Per Turnover (326th) |
| 0.416 – Free Throws Attempted to Field Goals Attempted (9th) |
Winthrop ranked 312th in the county in offensive, 316th in defensive, and 346th overall in total rebounds per game last season despite Talford’s heroics. It wasn’t just because Prosser’s team stopped playing at a decent tempo and there weren’t that many shots going up; Winthrop had such a bad time on the glass that they also ranked 331st nationally by letting the opposition to play catch with their own misses to the tune of 11.5 offensive rebounds allowed per contest.
Timmerman’s seven double-doubles last year helped him to rank second in the Patriot League in rebounding average – music to Prosser’s ears
With the problems that the Eagles had corralling rebounds last season, Prosser knew that he needed to bring in some external help. He found former Bucknell big man Alex Timmerman, who brings broad shoulders and 98 offensive boards the past two seasons to the pivot for the Eagles. With 42 career starts under his belt, Timmerman plays a patient, efficient game that should hopefully help to calm the storm of opposing players grabbing rebounds which Winthrop could have snagged. Timmerman’s seven double-doubles last year helped him to rank second in the Patriot League in rebounding average – music to Prosser’s ears – and his 19 putback tries would have ranked second on the Eagles last season, per Hoop-Math. Timmerman isn’t the greatest of athletes, but he has learned to move his feet well at both ends of the floor, and to defend without fouling. He’s also developed into a snappy passer, and Timmerman worked well with now-Butler commit Andre Screen to move the ball around the lane a year ago. In keeping with the rest of Winthrop’s scorers, Timmerman knows how to get to the free throw line (3.5 attempts per game last year), where he is a 73% career foul shooter. Timmerman knocked down his shots around the bucket at a 59.3% rate last year, hit a respectable 42.9% from the in-between areas, and his range occasionally extends out to the three point arc. With Talford’s slashing, energetic post game and Timmerman’s reliable presence, Winthrop should be significantly more respectable on the boards this winter. Michael Moore returns to back up the pivot after appearing in 25 games as a freshman. While he only played 179 total minutes, Moore proved that he can be active defensively and should be able to help out more on the boards after a summer of strength training. He tied Talford for the team lead in rebounds per 40 minutes, and Moore ranked third on the team in blocked shots despite averaging just over seven minutes per game. If he can play closer to 15 minutes of quality defense and get on the boards enthusiastically, Moore will be greatly appreciated by all of Eagle Nation.
Chase Claxton only averaged five points last year, but he played the fourth-most minutes on the Eagles last year because of his defensive versatility and playmaking. Claxton was one off of the team lead in steals last year, and blocked twice as many shots as anyone else. He also ranked second on the team in offensive boards and has the athleticism to be a problem for less mobile bigs. The younger brother of NBA star Nic Claxton, Chase Claxton can really get from one end of the court to the other, and he plays a fairly high-efficiency game. Given his defensive versatility, Claxton fits in a variety of lineups. He started all 29 games he played last season, and Claxton can provide mobility as the forward on the floor Timmerman in a 4-out look when Talford needs a breather, or combine with Talford and the other bigs to give Prosser two very disruptive 6’7″ guys with length as bookends with a true post player in between. Claxton only attempted six shots last year which weren’t either at the rim or a triple, and if he can hit more of his trey’s, Claxton could emerge as a terrific two-way player. One thing is for sure – when the Eagles need a momentum-changing slam, Claxton is the guy.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| @ Xavier – December 16th |
| @ Clemson – November 6th |
| @ Florida State – December 22 |
| @ Georgia – November 24 |
| @ South Carolina – December 19 |
Timmerman isn’t the only veteran addition to this year’s team, as former New Hampshire star Nick Johnson has come to aid the perimeter defense and KJ Doucet arrives to add depth at forward. While it should be huge to get Anumba back, adding Johnson might be just as big. A large guard who rebounds very well and has a bit of an edge around the basket, Johnson brings more of what Prosser needs. After two years gaining experience on the job, Johnson turned in his best season yet last year, being named to the All-America East team, and he was selected to the league’s All-Defense team. His jumper has been inconsistent, but Johnson scores around the rim just as often as from the outside, and of course, he got to the charity stripe an average of five times per game last year. Johnson, for all of his fearlessness, made just 43.4% of his shots from in close last year, per Bart Torvik. Coming into last year, he had made more than 58% of his attempts at the rim for his career, so there is a hope that Johnson can return to form. While he’s never going to shoot an abundance of triples, if Johnson can keep up the 37.4% he shot from downtown last winter, Prosser will be that much happier with the team’s spacing. Like Talford and Claxton, Doucet is a rangy wing forward. In two seasons at DII Fort Valley State, Doucet averaged more than 15 points per game and, as Prosser loves, got to the line 336 times in 57 career games, where he shot 77%. Doucet is a volume scorer, and will hope to bring some punch to Winthrop’s second unit. If he can get on the boards, too, it will lead to even more minutes. Xavier McKelvy appeared in 25 games last year, but saw just 9.6 minutes on average in those contests. Now a sophomore, the North Carolina product is hoping to carve out a larger role despite the presence of Anumba and now Johnson. Yoro Diallo is a forward with good size and some perimeter skill who redshirted last season, but now he should push for minutes up front.
Last season wasn’t up to Winthrop’s standard. “We’re used to hanging banners,” says Prosser. The expectation around Rock Hill is that this team can get back to contending, and Prosser believes that the formula is correct. “We’re fortunate that we didn’t have to revamp our roster entirely,” Prosser told CN2 News this August. “It’s a good group. It’s a good blend of experienced guys and new guys…they’re getting along very well, and sort of coaching one another, and I think that’s when things can be really special.”
First they will have to conquer Radford; Winthrop lost both regular season games and then were eliminated from the conference tourney by the Highlanders last year. If Winthrop can make even incremental gains on the boards and in limiting their own miscues, there is every reason to think that the Eagles will return to their winning ways. With a veteran core which has proudly stuck together for another run, the Eagles clearly have their sights set on returning to their perch atop the Big South.
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