Western Carolina Preview: Any Life Left?

The Catamounts and Mocs are tied for fifth (or last) in the SoCon North race. Both teams are in the middle of long losing streaks. Only one can emerge from this game with some sense of hope.

The Mocs suffered a "dagger" or "stake to the heart" last Saturday night against Georgia Southern. Is there any life left in the Mocs at this point? Do they have anything left to put into the season?

They Catamounts have lost six straight games to D1 teams, and 8 of 9 against D1 competition. Can they get their act back together in time for this game?

So which team has anything left in the tank? Which team has life left in them? Which team is going to show up and get out of the cellar?

In the last six games, Trey Sumler has averaged 17.7 points per game, scoring 18 three times, 22 once, 17 once, and 13 in their most recent game. The problem is that during that time, Sumler has turned the ball over four times per game with just 3.3 assists per game. He is also avearaging 4.5 rebounds per game and two steals per game.

Harouna Mutombo is averaging 12.7 points per game for the year along with 5.8 rebounds per game. Mutombo is averaging just 10.2 points per game in the last ten games when the Catamounts have won just two games. If the 17 point performance against Davidson is taken out, Mutombo is scoring just 8.3 points per game in that nine game stretch.

Keaton Cole is averaging 11.3 points per game and Brandon Boggs is scoring 10.2 points per game. Tawaski King is second on the team in rebounding with 4.8 rebounds per game. The problem for the Catamounts is that they just don't rebound the ball well. They are not big on the inside. The Mocs totally dominated the boards in their first match-up. It also was the last game before Keegan Bell's slump started. He had eight points and twelve assists.

Omar Wattad is still battling through his back injury, while Ricky Taylor is struggling with his wrist. Jahmal Burroughs will almost certainly not play with his pulled hamstring. Z Mason has a hurt knee, and has a 50/50 chance of playing on Thursday night.

KEYS TO THE GAME

--Rebounding. Will Z Mason be able to play? If not, then the Mocs will become noticeably smaller. Drazen Zlovaric can certainly have a big game on the inside. He will need to.
--Bell. Can Keegan Bell keep the momentum going from the Georgia Southern game and stay hot.
--Sumler. He's scoring. But for a point guard, to be turning the ball over more than he is getting assists is not good. He has to play much better.
--King vs. Zlovaric. If Mason does not go, then the battle inside will be Mutombo and King vs. Zlovaric and Bryant/Stokes/Baker. That's not exactly a dream for the Mocs. If the Mocs dominate the boards again, they will be able to win. If the rebounding battle tightens up substantially, Western Carolina will be in a great position.

LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG

--Sumler will continue to score, but also will continue to turn the ball over.
--The rebounding battle will go to the Mocs, but not by anywhere near the same total as in their first match-up in Chattanooga.
--Zlovaric will have a big game. Bryant will also continue to shine.
--Western Carolina 74, Mocs 69. The Mocs defense has been worse on the road and they still have not won a road game all year. Can they win this one on the road? Absolutely. This game is winnable. The Mocs really need this one bad, too. But it's just too hard to imagine winning a road game with their current state of mind and the psyche of the team.

GO MOCS!