SoCon Monster Game of the Week: Davidson at Western Carolina

Here we go again. Another week, another opportunity for Davidson to play in the Monster Game of the Week. This week, the Catamounts are playing at home against the SoCon favorite Wildcats.

The Catamounts are 5-2, just one half game behind Samford in the SoCon North race. Davidson is up a full two games on College of Charleston in the South race.

The Catamounts bounced back from their two game winning streak by beating the Mocs in Chattanooga last Saturday night. Davidson bounced back from their loss early last week at Georgia Southern, by beating The Citadel and College of Charleston.

So here we go with one of the biggest games of the week. These two matched up in the SoCon Tournament Championship Game last season, an epic double overtime battle won by the Wildcats. The two teams have not met since.

De'Mon Brooks leads the Wildcats in scoring with 13.8 points per game. He has 6.3 rebounds per game. Brooks is the best player the Wildcats have when he is on. He scored 15 against The Citadel and 17 against College of Charleston. That means he seems to be coming out of his funk. He is 11 of 23 from the field during those two games.

Jake Cohen has scored 13.1 points per game and collected 5.3 rebounds per game and 1.6 blocks per game. Cohen made 39.6% from three point range. Nik Cochran has made 40.7% from three point range. Chris Czerapowicz has made 41.3% from three point range. Czerapowicz leads the team with 33 three pointers made this year. He is averaging 8.3 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game. Nik Cochran is averaging 9.1 points per game and leads the team with 3.4 assists per contest. JP Kuhlman is averaging 3.1 assists per game.

The Catamounts are lead by the dynamic Trey Sumler. Sumler is averaging 17.9 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per contest, and 3.9 assist per game. He shot 39.5% from three point range. He is one of the best free throw shooters in the SoCon, as well. Sumler is tremendous, and one of the top players in the SoCon.

Tom Tankelewicz made 39.7% from three point range. He was suspended earlier this year, but reinstated after missing just one game. In his first game back against Samford, he was not great, but against Chattanooga, he was brilliant. He made seven three pointers. He is one of the keys to the Catamounts offense.

Tawaski King leads the team in rebounding with 5.5 rebounds per game and 11.4 points per game. King has always been good. King is a very good player, and played brilliantly last year in the SoCon Tournament. Davidson will be very impressed by him again.

LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG

--I am really hoping that Tankelewicz and Czerapowicz get into a three point shootout. I like watching both of them drain threes. When both of them are draining threes, their teams are infinitely better.
--Sumler? Brooks? Cohen? Which of these players is the best SoCon player? Again, this game features some of the SoCon's best players. Nothing to complain about there. My bet? Brooks comes to play, and so does Sumler.
--King will play very well.
--Western Carolina 74, Davidson 73. Upset. The Catamounts have been pointing to this one since the SoCon Tournament Championship Game last year. They desperately want this one. Davidson has not played as well away from home this year (no surprise there), and Western is dying to get this one. The Catamounts win on a late King score, opening up the South race again, and helping keep the Catamounts right in the thick of the North race.