The ETSU Bucs started their 2004 season with a couple of wins against UVA-Wise and King College, but this Saturday the College of Charleston will come to Johnson City to give the Bucs a true Southern Conference showdown.
Last year the College of Charleston was able to pull out a win in Johnson City, 91-89, behind the play of Thomas Mobley and Mike Benton. Both players were able to rack up 19 points for the visiting Cougars.
This year will be a bit different for the visiting Cougars because neither of these players are on the roster.
As for ETSU, Zakee Wadood and Jerald Fields were two big forces for the Bucs, each tallying 19 points per game, but it was Tim Smith that stole the game with 27 points in the loss.
ETSU has had a couple of early bobbles, but coaches, players and fans are hoping that the Bucs will start to play together.
Veteran Smith knows that it takes time for a team to start playing as one.
“It takes a little time, and communication,” Smith said. “It’s eventually going to come, probably around conference time.”
Smith is off to a good start for the Bucs, averaging 19 points per game, with his best performance coming against Marshall University with 35 points. Junior transfer Chris Mitchell is also off to a strong start recording two double-doubles in his four-game career at ETSU.
As for Saturday’s game, the Bucs are looking for a strong performance and a chance to begin Southern Conference play.
“The guys are really excited about getting that one (game versus College of Charleston) underway,” junior guard Ben Rhoda said about his new teammates.
The Bucs are coming off of a 2-3 record, 0-0 in SoCon action, while the College of Charleston is 2-1, 0-0. The Cougars two wins came against Charleston Southern, 56-41 and Towson, 78-58.
The Cougars senior guard Toney Mitchell netted 20 points against Charleston Southern, while teammate Stanley Jackson followed with 17 points. Senior Robert Swain led the Cougars in their win against Towson tallying 19 points.
Jackson and Mitchell were also forces against Towson scoring 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Both teams are having a bit of a rebuilding season with two starters each saying farewell to their programs. With a couple of games under their belts, the two teams are ready to meet head-to-head in a true SoCon bout.

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