Towson Basketball Season Preview
Mar 8, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Towson Tigers guard Four McGlynn (center) grabs a rebound over James Madison Dukes guard Charles Cooke (second from left) in the second half during the Colonial Athletic Conference basketball tournament at Mariner Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
The NCAA college basketball season is upon us as games begin in the coming weeks. The Baltimore Wire will tour around the local basketball landscape to provide some season previews. Today we start with Towson University.
During the 2013/2014 season the Towson Tigers went 25-11 and set a new school single-season record for wins at the Division I level. In the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) the Tigers had a 13-3 record and finished second in the regular season. Towson was to eventually lose to Murray State in the quarterfinals of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.
The 2014/2015 season seems like it may be a bit more difficult as the loss of Jerrelle Benimon appears to leave a major scoring hole. Benimon has been with the Denver Nuggets summer league team and is still working on his professional career.
Junior Four McGlynn averaged 9.2 points per game last year. He will now likely be considered the primary scoring threat for the team. Fellow Junior Timajh Parker-Rivera (6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game) is the next best option for the Tigers.
The CAA preseason poll has Towson basketball pegged for 7th out of 10 teams.
The Tigers open the 2014 season on Nov. 7 when they host Slippery Rock in an exhibition game at SECU Arena. The first “real” game will be November 14 as the team travels to Tuscaloosa, AL for a game against The University of Alabama. Other highlight games will be: 12/17 at Georgetown, 12/10 at Temple, 1/10 versus Northeastern and 1/17 versus William and Mary.
The home games against Northeastern and William and Mary will be televised on Comcast SportsNet, as will a few other games. The Tigers road games at UNC Wilmington (Jan. 24) and at Hofstra (Jan. 31) will be carried on the American Sports Network (a new division of Sinclair Broadcast Group). The game at Alabama will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus.
My prediction: 16-15 before the CAA Tournament (to be held at the Baltimore Arena).