William & Mary vs. College of Charleston: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

Two of the best teams in the Colonial Athletic Association face off on Thursday night. Can Charleston separate themselves in the standings with a win?

TV schedule: Thursday, February 8, 7:00 p.m. ET. Check Local Listings

Arena: TD Arena in Charleston, South Carolina

After the recent defections from teams like George Mason and VCU, a power struggle emerged at the top of the CAA standings. One team that’s consistently been one of the better programs in the league is College of Charleston 18-6 (9-3). The Cougars got off to a mediocre start in conference play, with a 3-3 record.

They’ve been much better as of late, with a six game winning streak. The latest one came this past Saturday, in a 86-85 nail-biter win over Hofstra. Grant Riler tied a game-high win 24 points, while Jarrell Brantley had 23 points and seven rebounds.

Joe Chealey had 19 in the game, right along his season average of 18.8 ppg, tops on the team. He’s one of the front-runners in the CAA Player of the Year race, and the primary reason for College of Charleston being in first place in the standings.

Right below them is William & Mary 15-8 (8-4), one of the fastest paced teams in the entire country. It’s had a huge impact on both their offensive and defensive numbers, ranked near the top on one end, and at the bottom at the other as well.

The five starters for the Tribe all average at least 12.7 ppg, with the frontcourt leading the way. Sophomores Nathan Knight (18.2 ppg and 7.3 rpg) and Justin Pierce (14.3 ppg and 9.0 rpg) are the team’s leading scorers and rebounders. They combined for 26 points in the 91-79 loss to Drexel, with William & Mary giving up 51 second half points.

Next: Who are the top teams in the country?

William & Mary are going to give up points, allowing at least 90 in five of the last seven games. College of Charleston is number-wise the top defense in the country, so the question will be whether or not the Tribe will score enough to be in this game.

Prediction: College of Charleston 92 – William & Mary 77