NCAA Basketball: Biggest takeaways from 2019 Charleston Classic

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 15: Andrew Nembhard #2 of the Florida Gators celebrates in the game against the LSU Tigers during the Quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – NOVEMBER 06: Dennis Tunstall #11 of the Towson Tigers reacts to a call in the first half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on November 6, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

Saint Joe’s – Talented but wildly inconsistent

Coming into this season, there weren’t many expectations for a rebuilding Hawks team that lost their longtime head coach and several key players. But upsets over Missouri Valley favorite Bradley and UConn showed that maybe Saint Joe’s could be a bit better than expected. Instead, they go 0-3 in the event and were handled by Towson in the end.

That doesn’t mean that teams in the A-10 should overlook Saint Joe’s, as they were very competitive against Florida and Missouri State. The offense, led by stud Delaware transfer Ryan Daly, will be potent the rest of the way and make them an upset threat to the top teams in the league. But if they don’t start playing defense, the Hawks really will be at the bottom of the standings.

Towson – Tigers will be a factor in the Colonial

Many tournaments have a doormat team that is expected to go 0-3 in the multi-game events. Towson was the supposed to be that team as the CAA representative but they showed themselves well, losing to Buffalo by just three points and beating Saint Joe’s. Brian Fobbs, who averaged 17 ppg as a freshman a year ago, looks every bit of an All-Conference player once again.

At 3-4, Towson has several tough road games that’ll likely take them into conference play with a record under .500. But don’t dismiss the Tigers just yet as long as Fobbs continues to play well. They might not have enough to truly push the likes of College of Charleston, Northeastern and William & Mary but a mid-tier finish in the CAA is not out of the question.

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