Post by motorcitysam on Mar 29, 2024 15:11:16 GMT -5
CMU was the surprise team of the MAC this season, being picked to finish near the bottom of the conference and coming in at 4th in the final standings, just two games out of first. The final record of 18-14, 12-6, was a big improvement over last year's 10-21, 5-13. Head coach Tony Barbee is attempting to do at CMU what he did at UTEP; a steady build up to an NCAA caliber team.
After losing three of their top four scorers to the portal last Spring, the Chips retooled and put together a roster with four players averaging double figures. Leading scorer Anthony Pritchard, a transfer from Tulsa, averaged 13 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists per game. Super Senior Brian Taylor averaged 11 points and 8 boards.
In an era not that long ago, CMU would rightfully be very excited about next season. Taylor was the only senior on the roster, and some young players got valuable experience and could be ready to step up. However, 6-10 junior Markus Harding is hitting the transfer portal after averaging 10 and 5. 6-8 Jemal Davis, who previously played at South Carolina State and saw action in 31 games for the Chips, also hit the portal. We'll see what the rest of transfer season brings, but player retention will be big for CMU.
Fire up, Chips!
Two more players CMU players have hit the portal. They are:
Anthony Pritchard, who was the leading scorer on the team after transferring in last spring from Tulsa.
Sophomore guard Paul McMillan, who spent his freshman year at NJIT before transferring to Mount Pleasant and upping his scoring average to 8 points per game.
Both would appear to be significant losses for head coach Barbee.