Campbell (4-2), coming off a 69-50 loss to NC State on Saturday, has now lost two straight after starting the season 4-0. Two of their wins are against non-DI teams.
Jordan Whitfield (15.8 ppg) and Cedric Henderson (14.8 ppg) have been the top scorers for the Camels. Whitfield in particular has been highly efficient, with a gaudy .630 FG % that is unusual for a guard. He's also shooting .571 (12-21) from 3.
The preseason preview from Three Man Weave, who picked Campbell to finish 4th in the Big South:
https://www.three-man-weave.com/3mw/big-...21-preview
4. Campbell
Key Returners: Cedric Henderson Jr., Jordan Whitfield, Joshua Lusane, Jesus Carralero, Milos Stajcic, Messiah Thompson, Austin McCullough, Ricky Clemons
Key Losses: Ja’Cor Nelson, Cory Gensler, Trey Spencer, LaDarius Knight
Key Newcomers: Dray Burton, PJ Carter, Gediminas Mokseckas, Laurynas Vaistaras, Duane Moss (Chattanooga)
Lineup:
![[Image: campbell+roster+20-21.PNG?format=1500w]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55db761ce4b0d9cdccddad7d/1605375904048-ZXWCBVZXX4PF86QEGCAN/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kPACe716muDZZub4cVliVd5Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PIzvIRC92bEM4L7tGwKOg-_zzz2lxQiY0cDThEmcw3-2k/campbell+roster+20-21.PNG?format=1500w)
Outlook: We expected life to be hard for the Fighting Camels after the legendary Chris Clemons said his farewells, but Campbell wasn’t nearly as bad as its 6-12 Big South record suggested. Per KenPom, Campbell was actually the 4th best team in the league, and road wins against Ohio and Coastal Carolina en route to a 9-3 non-con performance seems to back up that sentiment. The Camels were victims of a little bad luck during conference play and were just 1-4 in BSC games decided by five points or less. This season will be interesting – Campbell loses three regular starters to graduation, but Kevin McGeehan started 11 different players throughout the 2019-20 campaign. He’ll have an experienced crop of players returning to go along with a solid incoming class.
Campbell’s adjusted offensive efficiency ranking dropped from 101st at the end of Clemons’s senior year to a lowly 275th last season. Too many turnovers, an inability to get to the free throw line, and a lack of rebounding presence tanked what was otherwise a very good shooting squad. Campbell was very reliant on the three-point line last year ranking 4th in the league in 3PA rate and 2nd in 3P%. Also, in true McGeehan fashion, ball movement reigned supreme over the offense – McGeehan’s Camels always rank among the nation’s best in assist rate; drive-and-kick and hitting the roll man off ball screens are featured heavily in his motion attack.
I’d bet several real dollars Campbell’s offense improves in 2020-21 – perhaps dramatically so. Cory Gensler was the only truly efficient offensive player the Camels lost this offseason, and losing an inefficient ball dominant lead guard in Ja’Cor Nelson is a blessing in disguise. High-scoring wings Cedric Henderson Jr. and Jordan Whitfield will be key cogs in the Camel attack this season. Henderson especially should see a major uptick in usage – he was very efficient last season after coming over from JUCO, knocking down 43.7% of his 3PA and ranking 15th in the country in TS%.
![[Image: cedric+henderson+dunk.gif?format=1500w]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55db761ce4b0d9cdccddad7d/1605376012831-ZKCIKDXDKLHUAM03BIDH/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kPRhhsM3C4yKPtMNLVLrl-9Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PIRo0n5BM0SPZ1GO0tC1yoWG5CmmLXheqUOioUTsvCGtc/cedric+henderson+dunk.gif?format=1500w)
Henderson is also arguably Campbell’s best perimeter defender; he racks up steals and blocks from the wing position and can guard multiple spots when called upon. Whitfield can run some point, but he’s better off the ball where he can take advantage of his gorgeous outside stroke. He ranked 3rd in the Big South in 3P% (45.6%) last season and 1st in FT%. Gensler and Nelson’s departures should result in a bigger role for him offensively.
McGeehan has some question marks at the point guard spot, but sophomore Messiah Thompson, a 5’8” dynamo, proved he could protect the rock in spot minutes last season. Thompson is a capable table setter and adds even more shooting to the lineup when on the floor. If he’s not the answer at point, freshman Dray Burton could be. Burton is an excellent shooter and scorer, evidenced by his 32.1 PPG average in high school.
Off-ball minutes behind Whitfield and Henderson will be occupied by senior Austin McCullough and a combination of junior Ricky Clemons (no relation to Chris – well his Dad’s name is Chris, but he’s not related to “THE” Chris) and freshmen PJ Carter and Gediminas Mokseckas. McCullough began his career at Cal and shot a sizzling 46.2% from behind the arc in Big South play last year. He’ll be the first off the bench in the backcourt and could even see some starts this season. Clemons is a former walk-on who can provide steady minutes when needed. Carter is a skinny wing with a good handle, but he still seems a bit raw for immediate game action. Mokseckas is a skilled wing out of Lithuania who does seem ready for the DI level.
Campbell’s returning frontcourt is one of the main reasons I’m pretty excited about this team. McGeehan has at his disposal two rising sophomores in Joshua Lusane and Jesus Carralero that are set to take MAJOR jumps this season. Lusane took over starting duties from Milos Stajcic at the end of the year and averaged 7.0 PPG / 7.6 RPG / 4.1 APG / 1.6 BPG over Campbell’s final seven contests. He can stretch the floor from the 5-spot, pull down boards at a high level, and protect the rim. Perhaps the most impressive stat of Lusane’s freshman season, though, was that he led the Camels in assist rate.
McGeehan had endless praise for Carralero in Mike Ashley’s Blue Ribbon write-up. The 6’8” Spaniard is a versatile player who runs the floor, shoots from the outside, and even handles the ball at the top of the key. It wouldn’t shock me to see Carralero’s name on an All-Conference squad at season’s end.
Stajcic will likely remain in his off-the-bench role behind Lusane and Carralero. He brings value as a floor spacer on offense, but he isn’t in the same stratosphere as the pair of sophomores on the defensive end. Chattanooga transfer Duane Moss has potential to assume a key role off the pine, but he’s managed to play only nine games during his collegiate career due to injuries. Lithuanian freshman forward Laurynas Vaistaras has a college-ready frame and brings with him good experience at the international level.
Defensively expect the Camels to be similar to their 2019-20 selves. Campbell ranked 5th in the Big South in Adj. DE, allowing the lowest 3PA rate and assist rate in the league. McGeehan will continue to implement his full-court pressure scheme, an extended man that either picks up at the baseline or a three-quarter that looks to trap at half-court. Nelson and Gensler were two of Campbell’s stickiest perimeter defenders, so their absence hurts, but increased playing time and experience for Lusane and Carralero should help mitigate that and bolster a formerly weaker frontcourt.
Bottom Line: Campbell has a shot to surprise people this season. McGeehan has himself a reliable scoring leader in Henderson, a team full of knock-down perimeter shooters, and two forwards ready to make huge sophomore leaps.
