How can CSU men simplify their PBC tourney picture? Win two games

Heading into the final week of the regular season, seeding for the Peach Belt men’s basketball tournament in the Western Division is clear as mud.

How can Columbus State make the path clearer?

Win both their remaining games.

With wins on Saturday at North Georgia in Dahlonega and home on Wednesday against Georgia Southwestern, the Cougars will finish no worse than fourth in the Peach Belt. The top four seeds in each division advance to the PBC quarterfinals, with the higher seed hosting the games next Saturday.

Despite the 9-8 conference record heading into the final week of games, there is still an outside scenario that will put CSU atop the Western Division and defend their regular season division title from last season, but plenty of dominoes have to fall the correct way. Here’s the easiest path for the Cougars to take the top seed in the West.

• Columbus State wins its two remaining games.
• Georgia College beats Clayton State on Saturday, then loses to Lander on Wednesday.
• Clayton State beats Montevallo on Wednesday.
• Young Harris beats North Georgia on Wednesday and loses to either Georgia Southwestern on Saturday or Lander on Monday.

The preceding would put CSU in a three-way tie atop the West with North Georgia and Montevallo at 11-8 in PBC play. The three teams then become a “mini-division” for the tiebreaker, with the team with the best record against the other two teams becoming the highest seed. In the above scenario, CSU would be 3-1, having swept North Georgia and split against Montevallo. North Georgia swept Montevallo in its two games, which would put North Georgia at 2-2 and Montevallo at 1-3.

A win by either Montevallo or North Georgia will eliminate the Cougars from contention for the top seed.

Head coach Robert Moore and the Cougars took advantage of a full week off prior to heading north for Saturday’s game in Dahlonega.

“I was glad we had the week off from the beginning, because it gave our guys time to rest,” Moore said. “A couple of guys had some nagging injuries; Marcus Dixon had a sore shoulder, Arben Camaj had a sore knee. We started practice again (Wednesday), and these guys are fresh for the stretch run.

“The players and coaches know these last two games are really big. Even for PBC and NCAA play, these are the two biggest games of the season. The players have the mindset that we have to win on the road, which we haven’t been good at all year, and then we have that last game at home. If we close these two out, anything can happen in the tournament.”

One positive heading into the final two games is that the Cougars have beaten both teams in previous meetings this season. CSU beat Georgia Southwestern 60-54 in Americus on Jan. 30, while they also defeated North Georgia at the Lumpkin Center 81-75 two days later on Feb. 1.

“We beat both teams, but we still have to have the confidence to come in and play Columbus State basketball,” Moore said. “We’ve been a little discouraged, because over the last three or four games, we haven’t been in the high 80s and low 90s with our scoring, guys haven’t been shooting the ball well, those kind of things. We’re looking to get back on the court, get back to our style of play, and get more aggressive on defense. We’ve been slacking on the defensive side of the ball.”

Despite having the fourth-best offense in the PBC at 82.5 points per game, the Cougars haven’t scored more than 72 points over their past three games, all losses.

“We told our guys when those jump shots aren’t falling – we’re one of the top shooting teams in the conference and probably have taken more 3-point shots than anyone in the league – we told those guys we’ll put in some sets to get some inside play from (our centers and forwards),” Moore said. “Our guys agreed with that, that we need to get some paint touches. Even if it’s not Arben posting up, we can get some drives to the basket by some guys who can get to the bucket. Right now, I feel we have to be the more aggressive team and play with confidence.”

The guard play for the Cougars also has been spotty during the past three games, JaCori Payne’s 28-point effort in the team’s 85-72 loss at Montevallo last Saturday notwithstanding. Moore hopes to have consistent play from the perimeter as well heading into the final two games of the regular season and postseason play.

“The main thing with those guys is to keep coming to the gym and get exercise,” Moore said. “Usually at tournament time, a guy is going to step up and score 20, 25. We told JaCori that he’s still the guy; the team starts with him, then he can get it off to (Darius Joell) and some of those other guys. We’re trying to get other guys as role guys to step up and make shots for us.”

After Saturday’s action, Wednesday’s home game against Georgia Southwestern could be for the Western Division title or a must win for CSU to make the PBC tournament. The game also will feature Moore’s former assistant, Ben Hicks, at the helm of the Hurricanes for the first time in the Lumpkin Center.

“It’s always tough to play them,” Moore said. “You want the best for Georgia Southwestern, but at the same time, you know it’s for playoff implications, and we have to make sure we take care of business. I love Ben to death, but we really need this win (Wednesday). We need to make sure we take care of it.”

This story was originally published February 17, 2017 at 7:56 PM with the headline "How can CSU men simplify their PBC tourney picture? Win two games."