There was one Buccaneer who did not miss any games and definitely has Division One talent.  The Buccaneers are led by a sophomore stud named Ben Hinson.  Hinson led the Buccaneers in almost every important category especially the ones that include totals as he played in two more games than any other member of the team.  The biggest category he led in was scoring as he was one of only two players to average double figures (the other played in just 20 games) as he scored over 14 a game.  To have that kind of disparity in games played in any sport does not bode well for a team’s success and the Buccaneers were no different.  Hinson is a gamer who loves to mix it up with the big boys and board but can also let it fly from behind the arc.  This wing has size (6’4) and is not a world class athlete but he is by far the best that the Bucs have.  Coach Gaither relies on him heavily on both ends.  He met the challenge, even as a first year kid, and handled it with gusto.  He was actually starting by the 4th game of the year and never looked back.  Too bad there aren’t four more like him on the team.    

Seniors Jim Gardner and Marion Salerni and junior Dan Franz are expected to be the starting front court.  But they started this way last year too and that boat almost capsized.  Injuries cost two of these fine big men some playing time in Charleston.  Gardner got a huge amount of playing time early but got hurt and never regained form.   The agile big man was actually having a pretty good year when he went down and tried to play through it and had to be shut down.  Salerni missed less time but still was out of sorts and had his worst year since joining the Bucs.  Robert Thomas had a good sophomore year and will battle for playing time up front once again.  At least the junior has two more years to show what he has for the Bucs as he did not even play until midway through last year as Edwards pulled him up from JV due to all of the injuries.    

 Franz enjoyed another good year in a solid career.  The 6’6 center is a good board man but limited offensively.  Franz is not an aircraft carrier underneath but is by far the most effective center on the roster.  He did not get hurt but did lose minutes as the year progressed when realized his team was going nowhere and he gave some of his younger guys some playing time.  Sophomores Eddie Talley and Heder Ambroise got some minutes down low and did a solid job.  Talley gives productive minutes but can be overmatched by bigger, stronger guys as though he is 6’7,  he is rail thin.  One thing Talley is consistent though is his offense but Edwards wants more rebounding and inside play and that is not Talley.  He, like most of his teammates, missed too many games due to nagging injuries that also limited his minutes.  Ambroise is also undersized (6’6) but was consistent on the post whether on JV or the varsity.  He is solid at both ends and should have get more time this year.  He led the team and was top ten in the country (if he would have qualified) in field goal percentage at 64 percent.  He should be starting at center the next two years even if he is a bit undersized he is the best the Bucs got.  Junior Bo Jamison got some minutes in this crazy year up front for the Bucs before he too hit the IR but he is tough and does bang the boards all day.  Seniors Mike Mauldin, Jim Hansen and Junior Doug Shanklin are also in the mix up front as all three played some last year in the ramshackle year the Bucs went through.  Problem is they were barely good enough for the lower divisions and are nowhere ready for prime time in D-1. 

The backcourt is completely up for grabs other than Hinson.  Senior Roger White will try to hold off juniors John Kammeyer and Jimmy Howell for the starting point guard spot.  Kammeyer is the favorite as he is the best passer but if Edwards finds somebody with a bit more gas in the tank in his recruiting (JV or freshmen) then these guys will be passed up. These are solid players but not much offense there outside of setting up teammates and even that they are not great at.  Juniors Dave Kirk and Jim Rooney give depth on the wings but neither is a special talent.  Kirk is more of a pure forward and Rooney can shoot but neither is going to challenge Hinson for the starting role any time soon. 

The Charleston Southern Buccaneers are not a good program.  No matter how you slice this apple, there is a worm somewhere.  The talent is okay but it is all in the same positions, the coaching is challenged and there really seems to be no direction here.  Coach Edwards actually had 10 players average more than ten minutes a game with four more getting considerable time last year.  Of course with all of the injuries there had to be something give and it was the sharing of minutes.  You can’t find any cohesiveness with those kind of numbers but to be honest he had to try something as this team was going nowhere fast.  The fans of this great southern city deserve better.  Edwards has brought in what is supposedly a superb recruiting class so almost all of these returnees are in jeopardy of losing minutes.  All that is except super soph Ben Hinson who might just be the best wing in the Big South.  Now if he can get a few more to play with his brand of gusto the Buccaneers might just surprise a few teams in the sea off the East Coast they call the Big South!