The Winthrop basketball team represents Winthrop University, located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. They compete in the Big South Conference and play their home games in the 6,100- seat Winthrop Coliseum. Listed below are some of the team’s most memorable moments. Read on to learn more about the men’s basketball team. And if you haven’t seen the Eagles play, you must!
Mark Prosser
The Winthrop basketball team has a new coach in Mark Prosser. After a disastrous start to the 2017-18 season, Prosser has taken the helm. The Eagles lost to Villanova in the NCAA Tournament’s opening round, but the new coach has a long list of accolades to his name. Keon Moore was a primary recruit and earned the school’s first All-Big South selection since 2006.
The Eagles are expected to remain a perennial force in the Big South Conference, where they have won two NCAA tournament appearances in a row. Prosser has an overall record of 42-76 and has coached in two NCAA tournaments. His previous stint as an assistant at Brevard was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Despite his lackluster start, Prosser’s turnaround proved that he had the right stuff.
Before joining Winthrop, Prosser was an assistant coach at Bucknell University. There, he led the Bison to a record of 99-57 in five seasons. The team won three Patriot League regular season titles and two tournament titles during his tenure. At the time, the Bison finished ranked 25th in the country. During his time with Bucknell, they averaged 20 victories a season.
While the former Tennessee assistant coach Desmond Oliver was a finalist for the Winthrop head coaching position, the Eagles hired Western Carolina assistant Mark Prosser instead. Oliver would have been the second assistant coach to leave Tennessee this offseason. His
successor at George Mason, Kim English, lasted only one season in Knoxville. While Prosser was the top choice, Oliver was the last remaining staff member from the Rick Barnes era.
Craig Bradshaw
A 6-10 power forward with good length and mobility, Bradshaw offers a unique package of offensive skills. His range out to the college three-point line is good and his form and release speed are good for the college game. However, he is limited as a dribbler, and he has a lack of versatility in the paint. Therefore, he is a risk to a team that struggles with spacing.
While Craig Bradshaw came to Portsmouth with an assertive mentality, his execution was less than stellar. Bradshaw scored just 13 points, with three of them coming from long spot-up two pointers. The other two were easy baskets and one was a putback on an offensive rebound. Bradshaw also missed a fade-away jump shot and showed poor touch around the rim. Despite his impressive scoring, Bradshaw will find it difficult to make an impact on the win.
Although he has a big frame and is athletic, Bradshaw has yet to develop his game beyond the mid-major college level. His lack of fear of contact and lack of coordination has stunted his development. At 27 years old, Bradshaw may have to settle for his potential in the NBA.
However, he could be a late second-round pick. That’s not to say he’s not ready for the next level.
In his career, Bradshaw has played in the 2004 Olympics and the 2006 FIBA Championships. He averaged 12.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while playing for the Brisbane Bullets. He has also made appearances in the NBA and has played for the Orlando Magic. But despite his impressive resume, Bradshaw is still a talented player. The best way to evaluate Bradshaw’s performance is to watch his games.
Randy Peele
Former assistant men’s basketball coach Randy Peele has been dismissed by Winthrop University, the school announced Thursday. He led the Eagles to two Big South Conference championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances. He is the only Big South coach to lead two different schools to the NCAA Tournament, accomplishing the feat in 1996 while coaching at UNC Greensboro. The school has not released a reason for Peele’s dismissal.
After spending three seasons as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech under Ricky Stokes, Peele was hired by Gregg Marshall at Winthrop University. He then moved on to work as an assistant coach at Texas Southern under Johnny Jones. In his first season, he beat Georgia Tech and won the Big South Conference tournament. Two years later, he led Winthrop to the NCAA tournament. His team went 25-39 in the previous two seasons.
As a sophomore, Peele starred at UNC Greensboro. He earned All-Big South honors in 2006 and was named a semifinalist for the NCAA Freshman Impact Award. Peele was a standout at Winthrop before leaving for South Carolina. His career began after graduating from Virginia Wesleyan in 1980. He married Debra Carter and has three children. They have three daughters: Ashley and Hazel.
The Winthrop Eagles men’s basketball team represents Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. They compete in the Big South Conference. In 2008, they made it to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. They lost to Washington State 71-40. The team is coached by Randy Peele. At present, the Winthrop Eagles are the sixth-ranked team in the NCAA.
Gregg Marshall
Former Winthrop players say coach Gregg Marshall was abusive toward them, despite the fact that he was on mental health medication. Players have accused Marshall of hitting them and telling them to separate from each other. A former Winthrop athletic director said that he knew about Marshall’s behavior but did nothing to correct it. The coach’s reputation and job were ruined, but he has since been hired by Wichita State and is leading the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Prior to his stint at Winthrop, Marshall was an assistant coach at Marshall University. He led the Thundering Herd to the 1997 Southern Conference championship. He also worked as an assistant coach at College of Charleston, where he led the Cougars to their best year in the NCAA Division I era. His 1995-96 team received consecutive NIT invitations under Marshall. In 2007, Marshall was named the school’s head coach.
Under Marshall, Winthrop basketball dominated the Big South Conference. Under his watch, six different teams won the conference title. The 2005-06 squad set a Big South Conference record with a 29-5 mark, and was the only undefeated team in conference play. The team was one of the last six teams to win an NCAA tournament game. Marshall’s win over Notre Dame is widely considered the most memorable sports moment in Rock Hill.
WSU’s postseason awards were also impressive. Three players made the First Team while one player made the Second Team. Landry Shamet, the 26th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, split time with the 76ers and Clippers this season. Fred VanVleet, another player drafted in the 2018 NBA Draft, helped the Toronto Raptors to the 2019 NBA title. In addition, the Shockers’ first recruiting class included two freshman bookends, Stutz and Toure’ Murry, who went on to play in the NBA.
Mark Prosser’s first season as head coach
Former assistant coach Jay Bilas praised Prosser’s ability to connect with his players as he won the job on Friday. Winthrop is returning to the NCAA Division I Big South Conference, a conference that UNC-Asheville dominated last season. The Seahawks finished 8-10 overall and tied for sixth place. Prosser is entering his third season as a head coach.
As a coach, Prosser must be balancing the needs of his players while still maintaining the rigors of an NCAA tournament bid. His five transfers and the performances of his returning players have prompted Prosser to say that he is encouraged by the level of talent and the potential of the team. The first official practice is set for next month.
Mark Prosser is no stranger to the NCAA. He spent three seasons as the head coach of Wofford College before joining Winthrop. His first season there produced a 7-25 record. In his second season, he improved the record to 19-12 and made a run to the NCAA Tournament. He also has experience as an associate head coach. His first season at Winthrop came after a stint as an associate head coach at Western Carolina University.
With the addition of new assistant coach Mitch Hill, Prosser has built on his staff at Western Carolina. The two men were on the same staff at Western Carolina. Before becoming head coaches, Ferguson served as director of basketball operations at the University of Phoenix. Previously, Ferguson served as an advanced scout for two NBA teams. He earned his B.S. degree in physical education and worked in the gym as an assistant coach at Georgia Southern.
