Newberry vs Charleston prediction: John Groce's Charleston tunes up against Division II Newberry
A new coach, a reshuffled roster and last season's broken jumper make this early November home date a look at what Charleston has become.
- Charleston should control a Division II visitor at TD Arena; the real interest is how Groce's rebuilt rotation looks in its second home game.
- Jlynn Counter's playmaking against Newberry's guards; he carried a 27.1% usage rate last season and is the offense's clear engine.
- No spread or total has been posted yet; last season Charleston finished 172nd of 365 in adjusted net efficiency, a middling base for a new regime.
A new era at TD Arena
Charleston spent the offseason starting over. John Groce arrived from Akron in March after Chris Mack left for South Florida, and the Cougars opened summer workouts with 11 new faces. The league still expects plenty: Charleston was picked second in the CAA preseason poll and placed four players on the All-CAA preseason team.
Newberry comes in as a Division II program, and neither school's schedule clearly labels this one an exhibition. Charleston opens at home against Southern Wesleyan on Nov. 2, after a 69-59 exhibition win over The Citadel in September and an exhibition against Furman on Oct. 25. The schools last met in a 2013 exhibition here, a 102-87 Charleston win. Tip time hasn't been confirmed.
The shooting question
Last season's Cougars went 21-11 while shooting 29.7% from three, 354th of 365 in Division I. Connor Hickman hit 28.3% of his threes and Martin Kalu 28.8%, and both are listed among the returners. Charleston survived by getting to the line, ranking 42nd in free throw rate (free throw attempts per field goal attempt). A soft opponent is the right setting to see whether Groce has found better looks from deep.
Filling the middle
Christian Reeves, who posted a 127.6 offensive rating and 7.8 rebounds per game, is now at Kansas. Chol Machot is the likeliest anchor in his place after blocking 2.5 shots a night last season, and Charleston ranked 37th in block rate. The defense also kept opponents off the line, 16th in opponent free throw rate, which suggests a disciplined interior that Groce can build around.
Key players
- Jlynn Counter (Charleston): Last season he averaged 15.7 points and 5.6 assists while starting all 31 of his games.
- Chol Machot (Charleston): He blocked 2.5 shots per game last season in just 19.7 minutes.
- Connor Hickman (Charleston): He scored 10.7 points per game last season but shot 28.3% from three.
- Martin Kalu (Charleston): A 32-game starter last season, he took 132 threes and made 28.8%.
Numbers that matter
| 3-point % (last season) | 29.7% | Charleston ranked 354th of 365, the clearest flaw the new staff inherits. |
|---|---|---|
| Free throw rate (last season) | 40.9% | Ranked 42nd nationally, the line was how last season's offense stayed afloat. |
| Block rate (last season) | 12.5% | Ranked 37th, with Machot back to protect the rim. |
| Adjusted net efficiency rank (last season) | 172nd | Last season's final rating, a mid-pack mark for a team now picked second in the CAA. |
Newberry vs Charleston: quick answers
When is Newberry vs Charleston?
Friday, November 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM ET.