The Southern Highland Reader

CULLOWHEE-What connects Cullowhee and Schnectady? In our case in point, Fran McCaffery, who used to coach at UNC-Greensboro, and now heads up the Siena program does.

Siena is mixing it up at the Old Spice Classic tournament at Disney World this week, and McCaffery’s emphasizing to his team that NBA scouts will be on hand in droves (Georgetown and Tennessee are also in the tourney).

In an interview with Mike MacAdam of the Schnectady Daily Gazette, McCaffery used Kevin Martin as an example. Writes MacAdam:

Another player McCaffery points to to illustrate how NBA scouts shouldn’t prejudge the ability of mid-major and small-conference players is the Kings’ Kevin Martin.

McCaffery coached against the Zanesville, Ohio, native when Martin played for Western Carolina in the Southern Conference, and McCaffery was the UNC-Greensboro head coach.

McCaffery was contacted by a Sacramento sportswriter this summer for an opinion on how Thompson would fare in the NBA, and McCaffery compared Thompson’s situation to that of the lightning-quick but smallish Martin.

“It’s who you are, not what league you came from,” McCaffery said. “And I said I had the exact same conversation with you guys five years ago when you were trying to figure out who Kevin Martin was, where’s Cullowhee, North Carolina? He averaged 24 points a game, and they’re paying him 60 million. So it doesn’t matter. He’s from Zanesville, Ohio, he didn’t go to Ohio State, he went to Western Carolina. Now, why did that happen? Who knows? But he’s one of the best players in the NBA.”

Tournament MVP Caitlin Williams

MT. PLEASANT, SC – The Western Carolina women’s soccer team battled 110 minutes of scoreless play before finishing off the top-seeded UNC Greensboro on penalty kicks, 2-0, to win the program’s second Southern Conference Championship Sunday afternoon at Patriot’s Point.

WCU sophomore goal keeper Caitlin Williams, who was named tournament MVP, made four huge saves to keep UNC Greensboro off the board in shootout. The Liberty, N.C., native stonewalled four Spartan shooters, including league Player of the Year, Katelynn Donovan, to lift Western to the victory.

Western improved to 13-7-2, and will face #1 seed North Carolina Friday night in Chapel Hill. UNC Greensboro finished the season 16-4-3, and stood a chance at an at-large selection into the NCAA tournament. The Spartans, however, were not selected.

The Catamounts make their second trip to the national tournament. Their first trip, in 2005, also paired them with the Tar Heels in the first round, and WCU lost 2-0.

Western Carolina is ranked 94th nationally in the most recent RPI ratings. North Carolina is #2.

The win against Greensboro on PK’s was the Catamounts second shootout victory in their last three matches. With the win, Western Carolina earns its second championship and SoCon automatic bid to the NCAA tournament with their opponent being named on ESPN News, Monday night beginning at 8:0 pm. Also the Catamounts will host a selection show party beggining at 7 p.m. at the UC center so come out and support the Cats.

“I’m at a loss with words, just filled with emotion of the victory,” said head coach Tammy DeCesare, who won her second championship in Cullowhee with her first coming back in 2001 in a 1-0 win over Furman. “To be able to get a win over the caliber of program of UNC Greensboro is a testament to the hard work of our players and the level of where our program is going.”