Staying steady at No. 4 in the latest NABC Coaches Poll, the Anderson University Trojans men’s basketball team is set to round out their series of four straight home games when they host conference opponent Catawba on Wednesday night.
The Catawba Indians enter the week 11-3 overall and 6-2 in South Atlantic Conference play. Anderson holds a close 18-17 historical edge over Catawba, with the most recent contest resulting in an 87-77 loss for the Black and Gold. The Trojans’ last victory against Catawba was at home in Nov. 2024.
The Trojans are one of four programs to still be undefeated on the season, as in addition to their national ranking they were named the No. 4 team in Wayne Cavadi’s NCAA Division II power rankings released earlier this week. Anderson’s offense boasts some of the best numbers in program history as they sit ranked fourth-nationally in both three-point percentage (26.8 percent) and three pointers per game (11.4). They rank second in effective field goal percentage (60.1 percent) and fifth in field goal percentage (51.5 percent) while holding the sixth spot nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.62.
Not only have the Trojans dominated this season with an unblemished record, but they are also beating teams on average by 26 points, good for second best in the country. They lead the South Atlantic Conference in 11 categories as a team.
Led by freshman Rashawn Inglemon and junior Osmar Garcia offensively, the two athletes average over 16 points per game, with Garcia boasting the second highest field goal percentage in the country individually, shooting at a 69 percent clip on the season. Inglemon ranks in the same position in three pointers per game, as he makes on average 3.86 per contest, sitting third in the country in made three pointers with 54 on the season.
Defensively, the Trojans are sitting at the 17th best defense in the country, allowing teams to score just 63.7 points per game on average. Junior A.J. Wright Jr. currently ranked 18th in the country with 37 steals on the season, a mark that ranked him 16th in the country in steals per game, averaging 2.64. His statistics help bolster the overall team rankings in that category, with the Black and Gold sitting 16th in the country as a team in steals per game as well with 10.4 averaged per contest.
The Trojans women’s basketball team finishes out their four-game homestand on Wednesday when they host Catawba College. Anderson will be looking to build on their 43-point win from last Saturday while Catawba comes into the week 6-7 overall and 4-4 in the SAC. The Catawba Indians have a 20-14 all-time advantage, though the Trojans earned their first win in seven games last February.
— Michael Sanders is associate athletic director for athletic communications and marketing at Anderson University..