College Basketball · SoCon · 2026-27
Western Carolina Catamounts
1-1 · Coach Tim Craft
Power Rankings
#148▲41
Who is best right now.
+0.8points per 100 possessions vs an average D-I team
Last week: -2.3 (#189)
Preseason: #189
Full Power Rankings → Compare to another teamRating breakdown
Adjusted for every opponent and home court. Power = offense minus defense.
Projected record
20-11
- Conference record
- 14-6
- Conference title
- 22%
- Outright title
- 12%
- Luck
- +0.0
Actual results so far plus the rest of the seasonplayed out 10,000 times with the win chance for each game (non-Division I opponents count as 97% wins). The title is the regular-season crown; conference tournaments aren't included. Later rounds of holiday tournaments are added once the opponent is known.
Why #189 in the preseason
What the computer saw going in
- →Last season: #230 in the country (-5.9), 15-16.
- →15% of last season's minutes are back.
- →6 transfers in, led by Malachi Brown (Georgia State, 12.2 ppg), Isaiah Manning (Sam Houston, 10.7 ppg), Travelle Bryson (Howard, 8.8 ppg). Transfers moving up a level are counted cautiously.
- →Lost Cord Stansberry (14.1 ppg, now at Missouri), Marcus Kell (13.7 ppg, now at Furman), Julien Soumaoro (11.6 ppg).
The preseason rating counts for about five games, then real results take over.
Teams like Western Carolina
The closest matches across all 365 Division I teams, based on the current ratings.
This season
Everyone who has played, most minutes first: per-game numbers from the box scores, updated after every game.
| Player | G · GS | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaxon PruntyG · Junior · #1293 ranked | 2 · 2 | 32.5 | 18.5 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 28.0 (7-25) | 40.0 (6-15) | 89.5 (17-19) |
| Malachi BrownG · Senior · #1835 ranked | 2 · 2 | 29.0 | 8.5 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 44.4 (4-9) | 50.0 (2-4) | 70.0 (7-10) |
| Jaeden RobertsG · Sophomore · #1498 ranked | 2 · 2 | 26.5 | 17.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 55.0 (11-20) | 50.0 (6-12) | 75.0 (6-8) |
| Isaiah ManningG · Senior · #646 ranked | 2 · 2 | 22.0 | 8.0 | 5.5 | 0.5 | 23.5 (4-17) | 0.0 (0-7) | 100.0 (8-8) |
| Jacob ZhuG · Freshman · #3429 ranked | 2 · 0 | 21.5 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 45.5 (5-11) | 33.3 (1-3) | — (0-0) |
| Samuel DadaF · Sophomore · #481 ranked | 2 · 2 | 18.5 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 1.5 | 38.5 (5-13) | — (0-0) | 100.0 (7-7) |
| Tayeshaun SmithF · Sophomore · #2597 ranked | 2 · 0 | 17.5 | 5.5 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 100.0 (4-4) | 100.0 (1-1) | 50.0 (2-4) |
| Travelle BrysonG · Junior · #1353 ranked | 2 · 0 | 13.5 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 28.6 (2-7) | 50.0 (2-4) | — (0-0) |
| Fola SodipoF · Freshman | 2 · 0 | 9.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 50.0 (1-2) | — (0-0) | 57.1 (4-7) |
| Antonio McKoyG · Freshman | 2 · 0 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 (0-1) | — (0-0) | 0.0 (0-2) |
| Donovan RaymondF · Senior · #2694 ranked | 2 · 0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 (0-2) | — (0-0) | — (0-0) |
Projected rotation
The preseason model's minutes projection for each player with a track record (college stats or a recruiting rank), most minutes first. Players without one aren't projected here; This season above lists everyone who has played.
| Player | How he got here | Proj. min | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel DadaF · Sophomore |  Returning | 23 | 6.6 pts · 7.6 reb · 0.7 ast |
| Malachi BrownG · Senior |  Transfer from Georgia State | 21 | 12.2 pts · 3.8 reb · 3 ast |
| Travelle BrysonG · Junior |  Transfer from Howard | 19 | 8.8 pts · 3.4 reb · 0.9 ast |
| Jaxon PruntyG · Junior |  Transfer from Charleston | 19 | 3.8 pts · 2 reb · 0.9 ast |
| Isaiah ManningG · Senior |  Transfer from Sam Houston | 17 | 10.7 pts · 3.9 reb · 1.3 ast |
| Jaeden RobertsG · Sophomore |  Transfer from Hofstra | 15 | 4.1 pts · 0.8 reb · 0.8 ast |
| Donovan RaymondF · Senior |  Transfer from Old Dominion | 14 | 1.5 pts · 1.4 reb · 0.2 ast |
| Tayeshaun SmithF · Sophomore | Returning | 12 | 1.5 pts · 1.7 reb · 0.2 ast |
| Drew HollifieldG · Junior | Returning | 5 | 2.2 pts · 0.3 reb · 0 ast |
Gone from last season: Cord Stansberry (14.1 ppg, to 
Missouri), Marcus Kell (13.7 ppg, to 
Furman), Julien Soumaoro (11.6 ppg), Tidjiane Dioumassi (8.9 ppg), Tahlan Pettway (8.5 ppg, to 
UNC Wilmington), Abdulai Fanta Kabba (4.7 ppg, to 
Seton Hall)
Roster
Everyone on this season's roster, with this season's numbers for anyone who has played. Names link to player pages, ranked players first.
| # | Player | How he got here | Pos | Class | Ht / Wt | Hometown | This season | Last season | Rank · Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Samuel Dada | Returning | F | Sophomore | 6-9 · 225 | Lagos, Nigeria | 8.5 pts · 7.0 reb · 1.5 ast (2 G) | 6.6 pts · 7.6 reb · 0.7 ast (31 G) | #481 · +0.90 |
| 7 | Isaiah Manning | Transfer from Sam Houston | G | Senior | 6-8 · 225 | Mansfield, TX | 8.0 pts · 5.5 reb · 0.5 ast (2 G) | 10.7 pts · 3.9 reb · 1.3 ast (16 G) | #646 · +0.72 |
| 0 | Jaxon Prunty | Transfer from Charleston | G | Junior | 6-6 · 203 | Charlotte, NC | 18.5 pts · 1.5 reb · 3.0 ast (2 G) | 3.8 pts · 2.0 reb · 0.9 ast (32 G) | #1293 · +0.20 |
| 4 | Travelle Bryson | Transfer from Howard | G | Junior | 6-5 · 195 | Anderson, SC | 3.0 pts · 1.5 reb · 0.0 ast (2 G) | 8.8 pts · 3.4 reb · 0.9 ast (31 G) | #1353 · +0.17 |
| 2 | Jaeden Roberts | Transfer from Hofstra | G | Sophomore | 6-3 · 175 | Boston, MA | 17.0 pts · 2.0 reb · 1.0 ast (2 G) | 4.1 pts · 0.8 reb · 0.8 ast (23 G) | #1498 · +0.10 |
| 22 | Malachi Brown | Transfer from Georgia State | G | Senior | 6-1 · 175 | Buford, GA | 8.5 pts · 4.0 reb · 2.5 ast (2 G) | 12.2 pts · 3.8 reb · 3.0 ast (32 G) | #1835 · -0.05 |
| 21 | Tayeshaun Smith | Returning | F | Sophomore | 6-7 · 220 | Raleigh, NC | 5.5 pts · 2.5 reb · 0.5 ast (2 G) | 1.5 pts · 1.7 reb · 0.2 ast (30 G) | #2597 · -0.33 |
| 8 | Donovan Raymond | Transfer from Old Dominion | F | Senior | 6-10 · 225 | Charlotte, NC | 0.0 pts · 0.5 reb · 0.5 ast (2 G) | 1.5 pts · 1.4 reb · 0.2 ast (31 G) | #2694 · -0.37 |
| 1 | Drew Hollifield | Returning | G | Junior | 6-1 · 190 | Shelby, NC | Hasn't played | 2.2 pts · 0.3 reb · 0.0 ast (6 G) | #3103 · -0.53 |
| 11 | Jacob Zhu | Freshman | G | Freshman | 6-1 · 175 | Atlanta, GA | 5.5 pts · 3.5 reb · 2.0 ast (2 G) | — | #3429 · -0.68 |
| 6 | Antonio McKoy | Freshman | G | Freshman | 6-5 · 210 | Salemburg, NC | 0.0 pts · 0.0 reb · 0.5 ast (2 G) | — | Not ranked yet |
| 23 | Fola Sodipo | Freshman | F | Freshman | 6-8 · 215 | Katy, TX | 3.0 pts · 3.5 reb · 0.5 ast (2 G) | — | Not ranked yet |
| 3 | Jose Martins | Freshman | G | Freshman | 6-4 · 175 | Katy, TX | Hasn't played | — | Not ranked yet |
| 14 | Cross Arias | New to Division I | G | Sophomore | 6-0 · 180 | Lincolnton, NC | Hasn't played | — | Not ranked yet |
| 9 | Jake Baker |  Transfer from East Carolina | G | Sophomore | 6-0 · 174 | Concord, NC | Hasn't played | — | Not ranked yet |
| 5 | Titian DeRosa | Returning | G | Sophomore | 5-9 · 150 | Bethesda, MD | Hasn't played | — | Not ranked yet |
Schedule
Projected scores and win chances come from the current ratings and update every morning.
| Nov 2 |  atNorth Carolina | L72-80Box score → |
| Nov 7 |  atUNC Asheville | W83-75Box score → |
| Still to play · computer projections | ||
| Nov 11 | vsVirginia Lynchburg(non-D1) | Upcoming |
| Nov 14 |  vsLipscomb | Projected 81-74WCU: 73% to winWestern Carolina: 73% to win Compare |
| Nov 17 |  atButler | Projected 73-85WCU: 16% to winWestern Carolina: 16% to win Compare |
| Nov 21 |  atWake Forest | Projected 72-80WCU: 24% to winWestern Carolina: 24% to win Compare |
| Nov 25 | vsMontreat(non-D1) | Upcoming |
| Nov 29 |  atCharlotte | Projected 72-77WCU: 32% to winWestern Carolina: 32% to win Compare |
| Dec 2 | vsPiedmont(non-D1) | Upcoming |
| Dec 5 |  vsThe CitadelConference | Projected 82-65WCU: 92% to winWestern Carolina: 92% to win Compare |
| Dec 7 | vsSouthern Virginia(non-D1) | Upcoming |
| Dec 13 |  at#24Virginia | Projected 67-87WCU: 5% to winWestern Carolina: 5% to win Compare |
| Dec 19 | atFurmanConference | Projected 74-81WCU: 27% to winWestern Carolina: 27% to win Compare |
| Dec 22 |  atWoffordConference | Projected 82-75WCU: 73% to winWestern Carolina: 73% to win Compare |
| Dec 30 |  vsChattanoogaConference | Projected 82-74WCU: 78% to winWestern Carolina: 78% to win Compare |
| Jan 2 |  vsVMIConference | Projected 84-67WCU: 93% to winWestern Carolina: 93% to win Compare |
| Jan 6 |  atMercerConference | Projected 81-78WCU: 59% to winWestern Carolina: 59% to win Compare |
| Jan 9 |  atEast Tennessee StateConference | Projected 73-75WCU: 43% to winWestern Carolina: 43% to win Compare |
| Jan 13 |  atUNC GreensboroConference | Projected 79-73WCU: 70% to winWestern Carolina: 70% to win Compare |
| Jan 16 |  vsSamfordConference | Projected 79-75WCU: 65% to winWestern Carolina: 65% to win Compare |
| Jan 18 | vsMercerConference | Projected 84-75WCU: 78% to winWestern Carolina: 78% to win Compare |
| Jan 21 |  atTennessee TechConference | Projected 81-77WCU: 61% to winWestern Carolina: 61% to win Compare |
| Jan 23 | atChattanoogaConference | Projected 79-77WCU: 59% to winWestern Carolina: 59% to win Compare |
| Jan 27 | vsWoffordConference | Projected 85-72WCU: 88% to winWestern Carolina: 88% to win Compare |
| Feb 3 | vsTennessee TechConference | Projected 84-74WCU: 80% to winWestern Carolina: 80% to win Compare |
| Feb 7 | atSamfordConference | Projected 76-78WCU: 44% to winWestern Carolina: 44% to win Compare |
| Feb 10 | atThe CitadelConference | Projected 79-68WCU: 81% to winWestern Carolina: 81% to win Compare |
| Feb 13 | vsFurmanConference | Projected 77-78WCU: 48% to winWestern Carolina: 48% to win Compare |
| Feb 18 | vsEast Tennessee StateConference | Projected 76-72WCU: 64% to winWestern Carolina: 64% to win Compare |
| Feb 20 | vsUNC GreensboroConference | Projected 82-70WCU: 86% to winWestern Carolina: 86% to win Compare |
| Feb 27 | atVMIConference | Projected 81-70WCU: 82% to winWestern Carolina: 82% to win Compare |
SoCon standings
| # | Team | Conf | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Furman | 0-0 | 3-0 |
| 2 | Western Carolina | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 3 | Samford | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 4 | Tennessee Tech | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 5 | UNC Greensboro | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 6 | The Citadel | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 7 | Mercer | 0-0 | 1-2 |
| 8 | VMI | 0-0 | 1-2 |
| 9 | East Tennessee State | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| 10 | Chattanooga | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| 11 | Wofford | 0-0 | 0-2 |