Game #154 of 365 42% complete
Artifical intelligence has merged with Operation 351 starting this year.
I developed an application on my Windows desktop that generates a report identifying potential trips with at least three games over a maximum of four consecutive days, all within 120 miles of one another. Each game must feature a Division I home team playing another Division I school, and the game must be played on the home team’s campus rather than at a neutral site.
I downloaded the schedules from CollegeBasketballData.com and, with a little help from ChatGPT, built several Microsoft Access tables to analyze the data. The application helps me identify possible trips that fit into the openings in my personal schedule. It’s become a pretty useful tool for planning my adventures!
The coach for Winthrop is Mark Prosser who is the son of Skip Prosser. You may remember Skip as the late legendary coach at Xavier and Wake Forest. Skip Prosser coached Wake Forest from 2001 until his sudden death in 2007 at the age of 56. Interestingly, Mark received the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award in 2020, an award named in honor of this father.
While looking over the Winthrop roster, I noticed that two players had transferred from the University of North Dakota. Naturally, I had to find out why anyone would make that move. Could it be that the South Carolina weather is just a little more appealing?
Anthony Smith III may have been looking for a bigger opportunity at point guard. As a freshman at North Dakota, Smith averaged 7.8 points and 2.3 assists per game, primarily coming off the bench. With Winthrop needing to replace departing point guard Kareem Rozier, Smith may have seen an opportunity for more playing time and a larger role.
George Natsvlishvili, Winthrop’s 6’10” forward, also made the move from North Dakota. First of all, try pronouncing that last name three times fast without getting tongue-tied!
An interesting analysis from Big South Hoops suggests that Natsvlishvili was recruited to help fill the void left by departing center Logan Duncomb. His offensive rebounding ability and mobility appear to make him a good fit for head coach Mark Prosser’s system.
So perhaps it wasn’t just the warmer weather after all. Both players seem to have found an opportunity to make a bigger impact on the basketball court!
I was particularly impressed with Spence Sims, Winthrop’s 6’1″ sophomore guard, who put on quite a shooting exhibition! Sims finished with 25 points, connecting on an impressive 9 of 13 field goal attempts, including a remarkable 7 of 11 from beyond the three-point arc. It seemed like every time he launched a three-pointer, the ball found the bottom of the net!
Sims certainly came to Winthrop with some impressive credentials. A former McDonald’s All-American nominee, he earned Big South Freshman of the Year honors at Gardner-Webb. Despite his individual success, the Runnin’ Bulldogs struggled mightily during the 2025–26 season, finishing just 4–29 overall and 1–15 in conference play.
Winthrop, on the other hand, enjoyed a much more successful season, winning 23 games and advancing to the Big South championship game. The transfer gave Sims an opportunity to remain in the Big South Conference while joining a program with a stronger recent record and championship aspirations.
Judging by the shooting performance I witnessed, Winthrop certainly landed itself a talented young player!
The Fighting Hawks took control early in the second half, eventually building a seven-point advantage. Winthrop continued to battle, however, and a three-pointer from Spence Sims with 39 seconds remaining gave the Eagles a 90-89 lead.
North Dakota responded with four consecutive free throws from Luke Winkel in the final 31 seconds to regain the lead and secure the three-point victory.
I love visiting battlefields from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars on my trip. The Cowpens National Battlefield was a key battle site during the Revolutionary War.
At the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781, American General Daniel Morgan brilliantly outfoxed the British by arranging his troops in three lines and deliberately ordering the first two to retreat after firing. The British, believing the Americans were fleeing, charged forward in disarray. Morgan’s experienced Continental soldiers then stood their ground while American cavalry attacked from the flank, trapping the British in a devastating double envelopment.
The strategy turned an apparent American retreat into a decisive victory over the British.
I close with the big breakfast at the Rock Hill Diner in Rock Hill, South Carolina. This was an excellent way to start the day.
