Southern Conference 2007-08 Preview

by Phil Kasiecki

The Southern Conference has been getting its share of national attention this off-season, and it has come largely because of one team that many have high expectations for. It’s safe to say that the prohibitive favorite this season is Bob McKillop’s team at Davidson.

There is good reason for the attention. With a young team consisting of eight freshmen and sophomores and just two seniors (both walk-ons), the Wildcats won a school-record 29 games last season and rolled to a 17-1 conference mark. They entered the season with just 30 collegiate starts between all of their players, with only one Division I school having fewer. Meanwhile, Stephen Curry raked in the accolades, and now is receiving many preseason ones in light of his terrific freshman year.

It’s safe to say that everyone else will be chasing the Wildcats this season, as they bring back every scholarship player. They have one of the best backcourts in the country, as Curry’s backcourt mate Jason Richards is also the conference’s top point guard and a good scorer and passer. There is good depth in the frontcourt, and McKillop is perhaps the most underrated coach in America.

While Davidson is getting plenty of exposure, the conference is also home to another star that isn’t well-known outside the local landscape. UNC Greensboro senior Kyle Hines was the conference’s Player of the Year last season and has gone from someone known primarily for blocking shots to a complete player who could average a double-double as a 20-10 player this season. With Davidson being the focus of the conference nationally, Hines may still fly under the radar while potentially leading his team to a North Division title.

Curry is also not the only sophomore who has already shown plenty of potential, which bodes well for the conference’s future. Western Carolina sophomore Nick Aldridge had a big freshman year last year and could have three classmates starting alongside him this season. Curry’s teammate, William Archambault, was a key reserve last season, and UNC Greensboro sophomore Kendall Toney shot the ball very well from long range last season.

No teams changed head coaches this past off-season, making it one of four conferences that could claim that. Helping that is the fact that a number of teams have changed coaches in the previous two off-seasons. There is some stability in the ranks, and that bodes as well as the young talent does for the conference as a whole.

Preseason Awards
Player of the Year: Stephen Curry, Davidson
Top Newcomer: Antwaine Wiggins, College of Charleston
Defensive Player of the Year: Kyle Hines, UNC Greensboro
Best NBA Prospect: Stephen Curry, Davidson

All-Southern Team
Nick Aldridge, So. F, Western Carolina
Stephen Curry, So. G, Davidson
Louis Graham, Sr. F, Georgia Southern
Kyle Hines, Sr. F, UNC Greensboro
Jason Richards, Sr. G, Davidson

North Division

UNC Greensboro Spartans (16-14, 12-6 Southern)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Dwayne Johnson (4.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.9 apg)
So. G Kendall Toney (6.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
Sr. G Kevin Oleksiak (6.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Sr. F Kyle Hines (20.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.2 bpg, 1.4 spg)
So. F Ben Stywall (5.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: A December 1 date with Kent State is the highlight of three non-conference home games. The Spartans open the season at Georgia Tech, then play in the Missouri State Classic, while also traveling to play Virginia Tech and Atlantic 10 contender Fordham. In Southern Conference play, much of January is marked by a five-game road stretch, while they finish the regular season with three straight at home.
Outlook: Hines is arguably the best player in the conference, but might not repeat as Player of the Year depending on the team’s success. The Spartans lose their top outside scoring threat in Ricky Hickman, but there isn’t a shortage of candidates to move into the role of primary outside weapon. Toney and Oleksiak are joined by Mikko Koivisto among the options, with Toney likely to start full-time after starting just over half of last season’s games and shooting 43.5 percent on three-pointers. Three freshmen provide depth behind them and Johnson, the steady floor leader who might be asked to score more. Stywall joins Hines in the frontcourt and should continue to support him primarily with his rebounding, although it wouldn’t hurt if he scored more to take some attention off Hines. Little-used sophomore Pete Brown is the only veteran in the frontcourt, so additional depth will likely come from junior college transfer Michael Mitchell. Only two teams turned the ball over more last season, so taking better care of the ball is likely to be one priority this season.

Appalachian State Mountaineers (25-8, 15-3 Southern)
Projected Starters:
So. G Ryan Abraham (2.5 ppg, 1.1 apg)
So. G Kellen Brand (6.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
Sr. F Donte Minter (11.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.2 bpg)
Sr. F Jeremy Clayton (10.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.7 bpg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. C Davis Bowne (5.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Schedule Highlights: The Mountaineers have three home games in a challenging non-conference slate, highlighted by a visit from Wichita State and a BracketBusters game. Early on, they go to Middle Tennessee for three games in the First Shot Exempt Tournament. The toughest road games look to be at Arkansas and Atlantic Sun favorite East Tennessee State. When Southern play begins in earnest in January, they start with three straight on the road before coming home for three straight.
Outlook: The Mountaineers still have a good team, but their departures hit hard in that they come in the backcourt, leaving a pair of sophomores as likely starters there. At the very least, Abraham has good options to get the ball to in Brand, who showed some promise last season, and forwards Minter and Clayton. Minter could make a nice jump with his scoring numbers, while Clayton can do a little of everything inside and together they make a solid forward tandem as part of a unit that has good size. With that unit, they should improve on their positive rebounding margin last season. Freshmen Donald Sims and Donterious Hughes could each get significant minutes in the backcourt. The Mountaineers will be hard-pressed to lead the conference in scoring again, so improving defensively will be important to staying in contention.

Western Carolina Catamounts (11-20, 7-11 Southern)
Projected Starters:
So. G Brigham Waginger (3.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg)
So. G Brandon Giles (6.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Sr. F Arnold Gore (9.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.2 apg)
So. F Nick Aldridge (18.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.7 spg)
So. F Jake Robinson (8.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: A challenging non-conference schedule features four home games and opens with an in-season tournament. To start the season, the Catamounts travel to Cincinnati for the Peggy Cronin Classic, where they play Bowling Green, the host Bearcats and Atlantic Sun contender Belmont. In mid-December, they play at Indiana and Illinois two days apart, and close out 2007 with a trip to North Carolina State. When Southern Conference play begins in earnest, they start with three of four on the road, including the oddity of playing both games against Furman within a week.
Outlook: Larry Hunter has a young team with some potential that might be a year away from seriously contending, as the core of the team is the sophomore class. Aldridge and Robinson are already a solid forward combination, while Waginger and Giles have potential in the backcourt. Giles also gives the backcourt good size at 6’6″ and might move to the wing from time to time, though senior Negus McKenna is better suited to there than shooting guard. The frontcourt also gets more size with the recruiting class, as three of the four freshmen are 6’8″. The Catamounts had the best turnover margin in the conference last season in part from forcing over 16 turnovers per game, but when they didn’t do that opponents scored often. Only three teams in the conference allowed opponents to shoot better than the nearly 46 percent clip the Catamounts allowed.

Chattanooga Mocs (15-18, 6-12 Southern)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Kevin Bridgewaters (6.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Jr. G Keyron Sheard (junior college transfer)
Jr. F Nicchaeus Doaks (10.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
Jr. F Khalil Hartwell (4.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Jr. C Qavotstaraj Waddell (junior college transfer)
Schedule Highlights: Six home games are on top in a non-conference schedule that features two in-season tournaments. Highlighting the home games are visits from Atlantic Sun favorite East Tennessee State and Tennessee, and they also host the Dr. Pepper Classic to close out 2007, where they could play Atlantic Sun contender Belmont. After playing at Indiana early on, they travel out west for three games in the Anaheim Classic, opening with Southern Illinois. In Southern Conference play, they close the regular season with five of six on the road.
Outlook: With just two seniors and seven juniors on the roster, the Mocs might be a year away from contention. Two of the juniors figure to start right away in Sheard, who could run the show from the outset, and junior college teammate Waddell, who adds more size to a front line that also includes 6’10″ sophomore Matt Gwynne and 7’1″ redshirt freshman Jeremy Saffore. Doaks is one good forward, while Hartwell could be displaced from the starting lineup by one of the aforementioned big men. In the backcourt, another junior newcomer, South Carolina transfer Stephen McDowell, will figure into the mix and could eventually start. The Mocs held their own on the glass last season and should again this year with the size they have. The big area for improvement is taking care of the ball, as only one Southern Conference team turned the ball over more last season.

Elon Phoenix (7-23, 5-13 Southern)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Montell Watson (redshirt)
Jr. G Brett James (12.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 spg)
So. G Devan Carter (5.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.6 apg)
Jr. F Ola Atoyebi (5.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
So. F Scott Grable (4.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Phoenix will play four non-conference home games, including a BracketBusters game. They open the season at Virginia Tech, then later head to Georgia, VCU, Penn and Virginia. In a scheduling oddity, they play four conference games before the new year, three of them at home. Starting in late January, they play five consecutive road games.
Outlook: The young Phoenix will have some growing pains this season with just two seniors and three juniors on the roster. Watson returns after a foot injury kept him out of last season, giving them an experienced floor leader to go with James, the top scoring option, and Carter, who looked promising last season. Senior Brian Waters and sophomore Jon Ogolo should also be in the mix. The frontcourt has two players in Atoyebi and Grable who should get better, with Grable being counted on to give them more after starting 11 games last season and seeing his minutes increase in conference play. Sophomore Adam Constantine should see good minutes up front as well, and freshman Daniel Watts adds more size with his seven-foot frame. This season is a building one for the Phoenix, and if Watson can help the younger guards and make the younger players on this team better, the season will be a step forward.

South Division

Davidson Wildcats (29-5, 17-1 Southern)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Jason Richards (13.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 7.3 apg, 1.5 spg)
So. G Stephen Curry (21.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.8 spg)
Jr. G Max Paulhus Gosselin (4.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. F Boris Meno (11.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 1.0 spg)
Sr. F Thomas Sander (13.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.1 spg)
Schedule Highlights: The non-conference schedule is one that fits a team like this, as it has plenty of challenges. Only three games are at home, with the big ones being on the road or at a neutral site. North Carolina and Duke come to Charlotte at Bobcats Arena, and they play UCLA at the John Wooden Classic. True road games of note are at MAC favorite Western Michigan, Charlotte, North Carolina State, and a BracketBusters game. Early in Southern Conference play, they play six of seven on the road.
Outlook: The Wildcats are getting plenty of attention, and deservedly so. With just about everyone back from last season’s 29-win team, expectations are sky high. Curry gets plenty of attention, but as one would expect of a team that won as much as they did, he has plenty of help. Richards is the best point guard in the conference as he can score and pass, while Gosselin is a solid role player who can hit from long range. Sophomore Bryant Barr is a sniper off the bench as well, in much the same way that classmate William Archambault is from the forward spot. Archambault plays behind solid seniors in Meno and Sander, who play well together and are solid at both ends of the floor. There is plenty of depth up front, with junior Andrew Lovedale and sophomore Stephen Rossiter joining Archambault off the bench. The Wildcats will be tough to beat, so the conference looks to be theirs for the taking and they will have a chance for wins that could earn them an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament should someone shock them in the conference tournament.

Georgia Southern Eagles (15-16, 7-11 Southern)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Dwayne Foreman (9.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.1 apg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. G Anthony Marshall (3.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
Sr. F Matt Fields (6.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
Sr. F Louis Graham (14.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.5 bpg)
Sr. C Ryan Hynes (2.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Eagles will play in two in-season tournaments as part of a non-conference schedule that has just three home games. Early on, they play in the Glenn Wilkes Classic in Daytona Beach, taking on UAB along the way. They close out 2007 in the Flint Hills Resources/Islander Invitational in Corpus Christi. Among their challenging road games are trips to Florida State and Florida, as well as a BracketBusters game.
Outlook: The Eagles could be a sleeper team, as they struggled out of the gate last year but could put five seniors starters on the floor year. It starts with the excellent inside-outside combo of Foreman, who was second in the conference in assists, and Graham, a solid inside force. Foreman should break into double figures, while Marshall and Fields will be counted on for more with the departure of Donte Gennie. Antoine Johnson could also nab the starting spot alongside Foreman on the perimeter, and there is some depth with freshman Willie Powers and Julian Allen leading a guard-oriented group of newcomers. Hynes is the incumbent in the middle after starting 17 games last season, but junior college transfer Trumaine Pearson and freshman Jared Collins should push him. The Eagles were second in the conference in field goal percentage defense and third in rebounding margin, so concerns aren’t big defensively, but although they were second in field goal percentage, they led the conference in turnovers. Taking better care of the ball could mean another winning season and contention again.

College of Charleston Cougars (22-11, 13-5 Southern)
Projected Starters:
So. G Tony White, Jr. (6.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.6 apg)
Jr. G Marcus Hammond (7.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Jr. F Jermaine Johnson (10.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Jr. F Dustin Scott (junior college transfer)
Fr. F Antwaine Wiggins
Schedule Highlights: The non-conference schedule has just three home games on tap, two of which come in the Cougar Classic at the end of December. Early on, they travel for the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, where they begin with Arkansas and then play either Temple or Providence in the second of three games. Later trips include Atlantic 10 contender Fordham, Florida State and South Carolina.
Outlook: The Cougars have a new look this year, as Hammond, White, and Johnson have the most experience by far. Hammond has started before, so he needs White to make a smooth transition into the starting lineup. Freshmen Andrew Goudelock and Donavan Monroe should each get plenty of time early on. The frontcourt was stung by Josh Jackson’s transfer in the summer, making Johnson the only returning start. Much will be expected of Scott, while freshman Jeremy Simmons figures to at least provide rebounding and a defensive presence. Wiggins comes with a good reputation as well and could play right away, though he needs to get stronger. The Cougars were the best defensive team in the conference last year, and repeating that will be necessary with the offense they have lost.

Wofford Terriers (10-20, 5-13 Southern)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Drew Gibson (12.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.4 apg, 2.2 spg)
Sr. G Shane Nichols (15.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Jr. G Matt Estep (5.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg)
Fr. F Noah Dahlman
Jr. F-C Tyler Whatley (7.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Terriers’ non-conference slate is challenging, and it includes four home games, none of them against Division I teams. They open the season at Arkansas, then later go to Wisconsin and close out 2007 in the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic, where they first play at Alabama and at Purdue before two games in Las Vegas. Southern Conference play will see an early test for them, as just over a week into January they start a stretch with Appalachian State and Davidson at home followed by three straight on the road. They also play three straight on the road in February before the regular season finale is at home.
Outlook: It’s safe to say that guards rule the Terriers, as they have no shortage of them and depth won’t be a problem, and they helped the team turn the ball over less than any other Southern team last season. The senior tandem of Gibson and Nichols makes this team go, with Gibson running the show and playing well at the other end of the floor. Estep could grab the third perimeter spot to give them a little more size, but don’t be surprised if sophomore Junior Salters starts often after he showed a lot of promise as a freshman. If they want even more size, they can go with 6’8″ sophomore Corey Godzinski, who started nine games last season, on the wing. Whatley is the only returning frontcourt player who played significant minutes, which means there will be plenty of opportunity for freshmen Dahlman, Drew Crowell and Terry Martin. The Terriers allowed the most points in the conference and were next-to-last in field goal percentage defense, so those are concerns, but with Whatley surrounded by inexperienced frontcourt players, it appears that rebounding will be the biggest concern as they were by far the worst team in that category last season.

Furman Paladins (15-16, 8-10 Southern)
Projected Starters:
So. G Tony Anderson (4.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Fr. G Bryson Barnes
Sr. F George Brozos (3.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
Jr. F Stanley Jones (5.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
Jr. F Alex Opacic (6.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: Just two non-conference home games are on tap, both coming back-to-back in November. On tap for road games are trips to Clemson, Saint Louis, and two consecutive in-season tournaments. The first is the Gossner Foods Holiday Classic at Utah State, where they play Northern Arizona and either Utah or host Utah State, then they go to St. Mary’s for the Shamrock Office Solutions Classic against Big West contender Cal State Fullerton in the first game.
Outlook: The Paladins are starting over this season, as four starters are gone and several reserves have left as well. Anderson might have the best chance of staying in the starting lineup, as none of the holdovers have done much but Anderson has experience at the important point guard spot. Brozos is the only senior on a squad that has six freshmen, with Barnes having the best chance to start right away with his size at the point guard spot. This young group will be tested right away, as the non-conference schedule is not easy. By the end of the season, they should look a little different than they do at the beginning.

The Citadel Bulldogs (7-23, 4-14 Southern)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Jonathan Brick (2.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.3 apg)
Jr. G Jon Heyland (junior college transfer)
Fr. G Andrew Gonzalez
Fr. F Matt Clark
Sr. F-C Demetrius Nelson (9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The non-conference schedule has six home games, highlighted by an early visit from USC and a New Year’s Eve visit from Ivy League contender Cornell. The Bulldogs will travel for games at South Carolina, another Ivy League contender in Penn, and Washington State at the Cougar Hardwood Classic in Seattle. Once Southern play begins in earnest in January, the Bulldogs get some home cooking, as seven of the first eight are at home, including five straight. They follow that with four straight on the road.
Outlook: The struggles continued for this program last season, and second-year head coach Ed Conroy is giving it a facelift in the form of ten newcomers. Seven of the newcomers signed early, indicating that this was a plan all along. Nelson is by far the most experienced player, while Brick could run the team after doing so for most of the conference season as he started 17 of 18 Southern games. Conroy is high on his newcomers, with Heyland bringing a reputation as a shooter and Gonzalez and Clark bringing some size to their positions. The newcomers will play early and often throughout the season as the Bulldogs try to turn the page to more success.

Conference Outlook

The conference is Davidson’s to lose, although there are some good teams to keep an eye on besides the Wildcats. UNC Greensboro should be the favorite in the North, but not by a wide margin, and it wouldn’t be a shock if Western Carolina contends a year early with their core group of sophomores. Meanwhile, a couple of bottom teams are trying to rebuild almost from scratch and will likely have some growing pains.

Southern Conference Notebook

by Tyler Annett

As we begin 2007 in the Southern Conference, two teams have started out of the gate surprisingly strong both in conference and non-conference play. Appalachian State and Davidson have posted 4-0 records to begin conference play, as the Mountaineers are 12-3 and the Wildcats are 13-3. These two teams will meet January 20th in Davidson, NC, and it looks to be the big match-up in the conference so far.

Each of these teams is a surprise first-place leader at this point in the season. Davidson is coming off an NCAA appearance last season, yet lost four starters to graduation and close to 75 percent of their offensive firepower from a season ago. Despite this the Wildcats lead the conference in scoring at 81.9 points per game, which is 6.5 points higher than the next team in the league, and are currently riding a nine-game winning streak. Led by junior forwards Boris Meno and Tony Sander, Davidson continues to be the offensive juggernaut they have been for the past three seasons in leading the conference in scoring under coach Bob McKillop. The surprise player for Davidson has been freshmen Stephen Curry, the son of former NBA star Dell Curry, who has a provided a spark behind the arc for the wildcats. Curry, who was not heavily recruited out of high school because of his lack of size and unorthodox shot, leads the team in points per game at 19.6 and with his 40 percent clip from long range, and as a freshmen looks like one of the best players in the league already. The Wildcats’ rebounding has also been a key to their success with an average of 40.1 rebounds a game as a team.

Much of Appalachian State’s success has come on the offensive end of the court as well. Appalachian State is second to Davidson in scoring led by senior guard D.J. Thompson (1st-Team All-Conference last season), who is top ten in the conference in points, steals and assists in once again making a bid for player of the year. The Mountaineers also are one of the top five teams in the league in rebounds, assists, field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage. Senior guard Nathan Cranford joins Thompson in one of the strongest backcourts in the conference, as Cranford has helped bring stability to a young team. A tough schedule early on out of conference included road games against ACC members Clemson (the last undefeated team in the nation), Virginia Tech and Virginia along with a strong opening to conference play have helped give the Appalachian State a strong RPI (ratings Percentage Index) ranking. Currently the Mountaineers have the No. 9 RPI rating, a chief tool used to by the Tournament Committee on Selection Sunday on March 11th. Yet most analysts believe this ranking will drop as the season continues, so the Mountaineers will need to maintain their momentum to try and win the conference outright. No Southern Conference team has ever received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and a bid this season is highly unlikely.

Both of these teams have positioned themselves nicely for a strong run to the conference regular season title as well as the conference tournament title. We will watch closely as to what these two hot teams do as the season moves along.

Player of the Week: Nathan Cranford, Appalachian State
Cranford scored 30 points and grabbed five rebounds, hitting four 3-point baskets in the first six and a half minutes to help pull off a strong victory against the College of Charleston, who was the pre-season pick by many (including myself) to win the conference. This victory helped push the Mountaineers to 4-0 in the conference and the status of a true contender for the conference title at this early point in the season.

Team of the Week: The Citadel
Although the Bulldogs are still only 5-10 overall, this week they won two conference games against Elon and Wofford, which matches their conference win total from a year ago with 12 games in conference to go. Both wins came on the road and pushed their conference record to .500 at 2-2. With eight of their last fourteen conference games at home, the Bulldogs have a definite shot to surpass their win total by a couple games from last season.

Upcoming Game of the Week: Furman vs. College of Charleston
Both clubs have not started as well as they hoped, considering they believed they had strong teams this season. The Cougars, at 2-2, were pre-season favorites to take the Conference and need a victory at home badly to stay in the race with Appalachian State and Davidson, while the Panthers at 1-2 would like a get a strong road victory to jumpstart their slow start to the season. Look for this Saturday afternoon matchup to be a low-scoring affair, as neither team averages over 70 points per game or above 45 percent from the field.

Southern Conference Notebook

by Tyler Annett

Star Power

The outstanding play of the returning stars of the Southern Conference led the way in these week’s games as well as new players arriving on the scene to give the league some fresh faces.

Kyle Hines of UNC-Greensboro, a potential player of the year candidate, proved the pre-season speculation true with a career-high 38 points and 12 rebounds against Marshall in an overtime loss. Through three games, Hines is averaging 25 points per game and 9 rebounds per game, both conference highs.

Other returning stars had strong debuts as well with Robby Bostain posting 25 and 26-point nights in wins for Furman, D.J. Thompson leading the way for Appalachian State with 18 points over North Greenville, and Dontaye Draper scoring 19 points for College of Charleston in Coach Bobby Cremins’ debut win with the Cougars.

This week’s play also saw the debuts of unknown players who are quickly making their mark felt in week one. Davidson freshmen Stephen Curry is averaging 22.5 points per game through four games for the Wildcats. Curry, an aggressive forward who was not even expected to start, has helped reignite last year’s NCAA tournament representative. Davidson has also gotten strong play from junior forward Thomas Sander, who averaged only 6.6 points per game last season but has scored 19 or more in three of the first four games. Appalachian State has also seen strong play from freshmen guard Kellen Brand, who scored 19 points in only 18 minutes off the bench. If Brand can continue his stellar, play the Mountaineers could have a solid backcourt with him and Thompson.

Wildcats Got Offense

The second story of the week is the play of the Davidson Wildcats. Yes, it is true that no one should be surprised that they are 3-1 at week’s end. Their three wins were over perennial scrubs, and their one loss came against the only notable team they played (Michigan). Yet the reason their play is worth writing about is the potency of their offense, as Davidson through four games is averaging 85 points a game. This is especially significant with the fact that they lost seven contributing seniors from last season’s squad, including all-conference player Brendan Winters and conference assists leader Kenny Grant.

Coach Bob McKillop’s team was expected by most (including this humble writer) to fall off a bit, as the team is young and full of a lot question marks, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Outside of junior forward Boris Meno, the Wildcats returned nearly no offensive weapons from one of the top offenses in the league last season. Yet so far this season, Davidson is not only seeing increased efficiency from Meno, but others have begun to step up as well. Freshmen Curry is leading all scorers with 22.5 ppg, followed by Sander, William Archambault, and Jason Richards, who are all averaging over 11 ppg. If they can continue this barrage on the offensive end of the court with these five very strong players, Davidson will not see the drop off in which most believed would occur, but rather an explosive team that will contend all season for the conference title.

Summary

Overall the conference went 14-12 overall for the week with no real notable wins, yet no real notable losses either. The conference dominated the lower-tier Division I squads (as well as some non-Division I teams), and lost to the traditional powerhouses. The conference schedule is still a little over two weeks from starting, but the play in this first week will begin to form judgments as to where these teams will stand come the holiday season.

Player of the Week: (Tie) Kyle Hines, UNC-Greensboro & Stephen Curry, Davidson.
Hines started the season off exactly the way everyone expects him to play all year with averages of 25 points and 9 rebounds per game. Curry, a relative unknown freshman, has taken the league by storm with a 32-point performance against Michigan and a four-game average of 22.5 ppg.

Game of the Week: Wofford vs. North Carolina State.
Although the Terriers lost, they gave the Wolfpack and new coach Sidney Lowe a huge scare with only a four-point overtime differential. Wofford made 16 three-point shots through the course of the game and held a halftime lead, but that was not enough in the end. Although a defeat, this game made a statement that the conference can most definitely compete with the likes of the ACC.

Southern Conference 2006-07 Preview

by Tyler Annett

The Southern Conference is preparing to once again be as competitive and exciting a conference as it has always been.

There were three coaching changes made and numerous strong players have left in league, which then in turn means its time for some new guys to step up and shine. The biggest news in the conference over the off-season was the coaching changes. Furman hired new head coach Jeff Jackson, a former assistant at Vanderbilt for seven seasons, to replace Larry Davis, who took an assistant coaching position on Mick Cronin’s new staff at Cincinnati. The Citadel hired alumnus Ed Conroy, a former assistant at Coastal Carolina and Tennessee, in April after an atrocious 1-14 record last season in conference play. But the biggest move is the College of Charleston’s hiring of Bobby Cremins.

Cremins is regarded as one of the best coaches in the country. As a coach at Georgia Tech, he has the most wins in the school’s history, and led the Yellow Jackets to 14 winning seasons and 14 post-season appearances in 19 years at the school, including a Final Four appearance in 1989-1990. He coached such stars as Dennis Scott, Mark Price, Kenny Anderson and Stephon Marbury. This is significant because of the legitimacy it brings to the conference. Cremins is a legendary coach who hopes to work his magic at Charleston, who was a consistent winner and NCAA tournament participant in the 1990s, but has recently missed the Big Dance the last few years. Both fans of the Cougars and the league should be eager for the national attention which Cremins can bring to the Southern Conference and help to show the nation the talent that this conference can produce.

Numerous star players leave college basketball each year and the Southern Conference is no different. This 2006-2007 season will have no Elton Nesbitt of Georgia Southern, honorable mention AP All-American; Brendan Winters of Davidson, all-conference guard; Kenny Grant of Davidson, conference leader in assists per game; as well as Alphonso Pugh (Chattanooga), Jackson Atoyebi and Scottie Rice (Elon), Tony Carter (Furman), Dante Terry (The Citadel), and Howard Wilkerson (Wofford) to name a few. But this league is once again full of potential impact players.

The first impact player in the conference is UNC Greensboro’s Kyle Hines. The 6’6″ junior is the highest scoring returning player and was the conference’s leader in rebounds. A ferocious defender with a nice shooting touch, Hines is the leading contender for player of the year in the conference. There is competition out there for Hines, including D.J. Thompson, another returning all-conference player is a natural scorer with an average of 19.1 ppg and is an athletic defender who is disruptive and will create numerous steal opportunities this season. Another returning all-conference player is College of Charleston’s Dontaye Draper, the senior point guard that will lead the way for Cremin’s cougars this season. With lots of size up front in Charleston, look for Draper to be a conference leader in assists and also get lots of opportunities to shoot that beautiful long-range jump shot. Some other players that could have impact seasons this year include Robby Bostain of Furman, Ricky Hickman of UNC Greensboro, and J’Mel Everhart of the Citadel, who will still be a force to reckon with in the low post although his team will struggle.

Last season atop the two divisions were one surprise and one consistent powerhouse. In the North division, Elon surprisingly had the best conference record at 10-4, barely holding off Chattanooga at 8-6. In the South, the Georgia Southern Eagles took the title at 11-4 with Davidson and Charleston following close behind in a much more traditional finish. This year will no doubt be just as exciting.

In the South, the favorites look to be College of Charleston and Georgia Southern with Furman being a potential sleeper. Davidson, after its surprise run to the NCAAs, will be hit hard by the loss of seven seniors and will drop in the standings closer to Wofford and the Citadel, who are once again in 2006-2007 looking to be rebuilding once again. College of Charleston possesses the largest starting five in the conference with four players over 6’7″ along with Draper running the point. This team is a little thin on the bench, and the bench players are young, but with Cremins and Draper expect this team to pound it inside nightly in this small conference. Georgia Southern loses Nesbitt as mentioned earlier, but once again returns another strong team. They notched the best scoring offense in the league last season and will prove to be a threat every night to put up points, especially with sharpshooter Donte Gennie throwing it up from behind the arc. They also have a strong inside presence with Louis Graham crashing the boards. Furman is the sleeper pick to compete with the two big boys. After finishing 8-7 in the conference, Furman returns scorers Robby Bostain and Moussa Diagne who will keep the Podins potent offense continually putting up points. Yet if they really want to contend for the south title, Furman must improve on their mediocre defense.

The North division is the weaker of the two divisions with Chattanooga being the clear cut favorite. Chattanooga, despite the loss of Alphonso Pugh, will have Kedric Mays and Casey Long to enforce their will on offense. The Mocs will also be one of the deepest teams in the league with a rotation of up to ten players by mid-season, which includes five freshmen and three sophomores. Their youth will be expected to improve them defensively from worst in the league last season (72.7 ppg) if they want to regain the North division. Elon will contend again as well with seniors Chris Chalko and LeVonn Jordan leading a young group of six freshmen. Elon is one of the better defensive teams in the league and will use their pressure along with hopeful improvement from Ola Atoyebi in the post to contend. The sleeper pick in the North is UNC Greensboro, who with Kyle Hines, Ricky Hickman, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Oleksiak should be able to improve their stagnant offense. The Spartans were already a tremendous defensive team as league leaders in steals and blocks, so look for this team to take a step forward and be a tough out for everyone in the conference. Although Appalachian State has D.J. Thompson in the backcourt, this team will struggle to score consistently and their lack of experience will hurt them in close conference games as well. Lack of depth will be the downfall for the Catamounts of Western Carolina, who will finish last in the North. Western Carolina provides little pop on offense or defense to consistently win games this season.

North Division
Chattanooga
UNC Greensboro
Elon
Appalachian State
Western Carolina

South Division
College of Charleston
Georgia Southern
Furman
Davidson
Wofford
The Citadel

Pre-Season Awards

All-Conference Team: D.J. Thompson (App. St.), Kyle Hines (UNC Greensboro), Dantaye Draper (College of Charleston), Robby Bostain (Furman), and Ricky Hickman (UNC Greensboro)

Honorable Mention: Chris Chalko (Elon), Kedric Mays (Chattanooga), and J’Mel Everhart (The Citadel)

Player of the Year: Kyle Hines, UNC Greensboro
The returning rebounding leader, who also averaged 19.3 ppg last season, will only mature and improve in that 6’6″ frame of his. Hines has the rare combination of shooting ability and the footwork to post up in the paint. He will be the most dominant presence in the league, and his success will help to turn around UNC Greensboro as well.

Defensive Player of the Year: D.J. Thompson, Appalachian St.
Thompson returns as a top defensive guard with the departure of Brendan Winters (Davidson) and Elton Nesbitt (Georgia Southern). His quickness and intelligence will garner him to the steals title and his size will help shut down opponents ability to shoot the ball from the outside.

Most Improved: Ola Atoyebi, Elon
The younger brother of former Elon forward Jackson Atoyebi, Ola will see significant minutes off the bench for Elon. His size and strength will allow him to improve his points, rebounds and blocks greatly. On a fairly small team, Atoyebi will give them power in the middle to continue success in the North Division.

Freshmen to Watch: Matt Gwyne (Chattanooga), Bryant Barr (Davidson), and Krysztos Janiszewski (Georgia Southern)

Coach on the Hot Seat: Bobby Cremins, College of Charleston.
This is a wild pick for hot seat in that he will not be fired regardless of the Cougars’ record this season. Yet he is going to be under tremendous pressure for a few reasons. For one, his credentials speak for themselves (most wins in Georgia Tech history, ACC tournament titles, ACC regular season titles, etc.) Second he comes to a school in Charleston that although obviously not an ACC-sized school, it still has a recent history of a strong basketball program dating back to the early 1990s. The fans and alumni will expect Cremins to produce solid teams that can contend for Southern Conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances like they saw only a few years ago, and if he does not pull the team to this level in 06-07 in contention complaints will be abound in South Carolina.

Team Capsules

North Division

Chattanooga Mocs (1st North)
Head Coach: John Shulman
2005-2006 Record: 19-13 (8-6)
Projected Starters: Kedric Mays (Senior guard) 6’0″/180, Casey Long (Senior guard) 6’2″/190, Ricky Hood (Senior guard) 6’3″/ 195, Bernard Lowndes (Senior forward) 6’9″/200, Khadil Hartwell (Sophomore forward) 6’8″/215
Season Highlights: Las Vegas Invitational vs. Towson, Tennessee State and Prarie View (11/24-11/25); @ Florida (11/18); vs. Davidson (12/18); vs. College of Charleston (1/27)

Chattanooga has finished in the top three or better in their division in the last five seasons, and this season the North Division looks to be much weaker, allowing the Mocs a chance to take the North title. Led by returning senior guards Casey Long and Kedric Mays, Chattanooga will have a strong offensive unit that was in the top four in the conference in scoring offense, rebounding, and field goal percentage. Although they are one of the smaller teams in the league, Chattanooga was able to finish in the top three of the conference in rebounding on both sides of the court. Yet they must improve their shooting from beyond the arc with this smaller team to compete with the bigger teams. The Mocs only shot 31.6 percent from the 3-point line, which was second worst in the conference. Look for production immediately off the bench from freshmen Matt Gwyne, a big guy at 6’10″ who could see minutes because of his size, and 6’5″ Jeff Smith who gives them size in the backcourt as well. This is a nice core of veterans along with one of the stronger recruiting classes in the conferences that will make the Mocs the front-runners to win the North Division and compete for the tournament title.

UNC Greensboro Spartans (2nd North)
Head Coach: Mike Dement
2005-2006 Record: 12-19 (4-10)
Projected Starters: Kyle Hines (Junior forward) 6’6″/230, Ricky Hickman (Senior guard) 6’3″/175, Dwayne Johnson (Junior guard) 5’9″/180, Kevin Oleksiak (Junior guard) 6’4″/195, David McClemy (Sophomore gorward) 6’9″/225
Season Highlights: @ Duke (11/16); vs. Virginia Tech (1/10); vs. College of Charleston (2/10); Bracket busters on ESPN, team to be determined (2/17)

UNC Greensboro is coming off its third losing season in four years, yet optimism is high in Greensboro. That optimism can come easily to a lot of teams if they had the kind of talented player the Spartans have in Kyle Hines. The 6’6″ junior from New Jersey was an all-conference player last season and with departures of Davidson’s Brendan Winters and Georgia Southern’s Elton Nesbitt, Hines just might be the most gifted player in the conference. The highest returning scorer in the league at 19.9 ppg and also the defending rebound champ (8.2 rpg), Hines is a quick wing forward who possesses the ability to shoot the mid-range jumper along with post up with anyone in the conference. Yet it’s a team game, and just like last season Hines cannot win games all alone. Greensboro must improve offensively, where they ranked no higher than 6th in every major offensive category, to increase their win total. Defensively, the Spartans were tops in both blocks and steals last season with Hines and Ricky Hickman leading the way on that side of the ball. The offense will continue to improve with solid contributions from the guards once again. The three guard tandem of Hickman, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Oleksiak combined for 35.8 ppg last season. Depth will be an issue for this team with only seven viable players to contribute night in and night out. Yet good vibes continue to surround this program with such a great inside player like Hines in a mostly small league and a strong core of guards to protect the backcourt, the Spartans could be very dangerous. If this team can overcome their depth issues, they should be the sleeper team of the conference.

Elon Phoenix (3rd North)
Head Coach: Ernie Nestor
2005-2006 Record: 15-14 (10-4)
Projected Starters: Chris Chalko (Senior forward) 6’8″/220, LeVonn Jordan (Senior guard/forward) 6’6″/185, Montell Watson (Senior guard)6’1″/170, Brett James (Sophomore guard) 6’5″/185, and Brian Waters (Junior guard) 6’2″/185
Season Highlights: @ Geogia Tech (11/10); Kent State Tournament (12/27-12/28); vs. Chattanooga (1/15); Bracketbusters Game on ESPN, team to be determined (2/17)

Elon surprisingly finished with a 10-4 conference record last season to steal the North Division from typical powerhouse Chattanooga, and this season you can count on the Phoenix being in the thick of the North Division hunt once again. Elon returns a solid team despite the losses of senior leaders Scottie Rice and Jackson Atoyebi, welcoming a strong group of freshmen. This season’s team has five guys returning who averaged more than 22 minutes a game last season, and this experience will likely minimize the damage of losing Rice and Atoyebi. Elon established themselves last season on the defensive end up the court by holding opponents to 42.3 percent from the field (second in the conference) and in the top 3 in steals. Yet the offense lacked and will need to improve for continued success. Last season Elon averaged only 67.1 ppg, which was last in the league, and was 9th in the league in field goal percentage. Expect senior Chris Chalko, last year’s scoring leader, to increase the workload and the three-headed backcourt of Montell Watson, Brett James and LeVonn Jordan to apply continued pressure in the backcourt to keep the Phoenix in contention. The six freshmen are expected to eventually contribute, but look for a sophomore to make a noticeable impact off the bench – Ola Atoyebi, former all-conference player Jackson Atoyebi’s younger brother. He has the size and post-up ability to give Elon a much-needed presence in the paint. With valuable returning guards to attack on defense, and a huge influx of younger players, the Phoenix should for a second straight year contend for the North Division and make an impact in the conference tournament.

Appalachian State Mountaineers (4th North)
Head Coach: Houston Fancher
2005-2006 Record: 14-16 (6-8)
Projected Starters: DJ Thompson (Senior guard) 5’8″/170, Doug McClaughlin-Williams (Junior forward) 6’8″/220, Tyler Webb (Sophomore forward) 6’9″/225, Nathan Crawford (Senior guard) 6’2″/190, Demetrius Scott (Senior guard) 6’2″/190
Season Highlights: @ Clemson (11/17); @ Wake Forest (11/25); San Juan Shootout vs. Virginia (12/19-12/21); Bracketbusters on ESPN, team to be determined (2/17)

The Appalachian State Mountaineers return a team under Coach Fancher that is led by veterans that would like to see a winning season for only the second time in five seasons. They are led by three senior guards that include all-conference player D.J. Thompson, who was also the team’s leading scorer and assist man, and a strong shooting wing in Nathan Crawford. Also returning is their rebounding leader in forward Douglass McClaughin-Williams, who’s three-point shooting along with Thompson gives the Mountaineers one of the best inside-outside combinations in all the conference. They will rely on these two upperclassmen to improve an offense which ranked fifth in the league in scoring and a lowly tenth in field goal percentage. The defense must improve as well considering that Appalachian State is one of the bigger teams in the conference and was unable to place better than seventh in both offensive and defensive rebounds. This is the key to their success; if the mountaineers can manage the boards much better with five guys over 6’7″, that will open up their ability to run. Their three guards are quick and able to hit the basket hard. With a strong combination of McClaughin-Williams and Thompson, the Mountaineers have some opportunities to contend for a definite .500 conference record if not better.

Western Carolina Catamounts (5th North)
Head Coach: Larry Hunter
2005-2006 Record: 12-19 (4-10)
Projected Starters: Antonio Russell (Junior guard) 6’0″/170, Kyle Greathouse (Senior guard) 6’0″/185, Eric Wilson (Junior guard) 6’1″/210, Negus McKenna (Junior forward) 6’4″/225, Stan Johnson (Sophomore forward) 6’7″/220
Season Highlights: Shamrock Invitational @ St. Mary’s (CA) vs. Rice, Belmont and St. Mary’s (CA) (12/28-12/29); vs. UNC Greensboro (1/6); @ College of Charleston (2/5); vs. Appalachian State (2/19)

Western Carolina comes off a 2005-2006 season where they finished a surprising 7-7 in the conference, yet this season’s team could have its struggles. The struggles begin on the offensive side of the ball, where the catamounts rank in the bottom four in the conference in ppg, field goal percentage, offensive rebounds, and assists. The offense will continue to struggle this season with a continued lack of depth (only seven players with any past playing time) and limited veteran leadership (only one senior). Their lack of size will hurt will be detrimental to their defensive game strategy; the Catamounts only have one guy at 6’8″ in freshman Jake Robinson. There are a few bright spots to this year’s team, though, with the return of guards Antonio Russell (last season’s points leader with 13.3 ppg) and Kyle Greathouse who was in the top 10 in the conference in 3-pt. field goal percentage (40.3%). Although the five freshmen will likely have their struggles early on in the season, look for Robinson and 6’7″ Omar Thomas to be impact players by season’s end because of their size and ability to potentially impact the low-post. This season for Western Carolina and Coach Hunter is a learning and developing season, and with that in mind look for their young players to see significant time by season’s end as the Catamounts begin to look forward past this season.

South Division

College of Charleston Cougars (1st South)
Head Coach: Bobby Cremins (first season)
2005-2006 Record: 17-11 (9-6)
Projected Starters: Dontaye Draper (Senior guard) 5’11″/180, Jermaine Johnson (Sophomore jorward) 6’7″/250, David Lawrence (Senior forward) 6’7″/185, Josh Jackson (Junior center) 6’8″/255, Josh McCandies (Senior forward) 6’9″/225
Season Highlights: Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands vs. Villanova, Xavier, TCU, Toledo, VCU, Middle Tenn. St., and Iowa (11/17-11/20); @ South Carolina (12/5); College of Charleston Classic vs. Radford, IUPUI, and Farleigh Dickinson (12/29-12/30); vs. Davidson (2/12); @ Georgia Southern (2/24)

College of Charleston has become the biggest story of the off-season with the signing of coaching legend Bobby Cremins, who has the most wins in Georgia Tech history. Cremins brings back legitimacy to a traditional Southern Conference power who has not won the South Division since the 2002-2003 season. Cremins inherits a strong frontcourt lineup with four guys over 6’7″ along with all-conference point guard Dontaye Draper, who as a senior will be asked to lead this team to success. Although one of the more talented teams in the league, as a whole the Cougars lack experience with six players expected to contribute this season who last season only logged less than ten minutes of playing time on average. There are also three freshmen that Cremins expects to play significant amounts of time, including Taurus Skrimpkauskus, a foreign sharpshooter from Lithuania, and the aggressive guard out of Brooklyn named Javon Paris. Yet the starting lineup does not lack in experience with three seniors and a junior expected to continue Charleston’s dominance both offensively (third in the conference in points) and defensively (second in points allowed). Size will allow the cougars to slow up tempo in games and go to work on the interior against much smaller conference teams. Look for sophomore Jermaine Johnson, last season’s rebounding leader, to improve on both sides of the court after putting on more weight to his large frame this off-season. With Draper at the point, the big men down low and Cremins calling the shots this young and thin on depth team will definitely contend for the Conference titles both in the regular season and in the tournament.

Georgia Southern Eagles (2nd South)
Head Coach: Jeff Price
2005-2006 Record: 20-10 (11-4)
Projected Starters: Louis Graham (Junior forward) 6’8″/220, Jimmy Tobia (Senior guard) 6’4″/190, Donte Gennie (Senior guard) 6’1″/185, Dwayne Foreman (Senior guard) 5’10″/170, and Krysztof Janiszewski (Freshmen center) 6’11″/280
Season Highlights: CBE Classic @ Duke, vs. UC-Davis (11/12-11/13); @ Clemson (12/19); @ College of Charleston (1/15); vs. Chattanooga (2/3); vs. College of Charleston (2/24)

The defending South Division champions ended last season with a disappointing loss to Davidson and are looking to return to the top of the conference once again this season. Aa key for the Eagles will be to find a replacement offensively for Elton Nesbitt, the conference’s leading scorer last season at 22.1 ppg. His ability to score must be replaced if Georgia Southern wants to remain near the top in the conference in scoring. The Eagles will rely on a veteran team of juniors and seniors that includes rebounding leader Louis Graham (7.4 rpg) and sharpshooter Donte Gennie (45.2% from 3-pt. range), who could end up leading this team in scoring. But the most important aspect for this team in 2006-07 is their defense. Their problems were their ability to rebound defensively, giving up 37.5 rebounds to opponents. The Eagles will have to rely on junior center Ryan Hynes (6’8″/270) and incoming freshmen Krysztof Janiszewski (6’11″/280 Polish phenom) to control the paint and open jump shot opportunities and fast-break points for their feisty backcourt of Gennie and Jimmy Tobias. Georgia Southern is a traditional power team in the Southern Conference, and although Nesbitt is tough to replace, the Eagles will still contend for the Conference title because their aggressive offense and strong guard play. This team will be in the hunt for the NCAA tournament bid.

Furman Paladins (3rd South)
Head Coach: Jeff Jackson (first season)
2005-2006 Record: 15-13 (8-7)
Projected Starters: Robby Bostain (Senior guard/forward) 6’6″/200, Eric Webb (Senior guard) 6’2″/185, Moussa Diagne (Senior forward)6’8″/220, Stanley Jones (Sophomore forward/center) 6’9″/240, and Jadee Jones (Sophomore guard) 6’2″/180
Season Highlights: @ Clemson (11/15); @ California (12/19); @ Georgia Southern (1/6); @ College of Charleston (1/13); vs. College of Charleston (2/19)

The Furman Paladins begin Jeff Jackson’s career in the Southern Conference with a return of a very deep and veteran led team that could pose a stronger threat than most believe. Despite the loss of senior point guard Tony Carter, who led the team in assists and steals last season, the Paladins return seven players who averaged over 10 minutes a game last season. These players include last season’s scoring and rebounding leader Robby Bostain, as well as the team’s 3-point threat Eric Webb, who was fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (41.6%). A team that shot 46.4 percent from the field last season (tops in the conference) along with 36.7 percent from 3-point range (third) will be a formidable offense once again this season. Their problems lie in defensive categories, where Coach Jackson needs his team to go from mediocre to a top-tier defense if they want more success. With three 6’8″ forwards/centers along with an aggressive pressing backcourt scheme, the Paladins hope to create more turnovers to help ignite their already potent offense. If this team can continue to shoot well from the field and get defensive production from its youthful bench that features five freshmen and three sophomores, this team can not only compete with the pride of this conference but also be a threat for more significant prizes come the end of conference tournament time.

Davidson Wildcats (4th South)
Head Coach: Bob McKillop
2005-2006 Record: 20-11 (10-5)
Projected Starters: Boris Meno (Junior forward) 6’8″/220, Thomas Sander (Junior forward) 6’8″/220, Jason Richards (Junior guard) 6’2″/190, Bryant Barr (Freshmen guard) 6’4″/185, and William Archambault (Freshmen forward) 6’6″/210
Season Highlights: @ Duke (11/25); Arizona St. Hoops Classic vs. Ohio, UNC A&T, and Arizona St. (12/21-12/22); @ Georgia Southern (1/23); vs. Chattanooga (2/6); @ College of Charleston (2/12)

After an NCAA Tournament appearance last season where the Wildcats lost to No. 2 seed Ohio State in the first round of play, a repeat appearance would be quite an accomplishment for Bob McKillop’s team. McKillop has lost seven seniors from last year’s 20-win team, including first-team all-conference guard Brendan Winters, who led his team in scoring (16.9), Kenny Grant, who led the entire conference in assists per game with 6.7, and his own son Matt, the Wildcats’ top three-point threat at nearly 36 percent from the behind the arc. Last year’s team led the conference in scoring (77.5) and free throw percentage (76.1%), and was in the top three in the conference in field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage and offensive rebounding. There was no lack on the defensive side of the ball, either. With only two seniors this season, who played a combined 27 minutes last season, this Davidson squad will have its struggles. Seven freshmen and sophomores must develop and mature quickly in McKillop’s traditionally efficient offense for any success to occur this season. Freshmen guards Bryant Barr and Stephen Curry will be looked to build on past backcourt success at Davidson to improve this young team. With a still large frontcourt (seven players over 6’6″), including 6’8″ bruiser Boris Meno, the young guards must include the interior offense to have another March Madness opportunity or it could be a rebuilding year down in Davidson.

Wofford Terriers (5th South)
Head Coach: Mike Young
2005-2006 Record: 11-18 (6-9)
Projected Starters: Drew Gibson (Junior guard) 6’2″/185, Shane Nichols (Junior guard) 6’0″/185, Eric Marshall (Senior guard) 6’4″/185, Emilio Lebolo (Freshmen center) 6’10″/240, Tyler Wheatley (Sophomore forward/center) 6’9″/220
Season Highlights: @ North Carolina St. (11/10); @ Auburn (12/16); vs. The Citadel (1/6); @ College of Charleston (1/22); vs. UNC Greensboro (2/5)

Wofford has not been over .500 in the last five seasons, and if they want to achieve that mark they will have to live and die by the play of their guards. The Terriers have ten players that play the guard position on their 15-man roster, including returning starters Drew Gibson and Shane Nichols, who will be looked upon for leadership and offensive production. They must step up after the loss of forward Howard Wilkerson, who led the Terriers in points and rebounds last season. A woeful offensive team last season to begin with (a league-worst 67.1 ppg), they must rely on their speed at the guard position and ability to shoot the ball. A poor rebounding team, the Terriers will look to three freshmen over 6’7″, including Cory Godziniski (6’8″) who possesses guard-like ball handling skills but also the size to score in the lane. Coach Mike Young sees these big guys as the future for Wofford in the low post. A very youthful team that includes ten underclassmen along with their ability to run up and down the guard with their array of guards, Wofford will be one of the most athletic and fast-paced teams in the league. Although they lack size and experience, Young and the terriers are hoping their speed and aggression can put them into the upper tier teams in the league. If their lack of size begins to expose them it will be another long season for Wofford.

The Citadel Bulldogs (6th South)
Head Coach: Ed Conroy (first season)
2005-2006 Record: 10-21 (1-14)
Projected Starters: Kevin Hammack (Senior guard) 6’1″/189, J’Mel Everhart (Senior forward) 6’6″/205, Warren McClendon (Junior forward) 6’5″/245, Denny McClendon (Senior guard) 6’0″/175, Demetrius Nelson (Junior forward) 6’8″/250
Season Highlights: @ Michigan State (11/12); @ Notre Dame (11/19); vs. South Carolina (11/27); vs. UNC Greensboro (1/20); vs. Wofford (2/12)

After winning only 15 games in the conference over the past five years, including only one win last season, new coach Ed Conroy has his hands full at his alma mater. There is some good to be found in this struggling program is that they have veterans in this lineup to help teach their younger inexperienced teammates. Seniors Kevin Hammack, Denny McClendon and J’Mel Everhart will lead the way on a team that needs improvements in almost every facet of the game. The Bulldogs were ninth or worse in the conference in numerous categories. Improvement needs to be seen by Coach Conroy in all of these aspects to have any chance of success in 2006-07. To make matters worse for the Citadel is the loss of their best player last season in Dante Terry, who led them in points, assists, steals and three-point field goal percentage. Hammack will have to step up and replace Terry as the leader, but it’s a role Hammack can potentially fulfill considering he led the team in steals and assists two seasons ago. This teams lacks size with only one guy over 6’8″, but is going to be at least eight deep with Chris Diasperra and Vytautus Valiulis coming off the bench. Coach Conroy must depend on his upperclassmen starting lineup to set the tone for his group of seven freshmen, so that potentially in a season or two this team can climb out of the basement of the Southern Conference.

Conclusion

A lot can be expected from the 2006-07 season in the Southern Conference. It begins its non-conference slate against numerous powerhouse programs like Duke, Villanova, Michigan State, Florida, Kentucky and Iowa just to name a few. These types of games will help to gauge where the talent level is within the Southern Conference. These powerhouse schools are obviously expected to win, but the degree of difficulty in which College of Charleston or Chattanooga can put up in these games will help to build confidence as the season progresses.

Conference play kicks off November 27th with Wofford visiting UNC Greensboro along with numerous intriguing matchups to follow into December, including Chattanooga vs. College of Charleston and Appalachian St. vs. Georgia Southern. Then by the beginning of the year conference will fully begin and the races will be heating with intense matchups between College of Charleston vs. Georgia Southern twice (1/15 and 2/24) and Chattanooga vs. Elon twice (1/15 and most likely a Bracket Buster match-up on ESPN on 2/17). These conference battles will help shape and determine the two division champions before the conference tournament.

The favorites in the North Division are Elon and Chattanooga with UNC Greensboro as a sleeper pick and in the South Division are College of Charleston and Georgia Southern with Furman as a sleeper pick. The pick here for conference tournament champion and most likely lone Southern Conference representative in the NCAA Tournament is College of Charleston. Bobby Cremins and the Cougars will return to March Madness to give the most likely higher seed they face a challenge in the first round of play.

Southern Conference 2005-06 Preview

by Michael Protos

The Southern Conference will have a new look this season after Davidson dominated it from start to finish last season – or at least the finish of the regular season.



The Wildcats finished 16-0 in conference play but lost to UNC-Greensboro in the conference tournament semifinals. Davidson loses a lot of its firepower in the post but still returns a lineup capable of winning the South division. But that can be said of almost every other team in the Southern Conference.



One team that struggled last season definitely will not contend for the SoCon title this year, and that team is East Tennessee State. The Bucs won’t have a chance to contend because they left to go to the Atlantic Sun Conference. With one less team in the North division, Chattanooga should have a good chance to repeat as division winners. The Mocs earned the SoCon’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by virtue of winning the conference title.



This season, the Mocs look good to win the North Division again. But that division is the SoCon’s second-class citizen compared with the South Division, in which all six teams could make a run for the division title and possibly conference title. Georgia Southern, Furman and Davidon appear to have a slight edge, but don’t count out Wofford, College of Charleston or the Citadel.



Awards



Conference MVP: Elton Nesbitt, Georgia Southern

If the Eagles meet expectations and contend for the conference title, Nesbitt will have to lead the way. He’ll also earn the praise of people throughout the conference en route to leading his team to the top and earning an MVP award as the Eagles’ best player.



All-Conference Team:

Elton Nesbitt, Georgia Southern

Brendan Winters, Davidson

Howard Wilkerson, Wofford

David Berghoefer, Western Carolina

Kyle Hines, UNC-Greensboro



Rookie of the Year: Stan Jones, Furman

Playing on a team with plenty of other talent will benefit Jones this season. The Paladins have a lot of experience in the backcourt, forcing opponents to dwell on the guards rather than the forwards. If Jones remains dedicated to rebounding and defense, he could make a significant impact on a team that could contend for the conference title.



The Hot Seat: Pat Dennis, The Citadel

The Bulldogs usually have low expectations entering each season. But this year, the Citadel returns a fairly talented lineup that features one of the best sophomores in the conference in forward Warren McClendon. The Bulldogs play in the tough South division, and if the team fails to win more than four or five conference games, the Citadel may grow tired of Dennis’ propensity toward mediocrity.



North Division



Chattanooga Mocs (20-11, 10-6, 1st)

Projected starters:

Senior forward Charles Anderson

Senior forward Alphonso Pugh

Senior guard Steve Cherry

Junior guard Casey Long

Junior guard Ricky Hood



Schedule highlights:

At Minnesota

Creighton

At Holy Cross



The Mocs finally passed East Tennessee State to become the class of the Southern Conference outside Davidson. Chattanooga reached the NCAA Tournament, in which the Mocs lost to Wake Forest in the opening round. The only losses from that team are Mindaugas Katelynas and Chris Brown. Those two combined to average more 23 points per game on a team that struggled to score last season.



To replace Katelynas and Brown, the Mocs need senior forwards Charles Anderson and Alphonso Pugh and senior guard Steve Cherry to carry the team. All three are talented players who play solid defense. Pugh has the most potential, but he doesn’t always play at a high level. He averaged 11.3 points per game last season despite coming off the bench for most of the season. If he plays solid all year, he could become an all-conference player.



Junior guards Casey Long and Ricky Hood join Cherry in the backcourt. Neither lights up the net, but they are solid defensive players, which is the principal concern of coach John Shulman. He will use the same formula for success as last season, hoping for slightly more consistent offensive production. With an experienced team led by senior leaders, the Mocs should win the mediocre North Division and contend for another NCAA bid.

Prediction: First



Appalachian State Mountaineers (18-12, 9-7, tie 2nd)

Projected starters:

Sophomore forward Douglass McLaughlin-Williams

Sophomore forward Jeremy Clayton

Junior forward P.L. Henderson

Junior guard Demetrius Scott

Junior guard D.J. Thompson



Schedule highlights:

At Wake Forest

At Tennessee

At North Carolina State



Appalachian State has an intriguing lineup filled with potential but also riddled with question marks. The team dismissed its best athlete, senior forward Derek Thomas, for violating team rules. If he remains off the team, the Mountaineers will miss his thunderous energy around the basket and 8.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.



Despite the loss of Thomas, the Mountaineers return a host of players who saw meaningful minutes last season. Junior point guard D.J. Thompson leads the way, averaging 11.2 points per game last season. At 5-8, he presents a match up problem for teams that don’t have solid ball handlers at the point. On offense, he runs the show, which is critical on a team that lacks other proven stars. The rest of the backcourt is also solid, with juniors Demetrius Scott and Nathan Cranford. Neither one scored frequently last season, but Scott is a solid defensive player.



In the frontcourt, the Mountaineers will sorely miss Thomas. Sophomores Jeremy Clayton and Douglass McLaughlin-Williams averaged less than five points and four rebounds per game last season. They are a microcosm of the Mountaineers’ problem: plenty of potential, but no proven source of points. That makes Appalachian State a difficult team to rate. The Mountaineers have a good recruiting class, including forwards P.L. Henderson and Tyler Webb, and guards Ryann Abraham, Eduardo Bermudez, A.J. Highsmith and Jarvis Jackson. Henderson is most likely to contribute as a scoring machine out of a junior college. The Mountaineers will need him to step in to fill Thomas’ place.

Prediction: Second



UNC-Greensboro Spartans (18-12, 9-7, tie 2nd)

Projected starters:

Freshman forward David McClenny

Sophomore forward Kyle Hines

Junior guard Ricky Hickman

Sophomore guard Kevin Oleksiak

Sophomore guard Dwayne Johnson



Schedule highlights:

At Vanderbilt

At South Carolina

Duke



The Spartans enter the 2005-06 season with a new coach after Fran McCaffery bolted Greensboro for a chance to coach Siena. The Spartans reached the SoCon championship game last season, but the loss of three starters could leave new coach Mike Dement with a tough road ahead.



New is old with Dement, who coached the Spartans more than a decade ago when UNC-Greensboro was a Division II program. He guided the Spartans into Division I and led the team to a 23-win season in the Big South before other programs caught wind of his success. After nine years and a 138-120 record at SMU, the Mustangs grew tired of Dement’s inability to get the team over the hump. Dement was out of coaching for a year before he jumped at the opportunity to coach the Spartans again.



The Spartans lose Ronnie Burrell, Josh Gross and Ray Bristow from last season’s squad. Those players accounted for almost 35 points per game last season. But UNC-G does return sophomore forward Kyle Hines and junior guard Ricky Hickman, two of the team’s three leading scorers. Hines was a beast last season, averaging 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. One of the better post players despite measuring only 6-6, Hines will force opposing defenses to collapse in the paint, which will create open shots for Hickman, who averaged 14.5 points per game last season.



The rest of the lineup is a question mark for the Spartans. The team has no seniors and only three juniors, so the lack of experience will show early and often. Freshman forward David McClenny was one of the better recruits in North Carolina and will have to contribute during his first season. JuCo transfer Bart Tooms is the biggest player on the roster at 6-11, and Dement needs him to learn quickly. The Spartans will struggle against a few teams, but they will be a force to reckon with during the next couple of seasons.

Prediction: Third



Elon Phoenix (8-23, 5-11, 4th)

Projected starters:

Senior forward Colin Wyatt

Senior forward Jackson Ayotebi

Junior forward Chris Chalko

Senior guard Scottie Rice

Junior guard Brian Waters



Schedule highlights:

At Georgia Tech

Wake Forest

At Clemson



Elon doesn’t lose any significant parts from last season, primarily because fifth-year senior forward Jackson Ayotebi received a medical redshirt last season after injuring his shoulder. The free pass allows Ayotebi, now a graduate student at Elon, to maintain his last year of eligibility. He is the Phoenix’s most reliable player, averaging 16.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game as a junior two years ago. He had to have rotator cuff surgery to repair the shoulder, however, so his ability to bounce back will be critical to Elon’s success this year.



In the absence of Ayotebi, several inexperienced sophomores and juniors logged more minutes, which gives coach Ernie Nestor more seasoned leaders to rely on this season. Senior Colin Wyatt and juniors Chris Chalko and Brian Waters played more minutes last season to help cover for Ayotebi. Wyatt and Chalko join Ayotebi in the frontcourt, which is the strength of this team. Unfortunately, the Southern Conference does not lack talented post players so that won’t allow the Phoenix to create mismatches.



In the backcourt, Elon’s best player is senior Scottie Rice, who averaged 10.5 points per game last season. But Rice shot less than 40 percent from the field, which was a product of constant harassment from opposing defenses. The Phoenix need to establish a solid inside-out game, feeding Ayotebi in the lane and kicking it out to Rice on the perimeter. If Rice improves his touch and Ayotebi rebounds from his injury, the Phoenix will score more points this season and improve in the SoCon standings.

Prediction: Fourth



Western Carolina Catamounts (8-22, 3-13, 6th)

Projected starters:

Senior center David Berghoefer

Senior swingman Cory Muirhead

Junior guard Kyle Greathouse

Sophomore guard Trey Hopkins

Sophomore guard Antonio Russell



Schedule highlights:

South Carolina

At Maryland

At Georgia



The Catamounts ditched coach Steve Shurina, who never led Western Carolina to the top of the Southern Conference. New coach Larry Hunter has plenty of success on his résumé, including 23 winning seasons in 25 years as a coach at Ohio University and Division III Wittenburg. Most recently, he was an assistant coach at North Carolina State.



Hunter plans to implement a motion offense that resembles North Carolina State’s version of the Princeton offense. But the Catamounts might have a rough adjustment period because they don’t have the proper personnel. The North Carolina State model requires a roster full of good shooters, especially among the guards, and the Catamounts’ strongest players are frontcourt mates David Berghoefer and Cory Muirhead. Both are more effective in the post than stepping out to shoot jumpers.



At guard, the Catamounts return junior Kyle Greathouse and sophomores Trey Hopkins and Antonio Russell. All three are short guards who don’t exactly torch the nets. Outside Berghoefer and Muirhead, they represent the most returning points per game from last season. But if they fail to hit shots, Hunter may sit them in favor of other players. Hunter has a good mixture of experience with three starters who are seniors or juniors and eight freshmen or sophomores, but many of those youngsters are unproven. Look for the Catamounts to struggle for the most part with flashes of potential.

Prediction: Fifth



South Division



Georgia Southern Eagles (18-13, 10-6, tie 2nd)

Projected starters:

Senior forward Sean Olivier

Sophomore forward Louis Graham

Junior forward Jimmy Tobias

Senior guard Elton Nesbitt

Junior guard Donte Gennie



Schedule highlights:

At Texas Tech

At Kansas State

Illinois-Chicago



The Eagles lost two starters in point guard Terry Williams and big man Jean Francois. But Georgia Southern returns senior guard Elton Nesbitt, a sensational scorer who averaged more than 20 points per game. At 5-9, he’s one of the most dangerous small guards in the country and doesn’t have to play the point to dictate the offense. Those duties belong to junior guard Donte Gennie, who must replace Williams.



In the frontcourt, the Eagles return senior Sean Olivier, who is a hard worker despite only putting up average statistics. Fellow big man sophomore forward Louis Graham is a more dangerous offensive weapon after averaging 8.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.



The rest of the Eagles’ lineup lacks experience but not talent. Juniors Jimmy Tobias, Lafayette Lofton and Diego Salazar are JuCo arrivals who will make immediate impacts. Georgia Southern also has senior forward Willie Dunn and sophomore forward Anthony Marshall to add depth to the frontcourt. Sophomore guard Dwayne Foreman will back up Gennie at the point. Foreman may miss time early in the season, however, because he and freshman forward Rob Robinson were wounded during an altercation at a bar in October.



Although this team does not have clear third or fourth scoring options, Nesbitt should carry this team to success throughout conference play. If the team can develop reliable options to aid Nesbitt and Graham, the Eagles could be a serious conference championship contender.

Prediction: First



Furman Paladins (16-13, 9-7, 4th)

Projected starters:

Freshman forward Stan Jones

Junior forward Moussa Diagne

Junior guard Robby Bostain

Junior guard Eric Webb

Senior guard Tony Carter



Schedule highlights:

At Vanderbilt

At Texas Tech

At Missouri



The Paladins lost forward Quan Prowell, the team’s leading scorer, who left Furman to transfer to Auburn after the season. But Prowell had been suspended because of academics for the latter half of last season, so the team is familiar with playing without him.



The loss of Prowell hurts the frontcourt, but the return of Moussa Diagne is a big boost. Diagne averaged 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season, and the Paladins need him to improve to match up with some of the SoCon’s other good post players. They also need him to excel because the rest of the post players have little to no experience. The Paladins will likely start freshman forward Stan Jones, who has a lot of potential but obviously nothing to show for it yet.



Almost the oppostive of the frontcourt, the backcourt is strong, experienced and deep. Juniors Robby Bostain and Eric Webb join senior Tony Carter. Webb is the best ball handler while Bostain is an athletic swingman. All three can step out to hit the three-pointer. No other Southern Conference team has three reliable three-point shooters in the starting lineup. Senior Gerad Punch and sophomore swingman George Brozos can also play on the perimeter to give the Paladins superb depth at guard.



The ability to develop a strong rebounding presence will determine the Paladins’ ability to move up in the SoCon standings. This team has more experience than many of its competitors, but the questions in the post could prevent Furman from making a run at the conference title.

Prediction: Second



Davidson Wildcats (23-9, 16-0, 1st)

Projected starters:

Junior forward Ian Johnson

Sophomore forward Thomas Sander

Senior guard Brendan Winters

Senior guard Matt McKillop

Senior guard Kenny Grant



Schedule highlights:

At Duke

At Syracuse

At North Carolina



The Wildcats lost two major parts of their squad from last season, which went 16-0 in SoCon play. Forwards Logan Kosmalski and Conor Grace graduated, leaving a gaping hole in the frontcourt, which several less-experienced players and recruits will try to fill. But the Wildcats shouldn’t fall too far off their stellar mark last season thanks to the best backcourt in the conference.



Seniors Brendan Winters, Matt McKillop (the coach’s son) and Kenny Grant comprise the three guards who must lead this team to victory. Winters may be the best player in the conference and will need to have a huge year despite becoming the focal point of opposing defenses. To make his job easier, Grant, the team’s point guard, must continue to run the offense to near-perfect precision. To add to that talented trio, the Wildcats also return senior Jason Morton and sophomore Jason Richards. Morton averaged more than 10 points per game last season despite playing off the bench.



The frontcourt is more unsettled, however, with junior Ian Johnson and sophomore Thomas Sander inheriting the responsibility of leading a team filled with unproven big men. In addition to those two, coach Bob McKillop has a pair of internationally-trained post players in Boris Meno of France and Andrew Lovedale of England. The team also has Max Gosselin of Canada and Can Civi of Turkey.



If the Wildcats can get some semblance of consistency in the frontcourt, the talented guards will carry this team to another solid SoCon finish. Like other members of the conference, the Wildcats have some experience in either the frontcourt or backcourt, but not both.

Prediction: Third



Wofford Terriers (14-14, 7-9, 5th)

Projected starters:

Senior center Tyler Berg

Senior forward Howard Wilkerson

Junior guard Eric Marshall

Sophomore guard Drew Gibson

Senior guard Byron Fields



Schedule highlights:

At West Virginia

At Miami

At Notre Dame



By only losing Adrien Borders and his 12.6 points per game, Wofford returns one of the conference’s best starting five. Senior forward Howard Wilkerson is a legitimate candidate for conference MVP if he bounces back from knee surgery last season. While he missed most of last season, fellow big man Tyler Berg garnered valuable experience. Berg and Wilkerson form one of the best frontcourts in the conference.



Junior guard Eric Marshall shoots better than 40 percent from three-point range, one of the best shooters in the SoCon. Because few teams have bona fide perimeter threats in this conference, Marshall gives the Terriers an added dimension on offense, which could free space inside for Wilkerson and Berg. Sophomore guard Drew Gibson and senior guard Byron Fields will split the point guard responsibilities, and both are solid scorers. Fields is a more reliable shooter, but Gibson is more consistent with ball handling.



Wofford’s optimism is based on their starting five and backup guard Shane Nichols, a transfer from St. Peter’s who was MAAC freshman of the year two seasons ago. In the frontcourt, no backups have any experience playing at Wofford. If depth becomes an issue, the Terriers may run into problems, so Wofford cannot afford injuries or foul trouble. That will hinder their game plans. But such a talented starting five should keep the Terriers in the top half of the SoCon.

Prediction: Fourth



The Citadel Bulldogs (12-16, 4-12, 6th)

Projected starters:

Sophomore forward Warren McClendon

Junior forward J’mel Everhart

Senior guard Dante Terry

Junior guard Donny McClendon

Senior guard Kevin Hammack



Schedule highlights:

At North Carolina State

At Duquesne

Pennsylvania



The Bulldogs did not lose any meaningful contributors to last season’s team, which was riddled with injuries and illness. Despite finishing last, the Citadel had one of the league’s more promising players emerge in sophomore forward Warren McClendon. One of the conference’s best freshmen last season, McClendon will be a critical piece to the puzzle this season. The Citadel lacks dominant players but has 10 or 11 players who could contribute every night. If the Bulldogs can find the right combination, this team could rise from the SoCon cellar into the top two or three teams in the South Division.



Joining McClendon in the charge out of the basement, senior guards Dante Terry and Kevin Hammack must provide stability in the backcourt. McClendon’s brother, Donny McClendon, is another reliable guard whom the Bulldogs need to become a better shooter. The Citadel added Mark Shiavoni from the Coast Guard, and he will probably become one of the team’s most consistent deep threats.



The guards will need to shoot well to expand opportunities for Warren McClendon and his fellow post players, including junior J’Mel Everhart, Aaron Xia and Andy Miller. The Bulldogs have a lot of mediocre talent at all positions, and everyone has decent experience, which is better than several SoCon teams that have a lot of talent at one or two positions coupled with a complete void of experience at others.

Prediction: Fifth



College of Charleston Cougars (18-10, 10-6, tied 2nd)

Projected starters:

Sophomore forward Josh Jackson

Junior forward David Lawrence

Freshman forward Jermaine Johnson

Junior guard Dontaye Draper

Senior guard Drew Hall



Schedule highlights:

At Virginia Commonwealth

At UNC-Wilmington

Towson



The Cougars lost leading scorer Tony Mitchell and forwards Bernard Jackson and Stanley Jackson, meaning that the College of Charleston must find new sources of scoring this season. But the Cougars have a lineup full of possible replacement scorers thanks to transfers and a talented recruiting class. Newcomers David Lawrence and Jermaine Johnson will start for the Cougars, while Virginia Tech transfer Philip McCandies will be one of the first players off the bench each game.



But the strength of this team is in the backcourt, where senior guard Drew Hall will lead the Cougars’ offense. Junior guard Dontaye Draper is the team’s leading returning scorer after averaging 12.0 points per game last season. He must improve on those numbers to provide enough offense for the Cougars to remain one of the best SoCon squads. Freshmen Javon Parris and Ryan Scott give the Cougars good depth, though no experience.



In the frontcourt, sophomore forward Josh Jackson must lead the fresh Cougars. He only averaged 5.1 points per game last season, but he is the go-to guy in the paint this season. If he cannot handle the pressure, the Cougars could run into trouble against some of the more talented big men in the conference. Look for the Cougars to play inconsistently as youth and inexperience produce frustrating mistakes. With Hall and Draper leading the way, however, the Cougars will remain in most games. The Cougars don’t seem imposing but usually find a way to win under coach Tom Herrion. This season should not be different – the Cougars are not frightening until you take them for granted.

Prediction: Sixth



Final Outlook



Unlike in past years dominated by Davidson or East Tennessee State, parity will rule in the Southern Conference this season. Just about every team can win on any night. That makes defending the home court all the more critical because road wins could come at a premium. Additionally, winning divisional games will also be mandatory because a two-game sweep would give a significant advantage in the final standings. The top few teams in each division earn a first-round bye in the conference tournament, which is a huge step toward winning the SoCon’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Southern Conference Tournament Preview

by Jonathan Gonzalez

The first stop to March Mania. That is the tagline for the 84th edition of the Kyocera Southern Conference Basketball Championship, which kicks off today at noon in Chattanooga, Tenn. For Davidson, it is a stop that the Wildcats hope is indeed the first for them, and the last for each of their 11 SoCon adversaries as the NCAA Tournament approaches.



Although seven teams have a legitimate shot at winning the SoCon tourney, a Davidson loss would be a major disappointment for a team that finished unbeaten in league play. To put Davidson’s league dominance into perspective, think about this: the Wildcats finished with a six-game lead – that’s right, six – over SoCon South second-place finishers College of Charleston and Georgia Southern.



Some of you may be thinking that Davidson has won 15 in a row and 20 for the season, so even if they should falter, a bid should be waiting for them. Sure, a bid to the NIT, not the NCAA. The cold, hard truth is that this is the Southern Conference, a one-bid league.



Without a doubt, this is Davidson’s tourney to lose. The Wildcats’ journey starts at noon. The home court may be Chattanooga’s, but in all honesty, that should not make that much of a difference to a Wildcat team that has not tasted defeat in conference play. Anything less than Davidson cutting down the nets on Saturday would spell disaster in Wildcat country.



First Round, March 2



(Game 1) No. 4 North Elon (7-22, 5-11) vs. No. 5 South Wofford (14-13, 7-9) at 12 p.m.

(Game 2) No. 3 South Georgia Southern (17-12, 10-6) vs. No. 6 North Western Carolina (8-21, 3-13) (30 min after Game 1).

(Game 3) No. 4 South Furman (16-12, 9-7) vs. No. 5 North East Tennessee State 9-18, 4-12) at 6 p.m.

(Game 4) No. 3 North Appalachian State (16-11, 9-7) vs. No. 6 South The Citadel (12-15, 4-12) (30 min after Game 3).



Quarterfinals, March 3



(Game 5) No. 1 South Davidson (20-7, 16-0) vs. Winner of Game 1 at 12 p.m.

(Game 6) No. 2 North UNC Greensboro (16-11, 9-7) vs. Winner of Game 2 (30 min after Game 5).

(Game 7) No. 1 North Chattanooga (17-10, 10-6) vs. Winner of Game 3 @ 6 p.m.

(Game 8) No. 2 South College of Charleston (18-9, 10-6) vs. Winner of Game 4 (30 min after Game 7).



Semifinals, March 4



(Game 9) Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner at 6 p.m.

(Game 10) Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner at 8:30 p.m.



SoCon Championship, March 5



Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner at 8 p.m.



Inside the First Round



Elon vs. Wofford



Season Series: Wofford won the lone match up 75-63.



Analysis: The Terriers beat Elon with hot-shooting back Feb. 14. Wofford shot a blistering 54 percent from the field en route to a 75-63 win. Both teams are evenly matched, so the win will probably go to the team that can make its shots. Stopping Wofford guard Adrien Borders will be key for Elon.



Prediction: Wofford 68 Elon 59



Georgia Southern vs. Western Carolina



Season Series: GSU won the lone match up 85-76.



Analysis: Way back on Jan. 3, Western Carolina beat up Georgia Southern on the boards, had four starters in double figures and hit 10 three pointers. About the only thing the Catamounts did not lead GSU in was the score, as the Eagles capitalized on 28 WCU turnovers en route to an 85-76 win. Obviously, Western Carolina needs to take care of the ball to win. For Georgia Southern, a solid shooting day plus more aggressiveness on the boards should equal a win.



Prediction: GSU 73 WCU 70.



Furman vs. East Tennessee State



Season Series: Furman won the lone match up 76-68.



Analysis: The Jan. 8 match up between Furman and ETSU featured 16 lead changes and was decided only when Furman’s Ben Earle hit two late three-pointers. Aside from Earle’s late flurry, the only difference between the two teams was Furman’s advantage in free-throw percentage. In a game with two teams so evenly matched, look for the difference to be a great individual performance. The suspects are ETSU’s Tim Smith and Furman’s Moussa Diagne.



Prediction: ETSU 83 Furman 73



Appalachian State vs. The Citadel



Season Series: ASU won the lone match up 84-66.



Analysis: Appalachian State routed the Citadel Feb. 3, thanks in large part to sharp three-point shooting. What ASU did not do well was rebound. The Mountaineers were out-rebounded by the Citadel 69-41. That kind of pounding on the boards usually warrants a loss, so don’t expect ASU to be so lucky again if they can’t have better success on the boards. If the Mountaineers can control the boards and get scoring from their bench, they win. If the Citadel can win on the boards, take care of the ball and limit ASU’s offensive opportunities, they have a good chance to get a victory.



Prediction: ASU 90 The Citadel 75

Southern Conference Notebook

by Jonathan Gonzalez

So what did we learn about the Southern Conference this week? For starters, we learned that Davidson doesn’t seem too fond of losing games. We also learned that Appalachian State is pretty good, while UNC-Greensboro is slipping. East Tennessee State’s Tim Smith can really score, and Elon cannot win forever, as three in a row proved to be its limit. Let’s not forget that the Citadel’s McLendon brothers are good, and that Furman needs to get to the line more than three times in a game to win. Last but not least, Wofford needs a lot of work. Write that down.



But the most important thing we learned this week about the conference is that it is really wide open. Even though Davidson is 14-0, they are beatable. College of Charleston pushed Davidson to the limit, barley losing 76-74. Davidson’s vulnerability combined with Chattanooga, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, College of Charleston and Furman all playing well, Davidson will not be a mortal lock to win the SoCon tourney.



All a team needs to do is get hot, and more times than not, the play of one individual can act as the catalyst for a teams overall success. Here are five players who can put their team on his back come SoCon Tourney time:

• Brendan Winters, Davidson: The Wildcat guard may be the league’s MVP and is the third-leading scoring in the conference.
  
  
• Elton Nesbitt, Georgia Southern: The man can fill it up from anywhere on the court. Nesbitt is second in the SoCon is scoring, and is shooting 36 percent from three-point land, not to mention 86 percent from the charity stripe.
  
  
• Tim Smith, East Tennessee State: Although his team has struggled, the lightening quick point man, who is averaging a league best 20 points per game, can score in bunches.
  
  
• Dontaye Draper, College of Charleston: Off of the bench and into your hearts, this sub has been super. The sophomore is averaging 11 points per game off of the bench.
  
  
• Jean Francois, Georgia Southern: The senior forward is averaging 13.8 points a game and can explode if he gets into a groove. Scored 28 against Davidson last Saturday.

Southern Conference Notebook

by Jonathan Gonzalez

In the spirit of Valentines Day, Davidson continued to show no love to the rest of the Southern Conference as the Wildcats ran their winning streak to 12 games. Davidson enjoyed another strong week from Brendan Winters, who is having a SoCon MVP-type season.



While the rich get richer, Davidson’s opposition seems to be falling further behind. Except for Georgia Southern, which is playing good basketball despite being three games behind Davidson in the south division, other SoCon contenders have been faltering. Chattanooga, UNC-Greensboro and College of Charleston all have been struggling lately, opening the door for teams like Appalachian State and Furman, which have been surging.



If there is a surprise in the SoCon, it would have to be Elon. After losing their first eight conference games, the Phoenix have won three in a row and look to be improving. Kudos to the Phoenix for not throwing in the towel and not giving up on the season. As for the Citadel, Western Carolina, East Tennessee State and Wofford, well, these teams are just going trying to be mediocre, which would be an improvement with the seasons they are having.



As we come down the stretch for the SoCon regular season, the real battle will be for No. 2, as Davidson has No. 1 pretty much locked up.



Player of the Week



Tim Smith, East Tennessee State

The junior guard averaged 30 points per game for the week as the Bucs lost to Wofford and Elon.



Rookie of the Week



In honor of Dontaye Draper’s great week, along with the fact no freshman really jumped out at me, this distinction will be subbed as Sixth Man of the Week

Draper averaged 19 points and 2.5 steals for the College of Charleston in a win against Western Carolina and a loss at Chattanooga.



The Week That Was (Feb. 1-Feb.9)



North Division



Chattanooga Mocs (14-7, 7-4)



After starring the season 4-0, UTC has dropped four of its last seven, including a three-game losing streak that was halted with an 82-59 win against College of Charleston Monday. After losing to UNC-G and Davidson in consecutive games, the Mocs lost a heartbreaker to Elon by the score of 62-59. Chattanooga rebounded with the said victory against College of Charleston, as the Mocs shot 48.4 percent from the field. Chris Brown led the Mocs with 26 points and 12 rebounds. UTC’s tenuous hold on the North division lead will be tested in the coming week with games against Appalachian State and UNCG, the two teams closest behind the Mocs in the standings.



Next Up: Saturday at Appalachian State, Monday vs. North Carolina-Greensboro.



North Carolina-Greensboro Spartans (13-9, 6-5)



The slumping Spartans have lost three in a row and four of their last five. With a golden opportunity to catch Chattanooga in the North standings, UNC-G made like the Mocs and fell to Elon, before losing to Davidson and Georgia Southern. In their loss to Davidson Saturday, the Spartans shot 38.3 percent and turned the ball over 21 times. Tuesday night against Georgia Southern, UNC-G shot 45.6 percent, had four starters score in double digits, led by Ricky Hickman’s 19 points, but lost 85-79, largely because of 19 turnovers.



Next Up: Saturday at East Tennessee State, Monday at Chattanooga.



Appalachian State Mountaineers (12-9, 6-5)



Don’t look now, but the Mountaineers are hot. So hot, in fact, that they are making north division front-runners Chattanooga and UNC-Greensboro a little uneasy. By virtue of Wednesday night’s win over East Tennessee State, ASU is tied with UNC-G for second-place in the north division. The win over ETSU pushes the Mountaineers’ conference win streak to three. Paced by D.J. Thompson’s 18 points, Appalachian State trounced the Citadel 84-66 last Tuesday night. Monday night, ASU edged Western Carolina 74-71 as five Mountaineers scored in double digits.



Next Up: Saturday vs. Chattanooga, Monday vs. Furman.



Elon Phoenix (5-19, 3-8)



True to its nickname, Elon has indeed risen from the dead. The Phoenix – remember, a phoenix was a mythical bird that burned itself but rose from its own ashes – won two games this week and pushed their season-high winning streak to three games, this after losing eight straight to start conference play. This past Saturday, Chris Chalko scored 20 points as Elon knocked off Chattanooga. Monday night, it was Le’Vonn Jordan’s turn to score 20 as the Phoenix won again, this time beating East Tennessee State 80-72. Will Elon’s streak continue? Hey, even if they lose the rest of their games, their effort of late has been valiant nonetheless.



Next up: Saturday vs. Western Carolina, Monday vs. Wofford.



Western Carolina Catamounts (7-17, 2-9)



Western Carolina’s rough season continued this past week, as the Catamounts dropped two games. Last Thursday, WCU fell to College of Charleston 77-68. Despite three Catamounts scoring in double digits, C of C was just too much. Saturday, WCU wasted a great game by David Berghoefer, who hit for 24, and lost to Appalachian State 74-71. The Catamounts have lost three in a row.



Next up: Saturday at Elon, Monday at East Tennessee State.



East Tennessee State Buccaneers (6-15, 2-9)



Once royalty of the Southern Conference, the 2004-05 campaign has seen East Tennessee State turn into a pauper. Six: that is the number of consecutive games ETSU has lost. ETSU lost to fellow SoCon bottom-feeder Wofford 68-64 Saturday despite Buc guard Tim Smith’s 28 points and a 44-32 ETSU rebounding margin. Another strong performance by Tim Smith, who scored 32 points, was for naught Monday as the Bucs lost to Elon 80-72. It’s never easy to lose, but when your best player is lights out and losing is still the reality, that makes things even worse. Hang in there, Tim Smith.



Next up: Saturday vs. UNCG, Monday vs. Western Carolina.



South Division



Davidson Wildcats (16-7, 12-0)



The machine just keeps on going, and going… and going. Davidson has won 12 straight games and is running away with the Southern Conference. How disappointing would it be for the ‘Cats to run the table and then lose in the conference tourney? With the success Davidson has found this year, falling short of the NCAAs would be tough for Bob McKilliop’s crew to handle. This past week, Davidson added wins and 11 and 12 to its streak with a Saturday win at UNC-Greensboro, and a Monday night win at Wofford. In their 78-69 win over UNC-, the Wildcats used double-digit point totals from four starters, led by Brendan Winters’22 points, and a gaudy 46.6 percent team field goal percentage. At Wofford, shooting at a high percentage was again the name of the game as the Wildcats shot 49.0 percent from the field in a 70-66 win.



Next upaturday vs. Georgia Southern, Monday at College of Charleston.



Georgia Southern Eagles (15-8, 8-3)



Unlike their NFL namesake, the Georgia Southern Eagles had what it took to win this past week. Terry Williams and Elton Nesbitt scored 21 and 20 points, respectively, in an 81-63 win over Furman Saturday. Along with Williams and Nesbitt, three other Eagles hit for double figures. The Eagles forced 19 turnovers Monday en route to an 85-79 win over UNC-Greensboro. Donte Gennie scored a team-high 20 points, and three other Eagles also scored in double digits. If Georgia Southern was in the SoCon North, they would be in first place. But alas, the Eagles have the misfortune of playing in the south division, so they are three games behind division-leading Davidson.



Next up: Saturday at Davidson, Monday vs. the Citadel.



College of Charleston Cougars (14-7, 7-4)



Dontaye Draper was the story of the week for the Cougars, as the sophomore twice came off the bench to lead the Cougars in scoring. In a 77-68 win over Western Carolina last Thursday, Draper hit for 22 points and had three of the 14 steals the Cougars incurred. In a lopsided 82-59 loss at Chattanooga Saturday, Draper was one of the lone bright spots for C of C, scoring a team-high 16 points. As a team, College of Charleston shot an abysmal 30.6 percent from the field against UTC.



Next up: Thursday at The Citadel, Saturday vs. Davidson



Furman Paladins (13-9, 6-4)



Last Saturday was not a good day for the Paladins, who came into their game with Georgia Southern second in the nation in three-point shooting. Furman averages 10 three pointers a game; against Georgia Southern, they sank only two. The result of their ineptness from behind the three-point stripe was an 81-63 loss. Despite the defeat, the play of Moussa Diagne, who scored a season-high 22 points, was a considerable bright spot. Diagne again came up big Monday night against the Citadel. This time, his play helped Furman to a win. Diagne scored a game-high 17 as the Paladins prevailed 63-60. Even though they could not get into their usual three-point groove, Furman withstood a late Bulldog rally to hang on to the victory.



Next up: Saturday vs. Wofford, Monday at Appalachian State.



The Citadel Bulldogs (12-9, 4-7)



Woe are the Bulldogs. The Citadel’s losing streak is up to four games and could climb this week with tough games against College of Charleston and Georgia Southern. Last Thursday against Appalachian State, the Bulldogs kept it close in the first half, but were eventually blown away in the second half in an 84-66 loss. Although Kevin Hammack scored a game-high 26 points, his efforts were not enough. The Bulldogs played better Monday night against Furman, but the results were the same. Citadel fell 63-60 as the Bulldogs committed 16 turnovers and shot 35.3 percent from the field.



Next up: Thursday vs. College of Charleston, Monday at Georgia Southern.



Wofford Terriers (10-11, 3-7)



Call them what you want, but at the very least the Terriers have been game all year, no matter what the standings say. They have taken their lumps in conference play but have not backed down once. Wofford was true to form this week, as the Terriers won one and lost one. Against East Tennessee State Saturday, the Terriers led at halftime and hung on for a 68-64 win. Tyler Berg led Wofford with 18 points, while Adrien Borders added 14.



Against conference-leading Davidson Monday, the Terriers were primed for the upset, but faltered in the second half after being tied at the half. Wofford was down 11 before cutting the lead to 68-66 in the final minute. Wofford would draw no closer as the Terriers lost 70-66. Borders led Wofford with 18 points.



Next up: Saturday at Furman, Monday at Elon.

Southern Conference Notebook


by Jon Gonzalez

It’s Feb. 1, and you are a member of the Southern Conference. You look at the calendar, count the weeks, and find that in a little more than five weeks, the NCAA will select 64 teams for their tournament. You wonder if your team can find its way into the big dance.

Well, of course it can. You’re in the Southern Conference, remember? Whether you are a Wildcat (Davidson) or a Terrier (Wofford), your team has a chance. All you have to do is go to Chattanooga, Tenn., and win three or four games in consecutive days and voila, you are in the big dance. Of course, this feat will be more attainable for some teams than others.

To help you, the hoops fan, discern between the teams who have the best chance and those who don’t, I have developed the SoCon color meter. The teams in Red have the best chance to win the conference, those in the Green have a decent shot at running the table, and those in the ice cold Blue are basically Rocky/Cinderella material. So, here goes it:

Red

Davidson: They are10-0 in the SoCon; need I say more?

UT-Chattanooga: The tournament is on their home court; that might give them a little bit of an edge.

UNC-Greensboro: Spartans are neck and neck with Chattanooga for the lead in the North division.

College of Charleston: Impressive back-to-back wins against Georgia Southern and UNCG.

Georgia Southern: Elton Nesbitt is the second leading scorer in the SoCon with 18.9 points per game.

Green

Furman: The Paladins are primed to finish over .500, something they have not done in the past two seasons.

The Citadel: The stubborn Bulldogs refuse to go away.

Appalachian State: They really should be in blue territory, but the fact that they are .500 overall persuades me to give them a marginal shot.

Blue

Western Carolina: Their leading scorer is David Berghoefer. He’s from Wisconsin. Why do I mention this, you ask? I have no idea.

East Tennessee State: At least they don’t have to go out of state for the conference tourney.

Elon: Whew! Fighting Christ…errr…Phoenix come through with their first conference victory of the year Monday night. They only need to quadruple their conference win total during the conference tournament to earn NCAA bid.

Wofford: You know, Johnny Depp was pretty good in Once Upon a Time in Mexico. It’s on right now on HBO and…oh sorry, lost my train of thought there for a minute, I am supposed to be talking about Wofford. Hmm…lets put it this way: If the Terriers were a movie star, they would not be Johnny Depp. More like a Pauly Shore.

Player of the Week: Brendan Winters, Davidson.

The junior forward averaged 21 points per game in wins over East Tennessee State, the Citadel and Chattanooga.

Rookie of the Week: Warren McLendon, The Citadel.

The freshman scored 27 points in a win against East Tennessee, then hit for 11 and 13 in losses to Davidson and Wofford, respectively.

The Week That Was (Jan. 24-Jan. 31)

North Division

1. Chattanooga Mocs (13-6, 6-3)

The Mocs came up short in the biggest SoCon game of the year, a battle with South division frontrunner Davidson. Prior to its Monday night loss to Davidson, UTC lost its big, but not as big as the Davidson game to UNCG. The disconcerting aspect of both games was how demoralizing the losses were. In their contest with UNCG, the Mocs held a big lead early but were run out of the gym late. Against Davidson, a horrendous shooting effort sealed the Mocs fate early. At least UTC picked up an early week win against Appalachian State.

Next Up: Saturday vs. Elon, Monday vs. College of Charleston.

2. UNC-Greensboro Spartans (13-7, 6-3)

By virtue of their win against Chattanooga on Saturday and Chattanooga’s loss to Davidson on Monday, the Spartans have the same conference record as UTC. Storming back from a 19-point halftime deficit and outscoring first-place Chattanooga 43-19 should have made the Spartans week perfect. Well, it was perfect, until UNCG fell to previously winless in the SoCon Elon. With a Feb. 5 showdown against Davidson on the horizon, were the Spartans caught looking ahead in what the NFL likes to call a sandwich game?

Next Up: Saturday vs. Davidson.

3. Appalachian State Mountaineers (9-9, 3-5)

The Mountaineers gave division leading Chattanooga all it could handle Jan.24, losing by only eight. During that contest, UTC had to withstand a late ASU run. The Mountaineers received a little break before their Monday night game with Longwood because their game against East Tennessee State was postponed due to inclement weather. A well-rested ASU trampled the 1-22 Lancers 89-59.

Next Up: Thursday vs. The Citadel.

4. Western Carolina Catamounts (7-15, 2-7)

A so-so week included a win against Elon Saturday and a Monday night loss at Furman. But do wins and losses really matter when your team includes guys with names like Jared Outing, Corey Muirhead, David Berghoefer, Rans Brempong and Kyle Greathouse? I think not. You really don’t have to scour the NCAAs for an all name team, you have one right in Cullowhee, N.C. The aforementioned Berghoefer scored 22 points and pulled down 16 boards against Elon, and he hit for a season-high 26 points against Furman.

Next Up: Saturday at College of Charleston, Monday vs. Appalachian State.

5. East Tennessee State Buccaneers (6-13, 2-7)

The week that was for ETSU featured two losses that went down to the wire. Despite a career-high 27 points from Ben Rhoda, the Bucs could not overcome the Citadel in an 80-76 loss on Jan.24. Two days later against Davidson, ETSU nearly pulled the upset but again came up short. The Bucs’ bench outscored Davidson’s bench 41-19, 31 of which came from Tim Smith. Unfortunately, the contest, which was even at halftime, went in favor of Davidson, 63-62.

Up Next: Saturday at Wofford, Monday at Elon.

6. Elon Phoenix (3-19, 1-8)

The Phoenix went 1-2 on the week, but that one win happened to be Elon’s first conference victory. Even though the Phoenix shot a paltry 27.9 percent from the field, Elon still got by UNCG 54-50. Elon used a stiff defensive effort to stifle UNCG, forcing 17 turnovers. Le’Vonn Jordan came off the bench to lead Elon in scoring with 13 points, while Chris Chalko chipped in with 12 points. So break up the Phoenix, who look to add to their one-game winning streak in the new week.

Up Next: Saturday at Chattanooga, Monday vs. East Tennessee State

South Division

1. Davidson Wildcats (14-7, 10-0)

The wins just keep on coming for Davidson, which won three games during the past week. The Wildcats prevailed over East Tennessee State, barely, then rolled up the Citadel before defeating North Division-leading Chattanooga by 14 points. By beating ETSU, Davidson head coach Bob McKillop garnered his 136th win in the Southern Conference, becoming the SoCon’s all-time leader in victories. Brendan Winters was a big reason why the Wildcats are still undefeated, averaging 21 points per game for the week.

Up Next: Saturday at UNCG, Monday at Wofford

2. College of Charleston Cougars (13-6, 6-3)

The Cougars are making it known they are not to be taken lightly in the Southern Conference. Years removed from their role of giant killer in the NCAAs, C of C is again showing signs that they could be a dangerous team capable of beating anyone. Led by a double helping of Jackson (Bernard scored 19 points while Stanley knocked in 26), the Cougars upended UNCG by 13 Jan.24. Later in the week against Georgia Southern, C of C erased a 13-point halftime deficit to outscore the Eagles 51-31 in the second-half to win by the score of 71-64. Tony Mitchell led the Cougars in scoring with 24 points while the defense forced GSU into 19 turnovers.

Up Next: Saturday vs. Western Carolina, Monday at Chattanooga

3. Georgia Southern Eagles (13-8, 6-3)

The Eagles had a golden opportunity to gain sole possession of second place in the South Division of the SoCon but let a 13-point halftime lead slip to the wayside with sloppy ball handling (the Eagles turned the ball over 19 times) in a 71-64 loss. The Eagles took out their frustrations out on Savannah State by smothering the winless Tigers 92-64. The bench emptier featured playing time for every Eagle, and all five Eagle starters scored in double digits, including 19 from Elton Nesbitt. Savannah State (0-24) is four wins away from a winless season. Earlier in the week, Georgia State slipped by Wofford 79-76. Donte Gennie sealed the game for GSU with a late steal.

Up Next: Saturday vs. Furman

4. Furman Paladins (11-8, 4-3)

It was a very winning week for the Paladins, who triumphed over Elon and Western Carolina. During its 71-51 win against Elon, Furman raced to a 37-17 halftime lead. The rest of the game was more of the same as sophomore Moussa Diagne led the Paladins in scoring with 19 points. Against Western Carolina, sophomore Eric Webb scored 18, all of which came from behind the three-point arc, as the Paladins slipped past the Catamounts 73-66.

Up Next: Saturday at Georgia Southern, Monday at the Citadel

5. The Citadel Bulldogs (12-7, 4-5)

The Bulldogs shot the lights out during the past week. However, their precision with the roundball was only good for one victory. Against East Tennessee, the Citadel shot 58 percent from the field in an 80-76 win. Freshman Warren McLendon scored 27 points in the win, while Kevin Hammock hit for 23. The ‘Dogs won despite turning the ball over 21 times. In a 73-63 loss to Wofford, the Bulldogs shot 47.9 percent from the field. However, Citadel’s defense could not stop four Wofford starters from scoring in double figures. The Citadel’s did not shoot well against Davidson, however, falling to the Wildcats 81-59.

Up Next: Thursday vs. Appalachian State, Monday vs. Furman

6. Wofford Terriers (9-10, 2-6)

The Terriers gave Georgia Southern all it could handle Jan.24 but came up short 79-76. Despite 18 points from Adrien Borders and a 60 percent team field goal percentage in the second half, the Eagles were just too much. The Terriers would find redemption later in the week in the form of a 73-63 win over the Citadel. Wofford forced 19 turnovers in the win and four Terrier starters scored in double digits.

Up Next: Saturday vs. East Tennessee State, Monday vs. Davidson

Southern Conference Notebook

by Jonathan Gonzalez

After three consecutive close-but-no-cigar losses to Massachusetts, Seton Hall and Princeton, the Davidson Wildcats have run off six straight conference victories and are sitting pretty atop the Southern Conference’s Southern Division. Leading the charge for the Wildcats (11-7, 7-0) is Brendan Winters. The junior forward from Denver is averaging nearly 16 points per game, including 17 in Davidson’s Jan. 23 win against Furman.



Following closely behind Davidson in the SoCon’s South Division is Georgia Southern. The Eagles are 5-2 in conference play and are coming off a 72-64 win against Elon. The Eagles feature the Southern Conference’s leading scorer, Elton Nesbitt, who is averaging 19.7 points per game.



Over in the North Division, Tennessee-Chattanooga and UNC-Greensboro are locked in what looks to be a two-team race. The Mocs and Spartans are both 5-1, good for a three-game lead over second-place Appalachian State. Although anything can happen in the conference tournament, it looks like Davidson, Georgia Southern, UNC-G and Chattanooga will all figure prominently in the race for the SoCon’s precious automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.



Player of the Week



Travis Smith. The Citadel guard hit seven three-pointers and scored 25 points in the Bulldogs’ win against Wofford.



Player of the Week



None other than the aforementioned Travis Smith.



Team of the Week



Davidson – The Wildcats ran their win streak to six and sit atop the Southern Conference.



Team Reports



North Division



UT-Chattanooga (12-4, 5-1)



The Mocs fell victim to a Southern Conference record 22 three-pointers by Georgia Southern during a 107-84 loss to the Eagles Jan. 17. However, the week was not a total loss, as the Mocs finished 2-1 with blowout wins over East Tennessee State and Wofford. Chattanooga guard Casey Long enjoyed a good week, averaging 14.5 points per game in the Mocs’ two wins.



Up Next: The Moccasins will find out just how good they are as they prepare to face Davidson and UNC-G during the coming week.



UNC-Greensboro (12-5, 5-1)



The Spartans capped off a strong week with a 78-68 win over The Citadel. During that game, all five UNC-G starters scored in double figures. Earlier in the week, the Spartans defeated Western Carolina and East Tennessee State.



Up Next: The Spartans look to take down Chattanooga for sole possession of the SoCon’s North Division.



Appalachian State (8-8, 3-4)



The plucky Mountaineers shrugged off a tough loss to Georgia Southern Jan. 15 and reeled off two straight victories over Elon and College of Charleston. Noah Brown leads ASU in scoring this season. The senior guard is averaging 12.7 points per game.



Up Next: The Mountaineers look to upend North Division-leading Chattanooga on Jan. 24.



East Tennessee State (6-11, 2-5)



The Buccaneers have struggled thus far in the 2004-05 campaign. After the team’s Jan. 15 win against Elon, ETSU had a chance to go toe to toe against the North Division’s top two clubs. Unfortunately for the Bucs, they came up short in both contests. Although they played UNC-G close, losing 79-76, the Bucs were throttled by Chattanooga, 93-59. The lone bright spot in the loss to Chattanooga was junior guard Tim Smith, who scored 16 points in the loss.



Up Next: The Bucs face another stiff challenge in conference foe Davidson on Jan. 26.



Western Carolina (6-14, 1-6)



The Catamounts broke an eight-game losing streak, five of those losses coming in conference play, Jan. 22 with a 80-75 win over Wofford. Trey Hopkins and Antonio Russell each scored 17 points to lead the Catamounts.



Up Next: Western Carolina looks to improve its conference standing with home game on against Wofford and Elon.



Elon (2-17, 0-6)



After a season-opening win against Farleigh Dickinson, the Phoenix have dropped 16 of their past 17 games. Currently, they are in the midst of a 12-game losing streak. Despite its poor record, Elon has shown resolve, playing the likes of Georgia Southern and Davidson tough. Jackson Atoyebi has been a bright spot for Elon, averaging 14 points per game.



Up Next: Elon looks for its first conference win with road games against Furman and Western Carolina.



Southern Division



Davidson (11-7, 7-0)



The red-hot Wildcats upped their conference-leading winning streak to seven with a 68-61 win over Furman Jan. 22. Earlier in the week, Davidson defeated College of Charleston and Western Carolina.



Up Next: The Wildcats look to continue their conference domination with games against East Tennessee and The Citadel.



Georgia Southern (11-7, 5-2)



After dropping its first two conference games, GSU has run off five straight victories. During the past week, the Eagles have flown by Appalachian State, Chattanooga and Elon. Jean Francois scored a team-high 19 points in the Eagles’ win versus Elon.



Up Next: The Eagles look to keep pace with Davidson with games against Wofford and College of Charleston.



College of Charleston (11-6, 4-3)



C of C struggled during the past week, dropping two of three games. However, the Cougars still have a winning conference record and looked good in a 67-53 win over Furman Jan. 17. Bernard Jackson and Tony Mitchell each scored 14 points in the Cougars’ win against the Paladins.



Up Next: The Cougars take on UNC-G and Georgia Southern in the coming week.



The Citadel (11-5, 3-3)



The Bulldogs played UNC-G tough Jan. 22 but fell to the Spartans 78-68. The loss came on the heels of The Citadel’s 76-74 win against Wofford Jan. 17. In that game, freshman guard Travis Smith buried seven three-pointers and racked up 25 points, all in the second half.



Up Next: The Bulldogs take on East Tennessee State and Davidson in the coming week.



Furman (10-8, 3-3)



The Paladins took it to conference-leading Davidson Jan. 22 but lost to the Wildcats 68-61. Although the game was tied at halftime, Furman could not do enough to avoid its 16th straight loss to the Wildcats. The loss was the Paladins second of the past week. Earlier in the week, Furman clobbered the Citadel 83-59.



Up Next: Furman looks to rack up two wins against two of the Southern Conference’s weakest teams, Elon and Wofford.



Wofford (8-9, 1-5)



The Terriers, losers of five straight, have Elon to thank for not being the conference’s worst club. If not for Elon’s 0-6 record, Wofford’s 1-5 mark would be good enough for last. Senior guard Greg Taylor scored 14 points in the Terriers’ last loss, which came at the hands to Western Carolina.



Up Next: The Terriers look to add to their win total with games against Georgia Southern and Furman.

Southern Conference 2003-04 Recap

by Michael Ermitage

The 2003-2004 basketball season for the Southern conference began with a conference realignment that separated rivals between Chattanooga and Charleston and ETSU and Davidson. For 2004-2005, it is possible that none of these traditional Southern Conference powerhouses finish in the top five. Charleston was hit by graduation hard last season after finishing 19-11. Chattanooga lost head coach Jeff Lebo to Auburn. East Tennessee State loses two primary players and Davidson returns a lot of talent but finished just 17-12 last season.

In 2003-2004, the league was centered all around diminutive star Tim Smith, who led ETSU to its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. And in that appearance, Smith almost led ETSU to a huge first round upset of Cincinnati. The regular season featured a surprise team in Elon, which battled back from a horrendous start to finish tied for third in its first season in the conference. Appalachian State was the major disappointment, finishing sixth in the North Division despite significant preseason hype.

Conference Tournament

Quarterfinals

#1N East Tennessee State 94 #4S Furman 84
Tim Smith picked up right where he left off from last season’s SoCon Tournament. The 2003 MVP scored a team-high 24 points and had 4 steals to lead ETSU to a 94-84 victory over Furman.

#2S Davidson 68 #3N Elon 61
Elon, who finished the season strong, looked like it would become the Cinderella of the SoCon tournament. Having rallied late in the season to secure the 3 seed in the North, the Phoenix then moved past The Citadel and appears to have Davidson’s number in their Quarterfinal contest. But a late rally by Davidson squashed Elon’s hopes.

#2N Chattanooga 89 #3S Charleston 79
Although it won’t go in the books as an upset, very few people in North Charleston expected the College of Charleston to be going home in the Quarterfinals of the 2004 SoCon Tournament, the first time since 2001 in which they did not make the semi-finals.

Chattanooga, down seven at the break, outscored the Cougars 54-36 in the second half, and they did so with a three-point barrage. The two teams combined for 25 three-pointers,

#1S Georgia Southern 82 #5S Wofford 69
A very tough Georgia Southern defense held Wofford in check.

Semi-Finals

No. 1N East Tennessee State 96 No. 2S Davidson 84
Tim Smith proved once again that he is a big game player and ETSU overcame both foul and injury problems to advance to the SoCon Championship game with a 96-84 victory over Davidson. Smith tied a career-high with 29 points and finished with 9 assists and 5 steals.

No. 2N Tennessee Chattanooga 90 No. 1S Georgia Southern 87 (OT)
You might as well call Chattanooga the “Comeback Kids.” One night after rallying from 14 down to beat College of Charleston, the Mocs found themselves down 27-8 early on against Georgia Southern, yet they were able to come back and send the game in overtime. Ashley Champion scored 8 of his 20 points in the extra session to push his team to victory and a rematch with ETSU in the SoCon Championship game.

No. 1N East Tennessee State 78 No. 2N Chattanooga 62 Championship games have a tendency to bring out the best in a player. They say that “Big time players make big time plays in big time games,” and that is what makes a champion.”

Introducing Tim Smith.

For the second year in a row, the sophomore guard from ETSU was voted the SoCon Tournament MVP as he led the Buccaneers back to the NCAA Tournament by helping to defeat Chattanooga 78-62. Smith finished the game with 25 points and 6 rebounds, and on the tournament averaged 25.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 3.3 steals per game. Smith was voted Tournament MVP on every ballot that was turned in.

NCAA Tournament

13th seed ETSU – The diminutive Tim Smith (5-foot-9) scored 26 points in winning over a neutral crowd in an 80-77 first-round loss to Cincinnati. It was the second year in a row that ETSU narrowly missed scoring a huge upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2003, Smith missed a three-pointer in the waning seconds that would have put the Bucs ahead of No. 2 seed Wake Forest.

SoCon Post-Season Awards

Coaches

East Tennessee State’s Zakee Wadood was voted as the SoCon 2003-2004 Player of the Year according to the coaches. Wadood averages 14.8 points a game and a league-high 7.8 rebounds and 2.83 steals. This is Wadood’s third selection to the All-Conference team, and the first ETSU player to win POY since Dimeco Childress in 2001-2002.

Joining Wadood on the All-Conference team include teammates Tim Smith and Jerald Fields, Georgia Southern’s Frank Bennett and Terry Williams, Thomas Mobley (Charleston), Kevin Martin (Western Carolina), Brendan Winters (Davidson), Ashley Champion (Chattanooga), and Maleye Ndoye (Furman).

First-year head coach Murry Bartow was voted as the leagues Coach of the Year. Bartow took over for Ed DeChellis, who left for Penn State before the beginning of last season. Bartow led the Buccaneers to a 24-5 regular season record, 15-1 in conference, and the 2003-2004 regular season SoCon championship.

Furman placed three players on the SoCon All-Freshman team including Freshman of the Year, Quan Prowell. Prowell is second amongst freshman scorers at 10.1 points per game. Prowell is joined by teammates Moussa Diagne and Robby Bostain, Elon’s Matt Nowlin, and from The Citadel, J’mel Everhart.

Media

For once, the coaches and media were on the same page, as the Southern Conference Sports Media Association voted ETSU’s Zakee Wadood as the 2003-2004 SoCon Player of the Year. Wadood, Tim Smith (ETSU), Kevin Martin (WC), Brendan Winters (Dav), and Ashley Champion (UTC) make up the 1st Team All-Conference. Amongst the top 10 players, the only difference between the media had from the coaches was the inclusion of Elon’s Jackson Atoyebi instead of Terry Williams from Georgia Southern.

The media also voted Quan Prowell (Furman) and Murry Bartow (ETSU) as Freshman and Coach of the Year respectively.

Team by Team Recaps

ETSU (27-5, 15-1)

With Smith back, the Bucs are very dangerous. The do lose Zakee Wadood and Jerald Fields, both of whom served as diversions to Smith’s attack.

Team MVP: Tim Smith

Top Scorer: Tim Smith, 16.4
Top Rebounder: Zakee Wadood, 7.8
Top Assists: Tim Smith, 4.4

Chattanooga (19-11, 10-6)

Gone is Jeff Lebo, the talented coach of Chattanooga, who took a position at Auburn. Lebo had been on the top of the many potential coaching lists for some time, so it is no surprise that he is gone. In his place is the energetic Jeff Shulman. He’ll need former role players Mindaugas Katelynas and Chris Brown to step up.

Team MVP: Ashley Champion

Top Scorer: Ashley Champion, 18.4
Top Rebounder: Ashley Champion, 7.0
Top Assists: Ray Trowell, 4.8

Elon University (7-9, 12-18)

With four starters returning to a team that finished strong, the Phoenix feel like they can compete with the upper division.

Team MVP: Jackson Atoyebi,

Top Scorer: Jackson Atoyebi, 15.9
Top Rebounder: Jackson Atoyebi, 7.7
Top Assists: Montell Watson, 3.5

UNC Greensboro (11-16, 7-9)

Ronnie Burrell returns as the star for UNC Greensboro. The rising star scored 20 or more points in seven games last season and leads the Spartans into the 2004-2005 season.

Team MVP: Ronnie Burrell

Top Scorer: Jay Joseph
Top Rebounder: Ronnie Burrell
Top Assists: Ronnie Taylor, 5.2

Western Carolina (13-15, 6-10)

No team suffered a greater loss in the Southern Conference than when the Sacremento Kings nabbed Kevin Martin and his 25 ppg average in the first round of the NBA draft. Perhaps a more balanced attack will lead to a better finish than fifth this season.

Team MVP: Kevin Martin

Top Scorer: Kevin Martin, 25.2
Top Rebounder: David Berghoefer, 7.5
Top Assists: Greg Taylor 2.7

Appalachian State (9-20, 4-12)

ASU lost 10 games last season by eight points or less. But the return of four starters gives the team hope that it can improve on that record.

Team MVP: Noah Brown

Top Scorer: Noah Brown, 13.1
Top Rebounder: Derek Thomas, 5.2
Top Assists: Corwin Davis 3.1

Georgia Southern (21-8, 11-5)

Frank Bennett is no longer around to be the inside presence for Georgia Southern, who has won three out of the last four South Division titles. The team will look to its outstanding guard tandem of Elton Nesbitt and Terry Williams to lead the way.

Team MVP: Frank Bennett

Top Scorer: Frank Bennett, 15.4
Top Rebounder: Jean Francois, 6.7
Top Assists: Terry Williams 5.4

College of Charleston (20-9, 11-5)

This team has found a way to pick up 20 wins in 11 consecutive seasons. Despite losing a lot to graduation, it will be no surprise if guard Tony Mitchell leads this team to another excellent record.

Team MVP: Thomas Mobley

Top Scorer: Thomas Mobley, 15.4
Top Rebounder: Mike Benton, 6.7
Top Assists: Tony Mitchell 4.0

Davidson (16-12, 11-5)

Three of the four returning starters for Davidson averaged in double figures last season. This trio could lead the Wildcats to another South Division championship.

Team MVP: Brendan Winters

Top Scorer: Brendan Winters, 18.2
Top Rebounder: Logan Kosmalski, 7.2
Top Assists: Kenny Grant 3.3

Furman (16-12, 8-8)

This club will look to its youth to bring it to the next level. Nearly 50 percent of Furman’s scoring last season came from its freshmen class.

Team MVP: Maleye Ndoye

Top Scorer: Maleye Ndoye, 15.5
Top Rebounder: Nick Sanders, 6.1
Top Assists: Tony Carter, 3.7

Wofford (9-20, 4-12)

Another team built on youth last season, Wofford returns its top seven scorers.

Team MVP: Howard Wilkerson

Top Scorer: Howard Wilkerson, 13.5
Top Rebounder: Howard Wilkerson, 7.5
Top Assists: Greg Taylor, 2.7

The Citadel (6-22, 2-14)

Despite a woeful 2003-2004, The Citadel has much to look forward to in the new year. Its roster is made up of more than 60 percent freshmen and sophomores.

Team MVP: Max Mombollet

Top Scorer: Dante Terry, 11.3
Top Rebounder: J’mel Everhart, 7.0
Top Assists: Kevin Hammack, 4.5

Southern Conference Notebook


by Paul Oren

SoCon Game of the Year



In a simply amazing finish to a game featuring two of the best that the Southern Conference has to offer, College of Charleston held on to defeat East Tennessee State 91-89 in Charleston. Mike Benton tipped in an errant three-pointer with 6 seconds left to give the Cougars the win. Tim Smith of ETSU then dribbled the ball off of his foot, but the Buccaneers got one last chance after an inbounds pass from Charleston hit the overhead scoreboard, but it was not to be as Jerald Fields missed a runner at the buzzer.



Charleston jumped out to a 14-0 lead and it wasn’t until 5:06 into the game that the Bucs made their first field goal. ETSU got within 9 in the first half, but the Cougars still took a 46-35 lead into the locker room.



In the second half, ETSU rallied to cut the lead down to 6, only to be answered by another Cougars run that pushed the lead back up to 80-63 with six minutes left. That’s when ETSU started playing like the Southern Conference champs and went on a 26-9 run to tie the game at 89 before Benton came through with his heroics in front of the largest crowd in the history of John Kresse Arena.



The loss meant no perfect season for the Buccaneers who also saw their chances of an NCAA At-Large bid fade away.



“Obviously you don’t start league play thinking you’re going to go 16-0,” remarked ETSU head coach Murry Bartow. “But once we were 8-0, 9-0, everyday we started talking about having the chance to go 16-0, but then we’d always bring it back to today, we’ve got to practice well today, we’ve got to play well tomorrow. When we had that chance, bottom line, we got beat by a very good team.”



The victory was important for Charleston Head Coach Tom Herrion.



“It validates the fact that we are a good basketball team, our kids have a strong belief in who we are, and obviously gaining momentum and confidence that a lot of coaches want to have heading into the conference tournament.”



SoCon Game of the Year II



Heading into Saturday’s match-up, the battle for the Number 3 seed in the North came down to Elon and UNC Greensboro. Three would be the imperative number, as it took three overtimes for the Phoenix to hold on to a 112-108 victory.



“Both teams gave great winning effort,” said Elon coach Ernie Nestor. “Only one team could win the game, which is the unfortunate part of games like that because it was really a hell of a basketball game and we were just pleased to come out of it.”



The game was a true battle as it featured 18 ties and 24 lead changes. Montell Watson had a career-high 23 points for the Phoenix, before spraining his ankle. Ronnie Taylor also set a new career-high with 27 points to lead the Spartans.



It was Taylor who nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into the first overtime. In the first extra session, Taylor continued his heroics by hitting another three-pointer with 33 seconds left to tie the game at 87 and send it on to the second overtime. Then in then second overtime, down 3, Taylor was fouled shooting a three-pointer and he made all three free throws. With the game tied and 3 seconds on the clock, Taylor made a two-point basket, only to have his heroics upheld by Scottie Rice who sent the game into a third overtime by making a basket at the buzzer. Taylor was able to close out the game with another three-pointer, but it was after Elon went on a 9-1 run to secure the victory.



“Anytime you ever walk off the court after a game like that, where a number of different players made big plays, at both ends of the floor, that’s all I ever ask of them,” remarked UNC Greensboro head coach Fran McCaffrey. “It was unfortunate that one team had to lose, but you have to give credit to Elon, they made some phenomenal plays, but that’s what’s expected in this conference. That’s what makes this one of the best conferences in the country.”



SoCon Post-Season Awards



Coaches



East Tennessee State’s Zakee Wadood was voted as the SoCon 2003-2004 Player of the Year according to the coaches. Wadood averages 14.8 points a game and a league-high 7.8 rebounds and 2.83 steals. This is Wadood’s third selection to the All-Conference team, and the first ETSU player to win POY since Dimeco Childress in 2001-2002.



Joining Wadood on the All-Conference team include teammates Tim Smith and Jerald Fields, Georgia Southern’s Frank Bennett and Terry Williams, Thomas Mobley (Charleston), Kevin Martin (Western Carolina), Brendan Winters (Davidson), Ashley Champion (Chattanooga), and Maleye Ndoye (Furman).



First-year head coach Murry Bartow was voted as the leagues Coach of the Year. Bartow took over for Ed DeChellis, who left for Penn State before the beginning of last season. Bartow led the Buccaneers to a 24-5 regular season record, 15-1 in conference, and the 2003-2004 regular season SoCon championship.



Furman placed three players on the SoCon All-Freshman team including Freshman of the Year, Quan Prowell. Prowell is second amongst freshman scorers at 10.1 points per game. Prowell is joined by teammates Moussa Diagne and Robby Bostain, Elon’s Matt Nowlin, and from The Citadel, J’mel Everhart.



Media



For once, the coaches and media were on the same page, as the Southern Conference Sports Media Association voted ETSU’s Zakee Wadood as the 2003-2004 SoCon Player of the Year. Wadood, Tim Smith (ETSU), Kevin Martin (WC), Brendan Winters (Dav), and Ashley Champion (UTC) make up the 1st Team All-Conference. Amongst the top 10 players, the only difference between the media had from the coaches was the inclusion of Elon’s Jackson Atoyebi instead of Terry Williams from Georgia Southern.



The media also voted Quan Prowell (Furman) and Murry Bartow (ETSU) as Freshman and Coach of the Year respectively.



Team of the Week



The Citadel Bulldogs



The Citadel won both games last week by a score of 68-65; their only conference wins of the season. To start off the week, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 34-21 halftime lead at Wofford, and withstood a furious Terrier rally, yet never lost the lead or their composure. Several days later against Georgia Southern, the Citadel looked nothing like a last place team, coming out of the gates with a 10-2 lead and trailing only once in the second half. Down 1 with 18 seconds left, Senior Max Mombollet hit a lay-up to give the Bulldogs the lead for good. The Citadel enters the conference tournament with plenty of momentum.



Player of the Week



Tim Smith 5’9 Sophomore Guard, East Tennessee State



Smith played the role of the leader quite well on the regular seasons champs, and despite losing their first conference game of the season, it was Smith who kept the Buccaneers in it and nearly gave them the victory. Smith averaged 27 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in the two games against top-level SoCon competition (UTC and Charleston).

Southern Conference Notebook


by Paul Oren

It’s all about the seed…



Saturday marks the final day of regular season play in the Southern Conference, and it also represents the final chance for teams to get the best seed possible in the upcoming conference tournament. The 12-team tournament will start on March 3rd in Charleston and conclude with the ESPN-televised championship game at 2:00 Eastern on March 6th. The winner of the tournament will get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.



Heading into the final day, six teams have clinched spots. ETSU (15-0) and Chattanooga (9-6) are 1 and 2 in the North side and both will receive first-round byes. The remaining four seeds in the North are open. In the South, Georgia Southern (11-4) has won all tiebreakers and has clinched first place and a bye. The final three spots are also solidified with Furman (8-7) at 4, Wofford (4-11) and The Citadel (1-14) close out spots 5 and 6.



The biggest seed up for grabs is the Number 2 seed in the South where the College of Charleston (10-5) and Davidson (10-5) will aim for the first-round bye. Charleston has a much tougher task, as they will host Conference Champion ETSU (ESPN2 – 2:00est). The Buccaneers have not lost a conference game all season and are coming off of an impressive victory over Chattanooga. The Cougars will be featured on ESPN2 for the second Saturday in as many weeks having played in the ESPN Bracket Buster last weekend. Not only does Charleston need to win against the best team in the league, they also need Davidson to lose at home against Furman. The Wildcats were 10-point winners against Furman earlier this season. If Davidson wins, they will secure the second seed and first-round bye because they hold the tiebreaker over Charleston (based on split against Georgia Southern).



In the North, the final four spots are open and one game will determine two of the seeds. Elon (6-9) hosts UNC Greensboro (7-8) with the winner getting the three seed and the loser getting the fourth. The Spartans beat Elon 67-53 in their first meeting of the season. The fifth and sixth seeds will be determined by the outcome of the Western Carolina (5-10) and Appalachian State (4-11) contest. The Mountaineers will hold the tiebreaker over Western Carolina if they win and are tied in the standings. If Elon were to lose and Western Carolina was to win, they would both be 6-10, but because the Catamounts lost both games to Chattanooga, Elon would win the tiebreaker.



Here is the final breakdown:



North Division

1) ETSU

2) Chattanooga

3) UNC Greensboro/Elon Winner

4) UNC Greensboro/Elon Loser

5) Western Carolina/ASU Winner

6) Western Carolina/Loser



South Division

1) Georgia Southern

2) Charleston/Davidson

3) Charleston/Davidson

4) Furman

5) Wofford

6) The Citadel