Note: The following piece was prepared by Dean Keener, who provides commentary on Southern Conference men’s basketball broadcasts.
Keener played collegiately at Davidson before embarking on a successful 20-year coaching career. He served as head coach at James Madison from 2004-08. You can follow him on twitter: @DeanKeener1
Keener, along with Darren Goldwater, will call the January 24 matchup between UNCG and Chattanooga on ESPN3.
The Dean’s List
January 21, 2015
I. Inside the SoCon
This just in…..Southern Conference men’s basketball is alive and well! Fess up, how many of you thought the league would take a step back when the College of Charleston left in 2013 and Appalachian State, Davidson, Elon and Georgia Southern departed at the close of the 2014 academic year? Well, attendance is slightly up from a year ago and the competitive nature of league games has not slipped one bit. Sure, league members missed on some non-conference opportunities, but ETSU and Western Carolina each have remaining chances to help the league RPI. ETSU hosts North Carolina Central (currently 14-5, No. 72 RPI and winners of eight straight) on January 31 and Tennessee Tech on February 16. Mid-major stalwart Cleveland State visits the Ramsey Center to take on Western Carolina on February 17. The Vikings currently sit atop the Horizon League! Finally, league members cut down on non-Division I games this season, but took care of business when doing so, going 20-0 to date.
While Wofford remains the lead ‘Dog (no pun intended), their loss to The Citadel proves the league race is wide open. In my opinion, Chattanooga, Mercer and ESTU are just as good on a given night and while Western Carolina is not quite in the top four, they are also a very talented team. I’m of the opinion that three losses will win the regular season title.
With league play reaching the halfway mark this coming weekend, it will be interesting to see how things play out; but most importantly it’s exciting to know that Southern Conference basketball is alive and well.
II. Impact of Transfers
Transferring has become a way of life in college basketball. Over 600 players transferred during the 2013-2014 season and the Southern Conference was not immune and actually hit hard. Just a few of the names that left last year were Tim Williams (Samford), Isaiah Williams (Samford), Gee McGhee (UTC), Adonis Rwabigwi (Furman) and Jordan Potts (UNCG) to name just a few.
But there has also been an influx of talent by way of transferring into the league. Some of the top transfers are:
· Justin Tuoyo (UTC) – By way of VCU, the sophomore leads the league in blocked shots (3.5) and is a difference-maker at both ends
· Tre’ McLean (UTC) – While he’s not had the impact of his teammate, McLean is still a valuable member of the Mocs rotation
· Alex Bates (ETSU) – On a team full of talented perimeter players, Bates numbers are modest, but the Bucs will need him to anchor the post if they are to have any chance come tournament time
· Ron Giplaye (ETSU) – Unfortunately, the transfer from Providence had a season-ending knee injury in December. At the time, he was corralling 7.0 rpg
· Ike Nwamu (Mercer) – The Cleveland State transfer was a key reserve on last year’s NCAA team. This season, he has become one of the go-to players and leads the Bears in scoring at 16.0 ppg
· Ben Dickinson (UNCG) – The double transfer (Binghamton/Loyola Marymount) has appeared in every game for the Spartans
· Michael Bradley (Samford) – The big man is having his best collegiate year as a senior. While the Bulldogs are not putting wins on the board, I have a feeling Bradley will have something to say about that down the stretch
· Ryan Sawvell (Wofford) – A name to remember. Sawvell is currently sitting out this season. He was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman team at Evansville.
III. Guys who need their Driver’s License
VMI (No. 1) and ETSU (No. 3) are nationally ranked in 3-point field goals per game. But there are several individual players in the Southern Conference that are “specialists.” That is, these guys shoot a large percentage of shots from behind the arc and simply don’t drive to the basket:
· Clay Byrd (UNCG): 92.4% of shots are 3FGA (110 of 119)
· Jake Wright(Citadel): 84.3% (86 of 102)
· Nicholas Paulos (UNCG): 82.2% (134 of 163)
· Tim Marshall (VMI): 82.1% (166 of 202)
· Geoff Beans (Furman): 79% (79 of 100)
· Jestin Lewis (Mercer): 76.9% (50 of 65)
· Rashawn Rembert (ETSU): 75.1% (157 of 209)
· Rhett Harrelson (Western Carolina): 73.8% (141 of 191)
· Eric Robertson (UTC): 71.4% (75 of 105)
IV. Getting to Know…Mike Wood
Mike Wood has been the Coordinator of Officials for the Southern Conference since March 2011, but he’s been associated with the league for almost 30 years having been an elite college basketball official. In fact, he is the most tenured individual currently associated with SoCon basketball having worked his first league game in 1986. He continued to call Southern Conference games until his retirement in 2010.
Mike earned everything through hard work and perseverance. He started his officiating career while still in college calling church league and university intramural games for just $2 a game! Later, he worked high school games, junior college games and eventually he called games at the Division I level, including all the big ones such as Duke and North Carolina. During the course of his outstanding career, Mike was chosen to work the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament 23 times and in 2003 he received the Naismith Award, presented to the men’s basketball Official of the Year. To be a candidate for this prestigious award, one must display character, integrity and dignity while contributing to the growth, success and viability of college basketball. Mike Wood possessed all these attributes and more when he wore pinstripes and he continues to positively affect the game as Coordinator of Officials.
In his role as Coordinator, Mike oversees all aspects of men’s basketball officials in the league. His responsibilities include identifying new officials, scheduling referees for each Southern Conference home game, grading and evaluating current SoCon officials as well as dealing with any issues that arise with coaches and administrators. Because the geographical footprint of the league is large (Va., N.C., S.C., Tenn., Ga., and Ala.), Mike has over 100 officials that will work games in a Southern Conference arena during the 2014-2015 season.
Identification of new officials is critical to keeping the pipeline full of quality referees. Mike recruits from the high school and junior college ranks as well as from all divisions of the NCAA. He does this by attending hundreds of games each year and watching many more on television in order to find the very best officials. He also runs a summer camp for officials where young referees can be seen and veteran officials can stay sharp in the off-season. Obviously, he has a keen eye for talent and he shared with me some of the qualities he looks for in a good official:
1. Feel for the game – An official must understand the game and the coaches
2. Ability to focus on the game – A good official must be able to block out all noise and concentrate on the task
3. Be in top physical and mental shape - Because of the pace of today’s game as well as the travel involved, an official must be able to take of care of his mind and body
4. Love of the game – A top official must have a passion for the game of basketball and a desire to make it better
Scheduling can be a difficult task – and it’s never-ending as officials get injured throughout the season – therefore Mike is in daily communication with officials that are set to work each day. In the event of injury or suspension, he must have quality officials ready to fill in at a moment’s notice.
One of the most challenging responsibilities he has is dealing with the coaches. No doubt, coaches (and fans) never quite think they get a fair whistle, but in reality, those working in Division I rarely miss calls. As a former coach I have come to respect what officials go through and the stress they are under. More importantly, in my role as an analyst for over 20 SoCon games a year, I have seen first-hand how good these guys are!
Mike loves the current game but would like to see some rule changes for the betterment of college basketball. He shared his thoughts on some tweaks that he feels would potentially help the flow of a game as well as the viewing experience. These ideas would also help officials do their job in a better way:
1. Reduce the shot clock to 30 seconds – This would help create more possessions
2. Eliminate all “counts” - That is, no 10 second count in the backcourt and no 5 second closely guarded rule. This would go hand-in-hand with a reduced shot clock
3. Move the restricted–area arc to four feet - Currently it’s at three feet. This would help officials when making the difficult block/charge call
4. Allow six fouls before being disqualified
Mike Wood is the consummate professional. He was as a top official and remains that way in his role as Coordinator of Officials for the SoCon. He’s fair and open-minded, yet understands how to make the tough call. He did as an official and still can in his current role. The Southern Conference is lucky to have him!
V. SoCon Ladder
Things continue to be defined and refined on a weekly basis. No doubt, this Ladder may very well look different in early February.
1. Wofford – The Terriers continue to get everyone’s best shot and until last Thursday found a way to win. But without Eric Garcia (injured ankle) The Citadel beat the Terriers. They recovered against Western Carolina at home
2. Chattanooga – The Mocs are gathering steam having won 9-of-11 and sit at the top of the standings. Casey Jones and Justin Tuoyo are both Player of the Year candidates
3. Mercer – Bob Hoffman is quickly establishing the Bears as one of the teams to beat in the Southern Conference. Their fan base is also challenging for tops in the league! That said, they still have seven games against Wofford, Chattanooga, ETSU and Western Carolina
4. ETSU – The Bucs found a way to win in the Ramsey Center. That’s quite an accomplishment, but then “turned” one over at VMI. At the halfway mark of league play I would vote Jalen Riley the Player of the Year in a very close race!
5. Western Carolina – The Catamounts were on a roller coaster last week when they initially thought senior James Sinclair was academically ineligible. Thankfully, there was an internal mistake. The ‘Cats have a huge home game against Mercer tomorrow as the next three are then on the road
6. The Citadel – Happiness is having senior guards. Ashton Moore and Marshall Harris III led a veteran group. Post player P.J. Horgan is also having a terrific senior season. The Bulldogs beat Wofford, but couldn’t sustain losing to Furman two days later. The next three are on the road (ETSU, VMI, UTC) which could determine the Bulldogs’ fate
7. VMI – The Keydets have stumbled lately but still remain a very dangerous team. They showed their depth beating a talented ETSU team on Saturday without Q.J. Peterson!
8. Furman – Niko Medved’s group continues to show really positives signs but is still learning how to win. The victory at The Citadel is a really good start!
9. UNCG – The Spartans got a much needed win against VMI last Thursday. With six of their next nine on the road and Tevon Saddler battling a knee injury, they will need all hands on deck. It’s now or never for UNCG
10. Samford – The Bulldogs are lacking things in year one of the Scott Padgett Era, but they don’t lack fight! Moral and focus are high, but the problem is you keep score and the Bulldogs are 0-8 in league play
Until the next “Dean’s List” on February 4, follow me on twitter: @DeanKeener1