Coaches say there is no off season and in some respect, they are right.  The end of season leads to recruiting, non-conference scheduling, and workouts with returning players.  With so many happenings in the league since we left Asheville in early March, let’s spend some time recapping Southern Conference men’s basketball.

Postseason:

Wofford captured its second straight Southern Conference Tournament title defeating upstart Furman 67-64 in a great championship game at the U.S. Cellular Center.  The Terriers then gave Arkansas all they could handle in the NCAA tournament before falling short 56-53.  They finished with a school-record 28 wins.

The Mercer Bears participated in the CBI Tournament and beat a very good Stony Brook team in the first round before falling to Louisiana Monroe in the quarterfinals.  The Bears administration just gets it – they allowed the program to host two home games and almost reach 20 wins for the fourth consecutive year.  They finished their first season in the SoCon at 19-16.

Coaching changes:

Just six weeks after we crowned a tournament champion, 40 percent of the league has a new coach – each for different reasons.  While it’s always hard to see good coaches leave their respective schools, I think the athletic directors and Presidents at each institution found the right guy for their open positions.

ETSU – Steve Forbes replaced Murry Bartow.  Bartow had a terrific twelve year run leading the Bucs to six postseason appearances, including three NCAA appearances.  Forbes comes from Wichita State where he helped the Shockers to a Sweet 16 appearance this past season.  He’s been long time Division I assistant (including five seasons at the University of Tennessee) as well as a junior college head coach, so he should be well suited for the job in Johnson City.

The Citadel – The Bulldogs pulled from within the conference and lured Duggar Baucom to Charleston.  Baucom had a successful 10-year run at VMI and will bring his fast-paced offense to The Citadel.  Arguably one of the toughest jobs in all of Division I, Baucom will now be tasked with trying to get the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history.  If anyone can do it within the confines of a military school, it’s Baucom and his staff which includes Daniel Willis.

VMI – After losing Baucom, the Keydets named Dan Earl as their new head coach.  Earl comes from The Naval Academy with great credentials.  The former Penn State star guard worked with former ETSU head coach Ed DeChillis, who is an outstanding coach and program builder.  Earl has a tough task before him, but this is a great hire.  It will be interesting to watch how the Keydets play at both ends of the floor under Earl after playing at breakneck speed under Baucom.

Chattanooga – With regards to facilities, supports, tradition, admission and other intangibles, this is one of the best jobs in the league.  Will Wade did a fine job in two years in the Scenic City and leaves a team that is primed to compete for the regular season and post season title.  The new head man is Matt McCall, a former University of Florida assistant.  The 33-year old McCall has studied under Billy Donovan and should be ready to run his own program.  He will need to be, as the fans will expect success from day one.

Personnel Changes:

Besides losing the typical seniors, there have been a few other “transactions” to mention.  Most notable, Ike Nwamu will graduate from Mercer and transfer for his final season.  The transfer from Cleveland State will have immediate eligibility.  As of April 17, he was scheduled to visit UNLV and Pittsburgh with several others schools having made contact.  Personally, I hate the fifth-year transfer rule, but until the NCAA changes it, student-athletes will continue to use it to their advantage.

Jake Wright, one of the top three-point shooters in the league as a freshman, received his release from The Citadel and is looking at a ton of mid-level schools.  If he can withstand the military aspect, he would be well served to return and play in Duggar Baucom’s system where he might very well lead the country in three-point field goal attempts!

In other transfer news, Tucker Thompson is leaving Western Carolina.  The big man had a solid freshman year in Cullowhee, but word is he’s giving up basketball to concentrate on his studies at another university.  Finally, Nnamdi Enechioya, Brandon Roberts and Evan Taylor are departing Samford.

So far, no major changes within the Chattanooga program which bodes well for the Mocs and the Southern Conference as this team has the makings of a special season if all the pieces come together.

Stellar Student-Athletes:

The winter academic all-conference team honors the sports of men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and wrestling.  Each of the SoCon’s 10 full-member institutions had at least one honoree, while associate wrestling members, eligible for the team for the first time this year, accounted for 16 selections.

To be eligible for the academic all-conference team, student-athletes must carry at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA entering the winter season and were required to compete in at least one-half of their teams’ competitions during the recently concluded campaign.  In addition, the student-athletes must have successfully completed at least 24 credit hours in the previous two semesters.

Men’s basketball players included PJ Horgan and Ashton Moore from The Citadel, Matt Panaggio from Mercer, Jordy Kuiper at UNCG, Nnamdi Enechioya, Brandon Hayman and Tyler Hood from Samford and Eric Robertson from Chattanooga.  Congrats to all these talented young men!

Looking Ahead:

Because of so many changes, when looking ahead, where do you start?  Well, Wofford would be the logical place.  The Terriers lose do-everything guard and Player-of-the-Year Karl Cochran as well as a vocal and talented leader Lee Skinner, but with a solid core back led by Spencer Collins, Eric Garcia and Jaylen Allen as well as Mike Young at the helm the Terriers will be right there again to defend their title. 

The Furman Paladins had a wonderful run in the SoCon tournament and quite possibly could have turned around the fortunes of the entire program in a four day stretch.  Stephen Croone returns for his senior season and will lead a roster that continues to get better. 

Chattanooga loses seniors Ronrico White, Lance Stokes and Martynas Bareika as well as head coach Will Wade who left for VCU, but has more talent than anyone in the league!  How quickly the Mocs adjust to Matt McCall and his system will determine a lot.  Casey Jones and Justin Tuoyo could very well be the best two players in the league next year. 

UNCG showed some positive signs late in the season that they may be ready for a breakthrough season in 2015-2016.  Wes Miller is a talented young coach; his program needs a few positive breaks during the next 10 months.

Samford head coach Scott Padgett steadied the ship in Birmingham this past year and adds two talented freshmen next season to go along with freshman star Christen Cunningham.  Even with the departure of three underclassmen, look out for the Bulldogs in the very near future.

Mercer loses a ton, but don’t feel too bad for Bob Hoffman as he is one of the top coaches in the country and with Jibri Bryan, Phillip Leonard and Stephon Jelks back the Bears will be right there in the chase! 

Western Carolina loses one of the best players in the league in James Sinclair as well as big man Tucker Thompson, but with the development of rising seniors Rhett Harrelson, Mike Brown and Torrion Brummitt as well as Larry Hunter still in the head chair, the Catamounts will be more than competitive.

The Citadel, ETSU and VMI are all in transition but will certainly make their mark as they add new players throughout the off season.

Well, hopefully, that gets you caught up on all the happenings in men’s basketball.  Until this fall, all the best for a terrific off season to those that follow Southern Conference men’s basketball!