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
The Dean’s List
I. Inside SoCon Hoops
The college basketball season is well underway, and in the first month or so, we’ve found out a lot about teams in the Southern Conference. There has been plenty of action on and off the court and the season is starting to take shape. While missing players (injury or leaving programs) has been a big storyline, the league has picked up some quality wins in recent weeks and looks to be gaining positive momentum as we head to league play.
Because of the balance at the top, I can’t figure out who the favorite is. I don’t think anyone can rubber-stamp a team as the clear-cut favorite. Mercer is talented and although it missed opportunities at Tennessee and Memphis without Ria’n Holland (ankle), it has a very high ceiling. UNCG, Furman and ETSU seem to be the other group that has shown flashes of being really, really good. UNCG beat NC State last Saturday and Furman is riding a five-game winning streak which suggests they can compete with anyone come league play. Wofford is also a team to watch as Fletcher Magee is possibly the most talented offensive player in the league (UNCG’s Francis Alonso may have an argument here). The Terriers’ win over Georgia Tech was the break-through win to tell me they’re ready for prime time. The Terriers are also developing some quality depth.
On the surface, Samford has been a bit of a disappointment, but when the astute basketball fan looks a little deeper, he realizes it’s been a tough, injury-riddled couple of months for Scott Padgett’s group. I firmly believe Wyatt Walker could make a big difference for Samford, but will it get him for conference play? Also, Christen Cunningham needs to get healthy - hopefully very soon. The Citadel lost Preston Parks, but will continue to be a tough out with its style of play and talented young players. Chattanooga is still trying to adapt to a new system but has shown it knows how to defend and can make 3s. If that continues, the Mocs will be better than most thought. VMI has a couple of wins that prove it will be a nuisance as we begin league play and Western Carolina simply needs to start playing home games as its schedule has been as difficult as any in the country.
It’s important to note that the SoCon is 44-7 (.880) in home games. While there are a number of non D-I games included in that record, it’s great to see the league is taking care of business at home. Speaking of non-Division I games, SoCon teams are a combined 20-0 against them thus far.
The next 10 days remain critical for the league as it fights to capture key nonconference wins to continuing to boost the league RPI. A look at the composite league schedule shows several opportunities for each league member to gain quality wins. Furman travels to Tennessee (Dec. 20), ETSU has a huge opportunity at home against Georgia Southern (Dec. 22), Chattanooga hosts Georgia State (Dec. 23) and Wofford hosts Harvard (Jan. 10), to name just a few.
Because of the competitive balance this season, coaches, players and fans might need amnesia to simply get from game to game in league play. It’s going to be a war every night out, which should make for a very fun couple of months.
II. Did you Know?
• Wofford’s Fletcher Magee is one of the best shooters in college basketball. He has not missed a free-throw attempt this season (29-29) and is 224-244 (.918) for his collegiate career. Last year, he was 109-122. As a freshman, he led the nation in free-throw percentage (.925) while missing just seven free throws (86-93). Pretty impressive!
• Chattanooga’s Makinde London averaged just 6.0 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game last season. He is currently fifth in the Southern Conference in scoring at 14.4 ppg and third in rebounding at 7.3 rpg!
• The men’s basketball rules committee implemented several changes:
- The coaching box is now 38 feet long instead of 28 feet long. The reason is to allow coaches easier communication with players in the far court
- After a defensive foul (before the bonus), the shot clock will be reset to 20 seconds instead of 30 IF the ball is inbounded in the frontcourt. If more than 20 seconds remain on the shot clock, the shot clock will not be reset
- Throw-in spots now vary with the situation. For frontcourt throw-ins after defensive fouls or stoppages of play, the throw-in spot is now either 3 feet from the side of the basket or at the 28-foot mark. All other throw-ins will remain at the spot out-of-bounds nearest the violation or where the ball became out-of-bounds
- Offensive players who are screening must have the inside of their feet set no wider than their shoulders. If the inside distance between the feet is greater than the width of the shoulder and contact is made, it is now an offensive foul
III. Things I Think
I love the college game, but there are still changes that should be considered:
• Handshake: College basketball should do away with the postgame handshake and institute a pregame handshake. I believe the handshake shows sportsmanship and learning to do things “the right way.” That said, I feel the NCAA should make it mandatory that a pregame handshake occurs. This would also avoid the possibility of a “flare-up” between players after an emotional game. Coaches and players as well as fans are emotional after a game and this routine may prevent issues
• Jump ball: Why do we have a jump ball to start overtime? Overtime is simply a continuation of the game and thus, the possession arrow should remain in place
• Final Four seats: Why doesn’t the NCAA move the media and sell floor seats at the Final Four? These seats would go for big money. The proceeds could then be distributed among the four participating institutions
• Quarters: The NBA, FIBA and NFHS (high school) all have the four-quarter system and now women’s college basketball is playing four 10-minute quarters. Only college men play in halves, but it’s time to change
• Graduate transfers: Graduate-school transfers (student-athletes that have graduated and have eligibility) should be required to sit one year and play one year. This would help student-athletes matriculate. More importantly, it would force kids to truly make better decisions
IV. New Year’s Resolutions
It’s hard to believe, but 2018 is less than two weeks away. With that, our annual New Year’s Resolution list is back. With this, programs need to keep in mind that the reason so many resolutions fail is that they are unrealistic. I think I have found some pretty attainable goals for each program as we enter the New Year:
The Citadel – Keep buying into the process. The Bulldogs bought into Duggar Baucom’s system of play in year two and now are looking to take the next step. They have some quality wins to show for it. Now they need to do it in league play
ETSU – Keep taking care of home. Steve Forbes is 30-5 at Freedom Hall as head coach of the Bucs, including 4-1 this season. If they continue to take of home, they will be right there at the end
Furman – Continued balance. The Paladins currently have four players in double figures and have more assists than turnovers. They simply need to keep playing team ball
Mercer – No serious disruptions. The Bears have experienced talent. And with their coaching staff and home-court advantage, they will be just fine come conference play if there are no disruptions
UNCG – A fan base to believe in this team. This Spartans team is for real, yet they are averaging just over 2,000 fans per game. Come on, Spartan fans and Greensboro-area basketball fans. This team deserves your support!
Samford – Good health. Despite their record, this Bulldogs team has a chance to be good come January. They need a healthy Wyatt Walker and Christen Cunningham. Alex Peters is back from surgery and playing, but will wear a protective mask (nose) throughout the season. Josh Sharkey is also back playing but previously missed three games with a high ankle sprain. Boy, if it wasn’t for bad luck, the Bulldogs may not have any luck at all …
Chattanooga – Stay focused on the process. First-year coach Lamont Paris is starting from a place no Mocs coach has in decades. He is rebuilding. This current Mocs roster has actually shown it can and will be competitive, it simply needs to stay focused on the long-term goals
VMI – Cut down on turnovers. The Keydets have played some good basketball, but they would be wise to cut down on turnovers as they enter league play
Western Carolina – Home games! The Catamounts are traditionally really good at home, but just three of their first 15 games this season are in the Ramsey Center
Wofford – Find their defense. The Terriers are usually one of the best defensive teams in the SoCon. With the inside-outside combination of Fletcher Magee, Nathan Hoover and Cameron Jackson, offense is not a problem. Start playing defense (Division I opponents are shooting 51.6 percent) and the Terriers may just be the team to beat
We will start the SoCon Ladder as well as talk about happening in the Southern Conference and college basketball in our next edition of “The Dean’s List” on Jan. 10, 2018. Happy Holidays to all!