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
This is the first of a two-part preseason series on Southern Conference Men’s Basketball
I. Inside SoCon Basketball:
It’s late October and that means college basketball is just days away from the opening tip. Teams around the nation have been practicing as well as participating in “closed scrimmages” and exhibition games. Ready or not, another hoops season is upon us!
The 2018-2019 Southern Conference men’s basketball season was one of the best in recent memory. The league finished 12th in the NET (NCAA’s Evaluation Tool), a new ranking system used by the NCAA that replaced the RPI. Equally, the league had two programs ranked nationally with Furman and Wofford being voted into the Top 25 for the first time in both programs’ histories. The Wofford Terriers went undefeated in league play, won the SoCon tournament, earning a No. 7 NCAA seed, and then proceeded to beat Seton Hall in the NCAA first round. UNCG won a program-best 29 games and fell just short of an at-large bid. Furman won 25 games and for the first time in league history the SoCon placed two teams in the postseason NIT. UNCG and Furman both earned home games. Wow, what a season!
The Southern Conference stands strong and men’s basketball is collectively ready for another terrific season under the leadership of new commissioner Jim Schaus. Schaus has a strong basketball background and has served on several NCAA committees over the years. His selection as the new commissioner is great news for everyone, but in particular the basketball programs at all 10 member institutions.
I’ve been very fortunate to cover Southern Conference men’s basketball for the past eight years. I’ve had the opportunity to write The Dean’s List for seven years. The Dean’s List is a column that is all about men’s basketball in the Southern Conference, but it also covers national topics to help provide some perspective on rule changes and other relevant items that effect the college game. I look forward to doing the same this season to bring you a bit closer to the coaches and players.
With each new season comes the anticipation of so many things. Regardless of what has happened in the past, it’s always exciting to discuss the upcoming season. This time of year, there is always a feeling among league members that this could be a special year for them. Each league member has something positive that every coach, player and fan craves prior to that first game. Trying to determine what will potentially be the headlines and stories that guide us through the next four months is fun for everyone associated with SoCon basketball.
There are two new coaches (Greg Gary at Mercer and Jay McAuley at Wofford) and many new players that dot the rosters of all 10 members. But because of the overall stability of the league, each program should be excited about the new year. ETSU, who has just about everyone back, Furman, UNCG and Wofford look to be in the upper tier as the new season begins.
For the eighth consecutive year, the season will conclude in Asheville, North Carolina, and the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville (which changes its name from the U.S. Cellular Center, as of Jan. 1) for the 100th Southern Conference tournament! For hoop historians, the Southern Conference tournament is the nation’s oldest postseason tournament in college basketball and the 100th edition should be a wonderful weekend of college hoops. I say this every year, but I don’t believe there is a better site to hold this event and I look forward to being part of the action again in early March.
Part I of this preseason preview will cover Southern Conference basketball from A to Z as well as look at several questions that need be answered. I hope this will get you started for the new season and cause some discussion on Twitter.
With that, we begin the 2019-2020 Dean’s List:
II. SoCon basketball from A to Z
A. Allen – Samford forward Robert Allen averaged 10 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game as a freshman. The 6-8 sophomore from Orlando, Florida, is talented and could become a force this year
B. Boyd – Tray Boyd III is the ETSU Bucs’ leading returning scorer
C. Cummings – Can Mercer’s Ross Cummings be the player new coach Greg Gary needs him to be? He’s proven he can score. Can he defend and be a senior leader?
D. Dotson – Carlos Dotson is primed for a terrific season. The Western Carolina forward has all the tools to be a terrific SoCon player
E. Earl – Dan Earl is an outstanding basketball coach and even better person. That said, working at the toughest job in Division I basketball can cause lots of sleepless nights
F. Forbes – Fifth-year head coach Steve Forbes has done a masterful job. He is 100-39 and should build on that winning percentage again this year
G. Gibson – Western Carolina guard Kameron Gibson shot 40.4 percent from behind the 3-point arc as a freshman while averaging 13.6 points per game. Big things are expected this season
H. Hoover – Nathan Hoover is now the “go-to” player for Wofford
I. Iamarino – John Iamarino. The former commissioner did a terrific job through realignment and all things men’s basketball during his tenure
J. Josh – Samford’s Josh Sharkey is an elite playmaker. He’s as quick with the ball as anyone in the SoCon
K. Keydets – By far the most difficult job in college basketball. Can the Keydets finally gain some momentum this season? I say yes, even without Bubba Parham, as they gained confidence and momentum down the stretch last season
L. Lyons – Furman’s Jordan Lyons dropped 56 in a game last year. I don’t care who the Paladins were playing!
M. McAuley – Jay McAuley is the new head coach at Wofford
N. NET – The NCAA’s Evaluation Tool (NET) replaced the RPI last season. This relies on game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency and the quality of wins and losses to aid the NCAA in evaluating programs throughout the season. The SoCon placed four teams in the top 100 last season
O. Opponents – Every league member will have ample opportunity in the nonconference to help themselves and the league NET
P. Prosser – Western Carolina head coach Mark Prosser is building a winning program in Cullowhee
Q. Quality – Quality coaches at every school. From top to bottom, the SoCon currently has 10 terrific coaches
R. Richardson Indoor Stadium – The newest arena in the Southern Conference has become a terrific homecourt for the Wofford Terriers
S. Schaus – Jim Schaus is the new commissioner. After 20 years as a Division I director of athletics (Wichita State and Ohio U), Schaus is the right person to lead the league
T. Three-point shooting – Jordan Lyons (Furman), Nathan Hoover (Wofford), Garrett Gilkeson (VMI), Patrick Good (ETSU), Brandon Austin (Samford), Kameron Gibson (Western Carolina) and Ross Cummings (Mercer). Once again, the SoCon will have some of the nation’s best long-range shooters
U. Unknown – For the second consecutive year, the Chattanooga Mocs are a big unknown because of the shift in their roster during the offseason
V. Vila – The leading returning scorer for the Mocs. Ramon Vila returns to the inside after shooting 62.5 percent from the field
W. Wofford – The Terriers lost their second all-time leading scorer (Fletcher Magee) and another first-team All-SoCon (Cameron Jackson) in addition to Matthew Pegram. Then Keve Aluma transferred, but the biggest loss is head coach Mike Young. He built the program to its current state
X. X-factors – Noah Gurley (Furman), Myron Gordon (Samford), Maciej Bender (Mercer) and Kaiden Rice (The Citadel) to name a few will be counted on the help their teams this season
Y. Youth movement – There is a youth movement in Chattanooga as the Mocs have 11 freshmen and sophomores on the roster
Z. Zero – The number of times The Citadel Bulldogs have participated in the NCAA tournament. Can head coach Duggar Baucom be the guy that gets them into March Madness?
III. Five Questions That Need To Be Answered
1. Biggest storyline in the SoCon?
There will be several storylines throughout the season, including the new league schedule. There are no longer “travel partners” and league games will be played on Wednesdays and Saturdays, allowing teams an extra day of prep.
That said, the biggest storyline could very well be how the league sustains where it ended last season. The overall excitement and national publicity the SoCon received last season was incredible and now the challenge is for all members to help keep the brand as a top-tier mid-major conference. If they can do that, they can eventually get multiple teams in the tournament.
2. Can Mercer win right away?
There’s a new sheriff in Macon. Greg Gary arrives after helping Purdue reach the Elite Eight last season and consecutive Sweet 16 appearances in 2017 and 2018. He called the offense in his final seasons in West Lafayette. Gary returns some talent and also was able to re-work the roster this spring, which will help the Bears. Hawkins Arena is always a difficult place to play for opponents and with Greg Gary at the helm, the Bears will be a factor in the league race.
3. What can the league do to make some noise on a national stage?
Every year we talk about how the league can gain national exposure. Well, last year Furman knocked off Loyola Chicago and Villanova. It’s those kinds of wins the league needs in the nonconference portion of the season. The league also needs some of its talented players to make some noise on the national level. Along with the quality nonconference wins, great individual performances and a few spots on Top 10 highlights in November and December. If you recall, Furman’s win at Villanova provided tons of publicity for the Paladins as well as the league.
Regardless of what team you cheer for, if you’re a SoCon fan, then you need to cheer for
Mercer when it plays St. John’s on opening night. The same when Furman plays Alabama, Auburn and USF. Wofford will have chances when playing Butler, Missouri, USF, North Carolina and Duke. UNCG plays at Kansas, Georgetown and NC State. Samford gets Alabama on a neutral floor in Birmingham and ETSU also plays at Kansas and goes to LSU in mid-December. It’s games like these that can catapult the league on the national level. The major problem is most of these games are on the road, not in the friendly confines of Southern Conference venues. Regardless, everyone has ample opportunities.
4. How will ETSU react to being the hunted?
The Bucs have been really good the past few years. In fact, Steve Forbes is 100-39 during his four years at the helm. They’ve been “one of the teams to beat” but have had the luxury of others being good as well. This season, they are the clear-cut favorites and even though Furman, UNCG and potentially Wofford will be getting the attention, the Bucs are the hunted.
Steve Forbes and staff are as good as any in the league and should not have any problems handling (and tempering) the expectations, but with a ton of starters returning, the Bucs need to get everyone to buy in to their roles and collectively defend at a high level. If so, they should have the season everyone in Johnson City expects.
5. Who will be the sleeper?
This is always a tough question during our preseason preview. That is especially true this year in the SoCon with so much uncertainty in the middle of the pack. There are several choices including Western Carolina as Mark Prosser and staff are building something special. But I’m going with the Samford Bulldogs, who have experience and talent on their roster. The Bulldogs have a veteran point guard (Josh Sharkey) along with proven wings in Brandon Austin and Myron Gordon. And with Robert Allen returning after a fine freshman season, the ’Dogs have a chance to be a factor in the conference race.
Next edition (Oct. 31): Part II of my preseason preview will include my “Best Bets” for the upcoming season in the Southern Conference.