SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The 2020-21 Southern Conference Virtual Basketball Media Day took place Thursday. All 10 league men’s head coaches and all eight women’s head coaches were on hand to meet the media and discuss the upcoming season.
 
Both sets of coaches met with the media on a stream hosted by Jason Patterson before joining Pete Yanity for one-on-one interviews that will air Friday on ESPN+. The women’s interviews will air beginning at 10:30 a.m. Eastern, with the men’s program starting at 1 p.m.
 
All 18 coaches expressed excitement to get back to action with their teams and fielded questions from the various media members in attendance. Two new head coaches joined the Media Day festivities for the first time on the men’s side, with ETSU’s Jason Shay assuming the top role after five years on the Bucs’ staff and Samford’s Bucky McMillan taking the helm for the Bulldogs after a remarkably successful career as a high school coach.
 
The preseason polls and all-conference teams were released Wednesday, with Mercer picked by the league’s women’s coaches to win the league and Chattanooga coming in as the media’s favorite. Bears senior guard/forward Shannon Titus was selected the preseason Player of the Year.
 
The men’s side also featured a split decision from the coaches and media, as UNC Greensboro was the coaches’ pick to win the SoCon in 2020-21 and Furman was the media’s favorite. UNCG senior guard Isaiah Miller, the reigning SoCon Player of the Year and two-time defending Defensive Player of the Year, was the preseason Player of the Year for the second straight season.
 
The regular season begins Nov. 25 for both the men and women, with several teams in nonconference action. Southern Conference play opens for the women on Thursday, Jan. 7, while the men get league play under way on Wednesday, Dec. 30.
 
All 18 teams will be back in Asheville in March for the 2021 Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships presented by General Shale.
 
Southern Conference Virtual Basketball Media Day attendees
The Citadel: Duggar Baucom (men)
ETSU: Brittney Ezell (women) and Jason Shay (men)
Furman: Jackie Carson (women) and Bob Richey (men)
Mercer: Susie Gardner (women) and Greg Gary (men)
UNC Greensboro: Trina Patterson (women) and Wes Miller (men)
Samford: Carley Kuhns (women) and Bucky McMillan (men)
Chattanooga: Katie Burrows (women) and Lamont Paris (men)
VMI: Dan Earl (men)
Western Carolina: Kiley Hill (women) and Mark Prosser (men)
Wofford: Jimmy Garrity (women) and Jay McAuley (men)