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
A preseason outlook on Southern Conference men’s basketball
I. Inside SoCon Basketball:
It’s November, and while practice has been going for the better part of a month for most college basketball teams, things are still very strange. Outside of Zoom meetings, coaches have not had much time with their players since March. And of course, they are coaching while wearing protective masks and attempting to provide the safest environment possible – on and off the court. For some, there have been starts and stops, but the hope for all programs is to maximize every day they hit the practice floor to prepare for what will be an unusual season.
On Sept. 16, the NCAA set the start date for practice as Oct. 14. They also moved the start date for games from Nov. 10 to Nov. 25. The latter has caused some trouble and confusion for teams as it relates to nonconference scheduling. Several multi-team events (MTE) were scheduled prior to the new start date and have now been cancelled. Equally, hundreds of guarantee games were scheduled during that time period as well and if they don’t get rescheduled (not many will), programs and athletic departments will lose tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Nov. 25 start date was decided upon in no small part because an estimated 75 percent of college campuses will have their student bodies off campus and at home by that time. With “modified bubbles” potentially too costly for mid-major programs (testing, hotel and meal costs, etc.), the hope is that only having student-athletes on campus will minimize exposure with the general student bodies gone.
Further, the DI Council cut the regular season by four games to 27 with the minimum number of games for NCAA tournament eligibility to 13. Yes, the pandemic has affected college basketball before the season even begins. All coaches can do at this point is coach their teams, attempt to complete their schedules and hope for little luck along the way.
Finally, the DI Council did away with closed scrimmages and exhibitions during this preseason. Therefore, teams will simply begin practice and hit the hardwood in their first regular-season games (sometime around Nov. 25) without the opportunity to work out the kinks against an opponent. Of course, college football has never had scrimmages or exhibitions, so maybe it’s not such a big deal?
But with all that is happening in college athletics, the Southern Conference still stands strong and men’s basketball is collectively ready for another good season under the leadership of Commissioner Jim Schaus and staff.
I’ve been very fortunate to cover Southern Conference men’s basketball for the past nine years. I’ve also had the opportunity to write
The Dean’s List for eight years.
The Dean’s List is a column that is all about men’s basketball in the Southern Conference but occasionally covers national topics to help provide some perspective on rule changes and other relevant items that effect the college game. My guess is we will cover lots of national items in this unique season.
With each new season comes the anticipation of so many things. Even with all the uncertainly, trying to determine what will potentially be the headlines and stories that guide us through the next four months is still very exciting for everyone associated with SoCon basketball. There are two new coaches (Jason Shay at ETSU and Bucky McMillan at Samford), but everyone has new players (freshmen, transfers and graduates) on their rosters. But even with some newness, the overall stability of the league is outstanding. Each program should be excited about the new year. Furman lost Jordan Lyons and Tre Clark but has a ton of talent back. The Paladins along with UNCG, who is also very deep and talented, look to be the favorites. Western Carolina, Mercer, Wofford and ETSU also look to be in the upper tier of the SoCon as the new season begins. But even Chattanooga, Samford, VMI and The Citadel should have optimism for a new season. One of the real keys for each of the 10 member schools is determining how returning players that may not have been starters last year step into new roles this season.
This preseason preview will cover Southern Conference basketball from A to Z, look at players that mostly likely will lead a category as well as answer several questions concerning the new season. I hope this will get you started for the new season and cause some discussion on Twitter.
With that, we begin the 2020-21
Dean’s List:
II. SoCon basketball from A to Z
- Abee – Citadel guard Fletcher Abee made the All-Freshman team after making 80 triples last season
- Bucky – Bucky McMillian is the new head coach at Samford. The ultra-successful high school coach should do a great job, even without previous college coaching experience
- Cummings – Can Mercer’s Ross Cummings be the player he was in 2018 and 2019 before foot problems sidelined him last year? If so, look out!
- Dupree – Samford’s Jalen Dupree shot 51 percent from the field last year. He’s also a terrific rebounder
- Earl – I say this every season - Dan Earl is an outstanding basketball coach and even better person. He’s done a terrific job while working at the toughest job in Division I basketball
- Faulkner – Western Carolina guard Mason Faulkner is as talented as any guard in the league. He is a Player of the Year candidate
- Gurley – Noah Gurley has gotten better each season at Furman. He made great strides last year and fans should expect even bigger things again this season. He is another Player of the Year candidate
- Hunter – Alex Hunter doesn’t always get the credit, but the Furman point guard is a big reason why the Paladins are the preseason favorites with UNCG
- Isaiah – UNCG guard Isaiah Miller was the Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season. Enough said!
- Jean-Baptiste – David Jean-Batiste started all 33 games for the Mocs last season. The senior will easily reach 1,000 points, 300 rebounds and 300 assists for his career this season
- Koval – Central Arkansas transfer Hayden Koval was granted immediate eligibility for UNCG. That’s great news for Spartan fans as the 7-0 center can block shots with the best
- Lewis – VMI forward Myles Lewis’s numbers dropped as a junior, but he’s still an important part of the Keydets’ success
- Murphy – Arguably the toughest player in the Southern Conference, Wofford guard Storm Murphy returns for his senior season. He’s an outstanding defender and has shot over 42 percent from 3-point range for his career
- Nonconference – Nonconference games could very well be limited this season
- Opponents – Every game will be critical this season. More than ever, teams must take advantage of every opportunity regardless of the opponent
- Pandemic – The pandemic will continue to affect the college basketball season
- Quality – Quality coaches at every school. The SoCon currently has 10 terrific coaches
- Richey – For those that have not been watching, Furman head coach Bob Richey is 73-25 in three seasons at the helm. If I’m Furman AD Jason Donnelly, I better have a short list
- Shay – Jason Shay is the new head coach at ETSU. After 20 years as an assistant at the college level, Shay is the right person to lead the Bucs
- Three-point shooting – VMI hoisted a league-leading 1,012 3-pointers last season. That led to an average of just over 30 attempts per game. I would expect more of the same this year
- Unknown – The Samford Bulldogs are a big unknown because of the shift in their staff and roster during the off season
- Vila – Ramon Vila was set to be the leading returning scorer and rebounder for the Mocs, but in August decide to turn pro in his home country of Spain. This hurt, but Chattanooga still has firepower
- Western Carolina – The Catamounts made great strides last season and even with the loss of Carlos Dotson and Onno Steger, there is excitement for hoops season in Cullowhee
- Xavier – Remember the name: Xavier Cork. He’s primed for a breakout sophomore season for the Catamounts
- Youth movement – There is no longer a youth movement in Charleston. The Citadel has a solid core of returning players
- 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. Player Most Likely To…
- Lead the league in scoring
- Mason Faulkner (Western Carolina)
- Lead the league in rebounding
- Lead the league in assists
- Mason Faulkner (Western Carolina)
- Lead the league in assist/turnover ratio
- Lead the league in 3-point shooting
- Lead the league in blocked Shots
- Have a breakout year
- Not get enough love
- Make SportsCenter Top 10
IV. Five Questions That Need To Be Answered
1. Biggest storyline in the SoCon?
It doesn’t take much to determine that COVID will play a part in the 2020-21 season. Unfortunately, this will be THE storyline throughout the season as teams try to navigate the virus and any implications it may cause. No one knows exactly how, but we will be lucky if the season has limited interruptions. It starts with nonconference scheduling, which has been extremely difficult for teams at all levels. Here’s hoping everyone stays safe.
2. Can ETSU continue its winning ways?
There’s a new sheriff in Johnson City, kinda. Jason Shay was Steve Forbes’s right-hand man for the past five seasons, so he knows what success looks like. When Forbes left for Wake Forest, he was the right man at the right time to take over.
I fully believe that even with the graduation of five seniors and the transfers of Bo Hodges and Daivien Williamson, Shay will have the Bucs in contention. He’s a good coach and a great guy who will get it done at ETSU.
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. It could be a bit more difficult this season with reduced games, including “big games” against Power 6 conference opponents. Regardless, all 10 members need to do their very best to pick off a few big wins and avoid any “bad losses.”
That said, the league has already gained some notoriety with UNCG receiving a vote in the first AP Top 25 Poll. In addition, Isaiah Miller is somewhat of a household name in college basketball circles.
4. It’s been 40 years since Furman made the NCAA tournament?
The Paladins have all the ingredients for another terrific season. Experience, solid guard play, size, athleticism and good coaching. I have no doubt that Bob Richey and staff will have their troops ready and in position for a bid come March. No doubt, this could be the season that Furman fans have been waiting 40 years for!
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 here, but I’m going with the Wofford Terriers. This is a proud program that has been as good as any during the past decade. No one is going to have them in the top three this season, but with Storm Murphy, Ryan Larson and Tray Hollowell in the backcourt things are solid. Add Messiah Jones, Isaiah Bigelow and transfer BJ Mack up front and I think the Terriers will surprise.
Can the Terriers win the tournament? Who knows as there are a lot of games to be played prior to March. I do know they are good enough to beat anyone at any time. The Terriers have a chance to be good!
Ready or Not
The SoCon is waiting until the spring to play conference football. Let’s hope the hoops season is fun, exciting and without much interruption during the next four months.
For the ninth consecutive year, the season is scheduled to conclude in Asheville, North Carolina, and the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville for the Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championship presented by General Shale. For hoops historians, the Southern Conference tournament is the nation’s oldest postseason tournament in college basketball and the 101st edition should be interesting for lots of reasons. One thing is for sure: it’s always a terrific weekend of basketball. As I say every year, I don’t believe there is a better site to hold this event.
I look forward to a new season of Southern Conference basketball. To all, wear your mask, be safe and I hope to see everyone soon!
Next edition: In the Dec. 16 edition, we will look at how everyone is doing one month into the new and very different season
Follow me throughout the year on Twitter: @DeanKeener1