ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The 2021 Southern Conference Basketball Media Day presented by Ingles took place Tuesday at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville. All eight league women’s coaches, all 10 men’s coaches and Commissioner Jim Schaus were on hand to meet with the media and discuss the upcoming season, while ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla was the keynote speaker at the event’s luncheon.
The league’s women’s coaches got the media day festivities started in the morning, rotating through a series of scheduled media and social media opportunities in addition to sitting down with WSPA Sports Director Pete Yanity to record one-on-one interviews that will air
Wednesday on ESPN+ starting at 10 a.m. ET.
Following that, Yanity welcomed the media, coaches, Asheville dignitaries and school personnel to the luncheon before introducing Vic Isley, CEO of Explore Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau and Schaus for opening remarks before turning the floor over to Fraschilla.
Following the luncheon, the men’s coaches were up, going through same the rotation of media opportunities and sitting down with Yanity for individual interviews that will air after the women’s coaches’ on the ESPN+ media day special.
The SoCon preseason polls and all-conference teams were revealed Tuesday prior to the respective media sessions, with Mercer picked by the league’s coaches and media to claim the women’s crown and
Chattanooga voted to win the men’s title.
Samford junior guard Andrea Cournoyer was selected the women’s preseason player of the year, while The Citadel graduate forward Hayden Brown was the men’s preseason player of the year.
The 2021 season gets underway Nov. 9 with six SoCon women’s teams and nine men’s teams tipping off the campaign.
Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Coaches in attendance
ETSU: Simon Harris
Furman: Jackie Carson
Mercer: Susie Gardner
UNCG: Trina Patterson
Samford: Carley Kuhns
Chattanooga: Katie Burrows
Western Carolina: Kiley Hill
Wofford: Jimmy Garrity
Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Coaches in attendance
The Citadel: Duggar Baucom
ETSU: Desmond Oliver
Furman: Bob Richey
Mercer: Greg Gary
UNCG: Mike Jones
Samford: Bucky McMillan
Chattanooga: Lamont Paris
VMI: Dan Earl
Western Carolina: Justin Gray
Wofford: Jay McAuley
-www.SoConSports.com-