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 look at Southern Conference men’s basketball
I. Inside SoCon Basketball:
The heat of summer and early fall has dissipated, and we are all enjoying cooler weather and the vivid colors of fall in the South. While college football is still in full swing, there is no better time to get ready for college basketball. Southern Conference teams have been practicing for over a month as they prepare for the regular season opening night on Tuesday, Nov. 9.
No doubt that coaches continue to provide the safest environment possible – on and off the court – for their student-athletes, but COVID remains somewhat relevant but hopefully will not play a part in another Southern Conference basketball season.
It’s the transfer portal that has changed college basketball more than any single item as we head into the 2021-22 season. Personally, I don’t think for the better, but more on that in future issues of the Dean’s List. On April 15, 2021, the NCAA Division I Council adopted legislation that extended the “one-time transfer exception” to all Division I sports. The Division I Board of Directors ratified this on April 28, thus allowing student-athletes in men’s basketball to transfer one time without having to sit out a year. Over 1,800 kids hit the “transfer portal” this past season with most landing in a new location.
The dizzying movement of players really hit the Southern Conference with over half of the All-SoCon performers from last season choosing to go elsewhere. Everyone will need a program in the early going to become familiar with their favorite teams.
There is some good news, though, as teams will go back to a regular season schedule. Whereas last season there was a 27-game limit during the regular season, we are back to the normal number of 31 games this season.
It’s nice to see that with everything that is happening in college athletics today, the Southern Conference continues to stand strong. In particular, men’s basketball is collectively ready for another outstanding season under the leadership of commissioner Jim Schaus and his fine staff.
I’ve been very fortunate to cover Southern Conference men’s basketball for the past 10 years. The evolution of the conference in men’s basketball during the past decade has been terrific. The big question is if the SoCon can remain a top-10 conference in men’s basketball. To confirm, let’s be reminded that the Southern Conference finished ninth in the RPI and 10
th in the NET rankings in 2020-21. In addition, six teams were ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 for at least three weeks of the season. It’s my opinion that there are enough good coaches and players that even if one or two programs fall back a bit into a short-term reload, collectively the league will again be very strong again this season.
As we know, with each new season comes the anticipation of so many things. Even with all the uncertainly with new players and coaches, trying to determine what will potentially be the headlines and stories that will guide us through the next four months is exciting for everyone associated with SoCon basketball. There are three new coaches (Desmond Oliver at ETSU, Mike Jones at UNCG and Justin Gray at Western Carolina), but everyone has new players (freshmen and transfers) on their rosters as well as “super seniors.”
Every program should be excited about the new year. Chattanooga has everyone back plus some talented transfers and look to be the favorites. ETSU may have as much talent as the Mocs, but with a new system it may take them time to gel. Furman lost Noah Gurley and Clay Mounce, but also returns talent to compete at a very high level. Mercer and Wofford also look to be in the upper tier of the league while UNCG, The Citadel and VMI also have the ability to break into the top half. Even Samford and Western Carolina should have optimism for the new year. One of the real keys for each of the 10 member schools is determining how returning players blend with all the newcomers (freshmen and transfers).
This preseason preview covers Southern Conference men’s basketball from A to Z. It also looks at players that mostly likely will lead a category as well as attempting to answer several key 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 2021-22
Dean’s List:
II. SoCon basketball from A to Z
- Alvarez – If Mercer point guard Neftali Alvarez can cut down on turnovers, he will be an all-conference player
- Bothwell – Possibly the best player in the Southern Conference, Mike Bothwell leads Furman
- Coaching changes – There were changes at WCU, UNCG and ETSU
- De Sousa – Silvio De Sousa is talented. If the Kansas transfer can stay focused in his new Chattanooga home, the league may be in trouble
- Earl – Let me say it again, VMI’s Dan Earl is an outstanding basketball coach but doesn’t always get the proper recognition. Without a doubt, he has the toughest job in DI basketball
- Flop – When attempting to take a charge this season, a “flop” can result in a technical
- Gary – Mercer’s Greg Gary has done a terrific job in his first two years in Macon. He will always have the Bears near the top of the standings with their fundamental play
- Hayden – Hayden Brown, a fifth-year senior at The Citadel, averaged a double-double last season. He was consistent from start to finish. No doubt, he will be counted on to lead the Bulldogs again
- Isaiah – Wofford’s Isaiah Bigelow is a gifted player. He was cleared in late September after sitting out last season due to injury. Can you say “X-factor”
- Jean-Baptiste – David Jean-Baptiste, the redshirt senior (this is his sixth year on the UTC campus!) has already scored over 1,200 points and corralled 337 rebounds for his career
- Kamdyn – VMI junior Kamdyn Curfman may be the best shooter in the league. He will need to play a major role this season for the Keydets
- Ledarrius – A first-team All-SoCon pick by the coaches and media last season, ETSU’s Ledarrius Brewer can play! Look for him to be the leader of the Bucs and challenge for POY honors
- Malachi – Another POY candidate, Malachi Smith leads a talented Chattanooga squad
- Nonconference – Normal nonconference play is back this year
- Opportunity – Every nonconference game will be critical this season. Unfortunately, there aren’t many home games against P6 (Power 5 + Big East) teams; SoCon programs will have to take advantage of opportunity
- Pandemic – It’s possible that COVID-19 could again affect the college basketball this season
- Quality – Quality coaches at every school. Even as several SoCon coaches have left for Power 6 schools, the SoCon continues to have terrific coaches
- Rules – Two rule changes for this season: (1) Allowance at the league level for coaches to use technology/live statistics and video on the bench (2) Shot clocks will have tenths of seconds on display now -- if schools want to invest in new clocks
- Super Seniors - Expanded rosters are a one-time perk this season. The NCAA is giving every athlete an extra year of eligibility if they want to take it for 2021-22. The normal amount of scholarships allowed is 13 in men’s basketball, but some programs this season will have 15 or 16 guys available, not accounting for walk-ons
- Transfers - The implementation of the one-time transfer rule that allows players to be immediately eligible the first time they transfer to another school has changed college basketball
- Unknown – The Western Carolina Catamounts are a big unknown because of the shift in their staff and roster during the offseason
- VMI – The Keydets return four of their top six scorers, including 6-11 center Jake Stephens
- Western Carolina – The Catamounts are in a transition, but make no mistake, Justin Gray and staff will make sure they are competitive each night out
- X-factor – As of Nov. 5, there are 20 players listed on Samford’s website roster. Who develops into key performers for the Bulldogs is still a work in progress
- Youth – With the transfer portal, it will become a bit more difficult for first-year freshmen to impact the league. That said, there are some talented freshmen in the SoCon
- Zero – The number of NCAA tournament appearances in men’s basketball by The Citadel
III. Player Most Likely To…
- Lead the league in scoring
- Lead the league in rebounding
- Hayden Brown (The Citadel)
- Lead the league in assists
- Lead the league in assist/turnover ratio
- Lead the league in 3-point shooting
- Lead the league in blocked Shots
- Stephen Clark (The Citadel)
IV. Six Questions That Need To Be Answered
1. Biggest storyline in the SoCon?
It doesn’t take much to determine that COVID could continue to play a part in the 2021-22 season.
In addition, the change in rosters is another big story in college hoops, especially during the early going. There were tons of additions and subtractions to all 10 programs across the SoCon. Year-to-year roster continuity is at a historic low, but this doesn’t mean league coaches are doing anything wrong, nor does it suggest the SoCon is experiencing anything different from other Division I conferences. This is an issue that is affecting every coach at every level of college basketball.
With all the freedom of transferring and with the ability to play right away, it’s gotten a bit crazy. Regardless if coaches or fans in the SoCon like it, it will continue to have a significant impact on the game.
2. What about March Madness?
If you wondered if the NCAA would repeat last season’s setup of a single-location tournament, it will not. March Madness will return to its normal bracket of 67 games (68 teams) across 14 sites. It must be noted that there have been conversations about future NCAA tournaments (not this year) having the Sweet 16/Elite 8 at one site (rather than 4 sites) and even potentially the same site as the Final Four. This would be interesting.
3. What new coach can have the most success in year one?
There are three terrific new coaches – and gentlemen – in the league. Mike Jones is the new head coach at UNCG, while Justin Gray is leading the program at Western Carolina and Desmond Oliver is the new sheriff in Johnson City (ETSU). For different reasons, they all have their hands full. That said, ETSU potentially has the best chance for success because of their roster. David Sloan, Vonnie Patterson and brothers Ty and Ledarrius Brewer should help make the transition for Oliver a bit smoother than for the other new coaches.
4. 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 during the nonconference portion of the season. It could be a bit more difficult this season with a lack of home games against P6 (Power 5 + Big East) conference opponents. Regardless, all 10 members need to do their very best to pick off a few big wins and avoid any “bad losses” against the lower third conferences in Division I.
5. It’s been over 40 years since Furman made the NCAA tournament?
Even with some attrition, the Paladins still have many of the ingredients for another terrific season. Solid guard play, athleticism and good coaching lead the way. I have no doubt that Bob Richey and staff will have their group ready and in position for a bid come March. Could this be the season that Furman fans have been waiting over 40 years for?
6. Who will be the sleeper?
This is always a tough question in the preseason. That is especially true this year in the SoCon with so much uncertainty throughout the league. That said, I’m going with The Citadel. This is a program that was solid last year. No one is going to have them in the top half in the preseason, but with Hayden Brown, Tyler Moffe, Stephen Clark and others, the Bulldogs could very well surprise.
Can they win the regular season or the tournament? Who knows, as there are a lot of games to be played prior to March. I do know this is a scrappy team that is well-coached. If they make 3s, they can beat anyone in the conference.
Ready or Not
Once again, this should be an exciting season of basketball in the Southern Conference. Let’s hope we’re back to some level of normalcy with exciting games, good crowds and limited interruption during the next four months.
For the 10th consecutive year, the season will conclude in Asheville, North Carolina, and the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville for the
Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships. The Southern Conference tournament is the nation’s oldest postseason tournament in college basketball and is always a terrific weekend of basketball.
I look forward to a new season of SoCon hoops!
Next edition: In the Dec. 15 edition, we will look at how everyone is doing one month into the new season.
Follow me throughout the year on Twitter: @DeanKeener1