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
   
I. Inside SoCon Hoops
It’s hard to believe, but we are just 30 days from the start of the Ingles Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Championship presented by General Shale. But hopefully there is still a lot of basketball to be played during February! Positive COVID tests and quarantine requirements have caused some real challenges on the league schedule, but players, coaches and fans have remained flexible. There have been pauses, postponements and rescheduled games throughout college basketball and the Southern Conference has been no exception.
 
But even with the bevy of postponements and changes, no SoCon game has been altered due to officials. I find this amazing, yet really positive. It shows the professionalism and attention to detail the referees are taking to help have a successful college basketball season.
 
Even with all the uncertainty, SoCon basketball has been competitive and fun to watch. As we hit February, all 10 teams are still vying for the top six spots. Yes, I firmly believe Western Carolina can turn the corner and go on a run! Remember, it’s key to finish in the top six as teams don’t want to play in the first round on Friday night in Asheville. It’s difficult enough to win three games in a row, let alone four.
 
While Wofford, ETSU, UNCG and Furman lead the way, I think that The Citadel, Samford and Western Carolina will affect the final seedings as much as anyone. All three have the capability to beat anyone in the league at home, although winning on the road may be a different story.
 
II. Did You Know?

• Three SoCon teams are in the top 100 of the NET: Furman, Wofford and UNCG
• The Citadel is fifth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (40.7%) and leads in 3-point field goals per game (12.5)
• Chattanooga is eighth in the nation in free-throw percentage (79.5%) and VMI is ninth (79.3%)
• VMI is 10th in the nation in 3-point field goals attempted (506)
• Western Carolina forward Xavier Cook is seventh in the nation in field-goal percentage (65.7%)
• Kaiden Rice is first in Division I in 3-point field goals made at 4.47 per game!
• Western Carolina senior Matt Halvorsen has been an Ironman for the Catamounts. He has played 638 out of a possible 700 minutes thus far
• UNCG coach Wes Miller is one win from passing Lefty Driesell for 14th all-time in coaching wins at a Southern Conference school

 
III. Home Court Advantage
It’s very strange walking into arenas this season. With sparse crowds (if any) and other areas that help create a “home-court advantage” limited, you would think that home winning percentages would be down? Actually, SoCon teams are winning home league games at a better clip thus far than in previous seasons.
 
Currently, home teams are 26-15 (.634) in league play. Last season the home team was 46-44 (.511) and during the 2018-19 season they were 51-39 (.566). This is interesting and I’m not sure you can pinpoint one particular reason.
 
Regardless, I must say most Southern Conference schools have done a nice job adjusting to COVID protocols and attempting to create as much of a home-court advantage as possible for the players. Of course, local and state guidelines dictate what universities can and cannot do.
 
ETSU and UNCG have done a really nice job, but I would rate Mercer as doing the best job. Their home court environment really does seem to make a difference.
 
IV. Most Improved
Every year I love writing about the most improved players in the Southern Conference. There are several reasons why it takes some longer to develop and/or break into a rotation.
 
For most, it’s really nothing more than adjusting to the speed and physicality of the college game. In other instances, a player may be stuck behind an older or more talented player and merely needs to wait his time (that’s tough to do for some). Therefore, it’s always great to see players grow and improve throughout their careers, especially in a league like the Southern Conference where there aren’t one-and-done players.
 
Coaches talk about player development in recruiting, but not all of them invest the time and energy that’s needed to help players improve. Fans needs to understand that player development at the college level emanates in many different forms. It’s not just time spent on the court developing the fundamentals. It is time spent in the weight room getting stronger and quicker as well as time in the film room. It’s also learning about proper nutrition and diet.
 
I think each staff in the Southern Conference does a nice job of developing its players as soon as they step on campus. Of course, that’s been a bit more difficult during the global pandemic.
 
Let’s take a look at those players that have shown a jump in their game this season:
 
Greg Parham (VMI) – Quite possibly the most improved player in the SoCon, he has been terrific for the Keydets:

• Senior numbers: 19.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 49.5% 3FG
• Junior numbers: 9.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 37.8% 3FG
• Sophomore numbers: 7.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 33.1% 3FG
• Freshman numbers: 3.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 20.5% 3FG%

 
Xavier Cork (Western Carolina) – Not surprisingly with the departure of Carlos Dotson, he’s blossomed in his sophomore season in Cullowhee:

• Sophomore numbers: 13.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 74.5 FT%
• Freshman numbers: 4.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 48.6 FT%

 
Myron Gordon (Samford) – He’s been good since arriving at Samford, but sometimes after sitting out (due to injury), things don’t always improve. That has not been the case with Gordon as he’s had a terrific season thus far:

• Senior numbers: 15.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg
• Junior numbers: 12.2 ppg. 2.4 rpg

 
Hayden Brown (The Citadel) – Another player who was injured last season (played in just 6 games), Brown has a great work ethic and is having his best season yet in Charleston as he is currently averaging a double-double:

• Redshirt-junior numbers: 20.6 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 38.7% 3FG
• Junior numbers: 13.3 ppg, 3.3rpg, 42.1% 3FG
• Sophomore numbers: 7.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 28.8% 3FG
• Freshman numbers: 5.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 27.9% 3FG

 
V. Best Shooters
The Southern Conference has seen some of college basketball’s best long-range shooters. Think back during the past 10-15 years and names such as Steph Curry, Fletcher Magee, Jordan Lyons, Andrew Goudelock, Karl Cochran and Francis Alonso are just a few that come to mind. While there may not be a Steph Curry in the league this season, there are some really talented shooters.
 
Here are a few of the top long-range shooters in the Southern Conference:
 

• Storm Murphy (Wofford) – Arguably the toughest player in the league, he is also one of the best shooters. A four-year veteran, Murphy has been in a ton of big games and is best when the game is on the line 
• Kaiden Rice (The Citadel) – The Citadel senior currently leads the nation in 3-point field goals made per game. He has terrific form and can get it off quickly
• Ross Cummings (Mercer) – Healthy again after sitting out most of last season, Cummings is one of the best shooters ever at Mercer
• Matt Halvorsen (Western Carolina) – He will soon set the Catamount record for most 3-point field goals made in a career. Enough said
• Tray Hollowell (Wofford) – Not quite the shooter of Murphy, but close. He is always a threat in the half court
• AJ Caldwell (Chattanooga) – Sometimes a forgotten man, he is a sneaky good player. In particular, he is an outstanding jump shooter
• Tristen Chambers (Samford) – He has not been quite as good since transferring back from Alabama-Huntsville, but he can get it going. He shot 45.2 percent during his freshman and sophomore seasons at Samford

 
VI. SoCon Ladder
 
The Ladder is starting to become a bit more solidified and while there is still a lot of regular-season basketball to be played, here is the lineup as of Feb. 3:
 

• UNCG – The Spartans are the hottest team in the league having won six in a row! Isaiah Miller is playing like a POY candidate. They play at The Citadel, then back-to-back games against Furman loom large next week
• Wofford – The Terriers have won six of seven, including a huge win Monday night at home against ETSU. They are 4-1 at home in league play, but more importantly 4-1 in road league games
• ETSU – Jason Shay has done a masterful job putting together this team. The Bucs had won four in a row until losing at Wofford on Monday night
• Furman – The Paladins could (should) be listed first or second, but we will slot them here until for now. They are as talented (and well-coached) as anyone in the league. No question they will continue to be a serious factor in the regular-season race
• Mercer – The Bears have enough talent to win each night out, but we have found out it’s really difficult to win in league play this season
• VMI – Dan Earl’s group continues to fight every night. Beating Furman last week was huge, but not totally surprising. Is anyone playing better than Greg Parham?
• Chattanooga – The Mocs are an interesting group. They have as many overall wins as anyone in the conference, but have not been able to win consecutive games since sprinting out to that 9-0 start
• The Citadel – The Bulldogs have been a tough out thus far. The win over Wofford proved that nothing will be easy against the team, especially in Charleston
• Samford – The Bulldogs simply can’t get over the hump. And now they are not scheduled to play until Feb. 6, which will be a 17-day layoff
• Western Carolina – This Catamounts had five of their first six league games on the road. This after a two-week pause coming out of the holidays. Unfortunately, they have not been able to find their groove. That said, I still think this group will turn things around after beating The Citadel on Monday

 
 
Until the next “Dean’s List” on Feb. 17, follow me on Twitter: @DeanKeener1