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 the SoCon
 
Congratulations to Wes Miller and the UNCG Spartans as they are the 2020-21 regular-season champions. As we all know, it has been a strange season, but the Spartans were consistent – and good throughout. After starting the season 1-3, they never lost two games in a row. They were good at home as well as on the road, which is the mark of a champion. UNCG defeated every SoCon program this season at least once. Just as special is this is the fifth consecutive year that the Spartans have won at least 13 league games. Unfortunately, this season, winning a regular-season title does not guarantee a berth in the NIT and with just 16 teams receiving an invite it adds additional pressure to the postseason tournament.
 
Now that the regular season is complete, we are just a day away from the start of the Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships presented by General Shale Brick in Asheville, North Carolina. Even with the challenges we have all faced, there is not a better time of year as March Madness is upon us. Even though this will be a much different Southern Conference tournament there is still a ton riding on the line. Nothing compares to postseason play with so much riding on every possession. There may not be the usual 6,400 fans inside Harrah’s Cherokee Center, but it will still be a nervous time for coaches and players as there is enormous pressure during every game.
 
Eight of the 10 Southern Conference teams will arrive in Asheville with overall winning records, and although UNCG enters as the No. 1 seed, there are five or six teams that can realistically win the tournament. But like in past seasons, I like that all 10 teams can win at least one game. This is what makes the SoCon tournament so exciting.
 
I don’t know who will win the tournament, but I do know it’s going to be a great weekend of basketball in Asheville!
 
II. Celebrating “The Best of Everything”
 
Let us take a minute and celebrate those that deserve recognition.
 
In what has become an annual list of the Best of Everything in Southern Conference men’s basketball, the following are my 2020-21 Dean’s List post-season award winners:
 
Best starting five – Furman

• The Paladins are solid at every position. They have a nice blend of talent and experience in their starting five and they play unselfish basketball. UNCG’s group is really good as well

 
Best bench – UNCG

• The Spartans can go 11 deep and keep the music playing. They come off the bench with size, athleticism as well as the ability to play effectively at both ends of the floor

 
Best backcourt – ETSU

• There is lots to choose from as the league is full of talented good guards. The Bucs gain the edge over UNCG, Furman and Wofford. Even the Chattanooga backcourt warrants strong consideration

 
Best frontcourt – Furman

• The Paladins frontcourt is talented and experienced. Clay Mounce, Noah Gurley and Jalen Slawson can compete with most anyone in college basketball. And freshmen Garrett Hien is a skilled freshman that provides a nice boost off the bench

 
Best freshman – Damari Monsanto (ETSU)

• Monsanto has a really bright future in Johnson City. For a freshman on a team with a ton of older (and talented) players, he has been really good. A.J. Staton-McCray (Samford) and Max Klesmit (Wofford) also had fine first seasons

 
Best sophomore – Malachi Smith (Chattanooga)

• The transfer from Wright State was outstanding from the first game. Smith has nine double-doubles and is ranked in the top 10 in the SoCon in several statistical categories

 
Best juniors – Ledarrius Brewer (ETSU), Mike Bothwell (Furman), Jake Stephens (VMI) & Hayden Brown (The Citadel)

• This class has a ton of talented players. Even selecting four seems a bit light. Noah Gurley (Furman) and Leon Ayers III (Mercer) are also really good

 
Best seniors – Isaiah Miller (UNCG), Storm Murphy (Wofford) & Greg Parham (VMI)

• All three were fantastic in their final campaigns. Each led their team in multiple offensive categories. Kaiden Rice (The Citadel), Clay Mounce (Furman) and Ross Cummings (Mercer) also deserve mention as they had outstanding senior seasons

 
Best 6^th man – Ty Brewer (ETSU)

• Brewer has been great off the bench for the Bucs all season. A.J. McGinnis (UNCG) and Trey Bonham (VMI) were also guys that played valuable roles for their team

 
Best newcomers – Ledarrius Brewer (ETSU), Malachi Smith (Chattanooga) & Neftali Alvarez (Mercer)

• This may be the most difficult group to select as there were multiple newcomers to the league that made an impact. In addition to those selected, Leon Ayers III (Mercer), Felipe Haase (Mercer), Cory Hightower (WCU), David Sloan (ETSU), B.J. Mack (Wofford) and Hayden Koval (UNCG) were all impactful

 
Best long-range shooters – Kaiden Rice (The Citadel), Storm Murphy (Wofford), Greg Parham (VMI) & Ross Cummings (Mercer)

• Yet another great season of talented shooters in the SoCon

 
Best dunker – Isaiah Miller (UNCG)

• Isaiah Miller (UNCG) is 6-0 but plays much bigger and can excite even those cheering against the Spartans

 
Best defender – Isaiah Miller (UNCG)

• There are several players that were in the conversation, but in the end, Isaiah Miller is simply the best the league has to offer at the defensive end

 
Best glue guy – Ryan Larson (Wofford)

• Larson just goes about his business for the Terriers. While he is a talented offensive player, his value is more than that. He can defend, has really good basketball IQ and is a great “team guy”

 
Best versatility – Clay Mounce (Furman)

• A repeat recipient of this award. Mounce simply does a little bit of everything. He scores in double figures and is in the top 10 in the league in rebounding and field-goal percentage. He’s also top-15 in blocks and 3-point field goals made

 
Best player who didn’t get an award by the media or coaches – Sean Conway (VMI)

• Parham and Stephens get most of the headlines, but Conway is also vital to the Keydets’ success. He averages 10.3 ppg and 5.9 rpg! He also shot 41 percent from 3. He did not win a postseason award by the league coaches or media, but I didn’t forget him

 
Best table setter – David Sloan (ETSU)

• One of the top assist men in the Southern Conference, Sloan can do a lot of things with the ball. That said, Storm Murphy (Wofford), Mason Faulkner (Western Carolina) and Tyler Moffe (The Citadel) can also distribute the rock

 
Best in transition – Alex Hunter (Furman)

• Hunter is the consummate point guard. He almost always makes the right decision in transition. He led the league in assist/turnover ratio

 
Best toughness – Storm Murphy (Wofford)

• Murphy has been a terrific four-year player for Wofford. He has provided toughness – and helped continue a winning environment – for the Terriers

 
Best lungs – Matt Halvorsen (Western Carolina)

• The Ironman of the Southern Conference rarely came out in league play this season

 
Best individual improvement – Greg Parham (VMI)

• Parham had a terrific senior season. He went from averaging 9.4 ppg and shooting 37 percent from 3FG as a junior to averaging 18.6 ppg while leading the league in 3-point field-goal percentage at 45.3 percent. He was a big reason why the Keydets will arrive in Asheville as a very difficult matchup

 
Best team improvement – VMI & The Citadel

• Both programs showed marked improvement during a difficult year. Both will be a factor in Asheville

 
Best coach – Dan Earl (VMI)

• I say this every year, but in a league with really good coaches, it’s hard to select just one. But Earl has done a terrific job in arguably the most difficult job in the league

 
Best SoCon moment – Samford beating Belmont

• Samford has been hit by COVID more than anyone in the league, so it’s been a tough year. But the win over the Bruins was fantastic. Belmont is a top-25 offense in the country. In the game against Samford, Belmont shot just 10-for-41 from long range while Samford hit 14-of-30 from outside the arc. The Bruins currently stand at 24-3!

 
III. It’s been how long?
 
ETSU won the regular-season and postseason tournament in 2020, but as we all know, the NCAA tournament was cancelled. Here’s offering good luck to every program in the tournament:
 
Team (last time they participated in the NCAA tournament)
 
Wofford – 2019
UNCG – 2018
ETSU – 2017 (2020 SoCon Champions, but the NCAA tournament was cancelled)
Chattanooga - 2016
Mercer – 2014 (as member of the Atlantic Sun Conference)
Samford – 2000 (as a member of the Trans America Athletic Conference)
Western Carolina – 1996
Furman – 1980
VMI – 1977
The Citadel – never participated
 
IV. Thanks
 
Once again, I say thanks to Commissioner Jim Schaus and his staff for allowing me to again report on Southern Conference men’s basketball. I also want to thank those that have followed The Dean’s List. This has been a challenging year for all, but I hope that everyone has enjoyed the articles and content as much as I have enjoyed putting everything together.
 
Let’s hope we have a successful and memorable Southern Conference tournament!
 
Follow me on Twitter: @DeanKeener1