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
There have been a few postponed games, but conference play is in full swing, and wow, what an opening three weeks of league play. SoCon basketball is off to another terrific start in what looks to be a very competitive league this season.
 
Most people who follow the league knew that Chattanooga and Furman were going to be very good, and they have not disappointed. Their game on national television last Saturday was everything and more. But Mercer has kept pace in the early going with three home conference wins as well as a key road win at The Citadel on Monday. VMI, Wofford and ETSU are also playing at a good level and have enough confidence to beat anyone at any time. Western Carolina beat Chattanooga last week and proved again it won’t be easy winning in Cullowhee. UNCG has been up and down but has wins over VMI and Wofford in the early part of league play. And even though Samford and The Citadel have not had the start they might have hoped for, they are both more than capable of stringing together wins against anyone in the league. It’s going to be interesting to see how things play out; but most importantly it’s exciting to know that Southern Conference men’s basketball is again a top-tier league.
 
Amazingly, we are just 44 days until the Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championship in Asheville. With some postponements, teams have had to adjust to playing multiple games in five-and 10-day stretches, but league play has been exciting and for the most part very competitive thus far. Credit the players and coaches for adjusting when needed.
 
While it’s easy to ask questions about the season, finding the right answer is a bit more difficult at this time. Here are some enduring questions related to SoCon basketball as we are fully into league play:

• Can the SoCon gain an at-large bid? The Southern Conference currently has one team in the top 50 in the NET rankings, but things would still have to fall right for an at-large bid come March. As talented as Chattanooga is, I don’t think they can raise their NET ranking (No. 46 as of Jan. 19) enough to be in consideration.
• Why does the SoCon continue to fight for respect? That’s a perplexing question as the league has been really good for a long time. Think of the teams and players that have been in the league just during the past few years. Wofford’s 2018-2019 team beat Seton Hall in the NCAA tournament and the following year ETSU was equally as talented, but COVID halted the NCAA tournament. Last season, the league finished 10th in the final NET rankings and ninth in the RPI! And don’t forget that prior to the COVID-affected 2020-21 season, the SoCon had produced four 20-game winners in each of the previous four seasons. I don’t get it, but maybe national games (CBS Sports Network and ESPN networks) will help show the country how good this league is.
• Can Western Carolina effect the league race? Yes, without a doubt. The Catamounts are better than many think, although it will be tough sledding with their next three on the road.
• Who’s competing for Player of the Year honors? There are plenty of candidates – and still time for others to make their case – but as of today Malachi Smith leads the way, but he is closely followed by VMI’s Jake Stephens. Furman’s Jalen Slawson, Mike Bothwell and Alex Hunter, Ques Glover (Samford), Felipe Haase (Mercer), Ledarrius Brewer (ETSU) and Hayden Brown (The Citadel) are also in the conversation. That said, a few of them need their teams to win games and move up in the standings to be considered for the Player of the Year award.

II. Did you know?  
The SoCon is currently ranked 12th in the NET ranking (out of 32 Division I conferences)

• There are only eight conferences which have every team in their league ranked in the top 275 of the NET (AAC, ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC and the SoCon!
• Chattanooga is No. 13 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll this week, while Furman and Wofford are receiving votes in the poll.
• Citadel freshman Jason Roche leads the league in minutes played at 35.6 per game. That is an amazing feat, especially considering the rigors of being a cadet freshman. In addition, Roche has made four or more 3-point field goals in 10 games thus far this season!
• VMI is second in the nation in 3-point field goals made per game (12.4). Furman is fourth (11.5), Western Carolina is fifth (10.9) and The Citadel is sixth (10.9).
• David Jean-Baptiste has been at Chattanooga for six years. That’s longer than eight of the current head coaches. Only Dan Earl (VMI) and Duggar Baucom (The Citadel) have been head coaches in the SoCon longer (note: Bob Richey has been at Furman for 11 years, but only the past five as head coach).
• Samford’s Ques Glover and Chattanooga’s Malachi Smith are on the midseason watch list for the 2021-22 Lou Henson National Player of Year. The award is presented annually to the top mid-major player in Division I college basketball.

III. The graduate school dilemma
I’ve talked about my disdain for the transfer portal as it is currently structured today. The ability for kids to have immediate eligibility simply sends the wrong message and something needs to change. But regardless of how you feel, the inequity among SoCon member institutions as it relates to graduate programs is also a bit of a concern.
 
Two SoCon members do not have graduate programs, while others are limited in their offerings. Wofford and VMI are immediately behind when attempting to retain their student-athletes or recruit from the outside. Without graduate studies, they don’t have the luxury of recruiting an older, more experienced player. Think of the recent grad students in the league and the impact they’ve had. The Citadel has had three consecutive graduate student point guards (Lew Stallworth, Tyson Baptiste and Tyler Moffe). Jalen Johnson is a graduate student at Mercer who is helping the Bears win this season, and although Furman has limited graduate studies, Conley Garrison is a grad student and a key player for the Paladins. These are just a few that come to mind.

IV. The best teams in league history
The Southern Conference has had 44 full-time members in its illustrious history. With regards to men’s basketball, some of the best teams (and players) in NCAA history have played in the league. No doubt, this may cause some conversation among those who have followed the league, but here are my top five teams in the 100-year history of the SoCon:

1. West Virginia (1958-59) – Led by “The Logo,” Jerry West, the Mountaineers went 29-5 and lost to California in the national championship 71-70.
2. Davidson (1968-69) –Under Lefty Driesell, the Wildcats were a powerhouse in the 1960s. If not for Charlie Scott, the Wildcats may have won a national championship in 1969. Scott hit a 20-foot shot with 2 seconds remaining to give North Carolina an 87-85 win in the regional final.
3. Davidson (2007-08) – I’m not sure they were the third-best team in league history, but, darn, were they fun to watch and only a basket away from advancing to the Final Four. And by the way, they had the most exciting player in the 100-year history of the conference.
4. ETSU (1990-91) – The Bucs had five players in double figures and were led by Keith “Mister” Jennings (AP second-team All-American), Greg Dennis and Calvin Talford. They finished 28-5 and ranked No. 17 in the final AP poll.
5. Wofford (2018-19) – Fletcher Magee, the NCAA Division I all-time leader in 3-point field goals made, led the Terriers to an undefeated conference regular season (18-0). After winning the postseason SoCon tournament, they defeated Seton Hall in the NCAA tournament before falling to No. 2 seed Kentucky 62-56. This team had all the ingredients for success.

Others under consideration: North Carolina (1945-46), ETSU (2019-20), Chattanooga (1996-1997), VMI (1975-1976), Furman (1973-1974), Chattanooga (1981-82).
 
V. SoCon Ladder
This is always difficult to compile, especially with the postponement of games, but still fun, nonetheless. Here is the SoCon men’s basketball ladder as of Jan. 19:

1. Chattanooga – They suffered a loss at Western Carolina but bounced back with a terrific win against Furman. There is still a long way to go, but the Mocs remain the best team in the league. And they’ve recently played without David Jean-Baptiste, the SoCon’s active leading scorer (1,512 pts), so his return will only solidify their ranking.
2. Furman – The Paladins lost a tough one at Chattanooga, but they are talented, and I still believe they are as good as anyone in the league. The trio of Alex Hunter, Mike Bothwell and Jalen Slawson are as good as any threesome in the conference.
3.  VMI – After opening league play with wins against Wofford and Furman, the Keydets lost three in a row before getting a key win over The Citadel last Saturday. Three of their next four are in the friendly confines of Cameron Hall, so that’s good. Teams really need to figure out how to guard Jake Stephens, as he makes you pay in their ball screen action. Wow, is the big fella playing at a high level.  
4. Mercer – The Bears have taken care of business in league play, only losing at Furman. They’re in the middle of a stretch of five games in 10 days, going 3-0 thus far after the win at The Citadel on Monday. Felipe Haase, Jalen Johnson, Kamar Robertson and James Glisson III have all stepped up in the absence of Neftali Alvarez. Also, credit needs to go to Greg Gary and staff as they have had to mix and match lineups for the past month.
5.  Wofford – The Terriers have won three of their last four overall, and while the going gets tough during the next 10 days, they have three of their next four at Richardson Indoor Stadium. Jay McAuley’s group needs to protect home court if they want to stay within striking distance of the leaders.  
6. ETSU – The Bucs have been in a “win one, lose one” streak for the past month. With their next three games at home, they need to start a winning streak. If so, they have a chance to move up.
7.  UNCG – The Spartans may be the best defensive team in the SoCon, but they need to be better at the offensive end to win league games. Nothing is easy, as Chattanooga visits on Thursday.  
8. Western Carolina – The win over Chattanooga proved the Catamounts can compete against anyone, but their next three league games are on the road, which is never easy for a developing team.
9.  Samford – Still the toughest team to slot. In addition to a tough league schedule (five of first eight on the road), the Bulldogs have been shorthanded at times. They just need to get over the hump as they head to February, when they have five home games.  
10. The Citadel – I don’t think the Bulldogs are last, especially with their talent. But they need to start collecting a few league wins to stay in the fight for the top six. Hayden Brown and Jason Roche have been good, but it’s been the play of Stephen Clark that has been impressive as of late. He leads the SoCon in blocks.

 
Until the next “Dean’s List” on Feb. 2, follow me on Twitter: @DeanKeener1