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 preview of Southern Conference men’s basketball
I. Inside SoCon Basketball:
The heat of summer is gone, and most everyone is enjoying some terrific fall weather. Yes, college football is still in full swing, but it’s time to get ready for college basketball as another hoops season is rapidly approaching. Southern Conference teams have been practicing for almost six weeks and are preparing for the regular season, which begins on Monday, Nov. 7. In fact, nine of the 10 league members will play opening night, while Mercer starts things the following night at East Carolina.
This season should be exciting for several reasons, but we need to keep in mind that Southern Conference men’s basketball has seen plenty of change since we last got together eight months ago in Asheville, North Carolina. The transfer portal has once again changed college basketball more than any single item as we head into the new year. The Southern Conference was not immune as several programs were gutted by transfers in the offseason. In addition, there were three coaching changes as Chattanooga, The Citadel and VMI have new leadership. But those who follow the SoCon will be familiar with all three. Dan Earl (Chattanooga) and Ed Conroy (The Citadel) have previously been head coaches in the league. In fact, Conroy returns to his alma mater for a second tour. Andrew Wilson (VMI) served as an assistant at the College of Charleston and Georgia Southern some years ago when they were in the SoCon.
Because of all the changes (graduation, expiration of eligibility as well as the transferring of players), every fanbase except for maybe Furman and Samford will need a program in the early going to become familiar with their roster.
Speaking of the Paladins, they have been one of the most consistent programs in the country, averaging over 22 wins during the past six seasons. Along with Samford and Chattanooga, they look to be the favorites entering the 2022-23 season. Bob Richey does a great job and Mike Bothwell and Jalen Slawson form one of the best guard/forward tandems in the league.
Bucky McMillan has Samford primed to compete at a high level, as well. The Bulldogs have an inside/outside tandem of their own in Ques Glover and Jermaine Marshall. Glover was one of the top scorers (19.2 ppg) last season while Marshall was third in the conference in rebounding at 8.2 rebounds per game. As for Chattanooga, Dan Earl moves from head coach of VMI to leading the Mocs. All-league forward Jake Stephens (19.6 ppg, 9.0 rpg last season) followed Earl from Lexington and is as talented as any player in the conference. But all three top-tier programs are far more than one or two-man teams as each has other talented starters, key reserves, and plenty of experience.
Several other league members will push the Paladins, Bulldogs and Mocs. UNCG, Mercer, ETSU and Wofford should all be a factor come league play. Even The Citadel, VMI and Western Carolina have the coaching and talent to win games and make things difficult during league play, especially on their home courts.
With everything that is happening in college athletics today, the Southern Conference continues to remain very strong, especially in basketball. The 10 league members remain committed, and men’s basketball is collectively ready for another outstanding season.
I’ve been privileged to cover Southern Conference men’s basketball for the past 12 years. The progression of the conference in men’s basketball during the past decade has been as good as any in Division I. The question again this year is if the league can remain a top-10 conference in men’s hoops. It’s my opinion that there are enough good coaches and players that collectively the league will again be very strong.
Once again, this preseason preview will cover Southern Conference men’s basketball from A to Z. It will also look at players that mostly likely will lead categories as well as attempting to answer several key questions surrounding the new season. I hope this will get you started for the new season and cause some discussion on social media.
II. SoCon basketball from A to Z
- Asheville – The season always ends in the city of Asheville at the Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships
- Bothwell – One of the best players in the Southern Conference, Mike Bothwell leads the Furman Paladins
- Coaching changes – There were changes at 3 schools: Chattanooga, The Citadel and VMI
- Dagger – Also called a “dagger shot” in hoops. David Jean-Baptiste’s buzzing-beating, 30-foot, game-winning shot was a dagger and sent the Mocs to the NCAA tournament last season
- Earl – Let me say it again, Dan Earl is an outstanding basketball coach but didn’t always get the proper recognition at VMI. Well, those in charge at Chattanooga saw it and he went from one of the toughest jobs in the league to arguably the best (note, I didn’t say easiest)
- Flopping – The NCAA approved a major rule change that will take effect this season. Referees can now call technical fouls on players for flopping, whereas previously they issued one flop warning before escalating to a technical foul. Players called for flopping will be hit with a technical foul that gives one free throw to the other team but not the ball. These technical fouls do not count as personal fouls
- Gray – Head coach Justin Gray will get Western Carolina going in the right direction. Keep an eye on the Catamounts
- Hankton – Chattanooga forward KC Hankton has the experience and ability to impact winning for the Mocs
- Isolation – Teams would be wise not to let Mike Bothwell or Ques Glover get in “iso” situations
- Jalen – Furman forward Jalen Slawson has worked his way into being one of the best players in the league. During his freshman season, he scored just 19 points! He enters this season just 52 from 1,000. Equally, he is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year
- King – ETSU guard Jordan King is one of the best perimeter players in the SoCon
- Langley – The Langley twins (Kobe and Keyshaun) are keys to UNCG success
- McMillan – Bucky-ball is hitting a nice stride at Samford
- NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) – A metric developed by the NCAA for use in the selection process for the Division I men's tournament, beginning in 2019. Some of the input data includes game results, strength of schedule, scoring margin and quality of wins within quadrants
- Opportunity – Every season, nonconference games are critical. This season is no different. Unfortunately, there aren’t many home games against P6 (Power 5 + Big East) teams. SoCon programs will have to take advantage of every opportunity
- Parham – Georgia Tech transfer Bubba Parham found his way back to the SoCon, where he started his college career by playing two years at VMI. He has all-conference potential for Samford this season
- Ques – Samford guard Ques Glover is the second-leading returning scorer in the league and a legit Player of the Year candidate. Arguably possesses the best mid-range game in the league
- Robertson – Mercer senior Kamar Robertson has improved each season. If he can stay healthy and get back to shooting a bit better from behind the arc, the Bears will be solid at the point
- Stephens – Last season, Jake Stephens was a first-team all-conference performer and the league’s second-leading scorer and rebounder while at VMI. He followed Dan Earl to Chattanooga and should help make the transition for his coach an easy one
- Transfers – The implementation of recent transfer rules has changed college basketball
- Unknown – The Citadel is a bit of an unknown because of the change in their staff and roster. But Ed Conroy absolutely understands The Citadel and will have the Bulldogs competitive right away
- VMI – There is a new sheriff in Lexington. Andrew Wilson will do great things leading the Keydets, but it will take some time
- Wofford – The Wofford Terriers were hit hard by the transfer portal, but with the return of big man B.J. Mack, they have one of the league’s best players
- X-factor – There are plenty of “X-factors” in the league this season, including Marcus Foster (Furman), Shawn Walker Jr. (Mercer), Tre Jackson (Western Carolina) and Messiah Jones (Wofford)
- Youth – As the transfer portal continues to spin at a dizzying pace, it’s become a bit more difficult for first-year freshmen to really impact the league. That said, there are some gifted freshmen in the SoCon this season
- Zone – Contrary to a national trend, zone defenses are still utilized by many SoCon coaches
III. Player Most Likely To…
- Lead the league in scoring
- Lead the league in rebounding
- Jake Stephens (Chattanooga)
- Lead the league in assists
- Lead the league in assist/turnover ratio
- Lead the league in 3-point shooting
- Jake Stephens (Chattanooga)
- Lead the league in blocked Shots
- Stephen Clark (The Citadel)
IV. Five questions that need to be answered
1. Biggest storyline in the SoCon?
The ever-changing rosters is a big story in college hoops, especially during the early going. The Southern Conference was not immune to the transfer portal as there were a ton of additions and subtractions to most of the programs across the SoCon. Year-to-year roster continuity is at a historic low (except for Furman), 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.
A second storyline could very well be name, image and likeness (NIL). This is affecting Southern Conference programs and how they recruit.
2. Is Samford for real?
Yes. The Bulldogs finished 10-2 down the stretch last season before falling to Furman in the tournament semifinals. Along the way, they proved they were a top-four team in the league. With four returning starters in addition to a fine group of newcomers, this team is very dangerous. Bucky McMillan and staff have done a nice job creating a winning culture.
However, I don’t know how much we will know about the Bulldogs in the early going as four of their first eight games are against non-DI programs. In addition, they only have one home game between Nov. 28 and Jan. 4.
3. What new coach can have the most success in year one?
For the second straight season, there are three terrific new coaches in the league. Dan Earl is the new head coach at Chattanooga, while Ed Conroy is back to lead the program at The Citadel and Andrew Wilson is the new sheriff for VMI. For different reasons, they all have their hands full. That said, Chattanooga has the best chance for success because of their roster. Jake Stephens should help make the transition for Dan Earl much smoother than the other new coaches.
4. What can the league do to make some noise nationally?
What can the league do to gain national exposure during the nonconference portion of the season? It very well could be more difficult this season with a lack of home games against P6 (Power 5 + Big East) opponents. Regardless, every SoCon team needs to avoid “bad losses” and more importantly, pick off a few big wins.
Here are 12 nonconference games / events that are critical for the SoCon:
- Belmont at Furman – Nov. 11
- A key early season clash between two very good teams
- UNCG at Miami – Nov. 11
- Another key game right out of the gates
- Wofford at Drake – Nov. 14
- Drake is the unanimous choice to win the MVC
- Chattanooga at Ole Miss – Nov. 15
- The Rebels are middle of the SEC at best, but this would be a nice road win for the SoCon
- Furman at The Charleston Classic – Nov. 17, 18 & 20
- A HUGE three-game tournament for the Paladins. They open with Penn State and then get Virginia Tech or Old Dominion
- App State at ETSU – Nov. 23
- The Bucs get the Mountaineers at Freedom Hall
- Samford at DePaul – Nov. 30
- DePaul is much improved, but still not a top-tier Big East team. That said, these are the kind of games the league needs to win to gain attention
- UNCG at Arkansas – Dec. 6
- Arguably one of the toughest games / highest-ranked opponents among all SoCon opponents
- Western Carolina at Davidson – Dec. 7
- This would be a terrific win for the Catamounts – and the league
- Belmont at Chattanooga – Dec. 18
- The Mocs get their shot at the Bruins
- Wofford at Texas A&M – Dec. 20
- A&M is thought to be a NCAA team
- Samford at Belmont – Dec. 21
- Belmont completes its tour against the SoCon’s top teams
5. Who will be the sleeper?
No doubt, this is always a tough question. That is true again this year in the SoCon with so much uncertainty throughout the league. That said, I’m going with Mercer. Not many are going to have them in the top three in the preseason, but I firmly believe James Glisson III, Kamar Robertson and Shawn Walker Jr. are ready to handle bigger roles. Like many teams, the Bears need to navigate the integration of several new players (Luis Hurtado Jr., Jalyn McCreary and Jalen Cobb lead the way) but could very well surprise.
Can they win the regular season or the tournament? Who knows, as there is a lot of basketball to be played prior to March. I do know this is a team that is very well-coached. If they limit turnovers and use their size as an advantage, they can beat anyone in the conference.
Also, don’t sleep on UNCG. Mike Jones is an outstanding coach, and the Spartans have enough talent to compete every night out. Remember the name Keondre Kennedy!
It’s College Hoops Season
This should be another electrifying season of basketball in the Southern Conference. No doubt, there will be exciting games, great crowds, and interesting headlines as we start the path to Asheville.
For the 11th consecutive year, the season will end 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’m excited for a new season of SoCon hoops and hope you are as well.
Next edition: In the Dec. 14 edition, we will look at how everyone is doing one month into the new season.
Follow me throughout the year on Twitter: @DeanKeener1