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 X: @DeanKeener1

The Dean’s List
January 10, 2024
 

1. Inside the SoCon

 
After a successful non-conference slate, which saw the league collect five Power 5 wins, the Southern Conference began league play on Jan. 3. I love that the SoCon continues to play a full round-robin schedule for a total of 18 league games. Because of this, we have a true regular season champion.
 
If we’ve learned anything during the first week of play, it’s that there is very much a competitive balance throughout the league. Sure, there are varying levels of talent on each roster, but each team is well coached making the next two months of conference play exciting.But it’s way too early to predict a “top team” because of the overall balance.
 
Injuries are playing a part in early conference play.Furman has had some tough luck with injuries to JP Pegues, Marcus Foster, and Alex Williams.Mercer opened league play with leading scorer Jalyn McCreary on the sidelines and Wofford’s Jeremy Lorenz, one of the top freshmen in the SoCon, has missed time recently.There are others as well.Here’s hoping for all to return to action very soon!
 
No doubt, there are several teams that could run off long winning streaks (Samford is riding 13-game win streak), but I don’t believe anyone will go undefeated in league play.FYI, Wofford was the last team to do it during the 2018-2019 season. Even with a very good team, it’s extremely difficult to do as teams in this league are so good at home. With very little overall separation, anyone can win on a given night, which makes things fun, at least for the fans.
 
By the time we get to Asheville on March 8, we should be set for another terrific postseason tournament.  SoCon fans just need to enjoy what should be somewhat of a crazy regular season during the next eight weeks.  It’s way too early to talk about a regular season champion, so let’s just appreciate what Southern Conference men’s basketball has to offer this season.
 

2. In the Know

 

• Southern Conference teams were a combined 52-8 at home in nonconference play this season
• Vonterius Woolbright continues to lead the SoCon in scoring and rebounding.  He’s also third in assists
• Woolbright leads the nation in defensive rebounds per game (10.6/game)
  • He’s third in rebounds per game at 12.4 while VMI’s Taeshaud Jackson II is 15^th in rebounds per game at 10.2 while Wofford’s Kyle Filewich is 17^th at 9.9
• Samford’s Rylan Jones is currently eighth in the nation in assist/turnover ratio at 3.9
• Chattanooga is fourth in the nation in three-point attempts per game (30.7) while Furman is sixth (30.5)
• Shoutout to Samford’s Chandler Leopard.  The 6’3” graduate student may very well be the best shooter in the SoCon you’ve never heard of.  He’s currently shooting 53% from 3FG (21-38) as 38 of his total 40 shots this season are behind the arc

 

3. What is the Transfer Portal?

 
I talked about this last year, yet because of the impact transferring is having on college basketball, I thought it was necessary to bring it up again.Transferring schools in college basketball has been going on for years. There are many reasons why a student-athlete transfers including a coaching change, playing time, home sickness or a family situation.  But the process of players moving from school to school has changed dramatically since the NCAA instituted the “Transfer Portal” in October 2018.  Things really became hectic when the NCAA approved legislation in April 2021 that allowed players to transfer one time without having to sit out a year at their new school.  And just recently, the NCAA allowed immediate eligibility for two-time transfers.
 
Previously in college basketball, student-athletes were required to sit out for a year - serving “a year in residence” - before they were allowed to play at their new school.There were special waivers granted for immediate eligibility, but those were difficult to come by.
 
The free agency portal, I mean transfer portal, is simply a database with the names and basic contact information of players that have chosen to enter the portal.This portal is “private” as coaches are given passwords from their compliance office to gain access.
 
While it’s caused stress among coaches, the transfer portal is here to stay.And because of its impact on recruiting and the year-to-year makeup of rosters, it’s more important than ever for college coaches to stay as close as possible to their players.The student-athletes are getting hit by so many external things that influence their thought process.NIL opportunities, social media, unreasonable expectations by parents, high school, and travel coaches as well as personal trainers are just a few of the outside influencers that are affecting kids today.This makes coaching more volatile and more difficult than at any time in recent history.
 

4. Transfers in the SoCon

 
The SoCon lost several key players to the transfer portal last season, but to some extent coaches in the league were able to recruit some very talented players as well.
 
Keep in mind, transfers come from a variety of four-year institutions (DI, II, III and NAIA) as well as junior colleges. In addition, graduate transfers generally have one year to play at their new school but have also been impactful during the past few seasons.  Regardless of where transfers come from, they have become a way of life in college basketball, including the Southern Conference.
 
Here are some of the top first-year transfers in the SoCon:
 

• Honor Huff (Chattanooga) – A terrific athlete, Huff had to sit out last season as he followed Dan Earl from VMI.  He leads Mocs in scoring, assists and steals
• Trey Bonham (Chattanooga) – A two-time transfer, Bonham started his career at VMI before transferring to Florida.  Recently, he became eligible and has made an immediate impact for the Mocs
• Jan Zidek (Chattanooga) – After spending four years at Pepperdine, Zidek is a graduate student for Mocs.  He’s been solid averaging 12 ppg while shooting 49% from the field
• Tyler Millin (Chattanooga) – Millin spent four years at MTSU and now has one year of eligibility.  He’s been good at both ends of the floor for the Mocs
• Quentin Millora-Brown (The Citadel) – The 6’10” graduate student transferred from Vanderbilt and is a major reason why the Bulldogs will be a very tough out in league play
• Karon Boyd (ETSU) – After one season at USC Aiken, Boyd has made an impact for the Bucs
• Quimari Peterson (ETSU) – Peterson spent one season at Indiana State, then last year at John A. Logan (IL) College.  He leads the Bucs in minutes played while averaging over 14 ppg
• Ebby Asamoah (ETSU) – The 6’4” guard spent four seasons at the University of Delaware and is now a graduate student for the Bucs.  He currently leads them in scoring at over 15 ppg
• Jadyn Parker (ETSU) – Another key transfer for Brooks Savage.  Parker spent three season at North Florida
• PJay Smith, Jr. (Furman) – Smith played two years at Division II Lee (TN) University where he was the Freshman of the Year, then 2^nd team All-Gulf South Conference as a sophomore.  He’s currently averaging almost 11 ppg for the Paladins
• Robby Carmody (Mercer) – The Notre Dame transfer has been solid for the Bears.  He’s finally healthy and provides a ton of leadership to Greg Gary’s group
• Rylan Jones (Samford) – After two years at the University of Utah and then two at Utah State, Jones is a graduate student at Samford.  He leads the Bulldogs in assists
• Dallas Graziani (Samford) – Listed at 5’8” and 140 pounds, Graziani is simply a winner.  In two seasons at Nova Southeastern (FL) University, he was 67-1!
• Garrett Hicks (Samford) – A four-year starter at Alabama A&M, Hicks scored more that 1,300 career points before moving to Samford this season
• Dillon Bailey (Wofford) – Like PJay Smith, Bailey is a transfer from a DII school, Northeastern State University in Oklahoma.  He has started every game for the Terriers while scoring over 13 per game
• Chase Cormier (Wofford) – The Northeastern University transfer has been a top reserve for the Terriers.  He is shooting almost 55% from the floor and is perfect from the free throw line (14-14)

 

5. Young Guns

 
Even though transfers have become a way of life in college basketball, Southern Conference coaches have continued to do a nice job recruiting the high school ranks.  Even though we’ve just started league play, there are several first-year players making an impact:
 

• Myles Che (Chattanooga) – Che is skilled guard who is shooting 66% on shots taken inside the three-point line
• Noah Melson (Chattanooga) – Like teammate Che, Melson has played in every game.  A big guard, he has a high ceiling if he will simply continue to work
• Keynan Davis (The Citadel) – The 6’5” guard has played in every game for the Bulldogs while averaging over 20 minutes per game
• Maki Johnson (ETSU) – The first official Buc to sign with Brooks Savage, he’s played in every game. Primarily a three-point threat, he has a bright future
• Cooper Bowser (Furman) – Bowser may have the highest potential of any freshman.  At 6’11”, he’s shooting 75% from the field.  He just needs to get time to get stronger and learn the pace of the college game
• Jake Davis (Mercer) – Davis is a big guard who can really shoot it.  The Bears are 6-1 since he was inserted into the starting lineup
• Anthony Benard (Mercer) – The freshman from Michigan has been solid for the Bears.  He’s a high IQ point guard that makes the right play
• Riley Allenspach (Samford) – The 6’11” forward/center leads all Bulldog freshmen in scoring
• Josh Holloway (Samford) – A guard, Holloway has a bright future at Samford
• Lukas Walls (Samford) – Walls is a very good all-around player
• Koree Cotton (VMI) – Cotton is second in scoring for the Keydets at over 12 ppg
• Tyran Cook (VMI) – The 6’2” guard from Wisconsin is shooting 37% from 3 while averaging 12.3 ppg
• Stephen Olowoniyi (VMI) – The 6’8” forward is shooting 56% from the field while averaging 6.1 rpg
• Jeremy Lorenz (Wofford) – Along with Jake Davis, Lorenz may be the best shooter in the freshman class
• Quentin Meza (Wofford) – A crafty point guard, Meza has provided a spark off the bench for Dwight Perry and the Terriers

 
Here’s hoping that the good, young talent in the league will stick around and keep the Southern Conference one of the top mid-major leagues in the country.
 

6. The SoCon Ladder

 
The non-conference portion of the schedule is complete, and we are into conference play. That said, it’s hard to say a team is in the” top-half or bottom-half” of the league as it’s way too early and we just don’t have clarity yet.  Also, injuries have played a part in several teams’ lineups.
 
With limited league games, we have simply placed teams in their current standings:
 

• Samford – Riding a 13-game winning streak, the Bulldogs are a confident yet hungry group.  “Bucky-ball” is alive and well in Birmingham!
• Western Carolina – The Catamounts are for real.  They’ve won seven straight and hold wins over Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and Big South favorite UNC Asheville.  Vonterius Woolbright, who leads this team, has 12 double-doubles in 15 games!
• UNCG - The Spartans are disciplined, especially at the defensive end. The Langley brothers are talented fifth-year guards, Mikeal Brown-Jones is playing at an All-conference level and Donovan Atwell puts pressure on opposing defenses. If Jalen Breath continues to show improvement, it only makes things more difficult for teams. This is a very good team
• Chattanooga – The Mocs are looking more and more like a unit that will be right there at the end.  They have the size, length and offensive ability to have a chance every night out
• ETSU – The Bucs have some good wins and are only going to get better
• Mercer – One month into the season, things didn’t look that good for the Bears, but never underestimate a Greg Gary-coached team.  Mercer turned things around in early December and now look like a solid team having won six of seven
• Wofford - This team has talent as well as solid coaching, therefore they will be a factor in the league race
• The Citadel - The Bulldogs have some experienced talent and are very well coached. Unfortunately, the schedule is tough as seven of the next 10 leagues games are away from McAlister Field House
• Furman – It’s been tough sledding with all the injuries.  That said, this is a rock-solid program and once they have everyone healthy, look out!
• VMI - Andrew Wilson has probably done as good of a job as anyone in the league under tough circumstances.  The Keydets need to take care of home where they’re tough to beat

 
The next Dean’s List will be released January 24, 2024.  Follow me on X:  @DeanKeener1