First Day of Conference Play Produces a Variety of Results.
From blowouts in Lexington, VA to a close ballgame on Tobacco Road, the first Saturday of SoCon basketball had just about everything a fan of the league could ask for.
I was in Lexington to cover Furman-VMI, and I got a chance to listen to Wofford and UNCG on the way back. Two games with very different results, but four teams that have talent. VMI is a young basketball team, but the pieces are there for this team to be a factor in years to come from what I saw.
Meanwhile, the battle in Greensboro saw the Terriers, fresh off a win over then-No.5 Nortth Carolina 10 days ago, end in heartbreak. Despite 21 first-half points from Fletcher Magee and a 14-point halftime edge (47-33), as Magee was on fire, connecting on 7-of-11 shots from the field, including 6-for-8 from three-point range to help the Terriers to the double-digit halftime lead. Magee was part of a first half that saw the Terriers shoot 60.4% from the field and a blistering 61.5% from three to go into the halftime locker room with a comfortable double-digit lead.
However, in the second half, Spartan all-conference guard and sharp-shooter from Malaga, Spain--Francis Alonso--would come to life. Alonso would score 18 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, while Magee did not score, as the Spartans out-scored the Terriers 38-20 in the second stanza to get a huge Southern Conference win.
Meanwhile, I have posted my recap of the events in Lexington, VA today. I will get the rest of the recaps caught up tomorrow, along with a short preview of that East Tennessee State at Mercer clash, which should be an absolute dandy of a game.
Meanwhile, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Sophomore guard Jordan Lyons led a balanced offensive effort for the Paladins, leading Furman with 17 points, including nailing five triples, helping Furman open Southern Conference play with a resounding 87-57 win over VMI Saturday afternoon at Cameron Hall.
Furman’s 16 three-pointers are tied for the third-most in school history. The Paladins went 16-for-31 from downtown for the afternoon.
With the win, Furman improves to 10-4 overall and 1-0 in SoCon play, while VMI falls to 5-7 overall and 0-1 in the league. The Paladins led by as many as 36 points on three occasions in the second half.
VMI got out of the gates fast in the opening 10 minutes of the game, taking as much as a nine-point lead (15-6), however, Furman responded with a 35-3 run, including scoring 29 unanswered, to take command for the remainder of the half, leading 41-18 at the break.
That run came despite leading scorer and preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year Devin Sibley being held to just one point in the opening half of play.
In the second half, the Paladins would extend the lead to as much as 36 points for the first of three times in the contest, taking a 60-24 with 14:15 remaining following Clay Mounce follow-dunk off a Sibley missed layup. Point guard John Davis III left the game early in the second half with an apparent sprained ankle. Davis finished 18 minutes of game action with 15 points, two assists and two steals.
Furman’s Daniel Fowler finished the contest with 12 points and hit a milestone moment for his career, crossing the 1,000-point plateau for his career. He now has 1,001 career points. The Paladins claimed huge advantages in points off turnovers (29-12) and points in the paint (30-12). Furman finished the day shooting 50.8% after connecting on just 26.7% from the field in the opening 10 minutes of play.
Junior forward Matt Rafferty added eight points and nine rebounds to complete what was a never solid performance.
Furman’s experience and veteran leadership showed through in the win Saturday, despite having a 10-day layoff due to the Christmas break, which can sometimes provide headaches and some nervousness for some teams going into conference play, especially on the road. After Furman missed 11 of its first 12 shots, it appeared that rust might be costly.
“No we weren’t nervous, but you know just coming off the break that as a team you’re going to have to adjust to and you got to figure out what buttons you have to push during the game and we knew you know not necessarily that we were going to come out flat, but we were going to have to get the rust off early and our ball movement wasn’t where it needed to be early and our defensive intensity was not where it needed to be early, but once we got those two things corrected, we saw some good things start to develop for us,” said Furman head coach Bob Richey.
The Furman effort was also noticeable on the defensive end of the floor, holding VMI to just 31.6% (18-of-57) shooting from the field for the game.
Furman will return to the court next Thursday when it will host The Citadel (5-8, 0-1), while VMI returns to action Thursday, traveling to Wofford (8-5, 0-1).
Western Carolina got 19 points off the bench from freshman guard Desmond Johnson, as Western Carolina went on the road in Southern Conference play and came up with a big 81-79 win over The Citadel.
Johnson also had a strong effort on the defensive end as well, posting eight steals. Johnson finished hitting 8-of-13 shots from the field. Forwards Mike Amius and Ashley Williams completed the double-figure scorers with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Forward Marc Gosselin just missed a double-double, with nine points and 11 boards.
It was a strange game in many ways, with both teams building double digit leads in each half. The Bulldogs would be the first to run out to a large lead in the opening half of play, taking a 35-19 advantage with a little over seven minutes to play in the opening frame, thanks to one of eight made first half triples.
In the second half, the Catamounts took a double-digit lead, at 68-55, with 9:17 remaining following an Onno Steger trey. Despite a Citadel rally, which saw the Bulldogs cut Western's lead to just two (78-76) with just 1:17 remaining following a Zane Najdawi layup, the Catamounts were able to squeak out the 81-79 win following a pair of made foul shots from Marcus Thomas and one from Johnson and a key block by Gosselin on Tariq Simmons with four seconds remaining.
Simmons led the Bulldogs with 16 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field, including 2-for-7 from the field. He was one of four Citadel Bulldogs in double figures in the loss.
The Bulldogs return to Southern Conference action Thursday night, traveling to rival Furman (10-4, 1-0 SoCon), while the Catamounts will be in the Scenic City to face Chattanooga (6-8, 0-1). Both tip times are set for 7:30 p.m.
In the Saturday evening's nightcap, Chattanooga traveled just down the road to take on Samford in what was an intriguing matchup. Without Wyatt Walker, Samford still remains one of the league's real unknowns, as does Chattanooga, who sports one of the youngest team's in college basketball.
The Bulldogs used a career-high 28 points from Alabama transfer guard Justin Coleman to take a 73-56 win at the Pete Hanna Center.
Coleman scored 26 of his 28 points in the paint, and his quickness and penetration caused plenty of problems Mocs interior defense. He finished connecting on 12-of-16 shots from the field.
Eric Adams, who chipped in 11 points off the bench for the Bulldogs, helped Samford post a substantial 21-3 scoring advantage in bench points.
The Mocs were led by Rodney Chatman's 15 points, as he connected on 5-of-9 shots from three-point range. Samford's defense was outstanding all night, holding the Mocs to just 35% shooting for the game, including limiting the Mocs to just 32% from three-point range.
The Bulldogs return to action Thursday night hosting defending SoCon champion East Tennessee State (10-4, 1-0 SoCon) at the Pete Hanna Center. The Bulldogs were knocked out of the SoCon semifinals by the Bucs last season, as ETSU took an 81-72 win over the Bulldogs last season to advance into the SoCon title game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qe-xotw190
Chattanooga also returns to the hardwood Thursday night to host Western Carolina (5-8, 1-0 SoCon) at McKenzie Arena.
Mercer Set To Host East Tennessee State in a Key Southern Conference Battle Sunday
Mercer (7-6) and East Tennessee State (9-4) square of in what is maybe the most mouth watering matchup of the opening weekend of Southern Conference basketball, as the two will square off at 2 p.m. in a New Year's Eve clash at Hawkins Arena.
The Bucs are the reigning Southern Conference regular-season and tournament champions, while Mercer is the preseason Southern Conference favorite, according to the league's head coaches. Last March, it was ETSU that ended Mercer and Bob Hoffman's season, defeating the Bears 73-66 in the Southern Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
Sunday's New Year's Eve clash between the Bears and Bucs at Hawkins Arena will mark the 28th all-time clash between the two, with the Bucs holding the commanding 19-8 series edge. The two were old Atlantic Sun rivals before both joining the Southern Conference as league members prior to the 2014-15 season.
Who To Watch:
Keep an eye on the guard matchups this afternoon, as the Bears and Bucs have two of the best backcourts in the Southern Conference entering the clash.
The Bears have one of the most dynamic scorers in mid-major college basketball, in Ria'n Holland (21.9 PPG). Holland ranks second in the Southern Conference in scoring behind only Wofford's Fletcher Magee (24.1 PPG).
Holland has been lethal shooting the ball from the perimeter this season for the Bears, connecting on a blistering 59.4% (38-of-64) from three-point range this season, which leads the SoCon and ranks nationally.
Holland will be surrounded by some talented starters in the backcourt this afternoon, with the likes of veterans Jordan Strawberry (9.4 PPG, team-leading 57 assists) and Demetre Rivers (10.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG) rounding out the starters in the backcourt. Sharp-shooter Ethan Stair (8.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG) could be a factor off the bench in the backcourt for Hoffman's Bears.
Steve Forbes ETSU club counters with an impressive backcourt of its own, although there's no T.J. Cromer leaading the way this season. It's been Desonta Bradford (14.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG) leading a balanced backcourt effort for the Bucs this season. Bradford is the straw that stirs the drink for the Bucs. Bo Hodges (8.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG) could create matchup problems for the Bears with his versatility in the backcourt, while another reserve, Devonatavius Payne (9.8 PPG), is averaging on the verge of double figures coming off the bench this season for Forbes' Bucs.
Bradford, the lone starter to return off last season's 27-win club for the Bucs, teams with talented Texas Soutthern transfer Jalan McCloud (11.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.7 APG) and Jermaine Long (3.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG). McCloud, Bradford and Long comprise an experienced backcourt, as all three seniors have tasted what it's like to play in the NCAA Tournament, with McCloud being a part of that Texas Southern team under Mike Davis to make the Big Dance last season.
But while the backcourts for both teams are strong, this is a game that might be decided underneath the basket. The Bears have veterans like Desmond Ringer (6.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG), Stephon Jelks (10.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG) and even Cory Kilby (4.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG) off the bench to rely on. Jelks is once again have an all-conference season for the Bears after seeing his numbers take a bit of a swoon last season. So far in 2017-18, Jelks ranks third in the SoCon in field goal percentage (58.5%), third in three-point field goal percentage (52.8%) and fourth in rebounding (7.3 RPG).
ETSU counters with the ultimate rim-protector Peter Jurkin (8.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG) and ultra athletic David Burrell (6.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG), Jurkin recorded a career-high five blocks in a narrow loss to No. 10 Xavier a couple of weeks ago. Jurkin ranks second in the SoCon in blocks this season, averaging 1.3 swats-per-game.
Who Wins: Mercer 72, ETSU 70 (Prediction and Preview Obviously made earlier this morning)
What I learned about the result below: That the reigning champs are still pretty good, and the most impressive thing about this year's Bucs team is the way on the defensive end of the floor. I think the Bucs are one of the most improved teams in the SoCon defensively, and are better than the Bucs team from a defensive standpoint than the one that won 27 games and went to the NCAA Tournament last season.
Final Score: ETSU 74, Mercer 55
East Tennessee State Blisters the Nets Sunday in Road Win Over Mercer
Reigning Southern Conference champion East Tennessee State shot the ball at 56.9% clip for the game, while limiting the league's top shooting club from the field--Mercer--to just 39.2% from the field, claiming a 74-55 win over the Bears in Southern Conference action Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Arena.
The win was ETSU's eighth in its last nine games, and it was also its seventh-straight win over Mercer. The Bucs went 4-0 against Bob Hoffman and the Mercer Bears during the calendar year.
Texas Southern transfer Jalan McCloud was simply unstoppable for the Bucs all afternoon, as he finished with a game-high 22 points in the win. Despite having struggled from the perimeter during the season coming into the contest, McCloud seemingly couldn't be stopped on Saturday, as he connected on 4-of-6 from three-point land in the contest. He was joined in double figures by senior backcourt mate Desonta Bradford, who added 12 points, as did Bo Hodges off the bench.
ETSU broke open a close game in the second half. Leading 49-44 with 12:31 remaining, ETSU limited Mercer to just one field goal over the next nine minutes, eventually growing their lead to 13 points (63-50) with 4:39 left. Over that final 4:39 of the game, the Bucs would close out the win with another mini 11-5 run to produce the 19-point margin of victory.
Mercer, the preseason pick to win the Southern Conference by the league's coaches, were led by center Desmond Ringer's double-double, as he posted 10 points and 12 boards in the losing effort.
Furman’s Daniel Fowler finished the contest with 12 points and hit a milestone moment for his career, crossing the 1,000-point plateau for his career. He now has 1,001 career points. The Paladins claimed huge advantages in points off turnovers (29-12) and points in the paint (30-12). Furman finished the day shooting 50.8% after connecting on just 26.7% from the field in the opening 10 minutes of play.
Junior forward Matt Rafferty added eight points and nine rebounds to complete what was a never solid performance.
Furman’s experience and veteran leadership showed through in the win Saturday, despite having a 10-day layoff due to the Christmas break, which can sometimes provide headaches and some nervousness for some teams going into conference play, especially on the road. After Furman missed 11 of its first 12 shots, it appeared that rust might be costly.
“No we weren’t nervous, but you know just coming off the break that as a team you’re going to have to adjust to and you got to figure out what buttons you have to push during the game and we knew you know not necessarily that we were going to come out flat, but we were going to have to get the rust off early and our ball movement wasn’t where it needed to be early and our defensive intensity was not where it needed to be early, but once we got those two things corrected, we saw some good things start to develop for us,” said Furman head coach Bob Richey.
The Furman effort was also noticeable on the defensive end of the floor, holding VMI to just 31.6% (18-of-57) shooting from the field for the game.
The Paladins are now 26-11 in Southern Conference play since the start of the 2015-16 season. Bubba Parham led all scorers in the contest with 21 points.
“They have a variety of different players, different players affect the game in different ways for them, and they’re a veteran group and have been playing together for a little while and they make shots,” said VMI head coach Dan Earl.
“They have a variety of different players, different players affect the game in different ways for them, and they’re a veteran group and have been playing together for a little while and they make shots,” said VMI head coach Dan Earl.
Furman will return to the court next Thursday when it will host The Citadel (5-8, 0-1), while VMI returns to action Thursday, traveling to Wofford (8-5, 0-1).
Western Carolina got 19 points off the bench from freshman guard Desmond Johnson, as Western Carolina went on the road in Southern Conference play and came up with a big 81-79 win over The Citadel.
Johnson also had a strong effort on the defensive end as well, posting eight steals. Johnson finished hitting 8-of-13 shots from the field. Forwards Mike Amius and Ashley Williams completed the double-figure scorers with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Forward Marc Gosselin just missed a double-double, with nine points and 11 boards.
It was a strange game in many ways, with both teams building double digit leads in each half. The Bulldogs would be the first to run out to a large lead in the opening half of play, taking a 35-19 advantage with a little over seven minutes to play in the opening frame, thanks to one of eight made first half triples.
In the second half, the Catamounts took a double-digit lead, at 68-55, with 9:17 remaining following an Onno Steger trey. Despite a Citadel rally, which saw the Bulldogs cut Western's lead to just two (78-76) with just 1:17 remaining following a Zane Najdawi layup, the Catamounts were able to squeak out the 81-79 win following a pair of made foul shots from Marcus Thomas and one from Johnson and a key block by Gosselin on Tariq Simmons with four seconds remaining.
Simmons led the Bulldogs with 16 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field, including 2-for-7 from the field. He was one of four Citadel Bulldogs in double figures in the loss.
The Bulldogs return to Southern Conference action Thursday night, traveling to rival Furman (10-4, 1-0 SoCon), while the Catamounts will be in the Scenic City to face Chattanooga (6-8, 0-1). Both tip times are set for 7:30 p.m.
In the Saturday evening's nightcap, Chattanooga traveled just down the road to take on Samford in what was an intriguing matchup. Without Wyatt Walker, Samford still remains one of the league's real unknowns, as does Chattanooga, who sports one of the youngest team's in college basketball.
The Bulldogs used a career-high 28 points from Alabama transfer guard Justin Coleman to take a 73-56 win at the Pete Hanna Center.
Coleman scored 26 of his 28 points in the paint, and his quickness and penetration caused plenty of problems Mocs interior defense. He finished connecting on 12-of-16 shots from the field.
Eric Adams, who chipped in 11 points off the bench for the Bulldogs, helped Samford post a substantial 21-3 scoring advantage in bench points.
The Mocs were led by Rodney Chatman's 15 points, as he connected on 5-of-9 shots from three-point range. Samford's defense was outstanding all night, holding the Mocs to just 35% shooting for the game, including limiting the Mocs to just 32% from three-point range.
The Bulldogs return to action Thursday night hosting defending SoCon champion East Tennessee State (10-4, 1-0 SoCon) at the Pete Hanna Center. The Bulldogs were knocked out of the SoCon semifinals by the Bucs last season, as ETSU took an 81-72 win over the Bulldogs last season to advance into the SoCon title game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qe-xotw190
Chattanooga also returns to the hardwood Thursday night to host Western Carolina (5-8, 1-0 SoCon) at McKenzie Arena.
Mercer Set To Host East Tennessee State in a Key Southern Conference Battle Sunday
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| Mercer and ETSU set to renew rivalry/photo courtesy of Mercer athletics |
The Bucs are the reigning Southern Conference regular-season and tournament champions, while Mercer is the preseason Southern Conference favorite, according to the league's head coaches. Last March, it was ETSU that ended Mercer and Bob Hoffman's season, defeating the Bears 73-66 in the Southern Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
Sunday's New Year's Eve clash between the Bears and Bucs at Hawkins Arena will mark the 28th all-time clash between the two, with the Bucs holding the commanding 19-8 series edge. The two were old Atlantic Sun rivals before both joining the Southern Conference as league members prior to the 2014-15 season.
Who To Watch:
Keep an eye on the guard matchups this afternoon, as the Bears and Bucs have two of the best backcourts in the Southern Conference entering the clash.
The Bears have one of the most dynamic scorers in mid-major college basketball, in Ria'n Holland (21.9 PPG). Holland ranks second in the Southern Conference in scoring behind only Wofford's Fletcher Magee (24.1 PPG).
Holland has been lethal shooting the ball from the perimeter this season for the Bears, connecting on a blistering 59.4% (38-of-64) from three-point range this season, which leads the SoCon and ranks nationally.
Holland will be surrounded by some talented starters in the backcourt this afternoon, with the likes of veterans Jordan Strawberry (9.4 PPG, team-leading 57 assists) and Demetre Rivers (10.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG) rounding out the starters in the backcourt. Sharp-shooter Ethan Stair (8.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG) could be a factor off the bench in the backcourt for Hoffman's Bears.
Steve Forbes ETSU club counters with an impressive backcourt of its own, although there's no T.J. Cromer leaading the way this season. It's been Desonta Bradford (14.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG) leading a balanced backcourt effort for the Bucs this season. Bradford is the straw that stirs the drink for the Bucs. Bo Hodges (8.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG) could create matchup problems for the Bears with his versatility in the backcourt, while another reserve, Devonatavius Payne (9.8 PPG), is averaging on the verge of double figures coming off the bench this season for Forbes' Bucs.
Bradford, the lone starter to return off last season's 27-win club for the Bucs, teams with talented Texas Soutthern transfer Jalan McCloud (11.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.7 APG) and Jermaine Long (3.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG). McCloud, Bradford and Long comprise an experienced backcourt, as all three seniors have tasted what it's like to play in the NCAA Tournament, with McCloud being a part of that Texas Southern team under Mike Davis to make the Big Dance last season.
But while the backcourts for both teams are strong, this is a game that might be decided underneath the basket. The Bears have veterans like Desmond Ringer (6.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG), Stephon Jelks (10.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG) and even Cory Kilby (4.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG) off the bench to rely on. Jelks is once again have an all-conference season for the Bears after seeing his numbers take a bit of a swoon last season. So far in 2017-18, Jelks ranks third in the SoCon in field goal percentage (58.5%), third in three-point field goal percentage (52.8%) and fourth in rebounding (7.3 RPG).
ETSU counters with the ultimate rim-protector Peter Jurkin (8.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG) and ultra athletic David Burrell (6.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG), Jurkin recorded a career-high five blocks in a narrow loss to No. 10 Xavier a couple of weeks ago. Jurkin ranks second in the SoCon in blocks this season, averaging 1.3 swats-per-game.
Who Wins: Mercer 72, ETSU 70 (Prediction and Preview Obviously made earlier this morning)
What I learned about the result below: That the reigning champs are still pretty good, and the most impressive thing about this year's Bucs team is the way on the defensive end of the floor. I think the Bucs are one of the most improved teams in the SoCon defensively, and are better than the Bucs team from a defensive standpoint than the one that won 27 games and went to the NCAA Tournament last season.
Final Score: ETSU 74, Mercer 55
East Tennessee State Blisters the Nets Sunday in Road Win Over Mercer
Reigning Southern Conference champion East Tennessee State shot the ball at 56.9% clip for the game, while limiting the league's top shooting club from the field--Mercer--to just 39.2% from the field, claiming a 74-55 win over the Bears in Southern Conference action Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Arena.
The win was ETSU's eighth in its last nine games, and it was also its seventh-straight win over Mercer. The Bucs went 4-0 against Bob Hoffman and the Mercer Bears during the calendar year.
Texas Southern transfer Jalan McCloud was simply unstoppable for the Bucs all afternoon, as he finished with a game-high 22 points in the win. Despite having struggled from the perimeter during the season coming into the contest, McCloud seemingly couldn't be stopped on Saturday, as he connected on 4-of-6 from three-point land in the contest. He was joined in double figures by senior backcourt mate Desonta Bradford, who added 12 points, as did Bo Hodges off the bench.
ETSU broke open a close game in the second half. Leading 49-44 with 12:31 remaining, ETSU limited Mercer to just one field goal over the next nine minutes, eventually growing their lead to 13 points (63-50) with 4:39 left. Over that final 4:39 of the game, the Bucs would close out the win with another mini 11-5 run to produce the 19-point margin of victory.
Mercer, the preseason pick to win the Southern Conference by the league's coaches, were led by center Desmond Ringer's double-double, as he posted 10 points and 12 boards in the losing effort.
Players of the Weekend
Francis Alonso--26 pts for UNCG
Justin Coleman--career-high 28 points vs. Chattanooga
Jordan Lyons--team-leading 17 points for Furman in 30--pt win over VMI
Bubba Parham--game-high 21 points for VMI in loss to Furman
Desmond Johnson--team-high 19 points off the bench to lead Western Carolina to a big 81-79 road win at The Citadel.
Jalan McCloud--game-high 22 points in 19-point win at Mercer.
Power Rankings (After first weekend of conference play):
1. UNCG (10-4, 1-0 SoCon)
2. Furman (10-4, 1-0 SoCon)
3. ETSU (10-4, 1-0 SoCon)
T-3 Wofford (9-5, 0-1 SoCon)
5. Mercer (7-7, 0-1 SoCon)
6. Western Carolina (5-8, 1-0 SoCon)
7. Samford (5-9, 1-0 SoCon)
8. Chattanooga (6-8, 0-1 SoCon)
9. VMI (5-7, 0-1 SoCon)
10. The Citadel (4-9, 0-1 SoCon)
Coming up next week:
--Previews/Recaps and power rankings
--Special feature on VMI's youth and in particular, the emergence of Bubba Parham
And...EVERYONE HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!
Francis Alonso--26 pts for UNCG
Justin Coleman--career-high 28 points vs. Chattanooga
Jordan Lyons--team-leading 17 points for Furman in 30--pt win over VMI
Bubba Parham--game-high 21 points for VMI in loss to Furman
Desmond Johnson--team-high 19 points off the bench to lead Western Carolina to a big 81-79 road win at The Citadel.
Jalan McCloud--game-high 22 points in 19-point win at Mercer.
Power Rankings (After first weekend of conference play):
1. UNCG (10-4, 1-0 SoCon)
2. Furman (10-4, 1-0 SoCon)
3. ETSU (10-4, 1-0 SoCon)
T-3 Wofford (9-5, 0-1 SoCon)
5. Mercer (7-7, 0-1 SoCon)
6. Western Carolina (5-8, 1-0 SoCon)
7. Samford (5-9, 1-0 SoCon)
8. Chattanooga (6-8, 0-1 SoCon)
9. VMI (5-7, 0-1 SoCon)
10. The Citadel (4-9, 0-1 SoCon)
Coming up next week:
--Previews/Recaps and power rankings
--Special feature on VMI's youth and in particular, the emergence of Bubba Parham
And...EVERYONE HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!
