Wednesday night's Southern Conference slate brings about more intriguing matchups in the Southern Conference, as we progress towards the middle of the league slate.
So far, East Tennessee State has come out of the gate strong, defending its Southern Conference regular-season and tournament titles by all seven of its SoCon games. The Bucs will be in the friendly confines of Freedom Hall Wednesday night to host Mercer in a key Southern Conference tilt.
The Bucs and Bears already met once this season, and it was then that the Bucs started to raise eyebrows around the league, handing Mercer--the coaches preseason pick to win the SoCon--a 74-55 setback at Hawkins Arena. It will be the renewal of an old Atlantic Sun rivalry, as the shoot for eight-in-row against Bob Hoffman's bunch. The Bucs will enter the matchup winners of 10-straight games and are off to a 16-4 start overall.
Should the Bucs get past the midweek challenge of the Mercer, Wofford awaits on the weekend at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium--a place that the Terriers have lost only once this season--but first things first for the Bucs and Terriers, and it starts Wednesday night with a pair potentially dangerous trap games. Wofford currently is tied for second place in the SoCon standings, having posted a 14-5 record overall and 5-1 in league action.
The Terriers will be on the road at Cameron Hall, where they will face off against Dan Earl's VMI club, who has been playing well of late. The Terriers and Keydets faced each other on the second weekend of league play, with Wofford routing the Keydets 92-53 at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.
Earl's young club has been tough at home for the most part this season, and has been playing some good basketball of late, having knocked off The Citadel and former coach Duggar Baucom, 88-81, this past Saturday. It was VMI's first league win of the season. Wofford has nine-straight games in the series between the two.
In what is maybe the biggest matchup Monday night, Furman travels to UNC Greensboro in a matchup between two of the three regular-season Southern Conference champions from last season. The Paladins, who enter the league clash with a 14-6 overall record and a 5-2 Southern Conference mark, snapped a two-game league losing streak with a 78-67 win over Samford Saturday afternoon in the friendly confines of Timmons Arena.
The Spartans have been especially tough at the Greensboro Coliseum, entering the matchup with the Paladins having posted an 8-1 mark on the home hardwood this season, including handing Wofford its lone league loss of the season, which saw the Spartans triumph 71-67 back on Dec. 30. The teams split the two matchups last season, with Furman claiming a 73-67 win at the Greensboro Coliseum, while UNCG crushed Furman, 73-52, at Timmons in Arena the last matchup between the two late last February.
Rounding out the four matchups slated for Monday is the contest between Samford and Chattanooga. Both teams enter in desperate need of a win. The first meeting between the two this season saw Samford capture a 73-57 win at the Pete Hanna Center.
Samford is coming off a 78-67 loss at Furman, and are currently 7-12 overall and 3-4 in the Southern Conference. Chattanooga, which is coming off a narrow 71-67 loss at Wofford Saturday night, remains in search of its first Southern Conference win, and the Mocs are 6-14 overall and 0-7 in SoCon play.
Previews:
Furman (14-6, 5-2 SoCon) at UNC Greensboro (14-5, 5-1 SoCon)
Furman and UNC Greensboro face off in what is one of two big games on Wednesday evening in the Southern Conference.
The Paladins should return the services of Devin Sibley (15.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG) Wednesday night after he left the game against East Tennessee State midway through the second half with a dislocated pinkie finger. Sibley was the 2017 Southern Conference Player of the Year and is predicted to follow suit this season.
The senior from Knoxville, Tenn. has eight 20-point games this season, which ranks second to only Wofford's Fletcher Magee in terms of 20-point games this season. Magee has recorded 13 twenty-point games this season.
Sibley will be a tough matchup assignment for the Spartans, but expect Marvin Smith, Jr. () to draw the assignment of trying to check Sibley on Wednesday night. Smith is UNCG's top defensive performer on a team, along with East Tennessee State, that has proven itself to be one of the top defensive teams in the SoCon this season. Impressively, the Spartans rank sixth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 61.8 PPG.
Smith enjoyed his best game of the season against Western Carolina, scoring a career-high 24 points in a recent road win at Western Carolina.
The Paladins will feature a four-guard backcourt. Teaming with Sibley will be Andrew Brown (7.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG), Daniel Fowler (11.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG) and John Davis III (11.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG). The trio stepped up big in the absence of Sibley in the win over Samford, as did freshman guard and Raleigh, N.C. native Alex Hunter (3.1 PPG, 1.6 RPG), who posted nine points on 3-for-3 shooting from the field, while hitting a three-pointer. He also dished out a pair of assists in the win over the Bulldogs.
Meanwhile, Brown, Fowler and Davis III combined for 42 of the Paladins' 78 points, as the trio did an excellent job in the absence of Sibley last Saturday.
In the backcourt, the Spartans will feature two talented performers, in Francis Alonso (17.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG) and Demetrius Troy (6.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG). Troy, a junior, is coming off a 12-point effort in a 70-66 overtime win over Mercer last time out. He scored five of the Spartans' 15 overtime points to help lead the Spartans to the gut-wrenching win.
Alonso, a native of Malaga, Spain, is one of the SoCon's top perimeter shooters. He is currently connecting on 44.1% of his long range efforts this season, and he ranks third in the SoCon in three-pointers made this season, having canned 67 of them. He also ranks second in the conference in free throw percentage, knocking down 86.9% of his charity shots.
Furman's starting five is rounded out by do-everything forward Matt Rafferty (11.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG). Rafferty, a 6-7 junior forward, missed most of last season with a back injury, but the Hinsdale, IL., native has come back in a big way this season. Coming into Wednesday's contest, Rafferty ranks second in the SoCon in both steals (35) and rebounding average (7.8 RPG), while also ranking 10th in the league in assists-per-game (3.1 APG) and 20th in scoring average (11.6 PPG). He has been the model of consistency so far this season for the Paladins.
Along with Smith, the Spartans counter with a pair of talented performers in the front court that have talents that off-set each other. James Dickey (8.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG), a sophomore forward, is currently one of the top rim-protectors in the SoCon, leading the league in blocks and rebounding. He averages 2.1 blocks-per-game, while topping the league averaging 8.3 rebounds-per-game. Dickey is one of the premier front court athletes in the SoCon.
Gronigen, Holland native Jordy Kuiper (6.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG) rounds out the starting five for the Spartans, and the 6-9 senior forward/center is unique in the fact that he has connected on 20-of-64 from beyond the arc this season. Like his predecessor R.J. White, who went 4-of-5 from three-point range three years ago in a big win over the Paladins at the Greensboro Coliseum, the Paladins will have to respect Kuiper's shooting range.
Off the bench, keep an eye on high-flyer Isaiah Miller (7.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG) for the Spartans, while Furman's Jordan Lyons (8.2 PPG, 1.4 RPG) has been playing extremely well of late. Both are from the Peach State, with Miller having starred at Stephen Croone's former stomping grounds at Newton High School in Covington, GA, while Lyons left school as the all-time leading scorer at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City, GA.
Final Score Prediction: Furman 66, UNCG 64
Mercer (10-10, 3-4 SoCon) at East Tennessee State (16-4, 7-0 SoCon)
So far, no one has had an answer for Steve Forbes' East Tennessee State squad. The Bucs are stout on the defensive end of the floor, as they have shown through the first seven Southern Conference games. The Bucs have won 10-straight coming into Wednesday night's home game at Freedom Hall, including a 66-50 win over Western Carolina this past Saturday.
Through seven SoCon games, six of ETSU's seven opponents have not eclipsed better than 39% shooting from the field against ETSU's stout defense, with only Samford, who shot 46.4% from the field in an 18-point home loss, being able to lay claim to being able to somewhat find some success against the ETSU stingy defense.
The Bucs have a talented backcourt that features a senior-laden, talented triple-threat in the backcourt, which includes Desonta Bradford (14.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG), Jalan McCloud (11.7 PPG, 3.9 APG) and defensive specialist Jermaine Long (2.0 PPG, 1.3 RPG). Bradford has been the do-everything player for the Bucs this season, leading the team in points, rebounds and steals so far this season. Bradford scored the game-winning points on a floater in the lane with 4.5 seconds remaining in a huge, 62-61, Southern Conference road win at Furman last Thursday.
McCloud will certainly be remembered by Mercer, as he posted a game-high 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, including 4-for-6 from three-point land, in a 19-point road win over Mercer. Prior to that contest, McCloud had hit only three three-pointers the whole season.
Long may not score like Bradford and McCloud, but his presence as a defender, thanks in large part to his athleticism, are vital assets for Forbes' Bucs, and are a big reason why ETSU has won 10-straight and remain unbeaten in the league.
Mercer counters with an experienced backcourt of its own, featuring one of the league's top scorers, in Ria'n Holland (19.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG), as well as Jordan Strawberry (8.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG), who is another senior veteran that has been a leader for this Mercer team.
In the 74-55 loss back on Dec. 31, Holland and Strawberry were ineffective, held to just a combined 17 points, with Holland getting 12 and Strawberry contributing just five. Holland had been averaging 23.0 PPG coming into the previous meeting between the two on New Year's Eve.
ETSU's starting five will be completed by seven-foot center Peter Jurkin (8.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG) and 6-6 forward David Burrell (7.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG). Jurkin, like Dickey from UNCG, has been a tremendous rim-protector this season and one of the best in the league. The formerly highly-recruited player at Indiana currently ranks third in the SoCon in blocks, having swatted away 26 shots on the season.
Burrell might be one of the best athletes in the SoCon, and he's been known to catch an alley-oop or two on a run-out this season for the Bucs. Burrell has developed his all-around game, however, and has a decent-good mid-range game, as well as being a threat to be accounted for from beyond the arc. He is also solid on the defensive end of the floor.
Mercer counters with three more seniors under the hoop, with Desmond Ringer (8.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG), Demetre Rivers (10.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG) and Stephon Jelks (10.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG) completing the starting five for Hoffman's Bears. Ringer recently tied a career-high with 22 points in a three-point loss at Furman, while Jelks is coming off an 11-point, 11-rebound effort in a loss at UNC Greensboro. Jelks leads the lead with six double-doubles so far this season, and has recorded four of those double-doubles in league play. Rivers might be the most athletic player on Mercer's roster, and is the Bears' second-leading scorer. He had a season-high 24 points in an 80-79 loss at Alabama.
The top players off the bench for both teams are Bo Hodges (8.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG) for ETSU, while freshman point guard Marcus Cohen (4.8 PPG, 1.1 RPG) has been impressive off the pine for Mercer. Cohen produced a career-best 14 points in the loss at Furman a couple of weeks back. Watch for Devontavius Payne (9.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG) as well off the bench for the Bucs, who can be a streaky, but effective shooter from the perimeter.
Final Score Prediction: ETSU 77, Mercer 70
Wofford (14-5, 5-1 SoCon) at VMI (6-12, 1-6 SoCon)
Wofford will be on the road in Lexington, VA to do battle with the VMI Keydets in a game that could be a huge trap game ahead of this weekend's big SoCon clash with East Tennessee State.
In fact, the only team hotter than the Terriers in the Southern Conference right now is ETSU. The Terriers enter winners of six-straight games. The Terriers' latest win came on Saturday, with a 71-67 survival at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium against Chattanooga. VMI enters off its first league win of the season, taking down arch-rival, The Citadel, 88-81, at Cameron Hall Saturday afternoon.
The Terriers and Keydets will be meeting for the 18th time on the college basketball hardwood, with the Terriers having a commanding 12-5 lead in the all-time series between the two. The Terriers are 4-4 in Lexington all-time, and have won nine-straight in the series.
In the first meeting between the two this season, the Terriers routed VMI 92-53 back on Jan. 4 in Spartanburg. The Terriers got a game-high 25 points from Fletcher Magee (22.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG), as he posted one of his league-leading 13 twenty-point games this season. Magee was joined in double figures by Trevor Stumpe's 17 points, while senior forward Cameron Jackson (12.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG) posted 14 points in the win.
Magee has continued to be on pace to be a record-breaking campaign for three-point field goals made, breaking former Southern Conference and Davidson standout Stephen Curry's record of 162 triples made in a single season back during the 2008-09 campaign.
Magee currently ranks second nationally in three-pointers made so far this season, having connected on 88 triples so far this season. Magee isn't the only player in the backcourt that can be a threat from long range, with the likes of Trevor Stumpe (11.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG), Storm Murphy (5.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG) and Nathan Hoover (9.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG) off the bench. While Hoover provides a perimeter threat off the bench, Derrick Brooks (3.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG) gives the Terriers a nice defensive presence in the starting five, and might be head coach Mike Young's top on-the-ball defender.
Both Hoover and Magee have combined to connect on 124 triples so far this season, and the duo is one of the top three-point shooting tandems in the country. Underneath the basket, keep an eye on Jackson, who is having an outstanding season and continues to rank highly in several categories in the league, including ranking first in field goal percentage (60.5%), first in steals (37/2.2 SPG), second in blocks (25 blocks/1.5 BPG) and fifth in rebounding (6.5 RPG).
Off the bench, 6-11 junior Matthew Pegram (6.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG) has had a solid season as an offensive contributor, with several noteworthy performances for the Terriers, including a 12-point performance in the opening game of the season against South Carolina.
VMI has a very young basketball team, however, the Keydets continue to improve as the season progresses under third-year head coach Dan Earl. The Keydets have gotten strong backcourt play out of the likes of junior Austin Vereen (10.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG) and true freshman Bubba Parham (14.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.3 APG). Parham could make a serious run at Freshman of the Year in the SoCon this season, with his 14.6 PPG leading the Keydets in scoring this season, and currently ranks fifth overall in the league in scoring.
Parham is coming off a career-high 24 points in VMI's 88-81 win over The Citadel Saturday at Cameron Hall, and had 11 points against the Terriers in the first meeting between the two this season.
Vereen has been a reliable veteran for the Keydets this season, entering the contest as VMI's second-leading scorer at 10.6 PPG. Vereen led the Keydets with 14 points in the first meeting between the Terriers and Keydets earlier this season, and had a season-high 22 points in a win over Charleston Southern earlier in the campaign. Keith Smith (8.5 PPG, 3.9 APG) and Garrett Gilkerson (4.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG) will round out the starters in the backcourt for VMI Wednesday night. Smith has registered double-figure scoring efforts in two of the past three games, posting 18 points in a loss to Western Carolina last week, while scoring 17 points in a loss to Mercer.
Underneath the basket, the Keydets will continue to look to Tyler Creammer (7.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG) for their primary scoring production, while Fred Iruafemi (1.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG) has been a nice rim protector on the defensive end off the bench for VMI. Iruafemi comes into Thursday night's clash with the Terriers ranking fifth in the SoCon in blocks (1.3 BPG).
With one more win this season, the Keydets will eclipse their win total of six victories a year ago.
Final Score Prediction: Wofford 87, VMI 79
Power Rankings:
1. ETSU
2. Wofford
T-2 UNC Greensboro
4. Furman
5. Mercer
6. Western Carolina
7. Samford
8. VMI
9. The Citadel
10. Chattanooga
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