Western Carolina set to Name Mark Prosser the 18th Head Coach In School History Later This Afternoon

For the first time in 13 years, Western Carolina will be announcing a new head coach of its men’s basketball program at a press conference slated for 1 p.m. at the Liston B. Ramsey Center. Director of Athletics Randy Eaton is expected to name Mark Prosser the 18th head coach of Western Carolina men’s basketball at that news conference this afternoon.

Former head coach Larry Hunter stepped down a day after Western Carolina’s Southern Conference quarterfinal round loss to Furman. The ledgendary head coach led the Catamounts to a 12-19 overall record in his final season and the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament after an 8-10 conference mark.

During his 13 seasons at the helm, Hunter helped the Catamounts to two tournament championship appearances, two non-conference postseason tournament appearances, and a pair of Southern Conference divisional titles in 2008-09 and 2009-10. His best team was the 2009-10 team.

The 2009-10 team finished 22-12. In an 88-71 victory over Samford in early February, he garnered his 700th win as a college basketball coach, and when he stepped down, had 702 wins.

Prosser, son of the late legendary head coach Skip Prosser, who spent time piling up wins at Xavier and Wake Forest in his career, is set to take the reins of the Catamounts after spending the past six seasons at Winthrop as the associate head basketball coach.

Prosser is no stranger to the Southern Conference, having spent time at Wofford under Mike Young in two different stints. In 2002-03, Prosser served his first stint under Mike Young before spending the next five years in a successful stint at Bucknell. The 2002-03 season was Young’s first at the helm of Wofford, and the Terriers were just starting to build their brand in the Southern Conference.

At Bucknell, Prosser helped lead the Bison to some historic success, including a 2004-05 Patriot League championship and one of the NCAA Tournament’s most memorable upsets, shocking No. 3 seed Kansas, 64-63. A year later, he was part of a staff that went 14-0 in Partiot League play, and earned as high as a No. 24 ranking in the Associated Press poll and garnered a No. 5 seed in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

The Bison opened the 2006 NCAA Tournament with a 59-55 win over No. 8 seeded Arkansas before bowing out of the Big Dance with a 72-56 setback to top-seeded Memphis. The Bison finished the 2005-06 season with a 27-5 record. Prosser served under the mentorship of Pat Flannery during his time with the Bison.

In 2008, Prosser’s career would come full circle, as he returned to Wofford, where he would once again serve under Young, helping the Terriers to some of its most memorable successes as a college basketball program.

The Terriers would claim their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance a year after Prosser’s return, as Wofford went 26-9 and won its first of what would be consecutive Southern Conference Tournament titles.

After four seasons at Wofford and having helped the progtam to a school-record 26 wins in 2009-10 and an inaugural NCAA Tournament appearance as a Division I member, Prosser moved on to the head coaching ranks for the first time in his career, taking the reins of Brevard College for the 2011-12 season. In his one season at Brevard, the Tornadoes struggled to a 5-23 overall record and just a 4-14 record in the South Atlantic Conference.

Following just one season at Brevard, Prosser decided to return to the Division I ranks, joining Pat Kelsey’s staff at Winthrop, where he was the associate head coach. Kelsey was a former assistant under Skip Prosser at Xavier.

After becoming Kelsey’s right-hand man on Sept. 1, 2013, Prosser helped the Eagles to a regular-season title in 2015-16, and a regular-season and tournament title in 2016-17. The Eagles finished the 2017-18 season with a 19-14 record and a third place, 12-6 mark in the Big South Conference.

Prosser became the second former Wofford assistant coach under Mike Young to graduate to the Division I head coaching ranks, joining Presbyterian’s Dustin Kerns, who will be entering his second season as the head coach of the Blue Hose in 2018-19.

SoCon Season Recap (Part 2 of 3)

Clay Mounce sees early playing time for Furman, as the
Paladins dominate VMI in the SoCon opener.

In this part of the recap, I will be taking a look back at some of the bigger moments that defined the regular-season in conference play.

The SoCon currently ranks 17th in the overall RPI rankings for the 33 conferences in NCAA Division I college basketball, meaning it was another good year for the league as whole.

Pre-season Rankings and Expectations

Coming into the 2017-18 season in the Southern Conference, the three usual suspects were projected to be favorites. East Tennessee State, Furman and UNC Greensboro all found themselves inside the top four of both the coaches and media the preseason rankings coming into the campaign.

There was at least one mild surprise atop the coaches poll, with Mercer being selected to win the regular-season crown, while Furman was the media's pick to win the regular-season crown. Samford was predicted to finish second in both the media and coaches polls after winning 20 games and garnering a first-round CIT win in 2016-17, and returning all five starters. ETSU and UNCG were selected fourth and fifth, respectively, in the coaches poll, while the media tabbed UNCG and ETSU third and fourth, respectively. Listed below are the two entire polls heading into the 2017-18 season, as well as the preseason all-conference team and player of the year.

2017-18 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total

1. Furman (8) 197

2. Samford (4) 184

3. UNCG (4) 183

4. ETSU (4) 178

5. Wofford (2) 165

6. Mercer (2) 154

7. Chattanooga 97

8. The Citadel 70

9. Western Carolina 66

10. VMI 26

2017-18 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total

1. Mercer (4) 71

2. Samford (3) 70

3. Furman (1) 65

4. ETSU (2) 64

5. UNCG 52

6. Wofford 43

7. The Citadel 27

Chattanooga 27

9. Western Carolina 22

10. VMI 9

2017-18 Preseason Player of the Year

Devin Sibley, Sr., G, Furman

2017-18 Preseason All-Southern Conference Team

Preston Parks, So., G, The Citadel

Desonta Bradford, Sr., G, ETSU

Daniel Fowler, Sr., G, Furman

Devin Sibley, Sr., G, Furman

Ria’n Holland, Sr., G, Mercer

Francis Alonso, Jr., G, UNCG

Demetrius Denzel-Dyson, Sr., F, Samford

Wyatt Walker, Jr., C, Samford

Cameron Jackson, Jr., F, Wofford

Fletcher Magee, Jr., G, Wofford


Conference Play Highlights:

A couple of games helped further define the pictture for the proceedings in conference play, with Wofford and UNCG dueling in quite a game at the Greensboro Coliseum in late December, while Furman and ETSU did battle at Timmons Arena in early January.

In the game between the Spartans and Terriers, it was performances by two outstanding, first-team all-conference guards that summed up the night in both halves.

In the opening half of the game, Wofford's Fletcher Magee would seemingly be in control, with one scoring big in the first half, while the other saved his scoring efforts for the second.

It was Fletcher Magee who got the job done for the Terrers in the opening half of play, as he scored 21 first-half points and the Terriers shot it at a 60.7% clip from the field, taking a 47-33 lead into the halftime locker room after finishing the half on a 19-4 run.

However, Magee did not score in the second half, and the Terriers were held to just 27.7% shooting from the field in the second stanza, as UNCG overcame the 14-point halftime deficit to get a 71-67 win at Greensboro Coliseum, winning a crucial SoCon opener. While the first half belonged to Wofford's Magee, the second would belong to UNCG's talented Spanish guard Francis Alonso, who scored 18 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, as the Spartans out-scored the Terriers, 38-20, in the second half alone.

That win would help catapult UNCG onwards towards an eventual regular-season and tournament title.However, 12 days later and after a 2-0 start in Southern Conference play, the Spartans traveled to East Tennessee State where they would suffer one of their three regular-season losses to the Bucs.

In a battle between the league's two best defensive teams, it would be ETSU that would come away with the 68-58 win. It was a rematch of the 2017 Southern Conference Tournament title game, which also saw the Bucs prevail by a 79-74 score.

The Bucs trailed by five points with 16 minutes left in the contest, but turned up the pressure on the defensive end of the floor from that point, and urged on by a raucous crowd of 5,038 fans inside of Freedom Hall, the Bucs were able to out-score the Spartans 33-19 the rest of the way and pick up an important 10-point home win.

ETSU would be led in the contest by Texas Southern transfer Jalan McCloud, who posted 15 points, while Belgrade, Serbia native Mladen Armus would enjoy a coming out party of sorts, posting 13 points and six boards off the bench, as he proved to be a big asset off the bench for the Bucs.

Furman, meanwhile, got off to a 4-0 start in Southern Conference play, with wins over VMI, The Citadel, Mercer and Chattanooga to post its best start in league play since 1986-87. Furman's closest call off those opening four league games came on Jan. 6 against Mercer, as the Paladins had to come from behind to garner a 74-71 win.

Furman closed the game on a 24-12 run, with Daniel Fowler scoring 11 of his team-high 21 points during the stretch, to earn a 74-71 win over the Bears.

Trailing 59-50 with 8:43 remaining, the Paladins embarked on an 11-0 run to take control of the game, starting with a Matt Rafferty layup to cut the Mercer lead to seven. Following a Stephon Jelks turnover the next time down the floor, Rafferty was fouled and calmly went to the stripe to hit two foul shots and cut the Bears’ lead to 59-54 with just under eight minutes remaining.

Furman senior point guard John Davis III recorded one of Furman’s 10 steals on Mercer’s ensuing possession, which led to a Devin Sibley layup.Demetre Rivers missed a layup for the Bears on the next possession, and Fowler hit a three shortly thereafter to tie the game with 6:18 remaining. He hit a pair of free throws less than a minute later to put the Paladins ahead.

Wofford's new Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium is immaculate Furman then made its first trip to Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium for another huge Southern Conference clash.

It would be a big matchup for the two Upstate rivals, with Wofford coming into the contest with a matchup between one Upstate team that was off to a 4-0 start in league play, while the other was out to a 2-1 start.

The unblemished Paladins would tsste the first of their SoCon defeats in Spartanburg, as the Terriers, dropping a 79-70 decision.

Furman held a 62-57 lead following a layup by Matt Rafferty with 7:48 remaining. The Terriers would would score 14 unanswered points to take a 71-62 lead following a Fletcher Magee layup. It marked the 13th win in the past 15 meetings with Furman for the Terriers, including the seventh-straight win over the Paladins in Spartanburg.

Devin Sibley answered with a three for Furman to briefly stop the bleeding and cut the Furman deficit to six points, at 71-65, however, the Terriers came back down the floor and knocked down a three-pointer courtesy of sophomore guard Nathan Hoover to extend the Wofford lead back to nine, 74-65, with 2:51 to play.

The see-saw affair continued, as the Paladins came down the floor and answered with another three, with Andrew Brown knocking down a long-range shot, to take the Paladin deficit back to six, at 74-68, with 2:30 remaining in the contest.

After Furman forced a Wofford turnover, the Paladins would get within four win senior guard Daniel Fowler drove to the basket and was fouled. He went to the line for a pair of free throws, converting both charity shots to make it a 74-70 Paladin deficit with 1:50 remaining.

Wofford would score the final five points of the game, however, all of which came off free throws, as the Terriers converted 5-of-6 from the line down the stretch to preserve the win.

The Paladins would then have to around the following Thursday and host red-hot East Tennessee State at Timmons Arena. The Bucs came to Greenville sporting an eight-game winning streak and sat atop the Southern Conference standings with a 5-0 league mark. What would ensue would be one of the top league games of the 2018 Southern Conference season.

Furman found itself down by as many as 12 points (41-29) with 17:47 to play in the game, however, the Paladins would chip away at the ETSU lead the rest of the way. Furman took its first lead since holding a 22-21 lead in the first half, when Daniel Fowler's jumper gave the Paladins a 57-56 lead with 4:56 remaining.

From that point, the game was as advertised between the two SoCon heavyweights, with both teams making big plays and big shots down the stretch. A pair of Jalan McCloud free throws helped the Bucs regain the lead, at 58-57, with 4:40 left, and after both teams went scoreless over the next 1:45 of game action, Furman junior forward Matt Rafferty knocked down a jumper in the lane to help the Paladins regain a one-point, 59-58, lead with 2:55 left.

Following a turnover by Fowler, ETSU's Bo Hodges took a pass from David Burrell and converted a layup, giving the Bucs a 60-59 lead with just over a minute left.

Devin Sibley goes up for a layup against ETSU

ETSU would turn the ball over and then Rafferty picked up a foul on the Paladins' next possession, but Hodges followed on ETSU's possession missing a three-pointer.

Rafferty rebounded the basketball, and his long outlet pass to Andrew Brown was good enough for Brown to convert a layup on the run-out following a goal-tending call against ETSU, giving the Paladins a 61-60 lead with 20 seconds remaining.

That would set the stage for ETSU star guard Desonta Bradford, and following an ETSU timeout, the Bucs put the ball in the hands of their do-everything guard, and the Humboldt, TN., native didn't disappoint, as his floating one-handed jump-shot in the lane hit nothing but net with 4.5 seconds left to help ETSU regain the lead, at 62-61.

Instead of taking a timeout, the Paladins in-bounded the ball quickly and got the ball down the floor on the left wing to Fowler, however, his desperation three-pointer was off the mark as the buzzer sounded, allowing ETSU to pick up its first win in Greenville against Furman on the college basketball hardwood since 2004.

Leading the way for the Bucs in the contest were Bradford and McCloud in the defensive battle, as the backcourt duo scored 12 points apiece. In addition to his game-winning shot, Bradford added two blocks, two assists and a pair of rebounds in the win.

Furman, which saw leading scorer Devin Sibley leave the game midway through the second half with a dislocated finger, were led by four in double figures, with Matt Rafferty leading the way with 13 points, eight boards, two assists, two steals and a block. Daniel Fowler added 12 points and eight boards, while guards John Davis III and Sibley contributed 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Chattanooga, who struggled out of the gates in SoCon play, would travel to Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium two nights later to meet Wofford, and gave the Terriers all they wanted before dropping a a narrow 71-67 decision to Wofford.

The Terriers were able to pick up their sixth-straight win behind the strong play of Fletcher Magee and Nathan Hoover, who posted 26 and 16 points, respectively, to help Wofford overcome a big night from Chattanooga's Makinde London, who finished with 20 points.

While Wofford polished off its sixth-straight win, the Mocs struggles continued, as first-year head coach Lamont Paris' club suffered their eighth-straight loss, including their seventh-straight SoCon loss to open SoCon play. For the tradition-rich Mocs, it was one of their worst starts to a league season since joining the conference in 1977-78.

One of the best games of the opening month and for the Southern Conference season for that matter, was the first meeting between Chattanoonga and UNC Greensboro in the Scenic City.

The Mocs and Spartans would play a double-overtime classic, with the Mocs coming up with an 87-85 double-overtime win at McKenzie Arena, picking up its second SoCon season and scoring one of the bigger upsets of the SoCon regular-season.

Chattanooga producesd one of the upsets of conference play with its double-overtime
win over UNCG

The Mocs got another standout performance by guard Nat Dixon, who finished with a game and career-high 30 points, marking his fifth game of 20 or more points this season. Dixon was joined in double figures by backcourt mate and sophomore Rodney Chatman, who finished with 22 points and just missed a double-double, recording nine rebounds.

Mocs forward/center Joshua Phillips did, in fact, post his first-career double-double, as he came off the bench to post 10 points and 12 boards, while the Spartans placed three in double figures with Francis Alonso finishing with a team-high 20 points and athletic freshman guard came off the bench to chip in 17 points for the UNCG. Kyrin Galloway also added 14 points off the pine for the Spartans.

The Mocs had to claw their way back from an 11-point deficit in the second half to make things interesting. Chattanooga trailed 49-38 with 14:51 remaining in the contest, however, used a 24-7 run over the next 13 minutes and change to take a six-point, 62-56, lead with 1:39 left following a pair of Chatman free throws.

The Spartans, however, scored seven on the next eight points in regulation, as the game entered its first of two extra sessions tied, 63-63. It looked as though the Spartans might win their eighth out of nine conference games, as the Spartans took a, 75-68, lead with after a pair of Demetrius Troy foul shots made it a 75-68 game with just 34 seconds left.

However, Dixon quickly converted a layup with 26 ticks remaining on the clock to cut the Mocs' deficit to five (75-70). The Mocs quickly fouled Marvin Smith immediately thereafter, and he went to the line missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and after Chatman got the board, he was fouled with 18 seconds remaining. He made both foul shots to cut the Mocs deficit to three (75-72).

The ball was then inbounded to UNCG's Alonso, who was quickly double-teamed, and Chatman stole the basketball and he launched a long-range effort that banked in off the window, and was fouled to tie the game, 75-75.It remained that way after he missed the opportunity for the four-point play and one-point lead for the Mocs by missing the foul shot, sending the game into a second overtime.

Following the buzzer-beating effort that sent the game to the extra session by Chatman, neither team could gain much separation from the other, and the game tied, 85-85, would be tied by Miller's jumper with 50 seconds remaining, setting the stage for the dramatic finish in second conference win for the Mocs. Chattanooga turned the ball over on its next possession, but UNCG's Garrett Collins missed a three, and the Mocs forward Makinde London got the board and passed the ball to Chatman.

Chatman then drove to the hole and was fouled by Alonso, who was called for a blocking foul after attempting to take a charge. Alonso became the fourth of five starters for the Spartans to foul out of the contest, but more importantly for Chattanooga, Chatman stepped to the line with 4.3 seconds remaining and stroked home both foul shots to give the Mocs the 87-85 lead. The Spartans got a chance to tie, but Miller's shot in the lane was off the mark, bouncing out as time expired, and the Mocs held on for the dramatic two-point win in what was a classic Southern Conference contest.

One of the keys to the win for the Mocs was their performance from the line, sinking 25-of-30 charity shots (83.3%), while the Spartans shot a season-worst 23.7% (9-for-38) from three-point range after sinking 16-of-21 from long-range in a road win over Samford just 48 hours earlier.

ETSU would close out the month of January unbeaten in league play, however, the close to the month wouldn't come easy for Steve Forbes' Bucs, who had to travel to the Low Country of South Carolina to face Duggar Baucom's upstart Citadel team to close the month. The Bucs would escape with a 73-71 win from McAlister Field House, however, Baucom's club would gain a measure of confidence from the home loss, which would prove to serve them well in the final month of league play.

The win by the Bucs would allow them to finish out the first month of 2018 and first month of Southern Conference play with a perfect 9-0 mark. ETSU entered February with an unbeaten streak of 13-straight games, but things would certainly get tougher from here for Forbes' club, as the Bucs fought to make history by eclipsing the 2003-04 team for consecutive wins with the mark to reach being 17-straight wins.

The Bucs would tie that 2003-04 club, which featured the likes of Travis Strong, Zakee Wadood, Jerald Fields and Tim Smith, by knocking off Samford (96-76), Chattanooga (81-61) and VMI (70-56) before traveling to face UNCG in a rematch between two of the top teams in the league. With a chance to reach 17-straight, the Bucs came up short, with a 74-56 road loss to the Spartans, and from this point, the dynamic of the league race started to change.

The win by Wes Miller's Spartans seemed to re-charge UNCG, as it looked to chase down the Bucs for the regular-season title and the No. 1 overall seed for the upcoming Southern Conference Tournament. Meanwhile, it seemed to have the opposite effect on ETSU.

UNC Greensboro blocked a school-record 14 shots en route to ending the nation's longest winning streak at 16 games, as the Spartans posted a 74-56 win over East Tennessee State in Southern Conference basketball action Monday night at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The Spartans put on another defensive exhibition, as the nation's eighth-ranked scoring defense held the Bucs to a season lows for points (56), field goal percentage (30.3%), while also blocking a school-record 14 shots. Sophomore center James Dickey came into the game as the SoCon's leading shot blocker with 46 on the season, and on Monday night, he showed why, blocking a single-game school-record with eight blocks in the win.

Dickey's eight blocks against the Spartans surpassed the previous record of seven swats set by former Southern Conference and Spartan great Kyle Hines. Hines blocked seven shots in a game five times in his standout career, which spanned from 2004-08. In addition to his eight blocks, Dickey also added eight points and seven rebounds to his overall stat line.

The Spartans had three players finish with double-figure scoring efforts, with Francis Alonso leading the way with 20 points . Alonso finished the night connecting on 6-of-13 shots from the field, including 3-for-7 from three-point land and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe. In addition to his point production, Alonso also posted two steals, two rebounds and an assist in the win.

The Spartans looked like they might break the game wide open in the opening half of play, using a 10-2 run to race out to a 23-11 lead after an Alonso layup with 10:33 remaining in the opening frame. However, the Bucs would eventually close to within two by the halftime break, at 33-31, after Jalan McCloud connected on a three as time expired in the half, as the Bucs closed the half on a 20-8 run to close the gap.

In the second half, the Spartans didn't let that momentum established by the Bucs on the McCloud triple, as UNCG would stretch its lead back to seven following a 7-2 spurt to open up a 40-33 lead following an Alonso triple and a Kuiper layup off the glass with 17:38 remaining in the game.

After ETSU narrowed the UNCG lead to five, at 44-39, following a Devontavius Payne triple with 9:53 to play. However, the Spartans would score the next nine points of the game to open up a 14-point lead (53-39) after a Kuiper triple with 11:14 left. Over the final 11 minutes, the Spartans' lead would never dip below double digits, and the Spartans would extend their lead to as much as 20 points on a triple from Marvin Smith triple with 1:04 remaining, giving UNCG its largest lead of the game, at 74-54.

That Smith triple completed a 17-8 run down the stretch to put the game out of reach. ETSU's Desonta Bradford capped the game with two of his game-high 21 points on an angry, emphatic dunk to set the final margin. The win closed the gap in the Southern Conference standings to just 1.5 games between the two.

UNCG's strong start to the final month of the season, in which the Spartans would catch, and eventually overtake the Bucs for the regular-season title, didn't start with the win over the Bucs. In fact, five days prior to the home win over ETSU, the Spartans had traveled to another league juggernaut--Furman--and were able to come up with an 80-67 win to start their momentum towards regular-season and tournament titles.

The Spartans scored an 80-67 win over the Paladins on Feb. 7. The Paladins struggled to muster any offense the entire evening, but managed to shoot 50% from the field., however. allowed the Spartans to shoot 53.6% from the field in the contest. The Spartans jumped out to an 8-0 lead and led wire-to-wire en route to get to the win.

Marvin Smith, Jr. led five UNC Greensboro players in double figures, scoring a game-high 18 points, as the Spartans completed the season sweep over Furman, with an 80-67 Southern Conference win at Timmons Arena.

In the opening half of play, the Spartans got off to a fast start, running out to a quick 8-0 lead in the game and would eventually stretch that lead to as much as 14, at 21-7, with 12:08 left in the half following a Jordy Kuiper triple.

Furman, however, would storm back, mounting a 22-10 run to cut the Spartans' lead to 31-29 following a Matt Rafferty layup with 3:23 remaining in the half. UNCG would eventually end the half with a 36-31 lead following a banked in three from Kyrin Galloway and a layup from Francis Alonso. Furman's last two points of the half came from John Davis III layup, which was sandwiched in-between the Galloway triple and Alonso layup.

Just like the opening minutes of the game, UNCG started the second half fast, opening the second frame with a quick 5-0 run to quickly take the Spartan lead back to double-digits, at 41-31, following a Smith jumper with 17:59 remaining in the game, prompting Furman head coach Bob Richey to take a timeout.

Following the timeout, Furman mounted 9-2 run following the timeout to cut the Spartans' lead to three, at 43-40, after a Davis layup with 15:38 remaining. However, it would turn out to be as close as the Paladins would get the rest of the game, as the Spartans would stretch the lead back to double digits following a Demetrius Troy triple with 8:14 remaining, as it completed a mini 17-9 run following a UNCG timeout, making it a 60-49 Spartan lead.

The Citadel got wins over Furman, Wofford and at ETSU in
the final month of the regular-season

UNCG's lead would grow to as much as 19 with 3:16 to play, at 74-55, after a Kuiper dunk. Furman would never get within striking distance again, dropping its second straight conference game, and with the Paladins' fifth loss in league play, it eclipsed last season's total of four league losses.

After Furman dropped the early Februaury contest to UNCG, the Paladins would finish out the month going unblemished, winning their final six games of the month.

Along with UNCG, the story of the final month of the season were both Mercer and The Citadel.

The Bulldogs were simply sensational in the final month of the Southern Conference regular-season.

Following a heartbreaking loss to end the month of January to East Tennessee State, the Bulldogs started the month with a bang by scoring wins over the two Upstate members of the Southern Conference, in Wofford and Furman.

The Bulldogs started the month of February by knocking off Wofford, 80-78, at McAlister Field House in what was arguably their best win of the season to that point.

There was no time to celebrate, as 48 hours later Furman paid a visit to McAlister Field House well aware of just how well Duggar Baucom's club had been playing.The Citadel ended the game on an 30-13 run to force overtime, and out-scored Furman, 12-4, in the extra session to capture a 100-92 Southern Conference win Saturday afternoon at McAlister Field House.

The win by the Bulldogs, like the one had been against Wofford, proved to be yet another building block for Baucom's program.

The Citade1's junior big man Zane Najdawi was once again at his best for the Bulldogs, posting 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to the win. Last time out, Najdawi became one of only rwo players in Citadel history to post 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 100 blocks in a career. He was one of three Bulldog players in double figures, with Matt Frierson adding 21 points, while Kaelon Harris added 18.

The win for The Citadel had been especially rewarding considering the turmoil the Bulldogs had to deal with earlier in the season, with their best scorer and 2017 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, Preston Parks, deciding to leave the team and transfer out in mid-December.

Furman took a its largest lead of the afternoon, at 75-58, following a Devin Sibley three-pointer with 9:13 remaining in the game, and it looked as though the Paladins were going to coast to a second-straight road win and third-consecutive triumph, however, this is where things would get interesting inside the rowdy, and it started with a Harris triple to cut Furman’s lead to 16. Harris’ three would ignite what would be a wild finish to regulation.

Harris’ triple would commence a string of six-straight possessions in which the Bulldogs would post points, which included three triples during a stretch that saw the Bulldogs out-score the Paladins 14-2, cutting the Paladins’ lead to just five, at 77-72, following a Frankie Johnson layup with 5:17 remaining.

Furman would momentarily stop the bleeding when Geoff Beans canned a triple from the right wing, giving the Paladins an 80-72 lead with 4:15 remaining and then a Matt Rafferty layup two minutes later to extend Furman’s lead back to double-digits.

Following a missed layup by John Davis III with just under two minutes left, the Bulldogs responded with a Harris layup to cut the Paladins’ lead to eight. On the ensuing inbounds pass the ball would eventually reached Sibley, and he was immediately fouled. The senior from Knoxville, Tenn., missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and the ball was rebounded by The Citadel’s Frierson, and Harris converted a layup and was fouled by Lyons on the other end with 1:13 remaining, and Harris converted the three-point play the old-fashioned way, cutting the Furman lead to five, at 82-77.

Lyons was immediately fouled, and knocked down both foul shots to get Furman back to a three-possession lead, at 84-77, with 1:11 left.The CItadel responded on the ensuing possession with perhaps the biggest shot of the game, which game on a Harris triple from the left wing, bring the Bulldogs to within four with 59 seconds remaining.

The Bulldogs once again immediately fouled, and this time, it was one of the Paladins’ top foul shooters, in Daniel Fowler. Fowler converted both shots of the double-bonus situation, extending Furman’s lead back to six, at 86-80, with 53 seconds remaining. But The Citadel would match Furman’s two free throws with another triple, as Nadjawi knocked down a three-pointer, cutting the Furman lead in half, 86-83, as his three hit nothing but net with 42 seconds left.

After Davis was fouled just three seconds later, he converted a pair of foul shots to take Furman’s lead back to five, at 88-83. But the Bulldogs just kept coming, and a triple by Frierson cut Furman’s lead to just two, at 88-86, with just over half a minute remaining.

Sibley, who has been struggling from the charity stripe over the past five games, was intentionally fouled by the Bulldogs. He missed both double-bonus foul shots, keeping the difference at two with 33 seconds remaining. Following timeout by Citadel head coach Duggar Baucom, the Bulldogs would execute a play to Frankie Johnson, and he laid the ball up and in with 4.8 seconds left to tie the basketball game, 88-88.

Following a pair of timeouts by Furman head coach Bob Richey, the Paladins turned the ball over, as Fowler attempted to receive a pass from Davis on the far side of the court, but in doing so, tumbled over the first row of seats as time expired and that guaranteed an extra five minutes of basketball with the game tied, 88-88.

In the extra session, the Bulldogs raced to a quick five-point lead after a Johnson layup and three-straight free throws from Frierson after he was fouled on a three-point attempt. He converted all three foul shots to increase The Citadel’s lead to 93-88 with 2:55 left.

Two more Johnson foul shots extended The Citadel’s lead to seven, 95-88, before Furman finally scored its first points of the extra session nearly three minutes in, when Sibley converted a reverse layup with 2:07 left to make it 95-90. That would as close as the Paladins would get the rest of the way, as the Bulldogs hit five of its final six free throws down the stretch to hold off the Paladins and come up with the eight-point, 100-92, victory.

“Coach (Duggar) Baucom has this team playing really really well and with a lot of confidence and even tonight they didn’t flinch. We were up 17 points with 10 minutes to play and they kept fighting and I thought that they made a bunch of shots late and that’s what they do and that’s who they are,” said Furman head basketball coach Bob Richey.

The Bulldogs would not be finished making noise in the final month of the regular-season, as Mercer had to face its own turmoil--finishing the season without its top scorer, Ria'n Holland, who went out with a wrist injury at the end of January and was not able to return. However, the Bears were able to strong together eight-straight wins down the stretch heading into the Southern Conference Tournament.

The most memorable of those wins was a 77-74 win over eventual Southern Conference regular-season and tournament champion UNC Greensboro with just a couple of weeks remaining in the regular-season.

Senior guard Jordan Strawberry continued his strong play late in the season, and scored a season-high 27 points, as he helped Mercer claim its fifth-straight Southern Conference victory, with a, 77-74, win over UNC Greensboro Saturday afternoon at Hawkins Arena.

Strawberry, a native of Anaheim, CA., finished the afternoon by connecting on 8-of-14 shots from the field, and finished a perfect 11-for-11 from the charity stripe, helping power what was an impressive 24-of-29 (82.8%) from the free throw line in the contest for the Bears. Strawberry also dished out five assists and added three rebounds and a crucial block of UNCG's Isaiah Miller on a dunk attempt to change the complexion of the game for the Bears.

Strawberry was not alone in helping the Bears to the monster Southern Conference win over the Spartans, who would be the second seed in the Southern Conference Tournament if the proceedings in Asheville started tomorrow. Sophomore guard Ross Cummings, who has also stepped up big in the absence of injured leading scorer Ria'n Holland, as he posted 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, including 4-for-6 from three-point land and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe.

Mercer trailed 49-40 with a little under 14 minutes left before mounting an impressive comeback to post its most impressive Southern Conference win of the season. A 21-11 run over the next seven minutes saw the Bears take a 61-60 lead following a Cummings triple with 6:26 remaining. The Bears would never trail the rest of the afternoon, and won their first game over the Spartans since 2016, ending a four-game losing streak to the visitors.

The turning point of the game came with 7:17 remaining in the contest, as Miller stole the ball for the Spartans and appeared to be on his way for a highlight-reel slam dunk, however, Strawberry sprinted down the floor and got a clean block on the Miller dunk attempt, and then kept going on the other end to get a layup and a foul to eventually make it a five-point swing. The three-point play the old-fashioned way would get the Bears to within two, at 60-58, and then after a UNCG turnover on its next possession, the Bears would take the lead on a Cummings three, which of course, they would never relinquish.

In the opening half of play, Mercer jumped out to a 7-0 lead before the Spartans quickly made it 7-6. It looked as though the Bears might run away with it, using a 15-0 run to take a 25-9 on a Cummings jumper with 8:56 remaining in the opening half. A 21-6 run by the Spartans down the stretch in the opening half of play would eventually cut the Mercer lead to one, at 31-30, at the intermission.

Cummings and Strawberry, who combined for 50 of the Bears' 77 points, were joined in double figures by senior Demetre Rivers, who posted 11 points.

UNCG was led by talented junior All-SoCon guard Francis Alonso, who finished with 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field, including 4-for-10 from three-point land and was 2-for-2 from the line. James Dickey added 11 points and three blocks, while point guard Demetrius Troy completed the double-double effort, with 10 points and 10 boards in the losing effort.

The Bears would cap the eight-game winning streak with a thrilling, 69-68, win at Wofford to close out the regular-season and garner the No. 4 overall seed for the Southern Conference Tournament. A Jordan Strawberry layup off a backdoor play with four seconds remaining following a Mercer timeout, and subsequent miss by Fletcher Magee on a three-pointer as time expired allowed the Bears to escape Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium with the one-point win and all the momentum entering the Southern Conference Tournament.

Wofford also had a pair of major highlights during the final month of the season, with Fletcher Magee producing a SoCon season-high 45 points in a 74-64 road win over the Mocs. Then, the Terriers went on the road to Johnson City to hand ETSU, a 75-71, setback in the penultimate game for both teams in the SoCon regular-season.

It was part of what was a three-game losing streak to end conference play for the Bucs, beginnning with an 85-82 loss to The Citadel, which would be the pre-cursor to three-straight losses to teams from the Palmetto State by the Bucs and would end up resulting in a regular-season outright Southern Conference title for the UNCG Spartans. The Bucs went on to drop games to Wofford (L, 75-71) and Furman (L, 79-76) on their home floor to close out the regular-season.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of the season recap coming up later this week.  

SoCon Season Recap (Part 1 of 3)

UNCG captures its second-straight SoCon regular-season crown

Now that the Southern Conference season is over in hoops, it's time to take a look back at the season that was in the league, and for UNC Greensboro, the season will serve as a memorable moment for many years down the road.

For the most part, the 2018-19 season in the SoCon saw a distinct line of demarcation between the top five or six teams in the SoCon and the bottom half of the conference. The top five in the league had at least 19 wins on the season, while the bottom five posted no more than 11 victories on the campaign.

UNCG found its way back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2001 campaign, knocking off The Citadel (72-58), Wofford (56-55) and East Tennessee State (62-47) en route to the title. However, while UNCG's title run is worthy of note without question, there was a lot more to the 2018-19 season in the Southern Conference than just the regular-season and tournament title runs by the Spartans.

The Non-Conference:

Non-conference play in the SoCon in the 2018-19 season was among the most exciting in recent memory, with the league pulling off some monster non-conference wins. It started just before the commencement of conference play, and from Dec. 16-20, the league provided memories that will last for years to come for fans, media and players.

Francis Alonso and the UNCG captured just its third win in 62 tries over an ACC
foes with an 81-76 victory at NC State

It started with UNCG's 81-76 upset of North Carolina State on Saturday, Dec. 16. The win in Raleigh by the Spartans marked just the third ever over an ACC opponent for UNCG, and was the first-ever win by a UNCG team over NC State.

With 17 points from Francis Alonso, the Spartans were able to post one of the best performances of the season for the Southern Conference.

The win by the Spartans in Raleigh, as exciting as it was, would be only the start of the exitement for the league over the next 72-96 hours.

The Spartans turned in a what was a game-changing 41-12 run, spanning from the first half and into the second en route to handing the Wolfpack their first home loss of the season. The Spartans sizzled from the field all afternoon, connecting on 51.7% of their shots from the field, while limiting the Wolfpack to 50% from the field in getting the historic win. It would be a hint of things to come for the Spartans, who had already played a tough No. 8 Virginia team to within 12 points on the road to open the season. The Cavaliers would go on to make a historic regular-season run of their own in the ACC, capturing the regular-season crown with more than some room to spare.

Later that same afternoon, East Tennessee State traveled to No. 5 Xavier to face off against a team that would end up being an eventual No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. For much of the afternoon, it lookeed as though the Bucs might pull the first major upset of the season for the Bucs.

ETSU led by as many as 22 points with 14 minutes remaining in the contest, however, the Bucs saw the Musketeers make a torrid run down the stretch, out-scoring the Bucs 39-16 over the final 14 minutes of the game to capture the two-point win. A win would have helped the Bucs capture their regular-season win over a Top 10 opponent. Desonta Bradford would lead the Bucs with 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, but it wouldn't be enough, as Xavier posted the 68-66 win.

The good news for the Bucs would be that despite the loss, it would give the team a measure of confidence going forward, and the Bucs would commence to reel off a school-record tying 16-straight wins after the heartbreaking road loss.

Four days later, both Wofford and Furman would get their respective chances to take a power five program's scalp, with one of those Upstate programs able to do so, while the other came narrowly close to doing so.

Furman dropped a 66-61 decision at No. 20 Tennessee, but came close to making
it two wins over ranked opponents on the same night for the SoCon

Wofford was on the road to take on No. 5 North Carolina, while Furman was in Knoxville facing No. 20 Tennessee.

In Knoxville, the Paladins would stay close to the Vols the entire way before Tennessee eventually ended up holding on for a 66-61 win over the Paladins.

It was a good homecoming for Knoxville's own Devin Sibley, who posted 22 points in his return to his hometown. Sibley got into foul trouble midway through the second half, but he did enough to keep the Paladins in the game in the early moments of the second half, with the Paladins trailing 42-32 early in the second half.

But Sibley scored Furman's first 13 points of the second half, including nine-straight, to trim the deficit back to single digits, which it would remain the rest of the game. The Paladins took a 47-46 lead following a four-point play and consecutive free throws from senior Geoff Beans on two different possessions. The Paladins and Vols would be tied as late as with a minute to play, at 61-61, but the Vols scored the final five points of the game to close out the win.

Fletcher Magee scored 16 of his 27 points in the second half, as Wofford made
history with its 79-75 win at No. 5 North Carolina

Meanwhile, at the same time the Paladins were giving the Vols fits at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Wofford was doing the same against No. 5 North Carolina in Chapel Hill. With both games starting at 9 p.m., it was funny to see those in the media constantly checking their  smartphones in Knoxville, while also watching a potential upset of a power five team occuring right before them.

The Terriers would hold out the entire way, garnering their first-ever win over win over Top 25 foe since joining the Division ranks prior to the 1995-96 season, with a 79-75 win over the fifth-ranked team in college basketaball.  The win captured the imagination of the national media, as the Terriers showed up on all the major sports networks the following day, including ESPN and Fox Sports.

The win over the No. 5 Tar Heels was the highest ranked team the SoCon had defeated in the regular-season since the 2005-06 season, and the first ranked foe the SoCon had claimed since first win over a ranked team since Nov. 24, 2012, when the College of Charleston claimed a 63-59 win over No. 21 Baylor.

The win by the Terriers could also hang their hat on beating the defending national champions. In the win, the Terriers were led in scoring by Fletcher Magee's 27 points, while forward Cam Jackson added 18 points and nine boards in the victory. Magee scored 16 of his 27 points in the contest in the second half. The Terriers scored the final eight points of the opening half to take a 34-33 lead into the halftime locker room.

In the second half, the Terriers would never trail, leading by as much as 11 points following a Jackson dunk, and then extended that lead to to 14 points after a Nathan Hoover triple with 13:28 remaining in the game. That 14-point lead would be the largest of the night for Wofford.

The win helped the Terrriers snap a 22-game winning streak by the Tar Heels against non-conference opponents on their home floor, and marked the first loss by the Tar Heels to a non-conference opponent on their home floor since Dec. 3, 2014 against Iowa. Wofford became just the second team, and first since 1968, to defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. The only other program from the Palmetto State to accomplish the feat was South Carolina in 1968 at Carmichael Arena. The Terriers entered the contest against the Tar Heels as a 25-point underdog.

The win over North Carolina marked Wofford's second over an ACC opponent during non-conference play. The Terriers defeated ACC foe Georgia Tech 15 days earlier at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium,  with a 63-60 win over the Yellow Jackets, meaning the Terriers captured two of the three wins the SoCon captured against ACC foes in non-conference play.

It was a 36-point effort by Fletcher Magee that helped the Terriers pick up another historic win over the Yellow Jackets. Magee was the only Terrier in double figures in the win over  the Yellow Jackets.

Wofford opened its brand new arena against 2017 Final Four participant South Carolina

Wofford played one of the tougher non-conference slates of any in the Southern Conference this past season, with games at power five programs like California, Texas Tech, Norh Carolina, while hosting South Carolina and Georgia Tech at the brand-spanking new Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.

Wofford actually opened the season and christened its new arena by hosting 2017 Final Four participant South Carolina at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. I was fortunate enough to be on hand to cover the game, and the arena was as good as advertised. The Terriers dropped a 73-52 decision to South Carolina in the opener at their new arena, however, it's obvious that the Terriers got much better as the non-conference slate progressed. In all honesty, Wofford probably had the best non-conference win slate of the 10 SoCon teams, and in addition to the wins over Georgia Tech and North Carolina, the Terriers also had an impressive 63-62 win over the Tommy Amaker-led Harvard Crimson.

Stay tuned for part 2 of the season recap, as I take a look back at the conference season.

SoCon Hoops Season Officially Ends With Mercer's Loss at North Texas

Jordan Strawberry was one of five seniors to play his final game Monday night for the Bears

Mercer was the last team standing in the postseason for the Southern Conference in the college basketball postseason, and in the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Invitational, the Bears saw their season come to an end with a 96-67 loss to North Texas Monday night at the Super Pit.

With the win, North Texas evened its overall record to 17-17 and move on to the semifinals of the tournament, while Mercer concludes its season with a 19-15 overall record. With its 19 wins, it marks the sixth time in the past seven seasons that the Bears have concluded with 19 or more wins.

Mercer struggled shooting the basketball for much of the evening, connecting on just 36% from the field, while North Texas connected on 56% of its shots from the field for the game, and connected on 12 treys in the contest in getting the win.

The Mean Green were led in the contest by Roosevelt Smart, who posted his second-straight 30-point game, finishing with 31 points, and he wasn't the only Mean Green player to join the 30-point club on the evening, as Jordan Duffy tied him for game-high honors with 31 points of his own.

Smart connected on 8-of-20 shots from the field, including going 4-for-13 from three-point range, while the sophomore guard was near-flawless from the charity stripe, hitting 11-of-12 free throws. Smart completed his double-double effort by adding 11 boards.

Duffy on the other hand, connected on 11-of-16 shots from the field, including going 6-for-10 from long-range and was 3-for-4 from the stripe. He also dished out four assists. The only other North Texas player in double figures was Ryan Woolridge, who finished with 12 points.

Mercer was led by senior guard Jordan Strawberry who, playing in his final game for the Bears, led three Mercer players in double figures with 25 points. Strawberry connected on 9-of-18 shots from the field, including 2-for-6 from three-point range and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe.

Desmond Ringer contributed a double-double, posting 16 points and 11 boards in his final game for the Bears. Ross Cummings was the only other Mercer player in double figures, posting 11 points.

For Strawberry, Ringer, Ria'n Holland, Demetre Rivers and Stephon Jelks, it was their final game in a Mercer uniform.

The Bears could not overcome a hot shooting first half for the Mean Green, as North Tecas connected on 48.5% (16-of-33) and were seven-of-17 from three-point range in the opening half. After taking a 3-2 lead at the 18:23 mark of the first half and never trailed the remainder of the game. The Bears shot just 32.3% (10-of-31) in the opening half of play, and were just three-for-11 (27.3%) from long range in the opening frame.

The Mean Green led 47-31 at the break and started the second half as they ended the first, opening up a 61-36 lead prior to the first media timeout of the second half. Mercer would cut the lead to 14, after posting an 11-0 run to make it a 61-47 game, following a pair of Ringer free throws with 12:45 remaining. However, the Mean Green responded with an 8-0 run and the game was never really in question after that point.

Stay tuned to the blog for a complete season recap in the coming days. Listed below are the final standings and the final power rankings of the season.

FINAL STANDINGS: 
1. UNCG     27-8, 15-3 SoCon
2. ETSU      25-9, 14-4 SoCon
3. Furman    23-10, 13-5 SoCon
4. Mercer     19-15, 11-7 SoCon
5. Wofford   21-13, 11-7 SoCon
6. Western Carolina 13-19, 8-10 SoCon
7. Samford 10-22, 6-12 SoCon
8. The Citadel 11-21, 5-13 SoCon
9. VMI  9-21, 4-14 SoCon
10. Chattanooga 10-23, 3-15 SoCon

FINAL POWER RANKINGS: 
1. UNCG
2. ETSU
3. Furman
T-3. Wofford
5. Mercer
6. The Citadel
7. Samford
8. Western Carolina
9. Chattanooga
10. VMI

Mercer Set to Meet North Texas in CBI Quarterfinals Monday Night

Jordan Strawberry and Mercer travel to meet North Texas in the quarterfinals of the CBI this evening. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. at the Super Pit on the campus of North Texas

Mercer Set to Face North Texas in Second Round of CBI

Mercer was able to continue its 2018-19 season Wednesday night, with a 78-73 win at Grand Canyon and will now meet North Texas Monday night in the quarterfinal round of the College Basketball Invitational. North Texas posted a 90-77 win over South Dakota in its first-round matchup in the CBI.

The Bears enter Monday night’s clash with a 19-14 record this season, while the Mean Green have posted a 16-17 mark so far this season. Monday night’s game for the Mean Green will mark the first time North Texas has ever hosted a game in the college basketball postseason.

The Mean Green play as members of Conference USA, and have made three NCAA Tournament appearances in their history, with the last of those coming in 2010. Monday night’s meeting will mark the first-ever meeting between the two.

The Mean Green are under the direction of head coach Grant McCasland, who is in his first year as the head coach of North Texas. He helped lead the Mean Green to an 8-10 conference record this season, which was good enough for a seventh-place finish in the league standings.

McCasland is trying to lead North Texas to a winning season for the first time since the 2011-12 season, when the Mean Green finished the campaign with an 18-14 overall mark. The Mean Green’s highest RPI win so far this season came on the road in mid-December, posting an 86-83 win at No. 144 San Diego.

A win by the Bears Monday night would give the Southern Conference five team with 20 or more wins, which would be a Southern Conference record. Mercer finished in the top four of the Southern Conference regular-season standings, posting wins in their final eight games of the regular-season, finishing with an 11-7 record in conference play. The Bears come in having nine of their last 10 games, including a 78-73 road win in the opening round of the CBI against Grand Canyon.

All-time, Southern Conference teams are 6-8 in the CBI since College of Charleston made the inaugural appearance in the postseason tournament for the conference back in 2009. The Bears welcomed back leading scorer Ria’n Holland to the backcourt last time out against Grand Canyon, and the senior guard ended up as one of four Bears in double figures by posting 10 points.

Mercer is one of the veteran-most teams in the country, featuring three players that have scored 1,000 or more points in their respective careers. North Texas counters with a starting five that features two sophomores, two juniors and a freshman. After winning just eight games last season, a win Monday night would give the Mean Green a nine-game improvement, and would put North Texas at .500 for the season.

The Southern Conference is 1-2 against Conference USA this season, and the league’s participant in all three games this season was Chattanooga. The Mocs dropped decisions to Marshall (L, 70-66) and UAB (L,89-47), while the lone win came against Charlotte (W, 64-50). 

Mercer is making its eighth appearance in the college basketball postseason, and sixth under current veteran head coach Bob Hoffman. The Bears are 9-6 all-time in postseason games, including winning the 2012 CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

Who To Watch:

The Mean Green has proven time and time again that it can shoot the perimeter throughout Grant McCasland's first season as head coach, and their 14 triples against South Dakota last Wednesday night broke the school record for single-season three-pointers made, having now made 264 threes this season.

North Texas enters the matchup with a relatively young lineup, which as mentioned above, with a relatively young starting five, as the lineup does not feature a senior. Interestingly enough, last time out against South Dakota, two Mean Green players garnered their first-ever starts, as junior guards Jorden Duffy (6.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.9 APG) and Michael Miller (2.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG) made their debuts in the starting five. Both juniors are JUCO transfers, and Duffy scored a career-high 19 points in the win to go with seven boards. Duffy also finished going 3-for-6 from downtown. 

Miller also added a career-high 19 points in the win over South Dakota. His 19 points were more than the 18 he scored in his previous 10 games combined. Miller switched his shooting hand from left to right hand during the regular season, and it equaled a 19-point performance, including hitting four triples. 

Leading the way for the Mean Green entering Monday night’s clash with the Bears is sophomore guard Roosevelt Smart (19.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG). Smart comes into the game against the Bears having posted a 34-point performance in the win at South Dakota the last time out.His 34-point effort in the win last time out marked the fourth-highest scoring total for a player in CBI history. 

Smart will represent one of the best scoring guards and one of the most versatile guards the Bears have faced on the hardwood this season. In a game in early January against Rice this season, Smart became the 14th player in the history of North Texas hoops to cross the 40-point threshold, posting 42 points in an 85-78 win in Houston over the Owls. 

The fourth guard in the North Texas starting rotation also just happens to be the Mean Green's second-leading scorer, with Ryan Woolridge (13.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.6 APG). Woolridge is the Mean Green's playmaker on offense, having dished out nine assists in the CBI-opening win over South Dakota. 

The man in the low-post for the Mean Green Monday evening will be 6-9 freshman forward Zachary Simmons (5.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG). Simmons, who made his second-straight start against South Dakota, brought down 17 rebounds in the win at South Dakota. He has a 63.7% (79-of-124) field goal percentage this season, and has started 24-of-32 games for the Mean Green. 

The main player to keep an eye on coming off the bench for North Texas is 6-5 sophomore guard A.J. Lawson (9.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG), who has started 30-of-32 games this season, and has scored in double figures in four out of the past five games. 

The Bears counter with five senior veterans that look will look to carry the Bears one step closer to a second postseason tournament trophy since 2012. 

The Bears have experience and a talented backcourt, which will both present challenges to the Mean Green Monday night. Jordan Strawberry (11.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.0 APG) has been playing as well as any guard in the Southern Conference over the past month of the season, having to pick up some of the scoring slack for Ria'n Holland (18.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG), who missed the entire final month of the season with a wrist injury. 

The good news for the Bears is that Holland will be back Monday night and should be as good or even better than he was in his first game back against Grand Canyon last Wednesday night. His quickness and scoring ability only enhances the talented Mercer backcourt. 

Holland may not be in the starting lineup tonight, due to so much missed action over the past several weeks, however, he will inject even more scoring into the offense whether he comes off the bench or is in the starting five. Strawberry's 492-career assists rank him third in school history in that particular category. 

In Holland's absence, another player that has come on and really performed is sophomore sharp-shooting guard Ross Cummings (8.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG). Cummings enters the matchup as one of Mercer's top perimeter shooters this season, having connected on 54-of-124 (43.5%) from three-point range this season, and has scored in double figures in 10 of the past 12 games for the Bears, including tying for team-high honors the last time out, as he posted 21 points in the win over Grand Canyon. He scored a career-high 22 points earlier this season against Wofford.

Off the bench, keep an eye on freshman guard Marcus Cohen (5.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 83 asts), who has excelled season and at times, has shown maturity beyond his years. 

Demetre Rivers (11.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG) is Mercer's third-leading scorer and maybe its most versatile overall talent, possessing the ball-handling ability and athleticism of a guard, while his 6-8 frame allows him to go in the paint, post-up, and create shots for himself as a forward. He is Mercer's best athlete, and his inside-outside ability makes him a difficult matchup. Rivers is connected on a team-best 89.7% from the charity stripe this season. 

Seniors Stephon Jelks (9.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG) and Desmond Ringer (9.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG) will occupy the paint and low-post scoring for the Bears. Jelks is versatile, in that he can also step out and hit the outside shot, but he has been one of the best rebounders and overall individual players in the SoCon over the past three seasons. He has hit 44 triples this season, while connecting on 45.4% of his downtown shots on the season. He is one of five Bears that has hit at least 42 triples this season. Jelks ranks second in the SoCon to only UNCG's James Dickey in rebounding this season. 

Ringer rounds out the starting five for the Bears. He is playing some of the best basketball of his career, including tying a career-high with 22 points in a loss earlier this season at Furman. 

Who Wins: Mercer 71, North Texas 66

Wofford Hosts Central Michigan in First-Ever CollegeInsider.com Tournament Appearance Friday Night

Wofford will make its first-ever appearance in then CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) Friday night when it hosts Mid-American Conference member Central Michigan (20-14) at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

The Terriers finished 2017-18 season with a 21-12 record, which included trip to the Southern Conference Tournament Semifinals with a heartbreaking, 56-55 loss to eventual SoCon Tournament champion UNCG.

The Terriers, of course, raised plenty of eyebrows around the college basketball landscape, with a 79-75 win at No. 5 North Carolina in late December--Wofford’s first-ever win over a nationally-ranked NCAA Division I foe since joining the ranks prior to the 1995-96 season. SoCon teams are 0-1 this season against teams out of the MAC, with Chattanooga dropping a 75-70 decision to Akron in non-conference play. 

The Terriers and Chippewas will be meeting for the first time in program history. Wofford has competed in NCAA Tournament four times and the College Basketball Invitational once, posting an 0-5 mark all-time as a Division I member in postseason tournaments. The Terriers have made NCAA Tournament appearances in four of the past eight seasons and have won 20 games four times under 16th-year head coach Mike Young (269-238).  

The Terriers will meet a Central Michigan club that enters Friday night’s contest coming off its 20th win of the season, having opened the CIT with a hard-fought, 94-89, win at Fort Wayne. The Chippewas finished with an 7-11 mark in the MAC, which was good enough to see them finished fourth in the MAC West Division. 

The Chippewas are making their second all-time appearance in the CIT, having posted a 1-1 record in the postseason tournament. In all non-conference sponsored NCAA Division I postseason tournament appearances, the Chippewas hold an all-tme mark of 4-7 mark, including a 3-4 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament. The Chippewas are also 0-2 all-time in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). 

Coming into this year’s CIT, Central Michigan’s top RPI win this season came back on Feb. 27, when the Chippewas defeated RPI No. 125 Ball State, 75-51. The Chippewas have claimed their first 20-win season since the 2014-15 campaign, when Central Michigan finished 23-9 and were MAC champions. 

One note of interest is the Chippewas had a close loss at home to Buffalo, which anhilated No. 4 seed Arizona in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday, losing 88-82 in early February.

Head coach Keno Davis is in his sixth season with the Chippewas, and broke .500 as head coach of the Chippewas last time out with the win over Fort Wayne, and is now 97-96 at the helm of the Central Michigan basketball program.

Matchups To Watch:

When you start to talk about the Wofford backcourt, every conversation obviously begins with Malcolm U Pitt Southern Conference Player of the Year Fletcher Magee (21.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG). Magee split this year’s SoCon’s top individual award with ETSU’s Desonta Bradford, who was named the coaches’ player of the year.

Magee was almost the hero in Asheville for the Terriers, missing a couple of shots that were both good looks, but couldn’t get the ball to go down and the Terriers dropped a heartbreaking 56-55 decision to eventual champion UNCG. It was the game of the 2018 Southern Conference Tournament.

Coming into Friday night’s clash, Magee has a nation-leading 140 three-pointers and trails former Davidson great Stephen Curry by 22 triples for the all-time single-season record. Curry canned 162 triples in a season—an NCAA record for a freshman—and a SoCon single-season record in 2006-07. Magee’s 45-point performance in a win over Chattanooga earlier this season is a Wofford Division I era record. Magee’s 21.6 PPG leads the Southern Conference and ranks 17th nationally.

Magee will be joined in the Wofford backcourt by point guard Storm Murphy (6.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG), and wings Trevor Stumpe (10.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG) and Nathan Hoover (10.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG). Hoover has been a player to watch over the past month of the season, as he has been a major supplement to the scoring to Magee. 

Hoover, with his ability to shoot the basketball, has taken a lot of pressure of Magee. Derrick Brooks (3.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG), who is the only senior on the roster, is a major leader off the bench for the Terriers, possessing great athleticism and is one of the best defenders in the SoCon.

Central Michigan counters with Josh Kozinski (6.0 PPG, 2.1 RPG) and Shawn Rountree Jr. (15.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG). Rountree is the Chippewas’ second-leading scorer, and has done well in his first season for Central Michigan since transferring in from Mineral Springs Junior College.

Kozinski is a tremendous perimeter shooter, and ranks No. 1 in school history in three-pointers attempted (854) and three-pointers made in a career (294).

In the frontcourt, Wofford relies heavily on senior Cameron Jackson (11.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG), who has pretty much done it all in the paint for the Terriers this season on both ends of the floor, will be the key cog in the paint. 

The second-team all-conference performer will also look for added depth off the bench from junior forward Matthew Pegram (5.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG). Keve Aluma (2.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG) has also given the Terriers some good minutes under the basket this season, and he is a great athlete for Mike Young to be able to rely on coming off the bench.

Central Michigan will employ the services of a talented trio in its frontcourt. Two double-figure scorers will feature in the Chippewas frontcourt, with 6-6 senior Cecil Williams (15.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG ) and 6-7 sophomore David DiLeo (11.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG) featuring in the starting five. Williams posted 21 points and 13 boards in the 89-75 MAC Tournament loss to Buffalo.

Like Kozinski, DiLeo is a danger from the perimeter, ranking third in school history in single-season three-pointers attempted (253) and is sixth in school history in single-season three-pointers made (86). 

Rounding out the starters in the paint for the Chippewas will be 6-10 senior Luke Meyer (9.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG) at center. In a game in mid-January, Meyer enjoyed one of his best games of his career, posting 26 points and 14 boards in 82-76 loss at Ball State.

Who Wins:

Wofford 77, Central Michigan 70

No. 4 Gonzaga Holds off No. 13 UNCG in a Thriller

Zach Norvell Jr. celebrates with teammate Josh Perkins after his clutch triple in the waning moments, as Gonzaga held off UNCG in opening round of the NCAA Tournament

Gonzaga 68, UNC Greensboro 64
Recap:
BOISE, ID--No. 4 seed Gonzaga survived scare from No. 13 UNC Greensboro, but held on to get a 68-64 win over the Spartans Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the West Regional at Taco Bell Arena.

With the loss, the Spartans conclude their season at 27-8, while Gonzaga improves to 31-4 and moves on to play the winner of the second game in the West Region between Ohio State and South Dakota State.

Gonzaga was led by a monster effort from Jonathan Williams, who posted 19 points and 13 rebounds, and was one of three Zags in double figures. Guards Josh Perkins and Zach Norvell, Jr. rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Zags, posting 16 and 15 points, respectively.

UNCG was led in the contest by three in double figures, with junior guards Francis Alonso and Demetrius Troy tying for team-high honors with 16 points apiece, while James Dickey added a double-double, with 10 points and 11 boards.

Both teams struggled shooting the ball from the perimeter, going a combined 8-of-45 from beyond the arc, with UNCG connected on half its average per game this season, connecting on just 3-of-22 from beyond the arc.

With the UNCG leading 64-62 following a Jordy Kuiper tip-in with 1:49 remaining, the Zags were able to get some clutch stops along with an key three-pointer from West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year Zach Norvell, Jr., which gave the Zags the lead back with just under a minute left, at 67-64, with 22 seconds left.

The initial Kuiper tip-in, which was a brief lead for the Spartans in the second half, gave UNCG its first lead since a 13-12 advantage with 9:49 to play in the opening half.  Shortly before Newell's jumper from three for the lead, Williams tied the game, 64-64, with a jumper in the lane.

UNCG senior guard Marvin Smith, Jr. had a good look at a three with 11 seconds left, but the ball caromed in-and-out, and the ball was rebounded by Norvell with eight seconds remaining. He was immediately fouled by James Dickey, and despite missing four-consecutive free throws down the stretch after having been at better than 90% from the line in the final five minutes over the past 12 games, it was Norvell’s second foul shot that ended up sealing the four-point win.

In the early moments of the second half, the Zags would extend what was a nine-point, 32-23, halftime lead out to as much as 12 before seeing the Spartans claw their way back into the game.

UNCG opened the game leading for the first 10 minutes before Gonzaga began to figure out the Spartans stout defense. Gonzaga took its first lead of the game on a Josh Perkins three-pointer with 9:49 to play in the opening half. The Zags would extend that lead to as much as six moments (19-13) after a Jonathan Williams pull-up jumper with 7:55 remaining in the half.

The Zags eventually took a 32-23 lead to the halftime break, as UNCG went 0-for-13 from beyond the arc, and despite eight offensive boards in the opening frame, the Spartans ended the half with no second-chance points.

UNCG held the rebounding edge (39-33), but Gonzaga out-shot UNCG 42.4%-41.8% for the game. Kuiper and Smith both concluded their respective careers as Spartans.

Mercer Moves on to CBI Second Round

Mercer got a big night from its backcourt, as senior Jordan Strawberry and sophomore Ross Cummings scored 21 points apiece, leading the Bears past Grand Canyon, 78-73, in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Wednesday night before 5,941 fans at GCU Arena.

With the win, Mercer posted its sixth 19-win season in the past seven campaigns, improving to

19-14 overall, while Grand Canyon concluded its season with a 22-12 overall mark. The Bears will move on to the second round of the CBI and will travel to North Texas to face the Mean Green Monday evening in Denton, TX for a second round contest. Tip-off is slated for that contest is slated for 8 p.m. EST. The win over the Lopes was Mercer’s ninth in last 10 games.

Strawberry and Cummings finished the night as two of the four players in double figures for the Bears, with seniors Demetre Rivers and Ria’n Holland rounding out the double-figure scorers with 13 and 10 points, respectively. For Holland, it was the first time he has played for the Bears in a month, as Mercer’s leading scorer had been sidelined since late January with a wrist injury before returning Wednesday night.

Strawberry and Cummings combined to knock down six of the Bears’ 10 trifectas in the contest, with Cummings finishing 5-of-7 from long range and Strawberry connecting on 1-of-4 attempts from long range. Strawberry also went a perfect 6-for-6 from the line and dished out a team-high eight assists. Seventeen of Strawberry’s 21 points came in the second half.

The Bears came out and controlled the game on the opening half of play, leading by as many as nine points (24-15) following a Rivers dunk a little midway through the opening frame. However, the Lopes would respond and would close the deficit to just one (33-34) late in the half following an Oscar Freyer triple with 1:07 remaining in the frame. But Strawberry would close the half with a pair of charity shots and Mercer clung to a 36-33 lead as the two teams entered the halftime locker room.

In the second half, Mercer was nearly flawless down the stretch in the contest, and many times quieted the often rowdy, raucous GCU crowd by scoring on six of its final eight possessions to close out the road postseason win.

However, there were eight lead changes and seven ties in the second half, and when the Lopes grabbed their largest lead of the night (59-53) following a Fifii Aidoo bucket at the 9:49 mark, it looked as though the Bears might be in danger of being one-and-done in the 2018 college basketball postseason.

Head coach Bob Hoffman’s Bears would respond, however, using an 8-2 spurt to tie the game, 61-61, following a Cummings layup in the paint with 7:20 to play. That set the stage for the Bears to score on six of its final eight possessions to close out five-point road win.

The Bears posted an impressive 51% shooting clip from the field, including 50% from three-point range, and out-rebounded the Lopes, 36-30.

Grand Canyon had four players place in double figures, led by Keonta Brown’s 20 points, while Casey Benson added 17. Alessandro Lever and Frayer closed out the double figure scorers for the Lopes, posting 10 points apiece, respectively.







Stay tuned for a full preview of Mercer and North Texas coming up this weekend.

Mercer Set to Face Grand Canyon in College Basketball Invitational Wednesday Night

The Mercer Bears (18-14, 11-7 SoCon), will continue their basketball campaign in Phoenix, AZ. when they take on Grand Canyon in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Mercer and GCU will tip-off at 10 p.m. EST Wednesday night at GCU Arena. The Antelopes come in having won five of their last six games.

The Antlelopes are 16-2 at home, with their only losses against San Diego and New Mexico State. GCU’s best wins of the season came in conference by sweeping Utah Valley, who currently are No. 84 in the RPI.

Mercer’s best win of the season was a 77-74 win over eventual Southern Conference champion UNC Greensbor. The Bears were one of just three teams to knock off UNCG in conference play, as they were joined by East Tennessee State and Chattanooga in that respect.

It will mark the first-ever meeting between the Bears and Antelopes on the college basketabll hardwood. The only common foe between the two programs this season is Florida A&M, with the Antelopes scoring a 67-51 win over the Rattlers, while the Bears posted an 82-64 win over FAMU.

The Bears were the fourth seed in the Southern Conference Tournament and were knocked out of the league tournament a little less than two weeks ago, with a 73-53 loss to No. 5 seed Wofford.

GCU (22-11, 9-5 WAC ), a member of the WAC Conference, is under the direction of former Phoenix Suns legendary long-range shooter “Thunder” Dan Majerle, who is in his fifth year at the helm of the basketball program, and has led the Antelopes to 44 wins in the past couple of seasons, and is quickly building GCU into a force to be reckoned with in the Western Athletic Conference, leading the Antelopes to an appearance in the WAC Tournament title game as the No. 3 seed before eventually losing to top-seeded New Mexico State, 72-58, in the title game.

The Antelopes are in just their fifth season as an NCAA Division I program, completing the four-year transitional period last season. GCU is quickly trying to establish itself as a mid-major juggernaut, and it is doing it with raucous crowds inside the 7,200-seat GCU Arena.

The Bears come in veterans of postseason basketball under head coach Bob Hoffman. Of course, no one will forget the Bears’ 78-71 triumph over Duke in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, but the Bears have won games in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, National Invitational Tournament and the CBI since 2012.

In fact, the Bears were winners of a school-record 27 games in 2012 and claimed the CIT Tournament title with a 70-67 win in Logan, UT at Utah State back in 2012. It was a tough environment that Stu Morrow had built at Utah State to say the least, who had won 100 of their previous 106 games on its home floor, however, Hoffman’s Bears didn’t flinch in coming away with the three-point championship win.

Two years later, the Bears would match those 27 wins from 2012, which included the big win over Duke and an Atlantic Sun tournament title.

Sandwiched in-between was an appearance in the 2013 NIT, where the Bears defeated Tennessee, 75-67, before losing on the road at Brigham Young, 90-71, a couple of days later in Provo, UT. Since 2012, Mercer has won at least 19 games in five out of the past six seasons, and that is what will be at stake Wednesday night.

The Bears are competing in their sixth postseason tournament in the past seven seasons. The Bears also claimed a 72-70 win over Stony Brook in the 2015 CBI before bowing out of the tournament with a 71-69 home loss to Louisiana-Monroe.

GCU on the other hand has won 20 or more games in four of the past six seasons. The Antelopes are in many ways a program that looking to build prestige quickly as a one of the new kids on the block in mid-major basketball.

Matchups To Watch:

Mercer has been without its top scorer Ria’n Holland for the last month, but despite missing him in the lineup, Mercer has reeled off eight wins in its past nine games, including entering the Southern Conference Tournament as winners of eight-straight.

The Bears have a talented backcourt, with versatility being its main strength. The shooting of Ross Cummings (8.1 PPG, 1.5 RPG), combined with the quickness of Jordan Strawberry (11.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 156 assists) and the overall athleticism of 6-8 guard Demetre Rivers (11.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG) makes the Bears especially tough to guard. Strawberry’s father, who is Hall of Fame Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Darryl Strawberry, did make an appearance at the Southern Conference Tournament in Mercer’s game against Wofford, and will be interesting to see if he is in Phoenix to see his son play Wednesday night.

Cummings is the best perimeter threat for the Bears, as he comes in having connected on 42% (49-of-117) from long range this season, however, after scoring in double figures in nine-straight games, was held to a combined five points in his final two games of the season against Wofford.

The Antelopes counter with a talented backcourt of their own, which features talented backcourt mates and senior tandem Joshua Braun (11.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG) and Casey Benson (9.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG ). Both have been efficient leaders for GCU this season, and have been pillars of the foundation of success this season for the Antelopes. Benson, who transferred from Oregon, ranks third on the team in made three-pointers this season, with 37 made triples and leads the team with 145 assists.

In the frontcourt for the Bears, keep an eye on South Carolina transfer Desmond Ringer (9.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG) and all-conference performer and veteran Stephon Jelks (9.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG). Jelks is the type player that can beat a team inside or can step outside and connect on the three. He is tremendous at crashing the boards for the Bears and is the heart and soul of this Mercer team. The Bears have five players that have made at least 44 triples this season.

Countering the Bears in the paint for the Antelopes will be the big Italian Alessandro Lever (12.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG), who leads the Antelopes in scoring, and he will joined by 6-7 sophomore Oscar Freyer (9.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG) and Keonta Vernon (8.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG). Both Freyer and Vernon are athletic, while Lever possesses a typical European basketball acumen, which means he compensates for a sometimes perceived lack of athleticism for overall basketball intelligence.

Who Wins:

GCU 82, Mercer 74