SoCon Basketball 2023-24: mid-season report cards and awards (part 1 of 2)

With every team in the Southern Conference having now played nine games, it's time to hand out mid-term grades. It's also important to mention the SoCon is up to No. 14 in KenPom's latest conference power rankings, which is up from where it has been at No. 15 the past few weeks. There are 33 NCAA Division I college basketball conferences.

Samford forward Achor Achor (photo courtesy of Samford Athletics)

1. Samford (19-3, 8-1 SoCon) 

MVP: F Achor Achor (15.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 60.6% FG%)

First Half Grade: (A+)--Bucky McMillan's Samford Bulldogs are off to an outstanding start to Southern Conference play, matching the eight wins in their first nine league games that they enjoyed last season before eventually losing to Furman. 

The defending champion Paladins are the only team to defeat the Bulldogs once again over the first nine games of league play. Furman handed the Bulldogs a 78-68 setback a week ago, snapping what was a 17-game winning streak for the Bulldogs, which at the time was the nation's longest winning streak.

Ever since that setback to the Paladins, the Bulldogs have seen their scoring slowed just a bit, but just a couple of weeks ago led the nation in scoring, averaging just over 95 PPG. The Bulldogs ended their first nine games with a thrilling, 81-79, win over Wofford at the Pete Hanna Center. 

Achor Achor, who has been the team's MVP over the first nine games of league play, hit the game-winning layup with under a second remaining, as the Bulldogs held off a feisty Wofford team. Achor's capping performance to the midway point of league play was fitting, considering he's been Samford's best player through the first nine league games and is one of the most-improved players in all of college basketball this season. 

The sophomore from Melbourne Australia enjoyed his best game of his career in Samford's nationally-televised, 75-71, win over Western Carolina before a crowd of better than 5,000 at the Liston B. Ramsey Center in what was a matchup of the two teams, which at the time, were the top two in the league.Through the first 22 games this season, Achor Achor has started all 22 games, averaging 15.8 PPG and averaging 6.0 rebounds per game. He is also shooting a blistering 60.6% from the field, which includes connecting on 47.8% (19-of-40) from beyond the arc.

Including the Southern Conference Tournament, the Bulldogs have posted a 23-5 record against SoCon foes, which included a 15-3 mark in the regular-season last season, tying Furman for the regular-season title. The Bulldogs would be knocked out of the tournament by Chattanooga, as the Mocs handed Samford an 85-82 setback in the quarterfinals of the SoCon Tournament Asheville. 

Of Samford's five losses in SoCon play over the past couple seasons, three have come at the hands of the Furman Paladins, with Chattanooga and Wofford accounting for the other two. 

Why the Bulldogs Will Win The Southern Conference: 

Samford is a team loaded with talent and scoring depth, and even when teams slow the Bulldogs, which has happened over the past four games, they have still had too much offensive firepower for the opposition. The Bulldogs have played at a high level despite missing its top player--Jermaine Marshall--for all of non-conference play and for most of the season, with two different injuries having affected the talented senior forward this season. He is expected to return soon, which will not only add to an already diverse number of offensive options, but will be especially key on the defensive end of the floor, where he is one of the top post defenders in the SoCon.

Why the Bulldogs Won't Win The Southern Conference:

The style of play and identity that Bucky McMillan has brought to Homewood is fun and a must-see, but while it's fun and it's given the SoCon its own spin on Paul Westhead's offense that he employed in the early 1990s at Loyola Marymount, it's probably not built for sustained success for a three-day tournament in a one-bid league in early March. No matter how deep the talent is for the Bulldogs, that's a tall order for such little turnaround time from game-to-game. If the Bulldogs can figure out to make that identity adaptable without changing who they are, like using it in spurts and not the entire game, they can minimize the fatigue. 

UNCG guard Keyshaun Langley (photo courtesy of UNCG Athletics)

2. UNC Greensboro (16-6, 7-2 SoCon)

MVP: F-Mikeal Brown-Jones (20.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.0 APG, 18 blks, 14 stls)

First Half Grade: (A)--Many were on the UNCG bandwagon from the outset of the 2023-24 season, and rightfully so, as the Spartans at one point in non-conference were one of the hottest teams in college basketball, which included a win over SEC member Arkansas, which was the best non-conference win, as the Razorbacks were the No. 14 ranked team in the nation.

It was part of a start to the season that saw the Spartans, who were picked to finish second by the league's head coaches and fourth by the league's media, and as long as Mikeal Brown-Jones is cooking, so are the Spartans.

He's been one of the league's most unstoppable performers this season, and if it weren't for Western Carolina's Vonterius Woolbright this season, Brown-Jones would be the easy pick for league Most Valuable Player. When he was out of the lineup for four-straight games to close out non-conference play, the Spartans went 1-3, with a win over VU-Lynchburg (W, 135-57), while losses would come at Marshall (L, 65-72), at High Point (L, 63-74), and at Texas (L, 37-72) during a tough stretch.

Fortunately, however, Brown-Jones would be back just in time for UNCG's Southern Conference opener against league defending champion Furman, and the Spartans would take advantage of a less-than-healthy Furman Paladin team to pick up what was a 79-68 win at the Greensboro Coliseum. 

It was part of a strong start to league play for head coach Mike Jones' club, which has includes ranking in the top half of the league in scoring offense (77.2 PPG/5th in SoCon) and scoring defense (69.2 PPG/2nd in SoCon). 

The Spartans also rank in the top five in field goal percentage offense and field goal percentage defense. It's not a surprise that UNCG has maintained its high standard of defensive excellence, which has seen UNCG finish as one of the top defensive teams in the SoCon either in field goal percentage defense or in scoring defense a majority of the time over the past nine seasons. 

Through the first nine conference games and in the "conference only" stats, the Spartans lead the league in both scoring defense (68.0 PPG) and field goal percentage defense (39.5%). The Spartans also rank fifth in conference only games in scoring offense (75.3 PPG), while ranking fourth in the league in conference only field goal percentage (45.4%). 

Oftentimes those are two stats that are a good predictor for good fortunes come March in Asheville, although UNCG has been snakebitten by a pair of tough quarterfinal losses in each of Mike Jones' first two seasons as the head coach for UNCG, which includes a buzzer-beating loss to Wofford on a BJ Mack layup at the buzzer last season in Asheville.

The Spartans look to go about changing that this season, and the good news is, Mikeal Brown-Jones has some scoring support on the offensive end of the floor. 

Keyshaun (13.7 PPG, 3.4 APG, 2.8 RPG and Kobe Langley (8.9 PPG, 5.9 APG, 49 steals) provide the support of one of the most experienced backcourts in the nation, with Keyshaun being a force on the offensive end of the floor, while Kobe Langley--the league's reigning Defensive Player of the Year--continues to be an excellent compliment on the defensive end of the floor. 

The x-factor, however, might be Donovan Atwell (11.2 PPG, 3.09 RPG, 37% from 3pt range), who like Samford's Achor Achor, has become one of the most improved players in the league, as well as being one of its very best perimeter threats. 

The Spartans lone league losses to this point have come on the road at Samford (L, 70-79), while suffering one of the bigger in-league upsets during the first half of the conference play, as UNCG dropped what was a 70-64 decision this past Saturday to Mercer. 

Mikeal Brown-Jones provided 39-point scoring performances less than a week apart, recording a 39-point outburst in a hard-fought, 73-67, win over The Citadel, and followed that up with a 39-point effort in what was a thrilling 85-82 overtime win at Western Carolina in what was a matchup of the league's two top players in 2023-24. 

In the six-point loss to Mercer, Brown-Jones continued his strong month to open league play, posting 19 points and 16 boards. In UNCG's final game of the month, Brown-Jones was one of five UNCG players in double figures, tying for team-high honors with 18 points, as the Spartans held off VMI for a 85-79 road win. 

UNCG returns to action Sunday with a huge road win to kick off the second half of league play, as it travels to Timmons Arena to face the Furman Paladins in a crucial league road test. UNCG handed Furman its lone home league loss last season, winning 88-80 in overtime in Greenville. The 2 p.m. tip-off at Timmons Arena will be nationally televised on ESPNU.

Why The Spartans Will Win The Southern Conference: 

In two words...defense and maturity. The Spartans aren't quite on the level defensively that some of those Wes Miller teams were, especially that 2017-18 team and that 2020-21 club, however, the Spartans aren't all that far off. UNCG has the league's two quickest guards collectively in the Langley twins, and its best on-ball defender, in Kobe Langley, who once again leads the league in steals (49 steals/2.2 SPG). He also leads the league in assists-per-game (5.9), while ranking second in assists-turnover-ration (3.3). But perhaps the biggest reason why the Spartans might even be a slight favorite over Samford, Western Carolina, Furman or Chattanooga to win the league title in Asheville and garner a third NCAA Tournament bid in the past eight years is maturity. With the Langleys still around, their savvy veteran leadership and know-how on both ends of the floor could be huge in March. If you think back to just last year, it meant the world to Furman to have Mike Bothwell and Jalen Slawson, and it very well could end up paying off big time this time around for Mike Jones' Spartans in Asheville.

Why The Spartans Won't Win The Southern Conference: 

Every team has its flaws, and for UNCG, while its been better offensively than it has been in several years, the diversity of how that scoring is spread around is less than the other top teams in the league. UNCG's top four scorers are averaging 54.7 of its 77.3 PPG, which is almost 71% of the scoring between just four players, and a total of six players log a majority of the minutes, with six players averaging better than 20 MPG, while eight players average 15 or MPG. There's a pretty big drop-off in production after that in terms of minutes, and in terms of scoring, after UNCG's top four players, there's a sizable drop-off in offensive production, especially in comparison to say Samford.  With that said, if Brown-Jones and the rest of the Spartans can stay healthy, they have a great shot to finish strong, capture the No. 1 seed, and win it all in Asheville. 

Chattanooga guard Trey Bonham (photo courtesy of Chattanooga athletics)

3. Chattanooga (15-7, 7-2 SoCon)

MVP: C-Sam Alexis (11.8 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 55.4% FG%,51 blks )

First Half Grade: (A)--Chattanooga has been to each to the past two Southern Conference Tournament championship games, and in Dan Earl's second season at the helm since moving over from VMI, he might have the Mocs in line to make a third-straight appearance.

The Mocs have matched UNCG's start through the first nine SoCon games this season, and right now are the hottest team in the Southern Conference, making the turn towards the latter half of the league slate on a five-game winning streak.

While Dan Earl's teams are almost always known for good they have been offensively both at VMI and now at Chattanooga, it's the improvement on the defensive end of the floor that could have the Mocs in contention to make a return to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in a three-year span.

Currently, the Mocs rank second in the league in defensive efficiency since entering league play, according to KenPom. The Mocs also rank second in the SoCon in the league in league only stats in scoring defense (68.0 PPG). 

The Mocs also lead the league in scoring margin (+11.2) and rank second in scoring offense in conference exclusive stats (80.6 PPG). Through the first nine league games, the Mocs rank second to only UNCG in field goal percentage defense (40.8%). 

The main reason for that is the Mocs main man in the middle--Sam Alexis. In keeping with the theme of improved players in the league this season, Chattanooga's sophomore center joins Samford's Achor Achor and UNCG's Donovan Atwell in that same category. Seeing this kind of improvement in one player at every program in this league is a true testament to the coaching and development at nearly every program in the league.

Trey Bonham (17.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.8 APG) has been sensational since his abrupt eligibility, and combining with Honor Huff (15.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.8 APG) as one of the quickest and most electrifying backcourts in all of college basketball is yet another reason Chattanooga has exceeded expectations through the first half of league play. The Mocs are tied with the Paladins with 90 three-pointers made through the first half of league play. 

The Mocs are always going to bring the offense, and that's something you can usually guarantee with Dan Earl coached teams. I would put Dan Earl and Furman's Bob Richey among the best coaches in the country when it comes to coaching a motion-style offense and overall efficiency. 

It's why you have seen VMI, Chattanooga and Furman operate at such a high level when it comes to offensive efficiency over the past seven or eight years, and it's also why the two programs routinely create such good looks from beyond the arc, which leads to a high volume of made threes each season.

Earl's ability to space the floor with his motion offense is elite. One telling stat to back up just that is that Chattanooga is 10-0 this season when attempting 20-29 three-pointers in a game this season. That means the ball is popping around and creating open looks, which in UTC's motion offense, is designed precisely to do. The Mocs are way less effective when that number exceeds 29, having posted just a 4-7 mark. 

Chattanooga will start its second half of league play with a doozie, hosting league-leading Samford in a game that could seemingly determine more for Chattanooga going forward than maybe even Samford. 

One of Chattanooga's two losses in league play came to the Bulldogs, as the Mocs dropped an 89-74 contest at the Pete Hanna Center to open up league play, and that margin is a little deceiving in that a big reason of the 15-point disparity had more to do with Chattanooga's shooting woes as much as it did Samford just overwhelming UTC. It was also some of the better defense played by Samford for an extended portion of a game this season. 

Why Chattanooga Will Win The Southern Conference:

The Mocs have an athletic big at the rim, in Sam Alexis, who gives the Mocs an athletic rim protector, and perhaps the biggest and most underrated improvement Alexis has made to his overall game is the fact that he is playing good post defense without fouling, which is something that plagued him in his first season. His efficiency on the offensive end of the floor makes him a tough guard for the opposition, and while his three-point shooting percentage is a little under what it was last season, his 11 makes from long range this season make you have to respect that part of his game, which is why he's a tough player to chase all over the floor for 40 minutes defensively. Alexis is a difference maker, but the other guy seemingly no one is talking about at the moment is Jan Zidek. His scoring off the bench has been a big reason why Chattanooga has been able to put together a solid string wins. A league regular-season title and tournament title are both now very reachable goals for the Mocs program a year ahead of schedule. 

Why Chattanooga Won't Win The Southern Conference:

Chattanooga's additions in the paint have been able to provide a collective replacement for Jake Stephens, and while defense has been mostly a strength this season, in certain matchups the Mocs have struggled on that end of the floor, particularly if Alexis gets in foul trouble and it's kind of been the one knock against Zidek so far early in his career, which is that he's struggled to be a wall-up defender in the post when Alexis is sitting due to foul trouble. Tyler Millin's athleticism is great, but he's not really a player that likes to mix it up in the post as much as say Alexis and Zidek. The Mocs biggest weakness at times this season in non-conference play, such as in the loss to Lipscomb or in its league home loss to UNCG was its inability to keep the ball from getting deep in the paint and that led to open looks for both of those teams from three-point land in both of those games. A team like UNCG with a really efficient post scoring presence like Samford with Achor Achor or UNCG with Mikeal Brown-Jones is a recipe for potential disaster, especially if Alexis has to sit for long periods in foul trouble. 

Furman point guard JP Pegues

4. Furman (12-10, 6-3 SoCon)

MVP: G--JP Pegues (16.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.9 APG)

First Half Grade: (B+)--Furman's run through its first nine Southern Conference play has been a wild one, and all three losses in league play have come by double figures, as Furman dropped each of its first two league games by 11 and 15 points, respectively. That has never happened in Bob Richey's time as head coach, however, in the 79-68 loss at UNCG, the Paladins were without 52.3 PPG, with JP Pegues, Alex Williams and Marcus Foster all sidelined with injuries.

When Furman is good, they can beat anyone in the SoCon and from player 1-10, the Paladins are arguably the most talented team in the league, however,  Furman also has the ability to, when it is having an off night, to be really bad. Shooting performances of 27% at Chattanooga in a 73-58 loss in the Scenic City and 31% in a 77-67 setback in Spartanburg to Wofford in a game in which Furman had a meager seven two-point field goals (lowest total since 2012).

With that said, Furman is only now just back to full health, and when the Paladins have won six of their last seven heading into the turn, as Marcus Foster (19.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG) had a lower body injury in the Princeton game, which forced him to miss a total of nine games, which saw the Paladins post a 4-5 mark with him away from the team.

Furman's 78-68 win over Samford at Timmons Arena in late January were evidence of how good Bob Richey's Paladins can be, especially defensively where they were knocked around pretty good throughout non-conference play. In fact, Furman is only one of three teams to hold the Bulldogs to less than 70 points this season, joining both Purdue and VCU, who handed Samford its only other two losses. 

As bad as Furman has looked offensively at times this season, they are still second in the league in scoring offense, averaging 81.0 PPG. 

Foster made his return to the Furman starting lineup in the 40-point, 100-60 road win over VMI. He has scored in double figures in all five outings he's been back in the lineup, including four double-doubles in those five outings. He totaled career-highs for total rebounds (15) and assists (7) in Furman's hard-fought overtime win at The Citadel. 

JP Pegues has picked up right where he left off a season ago, seemingly becoming the most clutch player with time winding down in all of college basketball. This season alone Pegues has knocked down three three-pointers with .8 seconds remaining, with two of those shots giving Furman the lead, while the latest against The Citadel, allowed the Paladins to send the game into overtime, getting an eventual result with an 82-79 win. His step-back top of the key three against Western Carolina with .8 remaining also helped Furman post a thrilling 65-62 win over Western Carolina. 

Alex Williams (15.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG) has come into his own as a scorer this season, and is Furman's top perimeter threat through the first nine league games, and really, for the entirety of the 2023-24 season. While Williams has shot the ball well from long range (47-of-116/41%), strangely Furman's offensive efficiency is among the worst in the head coach Bob Richey era, especially in terms of shooting the ball from deep, where Furman has launched a league-high 660 long range efforts through the first 22 games this season, including 267 in league play.

While ranking ninth in the conference in overall three-point percentage over the duration of the entire season (32.4%), the Paladins have made a league-high tying 90 in nine conference games this season, as the Paladins are tied with Chattanooga in threes made since league play commenced last month. 

The Paladins rank just behind the Mocs in terms of three-point field goal percentage since the start of conference play and are shooting 33.7% from long range in league games this season, which is good enough for sixth in the 10-team conference. 

Why Furman Will Win The Southern Conference

If Furman continues to trend upwards defensively, the Paladins have the overall talent from top-to-bottom to once again be the SoCon's representative in the NCAA Tournament this coming March, which would mark the first time a league time has repeated its title run of a year earlier since Wofford did so in 2013-14 and 2014-15, respectively. 

While the Paladins did lose Jalen Slawson and Mike Bothwell, they've still got a supremely talented roster of players and scoring threats, and figuring out the right mix has been among the most challenging aspects to this season for head coach Bob Richey, who is now in his seventh season at the helm of the Paladin basketball program. 

He's had to start 14 different starting lineups, played the toughest non-conference schedule, and has had to deal with injuries to his three top players at different points this season, yet still has this team among the league's title contenders and with a 12-10 overall record.

The other thing weighing heavily in favor of the Paladins is the fact that even with the departures of Slawson and Bothwell, Furman still has three of the top scorers in the SoCon, in Foster, Pegues and Williams. They are enough to keep the Paladins in the regular-season title race, and if Furman has a top two seed again, their chances of repeating are even higher. 

Pegues has tallied 20 or more points eight times in the 19 games he's played in this season, and he's quietly made a case for himself to at least be mentioned in the player of the year conversation by ranking in the top 10 in the SoCon in scoring average (16.6 PPG/3rd), assists per game (4.9 APG/3rd), assist-turnover-ratio (2.4/3rd), steals per game (1.3/8th), three-pointers made per game (2.4/8th) and free throw percentage (87.8%/2nd). His 46 made triples also ranks Pegues sixth in overall made threes.  Pegues has found his way into double figures 17 times in the 19 games he's played for the Paladins in the 2023-24 season. 

And if Carter Whitt can play with his role and skillset, he's yet another weapon the Paladins have at their disposal, and against a team like Samford, he can be the x-facfor against the press. His improvement this season to fit within Furman's complex offense that relies on a collective identity is a testament to Furman's development culture. When Whitt arrived at Furman, he was a talented player trying to hone his skills and figure out his individual identity as a player at the Division I level. 

While Furman has struggled offensively, it's made up in other areas, such as on the glass, as the Paladins are one of the top offensive rebounding teams in over a decade for Paladin basketball. 

Why Furman Won't Win The Southern Conference 

The Paladins won't win the Southern Conference if they can't get more out of the No. 5 position, which has been a point of concern in recent games, with Garrett Hien and Tyrese Hughey peforming well below their not only their own standards, but also the team standard required for Furman to be successful over the duration of three days in March at the Harrah's Cherokee Center. 

If Hien and Hughey can't at least provide 7-10 points per game combined, as well as help defend the paint and rebound, Furman will find itself likely heading home even prior to the championship game in Asheville. Hughey has seen his minutes diminish as of late, as Cooper Bowser has garnered more time in the lineup for the 'Dins of late, especially in Furman's last contest at The Citadel, playing 15 minutes, while Hughey saw just 7:10 of court time. 

5. Western Carolina (16-6, 5-4 SoCon)

MVP: G--Vonterius Woolbright (22.2 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 5.5 APG)

First Half Grade: (B)--Two weeks ago, Western Carolina was a team easily that was likely in line for an A over the first half of SoCon play. Two weeks later, however, they maybe lucky to have a B.

It's true, Vonterius Woolbright is doing things no one since Stephen Curry has done in terms of winning the Player of the Week award an insane amount of time already this season. However, Woolbright can't do it all by himself.

The more concerning issue is the fact that since the Samford game, the Catamounts have had trouble winning games at the Liston B. Ramsey Center in front of some pretty big crowds. The Catamounts have lost four of their past five games, with the lone win during that stretch coming against VMI (W, 102-77).

The Catamounts have dropped games against Samford (L, 71-75), at Furman (L, 62-65), vs. UNC Greensboro (L, 82-85 OT), and vs. Chattanooga (L, 85-91). The big concern now Is the fact that the Catamounts still have road games at Samford (Feb. 14), at UNC Greensboro (Feb. 21) and at Chattanooga (Mar. 2). Saturday's second half doesn't offer any respite either, as the Catamounts will head to Wofford for an intriguing matchup with Wofford. Tip-off for that contest is set for 4 p.m. EST at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.

The margin for error in those road games just got a lot less with three home losses to those same teams, especially when it comes to tiebreakers and seeding, and those three losses might have just compromised the Catamounts chances for winning the regular-season title and heading to Asheville with the No. 1 seed.

Having said that, the Catamounts will be in the mix to win it all in Asheville because Western Carolina has one of the best talents in all of college hoops in the form of combo guard Vonterius Woolbright, who has been simply sensational over the first half of league play and throughout the entire season.

Woolbright was the preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year selection for good reason, and he currently leads the league in scoring and rebounding, while ranking second in assists-per-game. Woolbright's seven player of the week citations are one away from tying a league record previously established by Davidson's Stephen Curry during the 2008-09 season, as he garnered eight player of the week honors during that particular campaign. 

The senior from Albany, GA, continues to lead the nation in rebounding average (12.5 RPG), while also pacing all of NCAA Division I college basketball in double-doubles, having registered 18 in 22 games. Woolbright has found his way into double figures in all 22 games this season for WCU. His 22.2 PPG average ranks fourth in NCAA Division I college basketball.

While Woolbright is trailblazing his own path at Western Carolina, he's not the only piece to this talented Catamount basketball team under the direction of third-year head coach Justin Gray. Gray has stacked this team with sensational guard play to surround and support Woolbright. Russell Jones Jr. (12.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG) and Tre Jackson (13.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG) add scoring ability along with maturity, while DJ Campbell (12.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG) consistently hits big shots in big moments. 

Campbell is kind of the guy that goes unnoticed in such a talented backcourt. It's such a talented collection of guard talent that Kamar Robertson (2.7 PPG, 1.4 RPG), who was a regular at Mercer the previous four years before making his way to Cullowhee, has struggled to find many minutes. 

The 6-11 Charles Lampten (2.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG) continues to be Western's top force on the defensive end as a rim protector, while Bernard Pelote (6.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG) continues to give the Catamounts good lift off the bench. 

Why Western Carolina Will Win The Southern Conference

While the Catamounts might have squandered a way a shot at the regular-season title with its latest home loss, the Catamounts need to shift their primary focus to Asheville and to garnering the school's second-ever NCAA Tournament bid as an NCAA Division I member, which is very much a realistic goal. After all, with the NIT bid now off the table for mid-majors, the regular-season title essentially only gets you the top billing in Asheville, which is important, but it's not everything. 

The Catamounts can and will win the tournament if they can manage to draw the right matchups in Asheville. For instance, avoiding UNC Greensboro and Chattanooga might be important. Matchups with Furman and Samford would be more to the strengths the Catamounts have collectively as a team, and those strengths match the weaknesses of those two aforementioned foes. When you get into facing Chattanooga and UNCG, you get into post defense, and that's not an area where this team thrives. All that to say seeding is important. The other reason the Catamounts will win it is that they just have that guy and his name is Vonterius Woolbright. 

Why Western Carolina Won't Win The Southern Conference

Did we mention how good WCU's guards are? Well, that reason is two-fold. First, they are really good. Secondly, WCU's big men are limited in both depth and offensive talent. Lampten is an excellent shot-blocking presence around the rim, but he's not a guy that likes to chase out on the perimeter, which is why guys like Achor Achor (Samford), Jan Zidek (Chattanooga), and Mikeal-Brown Jones (UNCG) seemingly have big games for those teams when facing WCU because all three players can make shots from the perimeter. 

The other big man is Coreneilous Williams, and he's going to be really good, but he's still in the developmental stages with his overall offensive game. The finished product will be awesome, but you're likely not going to see that until next year. Furman has that similar situation with Cooper Bowser. Bernard Pelote is a difference maker, and he might have to provide more scoring in the low post. 

The other option is taking away Woolbright from the backcourt at certain points in the game and playing him at the four and letting Russell Jones Jr. play the point, giving you the versatility of scoring in both the backcourt and front court. However, if the Catamounts don't fix the front court scoring issues, and certain deficiencies on the defensive end like Lampten's inability to chase his assignment out to the perimeter, Western Carolina won't be cutting down the nets in Asheville. 

Mid-Season Awards:

First-Team All-SoCon

G--Vonterius Woolbright (Western Carolina)

G--JP Pegues (Furman)

F--Sam Alexis (Chattanooga)

F--Achor Achor (Samford)

F-- Mikeal Brown-Jones UNCG 

Second Team All-SoCon

G--Trey Bonham (Chattanooga)

G--AJ Staton McCray (Samford)

G--Corey Tripp (Wofford)

G--Jayden Seymour (East Tennessee State)

G/F--Marcus Foster (Furman)

Third Team All-SoCon

G--Honor Huff (Chattanooga)

G--Russell Jones Jr. (Western Carolina)

G--Alex Williams (Furman)

G--Elijah Morgan (The Citadel)

G--Keyshaun Langley (UNCG)

All Freshman Team

G--Tyran Cook (VMI)

G--Jake Davis (Mercer)

F--David Thomas (Mercer)

F--Kenyan Davis (The Citadel)

F--Jan Zidek (Chattanooga)

--Riley Allenspach (Samford)

Defensive Player of the Year: Kobe Langley (UNCG)

Defensive Player of the Year Contenders: Sam Alexis (Chattanooga), Marcus Foster (Furman), Russell Jones Jr (WCU), Achor Achor (Samford), Jadyn Parker (East Tennessee State)

Player of the Year: Vonterius Woolbright (WCU)

Player of the Year Contenders: Mikeal Brown-Jones (UNCG), JP Pegues (Furman), Sam Alexis (Chattanooga)

Freshman of the Year: David Thomas (Mercer)

Freshman of the Year Contenders: Jake Davis (Mercer), Myles Che (Chattanooga), Kenyan Davis (The Citadel), David Thomas (Mercer), Tyran Cook (Chattanooga), Myles Che (Chattanooga)

Top Newcomer: Quimari Peterson (East Tennessee State)

Coach of the Year: Bucky McMillan (Samford) or Bob Richey (Furman) or Dwight Perry (Wofford)

Coach of the Year Contenders: Mike Jones (UNCG) and Dan Earl (Chattanooga)

Best "Glue Guy": Karon Boyd (East Tennessee State) or Tyler Millin (Chattanooga)

Stay tuned for part 2 and the rest of the league's first half report cards...