If this past weekend’s Southern Conference action didn’t get you excited about the Southern Conference race and mid-major conference play this year, then you might need to check your vitals.
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Desmond Johnson and Western Carolina ready to face Chattanooga Thursday night
Photo Courtesy of Western Carolina Athletics |
Now that 2018 is upon us and college football is winding down in its final week, conference play now becomes the focus for the college sports enthusiast.
Variety was the order of the first weekend of action of Southern Conference basketball. Both drama and blowouts defined the opening weekend of league play.
It should be an exciting Thursday night of basketball in the SoCon and below are previews of each of the four games.
The Citadel (5-8, 0-1 SoCon) at Furman (10-4, 1-0 SoCon)
Furman returns to action Thursday night looking for its second-straight win over a military school when it hosts The Citadel Thursday night at Timmons Arena. The Paladins have been especially tough at Timmons Arena. Since the start of the 2015-16 season, the Paladins have claimed 17 of 18 home Southern Conference wins. The lone win by an opponent during that span at Timmons Arena came last February, when UNC Greensboro handed the Paladins a 73-52 setback at Timmons Arena last season.
The Paladins and Bulldogs will be meeting on the hardwood for the 208th time on the college basketball hardwood, with Furman holding a commanding 121-86 all-time series advantage. The Paladins have won seven of the last nine games against the Bulldogs, including each of the last three meetings.
The Paladins continue to be led by preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year Devin Sibley (15.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG), who was held to just nine points the last time out at VMI. Despite that fact, the Paladins won by 30 on the road.
However, Sibley is the unquestioned leader of Furman’s basketball team, and has had some strong performances against The Citadel in the past three seasons, including a career-high 32 points against the Bulldogs in an early February win at McAlister Field House last season.
Daniel Fowler (11.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 40 assists), who recently went over 1,000 points for his career in the win at VMI, is joined by Andrew Brown (6.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG) and John Davis III (12.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG) to round out the starters in the backcourt. Matt Rafferty (11.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 39 assists) continues to be the man in the paint for the Paladins. He is given good support from Clay Mounce (6.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG) and Jalen Williams (3.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG) off the Paladin bench.
The Citadel counters with a young lineup under third-year head coach Duggar Baucom. Tariq Simmons (13.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG) has taken the role of being the go-to-guy since the departure of Preston Parks. The Bulldogs come into the contest leading the SoCon in scoring offense, averaging 86.6 PPG.
Simmons and Matt Frierson (11.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG) are the two Bulldogs averaging in double figures entering Friday night’s contest. The Bulldogs have made the most three-pointers in the Southern Conference this season, having knocked down 154 triples this season, while Furman ranks second in three-pointers in the SoCon this season, with 148 triples so far this season, including 16 triples in last Saturday’s win at VMI.
The Paladins come in ranking sixth in three-point field goal percentage (35.7%), while the Bulldogs rank eighth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (33.9%).
The Bulldogs come into the matchup ranking last in the SoCon in scoring defense (89.3 PPG), while Furman comes in ranking fourth (68.6). Furman continues to defend the three-point line well this season, ranking second behind only UNCG in that category, limiting opponents to just 29.7% from long range this season. That doesn’t bode well for the Bulldogs Thursday night.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Furman 102, The Citadel 86
Western Carolina (5-8, 1-0 SoCon) at Chattanooga (6-8, 0-1 SoCon)
Western Carolina is starting to gather some momentum, especially after the Catamounts’ 81-79 win on the SoCon road against The Citadel this past Saturday. The Catamounts will travel to
Chattanooga for a key Southern Conference clash Thursday night.
Western Carolina head coach Larry Hunter has had to rely on a lineup still looking to find chemistry in 2017-18, but things seem to be on the up and up for the Catamounts, and it appears to be a team gaining confidence as the season progresses.
It starts with the backcourt. Desmond Johnson (4.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG) is coming off an impressive 19-point effort in the win over The Citadel, while Deriece Parks (10.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG), Matt Halvorsen (9.3 PPG, 1.2 RPG) and Devin Peterson (7.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 40 assists) have been key cogs all season for the Catamount backcourt.
Meanwhile, the frontcourt has also seen some strong play for the Purple and Gold in 2017-18. Mike Amius (10.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG) and Marc Gosselin (8.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG) have held down things underneath. Amius’ athleticism coupled with Gosselin’s versatility as an inside-outside threat has caused problems for opponents this season.
Chattanooga counters with one of the youngest lineups in college basketball under first-year head coach Lamont Paris. The Mocs return to McKenzie Arena off a 73-56 loss at Samford this past Saturday night.
Chattanooga has had a nice inside-outside combo this season, with a pair of juniors leading the way. Guard Nat Dixon (12.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG) comes into the contest as the Mocs’ leading scorer, while center Makinde London (13.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG) is having an all-conference season. Sophomore guard Rodney Chatman (11.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG) led the Mocs last time out against Samford, posting 15 points in the 17-point road loss.
The Mocs come into Thursday night’s clash having lost three out of their last four games, including two-straight by double digits. The last home loss came just before the Christmas break, as Chattanooga dropped a 71-48 decision to Sun Belt member Georgia State.
Chattanooga has won seven of the past nine meetings with the Catamounts, including having won three-straight. The Mocs haven’t lost a home game to the Catamounts since Feb. 1, 2011, when the Catamounts claimed a 69-68 win at the Roundhouse. The Mocs hold a commanding 65-24 all-time series advantage over the Catamounts. This one should be close.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Chattanooga 72, Western Carolina 68
VMI (5-7, 0-1 SoCon) at Wofford (9-5, 0-1 SoCon)
Both Wofford and VMI will be looking to get back on the winning track in league play this weekend when the two square off at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium Thursday night at 7 p.m.
Thursday night’s clash between the Keydets and Terriers marks just the 18th meeting between the two teams, with Wofford holding an 11-6 edge in the all-time series. Wofford has claimed eight-straight wins in the series between the two, with VMI’s last victory in the series coming way back in the 2000-2001 season, with the Keydets claiming a 68-60 win in Lexington.
The Terriers lost a 71-67 heartbreaker on the road, while the Keydets were blown out, 87-57, by Furman in Lexington Saturday. The Southern Conference schedule obviously did the Keydets no favors in the opening week of league play, having to face three of the favorites to cut down the nets in Asheville in March, with games against Furman, at Wofford and at UNC Greensboro Saturday.
The Terriers continue to be led by Fletcher Magee (24.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG), who to this point in the season, is the front-runner for Southern Conference Player of the Year. Magee continues to raise eyebrows nationally, thanks in large part to his ability to consistently connect on the three ball.
Magee continues to lead the nation in three-point field goals made, having knocked down 62 triples through the first 14 games of the season and is on pace to break Stephen Curry’s single season record of 162 triples made at Davidson in the 2007-08 season. In fact, Magee is actually 10 triples ahead of Curry at this same point in the season a decade ago. Magee also ranks fifth nationally in points per game (24.2 PPG).
Magee teams with Trevor Stumpe (8.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG) and Storm Murphy in the starting backcourt for head coach Mike Young’s Terriers. In the paint, keep an eye on 6-9 Cameron Jackson (12.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG), who is also having an all-conference season in the paint. If Jackson can stay out of foul trouble, he and Magee team up to form one of the best inside-outside duos in the SoCon.
VMI is just one win away from matching last season’s win total, but head coach Dan Earl’s Keydets are especially young. Junior Austin Vereen (9.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG) and freshman Bubba
Parham (12.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG) have been solid all season for the Keydets, especially shooting the basketball.
Parham is coming off what is one of the best performances of his young career, going for 21 points in the loss to Furman. The Snellville, GA product was an impressive 5-for-9 from three-point land.
The Keydets have had trouble getting points in the paint as of late, but center Tyler Creammer (9.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG) and forward Will Miller (4.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG) have had strong performances this season, but a little inconsistent at times.
Final Score Prediction: Wofford 87, VMI 75
East Tennessee State (10-4, 1-0 SoCon) at Samford (5-9, 1-0 SoCon)
The most impressive team in the Southern Conference so far just might be the East Tennessee State Buccaneers, who have claimed victories in eight of its past nine games, including an impressive 74-55 win at SoCon Coaches’ preseason title favorite Mercer this past weekend.
The lone loss in that sequence of games for head coach Steve Forbes’ Bucs was a 68-66 setback at then No. 10 Xavier in a game in which the Bucs led by as many as 22 points in the second half.
It’s been a bit of a struggle for Scott Padgett’s Samford Bulldogs during the non-conference portion of conference play, but the Bulldogs looked pretty strong on Saturday night with a 73-56 win over visiting Chattanooga.
One of the biggest things that has been a noticeable difference in this ETSU team as opposed to the one that won 27 games last year and went to the NCAA Tournament last year has been the improvement on the defensive side of the floor. In the 19-point at Mercer Sunday afternoon, the Bucs were physical in the paint and were creating havoc for Mercer talented guards Ria’n Holland and Jordan Strawberry.
The Bucs have one of the best guard tandems in the Southern Conference, with both Texas Southern transfer Jalan McCloud (11.9 PPG, 3.9 APG) and senior Desonta Bradford (13.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG) leading the way. Devontavius Payne (9.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG) has also gotten off to a great start in the backcourt this season for Bucs, averaging right on the verge of double figures.
The one major concern for Padgett’s Bulldogs heading into Thursday night is in the paint. Without Wyatt Walker on the boards and as a rim protector, it has made the season a real struggle thus far for Samford due mostly to a lack of depth in the paint.
Seven-footer Peter Jurkin (8.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 18 blocks) and 6-6 forward David Burrell (6.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG) could pose major problems for the Bulldogs at the Pete Hanna Center Thursday night.
Justin Coleman, a transfer from Alabama, was outstanding Saturday night for Samford, scoring a career-high 28 points in the win over the Mocs. Coleman teams with one of the best facilitators in the Southern Conference in Christen Cunningham in the backcourt.
Demetrius Denzel-Dyson (14.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG) has been the leading scorer for the Bulldogs this season. Without Walker, the go-to-player underneath for the Bulldogs has been Eric Adams (6.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG).
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: ETSU 72, Samford 65
SoCon Receiving Some National Attention:
In the latest CollegeInsider.com poll, four teams find themselves ranked in the latest mid-major Top 25 poll. Furman comes in as the highest ranked team, posting a No. 11 ranking in the latest poll.
Following the Paladins in this week's poll comes East Tennessee State at No. 16, Wofford at No. 18 and UNC Greensboro at No. 20. ETSU was also ranked No. 8 in the NBC Sports mid-major rankings this week.
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| ETSU met UNCG in the SoCon Title Last Season in Asheville |
Did You Know:
After Furman endured four-consecutive losing seasons, the Paladins are currently in a three-season run that has seen them post a 52-32 overall mark on the hardwood, including a 26-11 against Southern Conference competition. Over the past 90 games, Furman has posted an impressive 56-34 mark.
The Paladins tied a school record with 23 wins last season, advancing all the way to the semifinals of the CollegeInsider.com (CIT) postseason tournament before bowing out with a loss at Saint Peters.
The rejuvenation of the program really started in the latter part of the 2014-15 season, when the Paladins won four of their final six games down the stretch, which included three-straight in the 2015 Southern Conference Tournament to advance all the way to the championship game before eventually losing to top-seeded Wofford, 67-64.
Meanwhile, East Tennessee State has also seen a couple of big seasons under head coach Steve Forbes. In Murry Bartow's final season as the head coach of the Bucs in 2014-15, the Bucs finished with a 16-14 mark, however, were just 8-10 in Southern Conference play.
Since that time, Forbes, a former disciple of Gregg Marshall's at Wichita State, has transformed the prospects of ETSU's basketball program. Since taking over prior to the 2015-16 season, the Bucs have posted a record 61-24 under Forbes, including a 29-8 mark against Southern Conference competition. The Bucs have made appearances in the college basketball postseason each of the past two years, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament last year, losing their opening game to Florida, 80-65.
Finally, UNC Greensboro is also coming off a stellar season, which saw the Spartans post their best season in school history last season. Under the direction of sixth-year head coach Wes Miller last season, the Spartans posted a school-record 25 wins last season, finishing 25-10 and finished tied for the regular-season Southern Conference title with both Furman and ETSU, posting a 14-4 league mark.
The Spartans made it back to the Southern Conference championship game for the first time since 2005 last season, losing a 79-74 decision in the SoCon title game to ETSU. By virtue of holding the tiebreakers over Furman and ETSU, UNCG qualified for the college basketball postseason for the second-straight season, qualifying for the National Invitational Tournament by virtue of their Southern Conference regular-season title. The Spartans dropped their opening game of the tournament, with a 90-77 setback to Syracuse.
The Spartans were 15-19 two years ago, with a postseason appearance in the College Basketball Invitational, defeating Houston Baptist (69-65) in their opening game before bowing out of the tournament with a 72-67 loss at Ohio.
Including its 10-4 start and 1-0 league start this season, the Spartans are 50-36 overall since the start of the 2015-16 season, and 25-12 against Southern Conference competition in that same span.
Power Rankings (Heading into the second night of conference play):
1. UNCG (10-4, 1-0 SoCon)
2. Furman (10-4, 1-0 SoCon)
3. ETSU (10-4, 1-0 SoCon)
T-3 Wofford (9-5, 0-1 SoCon)
5. Mercer (7-7, 0-1 SoCon)
6. Western Carolina (5-8, 1-0 SoCon)
7. Samford (5-9, 1-0 SoCon)
8. Chattanooga (6-8, 0-1 SoCon)
9. VMI (5-7, 0-1 SoCon)
10. The Citadel (5-8, 0-1 SoCon)
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