If you have been in a general malaise since the end of the Southern Conference basketball season, here's some of the developments you might have missed.
Samford and Chattanooga suffer massive departures
Samford will lose four starters to graduation, with Wyatt Walker (NC State), Christen Cunningham (Louisville), Justin Coleman (Arizona), and Triston Chambers
have all decided to continue their respective careers somewhere other than Birmingham. For more on the transfer situation at Samford, check out this link below.
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2018/4/8/17202406/samford-bulldogs-southern-conference-scott-padgett-christen-cunningham-transfer
have all decided to continue their respective careers somewhere other than Birmingham. For more on the transfer situation at Samford, check out this link below.
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2018/4/8/17202406/samford-bulldogs-southern-conference-scott-padgett-christen-cunningham-transfer
Meanwhile, Chattanooga head coach Lamont Paris will have nearly an entire different team for the 2018-19 season, with his top seven contributors--transfers and seniors--having moved on. Plenty of help appears to be on the way, including a quartet of solid Division I transfers, with the additions of forward Ramon Vila (Arizona State), guard Jerry Johnson Jr (Fairfield), center Thomas Smallwood (UAB) and guard A.J. Caldwell (South Alabama). A complete list of both out-going and incoming transfers is listed below. Paris also added one of the top incoming freshman in the SoCon, with the verbal commitment from Kevin Easley, Jr.
Some notable players headed out of the Scenic City include the following: F/C Makinde London (turning pro/retained agent), G Nat Dixon (SMU), G Makale Foreman (Stony Brook), Rodney Chatman (Dayton) and F James Lewis Jr. (Appalachian State).
Former Western Carolina head coach Larry Hunter passes away
By far the most tragic news of the Southern Conference off-season is the death of former Western Carolina head coach Larry Hunter. Hunter suffered a massive stroke on April 30, 2018 and was put on life support. He passed away Friday, May 4. He was 68 years old.
Hunter was a legendary coach in the Southern Conference, and is in a class of his own when it comes to wins, as he is one of only 42 coaches in college basketball history at any level to win 700 or more games in a career. He stepped down following Western Carolina's opening round, 97-73, quarterfinal loss in the Southern Conference Tournament. He finished with an incredible 702 wins in his career.
As great as a coach as Hunter was, he was even a better person and a true class-act on and off the court. The Southern Conference lost a legend and he will be missed. RIP Coach Hunter. Prayers go out to his family and the Western Carolina Catamount nation.
Fletcher Magee considering options:
Wofford sharp-shooting and rising senior guard Fletcher Magee, who led the nation in three-pointers made (148) last season, is considering all of his options. The SoCon's leading scorer in 2017-18 declared himself eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft in June, but did not retain an agent, which gives him the option to return to Wofford for the 2018-19 season. Both former Davidson guard Stephen Curry (2006-09) and former Western Carolina guard Kevin Martin (2001-04) declared as juniors and both were drafted.
North Carolina will open its season at Wofford:
Everyone remembers that Dec. 21, 2017 game between Wofford and North Carolina in Chapel Hill, which saw the Terriers take down mighty No. 5 North Carolina, 79-75, in Chapel Hill, N.C. It was one of the biggest upsets of the 2017-18 season. In 2018-19, the Terriers will open the season with
Recruiting: Top incoming recruits/transfers (updated list since article was written)
- C-Mohammad ‘Mohamed’ Abdulsalam (UNCG)
- G-Steven Fitzgerald (Samford)
- G/F-Kevin Easley, Jr. (Chattanooga--verbal commitment)
- G-Carlos Curtis (ETSU)
- G-Andrew Taylor (Furman)
- G-Isaiah Tisdale (ETSU)
- G-Stanley Henderson (Samford)
- F-Carlos Dotson (Western Carolina)
- F-Messiah Jones (Wofford--verbal commitment)
- F/C-Ramon Vila (Chattanooga)
- G-Tray Boyd III (ETSU)
- F-Jalen Slawson (Furman)
- C-Fardaws Aimaq (Mercer)
- G-Maurice Commander (Chattanooga)
- G-Daivien Williamson (ETSU)
- F/C Maciej Bender (Mercer)
- G-Gene Higgins (The Citadel)
- G-Angelo Allegri (UNCG)
- G/F-Rod Johnson (Chattanooga)
- G-Dorde Dimitrijevic (Mercer)
- G-Mike Bothwell (Furman)
- F/C-Connor Arnold (VMI)
- G-Ryan Larson (Wofford--verbal commitment)
- F-Logan Dye (Samford)
- C-Dimitri Georgiadis(The Citadel)
For more reading on this subject, check out this link. Ranking SoCon Recruiting
Outgoing transfers we know about:
Outgoing transfers we know about:
G-Frankie Johnson (The Citadel)
G-Tariq Simmons (The Citadel)
G-Preston Parks (The Citadel)
F-Robert Johnson (The Citadel)
G-Leandro Allende (The Citadel/turning pro)
G-Preston Parks (The Citadel)
F-Robert Johnson (The Citadel)
G-Leandro Allende (The Citadel/turning pro)
G-Keith Smith (VMI)
F-Armani Branch (VMI)
F/C-Makinde London (Chattanooga--Retained agent and declared for NBA Draft)
G-Rodney Chatman (Chattanooga)
G-Makale Foreman (Chattanooga)
F-James Lewis Jr (Chattanooga)
G-Nat Dixon (Chattanooga)
G-Jason Williams (ETSU)
G-Jonathan Jean (Furman)
G-Triston Chambers (Samford)
G-Justin Coleman (Samford)
C-Wyatt Walker (Samford)
G-Christen Cunningham (Samford)
F-Dishon Lowery (Wofford)
G-Rashad Lewis (Mercer)
F-Ryan Johnson (Mercer)
F-Ryan Johnson (Mercer)
F-Mike Amius (Western Carolina--Turning Pro)
Incoming Transfers We Know About
G-Jerry Johnson Jr. (Fairfield-to-Chattanooga)
F-Ramon Vila (Arizona State-to-Chattanooga)
G-A.J. Caldwell (South Alabama-to-Chattanooga)
F-Carlos Dotson (College of Central Florida CC-to-Western Carolina)
F-Carlos Dotson (College of Central Florida CC-to-Western Carolina)
G-Tray Boyd III (Northwest Florida State CC-to East Tennessee State)
G-Patrick Good (Appalachian State-to-ETSU)
F-Rod Johnson (Highland Community College-to-Chattanooga)
G-Jerry Johnson Jr. (Fairfield-to-Chattanooga)
G-Isaiah Tisdale (Vincennes Junior College-to-ETSU)
G-Dorde Dimitrijevic (Western Nebraska-to-Mercer)
G-Lewis Stallworth (Texas Rio Grand Valley-to-The Citadel)
G-Connor Kern (Arkansas State-to-The Citadel)
F-Jalen Dupree (Murray State-to-Samford)
G-Mason Faulkner (Northern Kentucky-to-Western Carolina)
F/C--Eric Hamilton (Wichita State-to-UNCG)
F/C-- Maciej Bender (West Virginia-to-Mercer)
G-Isaiah Tisdale (Vincennes Junior College-to-ETSU)
G-Dorde Dimitrijevic (Western Nebraska-to-Mercer)
G-Lewis Stallworth (Texas Rio Grand Valley-to-The Citadel)
G-Connor Kern (Arkansas State-to-The Citadel)
F-Jalen Dupree (Murray State-to-Samford)
G-Mason Faulkner (Northern Kentucky-to-Western Carolina)
F/C--Eric Hamilton (Wichita State-to-UNCG)
F/C-- Maciej Bender (West Virginia-to-Mercer)
Redshirts to keep a keen eye on next season:
F/C--Eric Hamilton (Wichita State-to-UNCG)
F--Noah Gurley--Furman
F--Jeromy Rodriguez--ETSU
G--Patrick Good--ETSU
F/C--Justin Brown--Chattanooga
Coaching Changes:
--Mark Prosser (Western Carolina) is obviously the lone head coaching job transition in the SoCon since the season ended, but there have been several assistant coaches to depart for other destinations, as well as other ones that have been hired.
--Mercer top assistant Jason Eaker leaves the Bears to become head coach at Division II Oklahoma Baptist
--In late April, Wofford head coach Mike Young announced the hiring of David Land to the staff as Athletic Performance Coach.
-- Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman announced the hiring of Paul Mrozik last week from Cal Poly, where he served as the associate head coach the past couple of seasons.
Early look at the preseason polls:
1. UNCG--Spartans have three key starters returning and will be the favorites to repeat.
2. ETSU--The Bucs lose some really key pieces, but as have already seen Steve Forbes just reloads.
3. Wofford--Mike Young has a team that will no doubt challenge for the title with or without MaGee
4. Furman--Bob Richey will have his first real test this season to reload the Paladins.
5. Mercer-- Bob Hoffman is another coach that must begin life without a slew of great players, including guards Jordan Strawberry and Ria'n Holland.
6. Chattanooga--The Mocs have had massive turnover, but will be much improved in Lamont Paris' second season.
7. The Citadel--Duggar Baucom should have his team ready to compete for a top six spot in the tournament in 2018-19.
8. VMI-- Dan Earl is slowly but surely putting the pieces together in Lexington.
9. Samford--Scott Padgett has one of the top recruiting classes in the SoCon, but the Bulldogs must replace four starters and their top eight scorers.
10. Western Carolina--It's been a tough two months for Western Carolina basketball for obvious reasons, however, Mark Prosser is just the man to handle this situation, as he is young and energetic and will get this program turned around, however, it might not be right away.
Choosing a breakout player among returnees for each team next season:
1. Demetrius Troy (UNCG)--Troy has taken on more of a leadership role for the Spartans, and really proved to be a key cog in the Spartans' run to the SoCon Tournament title last season.
2. Bo Hodges (ETSU)--Already an all-freshman performer last season, look for Hodges to improve even more offensively, while also improving strengths such as defending, rebounding and blocking shots.
3. Jordan Lyons (Furman)--With Furman struggling to free up Devin Sibley and Daniel Fowler in its Southern Conference semifinal loss to East Tennessee State, it was Lyons that stepped up and kept Furman in the game in the second half. He will be a lethal perimeter shooter next season.
4. Keve Aluma (Wofford)--We didn't see much out of him as a scorer last season, but expect that area of his game to improve and his athleticism will continue to benefit him defensively and on the backboards.
5. Ross Cummings (Mercer)--He was a player that started to show you what he could do this season when Holland went down with an injury, and look for him to become more than a three-point shooter next season, as I believe he will become one of the league's premier scorers.
6. Matt Halvorsen (Western Carolina)--Matt Halvorsen showed he was one of the better perimeter shooters for the Catamounts last season, and like Cummings, I expect him to become a much improved all-around offensive performer during the off-season.
7. Kevion Nolan (Samford)--With so many exiting the program among transfers and graduates, Kevion Nolan has all the tools to step up and be a true scoring threat for the Bulldogs this season, but kind of got lost in the mix with the guard-heavy Bulldogs of last season.
8. Alex Reed (The Citadel)--The Bulldogs may have suffered some losses at guard due to transfer, but if sophomore Alex Reed steps up like I think he will, he will provide more than a nice compliment to Zane Najdawi underneath the basket and will give the Bulldogs one of the best frontcourts in the SoCon.
9. Tyler Creammer (VMI)--A player that has seemingly seen improvement throughout his VMI career to this point, and I think he will become the go-to-scorer in the paint for the Keydets in 2018-19.
10. David Jean-Baptiste (Chattanooga)--Literally the lone starter to return for Chattanooga after so many transferred out or graduated following the season. Look for David Jean-Baptiste and Duane Moss to step up and be the most improved scorers and leaders for the Mocs this coming season, and the two may be asked to hold things together while the transfers and incoming freshmen get acclimated to their surroundings in the Scenic City.
F/C--Justin Brown--Chattanooga
Coaching Changes:
--Mark Prosser (Western Carolina) is obviously the lone head coaching job transition in the SoCon since the season ended, but there have been several assistant coaches to depart for other destinations, as well as other ones that have been hired.
--Mercer top assistant Jason Eaker leaves the Bears to become head coach at Division II Oklahoma Baptist
--In late April, Wofford head coach Mike Young announced the hiring of David Land to the staff as Athletic Performance Coach.
-- Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman announced the hiring of Paul Mrozik last week from Cal Poly, where he served as the associate head coach the past couple of seasons.
Early look at the preseason polls:
1. UNCG--Spartans have three key starters returning and will be the favorites to repeat.
2. ETSU--The Bucs lose some really key pieces, but as have already seen Steve Forbes just reloads.
3. Wofford--Mike Young has a team that will no doubt challenge for the title with or without MaGee
4. Furman--Bob Richey will have his first real test this season to reload the Paladins.
5. Mercer-- Bob Hoffman is another coach that must begin life without a slew of great players, including guards Jordan Strawberry and Ria'n Holland.
6. Chattanooga--The Mocs have had massive turnover, but will be much improved in Lamont Paris' second season.
7. The Citadel--Duggar Baucom should have his team ready to compete for a top six spot in the tournament in 2018-19.
8. VMI-- Dan Earl is slowly but surely putting the pieces together in Lexington.
9. Samford--Scott Padgett has one of the top recruiting classes in the SoCon, but the Bulldogs must replace four starters and their top eight scorers.
10. Western Carolina--It's been a tough two months for Western Carolina basketball for obvious reasons, however, Mark Prosser is just the man to handle this situation, as he is young and energetic and will get this program turned around, however, it might not be right away.
Choosing a breakout player among returnees for each team next season:
1. Demetrius Troy (UNCG)--Troy has taken on more of a leadership role for the Spartans, and really proved to be a key cog in the Spartans' run to the SoCon Tournament title last season.
2. Bo Hodges (ETSU)--Already an all-freshman performer last season, look for Hodges to improve even more offensively, while also improving strengths such as defending, rebounding and blocking shots.
3. Jordan Lyons (Furman)--With Furman struggling to free up Devin Sibley and Daniel Fowler in its Southern Conference semifinal loss to East Tennessee State, it was Lyons that stepped up and kept Furman in the game in the second half. He will be a lethal perimeter shooter next season.
4. Keve Aluma (Wofford)--We didn't see much out of him as a scorer last season, but expect that area of his game to improve and his athleticism will continue to benefit him defensively and on the backboards.
5. Ross Cummings (Mercer)--He was a player that started to show you what he could do this season when Holland went down with an injury, and look for him to become more than a three-point shooter next season, as I believe he will become one of the league's premier scorers.
6. Matt Halvorsen (Western Carolina)--Matt Halvorsen showed he was one of the better perimeter shooters for the Catamounts last season, and like Cummings, I expect him to become a much improved all-around offensive performer during the off-season.
7. Kevion Nolan (Samford)--With so many exiting the program among transfers and graduates, Kevion Nolan has all the tools to step up and be a true scoring threat for the Bulldogs this season, but kind of got lost in the mix with the guard-heavy Bulldogs of last season.
8. Alex Reed (The Citadel)--The Bulldogs may have suffered some losses at guard due to transfer, but if sophomore Alex Reed steps up like I think he will, he will provide more than a nice compliment to Zane Najdawi underneath the basket and will give the Bulldogs one of the best frontcourts in the SoCon.
9. Tyler Creammer (VMI)--A player that has seemingly seen improvement throughout his VMI career to this point, and I think he will become the go-to-scorer in the paint for the Keydets in 2018-19.
10. David Jean-Baptiste (Chattanooga)--Literally the lone starter to return for Chattanooga after so many transferred out or graduated following the season. Look for David Jean-Baptiste and Duane Moss to step up and be the most improved scorers and leaders for the Mocs this coming season, and the two may be asked to hold things together while the transfers and incoming freshmen get acclimated to their surroundings in the Scenic City.
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