SoCon Basketball: Furman 2018-19 Preview

Furman--Forty-six wins over the past two seasons, and 76 over the past four--second-most in school history in a four-year span--has raised the bar of expectations for the program.

With the departure of three key starters from that four-year run, the 2018-19 season for Furman basketball will have a new feel to it, and it will feel like a bit of a new beginning for second-year head coach Bob Richey and staff.

A couple of staff changes have also been made, with the departure of Robbie Bostain, who is moving to California to pursue a new venture, as well as coach Trey Meyer, who had been the director of recruiting, has now been hired to the same position at College of Charleston. 

The good news is the replacement for Meyer as the Director of Recruiting will be a former player, who was very familiar with the bar of success achieved by the Paladin basketball program over the past four years, in Daniel Fowler, and he was a part of those 76 wins and the 2016-17 regular-season Southern Conference title team. 

The onus will be on Richey and Fowler and the holdovers from those successful runs each of the past several seasons to provide the leadership, challenging the incoming talent to push themselves to the same heights as the program has been able to achieve over the past four years. 

Players like senior forward Matt Rafferty and senior guard Andrew Brown will be key figures in helping the newcomers to understand just what this program has achieved, as well as how they have done it.

It was no doubt a special past four seasons of basketball for Furman, which not only included 76 wins and a regular-season crown, but also included a SoCon Freshman of the Year (Devin Sibley, 2014-15), two players of the year (Devin Sibley 2016-17 and Stephen Croone 2015-16), and two trips to the college basketball postseason for the first time since the mid-1970s, with a pair of appearances in the CollegeInsider.com (CIT) Tournament, including a trip to the semifinals in the 2016-17 campaign. 

Furman head coach Bob Richey

The Paladins have undergone a coaching change, with Niko Medved, who along with Richey, is credited for helping the Paladins get things turned around on the hardwood when he arrived at Furman in April of 2013. He left the program in the great hands of Richey. Under the direction of Richey, the Paladins would see plenty of success in his first season at the helm.

 With four starters back for the 2017-18 season, Richey would lead the Paladins to 23 wins and an appearance in the SoCon semifinals, where they would lose, 63-52, to reigning tournament champion East Tennessee State.

It was a tough ending for the likes of Fowler, Sibley, Geoff Beans and point guard John Davis III, however, it was those players, along with Kris Acox (‘17), Croone (‘16), Larry Wideman (‘16) and Kendrec Ferrara (‘16) that helped form the nucleus to get Furman basketball headed back in a positive direction.

The real test for Richey as a head coach will be this season, as only two starters return, however, a strong corps of talented players have been recruited over the past three seasons to help the Paladins have the ability to reload, instead of rebuild. Add to that Richey, a 37-year old head coach, who is wise beyond his years and is also an avid reader, and you have the makings of what could be another special season for Furman basketball.

Previewing The Furman Backcourt: 

Furman lost all three starters from its backcourt from a year ago, making the challenge a difficult one for head coach Bob Richey and staff heading into the 2018-19 campaign. 

The biggest loss was obviously 2016-17 Southern Conference Player of the Year and  2014-15 SoCon Freshman of the Year, Devin Sibley. 

The Knoxville, TN., native finished his career by scoring 1,817-career points, which ranks him seventh all-time in scoring in Furman basketball history. Sibley, who starterd 25-of-32 games for the Paladins last season, averaged a team-best 14.2 PPG. 

Though Sibley struggled a bit down the stretch for reasons un-related to basketball, with his mother being ill, he was still an on-the-court leader that was a reliable, experienced player the Paladins could look to down the stretch in games. 

One of Sibley’s most memorable performances during his final campaign as a Paladin came just prior to Christmas playing in his hometown of Knoxville against 20th-ranked Tennessee. The former Karns High School standout posted a game-high 22 points in what was a heartbreaking, 66-61, loss to the Volunteers.

Sibley also made a big shot in the regular-season finale road contest at East Tennessee State, as his four-point play at East Tennessee State with a little over a minute left helped the Paladins to a 79-76 road win. It was Furman’s first win at East Tennessee State since 2005. All told, Sibley finished out his final season as a Paladin by scoring 20 or more points 10 times, finished with 23 double-figure scoring performances as a senior, and two double-doubles. 

The same could be said for both John Davis III and Daniel Fowler, who both started for the better part of the past four seasons. In fact, Fowler played in a school-record 133 games, making 127-career starts. It could be argued that Fowler’s leadership might be missed more than anyone else, and his performance on the defensive end and his ability to make big shots in the clutch are two aspects of the game that aren’t easily replaced. 

Fowler finished out his career ranking eighth all-time in school hisotry in assists (369), 29th in scoring (1,217 points), and eighth in steals (153). He was a third-team all-conference selection this past season, and fortunately, he will be able to contribute his knowledge and help the newcomers get familiarized with the winning culture that has been created at Furman over the past four years, as he will be sticking around as Furman’s new Director of Recruiting. 

In all, the three starting guards Furman loses to graduation represented the three top scorers on the squad, as Furman had four average in double figures last season. 

One noticeable difference for the Paladins under Richey as opposed to his predecessor, was the Paladins’ high-octane offense. In fact, the Paladins scored 100 or more points five times last season and ranked second in the SoCon to only The Citadel in scoring last season, averaging 79.4 PPG. In Medved’s final season at the helm of the Paladin basketball program, Furman averaaged 74.0 PPG to rank seventh in the SoCon during the 2016-17 season. 

Fortunately, despite the loss of such talent and experience like the trio of Davis, Fowler and Sibley, both Medved and Richey made sure there would be talent waiting in the wings in the Paladin backcourt when the aforementioned trio graduated. 

The leaders in the backcourt in 2018-19 will be three veterans that will provide leadership, and all three have improved their perimeter shooting over the summer. Senior Andrew Brown (8.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, team-leading 61 triples), junior Jordan Lyons (8.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG, second on team with 58 made three-pointers) and sophomore Alex Hunter (3.2 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 37 assists, 16 turnovers) will all be key pieces for the Paladins.

Brown, a 6-5, 212-lb guard from nearby Travelers Rest, S.C., had a bit of a health scare after the season, after undergoing what should have seemingly been routine surgery for a hernia, however, the surgeon inadvertently knicked his intestine, which got infected while Brown was recovering and he got really sick, and he was transferred to ICU. Furman players and joined him by his bed side day and night with prayers until he finally was on the mend about two weeks later.

It’s been a bit of a long road back for Brown, however, and a few months later, suffered a foot injury, forcing him to have a pin inserted into his foot in late August, and is expected to return to the Paladins in mid-October. 

Brown really came on towards the end of the regular-season in 2017-18, scoring in double figures in four of his final six games of the campaign, including a career-high 22 points in a 78-55 route of Western Carolina in Cullowhee. He followed that up by scoring 11 points in a, 79-76, regular-season finale win on the road at East Tennessee State. 

He was a major part of why the Paladins entered the Southern Conference Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the SoCon, having won six-straight games entering the postseason. However, Brown did struggle in the tournament, as he was held scoreless in Furman’s quarterfinal win over Western Carolina. And in Furman’s season-ending, 63-52, loss to East Tennessee State, the Bucs held Brown to just two points.

The Catamounts and Bucs obviosuly found a way to put a stop to Brown’s strong play down the stretch, however, Brown should be a contender for all-conference honors in 2018-19, and is primed to have his best season yet in the Purple and White. 

Brown finished the 2017-18 season scoring in double figures in 11 of the 32 games he saw action in last season, logging 31 starts. Not only did Brown complete the season as Furman’s leader in three-point field goals, with 61, he also completed the campaign ranking third in the SoCon in three-point field goal percentage (43.3%/61-of-144).

Brown will be joined in the backcourt by Lyons, who, like Brown, has taken on the leadership mantle during the off-season. The 5-11, 195-lb, native of Peachtree City, GA, has been a leader off the court during the off-season, both vocal and work-ethic wise.Lyons was Furman’s best player in the Southern Conference Tournament, earning second team all-tournament honors following a pair of double-figure scoring performances. 

In the SoCon Tournament quarterfinal win over Western Carolina, Lyons posted 15 points in the 97-73 win over the Catamounts. In Furman’s 11-point los to East Tennessee State in the Southern Conference Tournament, Lyons was one of the few bright spots on a night that was a dismal, emotional end for four Paladin seniors, finishing out what would turn out to be the final regular-season game for the Paladins with 17 points and was the only player in double figures in the loss. 

For the tournament, Lyons fiished by connecting 11-of-23 shots from the field, including going 4-of-14 from three-point land. According to Furman head coach Bob Richey, Lyons worked extra hard during the off-season to get his body leader and got stronger, as well as hitting over 30,000 three-pointers over the summer, which was more than any player on the team.

The former McIntosh High School standout and the program’s all-time leading scorer is ready to have a breakout season in 2018-19. Lyons posted double-figure scoring performances in 12 games this past season, as he mostly served as the Paladins’ sixth or seventh man off the bench last season. He finished the season shooting the ball well from the perimeter after he finished the season ranking second on the team in three-point field goals, having connected on 58-of-179 (32.4%) from three-point land last season. In a win over The Citadel in early January, Lyons scored a career-high 20 points. Lyons played in all 33 games for the Paladins last season, recording eight starts.

One of the hardest workers on the team and a player well mature  beyond his years is Alex Hunter. Hunter is a smart, humble point guard that came in last summer looking to soak up as much knowledge as he could from both current players and former players. He was particularly taken under the wing of veteran John Davis III ad former standout Stephen Croone, who was in town training for the next step in his hoops career. 

Hunter didn’t wow coaches with his scoring last season, but he wasn’t asked to do that in his role in his freshman campaign. What Hunter did do was impress with his play on the defensive end of the floor, as he was maybe the second- best on-the-ball defender last season behind Daniel Fowler.

Hunter took care of the ball like he was a senior last season, as he had 21 more assists (37) than turnovers (26) as a true freshman last season. He had his only double-figure scoring performance of the season in the Southern Conference Tournament win over Western Carolina last season, posting 10 points in the 97-73 win over the Catamounts.

With the transfer of Jonathan Jean to Lenoir-Rhyne, there will be less-experienced depth behind the 5-11 native of Raleigh, N.C. next season. Though he didn’t start a game for the Paladins last season, he did see action in all 33 games, averaging 14 minutes-per-game. 

While Brown, Lyons and Hunter will be expected to start in the backcourth next season, the question will be who will provide the depth in the backcourt behind that trio in 2018-19. There are some talented, incoming players in the backcourt that could be impact players much the way Hunter was last season. 

Three true freshmen that could see plenty of action in reserve roles in 2018-19 are Mike Bothwell (Willoughby, OH/Cornerstone Christian Academy), and Jaylon Pugh (Cartersville, GA/Cartersville HS). 

Bothwell is a newcomer Richey is extremely excited about heading into the 2018-19 season. Like John Davis III before him, Bothwell hails from the state of Ohio, and the 6-3, 170-lb shooting guard has excellent athleticism and is a good on-the-ball defender. 

Bothwell entered his senior season at Cornerstone Christian Academy as a preseason candidate “Mr. Basketball” candidate for the state of Ohio. During his breakout junior season, Bothwell averaged 20.9 PPG on was first-team all-state, helping his program finish ranked No. 6 in the final Associated Press final state poll. 

As a senior, Bothwell was once again chosen as the top player in Division III and IV Ohio State boys basketball in 2017-18. It was the same award given to Bothwell as a sophomore, as he led Cornerstone to a state title in 2016. Bothwell nearly led Cornerstone to a second state title as a senior, however, his Patriots lost a heartbreaking, 52-51, decision in double overtime to Maria Stein Marion in Division IV Ohio boys basketball last March. Bothwell, a lefty, that will give Furman yet another perimeter threat in the backcourt. 

Despite that loss, Bothwell is not only a winner, but an instant impact scorer, and finished the state title game with 22 of his team’s 51 points. He finished as Cornerstone’s all-time leading scorer, scoring more than 2,000 points in his prep career. 

Pugh will also have an excellent chance to see court time in 2018-19 for the Paladins. The 6-0, 167-lb Peach State native is a good ball-handler and slasher and yet another good athlete and all-around scorer, but maybe not be the polished perimeter threat as both aforementioned guards, however, he can shoot from the perimeter, but most importantly, he is another pure scoring threat Richey has added. Pugh is probably the best athlete of the incoming freshmen guards. 

Rounding out the incoming freshmen that have a chance to see minutes this season is walk-on Robert Swanson (Myrtle Beach, S.C./Myrtle Beach HS), who comes to Greenville from the lower part of the state after a stellar prep career at Myrtle Beach High School. 

Swanson was named to the Class 4A all-state team, as well as being named the Region 7-4A player of the year after averaging nearly 20 PPG last season.  He surpassed the 1,000-point threshold for his prep career during his senior season, and will be another strong perimeter threat off the bench for the Paladins. He finished with more than 1,200 points during his prep career. According to the website Bigshots.net, the 5-10 point guard is ranked as the No. 56 recruit in the Palmetto State.

Redshirt sophomore Tre Clark and senior walk-on Brady Schuck round out the returnees in the backcourt for the Paladins. Clark, a 6-5, 194-lb combo guard from Palmetto, FL, saw action in 23 games as a true freshman during the 2016-17 season, and redshirted last season, due mostly to depth and to develop more as a player. He averaged 1.2 PPG and 1.3 RPG. Clark posted his best performance in a win over Trinity Baptist during his freshman season, posting seven points. 

Schuck saw action mostly in mop-up duty last season, but has continued to improve with each season. Last season, Schuck posted a career-high for points with four in an early SoCon win over The Citadel last  season.

Previewing Furman’s Frontcourt:

Furman senior forward Matt Rafferty

The Paladins have one of the best frontcourt players returning in the Southern Conference for the 2018-19, with the return of senior forward Matt Rafferty (11.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 91 assists, 59.8 FG%). Rafferty was a third-team All-SoCon selection at season’s end as a junior last season.

Rafferty will be one of the leaders on and off the court for the Paladins this season, and rightfully so. Despite experiencing some back issues during his sophomore season, when healthy, Rafferty has been a stalwart in the lineup for the Paladins. 

Rafferty was one of the best passing big men in the Southern Conference last season. The 6-8, 215-lb native of Hinsdale, Ill, finished the 2017-18 season ranking 14th in assists-per-game last season, averaging 2.8 helpers-per-game. Rafferty’s 2.8 assists-per-game last season led all big men in the Southern Conference. 

Rafferty also ranked third in the SoCon in rebounds-per-game (7.2) last season, and he ranked 21st in the SoCon in scoring. During the 2017-18 season, Rafferty posted 22 double-figure scoring performances, and started all 33 games last season. Rafferty and Daniel Fowler were the only two players to start every game for the Paladins last season.

Richey said earlier this summer that Rafferty had enjoyed his best off-season so far as a Paladin, having been healthy throughout the off-season. 

Rafferty was also effective at the charity stripe this past season, connecting on 72% (64-for-89) from the line, and shot 33.3% (13-for-39) from three-point land. If Rafferty adds more consistency from beyond the arc, he will be even more of a nightmare to guard as a big man next season.

During his junior season, Rafferty enjoyed five double-double performances, and had a career-high 16 rebounds to open the season in a win over Bob Jones, while notching a career-high 22 points in a win over regular-season Big South champion UNC Asheville. While Rafferty does so many things well, his biggest asset is most likely his toughness.  

Rafferty displayed that toughness mostly on the defensive end of the floor last season, swatting away a team-high 21 shots, while his 54 steals led the team and ranked him fourth in the SoCon, averaging nearly two thefts per outing (1.8).

The question for head coach Bob Richey and staff in 2018-19 will be the four position. While Rafferty appears to have solidified his starting spot at the No. 5 position next season, both Clay Mounce (5.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG) and Noah Gurley (Fayetteville, GA/Fayette County HS) will be competing for major minutes at the four. 

I projected Mounce to be one of the top newcomers in the SoCon last season, and in fact, I had him listed as the newcomer of the year. Though Mounce did not end up getting enough minutes to really have a chance to garner that distinction, the 6-7, 200-lb native of Elkin, N.C., was an electrfying player, and most times he stepped on the floor last season, he was the best athlete. Mounce had a number of electrifying dunks last season, but has improved his overall game and put on some muscle during the off-season. 

Mounce could be in line for a breakout season for the Paladins in 2018-19, and probably has the inside track on starting at the four heading into the season. The redshirt sophomore ended up enjoying his best performance of the season against Montreat, scoring a career-high 13 points, to go along with four rebounds and a block in a lopsided, 103-47, win. Mounce had two other double-figure scoring performances in 2017-18, posting  two 11-point efforts against Winthrop and Western Carolina last season.

He will be challenged for the starting job this season at the No. 4 by Gurley, who redshirted last season. The 6-8, 190-lb native of Fayetteville, GA, is another athletic performer and could have actually played last year, but the Paladins were deep enough at the position, and it gave Gurley a chance to improve even more as a player in the post. 

Gurley was a prep standout at Fayette County High School, where he was named Atlanta Journal Constitution AAAAA All-State as well as first-team AAAAA all-state during his senior season. He was named player of the year by HoopSeen.com. During his senior season, Gurley averaged 18.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.3 APG and 2.1 BPG in his final season at Fayette County High School, helping his prep program to a 23-8 record, region title and a final four appearance in the state tournament. 

Gurley is the best athlete and freshman player at the four to come through Furman in quite sometime, and will remind Furman fan of former standout Quan Prowell (2003-05), who ended up transferring to Auburn after some academic troubles. Gurley has a chance to be that good and that much of an impact player this coming season.

He looked really good in the couple of closed scrimmages the Paladins had last season just prior to the season, when there was some consideration to removing the redshirt due to some injuries prior to the season.

If Gurley does come off the bench, he will step into the role that Geoff Beans occupied the last couple of years, but he will give the Paladins a more true four coming off the bench rather being primarily a perimeter threat as Beans was. Whatever the case, excitement abounds about this potential impact player for the Paladins in 2018-19, and that’s why I have him as my “Newcomer of the Year” in the SoCon in 2018-19.

According to head coach Bob Richey, no player made as many strides as Jalen Williams (2.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG) during the off-season, and he is slated to play a huge role in the paint in the 2018-19 season.

Williams is the type of player that seemed to show up biggest in big games. One of those games last season that comes to mind is a late-season win over Wofford. In the late-season win at Timmons Arena by the Paladins, Williams was a forced to be reckoned with, posting seven points, six rebounds, two blocks and an assist. 

Williams appeared in 30 games as a reserve for the Paladins last season, and this season will likely begin as one of the first players off the bench as a backup to Matt Rafferty underneath, or he could find himself in the starting five if the Paladins decide to go big underneath to start a game. 

The 6-8, 240-lb local product, who played at nearby Wade Hampton High School, produced a career-high performance in a win over South Carolina State in mid-December, posting 14 points in a 101-72 win. Williams could also be a force as a rim-protector in the paint. 

Rounding out the frontcourt for the 2018-19 season will be true freshman Jalen Slawson (Summerville, S.C./Pinewood Prep). Slawson comes to Furman from the lower part of the state, and was a standout player during his time as a prep. 

Slawson was recruited by several Division I programs, including getting offers from Georgia State, New Orleans, Winthrop, Appalachian State, Coppin State, Stetson, West Point, East Tennessee State and Jacksonville. 

Slawson is an athletic big man that can step out to the perimeter and shoot the basketball. Slawson has a nice skill-set that coaches are especially excited about heading into the 2018-19 season. Slawson is a quick learner, and has worked especially hard during the off-season to get himself ready for the rigors and challenges the Southern Conference will present him as a freshman in 2018-19.

As a senior at Pinewood Prep in 2017-18, Slawson averaged 14.6 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 4.0 BPG, 3.5 APG and 1.9 SPG. That’s quite a stat line for the young man. He rounds out what is a very talented Furman freshman class, and one that is confident enough to be a factor enough in the Southern Conference race in 2018-19, despite the major losses to graduation. 

Timmons Arena:

Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Furman has made Timmons Arena one of the most difficult places to play in not only the Southern Conference, but also mid-major college basketball. 

Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Paladins have posted a 43-15 record on their home floor, including setting a record for home victories with a 14-2 record on the home floor during the 2015-16 season, which included a 9-0 record against Southern Conference floor inside the friendly confines. 

Schedule Preview:

The Paladins will play one of the more attractive basketball schedules in the Southern Conference during the 2018-19 season, as it will feature reigning national champions Villanova (Nov. 17) as well as Final Four participant Loyola Chicago (Nov. 9) . The Paladins will also face SEC darkhorse LSU (Dec. 21) just before Christmas. 

Furman will be meeting the Wildcats for just the second time on the college basketball hardwood. The last time the Paladins and Wildcats met on the college basketball hardwood was during the 1989-90 season. Then under the direction of head coach Butch Estes, the Paladins were able to pick up one of the more impressive wins on their historical basketball resume’, with the Paladins able to come away with a 77-73 overtime win over the Wildcats the last time the two met on college basketball hardwood.

Villanova returns two starters off last year’s national champioship team, which won the national championship last season and completed the campaign with an outstanding record of 36-4 following a 79-62 win in the national championship over Michigan. The lone two returning starters from that national championship club of a year ago are 6-8 senior forward Eric Paschall (10.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and redshirt senior shooting guard Phil Booth (10.0, 3.2 RPG). Jay Wright will be entering his 18th season as the head coach of the Wildcats, sporting a () record as the head coach of the Wildcats.

Furman will be facing the Loyola Chicago Ramblers for the third time in series history, with the series tied, 1-1. The two faced off a TImmons Arena in the 2011-12 and the 2012-13 seasons, respectively. Furman was able to take a 63-51 at Timmons Arena on Nov. 20, 2011, while the Ramblers posted a 77-50 win in Chicago the very next season. 

The Ramblers are coached by Porter Moser, who will enter his eighth season in charge of the Ramblers’ basketball program, where he has produced a 121-111 record in his career as the head coach.

Loyola returns three starters from that team that finished 32-6 last season and made a Final Four appearance, losing to Michigan, 69-57, in the penultimate game to cap the 2017-18 season for the Ramblers. Returning from that Final Four team for the Ramblers from a year ago will be guards Clayton Custer (13.2 PPG, 4.1 APG, 2.2 RPG) and Marques Towns (11.1 PPG, 2.4 APG, 4.0 RPG), while 6-9 center Cameron Krutwig (10.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG).

Another attractive opponent on the schedule is LSU. It will be the first-ever meeting between the Paladins and Tigers, when the two meet on Dec. 21 at the Pete Maravich Center. 

The Tigers are coming off an 18-15 season and an appearance in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) before getting knocked in the second round of the tournament last season.  Wade has one of the top recruiting classes in the nation coming in, according to 24/7 Sports, and it will be an interesting pre-Christmas game for both teams.

Furman will battle a pair of non-Division I foes this season, facing both Bob Jones and Bob Richey’s alma mater, North Greenville. The Paladins will face the Bruins on the opening night of the season--Nov. 6--while taking on the Crusaders on Nov. 15. The Paladins were able to pick up a 101-71 win over Bob Jones last season to open the 2017-18 season.

The Paladins will also face four teams from the Big South, with all four having had success in recent seasons. The Paladins will face UNC Asheville (Nov. 25) and USC Upstate (Dec. 8) away from Timmons Arena, while facing both Gardner-Webb (Nov. 13) and Charleston Southern (Dec. 11) will both make treks to face the Paladins at Timmons Arena.

Furman will get an early look at conference play on Dec. 1, hosting Western Carolina on Dec. 1--a team the Paladins swept all three meetings with last season. Three days later, Furman will be on the road to face Elon at the brand new Schar Center. The Paladins defeated their former SoCon rival 76-67 in Greenville last season.

Final Outlook: 

After 46 wins over the past two seasons, and three solid pillars of that senior class, which helped the Paladins win 76 games over the past four, offering up a bit of an unknown heading into the 2018-19 season. 

The Paladins are an unknown heading into the 2018-19 season, but there are still some old heads around to help the Paladins compete towards the upper echelon of the Southern Conference. Players like Jordan Lyons, Andrew Brown, Matt Rafferty, Clay Mounce and Alex Hunter all returning to the fold, the Paladins should be competitive near the top of the league this season.

One thing that seems consistent about the program and that has been palpable to Furman's fanbase since the start Niko Medved took over in 2013-14 is a new enthusiasm that has seemingly been infused into the Furman basketball culture. It took nearly two seasons for Medved to start generating things in the right direction, and when he left during the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) for Drake a couple of years ago. 

In Furman’s first season under Bob Richey, he of course had plenty to deal with, including the departure of Medved, a coach the players were very close to and one that left his mark on the program as the coach that started the turnaround. 

But Richey knew had to continue that success, having come to Furman in some of its darkest times, when the Paladins were in need of a new enthusiasm and a re-launch of a once-proud basketball program. Richey has seen the worst of times in Jeff Jackson’s final season at the helm in 2012-13, when Furman won just seven games. He’s also seen some of the best of times for the Paladins, and one of which he helped the program tie the program record for wins in a season (23), which came last season.

Richey has a challenge this season, and that is keeping the Furman hoops train charging forward with momentum, and though he will have a connection with former pillars of the foundation, like Daniel Fowler, who is sticking around as the Director of Recruiting for the Paladins, while Geoff Beans also took a job in Greenville, it will be up to Richey to get his veterans like Mounce, Hunter, Lyons, Brown and Rafferty to step up, while he brings along a talented group of freshmen, with players like Noah Gurley, Andrew Taylor and Mike Bothwell all expected to see plenty of action in their redshirt and true freshman seasons for Richey’s Paladins. 

It’s hard to predict a win total for this group, with such a brutal non-conference slate, the win total might not be as high as the previous two teams, however, I fully expect the Paladins to be competing in late February and early March for regular-season and Southern Conference Tournament titles with the talent on-board now in Greenville.

Projected Starting Five:

G-Jordan Lyons

G-Andrew Brown

G-Alex Hunter

F-Matt Rafferty

F-Clay Mounce


First off the Bench:

G-Mike Bothwell--or--F-Noah Gurley


They'll see good minutes:

G-Jaylon Pugh

F/C-Jalen Williams

G-Tre Clark

       

SoCon Basketball: Wofford 2018-19 Preview

 Don't forget to check out the SoCon Preview at midmajormadness.com, which is set to drop Oct. 15. Special thanks to Wofford sports information for providing the information for this preview.

Wofford--Last season’s 79-75 victory over No. 5 North Carolina, coupled with the opening of the brand new, immaculate Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium were only two moments of a 2017-18 season, which were filled with more good moments than bad ones, as Wofford saw a resurgence within its program with a 21-13 record.

For Mike Young and crew, it will be overcoming one of the few bad moments, with guard and 2018-19 preseason SoCon Player of the Year Fletcher Magee missing a pair of shots in the waning moments in what was a 56-55 tournament semifinal loss to eventual SoCon champion and NCAA Tournament represenative UNC Greensboro, as the Terriers go in search of their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010. The Terriers might have their best team returning since the 2014-15 season, when the Terriers, who followed up their 2013-14 SoCon title win over Western Carolina to make it four titles in six seasons, with a 67-64 win over Furman.

With the return of five plsyers with starting experience, including three who have won 38 games over the past two seasons, the Terriers seem like the best bet to be the most challeging threat to challenge UNCG’s title defense. The Terreiers lost all three games to the Spartans a year ago, including a game at Greensboro Coliseum, which saw the Terriers drop their final game of 2017, after blowing a 47-33 halftime lead over the Spartans, only to see the Spartans out-score the Terriers, 38-20, in the second half to come up with a 71-67 win.

Two of Wofford’s five returning starters were all-conference performers a year ago, in guard Fletcher Magee and forward Cameron Jackson, who helped lead the Terriers to a postseason appearance following a run to the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament, as the Terriers participated in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

Magee, who has connected on a school record 351 three-point field goals in just three seasons, will likely begin the season as the preseason SoCon Player of the Year, while Jackson, who was a second-team all-league selection last season, will likely enter his final campaign on the first-team all-conference squad alongside his teammate, and both will have one more chance to write their own chapter of the Wofford basketball book that seemingly unfolds with a new historical achievement with the passing of each season over the past decade.

Previewing the Wofford Backcourt:

Wofford will begin the season with not only one of the best backcourts in the Southern Conference, but one of the premier backcourts in mid-major college basketball.

At the forefront of those returning players is sharp-shooting senior guard Fletcher Magee (22.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 148 three-pointers, 43.9% from three-point range, 58 assists, 31 steals, 3 blocks, 90.7% from the free throw line). Magee was simply sensational a year ago, helping lead the Terriers to a pair of ACC, non-conference wins at North Carolina and at home vs. Georgia Tech.

Wofford senior guard Fletcher Magee

In the annals of Wofford basketball there have been some great shooters--brothers Seth Chadwick and Ian Chadwick come to mind--but there have been none better than Chadwick. Last season, he was simply lethal from long-range, leading the nation with 148 triples, and shot a blistering 43.9% from long range last season, showing he was more than just a volume shooter last season. Magee’s 148 three-pointers in a single-season in 2017-18

Not only did Magee lead the nation in three-pointers made, he also ranked 15th nationally in three-point field goal attempts, as well as ranking third in all of Division I college basketball in three-pointers attempted, with 337.

The 6-4, 200-lb guard from Orlando, FL, flirted with becoming just the third player in the modern era of the Southern Conference era to leave school early and enter the NBA Draft, but did not retain an agent, giving him a chance to test the NBA waters, but also the option to return to Wofford once he got an assessment. While no one ever doubted that he would return for his senior season in Spartanburg, it was a rather shrewd move by Magee to test the NBA waters and get the feelers out there to see what kind of feedback he could get and what he needed to work on in his final season, which would enable him to make that next step following his playing days as a Terrier.

With 351-career three-point field goals made, Magee is already the school’s all-time leader in three-pointers made, surpassing recent former great Karl Cochran’s 312 three-pointers made from 2011-15. His 148 triples made last season shattered his previous career mark of 112 made three-point field goals in a season in his sophomore campaign of 2016-17.  He has scored 1,807-career points, and needs 715 points this season to surpass George Lyons (1962-65) as the program’s all-time leading scorer. Magee’s 751 points last season were also a school, single-season record, surpassing the previous mark of 750 points in a single-season previously set by James “Daddy” Neal

Magee started all 34 games for the Terriers a year ago, and he scored 20 or more points in 21 of those 34 games last season, and posted a SoCon season-high 45 points in a 74-64 win at Chattanooga, canning a school-record tying 11 three-pointers in the win. His 45 points in a single game were a school record during the Division I era. He enters the season having made at least one three-point field goal in 52-consecutive games heading into the 2018-19 season.  Magee’s 90.7% clip from the free throw line (97-of-107) not only led the SoCon last season, but also ranked tied for seventh in all of NCAA Division I basketball.

Magee is set to be joined in the backcourt sophomore Storm Murphy (6.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 135 assists, 30 steals) and rising junior Trevor Stumpe (10. 8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 25 steals). Murphy was voted to the SoCon All-Freshman team last season, and will be a candidate to garnner All-SoCon honors this season. Nathan Hoover (11.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 22 steals) came off the bench to add even more depth to add even more to the backcourt last season and the 6-4, 180-lb guard was particularly hot down the stret ch of the season, posting double-figure scoring performances in eight of the final 10 games of the season.

The trio of guards, along with Magee, gives the Terriers an embarrassment of talent and depth in the backcourt heading into the season. Murphy, a 5-11, 180-lb sophomore, started 29 of 34 games for Wofford at the point guard position as a true freshman last season. Murphy finished the season ranking sixth in the SoCon in assists-per-game last season, dishing out 4.0 helpers-per-game last season. Additionally, Murphy also completed the season ranking third in the SoCon as a true freshman in assist/turnover ratio (4.0 APG, 1.6 TOPG, 2:4 ratio).

Murphy put together his best performance of his young career in scoring against The Citadel with 17 points, while his nine assists in the season-ending loss to Central Michigan were a career-high for helpers following his true freshman season.

Hoover will be a legitimate candidate to end up on one of the all-conference teams in his upcoming junior season in 2018-19. Hoover, a native of Memphis, TN, started nine of the final 10 games last season, and logged 18 starts in 34 overall games last season.

His 70 made three-point field goals last season ranked second on the team behind only Magee, and Hoover shot a solid 40.5% (70-of-173) from three-point land last season. He was one of three Terriers to shoot 40% or better from beyond the arc last season. He enjoyed a career-high 23-point performance in a home win over Samford early last February. Hoover also posted 22 points in the Southern Conference Tournament quarterfinal win over Mercer.

Stumpe got off to a strong start to the season, but struggled down the stretch last season. Stumpe had a streak of eight-straight double-figure games at one point last season, stretching from Dec. 17-Jan. 20, which included a season and career-high of 20 points in a win over Furman in Spartanburg. Stumpe hit a slump down the stretch last season, however, posted double figure scoring performances in just five out of Wofford’s final 14 games last season. Stumpe started 25 of the 29 games he played in last season, and his 42.7% clip (47-of-110) from three-point land ranked second to only Magee on the team. He also shot 86.4% (57-of-66) from the free throw line last season, and his 4.2 RPG ranked second on the team on the glass.

Set to give the Terriers even more depth in the backcourt in 2018-19 are both Donovan Theme-Love (1.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 63 assists) and Tray Hollowell (3.2 PPG, 0.9 RPG), who were a pair of young guards forced to find their way in what was a young lineup last season for the Terriers in 2017-18, made up of most of their respective opportunities seeing significant time in the lineup for the first time in their respective careers.

Theme-Love will be entering his junior season with the Terrier basketball program, seeing time in all 34 games last season, and was a solid contributor off the bench. The 6-1, 190-lb junior guard from Providence, R.I., helped spell Murphy at point guard last season.

Hollowell, a 6-2, 185-lb guard is one of the best athletes on the team and was one of the real prizes of the recruiting class brought in by head coach Mike Young last season. The Hopkinsville, KY, native is also a solid threat from the perimeter coming off the bench for the Terriers.  Hollowell enjoyed the best game of his rookie season in the Terrier Black and Gold against Washinton & Lee in an early-season win, posting 12 points. From the perimeter last season, Hollowell connected on 36.2% (21-of-58) from three-point range and averaged 9.2 minutes-per-game last season.

The newcomers for the Terriers in the backcourt this season will include Ryan Larson (Cretin-Durham HS/St. Paul, MN) and Drew Cottrell (Lakeview HS/Flowery Branch, GA) and Isaiah Bigelow (Ben L. Smith HS/Greensboro, N.C.) will be a trio of guards that will add even more depth this season. Larson is one of the top recruits in by the Terriers this season, and will see some significant action in the Wofford guard rotation this season. In Wofford’s trip to Portugal this past summer, Larson was instrumental in helping the Terriers win some games.

Larson was a standout at Cretin-Durham Hall High School, where he played his junior annd senior seasos as a prep. He helped lead Cretin-Durham to a 30-2 record as a senior, as well as a 4A State Championship. Larson garnered all-state honors during his senior season after averaging 15 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and three steals per contest. During his final campaign as a prep, he also led the state in assists and steals-per-game, garnering all-tournament and all-star honors in addition his all-state plaudits.

Cottrell comes to Wofford from Lakeview Academy in Flowery Branch, GA, where he garnered all-region honors twice during his career, helping his prep program to 88 victories and four state tournament berths during his four seasons there as a prep.  During his career at Lakeview, Cottrell scored over 1,300 points, dished out 240 assists, and and registered 170 steals. He finished his prep career shooting 56% from the field, 42% from three and 82% from the charity stripe. With already having well established depth at the point guard spot, I would expect Cottrell to redhshirt this season.

The most versatile newcomer at guard for the Terriers will be 6-7 guard Isaiah Bigelow, who comes to Wofford from the Gate City of Greensboro, escaping the reach of Wes Miller and the UNCG Spartans to play for the Terriers and head coach Mike Young.  Bigelow will cause matchup problems for foes at 6-7, 185 lbs and with good ball-handling skills. As a senior, he helped Ben L. Smith to a 28-4 record following a season which saw him average 18.4 PPG, 10.7 RPG and dished out 2.4 APG. Bigelow finished his prep career with 983 points and was chose to play in the North vs. South All-Star game and played AAU basketball for Team Felton.

Overall, the Terriers have one of the deepest backcourts in the Southern Conference basketball and mid-major hoops heading into the season. As a team, the backcourt was solid all of last season, obviously led by the play of Magee. The Terriers ranked second in the SoCon as a team in the SoCon in three-point field goals made (357) and led the SoCon in three-point field goal percentage (41.3%).

Previewing the Wofford Frontcourt:

Wofford’s frontcourt will be the aspect of the team that will be the most-improved this season, and in particular, it will be much deeper. No longer will getting Cameron Jackson (12.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 53 assists, 55 steals, 45 blocks, 60.1 FG%) in foul trouble be enough be considered such an advantage for an opponent, with the talent added by head coach Mike Young and staff during the off-season.

Jackson, who battled some minor, yet nagging injuries last season, still managed to have an outstanding junior campaign in 2017-18. Jackson scored in double figures 18 times last season, and completed the campaign with three double-doubles, including one of which came in Southern Conference play.

Jackson was particularly solid on the defensive end of the floor, where he posted 55 steals last season to rank third overall in the league, while his 45 blocks on the defesive end of the floor ranked Jackson second among the SoCon’s leaders in that category.

On the offensive end of the floor, Jackson was also extremely efficient during his junior campaign. His 60.1% (158-of-263) shooting clip from the floor led the Southern Conference during the 2017-18 season, and he had several outstanding performances in big games last season. In Wofford’s season-ending loss to Central Michigan in the CIT, Jackson posted 22 points and nine rebounds, which saw him just miss his fourth double-double of the season. In the Dec. 20 win over No. 5 North Carolina, Jackson registered 18 points, nine rebounds, six blocks, three assists and three steals. He registered a career-high 13 rebounds to go with 13 points in an early-January Southern Conference matchup.

Jackson’s veteran leadership in the lineup for the Terriers will be additionally helped the return of  fellow senior Matthew Pegram (5.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG). A 6-11, 260-lb native of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., saw action in all 34 games for the Terriers and averaged 15 minutes-per-game. Pegram also started 13 games for the Terriers last season, ad proved to be an effective outside threat at times for the Terriers, as he was able to connect on  6-of-15 shots from three-point land last season, so it’s not an aspect of his game that you completely take for advantage.

Pegram scored a career and season high 18 points in an early-season win over Bob Jones last season, connecting on 8-of-12 shots, including going 1-for-2 from three-point range in the win. Pegram scored in double figures in four out of the first five games for the Terriers last season,  with three of those performances coming against power five programs South Carolina (12 pts), California (13 pts) and Texas Tech (10 pts). All told, Pegram registered double-figure scoring performances in eight games last season.

Also returning to lend support in the frontcourt for the Terriers are 6-9, 230-lb Keve Aluma (2.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 13 blks,  6 steals) and 6-9, 210-lb Michael Manning, Jr. (0.5 PPG, 0.8 RPG). Aluma showed plenty of promise as a freshman a year ago,  and is one of the more athletic players on the team.

Aluma saw action in 33 games for the Terriers last season, which included a pair of starts. He shot an impressive 56.6% (30-of-53) from the field, and was especially effective on the defensive end for the Terriers off the bench last season, recording 13 blocks, which ranked second on the club to only Jackson’s 45 blocks  last season. Aluma scored a career-high nine points in an early-season win over Washington & Lee last season. After redshirting the 2016-17 season, Manning, Jr. saw action in 12 games last season, averaging 4.4 minutes-per-game.

A potential impact player in the frontcourt for Wofford this season could be redshirt sophomore Chevez Goodwin (College of Charleston/Blythewood, S.C.), who sat out last season after transferring in from College of Charleston, figures to be an important player in the rotation for Young this season.  Goodwin will look to be an immediate impact player this season.

The 6-9, 225-lb sophomore native of Blythewood, S.C., appeared in 35 games for the College of Charleston as a freshman during the 2016-17 season, averaging 2.3 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 9.8 minutes of action per game. He scored a season-high eight points on three occasions. Goodwin will add size and most importantly, depth, the the Terrier frontcourt.

There are also other taleted newcomers in the frontcourt this season for the Terriers, which will include true freshmen Messiah Jones (Simeon HS/Chicago, Ill) and Alex Michael (Greensboro Day School/Greensboro, N.C.) as potential performers that could add even more depth to the Terrier front court this season. Jones, a 6-6, 215-lb out of Simeon High School in Chicago, Ill was a top 10 recruit out of the state of the state of Illinois, and was a three-star recruit coming out of Simeon High School.

He was rated as the No. 1 forward in the state of Illinois. Jones was committed to join the Drake basketball program and former Furman head coach Niko Medved before switching his committment to Wofford following Medved’s matriculation to Colorado State after one year at the helm of the Drake program. It turned out to be a blessing for Young and the Terriers, who will now acquire the services of the three-star recruit Jones, and he comes into the SoCon as one of the most highly acclaimed recruits in SoCon football coming into the season.

Jones is very athletic, and he served as team captain, while averaging 17 PPG and nine RPG, helping Simeon to a 29-4 record during his senior season. One of the areas you will notice Jones’ athleticism the most is on the defensive end of the floor, as his highlight videos on youtube featured some emphatic blocks against opponents getting back to defend in transition, which something coach Young loves about his game. Jones averaged 3.0 blocks-per-game during his senior season.

Michael, a 6-6, 205-lb freshman out of Greensboro, N.C., is another player that could see some floor time this season and potentially add yet another element to the frontcourt for the Terriers.  During his prep career at Greensboro Day School, he played for legendary head coach Freddie Jones. Michael, a player who is especially proficient shooting the ball from the perimeter, was the co-captain of his program as a senior, and helped Greensboro Day to 122 wins and three state titles during his four seasons as a prep.

The Schedule Preview:

Wofford will open up the season with by hosting North Carolina at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on Nov. 6. No one will soon forget Wofford’s 79-75 win at North Carolina just before Christmas last year.

The Terriers will go for two-in-a-row against the Tar Heels in a game that has been anticipated since the opening of the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium last year.The win by the Terriers is one of their biggest wins in their Southern Conference and Division I history, outside only their four SoCon Tournament title wins.

Tar Heel head coach Roy Williams will bring a talented squad into Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on Nov. 6, and one that will once again compete for an ACC title and a national title.

The Tar Heels return just one player that started all 37 games last season, but that player is a pretty good player, in 6-8, 240-lb senior forward Luke Maye (16.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG), who was an All-America selection last season.

 Keeping him off the glass will be huge for the Terriers if they hope to pull the big upset once again. It will mark just the fourth all-time meeting between the Terriers and Tar Heels, with North Carolina holding a 3-1 edge in the all-time series. The season-opening trip to Wofford will mark the first-ever game in Spartanburg for the Tar Heels.

The Terriers will be up in the triad area of North Carolina for their second game of the 2018-19 season, taking on the High Point Panthers in the Terriers’ first road contest of the new season. The Panthers are now under the direction of former Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky and Minnesota head coach Tubby Smith. The legendary head coach, who helped lead the Wildcats to a national title in 1998, returnsto  his alma mater where he played, looking to help the Panthers to top contention in the Big South Conference.

The Panthers, who will meet the Terriers on Nov. 10, are coming off a 2017-18 season which saw them finish 14-16 overall and 9-9 in conference play, which secured a seventh-place finish in the league standings. The Panthers will be opening their new $130-million, 4,500-seat Qubein Arena with a game against the Terriers.

The Panthers will have one of the top guards in the Big South, in all-conference candidate Jahaad Proctor (16.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG). The Nov. 10 meeting will mark the 21st all-time meeting between the two programs, with Wofford holding the 11-9 all-time series edge, including a 70-57 win last season in Spartanburg.

The Terriers will return home on Nov. 13 to face Carver College before taking to the road to take on Stanford and Oklahoma in the Battle 4 Atlantis.The Terriers and Cardinal have faced each other once before, and just 10 days removed from a game at home vs. North Carolina, the Terriers will be on the road to face the PAC 12 member, and yet this might offer a better chance at an upset than the home game to open the season against North Carolina.

The Terriers dropped a 74-59 decision at Maples Pavilion to open the 2014-15 season. The Cardinal are picked towards the middle-bottom of the PAC 12 entering the 2018-19 season. Head coach Jerod Haase, who used to be a player under the former legendary coach Mike Montgomery, is hoping the Cardinal can improve on last season’s 19-win campaign and NIT appearance, and make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years. Hopes for that turnaround will start with sophomore guard Daejon Davis, who averaged 10.7 PPG, returns to lead a young roster that features just one senior.

This game offers Wofford a prime opportunity and maybe the SoCon’s best opportunity to garner a win over a power five program. The Terriers’ experience could prove pivotal in a game like this.

Wofford will also face Oklahoma on its trip west in the Battle 4 Atlantis, taking on the Big 12 member on Nov. 18, and will have another prime opportunity to shock a power five conference foe. It will mark the first-ever meeting between the Sooners and Terriers when the two meet on the hardwood at the Lloyd Noble Center in mid-November.

The Sooners must replace three starters off a team that finished 18-14 last season and a seventh-place overall finish in the Big 12 last season. Still, Lon Krueger’s club did well enough to qualify for the NCAA Tourament, where the Sooners lost in the opening round to Rhode Island (78-83) to finish the season with an 18-14 overall record.

One of the three starters Krueger has to replace from a year ago, was one of the most impressive freshmen in the country last season, in point guard Trae Young. Young led the nation in scoring average, posting 27.4 PPG and 8.7 APG. Young was a major piece in helping the Sooners to the NCAA Tournament last season. Kruger must also find a way to replace guard Kameron McGusty (8.0 PPG) and forward Khadeem Latin (6.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG). The two returning starters for the Sooners this season will be senior guard Christian James (4.4 PPG, 1.5 APG) and guard Rashard Odomes (7.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG).

The Terriers will return to the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium to face the Coppin State Eagles on Nov. 21 at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on Nov. 21. Coppin State will have a new head coach when the Terriers take on the Eagles in a mid-week contest, as former Maryland Terrapin standout Juan Dixon will have a rebuilding project on his hands, having to re-tool a program that went just 5-21 last season and were 5-11 in MEAC play.

The Terriers and Eagles will be meeting for the first-time ever on the college basketball hardwood, and the Eagles will return guard Dejuan Clayton, who was a preseason All-MEAC selection last season, saw action in only six games is back and ready to be an impact player for the Eagles this season. Dixon will also have swingman Lamar Morgan (12.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG) last season.

Following the home date with the Eagles, Wofford will face Mars Hill on Nov. 23. It will be the second of three non-Division I opponents for the Terriers. Wofford will also play host to a game between Coppin State and Charleston Southern as part of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.

The Terriers return to the road on Nov. 26 when they travel into SEC country to face off against Frank Martin’s South Carolina club. The Terriers will obviosly hope things go a little better this time around against the Gamecocks than the 72-53 South Carolina handed the Terriers in the inaugural game at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.

The Gamecocks finished the 2017-18 season with a 17-16 overall record and a 7-11 mark in SEC play, finishing a year removed from the school’s first and only Final Four Appearance. Martin will have to replace some production in the backcourt, with the departures of Frank Booker and Wesley Myers from the backcourt, but will have Hassani Gravett (7.4 PPG, 3.6 APG) who brings back reputable backcourt experience heading into the season. The team will be centered around frontcourt performer Chris Silva (14.3 PPG, ), who is the leading returning scorer for South Carolina.

Following the South Carolina game, the Terriers will open Southern Conference play with a doozie on Dec. 1, facing off against East Tennessee State. The two teams split the season series a year ago, with each winning on the other’s floor. ETSU made the most of its first-ever trip to the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, grabbing a 75-62 victory over the Terriers in their late-January clash last season. The Terriers return the favor on the second-to-last day of the regular-season last year, as they posted a 75-71 win at Freedom Hall.

The Wofford-ETSU rivalry has become one of those to keep an eye on around the league, and when the two meet on Dec. 1, it promises to be no different. The two will be meeting on the college basketball hardwood for the 47th time on the college basketball hardwood, with the Bucs holding a commanding 35-11 all-time series edge.

Capping what will be a tough three-game for the Terriers will be a trip to Allen Fieldhouse to face another of college basketball bluebloods, as the Terriers will face one of the national title contenders, in the Kansas Jayhawks on Dec. 4. The Jayhawks, like North Carolina, just reload each passing season, and the 2018 campaign should be no different for Bill Self’s perennial Big 12 power, as he returns his most experience in the frontcourt and backcourt this season, with double-figure scorers Udoka Azubuke (13.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG) and Lagerald Vick (12.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.1 APG)  both returning to the fold this season.

Three key performers must be replaced, in Devonte Graham, Svi Mykhailiuk and Malik Newman having all departed out of the backcourt. Keep an eye on newcomers Dedric Lawson (Memphis transfer) and top recruit Quentin Grimes, who will provide an immediate impact in the frontcourt and backcourt, respectively. Some believe that the 6-9 Lawson is good enough to compete for Big 12 Player of the Year honors this season. The Jayhawks were 31-8 a year ago, winning a 14th-straight Big 12 crown, and will be the odds-on favorites to do it a 15th-consecutive time this season. The Dec.4 date with the Jayhawks will mark the first-ever meeting between the two perennial powers in their respective conferences.

Wofford’s final power five opponent will be Mississippi State on Dec. 19, and will be the final non-conference game before the Terriers begin Southern Conference play. If you’ll remember a couple of years ago, ETSU went to Starkville and emerged with a 67-65 win, and the Terriers will have a chance to do the same this season. The Bulldogs were 25-12 a year ago and were participants in the NIT and will be favorites to make the NCAA Tournament this season after a 9-9 record in the SEC play last season.  The Terriers will also take on Kentucky Christian (Dec. 6), Coastal Carolina (Dec. 9), and UNC Asheville (Dec. 15) in non-conference play.

Final Outlook:

Head coach Mike Young called this the deepest team he has had during his time at Wofford, and that is especially noticeable in the backcourt, as this team is more than just Fletcher Magee. We’ll find out a lot about the Terriers in non-conference play, as Wofford will take on both North Carolina and Kansas and will play one of the league’s top non-conference slates in preparation for SoCon play.

Probable Starting Five:
G--Fletcher Magee
G--Nathan Hoover
G--Storm Murphy
G/F--Trevor Stumpe
F--Cameron Jackson

First off the Bench:
G--Ryan Larson--or--F-Messiah Jones

SoCon Basketball: UNC Greensboro 2018-19 Preview

Today commences the 2018-19 Southern Conference previews, as I take a look at each of the 10 teams with in-depth previews and analysis. Don't forget to check out the SoCon Preview at midmajormadness.com, which is set to drop Oct. 15. Special thanks to UNC Greensboro sports information for providing the information for this preview.

UNC Greensboro--Wes Miller and the UNC Greensboro Spartans have a new sharp logo and a very good basketball team. Over the past three seasons, no one in the Southern Conference has won more basketball games than the Spartans have, which includes a pair of Southern Conference regular-season crowns, a SoCon Tournament tournament title last season, a pair of trips to the championship game of the league tournament each of the past two seasons, and three non-conference sponsored postseason appearances, including trips to the NIT and NCAA Tournament each of the past two seasons, respectively.

The Spartans have won 67 games over the past three campaigns, and though the losses of starters of veterans Marvin Smith Jr (12.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG) and Jordy Kuiper (7.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG) to graduation will be felt, the three starters returning give the Spartans a real opportunity of repeating the feat of a year ago.

Senior guard and native of Malaga, Spain Francis Alonso (15.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG) gives the Spartans one of the league’s best scoring threats, not only from the perimeter, but anywhere on the floor. James Dickey, who was the league’s defensive player of the year last season, gives the Spartans a rim protector as good as any in mid-major basketball.

The x-factor this season, however, might be the third of those returning starters--Demetrius Troy (7.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 132 assists, 46 steals), who it could be argued, was one of the top players on the team and in the SoCon over the last month of the season.

Previewing the UNCG Backcourt:

UNCG is building its program identity, and it has primarily started in the backcourt, where the Spartans have developed two of the top defensive guards in the Southern Conference, with both Demetrius Troy (7.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, ) and Francis Alonso (15.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.9 APG, 111 three-point FGs, 40.1% from three-point range, 86.9% from FT line) returning to the fold for the Spartans. Troy is a player that was extremely instrumental in helping the Spartans to the Southern Conference Tournament title last season.

Those two players, and that experience in the backcourt will be one of the major reasons the Spartans will be considered the favorites to win the SoCon men’s basketball title in 2018-19. The SoCon has two of the best shooters in Division I college basketball, and one of those players is obviously Alonso. Alonso is sometimes forgotten as a shooter in the SoCon media, as well as nationally, due in large part to the career Fletcher Magee has put together at Wofford, but as any coach around the SoCon and they will tell you Alonso is as lethal a perimeter shooter as they come in mid-major college basketball.

So far in his career, Alonso ranks second in program history with 297 three-point field goals, and is third in school history in three-point field goal percentage, shooting at an amazing 42.1% from three-point land for his career. He ranked 16th nationally in three-point field goal percentage last season. Alonso currently already ranks tops in school history in free throw percentage, connecting on 86.8%
from the line for his career

This season, Alonso needs just 13 more triples to set a new school all-time mark, with 310 career three-point makes, as he would surpass former Spartan great Scott Hartzell’s (1993-96) 309 triples.

Last season, Alonso was asked to do less scoring than his first two years, but he did it more consistently than in his first couple of seasons in the Blue and Gold. The 6-3, 185-lb senior from Malaga, Spain, became the 24th player in UNCG history to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau for his career when he posted a career-high 32-point performance in a 79-66 win over the Blue Hens last November. 

He enters his final season as a Spartan with 1,494-career points for the Spartans, which ranks him eighth all-time in program in scoring entering his final season as a Spartan.

Last season, Alonso connected on a single-season program record 111 triples, including finishing the season shooting 40.1% (111-of-277) to finish the campaign ranking ninth in the SoCon in three-point field goal percentage, while his 111 makes from long range, ranked him third behind only Wofford’s Magee (148) and The Citadel’s Matt Frierson (114). His average of 15.6 PPG ranked Alonso ranked him second to only Wofford’s Magee (22.1 PPG) last season.

Alonso was the Southern Conference Tournament Most Valuable Performer, and garnered First-Team All-SoCon honors each of the past two seasons. Perhaps even more impressive than what Alonso does with the ball is what he does off the ball to put himself in position to score the basketball in a variety different ways.

As a junior last season, Troy distributed the ball extremely well, and will enter his final season as the eighth-leading assist man in program history. It could certainly be argued that without the services of Troy, who was a SoCon All-Tournament selection, the Spartans would not have won the SoCon Tournament last March. 

UNCG senior guard Demetrius Troy

Troy added 7.7 points per game and 2.3 rebounds per game. His 53 three-pointers were third on the team, and his 38.7 percent shooting clip from long range ranked 12th overall in the SoCon.

Troy seemingly made big shot after big shot for the Spartans against the same three opponents in the conference tournament in Asheville it had faced a year earlier.

He posted double-figure scoring performances in all three of UNCG’s tournament games in Asheville last season, posting 14 points, four boards and three assists in the 72-58 win over The Citadel Bulldogs in the SoCon quarterfinals.

In the narrow, 56-55, semifinal win over Wofford, Troy posted 13 points, four rebounds, and had a pair of assists. Then, in the 62-47 win over East Tennessee State in the SoCon championship game, Troy added 14 points and four rebounds. The Spartans went on to lose a heartbreaking, 68-64, game to Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans were oh so close to getting the SoCon’s first tournament win since Steph Curry and Davidson accomplished their Elite Eight run in 2008.

In the regular-season, the Spartans were officially in a title chase following a 74-56 win over the Bucs in Greensboro on Feb. 12, putting an end to what had been a program-best tying 17-straight wins for the Bucs. In that game, Troy had played one of his best games of the 2017-18 season, posting a season-high 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, including a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range.The Spartans had lost an early conference game, 68-58, to the Bucs in Johnson City.

Rounding out the potential starting trio in the UNCG backcourt is 6-0 guard Isaiah Miller (8.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG,), who was a SoCon All-Freshman team selection last season and is one of the best athletes the Southern Conference, producing some highlight-reel type dunks in his first season as a Spartan. Miller scored a career-high 19 points in an early-season win over Ferrum last season.

In the Southern Conference title win over East Tennessee State last March, Miller was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe, while also adding five boards and three steals to help key UNCG’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in nearly two decades.

With the graduation of Marvin Smith, Jr., Miller could be asked to take on more of a scoring role for the Spartans this season. Miller played in 34 of 35 games last season, however, did not start a game, averaging 16.3 minutes-per-game. Miller did not shoot the ball much from long-range a year ago, connecting on just 1-of-11 shots from long range.

Veterans Kylia Sykes (2.0 PPG, 1.3 RPG) and Malik Massey (3.6 PPG, 0.9 RPG) return to give depth in the backcourt, with Sykes being a potential starter. At 6-5, Sykes would equate as more of a natural replacement for Marvin Smith, Jr. at the three.

Sykes has good size and is athletic enough to be a factor on both ends of the floor, but like Miller, will be expected to step up his scoring in the absence of all-conference guard Marvin Smith, Jr., who has graduated. Sykes also equates as a good defensive presence in the backcourt or as a swingman in the post with his athleticism.

The redshirt sophmore saw action in 34 of 35 games for the Spartans last season, averaging 10.4 minutes-per-game. Sykes posted a career-high 11 points for the pre-SoCon play win over Southeastern. Sykes also posted 10 points in a win over Ferrum. Though he was only 7-for-22 from three-point land last season, he will be another threat to step out and shoot the basketball from the perimeter this season.

Massey, a 6-3 junior guard, saw action in 35 games during the 2017-18 season, averaging 15.4 minutes-per-game last season, and was a good defensive presence in his floor time for the Spartans last season. He also is a good distributor of the basketball on the off ensive end of the floor. He completed the 2017-18 season with 29 assists, as well as contributing 17 steals on the defensive end a season ago.

Other contributors in the backcourt for the Spartans this season figure to be newcomers Ryan Tankelewicz (Middle Creek High School/Raleigh, N.C.), Ryan Kostanzer (First Flight HS/Kill Devil Hills, N.C.), Kaleb Hunter (Neuse Christian Academy/Raleigh, N.C.) and Michael Huiett, Jr. (transfer from Old Dominion/Fayetteville, N.C.) could all see some action as key members of the backcourt this season. Both Huiett, Jr. and Konstanzer will be sophomores, while Tankelewicz and Hunter will freshmen.

Tankelewicz, a 5-11, 170-lb true freshman from Raleigh, N.C., was a standout at Middle Creek High School in Apex, N.C. For his career at Middle Creek, he averaged 14.8 PPG and garnered second team all-conference honors in the South Wake Athletic Conference as a senior in 2017-18.

Tankelewicz finished his career as the program’s all-time record-holder for three-pointers made, and finished ranked seventh in school history in scoring. His brother Tom Tankelewicz, who is the video coordinator for the men’s basketball program, was a standout three-point shooter at Western Carolina from 2011-14 before playing overseas in Kosovo for KB Bashkimi Basketball Club in Kosovo. Like his older brother, Ryan Tankelewicz is a pure shooter and will be a three-point specialist for the Spartans.

Hunter, a 6-4, 190-lb redshirt freshman guard from Raleigh, N.C., played his prep basketball at Neuse Christian Academy, where he was rated as the No. 5 recruit in the state of North Carolina for 2017 by Prep Hoops North Carolina. Hunter missed his senior season due to injury, and red-shirted his first season as a member of the UNCG basketball program.

As a junior, Hunter was named NCISSA All-State following a season which saw him average 24.0 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 41. APG, helping lead the Lions to a 19-12 regular-season final record in the 2016-17 season. Hunter was well-decorated during his prep career, as he was named First-Team All-Central District and All-Conference as a junior, and played AAU hoops for the same team that produced Demetrius Troy--Team Loaded--and was the team’s third-leading scorer in the MakePlayz Breakout Classic, averaging 19.7 PPG.

Konstanzer sat out last season with an injury, but like Hunter and Tankelewicz, enjoyed a solid prep career, starring in coastal North Carolina for First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills, N.C. Konstanzer finished as his prep program’s all-time leading scorer, posting 1,582 points during his standout career. He scored 20 or more points on 27 occasions during his prep career, and like Tankelewicz, the 5-11, 165-lb guard was an excellent long-range shooting threat, as he finished his career with 230-career triples, which is also a school record. 

All told, Konstanzer finished his career with five different program records, included his two aforementioned career statistical standards. Konstanzer also holds the program’s single-game points, posting 51 points in a game against Bertie High School during the 2014-15 season.

Huiett, Jr. rounds out the players that could see action in a reserve role for Wes Miller’s program this season. Huiett, Jr., like Konstanzer, will be a redshirt sophomore this season. He played for head coach Jeff Jones at Old Dominion, where he saw action in 13 games for the Conference USA members. In a game during the 2016-17 season, Huiett, Jr. recorded career highs of 12 points, nine boards and three assists in a game against Maryland Eastern-Shore. Huiett, Jr. sat out last season per NCAA Division I transfer rules.

During his prep career at Northwood Temple High School in Fayetteville, Huiett, Jr., a 6-3, 165-lb guard, averaged an impressive 27.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG and dished out 5.2 APG. Another tremendous shooter, Huiett, Jr. broke the Tar Heel State record for three-pointers made in a game with 16 as a senior, and is Northwood Temple High School’s all-time leading scorer.

Three of the four newcomers to the program have had at least one season to get acclimated to their surroundings and head coach Wes Miller’s system. The trio also got to be around what was a tremendous run through the Southern Conference regular-season and tourament last season, getting to experience the winning culture being developed by the young head coach.

The only exception to that rule, of course, is Tankelewicz, who will enter his true freshman season, however, has likely been coached up a little on the culture and the SoCon in general by his brother, who was a sharp-shooter and standout player in his own right, at Western Carolina, as mentioned above.

Overall, you would be hard-pressed to find three better starting guards in the SoCon than Alonso, Troy and Miller, and that’s with the graduation of Marvin Smith, Jr., who could really play the two or the three, at 6-5, last season. The Spartans may be a little smaller in that regard if Miller starts over Sykes or Massey, but that may depend on the opposition’s size as well.

One thing is for sure, and that is that while the Spartans will certainly missed the ability of Marvin Smith, Jr., to stretch the floor with the ability to step out and shoot the three or go inside, they are certainly no less talented in what they have returning to the fold for the 2017-18 season. Tankelewicz being a true freshman coming into the backcourt, and with the depth already returning in the backcourt for the 2018-19 season, might be the lone candidate to redshirt this season.

Previewing the UNCG Frontcourt:


Junior center and reigning SoCon Defensive Player of the Year James Dickey will once again be the leader in the UNCG frontcourt

Much has been made and will be made of the talent returning and the talented acquired in recruiting for Miller’s Spartans during the recruiting season, and at least on paper, the Spartans look to not only have one of the top front lines in the Southern Conference, but also in all of mid-major basketball for the upcoming 2018-19 season.

It’s often been said that having a dominant big man at the mid-major level is hard to find, but when you find one, you become not only an instant contender within your conference, but also to make some noise in the NCAA postseason.

The Spartans return one of the most dominant big men in all of mid-major college hoops, in 6-10, 200-lb junior center James Dickey (8.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 53.6 FG%, league-leading 71 blocks, 27 steals).

Dickey heads into the 2018-19 season as the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year last season, as well as being a Second Team All-SoCon honoree in 2017-18. His 71 blocks in a single-season were the fourth-most in the regular-season in school history. He has 114 blocks through his first two seasons as the starting center for the Spartans, and in his final two campaigns in the Gate City, will need 236 blocks in his final two campaigns to break Kyle Hines’ (2004-08) school record of 349-career blocked shots.

Dickey was to UNCG what Troy was in the backcourt in the 2017-18 season--a leader and a player that did all of the things that don’t necessarily show up on a stats sheet to help the Spartans to the title. He was the catalyst for one of the top defensive basketball teams in the country last season. And though not known as a scorer necessarily on the offensive end of the floor, his ability to hit shots in the clutch was another thing often that goes un-noticed about Dickey’s offensive floor game. 

Something that didn’t too often go un-noticed by any coach or fan of Southern Conference and mid-major hoops last season, was Dickey’s ability to allow his team second and third attempts on the offensive end of the floor with his ability to hit the offensive glass. Dickey not only led the Southern Conference in rebounding, he also led the SoCon in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 2.9 RPG on the offensive glass last season. His 5.5 defensive rebounds-per-game last season ranked him third in the SoCon.

Dickey’s 2.2 blocks-per-game last season ranked him 33rd among all players in the NCAA last season. Dickey enjoyed a career night in the Spartans’ loss at Presbyterian last season, scoring a career-best 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. It would be the start of what woul be a big season for the then-sophomore center, who also added a huge performance in the SoCon championship game, with nine points, five blocks and eight rebounds in the title game win over East Tennessee State.

With the graduation of Jordy Kuiper, Dickey will have someone new teaming with him underneath the basket for the Spartans for the upcoming season. Mohammed Abdulsalam (Link Prep/Branson, Missouri/Oya State/Nigeria) is one of the top recruits in the SoCon and mid-major hoops this season, and the 6-9, 255-lb power forward was rated as a three/four-star prospect by most recruiting web sites and publications. Abdulsalam was sought after by some major Division I collegiate programs, including Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Providence.

Prior to his time at Link Prep, Abdulsalam originally made a name for himself at Greenforest Christian Academy in where he helped lead his team to two state titles, including a 27-5 mark during his junior campaign there. During that same junior season, Abdulsalam displayed his dominance by averaging a double-double per game, averaging 12.0 PPG and 10.0 RPG. He played his AAU hoops with the Georgia Stars, averaging 15 PPG and 12 RPG.

Abdulsalam, with his size and strength underneath the basket, would equate as a natural compliment to the athleticism and defensive prowess of Dickey underneath the hoop for the Spartans.

Other than Abdulsalam, players like 6-8, 215-lb Kyrin Galloway (4.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG) could also equate as that starter underneath alongside Dickey, and Galloway adds a different element to the fold with his ability to step out and shoot from the perimeter.

Galloway was a key presence on the defensive end of the floor last season, ranking 13th in the SoCon in blocks-per-game last season (0.6 BPG). Galloway might be the better option for Miller as a starter alongside Dickey, at least to start the season with, thanks in large part to what his does on the defensive end of the floor.

Galloway probably would be known as UNCG’s defensive enforcer if it weren’t for Dickey’s presence already in the paint as a rim protector for the Spartans. 

At times last season, Galloway showed the ability to step out and shoot the three last season, adding an extra dimension to his game, being a threat to hit the occasional outside shot (12-of-44/27.3%), although neither he nor Dickey will possess the type of perimeter game Kuiper possessed when he was on the floor for the Spartans last season. 

Galloway scored a career and season-high of 15 points, including going 6-for-7 from the and hit his only shot from beyond the arc in the 88-75 win over the Bulldogs, helping UNCG clint the outright Southern Conference regular-season title. Last season, Galloway saw an average of 19.7 minutes-per-game.

Veterans Lloyd Burgess (1.3 PPG, 1.9 RPG) and Wichita State transfer Eric Hamilton (4.6 PPG, 1.3 RPG at Wichita State in 2016-17) could also play big roles as part of the rotation underneath the basket this season for the Spartans. Burgess, a 6-11, 270-lb senior center from Durham, N.C., saw action in only five games last season, but he could play a more integral role for the Spartans this season.

The Spartan coaching staff is particularly high on Hamilton, who arrived from Wichita State a year ago, and sat out the 2017-18 season and will have two years of eligibilty remaining as a Spartan.

Like Galloway and Abdulsalam, Hamilton will have a chance to start under the basket alongside Dickey, giving the Spartans at least two athletic, twin towers underneath the basket at any given point in a basketball game this season. Despite the losses of Smith and Kuiper, it could be argued that the Spartans could even be more talented underneath the basket, with reputable depth to boot.

Hamilton, a 6-9, 250-lb native of Duluth, GA comes into the season as one of the better athletes on the front line for UNCG. During his time at Wichita State, Hamilton saw action in 47 games and scored 105 points and grabbed 69 rebounds during his two seasons with the Shockers. He was able to connect on 52.3% of his shots from the field while with the Shockers.

Coming out of Sunrise Academy in 2015, Hamilton was rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, and averaged 14.8 PPG and 8.1 RPG in his final season as a prep.

Angelo Allegri (Link Prep/Branson, MO) is another newcomer that could also be an immediate contributorsfor the Spartans this season. Allegri came to UNCG along with Abdulsalam as part of kind of a package deal after starring at Link Prep in Branson, MO. 

The 6-7, 205-lb forward spent his junior and senior seasons at Link Prep, where he averaged 20 PPG and nine boards as a junior, garnering All-Eastern Kansas honors. He was a nominee for Gatorade Player of the Year during his senior season. In his time at Thomas Aquinas High School prior to his time at Link Prep, he helped lead his program to a league title along with a school-best 24-4 record, and he tied the school record with 34 points in a game.

Allegri is a long, well-skilled player in the paint and like Abdulsalam, will eter the UNCG program ready to play right away. Not only is he a well-rounded scorer, with the ability to step out and be a threat on the perimeter, he is also a presence on the defensive end of the floor.

Rounding out the newcomers in the frontcourt will be Khyre Thompson (Wesleyan Academy/Kernersville, N.C). A 6-6, 175-lb true freshman from nearby Kernersville, N.C., Thompson comes to UNCG after having been coached by Keith Gatlin at Wesleyan Christian Academy. 

He is a good athlete and was an all-conference performer as a senior. He’ll be a candidate to redshirt, however, with so many other polished players coming in during the past two recruiting classes for Miller. 

Schedule Preview:

The UNCG Spartans will play a challenging non-conference slate during the 2018-19 basketball season, and one that could help chart the course for a second-straight Southern Conference title and subsequent NCAA Tournament bid. The 2018-19 slate will feature three teams expected to finish in the upper echelon of the SEC this season, along with teams from the CAA, Conference USA, Big South, MEAC and SWAC.

The Spartans will open the 2018-19 basketball season against cross-town rival North Carolina A&T on Nov. 6, which is different from the previous season, which saw UNCG open up against ACC foe Virginia.

The Spartans will face the Aggies across town at the Corbett Sports Center on the campus of North Carolina A&T. It will mark the 19th meeting between the two programs, and first since the 2016-17 season, when UNCG was able to get an 83-66 win over the Aggies at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The Aggies are coming a 20-15 season a year ago, which included an 11-5 record inside of conference, and that was good enough to see the Aggies all the way to a postseason invite, playing in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament last season. The Aggies won 20 games for the first time in five years, and went unbeaten at home for the first time in three decades (13-0).

The Aggies, who are led by the 2017-18 MEAC Coach of the Year Joy Joyner, who enters his fourth-year at the helm of the North Carolina A&T basketball program, with most feeling that this season’s club expected to finish somewhere between the upper half-middle of the MEAC.

Joyner will be welcoming 10 new players into the fold, however, will have senior forward Femi Olujobi (16.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG) back, who was a second-team All-MEAC selection last season and will likely be a preseason favorite to be a first-teamer this season. The Aggies will enter the season opener for both clubs with a 13-game winning streak.

The Spartans will get their first chance at one of the power five big boys just three days later, playing on the road at the Pete Maravich Center against the LSU Tigers, who come off an 18-15 season and an NIT appearance under former Chattanooga head coach Will Wade, who will be entering season at the helm of the program.

The Tigers had to deal with some tragic news just prior to the start of the 2018-19 season, with the tragic death of forward Wayde Sims, who was shot in a restaraunt while out with friends on Sept. 28. Sims, who started 10 games last season for the Tigers, and was expected to be in the running for a starting spot this season.

Still, the Tigers, who brought in a Top 5 recruiting class, are expected to be on the fringes of the Top 25 entering the season, and should have one of the top backcourts in the SEC this season, with the return of double-figure scorers Tremont Waters (15.9 PPG, 6.0 APG) and Skylar Mays (11.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG) both returning at point guard adn shooting guard, respectively.

The third and final game of the three-game road swing to start the season will be when the Spartans travel to Trask Coliseum to meet the UNC Wilmington Seahawks out of the Colonial Athletic Association on Nov. 16. The Seahawks struggled last season, finishing with an 11-21 record, including just a 7-11 conference mark a year earlier. 

The struggles in 2017-18 season came on the heels of a CAA title and NCAA Tournament appearance during the 2016-17 season, and the Spartans and Seahawks met last season at the Greensboro Coliseum, where the Spartans were able to hold off a late rally from UNCW for a 71-58 win last December.

The Seahawks will still have one of the top players in mid-major hoops around, in Devontae Cacok around, who averaged 17.5 PPG and a nation-leading 13.5 RPG last season. It will mark just the eighth all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Spartans leading the series 4-3.

UNCG will open its home slate on Nov. 16 against Johnson & Wales before facing Prairie View A&M out of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) on Nov. 19. Johnson & Wales is coming off a 10-15 season at the Division II level a year ago, while Prairie View A&M was 16-18 last season, but expected to finish in the upper half of the SWAC this season, will feature two of the league’s top guards, in rising senior Gary Blackston (19.2 PPG/116 assists) and JUCO transfer Dennis Jones. 

The game against Johnson & Wales will be part of the Delaware Invitational Tournament, which will also feature a pair of road games.

Blackston was a First-Team All-SWAC performer last season, and posted one of his most impressive performance in a win over perennial Sun Belt power Georgia State in an early-season non-conference tournament, posting 21 points and 10 assists in the win. Blackston will be a candidate for preseason SWAC Player of the Year. Twelve of Prairie View’s 18 wins came in SWAC play, as the Panthers finished 12-6 in the league and made it all the way to the semifinals of the conference tournament.

On Nov. 23, the Spartans return to the road, facing a pair of opponents in Newark, Delaware, first facing the Blue Hens on their home floor, and then face Louisiana Tech out of Conference USA on Nov. 24. The Blue Hens were 14-19 a year ago overall, while completing the season with a 6-12 record in Colonial Athletic Association League play. The game against Delaware marks the second of three opponents out of the CAA for the Spartans.

It will mark the first meeting between the Spartans and Blue Hens since 2006, and sixth overall, with the Blue Hens holding a 3-2 series edge. The Spartans, however, won the last meeting between the two, with a 74-64 victory at the Fleming Gym back in December of 2006. 

Guards Ryan Allen (15.3, 2.5 RPG) and Kevin Anderson (13.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG) return to the fold, but the Blue Hens will have to deal with a major loss, as the Blue Hens lose guard and leading scorer Ryan Daly (17.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG), who opted to transfer to Saint Joseph’s for his final season of eligibility.

The very next day, the Spartans will battle Louisiana Tech--the second team from the Pelican State that the Spartans will face in the non-conference--taking on the Bulldogs out of Conference USA in the final game of the Delaware Invitational. The Bulldogs are coming off a 17-16 overall mark last season, which included a 7-11.

That lack-luster season for Lousiana Tech came on the heels of five-straight 23-win seasons. The Bulldogs will look to get back to their winning ways this season, returning guard and C-USA Freshman of the Year DaQuay Bracey (12.4 PPG, 4.1 APG) from last season.

It will mark just the second ever meeting between the Spartans and Bulldogs, with the only other meeting seeing the Bulldogs claim a 99-62 win over the Spartans in the Gulf Coast Showcase back on Nov. 25, 2013--almost five years to the day from what will be the second meeting between the two.

The final three games that remain great appetizers of the non-conference slate heading into the 2018-19 season will take place on the road against Kentucky (Dec. 1) and Elon (Dec. 7) to open the final month of non-conference play.

Kentucky is, of course, the most appetizing game of the non-league slate, as the Spartans will travel to Lexington and one of the most historic arenas in college hoops--Rupp Arena--on Dec.1. Kentucky will once again be one of the favorites to win the national title, having signed three four-star prospects, including Stanford transfer forward Reid Travis (19.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG), who sat out last year. ETSU took on Kentucky last year, and hung around awhile before losing, 78-61. 

The Spartans will also make their first trip to the Schar Center when they face cross-town rival and former SoCon foe Elon on Dec. 7, as the two will be meeting for the 31st time, with Elon holding a 26-14 all-time series edge. UNCG begins defense of its regular-season and tournament SoCon titles on Dec. 22 at Samford.

Final Outlook:

If the Spartans defend the way they did last season, it would be hard to imagine anyone than say Wofford, ETSU or possibly Furman having a chance at un-seating the reigning champs.


Projected Starting Five:

G--Demetrius Troy

G--Francis Alonso

G--Isaiah Miller

F--James Dickey

F--Eric Hamilton


First off the Bench:

G/F--Kyrin Galloway