Furman storms back to clip UT-Arlington in thriller

ELON, N.C.--Furman only led for 1:34 of the game, however, the Paladins gutted out a 58-57 win over Sun Belt Conference member UT-Arlington in the mainland portion of the Bad Boys Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis Wednesday afternoon at the Schar Center on the campus of Elon College.

With the win, Furman improved to 7-1 overall, while UT-Arlington fell to 3-4. The Paladins have now won 23 of their last 26 non-conference regular-season games, with the only losses coming on at No. 24 Tennessee (L, 66-61/Dec. 2017), at LSU (L, 75-57/Dec. 2018) and Alabama (L, 81-73) last week.

Mike Bothwell converted a three-point play the old-fashioned way with 3.8 seconds remaining, as he layed it in off the glass and was fouled, turning a 57-55 deficit into a 58-57 lead to give the Paladins their only lead of the second half and only their second lead of the entire game.

Bothwell’s winning play was set up by an offensive rebound by Clay Mounce off an Alex Hunter missed three-pointer, which prompted Furman to call a timeout with just under 11 seconds to play. Off the timeout, Furman tossed the inbounds pass into the backcourt, and Bothwell retrieved the ball, then proceeded to penetrate down the left side of the lane and put up a left-handed shot off the glass and drew contact. After UT-Arlington called timeout, Bothwell made the free throw and Furman called timeout to set up its defense.

Following the timeout, UT Arlington point guard Brian Warren crossed the time-stripe and passed it to TiAndre Jakcson-Young and his three-pointer from the corner, however, it bounced off the front of the rim as time expired, allowing the Paladins to come away with the hard-fought win. ‘

Mounce finised the game with his first double-double of the season, posting 14 points and grabbing 12 boards to lead the Paladins. Mounce connected on 6-of-14 shots from the field and was 1-for-6 from three-point range. Mounce also contributed three steals, a block and an assist.

Matching Mounce’s 14 points was Paladin senior guard Jordan Lyons, who posted 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field, including going 4-for-9 from three-point land and was also 2-for-2 from the charity stripe to total his 14. In addition to matching Mounce’s team-high scoring total, Lyons also finished with four rebounds and a pair of assists.

Rounding out the Paladins in double figures were both Noah Gurley and Alex Hunter finished out the contest with 11 points apiece. Gurley posted his 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting from the field and was 1-for-1 from three-point land. He was also 4-for-5 from the charity stripe. Gurley also had a rebound and a block. Hunter connected on 4-of-9 shots from the field, including connecting on 3-for-8 from three-point range. Hunter also contributed four rebounds and dished out three assists and had only one turnover.

The Paladins trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half, as UT-Arlington’s Coleman Sparling gave the Mavericks a 42-29 lead with 16:47 remaining in the game. However, Furman finished the contest on a 29-15 run, with Mounce and Gurley posting nine points apiece in the second half. Furman, which committed 17 turnovers in the contest, took care of the basketball over the final 11:30 of the contest, posting only one miscue in that time frame.

Furman struggled shooting the basketball in the contest, connecting on just 39.2% (20-of-51) from the field, including connecting on 43.3% (13-of-30) from three-point range. The Mavericks finished the contest connecting on 43.4% (23-of-53) from the field, including going 38.5% (10-of-26) from three-point range in the contest. Furman finished the game shooting 69.2% (9-of-13) from the charity stripe, while the Mavericks connected on 87.5% (7-of-8) from the field.

UT-Arlington was led in scoring by a pair of players in double figures, with All-Sun Belt performer Brian Warren leading all scorers with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and 1-for-1 from three-point range. He was also 5-for-5 from the charity stripe. David Azore added 12 points for the Mavericks.

The Paladins posted advantages in second-chance points (10-5) and bench points (8-7), while UT-Arlington owned advantages in points in the paint (28-20), points off turnovers (20-14), and fast-break points (4-3).

Furman returns to action Monday night when it travels to South Florida. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Furman trounces Elon

Recap: Furman 97, Elon 61

ELON, N.C.--Mike Bothwell scored a career-high 20 points and Clay Mounce added 20 more, as Furman claimed a 97-61 non-conference win over Elon in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis Mainland Tournament Tuesday night at the Schar Center.

With the win, Furman improved to 6-1 overall, while Elon fell to 2-5 overall on the season. Furman will return to action Wednesday afternoon for a 3 p.m. tip-off against UT-Arlington at the Schar Center. The win marked Furman’s third-straight over the Phoenix.

Bothwell scored his career-high 20 points by connecting on 8-of-13 shots from the field, including 4-for-8 from three-point land, while adding six rebounds, three assists and a steal to round out what was a complete night of basketball across the board.

Mounce posted his 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field, including going 6-of-10 from three-point range. Mounce added seven rebounds, five steals and three assists to his overall worksheet to finish out arguably his most impressive all-around performance of the season.

Rounding out the double-figure scorers for the Paladins were both Jordan Lyons and Alex Hunter, who added 13 points apiece. Lyons finished the night connecting on 5-of-12 shooting from the field, including going 2-for-7 from three-point land and was 1-for-1 from the free throw line. Lyons added three assists and a steal to round out his night.

Hunter connected on 5-of-9 shots from the field and was 3-for-7 from three-point range, while adding four rebounds, dishing out three assists, and recorded one steal with just one turnover.

The Paladins would put the clamps down defensively on the Phoenix in the opening half of play, as Furman held the Phoenix scoreless from the field in the final 6:13 of the opening half of play to take a 46-30 lead into the half break. Bothwell scored 15 of his 20 points in the first half, already eclipsing his previous career-high of 13 points established against VMI last February in a Furman home win.

The sophomore from Cleveland Heights, OH, connected on three of his first-half triples to account for nine of his 15 points in the opening frame.Meanwhile, Mounce also knocked down all three of his first-half triples, as the Paladins knocked down 8-of-17 from three-point range in the opening frame.

The Paladins opened the second half with a 10-0 run to extend its lead to 26 points, at 56-30, with Mounce ending the run with back-to-back three-pointers, prompting an Elon timeout. Elon would trim the Paladin lead to 19, at 76-57, following a three-pointer by Zak Ervin and jumper by Hunter McIntosh with 5:37 remaining.

However, Bothwell answered with a three-pointer to put Furman’s cushion back to 22 points (79-57) and it would commence a 21-4 run to close out the 36-point road win for the Paladins.  Furman went 17-for-37 from three-point land, tying the record for most three-point field goals made against a Division I opponent, matching the 17 triples by the Paladins against Davidson in 2005 and The Citadel and 2018.

Elon placed a trio of players in double figures, led by McIntosh’s 13 points, while Simon Wright and Ervin chipped in with 11 and 10 points, resepctively. For the game, Furman out-shot the Phoenix 52.9%-35.3%, as the Paladins connected on 36.68% from the field, while going 17-for-37 from three-point range, which was good for 45.9% from long range.

The Phoenix knocked down 18-of-51 shots from the field, and were just 5-for-24 (20.8%) from three-point range. The Phoenix did connect on 20-of-24 from three charity stripe, while the Paladins went 8-of-9 from the stripe on the night.

The Paladins also held advantages in points in the paint (32-18), points off turnovers (23-11), second-chance points (12-8), fast-break points (12-0), rebounds (35-32), assists (19-10) and bench points (36-21). Furman’s 97 points in the win were a season-high, marking the second-straight game in which the Paladins have reached that point total in a game. The Paladins forced the Phoenix into 19 miscues, while committing just 10 turnovers on the night.

Furman improves to 5-1 with easy win over Columbia International

Furman forward Noah Gurley

GREENVILLE, S.C.--Furman placed four in double figures rebounding from its first loss of the season Tuesday night at Alabama with a resounding 90-45 win over Columbia International Friday night at Timmons Arena.

With the win, Furman improved to 5-1 overall and is now 54-11 at Timmons Arena since the start of the 2015-16 season, including 3-0 at home this season. Columbia International dropped to 4-4 this season. The Paladins have now won 21 of its last 24 non-conference regular-season games, and have won

Noah Gurley’s 16 points, four assists, three steals and a rebound to lead Furman, connecting on 6-of-7 from the field, including 1-of-1 from the three-point line and was 3-of-4 from the charity stripe.

Coming off his 33-point effort at Alabama on Tuesday night, senior guard Jordan Lyons added 14 points on 5-for-10 from the field, including 1-for-4 from three-point land and 3-for-3 from the line. The native of Peachtree City, GA, also added, two steals, an assist and a rebound.

Alex Hunter and Mike Bothwell finished out the Paladins in double figures, as each added 12 points apiece. Hunter, a junior from Raleigh, N.C., came into the night with no turnovers on the season to go with 18 assists, leading the nation in assist/turnover ration. He finished the night by committing his first three turnovers of the season, but also had three assists and now has 21 assists to just three turnovers this season.

Hunter finished connecting on 5-of-8 from the field and was 2-for-5 from three-point land in the contest and finished 2-for-5 from three-point land. He also contributed five rebounds and a steal.

Bothwell’s 12 points came off a 6-for-8 night shooting from the field to go with three assists and a steal. All 12 of Bothwell’s points came in the opening half of play.

The Paladins held a 22-18 lead following a Jalen Brinson jumper for the Rams with 11:35 to play in the first half. From that point, Furman commenced to go on a 33-5 run to close the half, taking a 55-23 lead into the halftime locker room.

The spurt heading to the locker room was highlighted by number of dunks, including a beautifully thrown, one-handed toss from Hunter, which was finished off emphatically 30-feet later by Tre Clark. Jalen Slawson also had a pair of tomahawk dunks off Rams turnovers.

The lopsided score at the half allowed Furman to rest its seven-man rotation for good portions of the second half, allowing some of its younger players get some much-needed and well-deserved floor action.

One of the noticeable contributors was Hendersonville, N.C., native and Hendersonville High School product Ben Beeker, who finished with two points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal in 18 minutes of floor time.

The Paladins put an emphasis on working on different aspects on both ends, including its transition offense and its 1-3-1 defense.

“One of the emphasis of the game tonight was our transition offense,” Mike Bothwell said. “We were trying to get a lot of rim touches and trying to get a lot of three flat is what we call it
so we can have penetration lanes and seals under the basket and we had a big focus on not turning the ball over from when we first started practicing for the season because our turnovers were kind of high when were practicing against each other as a team,” he added.

“A great effort from our guys especially on the defensive end tonight and I thought we had the right focus on that end of the floor to start the game and also to start the second half with the sizeable margin at halftime and I thought that was critical and that’s what we wanted to do. They presented some challeges for us gameplan-wise because they put a lot of shooters on the floor and the size of their big guy inside and their sub...you know a and basically play all small and go all guards in a lot of ways. We had to get into the game and figure out some ball screen coverages and clean some things,” head coach Bob Richey said.

After shooting just 30.9% vs. Alabama Tuesday night, Furman rebounded to connect on 64.4% from the field Friday night, which was its highest shooting percentage since shooting 64.4% vs Virginia Intermont on Dec. 29, 2004. The Paladins also recorded 21 assists to just nine turnovers, and owned substantial advantages in points in the paint (54-26), points off turnovers (27-7) and fast-break points (23-2). The Paladins limited the Rams to just 33.9% shooting from the field and turned the Rams over 19 times. Columbia International was led by Tajae Anderson’s 10 points.

Furman returns to action Tuesday night when it faces Elon at 7 p.m., at the Schar Center.

Furman dominant in home-opening win over Loyola-Chicago

Furman senior guard Jordan Lyons/Photo courtesy of Furman Athletics

Furman 87, Loyola 63

Furman got a combined 46 points from Jordan Lyons and Clay Mounce, and Bob Richey picked up his 50th win as head coach, as the Paladins downed Loyola-Chicago, 87-63, before 2,469 rowdy fans on hand Friday night at Timmons Arena.

With the win, Furman has now won 19 of its last 21 non-conference games, with the lone two losses being to LSU and Tennessee dating back to the 2017-18 season. The Paladins move ton 2-0 on the season, while Loyola fell to 1-1.

Lyons led the Paladins with 24 points, connecting on 8-of-13 shots from the field, including 2-of-7 from three-point range. Lyons was also 6-for-8 from the foul stripe. In addition to his performance as a scorer, Lyons added three rebounds, five assists, and three steals.

Mounce scored his 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, including going 5-for-6 from three-point range and went 3-for-5 from the line. Mounce also added four rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 38 minutes of floor action.

Rounding out the Paladins in double figures were Jalen Slawson and Mike Bothwell, who chipped in with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Slawson’s 14 points were a career-high, as he connected on 5-of-8 shots from the field, including going 1-for-3 from three-point range, while knocking down 3-of-4 charity shots. Additionally, Slawson added five rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block.

Bothwell’s 10 points came off the bench, as he connected on 4-of-8 shots from the field and 2-for-3 from the free throw line to go with four rebounds, two steals and an assist.

Furman would take a 34-28 lead into the halftime locker room, despite seeing the Ramblers connect on 59.1% from the field. It was Furman’s defense that allowed it to taking the six-point lead into the halftime locker room, as the Paladins had 13 ball deflections and caused 13 first-half Loyola turnovers to off-set their high shooting performance. That helped the Paladins out-score the Ramblers 9-0 in fast-break points at the break.

The Paladins would end up forcing a total of 22 Loyola turnovers on the night, and out-scored the Ramblers 21-6 in points off of turnovers for the game.

Furman was very good  last season on the defensive end of the floor, and that seems to have even been elevated through at least through the first two games this season, as head coach Bob Richey alluded to in his postgame press conference on how this Furman team was a little different defensively than last year’s club.

“I think this team is a little faster...you know I think this team has a little more speed but we haven’t been as tight in  some our rotations as last year’s team was at this point and that’s okay and what I’ve tried to convince them is that we have been working really hard at it in practice and what I’ve tried to convince them is we’ve got to learn to use our speed and our strength,” head coach Bob Richey said.

The Paladins led by as many as 10 points in the opening half of play, at 34-24, following a Clay Mounce three-pointer from the corner with 1:37 to play in the half. However, the Ramblers would close the half in strong fashion, getting layups from Tate Hall and Jalon Pipkins to close out the half, cutting the Paladin lead to six at the break and taking some of the momentum into the halftime locker room.

Furman would slowly start to cushion its lead in the second half. The Paladins led 50-43 with a little over 13 minutes to play, however, used a 9-0 run which was punctuated by one of Jalen Slawson’s three dunks, giving the Paladins a 59-43 lead with 7:52 remaining. Slawson was issued a questionable technical foul for hanging on the rim, but despite having four personal fouls, was not disqualified from the contest because the technical was resulted in a team foul and not a personal foul.

During that run, Lyons was key in a variety of ways, and it was his transition three with 10:35 remaining that allowed the Paladins to take a 55-43 lead, and Furman never led by less than double digits the rest of the way.

“Jordan Lyons I mean what a night...please please understand the plays that he made on two feet tonight and the five assists that he got and I understand that you’re going to want to write about his 24 points but he hit me up after Gardner-Webb and said coach I want to watch film with you and we watched the one-foot plays and I told him just look go out there just drive it and keep two feet on the ground so that you can pivot and pass and you’ll be amazed how things are going to open up for you because they are going to flow to you and they’re going to think you’re just going to go in there and try and score and you’ll be amazed how it’s going to open up for you,” Richey said.

All told, Furman would hold Loyola scoreless over a six-minute stretch in the second half from the 13:22-to-7:22 mark of the second half. It allowed Furman to stretch its lead out to as much 16 points following the Slawson jam.

Furman would eventually extend its lead to 20 points with 1:37 left on a free throw by Slawson. Freshman guard Colin Kenney and freshman forward Ben Beeker would close out the strong home opening performance with their first buckets of their collegiate careers--Kenney on a jumper from the corner and Beeker on a layup in which he was also fouled in the process--as the Paladins fashioned its most convincing non-conference home performance in quite some time, capping off the 24-point win.

In the win, Lyons noted the program had been elevated by each of the senior classes, which came before it. The fact that the program had been left in better shape by each senior class, which came before it, and his words summed up the dominant win over a good, well-respected Loyola Chicago program.

“Speaking on past seniors it’s amazing to see how the people who have graduated have left this program better than when they came in and I think that’s something that’s really special about the guys that we’ve had here starting with Kris Acox, Stephen Croone and Larry Wideman and then going to John Davis, Devin Sibley, Daniel Fowler and Geoff Beans to Matt [Rafferty] and Andrew [Brown] and those guys when you talk about winning, it’s all about just elevating this program to be the best that we can be and that’s the mentality we have as a team this year and we have a lot of really good players and really versatile players...We have a really special group and none of us are worried about the stats or who’s scoring what...We just want to win and we just want to be connected,” Senior guard Jordan Lyons said.

The Paladins shot 55.4% (31-of-56) for the game, while the Ramblers connected on 52.7% (29-of-55) from the field. Furman shot 40.0% (8-of-20) from three-point range, while limiting the Ramblers to just 28.6% (4-of-14)

Furman held advantages in points off turnovers (21-6), assists (18-13), fast-break points (18-2), second-chance points (9-6), and bench points (19-17). Loyola out-rebounded Furman 32-24, but the Paladins forced 22 turnovers and committed only nine.

Loyola was led in scoring by Lucas Williamson’s 18 points. He was the only Ramblers player in double figures. Furman held preseason Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Cameron Krutwig to just eight points and one rebound. Krutwig had 15 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in the season opener vs. UC Davis.

Furman heads to Charleston Southern Tuesday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

SoCon Opening Night Roundup; What's Ahead

It was the opening night in SoCon hoops. Here’s what we think we learned, or maybe not.

Clay Mounce dunks in the first half vs. Gardner-Webb

Furman 70, Gardner-Webb 63

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.--Noah Gurley posted 18 points leading three in double figures, as Furman ended Gardner-Webb’s 14-game homecourt winning streak, as the Paladins opened the 2019-20 season with a 70-63 win Tuesday night at Paul Porter Arena.

Gurley posted 12 of his 18 points in the opening half of play, and connected on 6-of-8 shots from the field and 1-of-2 from three-point range, as well as connecting on 5-of-6 from the line and five boards, while Alex Hunter added 13 points, two assists and did not turn the ball over in the win. Clay Mounce, who had perhaps the biggest bucket of the night on a three-point play the old-fashioned way with 2:37 left, chipped in with 11. 

What Did We Learn: We knew Furman would look like a different basketball team, we just weren’t necessarily what “different” would look like without Matt Rafferty. Now we know two things. We know the Paladins can play some pretty good defense, and from the looks of it, this might be the best defensive team Bob Richey has had in his third season at the helm. We also learned that Noah Gurley and Clay Mounce are going to be problems for teams this season. It was also impressive that Furman was able to find a way to win this one without start guard Jordan Lyons scoring in double figures, as he finished with nine points, however, his three assists, one steal and overall on-the-ball defending showed that he is more than just a scorer and shooter, he’s an overall outstanding hooper.

”What I saw tonight is that when the popcorn’s popping and the lights are on, we’ve got a whole group that will sit down and play connected defense,” said Furman head coach Bob Richey.

Georgia 91, Western Carolina 72

ATHENS, GA--Western Carolina held a 38-37 halftime, however, couldn’t hold off a young, but extremely talented Georgia team, dropping a 91-72 decision at Stegeman Coliseum. 

The Catamounts got a team-high 21 points from redshirt junior Mason Faulkner in his debut, and Carlos Dotson posted his 14th-career double-double, with 17 points and 15 boards to lead Western. Dotson helped paced the Purple and Gold to a 38-37 lead courtesy of 14 points and eight board in the opening half alone from Dotson. 

Georgia’s star recruit Anthony Edwards led all scorers 24 points. Following an Onno Steger layup with 6:44 left brining Western Carolina to within two (65-63), however, the Bulldogs went on a 14-2 run to close out the game. 

What Did We Learn: What we learned is that indeed, at least after one game, that our preseason article tabbing Western Carolina to be a team to watch in the SoCon is valid. A look inside the numbers of this game will tell that the Catamounts struggled shooting the basketball. The Catamounts finished the nine 9-of-34 from three (26.5%)! When Bulldogs forced the ball away from Dotson, the Catamounts were forced to look to score in other ways, and they could not consistently knocked down the outside shot to open things up once again for Dotson in the second half, and that ultimately proved to be the difference. Teams are going to force the Catamounts to make shots from the perimeter until they can show the ability to do so consisently. 

Wofford 86, Erskine 63

SPARTANBURG, S.C.--Jay McAuley picked up his first win as Wofford’s head coach, and the Terriers overcame a sluggish first-half to rout Division II Erskine College, 86-63, at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.

Wofford led just 34-29 at the break, but saw guard Nathan Hoover and Chevez Goodwin combine to score 26 of Wofford’s 52 second-half points to get the win going away. Hoover led five Terriers in double figures with 18 points, while redshirt freshman Isaiah Bigelow and redshirt senior Chevez Goodwin added 14 points apiece to complete a solid opening win for Wofford.

What Did We Learn: We knew it would be different without Fletcher Magee, Cameron Jackson, Keve Aluma and head coach Mike Young. How was it different you might ask? Well, the Terriers are going to play more of an up-tempo style under McAuley, and be much less deliberate. It was really obvious, especially in the second half, the Terriers want to run and utilize their strength, which dare I say it, is athleticism. This is a more athletic team than the one that won 30 games last season.

UNC Greensboro 83, North Carolina A&T 50

GREENSBORO, N.C.--In a cross-town rivalry, UNC Greensboro opened the season by making easy work of an improving North Carolina A&T program, 83-50, at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The Spartans held the Aggies to just 32.9% shooting from the field for the night, and got a solid all-around night from Isaiah Miller and one big-time highlight reel slam, as the senior preseason SoCon Player of the Year posted 13 points, six boards, three assists and three steals. Four Spartans posted double figure scoring performances, led by Kaleb Hunter’s 17 points.

What Did We Learn: Isaiah Miller is the real deal, but we kinda already knew that. The Spartans went 11-of-34 from three-point land, which converts to a 32.4% clip. That total number shot is a little high, as the Spartans shot on average of 22.2 threes-per-game last season, finishing the season with 818 attempts from long range. We learned that despite the fact that the Spartans lost such great shooters as Francis Alonso and Demetrius Troy, they lack no confidence when shooting from long-range. That’s not a suprise, but we’ll see how Alonso’s 98 threes that graduated from 2018-19 might be distributed through an extremely deep backcourt. UNCG’s much-ballyhooed freshman class saw only three freshmen draw minutes. Other notable absences included Kobe Langley, the top recruit from the 2018-19 signing class Mohammed Abdulsalam and Dericko Williams. Michael Hueitt Jr looked as good as advertised in his debut for the Spartans, however, scoring 10 points and connecting on 4-of-8 from the field, including 2-for-5 from three.

Morehead State 90, Samford 86 (20T)

MOREHEAD, KY,--Samford battled hard, but dropped a hard-fought, 90-86, double-overtime affair at Morehead State Tuesday night at Johnson Arena.

The stars showed out for the Bulldogs, which returned four of five starters from a year ago. Josh Sharkey led the Bulldogs with 24 points, six assists, and four steals, while forward Robert Allen finished with 17 points, while Sharkey’s backcourt mate Brandon Austin got the season off to a strong start. Neither team was setting things on fire from outside, connecting on a combined 12-of-55 from three (21.8%).

What We Learned: This was a game that Samford won in overtime last season at home, so we probably didn’t learn all that much from the result of it. Samford’s top three scorers took 54 shots, connecting on just 35.1% (19-of-54) and 24 of those shots came from Sharkey, who connected on just nine of them. Those numbers will have to change, and I am sure they will, but 29 threes with only six makes is probably a little high for head coach Scott Padgett’s liking. One of the names to get to know is Jalan Dupree, who transferred in from Murray State, made the most of his debut in the comfortable surroundings of an OVC arena, posting a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Bulldogs had 13 steals and forced 20 Morehead State turnovers. From night-to-night, there’s no denying that Samford is one of the most exciting teams to watch in mid-major hoops. They have now played in eight overtime games over the past two seasons, and are 3-5 in those games.

East Carolina 80, VMI 68

GREENVILLE, N.C.--VMI opened the season with a career-high 23 points from Greg Parham, but it wasn’t enough to overcome East Carolina on the road Tuesday night at Minges Coliseum.

Parham added four boards, three assists and a pair of steals in the loss, but was one of only one of two players in double figures, as forward Jake Stephens also chipped in 10 points. The Keydets struggled defensively, as the Pirates connected on 53.4% (31-of-58) and held a 45-33 advantage on the glass. The Keydets were out-scored 54-32 in the paint.

What We Learned: We kind of figured the Keydets might miss Bubba Parham and Sarju Patel, but we also didn’t expect them to be over-powered as they were in the paint by the ECU Pirates. However, there were some positives, and one of those was taking care of the basketball. The Keydets posted only 10 turnovers. VMI is going to have some second and third scoring options going forward, but it is still really early.

Eastern Kentucky 79, Chattanooga 68

RICHMOND, KY--Lamont Paris’ third season at the helm of the storied Chattanooga basketball program could have started much better than a 79-68 setback to Eastern Kentucky at Alumni Coliseum.

The Colonels, which won on a three at the buzzer by Nick Mayo at the buzzer last season at the Roundhouse, this time used a 12-0 run to start the second half to overcome a 38-33 halftime deficit and never looked back in getting the 11-point win. The Mocs shot just 27% in the second half and David Jean-Baptiste led three Mocs in double figures with 18 points. Matt Ryan, a transfer from Vanderbilt, added 15 points, while forward Rod Johnson chipped in with 12.

What We Learned: Chattanooga was plagued by many of the same things that have plagued it throughout the Lamont Paris era, and those are long scoring droughts, with the lack of a go-to-guy and those adverse moments of a game. The Mocs defense is still not good enough to survive those droughts, and it’s a bit much to ask even the best defensive teams in the country to endure extremely long scoring droughts. The Mocs will get better, but they have to find the leadership in adversity. They need Ramon Vila to step up and be that go-to-guy in the paint. He was solid offensively with eight points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, but tallied just three boards.

Highlighting The Rest of the Week:

--Pre-season favorite East Tennessee State opens up its campaign tonight against Newberry.

--UNCG hopes that Kansas will turn it over just many times as it did vs. Duke Friday night in Lawrence

--Sister Jean comes to Timmons Arena when Furman takes on Loyola-Chicago Friday night at Timmons Arena. It’s an early-season mid-major blockbuster.

Southern Conference Basketball 2019-20 Preview Guide: It's Opening Night!

SoCon John's
Predicted Order of Finish:                             2018-19 Record                      How Season Ended
1. East Tennessee State                                     24-11, 13-5 SoCon (4th)         L to Green Bay in CIT
2. Furman                                                          25-8, 13-5 SoCon (3rd)           L to Wichita St in NIT
3. UNC Greensboro                                          29-7,  15-3 SoCon (2nd)          L to Lipscomp in NIT
4. Wofford                                                         30-5, 18-0 SoCon (1st)            L to UK in Rd of 32
5. Samford                                                         17-16, 6-12 SoCon (6th)         L to UNCG in SC Semis
6. Western Carolina                                           7-25, 4-14 SoCon (9th)           L to VMI in SC 1st Rd
7. Chattanooga                                                   12-20, 7-11 SoCon (5th)        L to ETSU in SC Qtrs
8. Mercer                                                            11-20, 6-12 SoCon (7th)        L to Furman in SC Qtrs
9. VMI                                                                11-21, 4-14 SoCon (8th)        L to Wofford in SC Qtrs
10. The Citadel                                                   12-18, 4-14 SoCon (10th)      L to Sam. in SC 1st Rd


SoCon John's All-Conference Teams                                                                                                    

First Team
G--Isaiah Miller (UNCG)
G--Jordan Lyons (Furman)
G--Nathan Hoover (Wofford)
F--Jeromy Rodriguez (East Tennessee State)
C--Carlos Dotson (Western Carolina)

Second Team 
G--Josh Sharkey (Samford)
G--Bo Hodges (ETSU)
G--Storm Murphy (Wofford)
G--Ross Cummings (Mercer)
C--James Dickey (UNCG)

Third Team
G--Daivien Williamson (ETSU)
G--Brandon Austin (Samford)
G--Tray Boyd (ETSU)
F--Noah Gurley (Furman)
F--Clay Mounce (Furman)

Superlatives:                                                                                                                                            

Player of the Year: Isaiah Miller
Freshman of the Year: Trayvion McCray (WCU)
Defensive Player of the Year: Bo Hodges (ETSU)
Best Transfer: G--Trey Doomes, Chattanooga (West Virginia)
Best Dunker: Isaiah Miller (UNCG)
Best Rebounder on both ends: Jeromy Rodriguez (ETSU)
Best Pure Scoring Threat: Jordan Lyons (Furman)
Best Shooter: Nathan Hoover (Wofford)
Best Shot-blocker: James Dickey (UNCG)
Most Effective in the Paint: Jeromy Rodriguez (ETSU)
Best on the ball Defender: Isaiah Miller (UNCG)
Quickest Guard: Josh Sharkey (Samford)
Most Improved Player: Jalen Slawson (Furman)
Most Improved Shooter: Alex Hunter (Furman)
Most Versatile Player: Bo Hodges (ETSU)
Most Underrated Player: Brandon Austin (Samford)

Coming off what was an unprecedented season on the Southern Conference basketball hardwood, the 2019-20 season offers more unknowns than certainties, but then again, it was not known just how good the league would be going into the 2019-20 season either.

With the top four having done what it has over the past couple of seasons in this league, the question becomes can someone upset the apple cart and make a run at an upper echelon finish in the SoCon.

One thing most figured heading into last season was the top four in the league’s pecking order would likely be the same again, with reigning champs UNC Greensboro (29-7, 15-3 SoCon) entering the season as the favorites, and many had their own opionions of who would finish 2-4, but felt it would be Wofford (30-5, 18-0 in SoCon in 2018-19), Furman (25-7, 13-5 SoCon in 2018-19) and East Tennessee State (24-10, 13-5 in SoCon in 2018-19) in some order.

Over the past four years, those four teams have been pretty special. In fact, a look at those four-year trends has ETSU with a 100-41 record overall and a 55-19 record in the SoCon, UNC Greensboro with a

Wofford didn’t necessarily take anyone by surprise, as Mike Young’s Terriers will fully capable of claiming the league title, however, the fashion in which the Terriers was surprising to most, as the Terriers went a perfect 18-0 in Southern Conference play, despite the league being as strong as it has ever been.

However, the dynamic will certainly be different in 2019-20 for the Terriers, having to replace its two top scorers from a year ago, as well as its head coach, Mike Young, who left to become the new head coach at Virginia Tech following Buzz Williams’ departure to become the new head coach at Texas A&M.

So who are the favorites entering the 2019-20 season on the SoCon college basketball scene? That team appears to be East Tennessee State, who could have a season similar to what Wofford had last season with the talent and four starters it has returning to the fold for the 2019-20 season. Head coach Steve Forbes’ Bucs have won 100 games in four seasons, and he might have his most talented club returning to Johnson City heading into his fifth season at the helm in Johnson City.

Things will center around the return of Jeromy Rodriguez, who almost turned pro shortly after the season, but then decided to return to the team for one final run at a Southern Conference crown, making head coach Steve Forbes, as he called it, the happiest coach in all of college basketball.

Rodriguez was certainly impressive last season for the Bucs, as was one of the nation’s leaders on the backboards. He gives the Bucs that grit and toughness that Forbes is such an advocate of, having his roots in basketball played in the midwest. Forbes knows Rodriguez’s importance to that particular team dynamic.

Rodriguez will be joined by three other talented returning starters, in point guard Isaiah Tisdale, shooting guard Patrick Good, and wing guard Bo Hodges.

Meanwhile, Forbes went out and added some depth and even more size underneath the basket. Returning alongside seven-footer Lucas N’Guessan in the paint will be fellow seven-footer Octavion Corley, who redshirted last season, and joining those two will be transfer Joe Hugley from Central Connecticut State, who will be eligible immediately. The league title race once again looks as if it will go through Johnson City in the regular-season, and Forbes’ Bucs will once again be the favorites to cut down the nets in March in Asheville.

The one primary challenger to Forbes' Bucs over the past four years has been UNCG, and even though both Francis Alonso and Demetrius Troy have graduated, you can expect the Spartans to once again be near the top of the SoCon challenging for a both regular-season and tournament titles, as head coach Wes Miller heads into his the 2019-20 season with three returning starters , which includes the league’s top player, Isaiah Miller, off a team that won a school-record 29 games last season.

Miller also has the league’s ultimate rim-protector returning, in senior James Dickey, while Kyrin Galloway is also back and is a versatile big, who can step out and shoot three with proficiency. If Galloway can improve his game in the paint, he could make the Spartans an even tougher matchup for league foes.

Plenty of optimism surrounds a talented recruiting class that includes the likes of Keyshaun and Kobe Langley, as well as well as power forward Dericko Williams. Add to that the fact that Old Dominion sharp-shooter Michael Hueitt being elible for the 2019-20 season after sitting out the 2019-20, and you have the makings of yet another special season for Miller and the Spartans in the Gate City.

Bob Richey’s Furman Paladins, like the Spartans, set a new school record for victories last season, winning 25 times, including victories over a pair of Final Four teams from the previous season in the non-conference, as the Paladins knocked off both Loyola-Chicago and reigning national champion Villanova to put themselves in the bubble conversation for better than a month.

Though the Paladins were ultimately left out of the field, despite an NET rank in the high 40s, the attention garnered by Richey’s club was enough to garner Furman its first NIT invitation since the 1990-91 season.

Though Furman lost all-everything post presence Matt Rafferty to graduation, the Paladins do welcome the return of four starters, including prolific perimeter and scoring threat Jordan Lyons to the fold. Joining the shooting guard from the Peach State will be redshirt junior forward Clay Mounce, redshirt sophomore forward Noah Gurley and point guard Alex Hunter to the fold.

Jay McAuley will be in his first season at the helm of the Wofford Terriers, and he will not only have to follow in the shadow of a magical season, which saw the Terriers become the first SoCon team since 1950-51 to win 30 games in a single season and first since 2008 to win an NCAA Tournament game, but also in the footsteps of coaching legend Mike Young, who is Virginia Tech’s new head coach.

Add to that the losses of Fletcher Magee and Cameron Jackson to graduation, and Keve Aluma to transfer, and the task seems tall for the new head coach. However, the good news for McAuley and the Terriers is the fact that he should still have one of the strongest backcourts in the SoCon this coming season, with the return of two 40% shooters from three-point land, in Nathan Hoover and point guard Storm Murphy.

If you were looking for two teams that might have something to say about  ‘Top Four’ re-organization in 2019-20, look no further than Samford (17-16, 6-12 in  SoCon in 2018-19), Chattanooga (12-20, 7-11 in SoCon) and Western Carolina (7-25, 4-14 in SoCon in 2018-19), who have all added reinforcements during the off-season to help them be more than formidable to the upper-echelon teams in the league.

The most likely to team to be able to achieve such a feat looks like Scott Padgett’s Samford Bulldogs, who return all four of five starters and add another talented guard via the transfer portal, in Preston Parks. Parks, of course, played in the SoCon once before, as he starred at The Citadel, where he was named the 2015-16 SoCon Freshman of the Year.

The Bulldogs will have arguably the quickest guard in all of mid-major basketball, in Josh Sharkey, and one of the more underrated guards in the SoCon, in Brandon Austin. Replacing big man Reuben Guerrero won’t be easy, but the Bulldogs return the versatile Robert Allen to the fold underneath the basket.

In Lamont Paris’ third season at the helm, he will once again have a vastly different looking roster, with a second haul of players transferring out of the program. Gone are guys like Kevin Easley,  Jerry Johnson, Jr, and Donovann Toatley. Easley was the SoCon Freshman of the Year last season, and was a SoCon Freshman of the Year selection.

That made some room for some high-profile transfers like Vanderbilt forward Matt Ryan and West Virginia transfer guard Trey Doomes, who will be eligible immediately. Talented guard Maurice Commander remains in the fold from that talented recruiting class of a year ago. Add to that Paris just got a two-year contract extension, and life is pretty good for the young head coach, as he looks to finally be able to settle into his job this season without so much turnover.

The most improved team in the league might be Western Carolina, as the Catamounts were close in more than a few SoCon games last season, but couldn’t seem to get over the top in some of those game. However, second-year head coach Mark Prosser returns one of the top big men in all of mid-major basketball, in Carlos Dotson, while leading scorer Kameron Gibson is also back, as is sharp-shooter Matt Halvorsen, who will move back to his more natural point guard postion with the addition of Northern Kentucky shooting guard Mason Faulkner.

VMI (11-21, 4-14 SoCon) and The Citadel (12-18, 4-14 SoCon) will look to show continued improvement under head coaches Dan Earl and Duggar Baucom, respectively. VMI lost its two top scorers to transfer, in Bubba Parham and Sarju Patel, who transferred to Georgia Teh and Cornell, respectively. Myles Lewis is athletic and will blossom into one of the league’s better players this year, while Baucom at The Citadel must replace four of his five starters from a year ago,

Southern Conference Basketball Season Gets Underway Tonight

Perhaps no other season in the 99-year history of Southern Conference basketball has been as anticipated as the one that will tip-off around the league this evening. In March, the nation's oldest collegiate basketball tournament will celebrate its 100th year of sponsoring the event, and it will take place once again in beautiful Asheville, N.C.

Here's a quick look at tonight's slate and predictions to go along with the opening night of SoCon hoops.

Furman at Gardner-Webb (Paul Porter Arena), 7 p.m. EST

Fresh off a 25-win campaign, head coach Bob Richey and Furman head to Gardner-Webb in one of the more underrated games of the night in mid-major hoops. After all, the Bulldogs in the Paladins were two mid-major programs that were a part of college basketball's two major tournaments, with the Bulldogs playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time, while Furman was back in the NIT for the first time since 1991.

The Paladins are picked to finish third in the 10-team Southern Conference poll, according to the league's media, while the Bulldogs are picked No. 2 in the 11-team Big South. The Paladins captivated the nation by starting the season 12-0 last season, which the best start to a SoCon season since Lefty Driesell's Davidson team in 1963-64 got off to a 15-0 start to the campaign.

It led to a national ranking after Furman picked off a pair of Final Four clubs last season, including reigning national champions Villanova in Philadelphia, 76-70, in overtime. 

Gardner-Webb under the direction of head coach Tim Craft have been steadily rising up the Big South ranks, and he along with some outstading talent at his disposal, helped the Bulldogs to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearnce last season.

The Bulldogs return three starters off that club that led eventual national champion Virginia by 14 in the opening half of their matchup tournament last season, and are led a pair of preseason all-conference honorees, in wing guards Nate Johnson (9.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.7 APG) and Jose Perez (15.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.0 APG). Perez garnered preseason first-team all-conference honors, while Johnson was a second-team pick. 

Furman has four back from a team that won a school-record 25 last season, but the one glaring vacancy is Matt Rafferty, who had one of the best seasons in college basketball history for a big man across five different statistical categories. 

The Paladins will look to off-set that huge loss with the oombo of Noah Gurley (8.8. PPG, 3.6 RPG, 29 assists, 57 turnovers, 24 blocks) and Clay Mounce (10.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG), and both have added about 20 lbs during the off-season to help be able to physically compete underneath. Jalen Slawson () is another player to keep an eye on for the Paladins this season, especially as a rim-protector.

Keep an eye on both Jordan Lyons (16.2 PPG,2.2 RPG) and Alex Hunter (9.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 105 assists) for the Paladins in the backcourt. Lyons can get points in bunches, while Alex Hunter as level-headed a point guard you will find in Division I college basketball, and I think he will shoot over 40% from three this season, and it will be a breakout season for him offensively.

Prediction: Furman 70, Gardner-Webb 65

Western Carolina at Georgia (Stegeman Coliseum), 7 p.m.

Catajmount nation has a lot of reseasons to be excited about its basketball program, but the biggest reason most in Cullowhee have high hopes for the upcoming campaign is the return of its top five scorers, and the addition of a transfer, in Northern Kentucky transfer Mason Faulkner, who I think is one of the top transfers in the SoCon. 

The addition of Faulkner at the point will allow Matt Halvorsen (11.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG) to go back to his natural position of shooting guard, taking some huge pressure off the young player.

Carlos Dotson (13.9 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 59.6 FG%)--a first-team all-league pick--has the potential to have a huge season in 2019-20. He could end up playing his way into some big money and professional contract if this season goes the way I think it will for the big man.

Dotson ranked in the top 50 nationally in field goal percentage (25th), offensive rebounds per game (32nd), and total rebounds (45th). He finished the season with 23 double-figure scoring performances, 15 games in double figures in rebounds, and 13 double-doubles.

If you're looking for connections between Georgia and Western Carolina--look no further than Jarvis and Jonas Hayes. Remember those names from the early 2000s? If you don't, the Hayes twins helped Western become relevant again in the SoCon before the duo arrived in Athens as a package deal for Jim Harrick's Georgia Bulldogs in 2001-02. Jarvis Hayes was the first freshman to lead the SoCon in scoring in 40 seasons in 1999-2000 before transferring to Georgia.

The Bulldogs are coming off an 11-21 season a year ago under first-year head coach Tom Crean, and the Bulldogs finished dead last in the SEC with just a 2-16 mark. According to most services, the Bulldogs have a Top 10 recruiting class in yes, college hoops! Recruiting out of the hotbed of Atlanta, Crean procured one of the nation's best shooting guards and overall players, in 6-5 wing Anthony Edwards. Edwards averaged 25.7 PPG and 9.6 RPG at Atlanta's Holy Spirit Prep School. 

I am thinking early-season upset here. First bold pick of the 2019-20 season. Western Carolina takes down Georgia!

Final Score Prediction: Western Carolina 78, Georgia 77

North Carolina A&T at UNC Greensboro (Greensboro Coliseum)

UNC Greensboro had a school-record 29 wins last season, landing them as the top overall team in the NIT and the last team out of the NCAA Tournament. They will take on cross-town rival North Carolina A&T and one of the really remarkable stories in all of mid-major hoops, which is the job Jay Joyner is doing on the other side of the city. The Spartans survived a 74-66 contest at N.C. A&T last season.

Joyner has led the Aggies to 39 wins in two seasons, which is the most in consecutive seasons since the late 1980s. Many have the Aggies finishing in the top half of the MEAC, and are picked to finish third in the preseason MEAC polls. 

That's a spot below where Wes Miller's Spartans were predicted to finish in the SoCon polls. In fact, had it not been for Miller, we might have heard more about Joyner, however, Miller has won an unprecedented 96 games in the past four seasons at UNCG. Miller is one of college basketball's most exciting athletes.

Miller has two of the league's best players, in guard Isaiah Miller and center and rim protector James Dickey. These two players have been key in getting the program to where it sits right now in the SoCon pecking order.  Also, newcomers like Michael Huiett and the Langley twins are immediate difference makers. Huiett, who transferred in from Old Dominion, is a microwave and get points in bunches, particularly from beyond the arc.

The players to keep an eye for the Aggies this evening will be Tennessee transfer Kwe Parker (11.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG) and VCU transfer Tyler Maye (11.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG). Parker, like Miller, is an outstanding leaper, while Maye can fill it up from deep. 

Final Score Prediction: UNCG 78, N.C. A&T 63

Samford at Morhead State (Johnson Arena), 7 p.m.

Louisville native Scott Padgett returns to his home state tonight, as Samford takes on Morehead in another intriguing non-conference clash.

Samford, along with Western Carolina, are the two teams I see right now that could maybe break into that top four of the pecking order of the Southern Conference. The Bulldogs have all the pieces back, returning four starters, including one of the league's most dynamic and exciting backcourts, which will feature point guard Josh Sharkey (16.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 239 assists, 86 steals) and wing guards Brandon Austin (12.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG) and Myron Gordon (12.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG). 

The one area that will be noticeably different is center, where Ruben Guerrero has graduated. That will leave the door open for Robert Allen (10.4 PPG, 8.8 RPG). Allen is one of the most-versatile bigs in the SoCon, and he is a threat to hit the outside shot.

Morehead State welcomes the return of three starters from a team that finished 13-20 last season, including posting an 8-10 record in league play, which was good enough for a fifth-place finish in the Ohio Valley last season. These same two teams met on the hardwood last season, with Samford posting a thrilling 77-72 overtime win at the Pete Hanna Center.

The Eagles are led by talented senior guard Jordan Walker (15.8 PPG, 2.6 APG, 33.0 MPG), who is a preseason All-OVC selection and is one of just three returning players from a year ago to be selected to the team. Backcourt mate De'Von Cooper (8.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 36.3% 3pt FG%) and forward James Baker (7.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG) are the other two returning starters for fourth-year head coach Preston Spradlin.

I think this will be a very good basketball game just as it was last season, but I give a slight edge to the Eagles on their home floor.

Final Score Prediction: Morehead State 66, Samford 64


Chattanooga at Eastern Kentucky (Alumni Coliseum), 7 p.m. EST

One of the most thrilling games of the 2018-19 SoCon non-league slate was the one between Chattanooga and Eastern Kentucky, which saw Nick Mayo's buzzer-beater be the difference in an 81-78 loss at the Roundhouse.

The Mocs are maybe the biggest unknown coming into the 2019-20 SoCon hoops season, however, Chattanooga returns starters Maurice Commander (6.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG), David Jean-Baptiste (9.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 64 asssits) and big man Ramon Vila (10.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG) to give them a solid nucleus of core players returning from a year ago.

Third-year head coach added a pair of talented players to the fold as well, bringing a couple of players from power five programs, in West Virginia transfer guard Trey Doomes and Vanderbilt transfer guard/forward Matt Ryan. Ryan averaged 8.2 PPG and 2.7 RPG at Vandy, while shooting 32.8% from three-point range.

EKU lost all-everything performer Nick Mayo to graduation, but like the Mocs, have a solid core of three starters returning to the fold under the direction of second-year head coach A.W. Hamilton. He helped the Colonels to a 13-18 record in his first season at the helm, which included a 6-12 mark in OVC play--good enough for a tie for seventh in the league standings.

Without Mayo, look for many NC State transfer forward Darius Hicks (4.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG) and JUCO transfer guard Russhard Cruikshank to be the go-to-guys for the Colonels this season, along with leading returning scorer and wing guard Jomaru Brown (14.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.9 SPG). Brown was a member of the All-OVC Newcomer team last season.

Expect another close game this season with a different result. I am taking the Mocs on the road in another mythical SoCon vs. OVC challenge game.

Final Score Prediction: Chattanooga 77, Eastern Kentucky 74

VMI at East Carolina (Minges Coliseum), 7 p.m. EST

VMI will start the season in Greenville, N.C., taking on former Southern Conference member East Carolina. The Keydets and Pirates were struggled in similar fashion last season, with the Keydets completing the season with an 11-21 record and ninth-place finish in the SoCon, while ECU finished 10-21 and 11th in the American Athletic Conference.

The Keydets won't have two of their top players from a year ago when they take the floor tonight, with both Bubba Parham and Sarju Patel having transferred out of the program. Parham, who led the Southern Conference in scoring by averaging 21.4 PPG and will suit up as a starter tonight for Georgia Tech vs. NC State, is the most significant hit. Still, the Keydets have a solid nucleus that returns, including guys now solid backcourt veterans like Garrett Gilkeson (10.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.8 APG), Greg Parham (7.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG) and Ta'Vonne Bond (1.6 PPG, 0.9 RPG).

Jake Stephens (7.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG) was one of the best freshman big men in the SoCon last year, and he will team with Tyler Creammer and Will Miller underneath, but the real x-factors might be Myles Lewis (10.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG), who is quickly developing into an an all-conference caliber player. Connor Arnold (2.3 PPG, 1.1 RPG), like Stephens, can step out and shoot it for his size.

East Carolina counters with a young, but talented base of players under sixth-year head coach Joe Dooley. The Pirates return just one starter, but that not be such a horrible thing all things considered. Guard Jayden Gardner (16.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG) is the best player on the Pirates roster.

Despite being extremely young team, I like the Pirates in a closer than expected game this evening.

Final Score Prediction: 75-71

Erskine at Wofford (Jerry Richardson Indoor Arena), 7 p.m.

Wofford won 30 games a year ago, but three starters are gone, including two of the best players in program history, and one which set the college basketball all-time career three-point field goals made record. Mike Young will be on the sidelines as head coach of the Virginia Tech this evening just down the road at Littlejohn Coliseum, and new head coach Jay McCauley might not even make his debut this evening with a little one on the way.

McCauley could probably leave the coaching to star guards Nathan Hoover (13.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG) and Storm Murphy (8.0 PPG, 3.3 APG) tonight and things would be fun. But if Terrier fans are looking for a player to watch. Keep your eyes trained on Messiah Jones. If you love a good athlete, you'll love to see just how athletic Jones is against Lee Sartor's Erskine Flying Fleet, who are coming off a 14-13 season and 9-9 finish in Conference Carolinas last season.

This one won't be close.

Final Score Prediction: Wofford 103, Erskine 67