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
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
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