SoCon Basketball 2020-21: player rankings and some games to watch

Furman forward Clay Mounce

We will have college basketball in 2020-21. What that will look like, however, is anyone's guess and could play itself out completely as the season progresses. 

The NCAA men's basketball chair, Dave Gavitt, along with other conference commissioners, athletic directors and coaches, voted to push back the start of the 2020-21 season,  which was originally slated to get underway Nov. 10, but will not get its start on Nov. 25. 

That's a relief to most coaches I have talked to around the SoCon, and unlike football, it was something the coaches were pretty much expecting. Most see the opportunity at Thanksgiving that while all the other students head home to stay, and will finish out the year doing course work online, it will give the opportunity for coaches and teams to stay on campus and create their own bubble so they can be extra conscientious towards health and safety of the student-athletes.

Testing is one of the things that will be imperative for each team, and unlike football, which has to test at or near 100 student-athletes before ever counting coaches, other staff members and university support staff, such as athletic trainers. Obviously, that kind of testing runs in the high-dollar range. For basketball, which usually travels 13 players at the most, four coaches, and maybe the SID, bus driver and Director of Athletics on occasion, the cost of daily testing Is much more manageable for mid-major college basketball programs than it is for mid-major college football programs.

With that being said, we know that there will be a lot of change to get used to heading into the 2020-21 season in the Southern Conference. This isn't likely going to be like the previous two seasons in terms of strength, however, this is is a season that will be seemingly no less fun as the previous two seasons. 

The Top 15 Players in the SoCon Entering 2020-21

1. G-Isaiah Miller (UNCG)-Miller is perhaps the most draftable player in all of mid-major basketball. His ball-handling skills and quickness on defense are only part of the whole package that Miller brings to the Spartans. The senior guard from Covington, GA, is the reigning Southern Conference Player of the Year and has not only left a legacy on UNCG basketball, but also Southern Conference basketball. Other than Kyle Hines, Miller would be considered the best player in the history of Spartans basketball. Miller ranked second in the Southern Conference. 

Miller’s quickness and athleticism are as good as the SoCon has seen in its 100-year history. The 6-0 guard from Covington, GA., is a menace on the defensive end of the floor, and nearly unstoppable off the dribble on the offensive end of the floor with his tremendous quickness. His 241-career steals are a program record, while his 1,410 points rank him 10th in Spartan history in scoring. His 594 field goals in his career ranks him fourth in program history in that particular category. 

While his 17.8 PPG ranked him second in the SoCon in scoring last season, Miller’s 89 steals ranked him second overall in that category in the nation. Miller also topped the Spartans in assists last season, dishing out 100 total helpers on the campaign. He was one of three Spartans that started all 32 games during the 2019-20 campaign. 

One of his more impressive performances on a grand stage came early in the season in a decent performance by the Spartans against Kansas. Miller scored 17 of his 19 points in the opening half of play, helping the Spartans stay in the game at the half against the third-ranked team in the country, trailing just 

Miller had his best performance of the season last year against Mercer, as he scored a career-high 31 points and a UNCG single-game record nine steals in a win at Mercer. He had a double-double of 19 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in a win at Samford. Miller finished the season leading the Southern Conference with a season-high 12 gaames with 20 or more points. 

The one area that the senior continues to try and work on with his offensive game is his outside shooting. Miller was able to connect on just 23.5% () of his shots from three-point range last season. However, the strengths of the Spartan basketball team during this current era has never been its three-point shooting, as UNCG finished the 2019-20 season connecting on just 32.4% from three-point range last season, which ranked dead last in the SoCon. 

While Miller’s quickness and overall athleticism causes havoc for opponents on both ends of the floor, his supporting cast is good enough to help the Spartans not only win the Southern Conference, but once again be one of the top teams in mid-major basketball. 

2. G-Mason Faulkner (Western Carolina)-The Catamount point guard took the league by storm last season, recording two triple-doubles during the 2019-20 season, and without Carlos Dotson, a lot more will be asked of Faulkner. 

Faulkner is coming off what was an outstanding season for the Catamounts, as he finished with two triple-doubles for the Catamounts. That's believed to be the first time that's happened in program history. Faulkner has a chance to do something even bigger this season, which would be to lead Western Carolina to just its second NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. 

Faulkner comes off a 2019-20 season, which saw him average 17.7 PPG and 6.0 RPG. Faulkner ended the season ranking third in the SoCon in scoring average, while his two triple-doubles during the season came against North Carolina A&T and Samford. Against the Aggies, Faulkner posted 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, to record the first triple-double in program history. The other triple-double came in a Southern Conference game against Samford, scoring 16 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out a career-high 12 assists. He finished the campaign by scoring in double figures in 27 of 31 games for the Catamounts last season. 

In the semifinal loss to East Tennessee State, Faulkner made a career-high 17 free throws. He finished ranking in the top 10 in seven different statistical categories. Faulkner, who will lead the point guard position this season once again, and was a first-team All-SoCon pick, as well as being selected to the all-tournament team in Asheville. 

3. F-Noah Gurley (Furman)--Noah Gurley has a chance to be one of the best players in the recent history of Furman basketball if he can finish out his next two seasons like he finished out his first two. His improvement--from post moves to his composure with the basketball--were the most noticeable aspects of that improvement of his game last season, and credit can be given to newly hired coach Tim Johnson, who was a major part of Gurley's improvement in the post from his freshman season. Other than UNCG's Isaiah Miller, Gurley is likely the league's top NBA prospect. He is cerebral and will be a key member of the Paladins' potential hopes of making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1980. 

Gurley will have a chance to compete for Southern Conference Player of the Year this coming season. Gurley was Furman’s most consistent player in the post last season, and one season working with Johnson, you could see the improvement in Gurley’s overall game, and that he was a much more polished player in the post, especially when it came to his post moves. 

The 6-8, 210-lb junior started all 32 games last season and finished the campaign by garnering third-team All-SoCon honors. In addition to his 14.3 PPG last season, Gurley also finished the season shooting a solid 53.4% (173-of-324) from the field and was also an effective 40.7% (24-of-59) from beyond the three-point stripe. He is one of the most versatile players in the Southern Conference with his ability to step out and shoot the three. 

He made 10 less three pointers than his redshirt freshman season in 2019-20, but he also shot a much higher efficiency from beyond the arc because his shot selection was so good, as he shot 49 less three-point shots, which is a testament to how much Johnson has worked with Gurley to perfect and round Gurley into the type player that has the basketball acumen and shot selection to know the difference between a good shot from three-point land and an ill-advised attempt. 

It’s just a small sample of a much broader effect of how much Johnson has helped Gurley become the kind of player that can become even more of a force in the SoCon in his final two years of eligibility. The Fayetteville, GA, product scored a career-high 29 points on an 11-for-14 shooting perforrmance in a win over USC Upstate at Timmons Arena last Decemeber. 

Against Auburn, though he didn’t score 29 points, Gurley offered perhaps his most improessive performance of the season, as he posted 21 points and eight boards in the 81-78 overtime loss for the Paladins. In that contest, he connected on 8-of-17 shots from the field, 2-of-4 from three-point range, and was 3-for-4 from the charity stripe. Gurley had six performances in which he scored 20 or more points in 2019-20. 

4. F-Clay Mounce (Furman)--Clay Mounce is another important piece to Furman's potential NCAA Tournament hopes for the 2020-21 season, and it's Mounce's leadership that will be key the Paladins' championship hopes. , and he might have been Furman’s best all-around performer on both ends of the floor last season. 

The Elkin, N.C., native appeared in all 32 games last season, logging 29 starts. Mounce saw his scoring average improve by 2.5 PPG last season, and connected on six more three-pointers, however, saw his foul shooting decrease from 75% as a sophomore to 60% as a junior.

Mounce finished the 2019-20 campaign connecting on a team-best 39.1% (59-of-151) from three-point range. His 59 triples ranked third on the team in three-pointers made last season, and his 39.1% shooting clip from long range ranked Mounce fifth overall in the SoCon in three-point shooting. 

In terms of free throw shooting, Mounce completed the 2019-20 season connecting on 48-of-80 free throws, which covered to just a 60% shooting clip from the charity stripe. During his sophomore campaign, Mounce had shot the ball much more effectively from the line, as he was a 75% shooter from the charity stripe, connecting on 33-of-44 foul shots. The good news for Mounce is that his offensive game was much more aggressive last season, leading to more foul shot attempts. That number should only increase this season with Mounce again looking to be one of Furman’s primary scorers, and especially should with the graduation of Lyons. 

He comes into his senior season needing 76 points (924 pts) to reach 1,000 points for his career. He is shooting the ball extremely well from three-point range for his career to this point, connecting on 38.7% (117-of-302) for his career from three. Mounce finished the season with 25 double-figure scoring performances, and posted four games scoring 20 or more points. 

He enjoyed two of  better performances of the season against both at The Citadel and vs. Loyola-Chicago, scoring 22 points in each of those contests. Mounce’s top performance of the season came on the road in a win at Samford, as he connected on 9-of-12 shots from the field and 5-of-7 from three-point range. 

Mounce proved to be one of Furman’s top defenders on the season, as he posted 21 blocks and also posted a team-high 49 steals. His 21 blocks ranked third on the squad, while his 49 steals (1.5 SPG) ranked him fourth overall in the SoCon. The rising senior forward also dished out 66 assists last season, which ranked third on the squad, and his 51.6% (157-of-304) field goal percentage ranked third on the team. 

Wofford senior guard Storm Murphy

5. G-Storm Murphy (Wofford)--Murphy has shown himself to be one of the premier point guards in all of mid-major basketball, and he is obviously known for the big shots he has made in his career for the Terriers. Murphy was certainly a major reason the Terriers found themselves in the SoCon title game last season, with his jumper from the top of the key with time winding down against Chattanooga, helping the Terriers into Monday might's championship game against East Tennessee State.

Murphy follows in a great line of point guard success the Terrier basketball program has enjoyed over the years, with guys like Eric Garcia (2013-16), Brad Loesing (2008-11) and Drew Gibson (2004-07), having all turned in successful careers at the point guard position for the Terriers, and the Wisconsin native Murphy has a chance to put his name in rare company with a big senior season. 

“Murphy is the consummate Wofford player that on and off the court he leads, he does the right things, he works his tail off and he’s a killer when you need him to be a killer,” McAuley said. 

Murphy has been just the “killer” Wofford has needed throughout his career, which dates back to early in his career as a Terrier. As a sophomore a couple of years ago, the Terriers needed Murphy to be a “killer” in wins against Samford and Furman back in 2018-19. His three-pointer at the buzzer against Samford helped Wofford survive the Bulldogs in overtime, while his three-pointer with 18 seconds left a couple of nights later helped Wofford hold off a tough Furman team for a 59-54 win at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.

Murphy’s game-winner against Chattanooga in the SoCon Tournament semifinals only added to his legendary status of making big shots in big moments for the Terriers. 

The 6-0 point guard from Middleton, WI., started all 34 games he played in last season for the Terriers In total, he has started 67 of 68 games he has played in over the past two seasons, and has started 96 of 102 cames in his Wofford career. 

One of the biggest advantages of having a guy like Storm Murphy on the floor is his threat as a three-point shooter. For his career, Murphy is a 42.5% shooter from three-point range, having connected on 155-of-365 three-point attempts over his first three seasons as a Terrier. Last season, Murphy connected on 42.1% (64-of-152) from three-point land.

Murphy had one of his best games of the season in early non-conference win over High Point, as he posted 26 points in a big home win. Murphy finished the campaign ranking fifth in the SoCon in assist/turnover ratio (1.6), and his 42.1% clip from three-point range put him second among the league’s best long-range shooters. His 3.6 assists-per-game ranked him sixth in assists-per-game, while his 121 assists for the season ranked him fourth overall in the SoCon last season.

6. G-Ross Cummings (Mercer)--Ross Cummings is one of the players that as a basketball fan, I missed watching play in the Southern Conference last season. His cleverness on the basketball court is something that is really something that separates him from a lot of players in mid-major basketball. He has to have that cleverness coming off screens to get his shot off, as he is the focal point of a lot of team's defensively because of how lethal a shooter he has proven to be for the Bears in recent seasons. 

Cummings missed all but six games during the 2019-20 season as a result of a back injury. Cummings is quite simply one of the most underrated players in the Southern Conference, and one of the most underrated shooters in all of mid-major basketball. The Dickson, TN., native has one last chance to realize his dreams and a chance at not only a Southern Conference title, but a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years, and for just the fourth time in program history. 

Cummings came into what was supposed to be his senior season in 2019-20 as a preseason All-SoCon selection, and though he saw action in just six contests last season, he did manage to score a season-high 16 points in a loss to in-state rival Georgia Southern. 

Prior to encountering his injuries that proved to be too much to overcome last season, Cummings played through the pain in 2018-19 and in the process, came of age as a player. The Volunteer State native led the Bears in scoring, at 17.4 PPG, and that scoring average ranked sixth overall in the Southern Conference and average was en route to a breakout campaign for the Bears. 

In Southern Conference play as a junior, Cummings was even more impressive, having posted 19.9 PPG in league games. In an early February loss at home to Furman (L, 63-74) during the 2018-19 campaign, Cummings had just notched his 14th-straight game in double figures, however, what made his play down the stretch that season that no one knew about was the fact that he was playing through an extreme degree of pain.

Following that Feb. 2 loss to the Paladins as a junior, I was able to catch up with former head coach Bob Hoffman. The normally articulate head coach couldn’t find enough words or even a word with all the needed words combined to describe the toughness of Cummings, yet he gave it his best shot.  

“He’s been amazing...he plays probably too many minutes...(trails off in thought with a half-grin)...you just can’t sub him because you never know when he’s going to be open and can hit a three and you hate to miss those opportunities for him because he’s playing at such a high level and our guys have done a tremendous job of running plays and getting stuff and we keep trying to experiment and keep trying to figure out new things, but he’s walked right into it and he’s getting guarded completely different (as a junior in 2018-19) than he did last year (as a sophomore in 2017-18) and Furman put a lot of length on him, but he was still able to get loose a little bit,” Hoffman said.

7. G-LeDarrius Brewer (East Tennessee State)--With so much turnover within the East Tennessee State squad that won 30 games just last season, the Bucs will need to get a big first season out of LeDarrius Brewer if the Bucs won't to once again be a factor in the Southern Conference championship race. Brewer is a pure scoring threat, and will remind Bucs fans of the style of player that TJ Cromer once was when he starred for ETSU. 

LeDarrius Brewer came to ETSU from Southeast Missouri State, where he averaaged 13.6 PPG and 4.2 RPG for SEMO in two seasons with the Redhawks. He will provide an instant scoring presence in the backcourt for the Bucs, and will likely contend for newcomer of the year honors in the Southern Conference during the 2020-21 season. 

Brewer was a dynamic scorer during his time as a Redhawk. He started 49 of 59 games during his career playing inside the Ohio Valley Conference. In a game against Eastern Illinois  back on Feb. 15, 2018, LeDarrius Brewer poured in a career performance in a win over Eastern Illinois, posting 34 points and went an impressive 7-of-10 from three-point range in the contest.

During his two campaigns at SEMO, LeDarrius Brewer scored 805 points and racked up 118 three-pointers, as he shot 40% from the field (277-of-689), 34% from beyond the arc (277-of-689), and 74% (133-of-180) from the free throw line during his career at SEMO. As a freshman during the 2017-18 season, Brewer was named the Ohio Valley Conference All-Newcomer Team.

Brewer is like earmarked for a starting wing, and the 6-5 wing is athletic and is a prolific scorer. In his final season with SEMO, Brewer averaged 13.6 PPG and 4.2 RPG. I am looking forward to seeing him suit up in the Blue and Gold in 2020-21. 

8. G-Matt Halvorsen (Western Carolina)--If you watched the SoCon for any length of time in your lifetime like I have, you'll notice that year-in and year-out, the league is stacked with great perimeter threats. Western Carolina's Matt Halvorsen fits that mold of player to a "T". Halvorsen will look to expand his game and influence as a scorer beyond just the three-point line this season, as he is one of three starters returning for Mark Prosser's Catamounts for the 2020-21 campaign. 

 Halvorsen, a native of Kingsport, TN., is coming off a solid season, which saw him finish in double figures in 12 games last season, including posting a season-best 21 points in a Senior Day, 96-84, win over The Citadel. Halvorsen connected on 7-of-12 shots from the field, and was 5-for-10 from three-point range in the contest. 

For the season, Halvorsen finished as one of the league’s most-prolific three-point threats, as he ended up connecting on 40.2% (78-of-194) from three-point land last season. For his career, Halvorsen is shooting the ball extremely well from three-point range, connecting on 37.5 (214-of-587) for his career. 

Halvorsen will end his career as one of the top perimeter shooters to ever wear the Purple and Gold, and will once again be a pivotal part of the plans offensively for the Catamounts. With the graduation of Onno Steger, Halvorsen will now be the primary perimeter shooter. Halvorsen finished the season  hitting 2.5 three-point field goals per game, which ranked him sixth in the SoCon in that category. His 32.5 minutes-per-game last season ranked eighth in the SoCon and second overall on the team last season.

9. F/C-Jalen Dupree (Samford)--Jalen Dupree is one of the premier big men in the Southern Conference, and he will likely be new head coach Bucky McMillan's go-to-player in the paint this season. 

The 6-8, 235-lb redshirt senior from Cordova, TN, had a good initial season for the Bulldogs after transferring in from Murray State.  He was the only one of Samford’s players to start all 33 games last season.  Dupree finished the season with a team-high 243 total rebounds and rebounds-per-game (7.4 RPG). His 11.1 PPG ranked fourth on the team in scoring. 

Dupree is big and athletic, and also finished the campaign connecting on 51.6% (133-of-258) of his shots from the field, and also finished the 2019-20 campaign with an impressive 82.2% (86-of-105) clip from the charity stripe.  Dupree recorded five double-doubles in his first season for the Bulldogs. He posted career-highs of 23 points in games at both Furman and at Houston Baptist, while corraling a career-best 14 rebounds in a game at Wofford. 

Prior to coming Samford, Dupree started his career at Murray State playing for head coach and former SoCon and Appalachian State star guard Matt McMahon. While playing for the two seasons for the Racers, Dupree played in 27 games, averaging 4.0 PPG and 2.9 RPG. In his freshman season of 2016-17, Dupree scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against UT-Martin.

During his sophomore campaign at Murray State in 2017-18, Dupree saw action in a total of 25 contests, making starts in 17 of those games.  He finished his sophomore season averaging 6.6 PPG and 4.7 RPG. 

10. G-David Jean-Baptiste (Chattanooga)--David Jean=Baptiste is the leading returning scorer for the Mocs following the graduation of Matt Ryan and the loss of big manRamon Vila, who has decided to return to Barcelona, Spain to turn pro. 

Jean-Baptiste started all 33 games for the Mocs last season, and the member of the Haitian National Team is the leader of this bsketball team in every sense of the word. He completed the season with three performances in which he scored 20 or more points. Jean-Baptiste scored a career-high 25 points in a win over the Jaguars. 

Jean-Baptiste also scored 20 points in what was an 85-80 homecourt loss to Mercer. The senior from Miami, FL, also posted 21 points in the 78-68 upset win over UNC Greensboro in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference Tournament. 

In the 2020-21 season, Jean-Baptiste needs just 75 more points to reach 1,000 points for his career, 24 rebounds to reach 300 for his career, 43 assists to reach 250 for his career, and 23 steals to reach 100 for his Mocs career. 

All told last season, Jean-Baptiste scored in double figures in 22 games and finished the season with a total of 417 points. As a perimeter threat for the Mocs last season, the 6-1 guard shot 35.3% from three-point range, connecting on 54-of-153 shots from long-range. His 54 triples last season were second to only Matt Ryan’s 88 triples last season.

11. G-Kaleb Hunter (UNC Greensboro)--Kaleb Hunter has been one of the more underrated guards in the Southern Conference over the past couple of seasons, but was the Spartans' second-leading scorer in the 2019-20 season after battling some injuries early on. 

Hunter has come into his own in the Spartans backcourt, and is ready for a breakout year for the Spartans. Hunter was a SoCon All-Freshman selection two years ago, and an argument could be made that Hunter was a snub as an All-SoCon performer last season. He finished the 2019-20 season starting 24 out of 27 games for the Spartans last season. In the loss to Kansas, Hunter turned in one of his best performances in the loss to Kansas, posting 17 points and 12 rebounds. 

Hunter is a solid three-point shooter and finished the season connecting on 20-of-65 shots from three-point range, which converted to 30.8% shooting from the field. Hunter will look to be even more of a scorer for the  Spartans this season, and he is versatile enough to score in a variety of different ways. 

Furman point guard Alex Hunter

12. G-Alex Hunter (Furman)--From UNCG's Kaleb Hunter to another one of the SoCon's most underrated guards, in Furman point guard Alex Hunter. Alex Hunter is a player that takes excellent care of the basketball. In fact, no one in the Southern Conference took better care of the basketball last season. unter has been outstanding and poised throughout his career handling the point guard position for the Paladins. Hunter has been the starter at the point guard position each of the past three years, and has been the go-to-guy at the point guard spot ever since the graduation of John Davis III.

Hunter should end his career as one of the best ever to don a Paladin uniform. The 5-11, 175-lb native of Raleigh, N.C., will likely be encouraged to be a bit more of a scorer as a senior, because when Hunter is on from three-point range, he has the potential to go off for a big night. 

He saw action in all 32 games last season, logging 31 starts. The lone game Hunter did not start was Furman’s big win on the road at UNC Greensboro. Hunter’s poise and ability to distribute the basketball, while also helping facilitate Furman’s motion offense like a well-oiled machine. In fact, it was because of Hunter that the Paladins ranked as one of the most efficient offenses in the country, according to KenPom. 

Hunter finished out the 2019-20 season committing just 37 turnovers in over 1,000 minutes of court action, and he completed the campaign ranking third in the nation in assist/turnover ratio, with a 3.55 ratio. Hunter completed the 2019-20 campaign with 15 double-figure performances. Hunter’s  top performance of the campaign was in a road win at Western Carolina (82-73), posting 21 points. He finished the contest going 7-of-11 from the field, including going 5-for-7 from three-point range. His 21-point performance in the 82-73 win over the Catamounts in February. 

Hunter finished the campaign with a team-best 117 helpers during the 2019-20 season, which also ranked fifth in the SoCon for assists-per-game. Naturally, Hunter led the SoCon in assist/turnover ratio. As a three-point threat last season, Hunter connected on 64-of-182 attempts from long range, completing the campaign with a 35.2% shooting clip from long range. 

As a free throw shooter, Hunter shot 66.7% (22-of-33) from the charity stripe, and shot 42% (101-of-239) from the field last season. His 1,026 minutes played were the second-most on the team last season, which computes to an average of 32.1 minutes-per-game. 

For his career, Hunter heads into his senior season with 688 points in his Paladin career with 262 helpers in his career, where he ranks just outside the top 15 in school history in the career assists category. He needs just nine assists to surpass former Paladin point guard Terry McGann to move into the top 15. Hunter is the key to whether or not the Paladins end up cutting down the nets in Asheville or not.

Hunter finished the 2019-20 season averaging 8.9 PPG and 3.7 APG. 

13. G-Jeff Gary (Mercer)--Jeff Gary was seemingly the ‘x-factor’ when he stepped into the lineup for the Bears last season, and from the time he became eligible for action, it was clear that his shooting ability is an aspect of his game team’s had to be prepared for.

Gary became eligible just before the start of Southern Conference play, and played in 22 contests, with 20 starts. Gary is the nephew of head coach Greg Gary, and ended up also helping make up for some of the scoring and shooting slack left as a result of not having Cummings in the lineup. 

Like Cummings, Gary is capable of outstanding shooting performances. His eight three-point field goals in a win over Samford helped the then junior set a Hawkins Arena record, while his 32 points were a career-high. 

Gary finished the season third on the team in three-point field goal percentage, as he finished the campaign by connecting on 48-of-123 attempts from three-point land. Gary finished the campaign with 13 double-figure scoring performances, He finished his first season in Macon averaging 11.5 PPG and 2.3 RPG.

14. F-Ty Brewer(ETSU)--The other player that could pay immediate dividends for the Bucs this season is Ty Brewer, who was granted a waiver by the NCAA and will be allowed to play right away. He's a t power forward, similar to guys like Phil Powe and Zakee Wadood served ETSU on past teams. He’s similar athletically to Hodges, with much more power and better size. Hodges spent a large majority of his career in an ETSU uniform playing out of position, however.

The 6-7, 210-lb power forward will have two years of eligibility remaining in an ETSU uniform. In 57-career games for the Lions prior to his arrival at ETSU, Ty Brewer totaled 563 points, 313 rebounds, 56 steals in 31-career starts with the Lions. 

As a sophomore last season, Brewer started 28 of 31 games for the Lions last season, and perhaps the most impressive his game last season was his field goal percentage, as he finished the season ranking fifth in the Southland in that particular category, completing the campaign by averaging 23.3 PPG against power five programs Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma State last season. He finished the season averaging 14.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 1.5 SPG last season.

ETSU fans are going to love Ty Brewer’s overall athleticism, and his ability to be physical in the paint. With the waiver of eligibility now granted,  the Bucs have added roughly 30 ppg between he and his brother LeDarrius.

15. F/C-Hayden Brown (The Citadel)--Brown, a redshirt junior from Greer, S.C., has shown up big in big games over and over again for The Citadel in his career. Despite seeing action in only six games for the Bulldogs last season,  he turned in two of the best individual performances 

In an early-season matchup against Georgia, Brown posted 26 points in a game he kept The Citadel in the entire way before losing by nine on the road. 

In the loss to Georgia, The Citadel was 8-of-14 from the field and was 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.  In The Citadel’s Southern Conference opener against East Tennessee State, Brown kept the Bulldogs around for much of the night, as he played through injury. He finished the night with 12 points and five boards. 

Though Brown saw action in only six games last season, he scored in double figures in four of those games for the Bulldogs. Brown also posted 18 points in a loss to Campbell last season. He made five starts in those six games for the Bulldogs last season. 

It pretty much goes without saying that with Brown in the lineup last season, The Citadel likely wouldn’t have gone winless in SoCon play. He will be a huge difference-maker heading into the 2020-21 season, and like Spence, is 100% healthy again and ready to contribute for a full season for the Bulldogs.  Brown will also likely be the Bulldogs’ best shooter from the perimeter this season, and comes into the 2020-21 campaign with 35 triples. 

Appealing Non-Conference Games:

Kyle Lofton (Photo courtesy of St. Bonaventure athletics)

The non-conference slate for everyone has remained a rather fluid situation, with some teams losing games and some truly great games have been lost from the non-conference had the season not been affected by COVID-19.

That being said, there are still some appetizing games to look forward to for the 2020-21 campaign. The shift to start the season on Nov. 25 has led many coaches scramble to try and put together a schedule in a limited amount of time. 

But while matchups like Furman at Louisville or ETSU at Mississippi State are still not on the docket for the 2020-21 season, there are still some intriguing matchups to look forward to. Below are just a few.

St. Bonaventure at Furman (TBD)--While preseason Southern Conference favorite Furman won't be facing off against Loyola-Chicago for a third-straight season, what we will have is an intriguing clash between Furman and St. Bonaventure. The Bonnies will be making the trip to Greenville and Timmons Arena on a date to be determined. 

The Bonnies play in the best mid-major conference in the country, in the Atlantic 10, although many now consider the A-10 as a high-major conference. The Bonnies are under the direction of Mark Schmidt, who heads into his 14th season at the helm of the program located in Olean, N.Y. The two programs have faced off against each other on one other occasion, as the Paladins and Bonnies met back in the 1997 San Juan Shootout in San Juan Puerto Rico. In that particular meeting, the Jim Baron-led Bonnies were able to post what was a 58-46 win over the Larry Davis-led Paladins. 

The Bonnies will be a tough test for the Paladins, as St. Bonaventure is coming off a 19-12 season last year and an 11-7 mark in A-10 play, which was good enough to see the Bonnies tie for fifth in the A-10 standings. 

Even more encouraging for the Bonnies heading into the 2020-21 season is the fact that all five starters return to the fold for the 2020-21 season, led by junior guard Kyle Lofton, who is coming off quite a 2019-20 campaign, as he averaged 14.1 PPG and 6.0 APG. Lofton will team with arguably the top backcourts in the A-10, teaming with both Dominick Welch (11.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG) and Jaron English ().

The Bonnies will be one of the favorites in the Atlantic 10 in 2020-21 and will likely be a favorite to make an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bonnies will likely be the best team to visit Timmons Arena in the 2020-21 season.. 

UAB at East Tennessee State (Dec. 12, 2020)--Another excellent mid-major matchup will be between East Tennessee State and UAB. The Blazers are coming off a 19-13 record, which included a 9-9 record in Conference USA. The Blazers are a perennial contender in a good mid-major league, however, the SoCon was the higher ranked conference last season, according to KenPom.  

After 19 and 20 wins in successive campaigns, Robert Ehsan was let go at UAB, making way for the arrival of a pretty big hire, as former Ole Miss coach and SEC color commentator. Now he’s back in the coaching game, and he takes over a program with a lot of promise going forward. The Blazers have a proud basketbal program, and this will be one of the more intriguing non-conference matchups in the SoCon. 

The Blazers bring back three starters for the 2020-21 season, which includes leading scorer Tavin Logan, who finished out the 2019-20 season averaging 13.0 PPG and started all 32 games for the Blazers last season. The 6-4 rising junior guard posted a career-high 25 points on 10 field goals in a game against Middle Tennessee State last season.

Also returning to the fold for Kennedy in his inaugural season at the helm of the UAB basketball program are senior guard Tyreek Scott-Grayson (10.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG), as well as sophomore point guard Jalen Benjamin (11.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG). Georgia Southern graduate transfer Quan Jackson, as well as senior 7-0 senior center Trey Jamison, who will be eligible immediately.

The meeting between the Bucs and Blazers will mark the fourth all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Blazers holding a 3-0 all-time series edge. The original meeting in the series came way back in the 1985-86 season, with the Blazers getting a 63-44 win over the Les Robinson-led Bucs in Birmingham. 

In the last meeting, which obviously had some emotional tie-ins for former ETSU head coach Murry Bartow, whose father, Gene Bartow, who posted a 366-203 record in 18 seasons at the helm of the Blazers basketball program, which included helping UAB to 14 postseason appearances, including nine NCAA Tournament appearances, the Bucs were hammered by the Blazers, 74-52, during the 2009-10 season.

Javote Smart (photo courtesy LSU athletics)

Mercer at LSU (Dec. 13, 2020)--For the fourth-straight season, a team for the Southern Conference will take on the LSU Tigers. Few will forget what happened last season when a team from the SoCon faced LSU, as East Tennessee State made easy work of the Bayou Bengals, getting a 74-63 win at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mercer was one of the few teams to defeat the Bucs last season, and head coach Greg Gary has a talented core of players returning for the 2020-21 season.

The Tigers are under the direction of head coach Will Wade, and the Tigers bring back three starters, led by junior guard Javonte Smart (12.2 PPG, 4.2 APG). The leading returning scorer for the Tigers is 6-9 forward Trendon Watford (13.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG). Watford has scored in double figures in 25 games last season, which included a 26-point outburst against Vanderbilt. Darius Days is the third returning starter for the Tigers, and he comes off a season which saw him average 11.1 PPG and 6.8 RPG. 

It will mark the third all-time meeting between the Bears and Tiger, with LSU owning a 2-0 lead in the all-time series between the two.