SoCon Hoops 2024-25: A complete portal/recruiting update

Former Tulane guard Collin Holloway is headed to Samford and a potential immediate impact player for the Bulldogs/photo courtesy of Tulane Athletics

Final Update (Oct. 11, 2024)

The 2023-24 season is now officially in the books, and with the closing of the transfer portal on May 1, teams are continuing to try and fill out scholarship allotments, as coaches around the SoCon scurry to build effective and competitive rosters for the 2024-25 season.

Interestingly enough, the SoCon lost over 60 players to the transfer portal last season, and many wondered, including myself, how the conference would be able to cope with those massive losses. 

The answer is that the league finished No. 13 in KenPom, which is the highest ranking the SoCon has ever managed from that particular analytical database. I'll be interested to see if the SoCon can do that for a second-straight season after once again losing so much talent, and this season, I think it's quite clear the league lost more talent to the transfer portal than last season, and perhaps any season in its history.  

With that said, I think it's more than safe to say we've arrived at a brand new era for mid-major basketball, and in particular, the SoCon, which since the 2015-16 season has seen a rise in the mid-major ranks as from a lower-tier mid-major league to strength-wise one of the best mid-major conferences in the nation.

Nearly every team in the league has made an acquisition during the portal window that will prove beneficial next season. 

I will take a look at the each team and assess what they have coming in, as well as whether or not needs have been fully addressed in an effort to get a better understanding of what to expect in the coming season. 

Below, I have attempted to take a detailed look at what each has coming in and what each team is losing. The first portion of this article aren't ranked in any certain order. I do have my early preseason rankings for 2024-25 below this initial section of evaluating each team. 

Samford (29-6, 15-3 SoCon)

**Updated 6-2-2024

—Reigning Southern Conference champion Samford came into the portal season knowing they would suffer some significant losses as a result of graduation, however, everything seemed fine until the final day of the portal being open for head coach Bucky McMillan and staff. That's because Achor Achor (16.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG) announced at the 11th hour that he would be entering the transfer portal. 

A crushing loss for the defending champion, who with the 6-9 Achor, might have been picked to win the league again, however, they now have to seemingly replace seven of their top nine scorers, as well as four of five starters. 

In addition to losing Achor Achor, the Bulldogs will also lose Jermaine Marshall (10.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG), Jaden Campbell (11.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG), Garrett Hicks, Nathan Johnson (5.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG) and AJ Staton-McCray. Staton-McCray has opted to play his final season elsewhere, as the graduate senior had originally opted to return to his home state to play at Florida Atlantic prior to re-entering the transfer portal. 

 Others that have opted to transfer out of the program include point guard Dallas Graziani (4.1 PPG, 1.4 RPG) a and center Zach Loveday (2.8 PPG, 1.7 RPG), who both spent one season in the program. 

Portal Additions:

The main portal addition for the Bulldogs heading into the 2024-25 season will be Collin Holloway, who comes over from Tulane and will likely occupy a similar role to what AJ Staton-McCray did this past season for the Bulldogs.

Holloway is more than capable on the offensive end of the floor, however, he will also give the Bulldogs plenty on the defensive end of the floor just like Staton-McCray was able to do last season. 

During the 2023-24 season with the Green Wave, Holloway was a significant contributor, as he averaged 12.8 PPG, while also contributing 4.3 RPG and 1.4 APG. The 6-6 wing from Baton Rouge scored in double figures on 21 occasions during the 2023-24 season, which included posting 20 or more points on five occasions. 

Holloway’s top scoring effort of the season came in an 89-81 win at Fordham, as he finished the contest with 26 points. In what was a thrilling 117-110 win over Southern Conference member Furman, Holloway dropped 18 points.

The most recent addition the Bulldogs and staff have been able to make via the transfer portal comes from Wagner in the form of sophomore guard Julian Brown, who was outstanding in his two games in the NCAA Tournament for the Seahawks. 

After posting 15 points in the NCAA Tournament opening round win over Howard, Brown followed that up with an even more impressive showing against North Carolina, dropping 18 points against the top-seeded Tar Heels to lead the Seahawks in scoring in the loss. 

For Wagner last season, Brown ended up starting 19 of 32 games for the Seahawks, averaging an impressive 10.0 PPG, 1.8 APG and 2.9 RPG. 

The two most-recent additions the Bulldogs have made from the transfer portal are also impressive, getting a pair of guards from the SEC ranks. Isaiah West, which was a freshman at Vanderbilt last season and averaged 2.8 PPG and 1.0 RPG, starting nine games for the Commodores. He will have three years of eligibility remaining for the Bulldogs and is a former four-star recruit. 

The other SEC addition to the Samford lineup comes from Mississippi State, in Trey Fort. Fort comes to Samford as a graduate transfer and the 6-4, 200-lb guard averaged 25 PPG during his sophomore season at Howard and posted 5.0 PPG in 11 MPG last season for the Bulldogs. 

He's athletic and can get from point A-to-B in a hurry. He is a really good get for Bucky McMillan and the Bulldogs. Fort posted 21 points in his debut game for Mississippi State against Arizona State. He will have one year of eligibility remaining. 

Rounding out the additions from the transfer portal for Samford is Jaden Brownell from the University of Illinois-Chicago.

The 6-9 forward from Sandy Utah is coming off a redshirt junior season, which saw him average 6.1 PPG and 2.4 RPG, playing in 33 games, including three starts. He connected on a solid 36.3% (33-of-91) from three-point land last season. He's a solid addition and could be an important role player for the Bulldogs in the 2024-25 season.

Freshman Additions:

Samford made a couple of key additions during the early signing period back in November, as the Bulldogs signed 6-9 power forward Caleb Harrison out of Huntsville, while also adding 6-5 shooting guard Zion Wilburn from Richmond, California.

Harrison is a three-star addition by most outlets, and is one of the better freshman signings heading into the 2024-25 season. Harrison was an All-State selection as well as being named a 7A Area 7 MVP during his junior season, averaging 15.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG during his junior campaign at Huntsville High School. 

Wilburn is from Richmond, CA, but played his final two seasons as a prep at Arizona Compass Prep School where averaged north of 15 PPG in his final two seasons as a prep. The 6-5, 190-lb shooting guard is athletic and is also a good shooter with a quick release.

With the recent departure of Achor Achor, Harrison could take on a much more impactful role in terms of adding depth inside in the 2024-25 season. 

Initial 2024-25 Outlook:

Defending a SoCon title isn't easy...It's why the league has literally not had one since the Wofford Terriers in 2013-14 and 2014-15 have been able to complete that type of run, and having to replace all five starters for the upcoming season isn't a successful tract to be on to complete the back-to-back feat, however, it can be done and Samford has a player in Colin Holloway that could make them a factor much sooner than later.The Bulldogs will likely find themselves projected somewhere in the No. 4-6 range in the preseason. A big concern with Achor Achor's recent decision to enter the portal is the interior, especially at the No. 5 spot. Riley Allenspach, who was a solid force off the bench at center last season, will now be asked to make a huge jump. The news in early June that Rylan Jones would be returning to the fold after being granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA due to medical hardship, and that news was maybe the best of the offseason for McMillan and Samford hoops. Last season, he was a steadying force for the the Bulldogs, and probably the most undervalued player in the league. He averaged 9.4 PPG and started 34 of 35 games last season and ranked third in the league in total assists, with 174.

Starters Lost: (4)--F-Achor Achor (transfer portal/Kansas State), G, AJ Staton-McCray (transfer portal/Florida Atlantic--decommitted--Committed to Miami), G Jaden Campbell (graduated/out of eligibility), F-Jermaine Marshall (graduated/out of eligibility)

Others Lost: (4)--G--Dallas Graziani, C-Zach Loveday, Garrett Hicks (graduated/out of eligibility), F-Nathan Johnson (graduated/out of eligibility).

Best Returning Player: G-Josh Holloway/G-Rylan Jones

Potential Breakout Player in 2024-25: C-Riley Allenspach

Best Transfer Portal Get: G/F Collin Holloway (Tulane)

Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: A

Furman (17-16, 10-8 SoCon/5th)

—Furman’s defense of its title from the 2022-23 season left much to be desired all around, and with the struggles this past season, the Paladins would need to do something they had yet to do in the Bob Richey era, which is go looking for major pieces in the transfer portal.

Though Furman certainly wasn’t the only mid-major program to lose significant pieces to the transfer portal, Richey and staff had usually only needed to add one piece from college basketball’s version of a meat market each season, but after the Paladins lost four significant pieces within a matter of two weeks, the Paladin staff hit the reset button, while many fans hit the panic button.

Furman lost 70.8% of its scoring to the portal, including JP Pegues (18.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 144 Assists), Marcus Foster (17.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG), and Alex Williams (13.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG), which were its top three scorers. Add to that the fact that the Paladins also had to replace a significant backcourt piece, in reserve point guard Carter Whitt (7.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 117 Assists), it would have seemed that for a staff that hasn’t needed to rely on the portal much due to retention of players in the past, might have also been hitting the panic button.

However, that was far from the perspective the Paladin staff took. In fact, it’s attack on the portal, which saw it utilize for four players and found one freshman signee for a total of five newcomers, had more to do with addressing what had become a broader issue for the program as a whole, and that was shooting.

If you’ve followed Furman basketball under Bob Richey, you know that he places a premium on having perimeter threats on the floor at all times. Three years ago, the Paladins set a Southern Conference single-season record for threes made (401) and ended up leading all of college basketball in threes made during the 2021-22 season.

The past two seasons, however, have seen the Paladin three-point total slip, especially in percentage of made long-range efforts. The 28-win season of 2022-23 season saw the Paladins connect on 340 threes, while this past season saw the Paladins connect on 20 less (320), and it was statistically the worst shooting team from three under Richey.

The three-ball has been Furman's hallmark over the past decade and especially in the seven seasons under head coach Bob Richey. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Furman has connected on 2,310-of-6,245 three-pointers, which converts to a 36.9% shooting effort from three-point range in seven seasons under Richey. It's a major reason why the Paladins have won 156 wins under Bob Richey over the past seven seasons. 

Interestingly, Furman shot the exact same amount of threes this past season (988) as it did during the 2022-23 season. The Paladins connected on just 33.2% of its threes this past season. 

Furman attacked the broader issue first, bringing in shooters at all positions, and in the final finishing touch added not only a point guard for depth, but a player that will come in and be Furman’s most-talented player on the roster heading into the 2024-25 season.

Portal Additions:

The Paladins did an outstanding job of addressing their needs in the transfer portal, which means the Paladins—at least on paper—did a nice job of addressing their overall shooting needs.

The first two additions for the Paladins came via the the NCAA Division II ranks, with 6-11 center Charles Johnston having been added from  Cal State Monterrey Bay, while the Paladins found 6-3 shooting guard Nick Anderson from Barry University and former coach Butch Estes.

Both Anderson and Johnston will add versatility. Anderson will have one year of eligibility remaining, and will be transferring into Furman as a graduate transfer. He will obviously offer the opportunity to play right away for the Paladins, and he comes off a senior season which saw him average an impressive 17.4 PPG, as he helped Barry to a 17-14 record last season. 

Anderson’s 17.4 PPG ended up leading the Bucs in scoring last season, and that included a pair of 30-point outbursts, posting 32 points in a road loss at Eckerd, while also scoring 30 in an overtime win over Lynn. All told, Anderson finished out his final season at Barry by recording 13 games in which he scored 20 or more points, while finishing the campaign by registering 26 games in double figures. He ended the season by starting all 31 games for the Bucs.

What made him most appealing to the Furman coaching staff, however, is his ability to shoot from long range, and his quick release makes his shot nearly un-blockable in some respects. He finished the season connecting on 42.3% (101-of-239) from three-point land. Anderson’s 101 triples last season ended up ranking him tops in the Sunshine State Conference last season. His 42.3% shooting clip from long range ended up ranking fourth in the league last season. Anderson’s 17.4 PPG scoring average ended up ranking him fifth in the league in scoring.

As far as Johnston is concerned, he comes to Furman with two years of eligibility remaining. Though the Otters struggled during the 2023-24 season, winning just seven games, it wasn’t the fault of Johnston, who ended up garnering second-team California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) honors last season following a campaign, which saw Robertson break the CSUMB single-season mark for total rebounds in a season, bringing down a total of 278 rebounds for the season, leading the league in rebounding average, at 10.7 RPG. 

Additionally, Johnston, who is a native of Sydney Australia, finished the season as the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 13.4 PPG. He finished the 2023-24 season by posting an impressive 13 double-doubles, scoring in double figures 20 times last season, including posting four games with 20 or more points. 

The unique trait that Johnston brings to the Paladin roster as a 6-11 center is his ability to shoot the three ball with excellent efficiency from long range. The newcomer brings with him an ability to shot from long-range, making him a danger all over the floor. In his most recent season with Cal State Monterrey Bay, Johnston finished connecting on 37.7% (20-of-53) from three-point range last season. His 10.7 RPG ranked fifth in NCAA Division II in rebounding last season.

The Paladins made quite the splash with a pair of announcements just a few days before the window closed, adding Kent State point guard Jalen Sullinger and Florida State reserve guard Tom House.

Sullinger will have one year of eligibility remaining after he gets to Furman. The 5-10 point guard was named the Mid American Conference's Sixth Man of the Year following the 2022-23 season and finished the 2024-25 campaign as the Golden Flashes leading scorer, averaging 15.4 PPG to go along with 2.6 RPG and shot 39.2% (83-of-212) from three-point range last season.  He finished the season garnering Third-Team All-MAC honors in 2024-25. 

His 83 triples also led the Golden Flashes, who finished with a similar record to that of Furman, finishing 17-17 after losing a heartbreaker to bitter rival Akron, 62-61, in the MAC Title game last March.

The Columbus, OH., product finished with 29 double-figure scoring performances on the 2024-25 season, which included scoring 30 points on three occasions during the campaign, with the latest of those 30-point performances coming against Buffalo, which saw him connect on a career-best eight three pointers. Sixteen of Sullinger's 29 double-figure scoring games came in conference play. Sullinger started all 34 games for the Golden Flashes last season. 

Sullinger isn't coming to Furman on blind knowledge, but rather was a high school teammate of current Paladin forward Tyrese Hughey at Thomas Worthington in Columbus, OH. 

Hughey just completed his third season as a Paladin forward, and will be a key piece to Bob Richey's puzzle for the upcoming season, as he averaged 4.9 PPG and 3.8 RPG and starting 20 of 31 games he played in last season for the Paladins. 

Rounding out Furman's haul from the portal is 6-7 wing Tom House from Florida State--a player originally recruited by the Furman staff out of Centerville High School, but chose Florida State over Furman--averaged 1.5 PPG and shot 47% from three-point land this past season. 

He enjoyed a career-best nine points against Kennesaw State last season, while adding seven points against South Florida and a season-best three rebounds vs. the Florida Gators. 

House was instrumental in leading Centerville High School to the 2021 state title and a state runner-up finish as a senior. For his prep career at Centerville, House posted averages of 14.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 2.4 APG.

Freshman Additions: 

Furman's lone freshman signee comes to Greenville, S.C., from the Palmetto State's northern border state, where he led Davidson Day (Charlotte, N.C.) state championship as a senior, as 6-7 forward Mason Smith provided athleticism and a keen shooting ability, averaging 15 PPG and eight RPG, shooting 40% from three-point land en route to garnering All-Foothills Conference honors and NCISSA All-State honors as a senior.  Smith had originally been a Mercer commitment, however, after Greg Gary was not retained as the head coach, Smith, who is rated as a three-star prospect by most services, re-opened his recruitment and decided to commit to Furman. 

Initial 2024-25 Outlook:

Furman's work in the portal took it out of middle-lower tier of the standings and likely put it into the a top three or four finisher next season--at least that's the way it would appear on paper.

The trio of guard Eddirin Bronson, forward Tommy Humphries and Cooper Bowser (3.9 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 27 Blks) are all going to be surprises for fans around the league next season. Especially Bowser, who will make a major jump from year one to year two. Bronson and Humphries were two players that coach Richey said could have played the last month of the season and that they were ready to go during both players redshirt year. 

Add to that veterans Garrett Hien (6.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG) and Tyrese Hughey (4.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG) adding support in the paint, as well as PJay Smith Jr. (10.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 74 three-point FGs), who will likely team with Jalen Sullinger to make a formidable, sharp-shooting backcourt next season. 

On paper, the Paladins have more size, more depth and are a better shooting team overall than even they were last year as talented as that team was. 

Starters Lost: (3/4)--G JP Pegues (transfer portal/Auburn), G Carter Whitt (transfer portal/Belmont), F Alex Williams (transfer portal/Duquesne).

Others Lost: (1)--G Cason Collins (transfer portal/undecided)

Best Returning Player or Players: G--PJay Smith Jr or G--Eddirin Bronson 

Potential Breakout Player in 2024-25: C-Cooper Bowser

Best Transfer Portal Get: G-Nick Anderson (Barry University)/Charles Johnston Cal State Monterrey Bay

Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: B+

Chattanooga (21-12, 12-6 SoCon/3rd in SoCon)

**Updated 6-2-2024

--Similar to both Furman and Samford, Chattanooga has at least one major hole to fill as a result of a departure to the transfer portal, losing forward Sam Alexis () to the University of Florida. 

It appeared that Trey Bonham (16.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG) might also be headed the way of the portal, however, he opted to return to the fold for the 2023-24 season--something that has become a rare exception to the rule in the current climate of mid-major basketball, with so much money being thrown around at each player.

With Bonham returning to join Honor Huff (17.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 109 made three-point FGs) in the UTC backcourt, it would be easy to make the assertion that the Mocs will have the top backcourt in the Southern Conference in the 2024-25 season.

The Mocs offensively will be as good as any team in mid-major basketball as long as Dan Earl is around and is the head coach of the team, the Mocs figure to have one of the most efficient offenses in all of college hoops and will also rank towards the top of the nation in three-pointers made. 

Last season, the Mocs led the nation in 2022-23 (398 made threes), while finishing ranked seventh nationally (349 made threes) in 2023-24. The one thing that makes Chattanooga such a dangerous team, however, is its skilled inside players that possess the ability to both pass and shoot from the perimeter. In Earl's first season, he had Jake Stephens, who did that as good as any one in college basketball outside some guy at Purdue named Zach Edey. 

This past season, Sam Alexis (10.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 55.0 FG%) was efficient as being a facilitator, and while he wasn't the shooter that Stephens was, the ball movement was still pretty good, although inconsistent at times. Those times were discernible by both low shooting percentages and low overall assists totals. He is the biggest departure for the Mocs heading into the 2024-25 season, as he is headed to the University of Florida to continue his hoops career. 

Games like those at home vs. Samford and UNCG and on the road at Furman, the ball seem to get stuck at times in the high post, and it through of the cadence of the entire motion offense.

Figuring out how to keep teams from bogging down the game defensively will be the No. 1 goal for Earl and staff this off-season. To do that, they'll need to hope their portal additions on the interior are enough to keep the ball moving efficiently from A-to-B, which keeps Huff and Bonham on the move and tough to guard at any point on the floor. 

Portal Additions:

With the 2023-24 season now in the rearview for the Mocs, what does the future hold for Chattanooga basketball? 

Well, it’s gone from a dim twilight to a bright sunshine metaphorically. Early in the transfer portal window, the Mocs were dealt a quartet of blows, with Myles Che, Randy Brady, Sam Alexis, Demetrius Davis and Trey Bonham all hopping in the transfer portal. 

Alexis, Brady and Che would remain, however,  the best news was that Bonham would not. The Mocs also lose Jan Zidek and Tyler Millin. Both Zidek and Millin are out of eligibility.

Bonham opted to return to the Mocs just last week after testing the waters for a little over a week, and along with Huff, will give the Mocs one of the top starting backcourts not only in the Southern Conference next season, but also in all of mid-major basketball.  Add to that the fact that the Mocs have had some outstanding additions via the transfer portal, and the makings are there for a big run in the 2024-25 season.

The Mocs have added Bash Wieland from Bellarmine, who is a 6-6 guard and grad transfer that will help the Mocs immediately and give them some size in the backcourt in what figures to be a four-guard offense this coming season. Wieland averaged 14.2 PPG and 5.3 RPG in his final season at Bellarmine, while also dishing out 2.2 assists-per-game. 

Another outstanding addition from the transfer portal is Jack Kostel from Division II Alabama-Huntsville, where he played for former Chattanooga coach John Shulman. Kostel is a 6-2 guard that could be the fourth starting guard in that Mocs backcourt next season, averaging 13.3 PPG and 4.2 RPG during his final season at UAH. 

The Mocs added 6-7 Garrison Keeslar from Division II Walsh. Keeslar will have two years of eligibility remaining upon his arrival, averaging 15.5 PPG and 6.7 RPG last season. 

In keeping with the theme of additions made from the NCAA Division II ranks, add Division II All-American Frank Champion to the mix for the Mocs, as he joins the Chattanooga hoops program from just up the road at North Georgia College. 

Champion looks to be the prized get for head coach Dan Earl and the Mocs from the transfer portal, as the 6-7, 220-lb native of Lithonia, GA, will have one year of eligibility remaining upon his arrival at UTC. 

Last season, Champion ended up averaging 17.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG and posted an impressive 4.6 APG en route to garnering NABC NCAA Division II All-America honors last season and was a finalist for the Bevo Francis national Division II Player of the Year award.

Another key portal addition for the Chattanooga, addressing the overall needs in the paint is Pacific transfer center Makai Richards. The 6-10, 225-lb center will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Mocs.

In his redshirt sophomore season with Pacific, Richards shot a team-best 66.2% from the field and ranked second on the team in blocks, swatting away 10 shots. He finished the 2023-24 season averaging 4.3 PPG and 2.4 RPG. 

The addition or Richards addresses the biggest question mark that head coach Dan Earl and staff had heading into the off-season, which was replacing their man-in-the-middle, in Sam Alexis, who transferred to Florida. 

Freshman Additions:

Both 6-7, 175-lb wing forward Isaiah Otalyuk and 6-9, 240-lb Latif Diouf have been signed by the Mocs staff as a part of the early signing period back in November. Both were rated as three-star recruits, according to verbal commits.

Otalyuk joined the Chattanooga program from Word of God Christian Academy in Cary, N.C., while Latif Diouf will give the Mocs an international flavor, joining up with the Mocs program out of the Netherlands.

Otalyuk was ranked as the No. 19 prospect in the state of North Carolina, according to Hoopseen.com. He had a game in which he went for 45 points last season, which included a 10-for-13 effort from three-point land. 

Diouf comes to Chattanooga from Gouda, The Netherlands, where he played both small forward and power forward and is a member of the U18 The Netherlands national team. During his junior season of 2022-23 at the Dunn School in Los Angeles, CA., he had a 52-point scoring night in an 81-76 win over Foothills Tech. 

He is one of the top incoming freshman. talents in the SoCon, and will likely tag-team in the middle with Adam Larson. Both should give the Mocs a well-skilled passer and shooter in the paint, and those are two things that make Earl's teams so tough to guard defensively. 

Initial 2024-25 Outlook:

In my estimation, Chattanooga will be the team picked to win the Southern Conference in 2024-25, as they are the team that enters the season with the least amount of questions to be answered entering the season and will have one of the top backcourts in mid-major basketball with both Trey Bonham and Honor Huff back. 

Without Alexis and Zidek, finding that third and potentially fourth scorer will be key. Jack Kostel or either Bash Wieland could end up being those guys. I expect big things from Wieland, as I liked him when he was at Bellarmine.  I also expect Champion to be an easy pick for potential newcomer of the year in the league. He is one of the top finds from the portal and kudos to the Chattanooga staff for not only finding such a talent right down the road, but also being able to convince him to come to the Scenic City to continue his college basketball career. 

Any combination of both Wieland and Champion in the lineup at the same time could be fun to watch. Both are tough, hard-nosed players that know their way around the basket and both have solid mid-range shooting ability. 

Starters Lost: (2/3)--C-Sam Alexis (transfer portal/Florida), F-Tyler Millin (graduated/out of eligibility, G/F-Randy Brady (transfer portal/South Alabama)

Others Lost: (3)--F-Jan Zidek (graduated/out of eligibility), F--Demetrius Davis (transfer portal/undecided), Myles Che (transfer portal/UC Irvine)

Best Returning Player or Players: G--Honor Huff or G-Trey Bonham

Potential Breakout Player in 2024-25: G-Noah Melson

Best Transfer Portal Get: F-Frank Champion (North Georgia College)

Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: A

East Tennessee State (19-16, 8-10/7th in SoCon)

**Updated 6/2/2024

--Keeping what you have is sometimes as good as or better than mining the portal for good talent. 

That was the approach that ETSU head coach Brooks Savage took following magical run to end the season, which involved an extended stay in Asheville after knocking off VMI (W, 98-66), UNC Greensboro (W, 73-62) and Chattanooga (W, 85-84 OT) before losing to Samford (L, 69-76) in the SoCon title game.

While there are no moral victories, the run the Bucs made in the SoCon Tournament felt like a giant leap forward for the program. It's a step that could propel the Bucs forward for the foreseeable future, and that type of momentum can propel a program forward to greatness the following season. 

With Jayden Seymour (14.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 43 STLs, 22 BLKs) and Quimari Peterson (13.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 131 ASTs) returning, the Bucs have back two of their top three scorers from a year ago, and a pair of players that will enter the season as all-conference picks. Seymour is like in line for player of the year consideration, and is a player that reminds me in a lot of respects to former Furman Paladin and NBA Draft pick Jalen Slawson.

Seymour has similar athleticism to that of Slawson, and is also an excellent defender, as well as being a good ball-handler. If he can improve his long-range jumper, he could find himself being a hot name next June when the NBA Draft rolls around.

With that said, the real x-factor next season for the Bucs will be Karon Boyd (), who is an outstanding defender, as well as being among the best offensive rebounders in all of college hoops. When he missed time this past season, it was noticeable.

The Bucs will lose their top scorer Ebby Asamoah and top rim-protector and record-setting shot-blocker Jadyn Parker (7.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 73 BLKs), so those two losses will have to be accounted for, especially Parker, who helped make the Bucs one of the top defensive teams in the league last season. 

The Bucs also lost Tyler Rice (3.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG), Braden Illic (2.6 PPG, 1.4 RPG) and Justice Smith (4.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG) to the transfer portal. They will return talent and depth in the backcourt, however, with Allen Strothers (3.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 24 STLs), Maki Johnson (3.5 PPG, 1.2 RPG) and Gabe Sisk (3.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG) all back for Savage in 2024-25.

Portal Additions:

Head coach Brooks Savage has done a nice job of addressing the needs at hand for the Bucs at the end of the season when it comes to what is leaving and with what returns. 

With that said, the latest pickup for Savage and staff is an impressive one, bringing in 6-11 Roosevelt Wheeler from VCU. Wheeler played in 15 games last season for the Rams and will address the departure of Parker, giving Savage that athletic rim protector that both he and Forbes have loved during their time leading the Bucs program. 

Wheeler started his career at Louisville, where he spent his first two seasons, as he was the backup center during his freshman campaign back in 2021-22 and as a sophomore in 2022-23, the Richmond, VA., product saw action in 25 games and averaged 1.2 PPG and 2.0 RBG, averaging about nine minutes per contest.

Last season, Wheeler returned home to Richmond to suit up for the Rams where he averaged 0.6 PPG and 0.7 RPG. Prior to college, Wheeler starred at John Marshall High School in Louisville as a junior where he averaged 15.8 PPG, 11.9 RPG and averaged 4.3 BPG. 

He did not play as a senior in high school due to an Achilles injury and the COVID-19 pandemic. He helped John Marshall to an impressive 23-2 record and a 2A State Championship. Wheeler will have one year of eligibility remaining. 

The Bucs also have addressed backcourt needs in the transfer portal, bridging in a trio of talented NCAA Division I transfers. 

Curt Lewis comes to ETSU from the University of Missouri by way of John A. Logan College, where he was a teammate with Quimari Peterson, as they helped John A. Logan to a national championship a couple of years ago. 

The 6-5 guard, 215-lb guard spent his first two seasons prior to matriculating to John A. Logan and eventually Missouri at Eastern Kentucky where appeared in 56 games and averaged 10.4 PPG, while shooting 44.5% from the field and 34.4% from three-point land. 

In his one season at John A. Logan, which involved helping the Volunteers to the program's first national title, he was named the 2022-23 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 14.3 PPG, including shooting 51.8% from the field and an ultra impressive 48.3% clip from three-point range. In addition to his 14.3 PPG, Lewis added 6.1 RPG, 3.8 APG, 2.3 SPG, and 1.1 BPG. 

In his one season with the Tigers, Lewis averaged 2.0 PPG and 1.4 RPG, as he saw action in 23 games with a pair of starts, averaging just under 10 minutes-per-game. His athleticism and shooting ability will help off-set the loss of Ebby Asamoah.

The most recent addition made by head coach Brooks Savage and staff is North Texas transfer John Buggs III from North Texas. Buggs III will be a nice addition at point guard, giving both depth and an extra ball-handler on the floor along with Quimari Peterson. 

Buggs III spent last season with the Mean Green after starting his career at the UMass in 2019-20 and then went to Hill College before matriculating to the University of Texas-San Antonio and eventually, North Texas. Buggs III will have one season of eligibility remaining. 

Last season with the Mean Green, Buggs III averaged 7.3 PPG and made 26 starts in his 29 appearances. He finished the season with 60 made threes, including shooting them at an impressive 45.1%. 

Prior to his one season at UNT, Buggs played in 32 games, with 30 starts and averaged 11.0 PPG, while shooting 40% from long range and making a total of 80 three-point field goals.

I really like the additions of Buggs and Lewis, as head coach Brooks Savage and staff have addressed the perimeter shooting woes that seemingly plagued the Bucs throughout the regular-season in 2023-24.

Freshman Additions:

The one freshman player that head coach Brooks Savage has been able to lure to Johnson City so far is 6-8 power forward Brandon Crawford, who comes to Overtime Elite High School and hails from Irmo, S.C. Crawford is extremely athletic and the Irmo, S.C., product will have a chance to have an imoact in 2024-25. A 3.43 star recruit according to verbalcommits.com, and is a top 80 player in the state of South Carolina, according to Phenom Hoops. Crawford's overall athleticism will give him a chance to suit up and have an impact immediately for ETSU in the 2024-25 season. 

Initial 2024-25 Outlook:

ETSU has outstanding momentum moving forward off last season's run to the title game before losing to Samford in the championship game and with the experience and talent returning coupled with the two players the Bucs have signed from the portal, it should be enough to ensure the Bucs status as legitimate title contenders and for some, maybe even the title favorites entering the 2024-25. One thing is for sure, the turnaround and overall improvement of the Bucs last season were noticeable, and it seemed as if Savage and his staff did an excellent job of assessing their team's overall strengths as the season progressed, and then, in-turn, playing to those strengths in Asheville. The major factor as to why the Bucs were able to stay in most every game last season was their extreme dedication on the defensive end of the floor. I expect ETSU to be a top three finisher and perhaps an NCAA Tournament team in 2024-25...Let the good times roll again in Johnson City.

Starters Lost: (2)--G Ebby Asamoah (graduated/out of eligibility), C Jadyn Parker (decided to forgo remaining eligibility to turn pro)

Others Lost: (3)--G Justice Smith(transfer portal/unknown), Tyler Rice (transferred to Hampton), Braden Illic (transfer portal/unknown), 

Best Returning Player or Players: F/G--Jaden Seymour 

Potential Breakout Player in 2024-25: G-Allen Strothers

Best Transfer Portal Get: G Curt Lewis (Missouri)/G John Buggs III (North Texas)

Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: A-

Wofford (17-15, 10-8/6th in SoCon)

--If we were to have given coaches a fair and absolutely honest assessment last season, what Wofford head coach Dwight Perry did last season with Wofford was nothing short of remarkable, and in my opinion, just as remarkable and praiseworthy as the feat completed by Bucky McMillan at Samford.

That's mostly because not much at all was expected from the Terriers heading into the season, as Wofford was picked eighth in the preseason poll by both the media and coaches. With four of five starters returning from a team that won 17 games last season, the Terriers will figure to be selected much higher than eighth when the media and coaches descend upon Asheville, N.C. and the Harrah's Cherokee Center for the league's preseason media day this fall.

Wofford returns four of its five starters to the fold for the 2024-25 season, and a return to the good old days of about four years ago when the Terriers were a regular-season and conference tournament crowns looks like it is in the cards.

With that said, the Terriers were still able to go out and procure some nice talent from the transfer portal.  The best news, though, is the Terriers return their top player to the fold, in Corey Tripp, and he figures to head into the 2024-25 season as a league Player of the Year candidate.

This past season, Tripp ended up leading the Terriers in scoring average, posting 15.6 PPG to go along with 4.5 RPG. He has outstanding athleticism and has knows how to get to the basket, as he is one of the better penetrating guards in not only the Southern Conference, but all of mid-major basketball. 

Also returning in the backcourt will be sharp-shooting Dillon Bailey (11.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG), as well as wing Jackson Sivills (9.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG), who was one of the surprises for the Terriers after turning in an outstanding season. Sivills struggled at times in his first season at Wofford a couple of years ago, but became a reliable outside shooter this past season, as he connected on 38.7% (55-of-142) from long range.

In fact, Sivills shooting ability was a snapshot of the team's improvement as a whole from long-range this past season, as the Terriers shot a respectable 35.0% (280-of-800) from long-range last season.

Other key players returning to the fold in the backcourt this coming season include 6-2 athletic guard Anthony Arrington Jr. (6.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG), as well as Chase Cormier (7.1 PPG, 1.8 RPG), who I expect to have an increased role for Wofford in the upcoming season. 

Highlighting the returnees in the front court for Wofford in 2024-25 is Kyler Filewich (9.4 PPG, 8.8 RPG), who is a load underneath. His physical play, ability as an offensive rebounding presence, and his ability to change shots will all be key for Wofford next season. His hustle and overall physical play helps personify the type of team Wofford is, which most importantly, shows no quit. 

Jeremy Lorenz (6.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG) and Belal El Shakery (4.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG) round out the key returnees underneath the basket. 

Wofford saw Chase Martin (4.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG) as well as freshman guard Quentin Meza (4.2 PPG, 1.7 RPG) both enter the transfer portal following the season.  Martin logged 22 starts in 32 games for Wofford last season. 

Portal Additions:

The one player that Wofford managed to bring in from the transfer portal and is a player that will have a chance to make an immediate impact for the Terriers this season is USC Upstate transfer guard Justin Bailey. 

The 6-3 point guard is coming off a season, which saw him average 11.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 1.4 steals-per-contest.He also dished out 1.1 APG and shot 31.3% from downtown. He will have a chance to come right in and start, and could be the piece that puts Wofford over the top in their pursuit of a sixth Southern Conference Tournament crown next March. 

Freshman Additions: 

Wofford signed three players during the 2023-24 season, bringing in two during the early signing period, and the other one, in 6-7 small forward/wing Cannon Richards, just after the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. 

Highlighting the class is Kamahre Holmes, who might be the best true freshman signee of any in the league during the early signing period last September. Holmes, a three-star recruit according to verbalcommits.com, comes to Wofford from Archer High School in Lawrenceville, GA.

Holmes is a 6-4 shooting guard that is athletic and is an especially adept long-range shooter. He will join a pair of three-star recruits in the aforementioned Richards from Carlton Kell High School in Marietta, GA., as well as 6-1 point guard Luke Flynn out go George Walton Comprehensive High School, which also is in Marietta, GA.  

It's unclear, however, if any will redshirt this coming season, however, all could come in and be immediate factors, as the Terriers brought in one of the best freshman recruiting classes in the league for next season. 

 Initial 2024-25 Outlook:

Wofford's prospects to be a team that is one of the top teams in the SoCon and in mid-major basketball next season are excellent. Expect Wofford to challenge to win 20 games and be a top four finisher and title contender in the SoCon next season, with a good chance of cutting down the nets in Asheville. 

Starters Lost: (1)--G-Chase Martin (transfer portal/Oral Roberts)

Others Lost: (1)--G-Quentin Meza (transfer portal/undecided)

Best Returning Player or Players: G-Corey Tripp

Potential Breakout Player in 2024-25: G-Chase Cormier

Best Transfer Portal Get: PG-Justin Bailey (USC Upstate)

Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: B+

UNC Greensboro (21-11, 12-6/2nd in SoCon)

**Updated 6-2-2024

--The 2023-24 season could very well signal the end of an era for UNC Greensboro hoops, with the graduation of the Langley twins (Keyshawn and Kobe), as well as Mikeal Brown-Jones (18.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG) transferring out to play his final season at Ole Miss, it almost feels like new beginning for the UNCG Spartans. 

Add to that the fact that other role players like Tim Ceaser (3.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG) and Miles Jones (2.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG) have also departed, a rebuilding project might be in the works for head coach Mike Jones and his Spartans this coming season.

Along with Furman, UNCG has 198 wins since the start of the 2015-16 season, which is tied for the most in the Southern Conference among the 10 current members. The top player returning for the 2024-25 season will be sharp-shooting guard Donovan Atwell (11.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 89 made three-point FGs), who will head into next season as one of the top players in the Southern Conference. 

The 2023-24 campaign was a season that had looked so promising for one of college basketball's most recognizable twin tandems came to an end. For at least the time being, it was also the end of a legacy that saw three Langleys don the Blue and Gold of UNC Greensboro, as father Keyford Langley was also a star for UNCG during 1991-92 season. 

The Langleys, who are natives of Gate City, were the last remaining remnants of the Wes Miller era, which were part of an outstanding signing class brought in by Miller in his second-to-last signing class as the head coach of the Spartans. Miller would leave following the 2021 title to take the job opening at Cincinnati, but would coach the Langley twins for two seasons, including utilizing the duo to win a SoCon title in the 2020-21 season.

Most programs would see a second-straight 20-win season, including its seventh in the last nine, as a major success, but given the expectations set in place by the previous staff and given the fact that it would be the last go around for UNCG's elite trio--Keyshaun Langley, Kobe Langley and Mikeal Brown-Jones--the quarterfinal loss, which saw the Spartans finish the season with a 21-11 overall record, would be a particularly difficult pill to swallow. 

The reason for the disappointment? Well, following non-conference play, it looked as though the Spartans were a heavy favorite to be the team cutting down the nets in Asheville, especially after the Spartans had gone into Bud Walton Arena and posted a 78-72 win over No. 14 Arkansas. 

Individually, Kobe Langley finished out his career in strong fashion, as he finished with as the SoCon's Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. This past season, Langley ended up leading the league in steals for a second-straight season, posting a total of 75 thefts for the season, averaging 2.3 steals-per-game. Langley also completed the season ranking second in total assists, dishing out 181 helpers and averaging 5.7 handouts per contest. 

Keyshaun Langley finished out his career with 1,658 career points, and his best performance came in an early-February, 89-87, win at Furman, as he helped the Spartans complete the season sweep of the Paladins by scoring a career-high 30 points. 

He also finished his UNCG career an impressive 38.3% career three-point shooter (304-of-793). His 304 made three-pointers ranks him third in program history and is one of only three Spartans in school history to knock down 300 or more career threes, joining Francis Alonso (396) and Scott Hartzell (309) with that distinction. His 1,658 career points sees him finish his distinguished Spartans career fourth all-time in career scoring, ranking behind only Kyle Hines (2,187), Francis Alonso (2,142) and Isaiah Miller (1,967). 

Both Keyshaun Langley and teammate Mikeal Brown-Jones completed their final campaigns as Spartans by garnering National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 21 first-team. Brown-Jones finished out his UNCG career by also garnering First-Team All-SoCon honors, while Keyshaun Langley was a second-team selection.

Brown-Jones finished out his final season in the Spartans Blue and Gold ranking sixth in the conference in rebounding average (7.5 RPG) and eighth in field goal percentage (54.0%), while ranking second in the SoCon in scoring behind only Vonterius Woolbright, averaging 18.9 PPG. He had two 39-point efforts during the season, which came in wins over The Citadel and Western Carolina, which were the leading scoring performances in a single game for the 2023-24 season. 

UNCG's 73-62 loss to East Tennessee State in the opening game of the tournament marked the third-straight season in which the Spartans have been knocked out of the tournament after only one game. The second-place finish did mark the highest finish in the regular-season under third-year head coach Mike Jones, while the 21 wins were also a standard under Jones in his third year, matching the 2020-21 Spartans championship team, which also won 21 games in. the COVID-19 shortened season. 

Though UNCG loses arguably the top trio of players that any team in the league would have to replace heading into the 2024-25 campaign, the cupboard is not completely bare, as sharp-shooting guard Donovan Atwell (11.2 PPG, ) returns after his best season yet in a UNCG uniform. He'll need to get some help from Jones in the transfer portal, however. 

Atwell was one of the league's top perimeter threats from this past season, knocking down 42.0% (89-of-193) of his long-range efforts, ranking fourth in both three-point field goal percentage, as well as three-pointers made.

As a team, the Spartans were once again one of the top defensive teams in the league, which comes as little surprise when you consider that has been a staple of the UNCG basketball program, which started to trend under Wes Miller and has remained a strong component of the team's overall makeup under Jones. UNCG finished the 2023-24 season ranking third in scoring defense (69.8 PPG), second in field goal percentage defense (41.0%) and third in three-point field goal percentage defense (33.1%). 

While the defensive numbers held serve once again this season for UNCG, the offensive numbers continued to trend upwards, which has been something that has seen an incremental increase in each season under the direction of Jones.  

UNCG finished the 2023-24 season ranking fifth overall in the SoCon in scoring offense (75.7 PPG), third in overall team field goal percentage (46.1%) and topped the SoCon in three-point field goal percentage (39.7%).

Along with Atwell returning to the fold, the Spartans return Jalen Breath (6.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG) in the paint, along with Dutch-born Joryam Saizounou (5.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG), as well as rising sophomores Domas Kauzonas (2.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG), who is a 6-10 player that can play the four or the five, as well as guard Keyon Webb (0.9 PPG, 0.3 RPG). 

Among the other departures that Mike Jones will have to address is on his coaching staff, as Donny Lind has moved on to become the head coach at Mount St. Mary's, which is evidence of the Spartans yet again having one of the top coaching staffs in the SoCon last season.

Portal Additions:

The Spartans have hit the portal and brought in a trio of players that should help immediately. Two of those additions will have two years of eligibility remaining, as the Spartans added point guard Ronald Polite III (7.2 PPG, 2.7 APG) and 6-8 power forward Malik Henry (2.9 PPG, 64.3 FG%) to the fold for the 2024-25 season.

UNCG's most-recent portal addition comes to the Gate City from one of the top mid-major programs in the nation last season, as Robert Sean Birmingham makes his way from Indiana State to UNCG, where he will suit up for the Spartans in 2024-25. 

Birmingham was a former three-star recruit according to multiple services and originally committed to the Sycamores and former ISU head coach Josh Schertz in the early-signing period last November. However, with Schertz moving on to take the Saint Louis job after taking the Sycamores all the way to the championship game, Birimingham, who originally hails from Iceland, re-opened his recruitment.

Birmingham's second home has been the Old North State, where he played his prep basketball at Concord Academy just down the road from Greensboro on the outskirts of Charlotte. 

The 6-8 power forward averaging 14 PPG, 7 RPG and averaged 2.5 BPG as a junior and he was a CISAA All-Conference selection from 2020-22. Birmingham will have a chance to make an immediate impact for the Spartans this coming season, with the potential of being the heir apparent to Mikeal Brown-Jones.

Freshman Additions:

Though the Spartans have not signed a freshman player as of yet, they have made several offers in the recruiting process, which includes extending offers to three-star recruit Isaiah Sutrherland (United Faith Christian Academy/Charlotte, N.C.), guard and 3.5 star recruit Isaiah Washington (Winston Salem Christian School/Fayetteville, N.C.), and four star guard Martin Somerville (Southern California Academy/Forestville, MD),

 Initial 2024-25 Outlook:

There is still plenty of time during the off-season, but at the moment, this re-made version of the UNCG Spartans basketball team doesn't jump off the page. That's partly because we've been spoiled by all the talent the Spartans have been able to pull from different places over the past decade, and much like Furman, retention of that talent has been a major lynchpin of the program under both Wes Miller and Mike Jones. This is the first time we've really seen UNCG lose a major, big-time talent like Brown-Jones to the transfer portal. It will be interesting to see if Atwell is ready to be the guy and how guard Ronald Polite III and forward Malik Henry will also fit into the fold. 

Starters Lost: (3)--F-Mikeal Brown-Jones (transfer portal/Ole Miss), G-Keyshaun Langley (graduated/out of eligibility), G-Kobe Langley (graduated/out of eligibility)

Others Lost: (3)--F-Miles Jones (graduated/out of eligibility), F/C Jaylon Gibson (transfer portal/Charleston Southern)

Best Returning Player or Players: G-Donovan Atwell

Potential Breakout Player in 2024-25: F-Jalen Breath

Best Transfer Portal Get: F/C Robert Sean Birmingham (Indiana State)

Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: B+

Western Carolina (22-10, 11-7/4th in SoCon)

**Updated 6/2/2024

--One of the two programs in the SoCon that will be making a coaching change entering the 2024-25 season is Western Carolina. The Catamounts finished the season tying an NCAA Division I record for wins (22), however, like UNCG, Furman and Samford, it almost feels like the Catamounts will be starting over in some respects. 

Justin Gray was all but out the door after his Catamounts lost another heartbreaker to Furman (79-76 in OT) in the Southern Conference Tournament in Asheville, as not even 48 hours following that loss rumors started to filter through the program that Gray was set to become the new head coach at Coastal Carolina. Those rumors, were in fact, true. 

Justin Gray spent only three seasons in Cullowhee. It matched the timeframe his predecessor--Mark Prosser spent at WCU before leaving to take the job at Winthrop. 

Gone are so much of what made the Catamounts a viable title contender throughout the 2023-24 season, including SoCon Player of the Year Vonterius Woolbright, as well as the Catamounts'   other top four scorers, in Tre Jackson (13.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG), Russell Jones Jr. (12.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG) and DJ Campbell (11.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG). In fact, six of the top seven scorers must be replaced heading into the 2024-25 season, with the only one opting to return for the upcoming season under a new head coach being forward Bernard Pelote (6.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG).

With that said, the Catamounts made an outstanding hire for their new head coach, and they didn't have to go all that far to find their new man to lead the program, naming Gardner-Webb's Tim Craft as the new leader of the Catamount basketball program.

Craft is the third-straight coach the Catamounts have hired out of the Big South Conference, with both prior hires coming from the Winthrop staff, where they were assistants prior to coming to Cullowhee. However, unlike Gray and Prosser, the Catamounts will be hiring a veteran head coach to take on the new role of leading the Catamount basketball program.

The former Gardner-Webb head coach spent 11 years in Boiling Springs, N.C., where he averaged 17 wins during his time with the Bulldogs. Craft had a pair of 20-win seasons and in eight of those 11 seasons spent as the leader of the Gardner-Webb basketball program, he led the Bulldogs to above .500 seasons, including the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018-19. 

Craft won 188 games during his 11 seasons at the helm of Gardner-Webb's basketball program, and in addition to leading the Bulldogs to the 2019 NCAA Tournament, he also helped the Bulldogs qualify for the CBI in 2015. When Craft took the job in mid-March, he became the 20th head coach of the WCU basketball program. 

Not much returns from last season's roster aside from Pelote, but the 6-7 forward offers a good player to build a solid nucleus around for the future. Pelote had initially entered the transfer portal before being convinced to return by Craft. 

Others that return from last season’s roster include freshman guard Keshawn Brown Jr., as well as redshirt freshman wing Cinque Lemon and sophomore forward Marcus Kell. Freshman Kamari Jones looks like a star in the making, and he comes to WCU from Lawrence Central High School in Indiana, and he averaged 15.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 2.0 SPG during his prep career. 

Portal Additions:

Craft has successfully mined the transfer portal to bring in a trio of solid NCAA Division I transfers, in 6-10 Chase McKey from Marshall, 6-10 Vernon Collins from Princeton, 7-1 redshirt freshman Brandon White from Texas A&M,  and 6-3 redshirt sophomore guard Cord Stansberry from Pepperdine. 

Craft also found talent from lower ranks that will contribute immediately for the Catamounts, include 6-5 point guard Brandon Morgan out of Caldwell Community College, Chevalier Emory from Dodge City CC, and Jamar Livingston from Walters State.

McKey spent three seasons at former Southern Conference member Marshall, and he comes from good stock, as his father--Derrick McKey--enjoyed a 15-year NBA career, including time spent with the Indiana Pacers, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Philadelphia 76ers, and was an all-rookie selection and a two-time NBA all-defensive team honoree. 

McKey had trouble finding his way at Marshall, seeing action in 23 games during his career with the Thundering Herd, with 18 of those coming during his freshman season. His best performance in a Marshall uniform was a nine-point outburst against Florida International in his rookie season with the Herd. 

Stansberry looks like the player that could be in line to be the biggest addition for the Catamounts from the portal, as he spent the previous two seasons as a member of the Pepperdine basketball program. Over the past couple of seasons, Stansberry logged action in a total of 32 games, with all of his action on the floor for the Waves having been logged during the 2023-24 campaign. 

Stansberry, who is an outstanding shooter, found his way into the double-figure scoring column on four occasions, which included a season-high 12 points in a win last November over UC Irvine. 

He played some of his best basketball down the stretch last season, with 11 points in a game against Loyola Marymount, while adding 10 against both St. Mary's and Pacific.  

Vernon Collins and Brandon White will add even more depth and size underneath for the Catamounts in 2024-25. That seems to be an over-arching theme and dedication by coaches around the league, which is to add size on the interior. Certainly, many of the recent additions throughout the league have been to add those 6-10-to-7-0 players to give their respective program a solid inside presence. 

Collins spent the previous two seasons at Princeton, and was part of Sweet Sixteen team a couple of years ago, while last season he was part of a team that won 29 games and played in the NIT. 

In his two seasons with the Tigers, Collins logged action in 21 games, including 15 games in the most recent season. He shot 56% from the field and went 12-of-13 from the line last season. He scored a career-best 11 points against Delaware Valley last season. He played his prep basketball not too far down the road, starring for Greensboro Day School. 

Brandon White comes to WCU from College Station Texas, having spent his first season at Texas A&M, and coming out of high school, was ranked as the No. 13 center in the nation according to Rivals.com before joining the Aggies program. He held offers from NC State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech before deciding upon Texas A&M.

Like Collins, White originally spent much of his time prior to his final season at Donda Academy in California in the Old North State at both North Rowan High School and Winston-Salem Christian before moving to California for his final season.

Morgan is athletic and with his size and ability to be a slasher, he has the ability to be an impact player right away for the Purple and Gold. He is built in the same mold as his predecessor Vonterius Woolbright, and isn't afraid to crash the boards as a guard. 

He comes to WCU with two years of eligibility remaining and the Greensboro, N.C. product comes off a season in which he averaged 15.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 4.8  APG for the Cobras as a sophomore in 2023-24. 

Chevalier "Ice" Emery will add an impact scorer to the backcourt for the Terriers, and has spent time at both Merrimack, and most recently, Dodge City CC. He helped Merrimack to a 2022-23 NEC Championship, and in his most recent stop at Dodge City CC, averaging 17.4 PPG, which included 28 double-figure scoring performances, as well as 15 games with 20 or more points. Maybe most impressively, Emery connected on over 40% of his three-point field goals, finishing the season 80 triples. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining for the Catamounts.

Rounding the additions made by Craft from the transfer portal includes Jamar Livingston from Walters State. Livingston is somewhat a local product from the Blue Ridge Mountain region, having starred at Daniel Boone High School in nearby Johnson City, Tenn. 

In his one season at Walters State, Livingston was impressive, averaging 11.7 PPG, and had a standout performance in another SoCon city, dropping 22 points on Chattanooga State. The rising Catamount sophomore guard shot 52.6% from the field, including an ultra-impressive 43.3% from long range.

Freshman Additions:

Three freshmen signees highlight the newcomers for the Catamounts so far in the recruiting process, including Fischer Brown out of Wasatch Academy in Utah, CJ Hyland out of Grayson High School in Lawrenceville, GA, and 6-6 forward Max Williams, who is a walk-on out of Hanover, VA. 

Like Stansberry, Brown comes to Cullowhee known for his shooting acumen, averaging 12 PPG, while shooting 46% from the floor and 43% from three-point land 93% from the charity stripe as a senior. He established himself as one of the best shooters in high school basketball.

Brown, who is originally from Lewiston, Montana, led lewiston High School to a state title as a junior after averaging 23 PPG, seven rebounds and three steals per game, while shooting 43% from three-point range. He transferred to the prestigious Wasatch Academy in Utah for his senior campaign. Brown had a game in which he totaled 54 points against Hardin as a junior en route to winning the Montana State Basketball Player of the Year.

The other true freshman signee for the Catamounts came a little closer to home, as 6-1 guard CJ Hyland remained committed to the Western Carolina basketball program, despite the coaching change. 

Hyland, who hails from Lawrenceville, GA., originally signed with WCU back in early November as a part of the early signing period for the Catamounts. Hyland began his prep career at Lanier High School prior to transferring to Peach State powerhouse Grayson High School for his final three seasons. Hyland is a three-star recruit, according to verbalcommits.com. 

Initial 2024-25 Outlook:

The Catamounts will have a new coach and plenty of new faces for the 2024-25 season. It will be interesting to see if the veteran Craft can eclipse what both Justin Gray and Mark Prosser did in their respective first seasons as the head coach of the Catamounts. In Prosser's first season at the helm of the WCU program back during the 2018-19 season, the Catamounts finished dead last in the league, with just a 7-25 overall record, which included a 4-14 mark in Southern Conference play. 

When Justin Gray took over in the 2021-22 season, the Catamounts duplicated that finish of Prosser's first season as a rookie head coach, finishing 11-21 overall and 5-13 in league action, which was also good enough for dead last. The following season for both Prosser and Gray would see a steep trajectory upwards, and that would ultimately lead to both getting jobs that would lead them out of Cullowhee almost as quickly as they arrived. 

With that said, my expectations at the moment will be one of a rebuilding season for the Catamounts in the 2024-25 season. 

Starters Lost: (5) G-Vonterius Woolbright (graduated/entered NBA Draft protocol), G-Tre Jackson (graduated/out of eligibility, G-Russell Jones Jr (graduated/out of eligibility), G-DJ Campbell (transfer portal/California), C-Charles Lampten (graduated/out of eligibility)

Others Lost: (7)--C-Kaleb Siler (transfer portal/USC Aiken), F-Colin Granger (transfer portal/Coastal Carolina), F-Keyshawn Brown Jr (transfer portal/undecided), F/C-Corneilous Williams (transfer portal/University of New Orleans), G-Kamari Jones (transfer portal/undecided), G-Kamar Robertson (graduated/out of eligibility), G-Ra'Sheed Jones (transfer portal/Coastal Carolina)

Best Returning Player or Players: F--Bernard Pelote

Potential Breakout Player in 2024-25: F-Cinque Lemon

Best Transfer Portal Get: Cord Stansberry (Pepperdine)

Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: B

Mercer (16-17, 8-10/8th in SoCon)

**Updated May 31, 2024

--The other team that would end up making a coaching change in the Southern Conference was the Mercer Bears. Greg Gary saw his five-year reign as the head coach of the Mercer Bears come to an end in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference Tournament, with a 70-57 loss to top-seeded Samford.

With the loss, it concluded the Greg Gary era as the head coach in Macon of the Mercer Bears, as he finished 81-79 in his five seasons at the helm of the Mercer hoops program. Gary was fired shortly after the Bears' quarterfinal loss to the Bulldogs in Asheville. 

Like Western Carolina, it didn't take Mercer long to name its new head coach, as Cole would look to Martin, Tenn. and UT-Martin head coach Ryan Ridder to be the new head coach of the Bears basketball program. 

Ridder racked up 48 wins in three seasons as the Skyhawks' head coach, and that included a 21-11 mark this past season.

In his nine seasons as a head coach, which also includes six seasons spent at both Daytona State and Bethune-Cookman, Ridder sports an overall mark of 191-120. During the 2022-23 season, Ridder would help lead the Skyhawks to 19 wins and a third-place win in the Ohio Valley Conference. 

The 19 wins marked the fifth-most wins in a season in school history, and were part of a nine-game turnaround from his first season in charge of the program.

Like Craft at Western Carolina, Ridder will have to pick up the pieces from a roster that was hit hard by players leaving for the transfer portal after it was learned that Gary would not be returning as the head coach. 

In addition to already having to replace the likes of leading scorer and all-conference selection Jalyn McCreary (15.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG), as well as sharp-shooting Jalen Cobb (5.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG), who is also out of eligibility, the Bears will also have to replace much of its remaining roster, including dynamic freshmen talents, in point guard David Thomas (11.0 PPG, 2.4 RPG) and 6-6 forward sharp-shooting Jake Davis (9.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG), who both entered the transfer portal shortly after the coaching change was announced. 

Also hopping in the portal for the Bears upon learning of a leadership change for the Bears are guards Anthony Bernard (2.3 PPG, 1.2 RPG), Robby Carmody (7.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG), and Michael Zanoni (1.3 PPG, 0.8 RPG). 

Forward TJ Grant (1.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG) is back to provide some veteran leadership, as is forward Alex Holt (7.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG), who after initially entering the transfer portal, has apparently decided to return according to the latest roster on Mercer's athletics website. Center Sidy Diallo is also back after exploring the transfer waters. 

Caleb Hunter (4.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG) and Jah Quinones (5.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG) return to add veteran leadership and overall toughness to the Bears backcourt. Like Diallo and Holt, the duo briefly explored the transfer portal waters before opting to come back for the 2024-25 season. 

With Hunter, Holt and Quinones apparently now on-board to return, it allows the Bears to retain some veteran leadership and holdover from last season’s club. That could come in real handy, as the team seemingly just started to gel as a unit over the last month of the season. If there’s any carryover at all from how that trio played down the stretch in February, it would be a huge boon for Mercer. 

It’s vital for Mercer to develop a sense of identity around Mercer basketball again, which is something that Bob Hoffman seemed to have almost captured in a proverbial bottle in his early years at the helm in the lead up to the upset in the tournament of Duke. 

A couple of years later, Hoffman and the Bears sold their soul to the transfer portal before that was ever a regular thing for mid-majors. Out went the identity…then the success…then Hoffman…then Gary. Ridder will understand the importance of those “carryover players.” 

Ridder's new job in the ever-changing climate of the transfer portal and Name-Image-Likeness (NIL) will be to help the Bears re-establish an identity and something they can take ownership of as a basketball program. That was something former head coach Bob Hoffman did early in his career in Macon, and will be interesting to see if that is something that Ridder tries to re-capture as he tries to rebuild Mercer basketball into a Southern Conference title contender.

Ridder's new job in the ever-changing climate of the transfer portal and Name-Image-Likeness (NIL) will be to help the Bears re-establish an identity and something they can take ownership of as a basketball program. That was something former head coach Bob Hoffman did early in his career in Macon, and will be interesting to see if that is something that Ridder tries to re-capture as he tries to rebuild Mercer basketball into a Southern Conference title contender.

Mercer has made several key additions via the transfer portal, adding a couple of players that will have a chance to come in and make an immediate impact this coming season. 

Ridder added 6-5 shooting guard Dwaine Jones from Division III University of Charleston, where he averaged 10.1 PPG and 5.8 APG last season for the Golden Eagles. Jones actually started his career at Coppin State before matriculating to Charleston. He will have a chance to make an immediate impact this coming season for the Bears.

Others added to the backcourt by the new head coach include 6-6 wing/guard Angel Montas, who joins the Bears program from Fordham. His two seasons prior to his arrival in Macon involved were shortened due to injury. Prior to having his season shortened in 2023-24 due to an injury, Montas averaged 4.4 PPG and 1.8 RPG. 

He’ll give the Bears some good size on the wing. Montas could really score the basketball as a prep during his time as a prep, posting over 4,000 points during his time at Life Christian Academy in Kissimmee, FL. He was rated as a three-star prospect coming out of high school by 247Sports. During his prep career, Montas  a native of the Dominican Republic, averaged an astounding 34.3 PPG and 8.4 RPG. 

Jah Nze is another athletic wing guard that should give an immediate boost to the backcourt as well. The 6-4, athletic guard from North Florida comes to Mercer with one season of eligibility remaining, having spent the previous three as an Osprey. Last season, Nze averaged 8.3 PPG and shot 37.0% from beyond the arc last season. 

Joining Marcus Overstreet as a huge get from the lower division ranks is Peach Belt Player of the Year Tyler Johnson, who comes to Mercer from the same quality program that produced ETSU's talented ultimate "glue guy" Karon Boyd, which is of course, USC Aiken.The 6-2 guard Johnson comes off a 2023-24 season in which he averaged 16.7 PPG and 6.7 RPG, while dishing out 2.1 APG and shooting 39.2% from three.

The final addition to the backcourt for the Bears heading into the 2024-25 season from the transfer portal is 5-10 point guard Ahmad Robinson, who comes to Mercer by way of the University of New Hampshire, where he was a Third Team All-America East selection last season. He started 30 of 31 games for the Wildcats, averaging 15.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG and dished out 4.7 APG. 

Power forward Cam Bryant, who comes to Mercer from Georgia Southern,  is a 6-7, 215-lb combination of power and athleticism to add to the Mercer frontcourt, and hewill have two years of eligibility remaining. In his lone season with the Eagles, Bryant averaged 5.9 PPG and 3.8 RPG. He will have a chance to step in and fill the void left by Jalyn McCreary.

Another potential impact addition via the transfer portal is University of Dayton transfer Petras Padegimas, who is a 6-8, 215-lb power forward. In his only season with the Flyers, the native of Kaunas, Lithuania averaged 1.1 PPG and 0.7 RPG. He has a chance to work his way into the fold with the Bears, and coach Ridder and staff like his base skill level and his developmental potential in the Southern Conference. 

The prize find for Ridder after mining the portal might be 6-9, 220-lb center Marcus Overstreet. He transferred in to Mercer from Division II University of South Carolina Beaufort, where he averaged an impressive 17.6 PPG and 11.0 RPG in one season with the Sand Sharks. He will have a chance to make an impact immediately. 

He's an instant impact player for Mercer and is the type of addition, along with Johnson and Brady Shoulders (see below), that should have the Bears immediately knocking on the door of the top teams in the league next season. 

Joining Pedegimas from the nation of Lithuania is Laurynas Vaistaras from Plunges, Lithuania. Like Pedegimas, Vaistaras’ first stop in his NCAA Division I basketball career was not Mercer, as the 6-7 forward spent four seasons sporting similar colors as a player for the Campbell Camels up in Buies Creek, N.C. During his final season at Campbell, Vaistaras enjoyed his best season for the Camels, averaging 10.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 3.1 APG, which were all career highs. 

As far as freshman additions are concerned for the Bears entering the 2024-25 season, the Bears have picked up  6-6 small forward Brady Shoulders, who joins coach Ryan Ridder coming over from UT-Martin where he redshirted the 2023-24 season and will have four years of eligibility remaining. 

Shoulders was a three-star recruit coming out of Lyon County High School in Eddyville, KY. As a senior in 2022-23 at Lyon County High School, Shoulders helped his prep program to an impressive 31-6 record, winning the Region 2 championship for a second-straight season. Shoulders averaged 17.9 PPG and 11.1 RPG during his junior season. He is another of the SoCon's top incoming freshman talents. 

Like Western Carolina, I imagine the 2024-25 season for Mercer will be one that sees the Bears in a complete rebuild mode, as new head coach Ryan Ridder looks to revitalize a program that just 11 years ago provided one of the greatest upsets in NCAA Tournament history in what was the Bears last season as an Atlantic Sun member. 

The Bears had some success in the early going in the league, making the tournament semifinals in year one, and then in Greg Gary's first season as the head coach, made it all the way to the championship game in 2020-21 as the No. 7 seed before losing to UNCG. 

Since joining the Southern Conference prior to the 2014-15 season, Mercer has posted an overall record over 145-146, while in league games, the Bears have posted an overall mark of 75-85. It will be interesting to see what Ridder does in year one in Macon, as he looks to bring the excitement back to Hawkins Arena. 

Starters Lost: (2)--C-Jayln McCreary (graduated/out of eligibility), G-David Thomas (transfer portal/DePaul), F, Jake Davis (transfer portal/Illinois)

Others Lost: (4)--G-Anthony Bernard (transfer portal/undecided),  Lukas Platuna (transfer portal/undecided), Robby Carmody (transfer portal/undecided), Amanze Ngumezi (graduated/out of eligibility), Michael Zanoni (transfer portal/Penn)

Best Returning Player or Player: F/C Alex Holt

Potential Breakout Player in 2024-25: F-TJ Grant

Best Transfer Portal Get: G-Ahmad Johnson (New Hampshire)

Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: A

The Citadel (11-21, 3-15/9th in SoCon in 2023-24)

**Updated 6/1/2024

--Ed Conroy's The Citadel club certainly has endured its share of struggles over the past couple of seasons, but it's not as if the Bulldogs have been mincemeat, either. After all, the Bulldogs had one of the most impressive wins of the SoCon's non-conference last season, defeating Notre Dame by 20 points (W, 65-45) and that was more than enough to raise more than a few eyebrows around the league. 

Unfortunately, despite being in many of their league games, both injuries and collapsing down the stretch relegated a few would-be wins and relegated them to defeats. 

Plenty must be replaced heading into the 2024-25 season, whether as a result of losing players to graduation, or to the transfer portal. In fact, the Bulldogs must find a way to replace its top five scorers from last season, with leading scorer AJ Smith (16.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG) having transferred to College of Charleston, while second-leading scorer Elijah Morgan (14.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG) is out of eligibility. 

Promising rising junior guard Madison Durr (11.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG) was probably the most surprising player to enter the transfer portal for the Bulldogs. A powerful force that could get to the bucket and if he didn't, draw a foul in the process, provided a lot of offensive energy for The Citadel over the past two seasons. He was the team's third-leading scorer and the 6-4 guard will now ply his trade in the Northeast, playing for Monmouth.  

One of the reasons The Citadel was so good on the defensive end this past season is because they had a rim-protector in the form of 6-11 Vanderbilt transfer Quentin Millora-Brown (11.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG), who ended up as a member of the SoCon's All-Defensive Team this past season. Millora-Brown, who ranked fifth in the league in blocks last season, swatting away 47 shots (1.5 BPG) last season, has also exercised his eligibility, and leaves a huge void in the paint for the Bulldogs. 

Winston Hill is another potential big loss for the Bulldogs, playing and starting in 14 games as a graduate transfer from Presbyterian, where he played three seasons prior to suiting up for The Citadel, scoring 1,400 points. He averaged 9.6 PPG and 6.6 RPG before suffering a season-ending and ultimately a career-ending injury. 

I say Hill is a potential big loss because with his injury last season, I am not sure if he submitted an appeal to the NCAA due to that injury for an extra year of eligibility. If he could return, that would be a huge boon for the Bulldogs. 

So who returns and what will the 2024-25 season look like for Ed Conroy's Bulldogs? One of the few holdovers from last season is 6-5 shooting guard Kenyan Davis, who battled his own share on injuries late on in the regular-season. Had he been able to stay healthy, he ended up being one of the top freshman performers in the league last season. He finished out his rookie campaign with the Bulldogs by averaging 5.7 PPG and 1.7 RPG. 

Colby McAlister is yet another returnee to the fold for Ed Conroy, however, outside of Kenyan Davis and McAlister, the cupboard remains mostly bare for the 2023-24 season. Small forward Christian Moore (4.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG), who was another player that has his season shortened due to injury last season, returns, as does fellow small forward Kam Roberts (2.1 PPG, 1.3 RPG). 

Portal Additions:

One of the key additions made by Conroy from the transfer portal during the off-season is Lipscomb transfer Paxton Davidson. The 6-3 guard will come into the Bulldogs program with three years of eligibility remaining, and finished off the 2023-24 season averaging 1.8 PPG and 1.6 RPG last season. 

While Davidson didn't factor into Lennie Acuff's plans in Nashville all that much in his one season there, he's the kind of shooter that has the chance to come in and make an immediate impact for the Bulldogs in the 2024-25 season. Davidson redshirted his first season with the Bisons, and ended up seeing action in 14 games last season, posting a career-high six points in a win over Asbury. 

The other addition the Bulldogs made from the NCAA Division I ranks is 6-9 power forward Dominic Commisso, who comes into The Citadel program from Southeastern Louisiana. Commisso is a redshirt freshman and will have four years of eligibility remaining, as Conroy and staff have made a dedicated effort to add size underneath following the departure of Quentin Millora-Brown. 

Prior to finding his way to Hammond, LA, Commisso played one season of post-graduate hoops at the Newton School in Boston, MA. Commisso originally hails from Roscoe, Ill., where he played at Hononegah Community High School, averaging 12 PPG and 7 RPG. 

The other additions for the Bulldogs via the transfer portal come from lower division programs, with one of those being 6-8 power forward John Adams, who comes to The Citadel with two years of eligibility remaining from NCAA Division III Worcester Polytechnical Institute. 

Adams will give the Bulldogs size and a physical edge underneath, which is something that was refreshing to see last season, as the Bulldogs were a bit more physical underneath, despite the fact that Stephen Clark moved on to South Carolina. 

Adams was part of a winning program at WPI, and he will bring that mentality to The Citadel roster. He helped WPI to a 21-5 mark last season, while averaging 14.5 PPG, 11.3 RPG and 2.6 APG. 

The final addition via the transfer portal came in late April, as Conroy and staff procured the services of junior point guard Cameron Glover, who comes to The Citadel from Division II Montevallo.  

Like Adams, Glover will also have two years of eligibility remaining. In his one season at Montevallo, Glover was solid, averaging 15.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 2.8 APG en route to helping the Falcons to a 12-16 record. 

Prior to his time at Montevallo last season, Glover spent two seasons playing at Division III Birmingham Southern, where he saw action in 57 games, with 40 starts and averaged 12.9 PPG and 2.6 APG. It feels like all three additions via the transfer portal will have a chance to come in and start from the outset. 

Rounding out the additions from the portal is guard Brody Fox from NCAA Division III University of Wisconsin-Stout. In terms of "gets", this might be the best one for the Bulldogs. Fox is a 6-6 athletic guard that can score points in bunches. He finished out his four years with the Blue Devils by scoring 1,427 points, which ranks fifth in that program's history. 

Last season, Fox garnered Division III Fourth-Team All-America honors after averaging 26.6 PPG, which ranked second in scoring average in Division III last season. In early-season win over Greenville (IL), Fox dropped a school-record 70 points in what was a 147-126 win for the Blue Devils. 

Freshman Additions:

The Bulldogs have signed a trio of talented players, with two of those three signees coming in the early signing period last November, with the additions of both 6-10 center Graham Elkenberry out of Portland, OR and 6-1 point guard Eze Wali out of Warwick, RI. 

The most recent signee brought in by Conroy and staff is 6-4 wing Darius Kearse, who comes to The Citadel out of Richmond, VA, via Hargrave Military Academy. 

Wali is a player that will also have a chance to add depth at point guard this season, and he comes to The Citadel as a three-time state champion in Rhode Island and had an impressive career at Pomfret School, where he was a standout that recorded over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in his prep career. 

As far as Elkenberry is concerned, he will also have a chance to contribute immediately this season, likely providing depth at center. The 6-10, 215-lb Elkenberry needs to add some beef to his overall frame, but he's pretty athletic and is agile with good footwork. He comes to The Citadel after having led the state of Oregon in blocks twice in his career as a prep, and will give the Bulldogs some good rim protection.

Rounding out the signees is Dante Kearse, who is the most recent addition to the fold for the Bulldogs. The 6-4 wing is a two-time all-state honoree during his time at Hargrave Military Academy, where he scored 1,000 points in his career. Kearse is athletic and much like Durr, will give the Bulldogs some power and slashing ability at the guard position.

Initial 2024-25 Outlook:

The Bulldogs are going to be largely a young basketball team this season, which is very much in contrast to what the Bulldogs were heading into the 2023-24 season. It will be interesting to see if what Conroy has added from the transfer portal will be enough leadership to carry the Bulldogs this season, but the depth is going to be provided largely by freshmen. With that said, The Citadel still has one of the best coaches in the league, so you can bet they will be competitive no matter who they put on the floor. 

Starters Lost (4): G-Madison Durr (transfer portal/Monmouth), G-Elijah Morgan (graduated/out of eligibility), G-AJ Smith (transfer portal/College of Charleston), Quentin Millora-Brown (graduated/out of eligibility)

Others Lost: (5)--G--Marcus Pigram (transfer portal/undecided), F-Tony Carpio (transfer portal/Georgia College), G-Levi Birkholz (transfer portal/Minnesota State-Moorhead), C-Quinn Nielsen (transfer portal/undecided), G-Josh Davis (transfer portal/undecided)

Best Returning Player or Players: G--Kenyan Davis

Potential Breakout Player in 2024-25: F--Christian Moore

Best Transfer Portal Get: G--Brody Fox (UW-Stout)

Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: B+

VMI (4-28, 1-17/10th in SoCon)

**Updated 6-2-2024

--No coach has battled to keep his players more than Andrew Wilson in his first two seasons as the head coach of the VMI Keydets, losing virtually his starting five to transfer each of the past two seasons.

There's a weird silver lining of note, which is the fact that Wilson is procuring the type of talent that can find a home elsewhere, and most at the NCAA Division I level, which is somewhat remarkable considering that most that coach in the sport, or write about the sport consider the job in Lexington, VA., absolutely the toughest in all of Division I. There are a myriad of reasons for that line of reasoning, but being able to retain players has been a problem that unfortunately precedes Wilson's short coaching tenure thus far.

What's different is the fact that most of the times in the past, it was just one or two really good players seeking to play somewhere else. Over the past two seasons, the Keydets have seen recruiting classes seemingly leave en masse. 

With that said, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for VMI. Rather than tell you who is leaving and will not return, it might be easier to just detail the players that have remained loyal to Wilson and the VMI hoops program. 

The good news is AJ Clark returns for the 2024-25 season, and that's he was the one player that perhaps improved as much as any in the 2023-24 season from the start of the campaign until the end of the season, and he would end up being one of the best on-ball defenders for the Keydets during the 2023-24 season. 

Others returning to the fold for the Keydets include Maurice Wright Jr., who started to find more and more playing time as the 2023-24 season progressed along and his further development as a player offensively will be paramount to the immediate future plans for the Keydets. 

Cooper Sisco, who missed the entire 2023-24 season with an injury, returns at shooting guard where he figures to be one of the better shooters on the team next season. 

Adding more depth to the shooting guard position will be Jaren Morton, who logged action in only two games during his freshman season with the Keydets. 

Others returning to the fold for the 2024-25 season for the Keydets include 6-1 point guard Walker Andrews, as well as 6-8 power forward Robert Peters (1.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG). Andrews redshirted his first season in Lexington, while Peters logged limited action in 19 games for the Keydets last season.  

Transfer Portal Additions:

Heading into his third season as the head coach of the VMI basketball program, head coach Andrew Wilson might have made his most important signing-to-date, bringing in his first player from the transfer portal.

One of the more shocking things during the month of May was how VMI was able to clean up in recruiting--both in the transfer portal and in terms of high school signees. If VMI didn't take transfers before, there's nothing like splashing all the water out of the pool when you do. All told, the Keydets signed a total five transfers, including one who has already been a Keydets for one season and shown proven scoring ability in the SoCon.

The Keydets welcome a solid transfer into the program for the 2024-25 campaign, as TJ Johnson made the move from Lipscomb-to-VMI with three years of eligibility remaining. Johnson, a 6-6, athletic small forward and will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Last season for the Bisons, Johnson averaged 3.7 PPG and 1.8 RPG and shot 34.7% from three-point land.

Rickey Bradley Jr. is obviously a familiar name to VMI fans, and now somewhat of a prodigal son, as he returns to the coach and program that originally recruited him in the first place--Andrew Wilson and the VMI Keydets.

The Milwaukee, WI, product spent his sophomore campaign in Atlanta, playing for the Georgia State Panthers in the Sun Belt. He saw action in 13 games with Georgia State last season, which included making six starts and averaged 2.4 PPG and 1.8 APG.

During his freshman season at VMI, Bradley Jr. averaged 9.4 PPG and 4.8 RPG. He posted a season-high 24 points in the regular-season finale win over Wofford during the 2022-23 season.  Bradley Jr. was also a great asset on the defensive end of the floor, leading the team with 31 steals. 

Augustus Kiudulas, who hails from Vilnius, Lithuania, joins the Keydets basketball program from helping the Sycamores to a 32-7 record and an NIT runner-up finish. 

Prior to signing with Indiana State, Kiudulas played professionally in Lithuania for Vilnius Rytkas 2 in the NKL National Basketball League in Lithuania. He averaged 11.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG and dished out 2.1 APG while shooting 38.2% from three-point land. He is also a member of the Lithuanian National Team.

Kiudulas will add both skill and a big scoring presence underneath for the Keydets, as he will likely play the No. 4 spot. He will also add to the low-post defending for VMI in 2024-25. Kiudulas will have four years of eligibility remaining. 

Wilson did his best to add some size in the paint along with making a concerted effort to bring in skill at all positions. That international mixture will certainly add to the technical and fundamental talent the Keydets possess in 2024-25.

One of the additions that figures to be a solid rim protector is 6-11 Cyprian Hyde from the University of Portland.

Hyde was a Top 75 recruit out of California before signing with the Pilots, and he finished out his senior season by averaging 15.5 PPG, 10.7 RPG and 2.3 BPG. 

Tan Yildizoglu is a 6-4 transfer guard from Pacific, adding even more to the Keydets international mix heading into the 2024-25 campaign. He gives the Keydets another outstanding skilled European, who brings great shooting ability, along with being technically gifted as both a passer and ball-handler.

Yildizoglu played in 28 games for the Tigers last season, which included making a pair of starts and one of those came in the WCC Tournament against Pepperdine. Yildizoglu is also a member of the Turkish National Team, and paced his team with 20 points and eight assists in Turkey's historic win over Team USA for the bronze medal in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in 2023. 

He registered career highs for points (10) and rebounds (10), along with dishing out five helpers in a game against San Diego last season. 

Freshman Additions:

The Keydets have signed a trio of talented freshman players so far, with both having a chance to come in and make an impact from the outset. Linus Holmstrom, a 2.85 star recruit, according to verbalcommits.com, comes to VMI all the way from Colorado Prep.

Holmstrom is a Swedish-born guard, who is highly skilled, as well as being an outstanding perimeter shooter. Holmstrom was the captain of the U16 and U18 Swedish national team, averaging an impressive 13.4 PPG and 2.6 APG, while shooting a solid 38% from three-point range. 

He was a big reason why the Swedish national team got promoted to Division A and stay for the Euro Championships, which is the first Swedish team to accomplish such a feat in more than two decades. 

Another talented wing that coach Wilson and the Keydets were able to sign is 6-5 small forward Cal Liston, who comes to VMI from Lassiter High School in Marietta, GA., where he played for former Wofford head coach Jay McAuley. 

A three-star recruit according to verbalcommits.com, where he was an all-region first team selection as a senior and was ranked as one of the top 200 recruits (No. 138/Relentless Hoops) to come out of the state of Georgia. His strength and athleticism will give him a chance to make an impact for VMI sooner rather than later. 

Rounding out the additions made by VMI is 6-8 power forward Kaden Stuckey, who comes from the country to the north, spending his time at Orangeville Prep in Canada. 

The 6-8, 227-power forward has a 7-1 wingspan and is the son of former Missouri State Hall of Fame and former pro Kelby Stuckey. 

Initial 2024-25 Outlook:

After two seasons have yielded just an 11-53 record, which includes a 3-33 Southern Conference record, there's seemingly nowhere to go but up for head coach Andrew Wilson and the Keydets. He's probably growing frustrated with having to recruit a new team each season, however, seeing as how that's becoming largely the norm for a lot of mid-majors now with NIL and the transfer portal, it now at least gives other coaches around the league an idea of some of the headaches that Wilson and his staff encounter each and every season. Wilson has an eye for talent, and it would be interesting to see what he could do if he could manage to keep some of his players around long enough to develop some cohesion as a unit. He has managed to keep AJ Clark and Maurice Wright Jr., and I look for their development to continue upward this season, as it was towards the latter half of the season a year ago. As for wins and losses, I can say 10 wins would honestly be something to aim for and then progress from there. I can tell you one thing, VMI will be competitive in the league, but they will likely not win many games once again in Wilson's third season. Also, with this haul of five players from the transfer portal, and obvious and unmistakable effort was made to try and beef up the front court this season. The Keydets will go from being one of the smaller teams in the league to one of the biggest. 

Starters Lost (5):--F-Taeshaud Jackson (transfer portal/Northern Colorado), G-Brennan Watkins (transfer portal/North Dakota State), F-Stephen Olowoniyi (transfer), DJ Nussbaum (transfer portal/Eastern Kentucky), Tyran Cook (transfer portal/Indiana State)

Others Lost: (5)--G-Corey Chelsey (transfer portal/undecided), G-Koree Cotton (transfer portal/Jacksonville State), G-Devin Butler (transfer portal/Missouri Western)

Best Returning Player or Players: G--AJ Clark

Potential Breakout Player in 2024-25: G--Maurice Wright Jr. 

Best Transfer Portal Get: TJ Johnson (Lipscomb)

Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: B+

A really early look at predicted order of finish for the 2024-25 season:

Top Tier

1. Chattanooga--The Mocs seem to have less question marks than most, and mined the portal effectively. This team has the looks of being a more physical team and one that is better defensively, but on paper, outside of Honor Huff and Trey Bonham, the team lacks the overall perimeter shooting prowess it has had in the previous two seasons under Earl. The Mocs have changed their identity a little from the first two teams that head coach Dan Earl had in his first two seasons as the head coach. His first two teams in the Scenic City were more reminiscent of the teams he coached during his time at VMI, where is the current team he has on paper hearkens back to the past, which featured some of the more athletic teams in the SoCon under former head coaches Mack McCarthy, John Shulman, Will Wade and Matt McCall, as the Mocs featured some of the most athletic teams in the SoCon. It should again be that way next season, sacrificing a little bit of the shooting acumen Mocs fans have become accustomed to under Earl for more defensive-minded, athletic team in Earl's third season at the helm. 

2. East Tennessee State--ETSU finally figured it all out last March, and until they were able to figure it all out, they defended people like their lives depended on getting stops. It was enough to keep them in most games. The three players coming in to this point will all likely contribute and make a solid impact for Brooks Savage this season. Like UTC, the one discernible weakness for most of the season with this team's shooting ability last season, especially from the perimeter, as the Bucs finished dead last in the league in three-point field goal percentage (). One of the additions the Bucs have made from the transfer portal--Missouri wing Curt Lewis--should contribute in a big way in this area. 

3. Wofford--Wofford is a team that exceeded expectations last season, and that was due in large part of what head coach Dwight Perry was able to do in terms of developing the players he already had, as well as going out in the transfer portal and effectively addressing the needs at hand. One of those "needs" the Terriers needed to mine the portal for last season was shooters, as Wofford was not a great shooting basketball team in Perry's first season as the head coach. The addition of a player like Dillon Bailey and Chase Cormier helped address those long-range shooting woes, as the duo ended up connecting on 116 of the team's 306 total three-pointers last season, shooting them at a 40.8% (116-of-284) clip last season. It was evident in the team's overall improvement in shooting from long-range last season as well, as the Terriers went from connecting on 33.0% from three-point range last season to shooting 36.0% from long-range in 2023-24. The Terriers also made 59 more threes this past season (306-247)and attempted 104 threes (852-748) this past season as opposed to the 2022-23 campaign. Equally as important to Wofford's improvement is what they were able to get from the trio of Corey Tripp, Jackson Sivillis and Kyler Filewich, who. were as improved as any three players in the Southern Conference last season. Tripp will enter the season as a SoCon Player of the Year candidate. As far as the portal is concerned from this past season, the Terriers got a huge "get" in Justin Bailey, who crosses the street from USC Upstate to Wofford to play for the Terriers. I look for Wofford to be in the title mix all season. Keep an eye on newcomers Luke Flynn and Kahamre Holmes, who are two of the top incoming freshmen in the SoCon heading into the 2024-25 season. 

Middle Tier:

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4. Furman--Following up a season which saw the Paladins finish lower than a top three finish in the Southern Conference for the first time since finishing 10th in the 2014-15 season, Furman, which entered the season as the defending Southern Conference regular-season and tournament champions, didn't handle that success as well as most had thought. Like Wofford, Furman was not a good shooting team last season. Even a more glaring issue is how far Furman has fallen defensively in recent seasons. According to KenPom, the Paladins finished the season ranking 204th in defensive efficiency, 308th in effective field goal percentage defense (52.9%) and 240th (16.2) in turnover percentage. In each of the past two seasons, one of the elements head coach Bob Richey has mentioned most during his postgame press-conferences is the fact that each of the past two Furman teams haven't been able to generate the type of ball deflection defense that Furman has used with such success in Richey's first five seasons as the head coach.When the Paladins had length with Jalen Slawson, Clay Mounce, Tre Clark and Noah Gurley, it was hard to pass around or over that. Over the past two seasons, the Paladins haven't been able to put that much length on the floor at one time, and outside both Cooper Bowser this past season and Jalen Slawson in 2022-23, the Paladins haven't had as much of that. Both shooting and overall size were what Furman went after in the transfer portal, bringing in four players that all shoot 35% or better than three-point range. If you add in an improved 6-11 sophomore Cooper Bowser and shooting guard Eddirin Bronson to the likes of sharp-shooters like former Barry University guard Nick Anderson and former Florida State guard Tom House, the Paladins have the ingredients to be very good in 2024-25 and I expect them to be among the top four or five and knocking on the door of a op three finish this coming season.

5. Samford--Samford is a team that is the perfect example of a  modern successful mid-major program. In the aftermath of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 24 years, head coach Bucky McMillan knew he'd be losing three key starters to graduation, and that was okay. However, it's the two he wasn't expect--AJ Staton-McCray, and most notably, Achor Achor--that ended up hurting the most. Even without Staton-McCray next season, the addition of Colin Holloway from Tulane and Achor Achor were enough to put the Bulldogs easily within the top tier of the league's pecking order heading into the 2024-25 season. However, the loss of Achor Achor to the portal on the final day it was open now puts more than a little concern for the Bulldogs heading into the off-season. Fortunately, Bulldogs made another key acquisition in recent days, bringing in guard Julian Brown from Wagner, who should be an immediate impact player in the backcourt after a great showing in the NCAA Tournament. Add to that the fact that Josh Holloway will be a more developed product next season, and the Bulldogs could find themselves having worked their way back up the SoCon ladder by season's end.

6. UNC Greensboro--Like every team in the league not named Wofford and East Tennessee State, UNC Greensboro couldn't avoid losing at least one or more of their big-time scorers from last season. Head coach Mike Jones knew he'd be losing Keyshawn and Kobe Langley to graduation, however, though some might have expected it already with the type of season Mikeal Brown-Jones had, establishing himself as one of the top bigs in all of mid-major hoops, it was nonetheless a tough pill to swallow when he announced he would be entering the transfer portal. With that said, the Spartans still have one of the top shooters in the league returning, in Donovan Atwell, and he will enter the season as an easy all-conference pick. Atwell got some help from his head coach from the transfer portal, as UNCG brought in a pair of solid George Mason transfers, in guard Ronald Polite III and power forward Malik Henry. However, the crown jewel of the recruiting class so far for the Spartans came in recent days and was a freshman signee, as the signing of 6-8 power Robert Sean Birmingham-a de-commitment from Indiana State after a coaching change--will be one of the best freshman to suit up in the SoCon this coming season.

7. Mercer--Mercer is a team that is one of the two in the league to have a coaching change. Interestingly enough, it looks as though new head coach Ryan Ridder has quietly assembled one of the best collections of talent from the transfer portal, adding some other impressive freshmen signees that should make Ridder's first season in Macon a hit. I am not predicting the Bears to win the SoCon or anything, but this is a team built for excitement and one not short on talent. The most impressive of the additions to me is 6-9 Marcus Overstreet from University of South Carolina Beaufort, and while most have lauded UTC's Division II signees, looking at Overstreet's numbers, they rival that of Chattanooga's Frank Champion. It's certainly going to be a fun matchup to watch in the paint when those two meet each other next season during league play. Ridder didn't return much, however, the fact that Jalen Cobb returns to the fold is a big win for the staff, and I expect Cobb to be a steadying personality from a young, athletic group that I am predicting to be one of the surprises of the SoCon next season. When I say surprise, this is a team that I could see creeping into the top four and being a nightmare to face in March in Asheville. With Tyler Johnson being a recent add to the backcourt, I might consider moving Mercer even higher in my official preseason rankings come October. I am that impressed by what coach Ryan Ridder with how he has attacked the portal in such a short time as the head coach of the Bears.

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Lower Tier

8. Western Carolina--It's tough to keep highly successful coaches in Cullowhee, and the sad part of it is, each of the past two successful coaches have left without leading Western Carolina to its ultimate goal, which is a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996 and only second time in program history as an NCAA Division I basketball program. Tim Craft will be asked to basically start from scratch again in rebuilding this Catamount hoops program, however, he does have some reason for optimism. He added a couple of solid players from the portal, including Cord Stansberry from Pepperdine, as well as wing Brandon Morgan from  JUCO Caldwell Community College. Fischer Brown, who hails from Montana and is one of the best shooters in that state, played his final season in Utah and he will have a chance to make an impact right away. 

9. The Citadel--I was already to make The Citadel my surprise team coming into the 2023-24 season and then Ed Conroy's Bulldogs started to hemorrhage players to the transfer portal, including leading scorer AJ Smith, who has committed the ultimate sin by crossing town to play for the College of Charleston. Add to that Madison Durr has also chosen to continue his hoops career elsewhere up in the northeast at Monmouth and now the Bulldogs, who already had to replace Elijah Morgan and Quentin-Millora Brown, who are both out of eligibility, and then The Citadel finds itself in a kind of rebuilding mode once again. The Bulldogs have added a pair from the lower ranks, in Division III transfer forward/center John Adams and Division II transfer guard Cam Glover. There isn't much returning from last season's roster, however, one that does and has a chance to be a pretty good player in this league in the future is shooting guard/small forward Kenyan Davis. 

10. VMI--Head coach Andrew Wilson is actually doing well with everything being considered when it comes to the challenges that come with this particular job. The addition of forward TJ Johnson from Lipscomb out of the transfer portal is something to build on, and I also truly believe that returning guard AJ Clark and Maurice Wright Jr. have a bright future in a Keydet uniform. I expect this to be Wilson's best season yet at VMI, and yes, the Keydets could even exceed expectations and finish one or two places higher this season. They are in the process of building a decent roster, but for now, we will leave them in the No. 10 spot. 

Ranking The Top 15 Portal "Gets":

1. F--Collin Holloway (Tulane--to--Samford)--A player that will come in right away and be an impact player and potential player of the year candidate. Holloway was outstanding for Tulane in a game against Furman last season, which the Green Wave won, 117-110, in double-overtime, and it was Holloway who dropped 18 points against the Paladins in that contest. Collin Holloway's 2023-24 portal highlights are linked below. 

2. F--Frank Champion (North Georgia--to--Chattanooga)--The Division II All-American was the icing on the cake for head coach Dan Earl and staff, as the Mocs went to work bringing in some talented players from the portal.

3. Robert Sean Birmingham (Indiana State--to--UNC Greensboro)--Robert Sean Birmingham was a highly thought of recruit coming into Indiana State and a borderline four-star recruit. He should be an immediate impact player for the Spartans. 

4. Curt Lewis (Missouri--to--East Tennessee State)--Lewis proved himself at Eastern Kentucky and then at the JUCO level before finding his way to Missouri. He is an outstanding perimeter shooter and he will definitely address a major need with the loss of Ebby Asamoah in the 2024-25 season.

5. Marcus Overstreet (USC Beaufort-to-Mercer)--Mercer got one of the sneaky best finds in the transfer portal, bringing in Marcus Overstreet--a player with similar numbers to that of UTC's champion. Overstreet is athletic and will have a chance to make a big impact for Ryan Ridder in his first season in Macon.

6. Isaiah West (Vanderbilt-to-Samford)--A former four-star recruit, Isaiah West is another big get for Bucky McMillan and the Samford Bulldogs, as Samford continues to rebuild after losing its entire starting five from a team that won 29 games and a SoCon title last season. 

7. Justin Bailey (USC Upstate-to-Wofford)--Bailey comes to Wofford from just up the road at USC Upstate, where he was a talented guard that averaged 11.8 PPG and 3.3 RPG, and combined with Corey Tripp in the Wofford backcourt, will give the Terriers one of the top guard tandems in the SoCon.

8. Trey Fort (Mississippi State-to-Samford)--An athletic, 6-4, 200-lb guard that was not only one of the top players at the JUCO level when he arrived at Howard, but he followed that up by averaging 25 PPG in his sophomore season with the Bison and scored 21 points in his debut for the Bulldogs against Arizona State. 

9. Tyler Johnson (USC-Aiken-to-Mercer)--Johnson was sought after by several SoCon schools in the portal before the 6-2 guard settled on Mercer. Johnson and Overstreet could be an interesting tandem to watch in the SoCon this season, and those two players will make Mercer a factor in Ryan Ridder's first season as the head coach. 

10. Bash Wieland (Bellarmine--to--Chattanooga)--Bash Wieland is a hard-nosed, rugged type player that will remind longtime Chattanooga fans of a guy like David Phillips back in the late 1990s, as he brings a similar body type and physicality to the fold for the Mocs.

11. Tom House (Florida State-to-Furman)--Tom House is a player located by the Furman coaching staff in the initial recruiting process, however, he chose FSU over Furman. With things not working out as he would have hoped at FSU, he will bring his tremendous shooting ability to Greenville. 

12. Julian Brown (Wagner-to-Samford)--Wagner didn't spend a long time in the NCAA Tournament, however, in its short time in the tournament, Julian Brown made his presence known against both Howard and No. 1 seed North Carolina, posting 15 and 18 points, respectively. Brown is an excellent get for head coach Bucky McMillan.

13. Roosevelt Wheeler (VCU-to-East Tennessee State)--While Brooks Savage would have liked to have kept Jadyn Parker around for another season, he obviously won't be too upset about the player he got to replace him from the transfer portal, in 6-11 center Roosevelt Wheeler, who will act as Parker 2.0 in terms of rim protection for the Bucs in 2024-25.

14. TJ Johnson (Lipscomb-to-VMI)--Johnson comes to VMI from Lipscomb where he was a top tier recruit coming out of high school in Belton, TX. The 6-6 forward will help fill an instant need for the Keydets. 

15. John Buggs III (North Texas--to--East Tennessee State)--The grad transfer spent his most recent season of college hoops with the Mean Green, averaging 7.3 PPG, while making 26 starts in his 29 appearances. He finished the season with 60 made threes, including shooting them at an impressive 45.1%. Prior to his one season at UNT, Buggs played in 32 games, with 30 starts and averaged 11.0 PPG, while shooting 40% from long range and making a total of 80 three-point field goals. Buggs will be one of the oldest Bucs on the roster, and like Seymour, began his college hoops journey six years ago.

Portal's Biggest Winners So Far...

*--Programs that moved the proverbial needle with their portal gets

PORTALS BIGGEST WINNERS

*--Programs that moved the proverbial needle with their portal gets

1. Samford (A+)--The Bulldogs didn't stay down for all that long, however, the talent on paper must now translate to the floor. Collin Holloway should be an instant star in this league, and with the SEC additions of both Trey Fort (Mississippi State) and Isaiah West (Vanderbilt) should once again make the Bulldogs backcourt elite. Julian Brown from Wagner showed the nation what kind of player he was when he posted 18 points against top seed North Carolina in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

2. East Tennessee State (A+)—It shouldn’t be a big surprise that the other team in the championship game in 2024—ETSU—cleaned up in the transfer portal, bringing in both size and perimeter shooting ability, which addresses two major weakness of the 2023-24 team. It would be interesting to see if you could go back and add these portal additions to Brook Savage’s first team in Johnson City last season…I can almost guarantee it would have been a much better regular-season for the rookie head coach, who helped the Bucs reach the title game in his first season at the helm, which is identical to his mentor Steve Forbes, who reached the title game in his first season as head coach some eight years earlier. Curt Lewis and John Buggs III will instantly improve the perimeter shooting for ETSU, while the additions of Roosevelt Wheeler and Davion Bradford and redshirt signee Brandon Crawford make the Bucs most recent signing class one of the best in recent memory;…At least on paper.

3.  Mercer (A+)--I don't think any team as good of a job of attacking the portal given the circumstances as Ryan Ridder did at Mercer. The fact that he was able to get both Marcus Overstreet and guard Tyler Johnson makes Mercer a factor, and a major bonus was convincing Brady Shoulders to join him from UT-Martin. 

4. Chattanooga (A)--When Trey Bonham decided to return, it made the Mocs the instant favorite heading into the 2023-24 season. They only added to what they already had, especially in the paint and at wing guard, getting a couple of players, in Frank Champion and Bash Wieland that will help the Mocs be an even more physical and athletic this season, and I look for the Mocs to be one of the best rebounding teams once again. That has been a calling card of some of those great Chattanooga teams of the past, with the 2004-05 squad coming to mind, led by a tremendous glass-eater, in former foreign star Mindaugas Katelynas. 

5. Furman (B+)--Furman attacked the portal for shooters and that's what they got. Head coach Bob Richey had his worst shooting team in his seven seasons as head coach last season, and at least on paper, his portal gets allow him maybe one his best shooting teams in his time as head coach, but most notably, it will be one of the biggest Paladin teams in recent memory. Had the Paladins have been able land talented guard Jalen Sullinger, the class would have been graded even higher, matching the A of the other three listed here. Richey and the Paladins still did very well, and no two programs develop Division II incoming talents in the country better than Colorado State and Furman, who rank No. 1 and No. 2 in that metric, respectively. The easy connection to make is the Furman connection, as former Paladin head coach and Bob Richey's former boss--Niko Medved--is now the head coach at Colorado State.

SoCon John's 2024-25 Projected All-Conference Teams

1st Team 

G-Honor Huff (Chattanooga)

G-Trey Bonham (Chattanooga)

G-Corey Tripp (Wofford)

G-Rylan Jones (Samford)

F-Jaden Seymour (ETSU)

2nd Team

G-Quimari Peterson (ETSU)

G-PJay Smith Jr (Furman)

G-Donovan Atwell (UNCG)

F-Collin Holloway (Samford)

G—Jackson Sivills (Wofford)

3rd Team

F-Frank Champion (Chattanooga)

G-Josh Holloway (Samford)

G-Dustin Bailey 

G/F--Karon Boyd (ETSU)

F-Bash Wieland (Chattanooga)

Player of the Year: Jaden Seymour (ETSU)

Newcomer of the Year: Collin Holloway (Samford)

Defensive Player of the Year: Karon Boyd (ETSU)

Sixth Man of the Year: Chase Cormier (Wofford)

SoCon Regular-Season Champion: Chattanooga

SoCon Tournament Champion: East Tennessee State