Day One Preview

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It's finally here! The SoCon Tournament! Are you ready for it? Be sure to check daily for reviews and previews of every game.

And...here...we...go....

College of Charleston (4S) vs. Appalachian State (5N) (11:30- SoCon TV)

The Story: The Cougars are healthy, with Anthony Stitt back. This Cougars team is one of the most talented teams in the conference. Trent Wiedeman and Antwaine Wiggins were both on the All SoCon team, deservedly. This is a team that is capable of producing big things in this tournament, and is considered the second favorite by many, behind Davidson, now that they are healthy. The Mountaineers are also one of the most talented teams in the conference. If Andre Williamson, Omar Carter, and Isaac Butts all play up to their potential, this team can pull off several upsets in the tournament. The question is, can they? Remember, last year? Davidson, the popular pick for a team playing on Day One, was stunned by UNCG in the tournament opener. If you were listing the five most talented teams in the conference (just in terms of pure talent and athleticism), I believe you would list Davidson, Charleston, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, and Chattanooga. Yes, UNCG and Wofford would be up there, too.

The Pick: College of Charleston 77, Appalachian State 70. The Mountaineers are capable of pulling off the upset here, but Carter and Butts have not put together enough consistently in game for Appy to be able to win. The Cougars advance, and will be a real challenge to UNCG on Saturday afternoon.

Western Carolina (3N) vs. The Citadel (6S) (2:00- SoCon TV)

The Story: The Catamounts are not a tall team. That has been their biggest weakness all year long. Mike Groselle poses an interesting challenge to them for that reason. Western Carolina has won four straight games, and it all started with beating The Citadel, just before the Bulldogs beat Chattanooga and Appalachian State. Groselle had 17 points, ten rebounds, and six steals against the Catamounts when they played earlier. If the Bulldogs play with confidence, they can hang around, and who knows? Maybe pull of the upset.

The Pick: Western Carolina 67, The Citadel 56. The Catamounts Harouna Mutombo will have a big game for Western Carolina. Groselle will be big for the Bulldogs, but he won't be enough. Western will jump out to a double digit lead early, and then will just never put it away, but never really be threatened either.

Samford (4N) vs. Furman (5N) (6:00- SoCon TV)

The Story: These two teams will get after you. I'm looking forward to this one a lot, actually. This will be a hard fought game between two very interesting teams. Heading into the first round game, neither fan base seems especially excited about the showdown. Both seem to think that their team has underachieved this year. They're just not right. Both of these teams are better than I expected them to be, but they are not great teams. The winner will get Davidson on Saturday evening. Both can challenge Davidson in different ways. Samford can challenge the Wildcats to be patient on defense. Furman can challenge the Wildcats with their defensive intensity in the right scenario. Furman lost at Samford by six just a couple of weeks ago.

The Pick: Furman 62, Samford 60. The Bulldogs can score with Drew Windler, and Furman has no one that can score consistently. But Furman is the better all around team. Their defensive intensity will be the difference in this game. This will be the first game of the tournament that will come down to the final possession. Well worth watching and paying attention to.

Georgia Southern (3S) vs. Chattanooga (6N) (8:30- SoCon TV)

The Story:  Georgia Southern has traditionally struggled in the SoCon Tournament. Chattanooga has a history of doing well. The Eagles beat the Mocs after trailing by 16 with ten minutes left and winning by three on a last second shot just a few weeks ago. The Eagles and Mocs are two of the most talented teams in the SoCon. The Eagles struggled over the last week with the pressure of trying to earn the bye. How will they respond to the tournament pressure? How about the Mocs? Was beating Samford in the finale enough to get their confidence going?

The Pick: I invite you to check out our in-depth coverage of the game in a preview of the Mocs-Georgia Southern game coming out later on tonight. If this preview, is already up, here it is. Suffice it to say that this will be the overall most competitive game on Day One. A fitting nightcap.

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