Hiwassee Preview: Chaos 2.0

Chaos 2.0 is finally here.

In what may well be the most anticipated Chattanooga basketball season since 1997, the Mocs are ready to take the floor on opening night against the NCCAA's Hiwassee Tigers. The Mocs are looking to impress the home crowd.

Hiwassee has a brand new head coach in Will Raby. The Tigers are winless so far this year, but played their best game of the year against Reinhardt this week. Jeulian High is returning to Chattanooga, as the former Brainerd High School star. Against Tennessee Wesleyan (one game where the Tigers stats were available on-line), he scored six points and got two rebounds.

Three players against Tennessee Wesleyan scored in double figures. Anthony Calloway scored ten points and made one of the two three pointers the team made. Brandon Carpenter led the team with twelve points and made the other three pointer off the bench. Jacob Elliott also scored ten points on 5 of 11 shooting from the floor.

Elliott collected four offensive rebounds and five for the game. Carpenter lead the team with seven rebounds. Aario Johnson scored six points and had six rebounds.

In that game, both teams collected 43 rebounds. Hiwassee came up with sixteen offensive rebounds and Tennessee Wesleyan had ten offensive rebounds. The Tigers made just 2 of 16 from three point range, 8 of 16 from the free throw line and just 26 of 70 from the floor. They turned the ball over 26 times.

Tennessee Wesleyan beat Hiwassee 90-62 that day.

The Mocs will count on their pressure defense to force a bunch of turnovers. The Tigers also don't seem to be a great shooting team. The Mocs defense should be able to dominate the day against the Tigers.

The Mocs projected starting lineup is Greg Pryor, Casey Jones, Tre McLean, Chuck Ester and Justin Tuoyo. But I would expect all of the Mocs to play a bunch of minutes in this one and the Mocs will need to rest up for Sunday's big step up in competition against Wisconsin.

McLean and Jones will be key scorers for the Mocs. Tuoyo should be a major force on the defensive end. I am really excited to see Tuoyo play and see what he looks like. McLean, Ester and Duke Ethridge are also new players that I am really looking forward to seeing.

The Mocs will play great defense, but I'm not sure how well that will look offensively. This game should be an easy win for the Mocs as long as they come out focused early and often. This should be a good night for Mocs fans. Mocs 73, Tigers 44.

Daily Dribbles- 11/13/14

--VMI has a lot of concerns now that Jon Elmore is gone. Runnin' the Block is concerned about who will be the point guard. Is Brian Brown the answer?

--I'm going to just link you to his page again because there are multiple previews there for UNCG OOC opponents. Dash has previews of North Carolina, Greensboro College, Presbyterian and High Point.

--If you are looking for days that will help define the SoCon success out of conference this year, look at Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. Yes, that's a way off, but if you exclude non-D1s and major conference teams, then you are left with very little in these first four days of the season. You have The Citadel and VMI playing each other and then Air Force and Army. You have ETSU playing Valparaiso and you have Furman playing College of Charleston. That's a total of five games in those four days and just one at home. On Tuesday, Wofford hosts Iona and UNCG hosts UNC-Wilmington. On Wednesday, Furman hosts Appalachian State, Mercer hosts Kennesaw State and Samford will battle with Austin Peay at home. That's five games in two days, all of them at home. Those days may determine if the SoCon will be better this year or not.

Daily Dribbles- 11/12/14

--Here is Spartan Fan Nation's take on Scanning the SoCon. Yes, there is a lot of repeat here, but it publishes his individual votes.

--Life Without Davidson in this week's SoCon Weekly Primer on MidMajorMadness.

--I posted a question on Twitter today- which team has the best chance on Friday night to win against a non-SoCon team that is a D1 team? In other words, who has the best chance to win between Western Carolina (at Mississippi State), Samford (at Purdue), ETSU (at Valparaiso), Wofford (at Stanford) or Furman (at home against College of Charleston)? My vote goes Furman, ETSU, Wofford, in that order, but a Western Carolina win wouldn't be an unbelievable shocker. Could easily be a night with no D1 wins for the SoCon.

SoCon Weekly Primer: Life After Davidson

The Southern Conference has seen a lot of changes in the last several months. Since the league last convened, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern and Elon all have left the conference. Mercer, East Tennessee State and VMI have all joined.

Of course, Davidson is gone too.

That's the one that really hurts the conference. That's the one that leaves a mark.

The SoCon ranked 30^th in RPI last year. Can the SoCon possibly get better without Davidson?

Reasonable people would say no. After all, teams like Davidson are not just replaced on the mid-major level. They have been consistently very good for the last decade.

However, it is interesting to note that it is Wofford that has actually won three of the last five SoCon championships, not Davidson. Chattanooga has a long basketball tradition and appears to be on their way back up.

Davidson got all the way to the Elite Eight in 2008 behind Stephen Curry, but have not advanced in the NCAA Tournament since. Mercer, the newest SoCon member, won a tournament game last year


http://www.midmajormadness.com/2014/11/10/7191291/southern-conference-week-without-davidson-outlook

Daily Dribbles- 11/11/14

--Dean Keener always gives excellent coverage of the SoCon. His third edition of The Dean's List is due out this week. Here is his first report. His second report includes his predictions for the season. If you don't know who he is, he broadcasts the games for the SoCon that air on ESPN3. He has very good takes on the SoCon.


--Here is SoCon John's look at a few SoCon teams in the preseason. Chattanooga, Furman and VMI are in this set of capsules.


--If you are a SoCon basketball fan, get used to the SoCon Digital Network. I know there are a few glitches still going on, but on the whole, this is such a good step forward for the conference. This is huge for the conference and the fans. Every home game in the SoCon will be broadcast on there...or should be. I had a discussion today and was told that a few games will be pre-empted by football games in the coming weeks, but there should be nothing other than that preventing games from being on there.

Daily Dribbles- 11/10/14

--It's the first day of Daily Dribbles! The daily quick source for links around the SoCon. Hope you enjoy it each Monday through Friday between now and the SoCon Tournament. That's right. Every day, start it off here.


--Scanning the SoCon- The Preseason Edition is here. Lots of good stuff from around the conference.


--Here's a look at what MocsMania will be providing each day of the out of conference schedule as we move forward. Enjoy.


--Talkin' Terriers (a great addition to the SoCon blogosphere since last March) has not one, but two interviews with assistant coaches at Wofford. Tim Johnson is here.  Dustin Kerns is here.


--There's too much good stuff here to link to everything right now. All I'm going to do for now is tell you that there is a new site dedicated to UNCG athletics. Here is a link to the blog, which has a TON (no really, a TON) on UNCG men's basketball up. See all their OOC opponents and other stuff about UNCG Spartans basketball.


--I again invite everyone to sign up for KenPom.com There are few resources better in college basketball than what Pomeroy does. He has all of his conference previews up and running. Let's just say Wofford is the favorite.....the rest is up to you spending a few bucks to enhance your college basketball season.

Scanning the SoCon- Week One

Every week, a fan of the SoCon teams will get together, vote on awards and answer questions pertaining to issues around the conference. This week, we have our preseason awards edition. This is the fourth year of Scanning the SoCon, and I hope that we are able to give a warm welcome to all the newcomers.

SCHEDULE

All times Eastern

 Friday, November 14

VMI vs. The Citadel (All Military Classic in West Point, NY) 5:30

Hiwassee at Chattanooga 5:30 (SoCon Digital Network)
Western Carolina at Mississippi State 6:30
Chowan at UNCG (EMU Showcase) 7:00 (SoCon Digital Network)
Samford at Purdue 7:00
Piedmont at Mercer 7:00 (ESPN3)
College of Charleston at Furman 8:00 (SoCon Digital Network)
ETSU at Valparaiso 8:30
Wofford at Stanford 10:00 (Pac 12 Network)

Saturday, November 15
VMI vs. Air Force/Army (All Military Classic in West Point, NY) TBA
The Citadel vs. Air Force/Army (All Military Classic in West Point, NY) TBA

Sunday, November 16
Mercer at Seton Hall 12:00 (SportSouth)
Chattanooga at Wisconsin 1:00 (ESPNews)
Samford at Pittsburgh 2:00 (Fox Sports South)

RANKINGS

1) Wofford- 90 (9 first place votes)

2) Chattanooga- 76
3) ETSU 74
4) Mercer 58
5) VMI
6) Western Carolina 40
7t) Furman 38
7t) UNCG 38
9) The Citadel 20
10) Samford 11

ALL SOCON TEAM

Karl Cochran, Wofford
Stephen Croone, Furman
Casey Jones, Chattanooga
Rashawn Rembert, ETSU
Lee Skinner, Wofford

Others Receiving Votes: QJ Peterson (VMI), James Sinclair (Western Carolina), Spencer Collins(Wofford), Kayel Locke (UNCG), Ashton Moore (The Citadel), Jalen Riley (ETSU), Tevon Sadler (UNCG)

GAME OF THE WEEK

College of Charleston at Furman- 4 votes

Others Receiving Votes- The Citadel vs. VMI (3 votes), Western Carolina at Mississippi State (1 vote), Wofford at Stanford (1 vote)

QUESTIONS

Who is your Player of the Year?

Chattanooga- Stephen Croone, Furman. I really like watching Croone play and I think that he will score a bunch of points on an improved Paladins team. Croone will put up stats that will make it impossible to ignore him. Could it be one of any number of other players? Absolutely. But if I’m picking one right now, I’m going with Croone. 

ETSU- Lee Skinner.  It’s got to be the key player on the best team (Wofford) and the only front court player picked for Pre Season All-Conference.  He should thrive in a conference lacking in top flight big men.

Furman- Stephen Croone because I feel he is the toughest single matchup in the SoCon, and the addition of a trio of backcourt scorers will open things up even more for the league's returning leading scorer.

Samford-  Karl Cochran--the best shooting guard and returning player from last season.  Frankly, he wins by default.

The Citadel- Stephen Croone, because A) he's a good player; B) he'll score enough points to impress the various voting media members who don't pay attention, C) Furman should be better than last year and he'll get some credit for that

UNCG- Rashawn Rembert. The easy answer is 108 made 3's last season. That's a little over 3 made per game. And it's not like he's jacking up 20 a game to get to that number. The guy made 42.5% (108-254) last season. With a player like that, you are never really out of a game. I think he'll be the best player in the SoCon this coming season.

VMI- Karl Cochran, Wofford. REASONING: Why not? This is a guy who averaged 15.7 points per game last season, good for 9th in the league last season and 2nd only to Stephen Croone of Furman among all returning SoCon players. Cochran was also tenth in assists last season (3 APG), as well as second in steals (1.7 SPG) and ninth in three-point shooting (38%). He is truly a do-it-all player.

Western Carolina- Karl Cochran - Wofford  - Cochran averaged 16 points, 3 assists and 2 steals per game last season.  Of the players I'm familiar with, Cochran looks most likely to end the season with Player of the Year stats. 

Wofford- Not because of bias, but because I can’t go another way, I’m choosing the Terriers’ Karl Cochran. Aside of leading the team in different stat categories, Cochran is an excellent all-around player and the experienced senior—one who refuses to stop improving—provides that extra level of leadership and confidence that our team needs on the court. Cochran, who averaged 19.7 points per game last season, will be a key piece to the puzzle for Wofford to repeat as SoCon champions.

What out of conference game for your team are you most excited about this year?

Chattanooga- Georgia comes to Chattanooga on December 2. That’s an SEC team coming to McKenzie Arena and giving the Mocs a chance to come up with a huge win over a quality SEC team that most expect to be a bubble NCAA Tournament team. Beating the Bulldogs at home is a possibility, though a tough one. If the Mocs can come up with the win, it will be huge for the program and the conference.

ETSU- 12/16 at Eastern Kentucky.  At this point the Bucs should have some front court answers, and a road game against a top 20 mid-major should be a pretty good measure of the Bucs progress. 

Furman- I am really interested in our (Furman) out-of-conference game with College of Charleston to open the season. A good opponent with a new coach coming to Timmons Arena to open the season. The Cougars took the Paladins to the woodshed pretty good last year.

Samford- Campbell or Austin Peay.  Let's see, Austin Peay is the first home game, first game that we play a team not from a major conference, our first home game and our first chance to see the new Bulldogs in person.  Or, Campbell, the return of our beloved former AD, Bob Roller (I sure hope he makes the trip).  I'm going with Austin Peay.

The Citadel- The Citadel hosts Navy this season at McAlister Field House. The atmosphere for that game should be fun.

UNCG- High Point (@ UNCG 12/1/2014). This game has built up some serious steam over that past 2 seasons. Two years ago it was the John Brown coming out party. Last year, HPU bought over 3,000 tickets and had almost it's entire student body bused over for the game. However, they all went home unhappy as UNCG controlled the entire second half. This year, with expectations up for both teams, it should be intense. Plus, most G fans don't really like the Panthers very much.

VMI- It's hard to pick a single game but the match-up I am most anticipating would have to be the November 22-game against UNC Wilmington. This is a return game from five years ago in which the Seahawks destroyed us by twenty. We have a chance to exact our revenge, and this will also presumably be the game in which we raise our CIT banner from that great run a season ago into the rafters of Cameron Hall. And the fact that it follows a Senior Day football match-up with The Citadel only adds to the excitement.

Western Carolina- Alabama - The Tide finished the season 13-19 in 2013 and finished 10th in the SEC.  While both teams are looking for improved regular season records, this looks to be a possibility for an SEC win.  

Wofford- I know it’s probably the answer that everyone is pointing to, but I personally can’t wait to see the Terriers on the court against Duke on Christmas Eve. I think, while the obvious underdog, this game will provide some welcome exposure for the college and program, and perhaps the opportunity of a lifetime.

Is the new version of the SoCon better or worse than last year's SoCon?

Chattanooga- It’s hard to say exactly, but I’ll go slightly better, assuming that you are using the RPI conference rank as the barometer. Last year, the conference was ranked 30^th in the country. This year, I just don’t see how the conference RPI doesn’t rank better than that. I think ETSU, Mercer and VMI all rank behind Davidson as a program, but ranks ahead of every other SoCon program that left. That means the SoCon will be deeper and stronger than they were a year ago.

ETSU- Worse right now, cause I miss the old rivalries with Appy State, Davidson and College of Charleston.  But one thing I learned in the ASun – you can learn to hate the new rivals pretty quickly (Belmont!  Grrrrr.).  In a couple of years we’ll be right at home again.

Furman- I would say this version of the Southern Conference is a little improved on the hardwood. Davidson was solid, as was Elon, but the SoCon gains three programs that were all part of the college basketball postseason last year, and with the money Mercer has put into making its entire athletic program elite in every sport, in the long run, I think it will turn out to be a huge boon for the SoCon. Also, it helps with Chattanooga returning to the prominence in Wofford's rise to the top in the past five years.

Samford-  I think the SoCon is in a better position, more stability and more evenly balanced.  The loss of three of the prodigal schools basically does not effect basketball--they didn't really bring anything to the table and were replaceable by . . . .  well, anyone.  The other . . . was always hard to think of it as a conference school when it didn't field a football team and it threw everything behind basketball and constantly complained because they felt too good for the conference.  Mercer, ETSU and VMI bring something to the table by reputation, proximity and commitment to athletics, but most of all they want to be here (don't discount how that matters to a conference).  I'm glad to be rid of four schools that constantly complained and threatened to leave--took them too long to leave.  

The Citadel- The league will be marginally better. Mercer and ETSU should be solid. VMI may be decent, though the Keydets may struggle early in the season with their backcourt issues. Davidson would have been good, but I think Elon may be about to take a step back and App/GaSo aren't going to be missed much, I suspect.

UNCG- Hard to say better or worse. I think competitive is a better word. With the dominating program of Davidson gone, they left a void that every other program is looking to fill. I just don't think we'll see any program looking to run the table in conference for a while the way the Wildcats tried to do every season lately. Having said that, I think overall the level of the league has been raised with some of the new programs that were brought in to the fold. Replacing Elon, App and Georgia Southern with VMI, ETSU and Mercer seems like an advantageous trade. Plus, I like the smaller conference. A true round robin and no divisions is definitely a big deal to me.

VMI- Despite the loss of conference powers Elon and Davidson, you'd have to say that this year's version of the SoCon is slightly better than last year's. The two aforementioned teams had RPI ranks of 168 and 129, respectively. While this is a big loss, longtime rivals Georgia Southern and Appalachian State also left the SoCon for the Sun Belt. These two schools were nothing close to basketball powers in the last several years, but particularly this year: the two squads combined to go 24–40 (11-21 SoCon) in 2013-14, with RPI rankings in the 300's. Based on last season's results, the average RPI rank of current SoCon members would be about 240. Last season, that number was 261. With the additions of Mercer, a Round of 32 NCAA Tournament team last season, ETSU, a traditional Atlantic-Sun powerhouse, and VMI, who annually leads the country in scoring, it is clear to say that this year's SoCon surpasses last year's.

Western Carolina- We won't really know until deep into the season, but on paper - I like the smaller (not divided into divisions) SoCon. Except for the loss of Davidson, I think the three teams replacing the other three teams are an overall plus for the conference.  Will Mercer replace the Wildcats as the dominate team, while I think they will be competitive, I don't think anyone will now dominate the conference as Davidson did.  

Wofford- With the new SoCon, we’re getting a few things that we’ve lacked for some time. First off, I think the advent of new members and departure of a stalwart like Davidson could create some parity—not just at the bottom of the standings. Also, it’s just refreshing for me as a fan to see some new opponents.

Of the three new teams, which one are you most glad to see in the conference?

Chattanooga- That’s tough. What I’m going to miss most about Davidson, as someone who closely follows the SoCon, is that I enjoy watching good basketball, and you could count on Davidson to play good basketball. Mercer will provide consistent good basketball. VMI will provide a completely different style of good basketball, which should make them fun to watch. But it has to be ETSU. I became a Chattanooga fan in the very early 90s and bought into the rivalry instantly. Without ETSU, it just hasn’t been the same in the SoCon. I’m glad to welcome them back and get back to the intense, exciting rivalry.

Furman- Well, it's good to have all three, but the one that holds the most intrigue is Mercer. They are a program that is on the brink of doing big things in football and basketball. Have a lot of respect for Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman and the way he runs his program. Should be an exciting year to see how Mercer does with so many new faces. I hear they are pretty athletic.

Samford- Really hard to comment on this one--I do not know that much about VMI other than they can put up points and they take basketball seriously.  ETSU has a reputation of taking its basketball seriously and it has a quality fan base.  Mercer's success the last two seasons speaks for itself--they have made a commitment to basketball.  These three should raise the competitiveness of the league across the board.  Although schools like Samford and Citadel may not be better in the wins/losses column, I think ETSU, Mercer and VMI will bring more to the table than the four departing schools as a whole.  

The Citadel- I'm glad to see VMI back in the league, and the Keydets' style of play should provide a little extra entertainment.

UNCG- I really like the addition of VMI. Mostly due to geography. I've really wanted a Virginia school in this league for a while and I'm glad they were invited. Plus, their style of play is just fun to watch and should be interesting to see once league play starts up.

Western Carolina- ETSU - Of the three new teams, while two are public - the Bucs are most like Western Carolina.  Good basketball program and may become a good rival for the Cats. 

Wofford- All of them add something unique and fresh to the league, which is obviously a great advent. I personally am looking forward to seeing ETSU—I admire their program’s tradition and have a great amount of respect for the Buccaneers. As they could be a major contender this season, I’m both excited and a bit curious to see how long it takes for them to get back into the conference swing.

How do you feel about joining the SoCon?

ETSU- We’ll see of Thomas Wolfe was right when he said, “You can’t go home again.”  Right now it feels pretty great to be back. 

VMI- Although it was mostly a football-orientated move, I, along with many other VMI fans and alumni, think that re-joining the SoCon was the right move. The Southern Conference is the Keydets' true home, and in their eighty years in the league, VMI garnered ten conference championships in the major NCAA sports. Our tenure in the Big South was quite frankly a failure, but our athletic administration has corrected that move. Here's to hoping for many more successful seasons in the SoCon.

What To Look For on the Blog.

Well, it's here! It's game week!

So here is what you can expect, in all the various forms.

SoCon Coverage

--Scanning the SoCon- For those familiar with the blog, you will recognize this. This is our most popular feature, with fan input from every school every week.

--Daily Dribbles- Each Monday through Friday, links from around the SoCon will be posted along with news and notes.

--Morning Look Ahead- Each morning that there is a SoCon out of conference game, look for the Morning Look Ahead, which will give a brief preview of the day, including the game of the day and some storylines to look at for the day and a full schedule.

--Evening Review- Each evening that there is a SoCon out of conference game, look for the Evening Review, which will have a review of all the day's action, including Player of the Day and Game of the Day.

--Other news. As stuff breaks, there will be analysis and news here.

Mocs Coverage

--Game Previews. The night before every game, there will be a full preview of the game

--Game Reviews. After each game, there will be a full review of each game.

--Other news. As stuff breaks, full analysis will follow.

Where is the SoCon Today?

Davidson gained national notoriety for their run through the 2008 NCAA Tournament. From 1986 until 2001, the Wildcats had made one NCAA Tournament. But with one dramatic run, Stephen Curry had made Davidson a national name and had pushed the SoCon into the national discussion.

It was a high point for the SoCon. In 1997, the Chattanooga Mocs went to the Sweet Sixteen. Since then, the only time that the SoCon team has won an NCAA Tournament game is during that 2008 run by Davidson.

From 2002 until now (a span of thirteen seasons), Davidson went to the tournament six times. The Wildcats were the team that the nation took notice of, at least in basketball.

In 1997, the year the Mocs went to the Sweet Sixteen, the Cougars won a first round game in the NCAA Tournament as the champion of the old Trans America Atlantic Conference (now the Atlantic Sun). They advanced to the NCAA Tournament three times prior to joining the SoCon at the start of 1998-99 season. The Cougars promptly advanced to the NCAA Tournament in their first year. John Kresse was the coach of the Cougars.

Kresse finally hung it up in 2001, and the program fell into a bit of slide under Tom Herrion. When Bobby Cremins was hired as the head coach there in 2006, he brought instant credibility back to the Cougars. People had not forgotten their run in the mid-90s.

Three other teams have left the SoCon other than Davidson and College of Charleston since the end of last year. Georgia Southern and Appalachian State have been down in basketball and left for football reasons. Both brought some national names because of their football success, but neither was bringing much to the basketball arena. Appalachian State had had their moments, but none worth mentioning in recent years.

Elon was the most surprising team that left the SoCon. The Phoenix are a small private school, which does fit in with the SoCon, but they did not seem to ever fit in culturally. They were in the SoCon for eleven seasons and never advanced to the NCAA Tournament. They did advance to the CIT two years ago, and that was their only appearance in postseason play. They were a program on the rise. Their loss does hurt some, but the Phoenix were losing four senior starters and were due for a step back anyway.

That leaves the two major losses to this conference in the last two years is Davidson and College of Charleston.

The SoCon ranked #30 in RPI last year. Davidson and Elon were two of the teams that got a bye last year in the SoCon Tournament are both gone. The conference appears to be heading towards a steep decline.

The reasons for the decline are numerous, but one of them is the decline of other teams in the conference over the last decade or so.

With Davidson and College of Charleston as the major national brands, there was a team mysteriously missing that went on an NCAA Tournament run from the SoCon. That team was Chattanooga. The Mocs, despite going to the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and 2009, sunk into a slump under Henry Dickerson and John Shulman as the head coaches.

Another team won an NCAA Tournament game in the 90’s from the SoCon. That team was the East Tennessee State Buccaneers. They beat Arizona in the first round in 1992. The Bucs left the SoCon in 2005 and went to the Atlantic Sun.

Then, something strange happened when the SoCon announced the schools that were joining the conference. First of all, there are the VMI Keydets. VMI left the SoCon in 2003. Since that time, the military academy has not won any Big South titles. But they have developed a bit of a national brand. They score points in bunches and play pretty much the fastest basketball on the planet. VMI is a program that may not contend for SoCon titles, but they are a solid “depth provider.” Are they better than Appalachian State or Georgia Southern?

Also invited to rejoin the SoCon was the school that left in the 2005, those ETSU Buccaneers. The Bucs had some success in the Atlantic Sun, including two NCAA Tournament appearances, an NIT appearance and a CIT appearance last year. The Bucs are a solid program and could easily contend for SoCon titles immediately. This was one of the SoCon’s best programs during the 90s. More than likely, they are back on their way to rejoining that group.

The final team that is joining the SoCon is Mercer. The Bears came up with a shocking upset of Duke in the Round of 64 a year ago before falling to Tennessee in the Round of 32. Yes, that means that with Davidson leaving and Mercer joining, the SoCon has a more recent win in the NCAA Tournament now. Yes, the Bears lost a lot off of last year’s team. But this is a program clearly on the rise. This is a team that is going to find themselves contending for SoCon titles soon (possibly this year) and will be near the top every year.

In the meantime, while Davidson has been gathering all of the headlines in the SoCon, it has been the Wofford Terriers that has been the representative three times in the last five years. While Wofford has never won an NCAA Tournament game, they have played reasonably well in those games. They have done it with more than one group of players as well. The back-to-back appearances a few years ago were basically one great recruiting class. This year’s team returns almost everyone and is the favorite to win the SoCon again. All that is missing from Wofford’s resume is an NCAA Tournament win.

The Mocs program has been relatively average for most of the time since their 1997 NCAA Tournament run. Last year, Will Wade was hired from Shaka Smart’s staff at VCU. Wade turned the team into a contender almost immediately. Last year, the Mocs finished second in the regular season, before falling in the SoCon quarterfinals. The athletic department seems to be reinvesting in basketball again at Chattanooga, and they appear to be on the rise again. This is a school that can win relatively big at basketball. Wade is turning the program back around, something that the SoCon has not had in recent years.

Furman has Niko Medved as head coach and he seems to be making strides for the Paladins basketball program. They were way down, so they have a long way to go, but they seem to be slowly getting there. Western Carolina just graduated a large chunk of a group that went to two SoCon championship games, so they may struggle for the next year or two, but Larry Hunter has proven he will put together decent teams. UNCG has put their eggs in Wes Miller’s basket. The coach is young and learning and needs to get his team going in the right direction. They have been wildly inconsistent the last few years and need to keep things going in the right direction. Samford has had back-to-back Freshman of the Year in the SoCon, but both have left the program. The school is starting over with Scott Padgett and he needs to develop more cohesion in the program. The Citadel has been an absolute disaster in recent years. There does not seem to be a dedication to winning at basketball going on in Charleston.

To improve, the conference needs to become dedicated to scheduling winnable games against mid-major D1 competition. The recent trend of scheduling non-D1 teams and major conference powers and that’s just about it has to stop. Every team needs to win games against the mid-major D1 competition that they play. If they want to move up, they need to win consistently against the teams they are expected to be competing against. The universities need to invest in their basketball programs. The next couple of years are critical to whether this league becomes another SWAC or if they move back up into respectability.

On the whole, as was mentioned earlier, the SoCon was #30 last year. Yes, losing Davidson and Elon will hurt, but losing Georgia Southern and Appalachian State might actually help. The top of the conference features teams like Mercer, Wofford, Chattanooga and ETSU, all of which have the potential to be low to mid major basketball powers. The middle of the conference may be stronger than in years past with VMI, Furman, UNCG and Western Carolina all being decent teams. The bottom of the conference appears to be Samford and The Citadel and those teams will likely not be good.

The SoCon should have a better RPI this year on the whole. They are probably not going to return to the teens like they were just a few years ago, but to expect to get back to the mid-twenties is not too much to ask from the conference this year and in the next couple of years. Eventually, there may be a return to the teens, but that is too much to expect this year.

 

Mercer Preview: It's All New!

Today is the final day of the Scanning the SoCon previews. We finish up with Mercer. I am taking over the report on Mercer at this point.

Mercer is joining the SoCon coming off what is probably the best season in program history. The Bears won the Atlantic Sun regular season title, won the Atlantic Sun tournament title and then upset Duke in the NCAA Tournament. The Bears lost seven of their best players from that squad, though, including all five senior starters.

Still, Bob Hoffman has stacked another team that thinks they can challenge in the SoCon in their first season. Predictions for the Bears have ranged all over the place- from people picking them to finish third all the way down to seventh or eighth. In the end, the media and coaches picked Mercer to finish fourth in the SoCon, behind Wofford, Chattanooga and ETSU.

The Bears had recent success against SoCon teams as well. Over the last three years, the Bears went 9-1 against conference competition. That has infused the team and the fan base with confidence as they enter the conference this year.

The best returning player is likely Ike Nwamu. He won the dunk contest at Mercer Madness when he jumped over a teammate. He is an explosive player. He also averaged 8.3 points per game a season ago. He will play one of the wing spots.

The most interesting player may be TJ Hallice. He is 6-10 and has been a solid performer in the past, though in limited action. He has developed a lot over the last three years and has been looking forward to his chance to shine. This is that chance. He has the looks (on the limited film I watched of him) of a guy that is ready to make a leap and could become a star in the SoCon.,

Andrew Fishler is a 7-1 transfer. He seems to lack some offensive prowess, but has the look of a guy who could present major defensive problems for the rest of the SoCon.

Phillip Leonard is likely to get the first look at point guard. The junior played nine minutes per game a season ago. Jestin Lewis is a junior college transfer that is likely to contend with Leonard for playing time the most. The point guard play could determine just how good this team is.

Darious Moten came to Mercer for the academics, and decided to walk on to the basketball team. Now as a 6-6 redshirt senior, Moten is looking forward to his first year starting. He is a likely starter. Moten played 12.2 minutes per game a season ago, and is hopeful that he can have a breakout season.

Mercer's schedule this year begins with a game against a non-D1 Piedmont, and then go to Seton Hall two days later. They will also participate in the Great Alaska Shootout over Thanksgiving, which will give both the SoCon and the rest of the country a chance to see what the Bears are made of in this tradition-rich tournament.

On Saturday, December 6, Mercer plays their first SoCon game. They host VMI, another SoCon newcomer. The toughest stretch of the out of conference schedule comes from December 22 to December 30. The Bears go to Tennessee, Georgia and Texas A&M. That immediately precedes playing their next three SoCon games, all of them on the road against UNCG, VMI and ETSU. That is a six game road trip, and a critical stretch for the Bears. It also means they will have wrapped up their games against VMI by their third SoCon game. They have another three game road trip at the end of January, beginning of February when they to go to Wofford, The Citadel and Furman.

This team plays four of their last six games at home, including their final two against Wofford and ETSU, and plays at Chattanooga the week before that.

The Bears may have some struggles early in the year as the team figures out the roles and who should be playing the majority of the minutes. If the Bears can get some things figured out in time for the Great Alaska Shootout, that could be a big lift for both the conference and the team.

This team will be much better by late February, and given the nature of their schedule, they play the three SoCon teams picked ahead of them in the final two weeks of the regular season, including two at home. That stretch might help the Bears track down some teams ahead of them in the standings right at the end of the year, and put them in prime position to make a run in Asheville in March.

Wofford Preview: Young’s talented squad has head high, eyes forward

This is the second to last day of the Scanning the SoCon previews. Today, Harrison Hudson from Talkin Terriers previews the reigning SoCon champs and preseason favorite Wofford Terriers.

Wofford men’s basketball has gone through quite a bit of change over the past several years.

First, the Terriers put together an impressive 26-9 campaign in 2009-10, which included a streak of ten consecutive regular-season victories that followed a heartbreaking, nationally-televised 70-68 setback to the College of Charleston. Wofford stormed through the SoCon tournament, putting away UNC-Greensboro and Western Carolina before facing Appalachian State in the final, which saw a 56-51 decision in favor of the Terriers.

With the win, Wofford clinched its first-ever bid to the NCAA tournament. They were slated to play Wisconsin in Jacksonville, Fla., and play they did, keeping the game close, even tied with a little more than a minute to go, as the contest winded down to a conclusion. The Badgers came out victorious, sending the Terriers home with a 53-49 triumph.

“…I thought we looked a little jittery,” head coach Mike Young reflected to reporters after the game. “I thought we were a bit overwhelmed, but that is not this [team]. And I told them, just do it, guys. Just be yourselves and lay your ears back and play.”

As such, the loss left the Terriers’ pride largely uninjured.

Young and the Terriers would carry that spark into the next year, where an 18-12 record was posted during the regular season. Wofford disposed of the tough SoCon tournament opposition with double-digit victories all around; after beating Appalachian State and Western Carolina, the Terriers were lifted to a tourney final matchup with the College of Charleston. Wofford took a 77-67 decision, and effectively punched their second-consecutive ticket to the ‘Big Dance.’

Wofford lost to BYU, 74-66, in Wofford’s only second-ever NCAA tournament game. However, in the effort, Tim Johnson reached a milestone: his 1000th rebound for the Terriers. “We’ll look back here a month from now, ten years from now, [Johnson] had every bit as much to do with where our program has gone over the last four years as anybody.”

Now, Johnson returns to Spartanburg, not on the court, but on the bench as assistant coach. It’s a position the Memphis, Tenn., native took prior to the 2013 season, after some work on the coaching staff at Wyoming.

Flash forward a few years from the 2010-2011 season, and we see Young and Johnson, those similar faces on the bench, and a few fresh but proven players out on the court.

The Terriers finished the regular season 17-12, which included nine straight victories from Jan. 20 to Feb. 22, when Davidson dropped the Terriers by ten points to snap the win streak. Wofford regrouped, but not before two closer-than-expected games to Elon (won 63-59) and UNC-Greensboro (lost 73-71).

Then came the SoCon tournament in Asheville, N.C., where Wofford first met The Citadel. There, the Terriers used a big second half to secure a 68-51 triumph. Wofford beat Georgia Southern 71-57 to advance to the tournament final.

Prior to the Terriers’ matchup with the Eagles, Western Carolina and Davidson were locked in a tight battle that concluded with a 99-97 advantage for the Catamounts.

En route to being named SoCon tournament MVP, Karl Cochran put up 23 points on the Catamounts, but none felt so crucial as the pair of free throws he made to put Wofford up 56-53 with less than ten seconds to go. Western Carolina’s shot at the buzzer refused to go through, and the celebration for the Terriers began.

It wasn’t all happiness in Asheville, though, as a true leader for the squad, senior Aerris Smith, revealed that he would be going into knee surgery soon, and that the chilling triumph over Western Carolina that gave the Terriers their third NCAA tournament berth in five years would be his last game donning the old gold and black on the court.

Another loss the Terriers are facing is assistant coach Darris Nichols’ departure to a similar job at Louisiana Tech.

“That’s what happens when you have some success,” Young noted, referring to other programs’ offseason pursuit of himself, although the same could be said of Nichols. With reassurance he added, “it would take something very, very special for me to ever leave.”

The Terriers fell to Michigan in the NCAA tournament by a score of 57-40. “Some nights, unfortunately, the ball just doesn’t drop in the basket,” Cochran lamented following the conclusion of the game. “Some nights aren’t as good as others…we just faced a tough night from the three-point line.”

“…I’m beaming with pride with these guys…and their accomplishments, our program’s accomplishments, and we got a pretty good team coming back,” Young said. “So, we’ll walk out of here with our head high.”

In October, SoCon coaches and media tabbed the Terriers with preseason number-one honors.

“We don’t put a lot of stock in that,” Young, who is entering his thirteenth season at the helm in Spartanburg, said to TerrierVision. “[It’s a] nice recognition from people I think highly of, but, you know, we’re not going to remember this when league play rolls around in January and February.”

Also honored was Karl Cochran, a senior out of Marietta, Ga., who undoubtedly led this Terrier squad to success last season. The SoCon tournament MVP, Cochran averaged 15.7 points per game, while scoring 518 total. He also recorded 100 assists and 55 steals, both superlative marks.

Cochran, who logged 22 starts, broke the 1,000 point barrier in the Terriers’ four-point victory over Big South foe Winthrop, making him the 43rd player in school history to have accomplished such a feat.

Fellow senior Lee Skinner, forward out of Lombard, Ill., played a team-leading 1,048 minutes, in which he averaged 11.1 points per game. Skinner also picked up a team-leading 280 rebounds, making him an even more venerated threat in Wofford’s front court.

C.J. Neumann, junior forward from St. Paul, Minn., started in thirteen games last season, logging 652 minutes played and 104 rebounds, while averaging 4.4 points per game.

Junior guard Spencer Collins, a native of Easley, S.C., started in all 33 games, averaging 12.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

Someone to keep an eye on this season is Eric Garcia, sophomore guard from Aurora, Colo., who put up 225 points and had the team’s second-best free-throw percentage (behind Collins) in his 26 starts and five additional contests he played in.

Additional depth comes in the form of Jaylen Allen (sophomore guard, Johnson City, Tenn.), John Swinton (senior guard, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.), Eric Wagenlander (sophomore guard, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.), Jeremiah Tate (sophomore guard, Columbia, S.C.), Justin Gordon (junior forward, Charlotte, N.C.), and Zach Korkowski (junior forward, Williamsburg, Va.).

There will be a lot riding on the hopefully continued success of the underclassmen on this roster, and, of course, the Terriers will be looking at a boon for future success, Ryan Sawvell, who transferred to Wofford from Evansville. Sawvell will be eligible to play next season.

Wofford was also gifted with the addition of several new faces this season. “I’m really excited about all of them,” Wofford/IMG Sports Network color analyst Thom Henson told me in July. “They have to learn our system and our staff’s way of doing things, but these guys can play and want to win.”

Those newcomers include Derrick Brooks, guard out of Bartow, Fla.; Cameron Jackson, forward from Winchester, Va.; Larry McKnight, Jr., guard from Miami, FL; and Bobby Perez, guard out of Atlanta, Ga.

“I think both [Brooks and Jackson] will play and contribute,” Henson said. “Larry McKnight was a great spring addition. He’s a thick guy who will get after it.”

All in all, this a very depth-filled and capable roster that exemplifies the “WoCo 3D” attitude’s fundamentals of discipline, dedication, and determination.

“[Wofford] is going to be hungrier [for success],” Henson noted. “I really think this team is loose enough to be relaxed, but driven enough to put in the work required.”

The Terriers’ 2014-15 campaign will begin on Nov. 14th, when they will make the long trip across the country to Stanford, Calif., to take on the Stanford Cardinal, in a game that is part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. The Cardinal went 23-13 (10-8 Pac-12) last season, and are returning several strong seniors, in addition to some experienced underclassmen and new faces.

On November 18th, Wofford fans will have to awaken early to catch the squad’s home opener vs. the Iona Gaels. The contest, which will be a part of ESPN’s 24-hour Tip-Off Marathon, will start at 7:00 A.M. EST. The Gaels, while without leading seniors like Sean Armand, will still retain enough experience to make a difference. Wofford fell at Iona last season, 76-55.

Following the early game, the Terriers will make the trip to Fairfield, Conn., to play three more games in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. They will be against the hosting Fairfield Stags, South Dakota, and Sam Houston State.

The Division II Ohio Valley Fighting Scots, from Vienna, W.Va., will come into the BenJo on Nov. 25th, in what should be an easy tune-up game for the Terriers.

Wofford will face a formidable opponent in William & Mary on Nov. 29th in Williamsburg, Va. The Tribe finished last season 20-12 (10-6 CAA), and fell to Delaware by a single point in the conference championship game. They defeated the Terriers by three points last season.  It’s back to Spartanburg on Dec. 3rd, as the Big South’s Presbyterian Blue House come into the BenJo.

Wofford stays at home on Dec. 6th as well, hosting Florida National University. From Hialeah, Fla., the Conquistadors play in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association, a league whose members are not total strangers to the Terriers. Last season, Wofford defeated an opponent from the USCAA, Johnson & Wales of Charlotte, by a 90-48 margin.

The first test in a while comes on Dec. 14th, as the Terriers will travel to Raleigh, N.C., to take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack of the ACC. The Pack, led by returning players like Ralston Turner and Anthony Barber, are a strong opponent that went 22-14 last season. NC State, after beating Xavier, was sent home from the NCAA tournament by St. Louis. Wofford’s last game against an ACC school was a demoralizing 74-39 loss to Virginia in 2012; however, the time before that was a quality four-point victory over Wake Forest during the previous season.

On December 17th, Wofford welcomes their second Big South opponent of the season, the Charleston Southern Buccaneers.

Wofford will then make the trip to Morgantown, W.Va., to take on West Virginia in a Dec. 22nd encounter. Although they earned an NIT bid, the Mountaineers’ average 17-14 season was cut short by Georgetown in the first game; this is similar to how Texas knocked them out of the first encounter of the Big XII tournament.

Perhaps the most anticipated non-conference matchup for the Terriers will come on Christmas Eve, as Duke will be hosting Wofford. The Blue Devils, who finished the regular season 24-7 but had their time in the ACC tournament cut short by Virginia, looked poised to be a major NCAA tournament threat before being shocked by Mercer, a current SoCon member who was then in the Atlantic Sun Conference, in the second round.

This team, which is made up of both experienced returning players and talented, potential-filled freshmen, is shaping up and growing together to continue building upon this program’s recent success.

“It’s a very interesting group,” Young said to TerrierVision at this year’s men’s basketball media day. “They understand the process and what is required day in, day out to put ourselves into position to do something special again.”

This year, while there is an unavoidable tag that favorites this squad to win another title, there will be much hard work involved and many formidable opponents to face. “To be able to bring most of [last year’s] team back, intact, is certainly exciting,” Young said. “But, yet again, [the SoCon is] a very difficult league.”

Whether it’s a routine practice, or special team-building exercises that have helped make this less of a basketball program and more of a basketball family, the Terriers have their heads held high and eyes set forward—and that might just mean another SoCon title.

The Citadel Preview: Driesell's Stand

Until Friday, we will previewing each SoCon team with a Scanning the SoCon participant previewing their school. Today, Sandlapper Spike from The Sports Arsenal  will look into The Citadel Bulldogs.

The Citadel’s 2013-14 record: 7-26, 2-14 in the SoCon (last)Chuck Driesell’s record at The Citadel (four seasons): 31-94 overall, 16-54 in the SoConBiggest positive from the 2013-14 campaign:

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• The Citadel’s 2013-14 record: 7-26, 2-14 in the SoCon (last)
• Chuck Driesell’s record at The Citadel (four seasons): 31-94 overall, 16-54  in the SoCon
• Biggest positive from the 2013-14 campaign: the Bulldogs won three of their last four games, including a rare SoCon tournament victory
• Negatives from 2013-14: a school-record 17-game losing streak, the nation’s fourth-worst defense, an offense that ranked in the bottom 60 nationally, and an incredible ability to give up buzzer-beating shots

 

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It’s hard to identify the low point of The Citadel’s 2013-14 basketball season, a campaign in which the Bulldogs lost 17 games in a row, did not win a league game until February 24, failed to beat any team in the RPI top 300, and finished with no road victories.

Was it the loss to Division II West Alabama, a contest the Bulldogs trailed by 23 at halftime? That’s not a bad candidate, but I think I would vote for the 82-53 loss to Georgia Southern on January 30, a game in which the Bulldogs were at one point outscored 29-0 over 12 minutes of game action.

Some might argue the season nadir was Chuck Driesell’s comment that he needed “to coach up optimism” after an 18-point home setback to Western Carolina. The next game for the Bulldogs was the above-mentioned Georgia Southern debacle, so apparently coaching players in the art of being more hopeful is not a quick fix.

Let’s be honest: when it comes to optimism for The Citadel’s basketball program, it’s in short supply, at least for the fan base. It’s not just about last year, either.

The Bulldogs have had double-digit losing streaks in each of the last three seasons. The Citadel has won fewer than 23% of its conference games over the last four years, and it’s not like the SoCon is on the same level with the ACC.

I hope the players and coaches have a positive outlook for 2014-15. For longtime supporters, though, it’s probably going to be a “show me” kind of season.

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Note: the statistics in the next two sections do not include the four games The Citadel played last season against non-D1 opponents. Unless otherwise stated, statistics are per kenpom.com.

I mentioned earlier that The Citadel had one of the country’s least-defensive defenses. The Bulldogs were 348th out of 351 Division I teams in adjusted defensive efficiency, ahead of only Maryland-Eastern Shore, Cornell, and Grambling State.

Those three squads combined to win 13 games. The team immediately above the Bulldogs in the defensive ratings, Presbyterian, won six games — but lost to The Citadel.

The Bulldogs did not force many turnovers (bottom 10 nationally in that category) and struggled mightily to keep opponents off the offensive boards (bottom 50 nationally). Opponents shot two-point shots against The Citadel at a 51.1% clip, significantly higher than the D-1 average (48.5%).

The opposition did not go to the foul line that often against the Bulldogs; indeed, The Citadel was actually in the top 100 in preventing free throw attempts. Of course, that could be a double-edged sword, as it arguably suggests a lack of defensive aggression.

For The Citadel to have any chance of success this season, the Bulldogs must get much better on defense. While the team obviously needs to force more turnovers, what I would most like to see is an improvement on the defensive glass. That has been a constant problem for the past two seasons, and if it isn’t solved, the defense will continue to be well below average. The Citadel simply has to assert itself on the boards.

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The Bulldogs were largely ineffective on offense. The numbers weren’t as bad in conference play, but they still weren’t good enough. Rebounding was a negative (as it was defensively), and The Citadel also couldn’t get to the foul line. The Bulldogs were in the bottom 50 nationally in both offensive rebounding percentage and free throw rate.

The Citadel did improve its offensive turnover rate, which had been an enormous bugaboo over the previous two seasons. While its overall numbers merely suggest a modest step up in that department, the league statistics were actually solid, as the Bulldogs had the second-best offensive turnover rate in conference play. As far as three-point shooting went, The Citadel was respectable from beyond the arc (its 37.2% shooting from 3-land was third-best in SoCon play). There was a decided lack of efficiency in and around the paint, however, as the Bulldogs’ overall 2-point shooting rate was only 45.1%.

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All the above numbers are indicative of a lack of productivity from interior players, and that was in fact a major issue (if not the major issue) for The Citadel in 2013-14. Injuries decimated the frontcourt, leaving Driesell bereft of experienced big men (player attrition from previous seasons did not help). The freshmen tried hard, but they weren’t quite ready. This year, there are four returning post players with significant experience. If they can stay healthy, the Bulldogs should improve their rebounding and defensive work in the paint.

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Four players from last year’s team did not return.

- Nate Bowser, a 6’9″ forward/center, appeared in twelve games his freshman season for a total of 81 minutes. He only played in one contest after January 2. Bowser is no longer enrolled at The Citadel, and is currently a student at Oklahoma.

- After playing in 19 games during his freshman campaign, 6’3″ guard Raemond Robinson appeared in 26 games last season for the Bulldogs. He shot 35% from three-point range in 2013-14 while averaging 2.9 points per game. This summer, Robinson announced that he was transferring to Charleston Southern.

- Dylen Setzekorn graduated from The Citadel in May with two years of hoops eligibility remaining. Setzekorn, a 6’7″ guard/forward, played in 42 games for the Bulldogs over two seasons. He is now playing at North Georgia, where he is in graduate school.

- Matt Van Scyoc averaged 14.3 points per game for The Citadel in 2013-14, which led the team. The 6’6″ sophomore swingman transferred to Indiana State after the season. Van Scyoc shot 43.5% from the field, 36.5% from beyond the arc, and 86% from the charity stripe. His offensive production will be sorely missed. Someone will have to replace his scoring punch — perhaps multiple someones.

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The Citadel does have three seniors (and a redshirt junior) returning for this season, along with several other players who will be key contributors.

- Marshall Harris III is a 6’1″ pass-first senior point guard, with an assist rate of 29.8% and a 2-to-1 assist/turnover ratio last year. Harris had a 28.9% turnover rate, which was too high. He was also bothered by foot problems during the season. His overall shooting percentages were decent, though in SoCon play he did not fare as well from beyond the arc. He wasn’t a volume shooter by any means, but Harris took his fair share of free throws, with the highest FT rate on the team.

- Ashton Moore was named to the ten-man preseason All-SoCon team by the league’s coaches. The 6’0″ senior averaged 14.1 points and 3.6 assists per game last season, both marks second-best on the team. He led the squad in minutes played. Moore can be a streaky offensive player. He was excellent down the stretch for the Bulldogs last year, scoring 22+ points in five of the last seven games. That included a 35-point effort against Davidson (on just 19 shots) and outstanding performances versus Samford and UNC-Greensboro. He only averaged 2.4 fouls per 40 minutes last season. That was actually a higher percentage of fouls than Moore had committed the previous year, when he had the sixth-fewest fouls per 40 minutes in the country.

- At 6’3″, sophomore Warren Sledge is a bigger guard than Harris and Moore, which could be helpful from a defensive perspective. Sledge was injured at the beginning of last season, but showed some promise when he started playing for the Bulldogs. He needs to cut down on turnovers, and Sledge only averaged one steal every 77 minutes of play; he should do a little better than that. His assist rate was solid, and his shooting from beyond the arc, while limited, was good.

- Quinton Marshall is a 6’5″ guard/forward who is one of the better athletes in the SoCon, as Samford found out late in the year. To become a better offensive performer, the junior needs to limit his turnovers and improve his free throw shooting (only 52% last season). He averaged just over five rebounds per 40 minutes of play. Ideally, Marshall would be more of a force on the boards. Last season, The Citadel entered the season without P.J. Horgan or C.J. Bray. For the Bulldogs to be successful in 2014-15, both must be healthy and ready to play from the opening tip.

- Bray is a 6’7″ product of James Island High School. When not hampered by ankle or shoulder problems, the redshirt junior is a post player with an interesting skill set. He has a nice touch from outside, and enough strength to hold his own in the paint (Bray was a fine high school football player). As a freshman, Bray was a dependable presence on the defensive glass. That was three years and several injuries ago. If he can return to that form, it will be a big lift for the Bulldogs.

- Now a senior, Horgan was believed to be through with basketball after suffering a lower back injury. In fact, it was announced in October of 2013 that his career was over. However, the 6’9″ forward/center returned to the team and by January of 2014, he was playing. It was a bit rough at times (in his first game, he fouled out after 15 minutes of action).

By February, he was healthy enough to log 35 minutes in a lopsided loss to Davidson. He had 10 points and 9 rebounds in a late-season victory over Georgia Southern. With Horgan and Bray out of action (or not ready to contribute major minutes), the frontcourt was primarily left to two freshmen, Brian White and Tom Koopman. That wasn’t really fair to either one of them, but at least they got a lot of experience.

- White actually had an fine freshman campaign for The Citadel. He impressed many observers with his efficient play and made the SoCon’s all-freshman team. He had the best eFG rate (53.6%) on the team, blocked a shot every now and then, and had a respectable turnover rate. White (now listed at 6’8″) can improve in some facets of his game; he had just one double-digit rebounding game against a Division I team, and had only ten assists all season. Regardless, White was clearly a bright spot for the Bulldogs last year, and is expected to be even better in 2014-15.

- Koopman is a 6’8″ native of the Netherlands who was overwhelmed at times last year (according to Blue Ribbon, he also suffered significant weight loss during the campaign). He did show flashes of what he could become, though, including solid performances against Nebraska and (later in the season) Georgia Southern. With more help in the frontcourt, and having completed his freshman year at The Citadel, there is a reasonable chance Koopman could be The Citadel’s most improved player this season.

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Four freshmen join the Bulldogs this year.

- Jake Wright is a 6’4″ guard from Hopkins, Minnesota. He may be the freshman most ready to contribute for The Citadel, assuming he brings his shooting touch from high school to McAlister Field House. Wright played at a high school that includes among its alums current NBA player Kris Humphries. Thus, there are only three degrees of separation between Wright and Kanye West.

- Brandon Thompson, like Wright, is also a shooting guard. One difference between the two: Thompson is only 5’11.Thompson is from Gaithersburg, Maryland. He played at Covenant Life School, a small private school that is a member of the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference, and averaged 18.3 points per game his senior season.

- Tim Broom is also a guard, but he is more of a lead guard than a pure shooter. The 6’2″ Jacksonville native was a high school football safety, too. Some of the adjectives used to describe Broom in print include “rugged” and “sturdily built”. If that translates into being a quality defender, he could see action early and often.

- Nadi Beceri is a 6’7″ post player who went to Bergen Catholic High School in Maywood, New Jersey. He could get some minutes in the frontcourt rotation, with the amount possibly dependent on how much Horgan and Bray are able to play. Chuck Driesell called Beceri “a blue-collar player” who is “not afraid to mix it up”.

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The Citadel’s non-conference slate includes games against three power conference schools, as the Bulldogs will face Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Michigan State (all on the road). The Bulldogs also play at College of Charleston.

As has been the case for the past three seasons, The Citadel will compete in the All-Military Classic, which is being held this year in West Point, New York. The Bulldogs open that tournament against VMI (which will be a non-conference game) and play either Air Force or Army the next day.

At home, The Citadel plays Navy and Bethune-Cookman, along with three non-Division I schools — Toccoa Falls, Bob Jones University, and Warren Wilson College.

Last year, the Bulldogs played four non-D1 squads, so three is a minor improvement. Ideally, the military college would not play more than two, but filling out a home schedule can be difficult for a low-major.

The conference as a whole has 20 scheduled matchups with non-Division I schools, which is down from last season’s 32. It’s not an exact comparison, of course, due to the turnover in SoCon schools over the past year.

Incidentally, The Citadel eschewed exhibition games this year in favor of two so-called “secret scrimmages” against Stetson and North Florida.

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The Citadel was picked to finish in the SoCon by the league media vote and next-to-last by the coaches. Considering the team’s record last season, and the fact the Bulldogs lost their leading scorer from that squad, those are understandable placements.

In all honesty, I would have ranked the Bulldogs a little higher. Blue Ribbon had The Citadel in seventh, and I think that’s about right in terms of a preseason projection. There are other schools in the league that had many more personnel defections (hello, Samford) and weren’t exactly dominating on the hardwood in the first place.

It appears that The Citadel’s new director of athletics, Jim Senter, is interested in improving the gameday atmosphere at McAlister Field House, and is taking steps along those lines. Such action is most welcome, as it is long overdue.

I generally do not make predictions about how a season will go. I won’t this time, either. However, I do have expectations.

For this season to be considered a success, the team must finish with an overall winning record, and a winning record in conference play. Nothing less will be acceptable.

That may seem unrealistic for a program that has lost 94 games in the last four seasons, never winning more than ten games during any of those years. It doesn’t matter.

This is Chuck Driesell’s fifth year as the head basketball coach of The Citadel, and it’s time to see some positive results. Otherwise, the school should (and likely will) move in a different direction.