OUTLOOK: Once again the Southern Conference was dominated by the Davidson
Wildcats in 2008-09, as Bob McKillop's squad reeled off 27 victories and
another regular-season title. However, the Wildcats were dumped in the
Southern Conference Tournament by the College of Charleston Cougars who were,
without question, the second-best team in the league. The Cougars, who also
grabbed 27 victories last year, along with Davidson were clearly the top
teams in the conference. The Citadel posted a shocking 20-win campaign, after
only winning six games a year earlier, and Wofford added 16 victories,
including 12 in league play. The North Division was shared between Western
Carolina and Chattanooga, as both teams finished with an 11-9 mark in league
play. However, the Mocs claimed the tournament title and earned a spot in the
NCAA Tournament as a reward. The good news for the teams in the Southern
Conference that have chased Davidson over the past few seasons, is that
Stephen Curry has moved on to the NBA. However, the bad news is that coach
McKillop still has plenty of talent on his roster and the Wildcats should once
again be among the elite teams in the SoCon. But Davidson is no clear cut
favorite, in fact, the Cougars appear to be the team to beat as this season
approaches. After Davidson and Charleston there is a huge drop-off in teams
that could potentially claim the title in the conference. Wofford could cause
a few waves, but it will likely finish behind Charleston and Davidson in the
South Division, along with The Citadel, Furman and Georgia Southern. The North
Division is a bit more jumbled, as the Catamounts, Mocs, and the Appalachian
State Mountaineers will punish one another for division supremacy. The
Catamounts have the best chance at claiming the division, while the
Mountaineers will have to adjust to a new coach in Buzz Peterson and the Mocs
will have to replace some talented scorers. Those three programs should
dominate the...
CONFERENCE CHAMPION: College of Charleston
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH: NORTH: 1. Appalachian State, 2. Western Carolina,
3. Chattanooga, 4. Samford, 5. Elon, 6. UNC-Greensboro. SOUTH: 1. College of
Charleston, 2. Davidson, 3. Wofford, 4. The Citadel, 5. Georgia Southern, 6.
Furman.
TEAM BY TEAM ANALYSIS:
NORTH:
APPALACHIAN STATE - As mentioned earlier, Buzz Peterson will take over in
Boone, North Carolina, but the new head coach inherits plenty of talent,
beginning with the tandem in the backcourt of Kellen Brand and Donald Sims.
Brand finished last year as the team's top scorer with 14.8 ppg, while Sims
added 13.7 ppg. Both players should be much improved this season, and with the
return of Ryann Abraham (suspended last mid-season for behavior), the
Mountaineers should possess one of, if not the most experienced and talented
backcourts in the conference. Isaac Butts and Josh Hunter will battle in
the paint for Appalachian State, while both players are consistent on the
boards averaging 8.5 and 7.2 rpg, respectively, they will have to become more
reliable scoring threats. Neither player finished the year in double-figures,
but if they can take the next step offensively, the Mountaineers could possess
a formidable duo in the frontcourt as well. Overall, this is a veteran squad
with plenty of potential, but the success of the 2009-10 Mountaineers will
rest on the team's understanding of the new coach's game plan and the success
of the frontcourt, but if everything falls into place Appalachian State should
have a solid chance of taking this division.
WESTERN CAROLINA: Last year the Catamounts exceeded expectations by
grabbing a share of the North Division title, but this season teams will be
better prepared for Western Carolina. Head coach Larry Hunter has the
experience and talent on his roster to battle with the elite opponents in the
Southern Conference. The Catamounts return a dangerous backcourt tandem of
Harouna Mutombo, who is the nephew of all-time NBA great Dikembe Mutombo, and
swingman Brandon Giles. The two players led the team is scoring a year ago as
Mutombo posted 14.4 ppg, to go along with a team-best 4.6 rpg, while Giles
averaged 13.2 ppg. Brigham Waginger gives the team depth at the guard
position, but the senior only shot 38.1 percent from the field a year ago and
will have to be more consistent if he plans on seeing steady playing time.
Fortunately, Waginger's ability to distribute the ball (a team-high 102
assists) does make him a valuable commodity even if he tends to run cold with
his jump shot. The main attraction in the frontcourt will be Jake Robinson.
The 6-8 senior averaged a modest 9.2 ppg last season, but he was weak on the
glass, grabbing just 2.7 rpg. That is definitely a number Robinson will have
to improve if the Catamounts plan on mixing it up with the bigger teams in the
conference. Other than Robinson, the Catamounts do not possess a true big man
down low, as Richie Gordon (6-9) seems to be the best option. Gordon collected
4.5 rpg, which is still a low number for a pivot man, but the junior has the
talent to take the next step and could possibly turn into a double-double
machine.
CHATTANOOGA: The Mocs were mediocre at best in the regular season a year ago,
posting an 18-17 ledger, which includes a modest 11-9 mark in conference play.
Sure, the team finished tied with Western Carolina on top of the North
Division, but it was not until the conference tournament that this team hit
another gear and shocked the league by winning the title and earning a spot in
the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, the top four scorers from that team are
now gone, leaving coach John Shulman to rely on transfers and inexperienced
players to get the Mocs back to the Big Dance. The hope is that Vanderbilt
transfer Keegan Bell can compensate for some of the departed offense for the
Mocs. Bell possesses terrific range and is a three-point specialist, which is
important for a Chattanooga squad that shot just 35.2 percent from beyond the
arc as a team. Ty Patterson will likely join Bell in the backcourt, while
Ricky Taylor and Jasper Williams give the team important minutes off the
bench. Last year Chattanooga punished opponents with its frontcourt presence,
but now the team will need a bunch of new faces to continue the trend. A 7-1
center, Jeff Saffore only averaged 6.9 minutes per outing a year ago, but he
will likely find himself in a starting role again this year. Junior college
transfer DeAntre Jefferson gives the Mocs an explosive force at the forward
position, but the team will also depend on freshman Sam Watson to play a key
role throughout the season.
SAMFORD: The Bulldogs made a solid league debut last year, going 16-16
overall, while collecting a 9-11 mark in conference action. However, the team
this year will begin the season with heavy hearts, as the Bulldogs sadly lost
one of their own in Jim Griffin. Griffin, who was entering his senior year at
Samford, passed away in his sleep in early September. The Bulldogs will try to
put forth a strong showing in 2009-10 in spite of the loss but it won't be
easy by any means. Coach Jimmy Tillette possesses a trio of guards that
are pure scorers, beginning with Bryan Friday who led the team a year ago with
12.5 ppg. Friday can also play the forward position, but at 6-6 he is more of
a swingman at best. Trey Montgomery did a little of everything for the
Bulldogs this past season posting 11.6 ppg, to go along with team highs in
rebounds (4.4 rpg) and assists (80). The third guard in this mix is Josh Davis
and he gives Samford a dangerous threat from long range, as the junior
connected on 39.8 percent of his three-point attempts. However, where the
Bulldogs struggled a year ago was on the glass, as Samford was outrebounded by
an average of 6.8 boards per contest. If the Bulldogs are going to improve in
this area they will need to rely on freshmen Levi Barnes and Drew Windler.
Barnes stands at 6-10, while Windler is a lanky 6-9, but both players will get
the chance to give the Bulldogs an inside presence and hopefully help this
team earn some respect in the paint.
ELON: A 20-loss campaign a year ago led to a coaching change and the hope is
that former Davidson assistant Matt Matheny can turn around a program that has
struggled mightily through the past couple of seasons. It will not be easy
however, as the top returning scorer is Chris Long, who posted just 7.2 ppg in
2008-09. Long is a junior guard that is an excellent long-range threat, as he
connected on 40.2 percent of his three-point attempts. Coach Matheny will need
someone else to step up and run the show on the floor. As of now Devan Carter
looks to be the leading candidate to play the point position, but expect
sophomore guard Josh Bonney to also see playing time at the point. The
frontcourt is also bare for coach Matheny as the roster is riddled with
inexperienced players. TJ Douglas and Adam Constantine have the most
experience, as the two players averaged 4.9 and 4.8 ppg, respectively, a year
ago. Neither were overly impressive however, and that means freshmen forwards
Roger Dugas and Brett Ervin could have a chance to prove they can play
instantly.
UNC-Greensboro: After a 25-loss season the Spartans are hoping there is
nowhere to go but up in this new campaign. A good start for UNCG is the fact
that the team returns the majority of its talent from a year ago, beginning
with forward Ben Stywall. A dominant force in the paint for the Spartans,
Stywall posted 11.7 ppg to go along with a team-high 8.4 rpg. Unfortunately,
there is not much else for coach Mike Dement to work with in the frontcourt
and to make matters worse, freshman forward Taylor Hoffer will be lost for the
year after suffering a leg injury that required surgery. As of now coach
Dement will need Pete Brown and Elhanan Bone to make tremendous strides and
contribute down low to take pressure off Stywall. While the team will be
without Hoffer for the season, it still possesses another dangerous freshman
in Kyle Randall. Randall is an explosive guard that could start the year as
the team's point guard. While Randall is definitely a nice addition, the best
player in the backcourt for UNCG will be Mikko Koivisto, who led the team last
year with 12.4 ppg, although he is a streaky shooter and only connected on
38.1 percent of his attempts. Kendall Toney will also see plenty of action
this season after posting 8.0 ppg as a reserve. Just like Koivisto, Toney is
an inconsistent offensive source and made only 36.0 percent of his attempts
from the field.
SOUTH:
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON: The Cougars collected an impressive 27 victories a
season ago and even defeated Davidson twice, once during the regular season
and once in the conference tournament. Charleston eventually lost to
Chattanooga in the tournament final, but the team returns a strong group of
players that seems ready to dethrone Davidson in the South Division. Coach
Bobby Cremins is fortunate to have possibly the best backcourt tandem in the
conference in Tony White Jr. and Andrew Goudelock. Goudelock is an offensive
nightmare for opponents, as the guard posted 16.7 ppg a year ago, while
shooting an amazing 44.0 percent from long range. As for White Jr, he is more
of a slashing guard that can drive the lane and get to the basket, but he also
excels at finding the open man, which is why he led the team with 2.7 apg, to
go along with 12.0 ppg. Antwaine Wiggins is back to battle down low for
Charleston, but the team will have to replace Jermaine Johnson and Dustin
Scott and that is no small feat. Wiggins posted 8.3 ppg a season ago, and he
will likely be joined by Florida State transfer Casaan Breeden, a bruising
forward who excels at retrieving rebounds.
DAVIDSON: How do you replace the best player to ever don a Davidson uniform?
It is a rhetorical question because it cannot be done, at least not over
night. So the Wildcats of 2009-10 will have to adjust to life without Stephen
Curry. However, there is still plenty of talent on this roster that should
keep coach McKillop's squad competitive in the Southern Conference. This
year's team will rely on the play of the frontcourt, which showcases
sophomores Ben Allison and Frank Ben-Eze and senior Steve Rossiter. Rossiter
is clearly the most experienced of the three and is coming off a solid
campaign in which he started all 35 games, averaging 6.1 ppg and 5.9 rpg. As
for Ben-Eze and Allison, they played minor reserve roles this past year, but
they will see a tremendous jump in playing time and will have to perform on a
consistent level to give Davidson a formidable frontcourt. Finding a scorer in
the backcourt is obviously the main concern for the Wildcats and while there
is no player on the roster that can come close to the production of Curry,
there are some quality options for coach McKillop to choose from, beginning
with Bryant Barr. The senior guard averaged 7.1 ppg this past season, but his
34.2 percent shooting effort is definitely an area he will need to improve.
Brendan McKillop, the youngest son of the coach, played a reserve role this
past season, but will likely also find his way into a starting spot with the
departure of Curry. There is no question the Wildcats will not be as dominant
as years past, but Davidson is still strong enough to battle any team in this
conference.
WOFFORD: The Terriers were one of the biggest surprises in the Southern
Conference last season, reeling off a solid 12-8 mark in league play. With
last year's success there are high expectations in Spartanburg and rightfully
so, as the team returns the majority of its offensive production. The
backcourt is filled with talent and experience, beginning with guard Junior
Salters who averaged 15.0 ppg last year. Salters should once again be the
team's main scoring threat in the backcourt, and he will be teamed with point
guards Brad Loesing and Jason Dawson. Both players are excellent at
distributing the ball, but Dawson is a slightly better scorer, especially from
behind the arc where he connected on 39.1 percent of his attempts. The most
dominating player on this roster resides in the paint, as Noah Dahlman is one
of the most explosive forwards in the conference. The junior forward only
started 10 games last season, but that did not stop him from leading the team
with 17.8 ppg, to go along with 6.4 rpg. Tim Johnson will once again roam the
paint along with Dahlman and he is more of a bruising forward that likes to
play a physical brand of basketball. Last year Johnson paced the team with 8.7
rpg and averaged a respectable 10.0 ppg.
THE CITADEL: Another surprise in the Southern Conference was the Bulldogs,
who won just six games during the 2007-08, but followed that dismal
performance with a 20-win campaign last year. To really grasp the drastic
turnaround of the program, the Bulldogs won 15 conference games last year,
which equals the total of the team's league wins from 2002 to 2008. Losing the
inside presence of Demetrius Nelson will surely hurt the Bulldogs, but
hopefully Washington transfer Joe Wolfinger can fill the void. Wolfinger is a
7-0 center that uses his large frame to get position under the basket and he
could be in line for a big season for the Bulldogs. While the frontcourt has
some holes, the backcourt is filled with talent and experience, beginning with
Cameron Wells who averaged 15.6 ppg, to go along with team highs in assists
(100) and steals (45). Zach Urbanus and Austin Dahn also head into the season
with more experience, especially Urbanus who is coming off a tremendous
sophomore campaign. The 6-2 guard contributed 10.0 ppg and also distributed 97
assists and, more importantly, became the long-range threat for The Citadel as
he connected on an outstanding 44.1 percent of his three-point shots.
Registering another 20-win campaign will be tough for this squad, but the
Bulldogs are strong enough to play with the top teams in the conference.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN: Charlton Young, who played his college ball at Georgia
Southern from 1989 to 1993, will begin this season in a completely different
role in Statesboro, that of new head coach. It will be an uphill battle for
Young to turn this program around, considering it could be dealing with
possible NCAA sanctions. On top of the NCAA troubles the Eagles are coming off
a rough season in which they won only eight games. Nevertheless, there is
plenty of talent on this roster for coach Young to work with, beginning with
Willie Powers who was leading the team with 14.5 ppg after 11 games, but
unfortunately missed the remainder season. Powers, who is a scoring threat
whenever he has the ball, will be joined by Antonio Hanson in the backcourt.
Hanson shot a respectable 39.2 percent from behind the arc last season and
posted a solid 12.0 ppg. Along with sophomore Ben Drayton (11.8 ppg and a
team-high 78 assists) at point guard, the Eagles do possess an impressive
backcourt. The frontcourt appears to have some major holes, as the lone
returning player with a considerable amount of experience is Tyler Troupe.
Troupe tallied 9.9 ppg a year ago, but will have to increase his production if
Georgia Southern is going to have any chance of battling the bigger teams down
low.
FURMAN: It has been a tough two years for the Paladins, who have posted 47
losses over that span. Furman should show solid improvement this season,
especially with the return of guards Bobby Austin and Darryl Evans. Austin
missed all of last year with an injury, but he is a dependable scorer that
should help Furman average better than the 61.0 ppg the team posted a year
ago. As for Evans, he only played in eight games last year and posted a modest
6.1 ppg, but the guard shot a mere 36.2 percent from the field and will
definitely have to increase his consistency this campaign. In addition to the
return of both Austin and Evans, the team will also bring back its top two
performers from a season ago in Jordan Miller and Justin Dehm. Miller led the
squad with 13.8 ppg and 41 steals, while Dehm contributed 9.4 ppg to go along
with a solid 2.8 apg. While the backcourt is filled with talent, the
frontcourt for Furman is definitely a work in progress as the team will need
to rely on inexperienced players. Noah States was the most productive forward
for he team last year, posting 6.3 ppg, but probably the best talent down low
is sophomore Brandon Sebirumbi who started almost every game last year.
Sebirumbi is a big forward with tremendous strength and should give the
Paladins a presence underneath the basket.
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