CLICK HERE for All of Hoops HD’s Continued and Extensive Preseason Content
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON COACHES POLL:
- Furman
- Samford
- UNC Greensboro
- Chattanooga
- Wofford
- East Tennessee State
- Mercer
- Western Carolina
- The Citadel
- VMI
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON MEDIA POLL:
- Furman
- Chattanooga
- Samford
- UNC Greensboro
- Wofford
- East Tennessee State
- Mercer
- Western Carolina
- The Citadel
- VMI
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SOCON TEAM:
-Jordan King – JR, G – East Tennessee State
-Mike Bothwell – SR, G – Furman
-Jalen Slawson – SR, G – Furman
-Logan Dye – SR, F – Samford
-Ques Glover – JR, G – Samford
-Jermaine Marshall – JR, F – Samford
-Bubba Parham – SR G – Samford
-Jake Stephens – SR, G – Chattanooga
-Messiah Jones – SR, F – Wofford
-BJ Mack – SR, F/C – Wofford
COMMENTS FROM DAVID:
-It seems like before the start of each season I am talking about how I like Furman. I am not always right but I always seem to think they are going to be good. Well…I like Furman this year. Again. I think they are going to be good. Again. They did kind of sputter during a stretch in the second half of conference play, but they have three key starters back and a really solid backcourt that has some great outside shooters. If they can get some guys to step up in the frontcourt they should be really dangerous.
-Expectations are higher for Samford this year than I can ever recall them being. Four starters are back from a team that won 21 total games last year and finished 3rd in the conference, which was a massive improvement from the year before. They are balanced, have a lot of weapons, and have a really good chance of finishing at or near the top of the conference.
-UNC Greensboro has all five starters back from a team that was .500 in SoCon play a year ago. With all that experience comes some high expectations. They do not seem to be loaded with guys that can score, which could be a problem, but they are still going to be tough to play against.
-Chattanooga was last year’s first place team, but with just one starter back they appear to be heading into a bit of a rebuilding mode. They also have a new head coach in Dan Earl. The Mocs should still be reasonably good but I do not see them winning the league this year.
-Wofford has a great program, and while they are not quite as strong as they were in the latter days of Mike Young, they should still be strong enough to finish in the top half of the league this year and continue to build themselves back up. They have a really good player in BJ Mack and if some others can step up then they should be fine.
-It was just two years ago when East Tennessee State won 30 games and seemed poised to possibly win a game in the Round of 64, but then COVID hit, a lot of their key players left, and they have been sort of rebuilding ever since. Last year they won just 15 total games, and just two starters are back from that team. You get the sense that this is a .500ish type of team.
-Mercer has three starters back, but they kind of limped down the stretch last year and are not showing too many signs of being a frontrunner this year.
-Western Carolina has their work cut out for them. They were the last place team a year ago and won just 11 total games. I think they will be the worst team this year that is not a military school.
-The Citadel and VMI, despite seldom winning, are actually both really fun teams to watch play and can be very aggravating to play against. They also have a great rivalry, and even though it typically is a battle for 9th place on paper (and likely will be again this year), it is always a must-watch for me when these two square off. VMI actually finished a very respectable 9-9 in league play last year but is rebuilding with just one starter back. The Citadel at least has a little more experience with three starters back.