Southern Conference Hoops

A quick overview each week (hopefully) of each team in the NCAA basketball SoCon

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  • Weekly Recap (1.5 – 1.11)

    Hey everyone! Welcome back, as we start to make our way through January and get some conference game under our belt. Four games in, every week we have just a bit more separation in the standings. As I stated, I am still not sure what my format will be going forward, regarding covering all ten teams, or limiting it to the top. Honestly, I know it’s cheap but things are busy for me right now and this was more of a “fun” undertaking than anything, so I think at least this week I’m going to just limit it to the teams .500 or better in conference play, and just list the others. 

    1. East Tennessee State (12-5, 4-0). Two wins to stay atop the SoCon for ETSU this week. First up, the Buccaneers played host to VMI, and took care of business with a 14 point win. Morris had himself a day with 25 points on 10-12 shooting and 7 rebounds. Barkley, last week’s spotlight player, also continued his hot streak, with 20 and 7. Jaylen Smith came in off the bench to add 13 in 24 minutes. In a very similar game over the weekend, East Tennessee State welcomed in UNC Greensboro, taking over in the second half for an 86-60 victory. Barkley shot lights-out, hitting 11-14 field goals and scoring 24, his fourth straight of 17+ or more points. Both Morris and Taylor contributed big as well, scoring in double digits, while Morris grabbed 6 boards and Taylor dished out 5 assists. 
    2. Furman (12-5, 3-1). On Wednesday, Furman travelled to Chattanooga, winning 78-67 in a game that Furman really controlled in the second half. Charles Johnston led the way with 21 points, his season high, along with securing 8 rebounds. Asa Thomas also played meaningful minutes for the Paladins, hitting 3 threes and scoring 16, while also pulling down his season-high 8 boards. Freshman Cole Bowser, in his first game of the season, came off the bench, made all three of his shots, and snagged 10 rebounds. Over the weekend Furman returned home to host VMI, and while close in the first half, took charge for a 21 point win. Alex Wilkins led all scorers with 17, while sophomore guard Eddrin Bronson had his best game of the season off the bench, notching 16 points including 4 threes, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks. 
    3. Wofford (11-6, 3-1). In the middle of the week, Wofford hosted UNC Greensboro, taking care of business 97-85, leading from the jump and never looking back. Kahmare Holmes led scoring with 27, continuing to be the Terriers leading scorer for the year. Three other starters scored in double figures, as well as 14 from Chace Watley off the bench. Junior Cayden Vasko was one of those starters, almost nabbing a triple double with 11/9/8. Next over the weekend, the Terriers went on the road to Mercer, holding close until the last ten minutes but ultimately falling by 12. Nils Machowski had 33, sinking 8 threes, and making it two out of the last 3 scoring 30+. Holmes also added 22 points while pulling down 8 rebounds, and Vasko had a similar all around showing with an 18/5/4. 
    4. UNCG (6-11, 2-2). A Wednesday road trip ended in a 97-85 defeat for UNCG. Forward Justin Neely though had his season-high, scoring 26 including going 13-16 from the line and adding 9 rebounds. Senior Valentino Pinedo also had his season high with 14, and along with 10 rebounds had his second double-double of the season. The Spartans stayed on the road over the weekend, traveling to ETSU to take on the Buccaneers. While back and forth in the first half, ETSU pulled away and ended up with a 86-60 win. For the Spartans, KJ Younger led all scorers with 13, and Neely, despite only scoring 10, pulled down 13 rebounds, and is now averaging over 11 rpg this season. 
    5. Mercer (10-7, 2-2). Two wins this week for Mercer, both at home. First on Wednesday, the Bears hosted The Citadel, dominating both ends in a 101-63 victory. Led by 18 points and 11 rebounds from Armani Mighty, guard Quinton Perkins II had a nice bounce back game off the bench, also scoring 18 points on 4-7 from three. The high scoring continued for Mercer over the weekend in a 109-97 win over Wofford. Mighty had another double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and this time guard Baraka Okojie stepped up to lead the Bears, scoring 29 on an efficient 7-13 from the field, while also dishing out 12 assists.
    6. Samford (9-8, 2-2). Samford began the week at home taking on Western Carolina, in a game WCU led much of the way but Samford pulled out a close win after a comeback, 82-77. Senior Jadin Booth, who is now averaging 20 ppg this season, scored a team high 33. Three others, Keaton Norris, Will Shaver, and Kam Martin, all contributed solidly with 11 points each. Next the Bulldogs went on the road to Chattanooga. While UTC led significantly most of the contest, Samford pulled within 5 with a minute to go but fell short in the end, 88-79. Dylan Faulkner and Norris had 24 and 23 respectively to lead the way for the Bulldogs.
    7. VMI (6-11, 1-3).
    8. The Citadel (4-13, 1-3).
    9. Chattanooga (7-10, 1-3).
    10. Western Carolina (5-10, 1-3).

  • Weekly Spotlight – 1.7 – Blake Barkley (ETSU)

    This week the spotlight is on Blake Barkley of ETSU. The sophomore forward has had an excellent start to conference play for the Buccaneers, and a big reason East Tennessee State is on a three game win streak. In the three games, consistency has been the name of the game for Barkley, scoring 17, 19, and 20 in the three games on what is most impressive, 69% from the field, and going 12-13 from the line. He is also averaging 5 rebounds over those three games. Leading the SoCon so far, the Buccs hope Barkley continues to hit shots at a high consistent rate as they have tougher competition going forward.

  • Weekly Recap (12.29 – 1.4)

    Hey everyone! Welcome to conference play!! Everything matters a little more from here on out. I haven’t done any quick hits or spotlights the past couple of weeks, but hope to get back to that this week. I also haven’t decided if I’m going to keep recapping all ten teams, limit it to the top five or 6, give longer recaps for the top half and just highlight the impact scorers for the bottom half. In conference play, when they have sorted themselves out more, and they are playing each other, it seems redundant to cover each game twice, in a way. 

    1. East Tennessee State (10-5, 2-0). Two games for ETSU this week, and two conference wins. In their first conference game of the season, the Buccaneers went on the road at The Citadel and took care of business, winning 74-49. Blake Barkley led the way in the first game with 17 points and 4 rebounds. Both McCullum and Taylor also added 13 for the Buccs. To start the new year over the weekend, ETSU returned home to host Mercer, escaping a back and forth contest with a 6 point win. Barkley continued his hot shooting, putting up 19 on 7-12 shooting, but Taylor led ETSU with 21, to go along with 8 rebounds. Taylor continues to lead scoring and rebounding for the Buccaneers this season at 14.6 ppg and 4.8 rpg.
    2. Wofford (10-5, 2-0). Finishing 2025, Wofford started conference play on the road at Western Carolina, coming away with a 79-74 victory, which stayed neck and neck the whole forty minutes. Nils Machowski had a phenomenal game for the Terriers, scoring 27 and shooting 60% from the field, while also grabbing 7 rebounds. Five players on Wofford had 5+ rebounds in a defensive team effort. Starting 2026, Wofford traveled to the Citadel to take on the Bulldogs, and continued their success, putting up 95 in an important conference road win. Somehow improving from the last game, Machowski scored 37 on 8 threes to lead the way. The 37 was his season and career high. Additional important contributions were from Cayden Vasko, who had his season-high with 20, hitting 5 threes and adding 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and from Holmes, who had a great all around game with 16/7/9. Strong start to conference play for Wofford. 
    3. UNCG (6-9, 2-0). Playing twice in January already, UNC Greensboro has come away with two home conference wins. First on Thursday, UNCG hosted Chattanooga, and in a game that featured 12 lead changes, held on for a 77-72 win. KJ Younger had a fantastic game, scoring a season-high 24 points, along with 9 rebounds. Senior Justin Neely also continued his streak of double-doubles with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Two days later the Spartans hosted Samford, where UNCG took the lead early on and held a comfortable lead the whole game. Four Spartans scored 15+ points in a fantastically balanced effort, and of course Neely got his double-double with 22 and 14, making it three straight double-doubles against DI opponents. 
    4. Samford (8-7, 1-1). On the road to begin conference play, Samford knew what to do to make their mark, with a twenty point win at VMI in their first game on Thursday. Forward Dylan Faulkner scored a season high 25, while also pulling down 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Jadin Booth played a key role too in 36 minutes, scoring 19 on efficient 6-11 shooting. Another road test for Samford over the weekend ended in a tough loss to UNC Greensboro, 89-82. In a copy of the last game, Faulkner again had 25 points, and Booth led the way with 26. 
    5. Western Carolina (5-8, 1-1). The Catamounts began conference season with a very tough loss at home to Wofford, losing 79-74. WCU was led on the scoring sheet by guard Cord Stansberry, who put up 20, including a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line. Playing 29 minutes, guard Tidjiane Dioumassi, a transfer from Southern, scored 13, his high for the season. Finally, freshman Samuel Dada, had an important impact off the bench with 7 points and 13 rebounds. WCU began 2026 on the road at Furman over the weekend, unfortunately falling short after a back and forth struggle that went to overtime and had 16 lead changes. For the Catamounts, 4 starters scored 12+, and five players had 5+ rebounds. Soumaoro scored 16 with 8 rebounds to lead the way, and Kell also had 16 on 7-14 shooting from the field. 
    6. Furman (10-5, 1-1). Furman ended the year starting conference play with a 2 point win at home against Mercer that went down to the wire. Alex Wilkins scored 20 while dishing out 7 assists, while Asa Thomas put up 19 with five rebounds to lead the Paladins. In their first game of the year, Furman hosted Western Carolina, and again closed the gap to take it to overtime before losing by three. Another game of 20+ for WIlkins, this time with 24, making it three straight with 20+.
    7. VMI (6-9, 1-1). A tough start to conference play for VMI, in a 20 point loss at home to Samford, 78-58. TJ Johnson scored 17 for the Keydets and Yidizoglu added another 12. In a balanced defensive effort, six players snagged down at least four rebounds. A bounce-back over the weekend, VMI hosted and got an important victory against Chattanooga by 8. Four starters scored 12 or more, and Tan Yildizoglu led the way with a season-high 22 on efficient 7-12 shooting, while also dishing out 6 assists.
    8. Mercer (8-7, 0-2). A heartbreaking start to conference play for Mercer in a two point loss on the road at Furman. Guard Baraka Okojie continued his high scoring output with 22, which included a perfect 6-6 from the line. Both Mighty with 8 points and 13 rebounds, and Shoulders, with 9 points and 9 rebounds, had big impacts and were just short of a double-double. Another tough loss began 2026 for the Bears, falling 77-71 on the road at East Tennessee State. Sophomore Brady Shoulders had his best game of the season though, with 21 points on 7-11 shooting and 8 rebounds. With 15 points, Okojie kept his streak of scoring in double figures in every game alive. 
    9. Chattanooga (6-9, 0-2). Back to back road losses to start conference play for Chattanooga. First on Thursday, the Mocs traveled to UNC Greensboro, and despite having a lead with 2:30 to go, fell 77-72. Three starters: Brennan Watkins, Jordan Frison, and Collin Mulholland, all scored 12 for Chattanooga, while Jikari Johnson lead the way with 15 off the bench. Next the Mocs went on the road to VMI and had a similar defeat, 79-71. Billy Smith put up 17, and they were also helped along by Tate Darner who tied his season high with 16. 
    10. The Citadel (3-12, 0-2). A very tough start to conference play for The Citadel. First they hosted ETSU, where they held it close for the first 10 minutes, but ETSU pulled ahead and never looked back. Only scoring 49 points in the blowout, they were able to get lots of guys some minutes off the bench. Christian Moore led the Bulldogs with 10, but both Braxton Williams and Dante Kearse had seven off the bench. In a much more competitive and higher scoring effort over the weekend, The Citadel hosted Wofford, but ultimately fell 95-86. Braxton Williams got the start and put up 20, while Moore also knocked in 20 off the bench on 7-10 shooting. Sola Adebisi did his part with an 11 point, 11 rebound, double-double.

  • Weekly Recap (12/15 – 12/28)

    Hey everyone! Apologies for the week off, but had all the holiday festivities packed in there. There weren’t too many games either so I didn’t feel it was too bad to skip a week. But here we are now on the cusp of conference play!! So where do we stand at this point…

    1. Furman (9-4). Five game win streak for Furman! First off was a big win on the road at Manhattan, 75-68. Wilkins led the way with 18 and 7 assists, but Charles Johnston put up an important double-double with 11 points and 11 boards. They also held the Jaspers to 39% shooting from the field on the night. The Paladins came home to host Charleston Southern over the weekend, and came away with another victory. Wilkins continued his scoring tear, putting up 24 for his fourth game of 20+ against D1 opponents. Asa Thomas also showed out for Furman, shooting 6-10 from behind the arc to add 25 points, along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Arguably the best game of the season for Thomas so far. 
    2. East Tennessee State (8-5). Not the best last couple of weeks for ETSU, falling from the top spot in the SoCon. A tough road game at UNC started the week, keeping pace with the Tar Heels in the first half, but ultimately UNC took over in the second and won 77-58. Taylor played all 40 minutes and scored 14 to lead the way for the Buccs. Next up at home, ETSU took on Jacksonville State, where it was neck and neck the whole way before falling by 6. Taylor again led the way with 20, on 7-10 shooting. Cam Morris helped with 17, including shooting 9-11 from the stripe. 
    3. Mercer (8-5). A mid-week clash on the road against a very solid UCF team, the Bears fell 81-63. Three starters, Mighty, Shoulders, and Okojie, all scored in double figures. A flight out west, Mercer then took on Washington State, where they kept it within one possession most of the first half, but the Cougars took over in the second. Okojie put up the numbers for Mercer, scoring 24. Armani Mighty made his contribution with another double-double, his sixth of the season. Over the weekend the Bears were able to gain some confidence in an easy home win against Baptist (Fl), winning 122-49. 14 guys saw minutes, and all of them made it into the scoring column. Senior guard Zaire Williams led the way with 19. 
    4. Wofford (6-4). A great start to the two weeks for Wofford after a week off, beating Gardner-Webb on the road 83-57. They spread the wealth on the scoreboard, as 5 players scored in double figures. Holmes scored 15 while tying his season high with 9 rebounds. Unfortunately two days later the Terriers lost a tough road test at Wichita state by 11. Holmes kept his scoring streak going, putting up 18, and both Cayden Vasko and Nils Machowski added 19 each – a season high for Vasko. Over the weekend, Wofford took on Union (KY), skating to an easy 88-54 win at home. Freshman Jayden Tyler scored 24 off the bench on 7-8 shooting, including going 5-6 from three. 
    5. Samford (7-6). Over the two weeks, Samford had two non-D1 matchups, cruising to easy wins in both. First the Bulldogs hosted Bryan (TN), winning 106-51. Booth topped the scoring with 19, but 10 others made it into the scoring column in a balanced win. On Friday, the Bulldogs knocked around Reinhardt for a 36 point victory. Samford was led by sophomore forward Judson Bjornstad, who came off the bench to score 16 and snag 6 rebounds. 
    6. Chattanooga (6-7). In a mid-week clash, Chattanooga traveled to Bellarmine, holding the lead most of the game until the last 10 minutes, when the Knights pulled away to win 79-64. Jordan Frison and senior transfer guard Brennan Watkins both played 38 minutes, scoring 20 a piece, for Watkins a season-high. The Mocs got back on track again on the road, this time at Alabama A&M, escaping with a 73-66 win. Again Frison had another big game, this time scoring 27 on 8-13 shooting and also getting 9 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists in an excellent all-around game. Off the bench, Jikari Johnson scored a season-high 17 in 30 minutes, while also pulling down 5 rebounds and not recording a single turnover.
    7. VMI (5-8). Only one game for VMI over the two weeks, where they took on Radford on the road, where they kept it close buzzer to buzzer but ultimately fell 97-90. TJ Johnson led the Keydets with 21. Freshman forward Alexander Daushvili scored 14 off the bench in his first game of the season. 
    8. Western Carolina (4-7). A road test over the two weeks at top 25 ranked Georgia, WCU was outpaced in a 112-82 loss. In only 19 minutes, sophomore guard CJ Hyland led the Catamounts with 14. Kell and Justin Johnson also put up 13 for WCU. For Johnson that is 4 straight games scoring in double figures. 
    9. UNCG (4-9). In the first matchup over the two weeks, UNC Greensboro hosted North Carolina A&T. UNCG led by as many as 18 in the first half, but a huge second half comeback from the Aggies ended in a 71-65 loss on the road. The Spartans had a tough go, with only 2 points from the bench in the game, and shooting only 37% as a team. KJ Younger led UNCG with 17, and Noah Norgaard adding a season-high 16. A bounceback game over the weekend a few days later ended in a 131-53 win over VA Lynchburg. Six players scored 10+ for the Spartans, including both Whitehead and Neely scoring 20. 
    10. The Citadel (3-10). A tough couple of weeks continued for The Citadel, losing both games on the road, first to Charleston and then to Richmond. Against Charleston, the Bulldogs went neck and neck the whole way, unfortunately ultimately dropping the game by 4. Braxton Williams made his offensive mark with 24 points, his high this season, while Moore put in 19 along with 6 rebounds and 3 assists. A few days later at Richmond, the Bulldogs fell 80-56, despite cutting it to 6 with 14 minutes to go. Off the bench for The Citadel, guard Logan Applegate scored 10, making it back to back games scoring in double figures.

  • Weekly Spotlight – 12/18 – Alex Wilkins

    12/18 – Quick Player Spotlight – Alex Wilkins

    This week this spotlight is on Alex Wilkins of Furman, winners of four in a row. In the latest in for the Paladins, Wilkins had 18 points and 7 assists, making sure everyone else got in on the action. As a freshman, he has scored 16 or more in 7 games so far this season, and shooting 86% from the free throw line. Furman looks to win the SoCon and as a freshman, Wilkins is hoping to get them there. He has cracked 20 points four times this year, and has dished it out to teammates 5+ times in six games. Fun to watch and a big part of Furman’s success, keep watching Alex Wilkins as the season goes on.

  • Weekly Recap (12/8 – 12/14)

    Weekly Recap (12/8 – 12/14)

    Hey everyone! Didn’t manage to post any during the week unfortunately because of life being busy, but I’ll try to catch up on it this week with a spotlight or two on some stand-outs over the past week. Hope you’re all doing well, and getting ready for holiday basketball hoops over the next few weeks!!

    1. East Tennessee State (8-3). Only one game this week for ETSU but despite a loss, they are still on top of the SoCon for another week. In a road game at Austin Peay they trailed all game, only to claw back and close the gap, eventually tying the game in the last few minutes but ultimately falling 76-75. The Buccs were led this week by Taylor who put up 19. Blake Barkley and Cam Morris also added 12 a piece. 
    2. Mercer (7-3). Games are sparse in December, and the Bears also only had one this week, unfortunately falling on the road by 7 to Clemson. Baraka Okojie jumped off the page for Mercer in the game, scoring 20 and dishing out 5 assists. He continues to lead the team in scoring and assists. Zaire Williams added 15 in the close effort, and for the third straight game had 3 steals. 
    3. Furman (7-4).  One game, one win for the Paladins, who are now undefeated in December. A trouncing of Bob Jones 105-57 at home, 12 guys saw minutes, and 5 scored in double figures. Cooper Bowser was hot from the field shooting 11-14 on his way to 24 points to go along with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Senior guard Tom House had 16 off the bench, hitting 4 threes. 
    4. Wofford (6-4). Rest week for Wofford, back at it this week with two games. 
    5. Chattanooga (5-6). At the start of the week, Chattanooga got a nice warm up win against Oakwood, 103-46. Jordan Frison led the way for the Mocs with 20, and senior transfer guard Brennan Watkins put in 18 off the bench including going 5-8 from three. In a much bigger test on Saturday, Chattanooga went into Auburn and played a tough top 25 Tigers squad, keeping it close well into the second half, but ultimately falling short 92-78. Frison continued his hot streak with another 20 piece, his high against DI opponents. Teddy Washington Jr played 32 minutes off the bench, putting up a season high 16 points. 
    6. Samford (5-6). Rest week for Samford, two non-DI games this week. 
    7. VMI (5-7). Big win before a big break for VMI this week. Hosting Loyola-Maryland, VMI took the lead in the first five minutes and never looked back, winning 86-70. Four players put up double figures, but Linus Holmstrom led everyone with 23 points, knocking down 7-11 from beyond the arc. TJ Johnson bounced back after a few poor shooting nights to add 17, just below his average for the season. Additionally, junior guard Tan Yildizoglu shot 6-10, helping out with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. 
    8. Western Carolina (4-6). In one game of action, WCU had a tough run against Virginia Tech, falling 96-74 on the road. Marcus Kell continues to put up buckets, scoring 21 on 7-12 from the field. Off the bench, Justin Johnson had his season high with 16. 
    9. The Citadel (3-8). To start the week, the Bulldogs had an easy win against Southern Wesleyan by 25 at home. 16 players saw court action and five managed to score in double figures. Eze Wali had a game high 17. Over the weekend The Citadel traveled to South Carolina, losing to a tough SEC squad 71-55. Junior guard Carter Kingsbury, a transfer from Iowa, led the way with 18, his high for the season. 
    10. UNCG (3-8). A game on Friday against William Peace, Greensboro had no trouble and ended up with a 28 point victory. Four starters scored 11+ and Neely continues his run leading the scoring for the Spartans, knocking in 11-17 for 24 points and snagging 11 rebounds. 

  • Weekly Recap (12/1 – 12/7)

    Weekly Recap (12/1 – 12/7)

    Howdy! Entering December, the good teams are starting to separate themselves from the maybe not so good. Hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving and are getting ready for a great packed holiday-packed month. Although not as much action on the SoCon court as many of the teams only have a handful of games until Conference action starts in January.

    1. East Tennessee State (8-2). Three games this week for the conference leading Buccs. ETSU dropped their first one on the road Tuesday at 7-2 Dayton, 88-71. Sophomore forward Blake Barkley, a transfer from Northwestern, had his best game of the year, tallying 21 points and 6 rebounds. Morris also put in 19 with 5 boards. Back and forth for the first ten minutes, the Flyers took the lead and never looked back. East Tennessee bounced back Friday night back at home in a 26 point blowout over South Alabama. Barkley had his second game in a row scoring 20 points, and also snagging 9 off the glass. Morris again did his part, with a double-double, his first of the year. The star of the game though was junior guard Maki Johnson, who scored 29 on a wild 9 threes! His first game scoring in double figures, and he came through in a huge way. Finally, ETSU got another win on the record against Tusculum, 78-62. Brayden Crump, a junior transfer from Elon, led the way for the Buccaneers with 15. 
    2. Mercer (7-2). For the Bears, Armani Mighty continues to lead the way on what is now a five game win streak. In the win early in the week, Mighty had an excellent impact with 22 and 13 rebounds. Three other starters scored in double figures: Shoulders, Okojie, and Perkins. On Sunday, Mercer got an easy stat-padding win against Oglethorpe in a 50 point blowout.  Off the bench, San Diego transfer forward Bendji Pierre scored 17 and added 6 boards in his best game of the season. Tristan Gross, a transfer junior guard from Stetson, also added 10 off the bench and Mighty had another double-double. 
    3. Furman (6-4). Two wins for the Paladins this week. Wednesday, Furman went on the road to Elon and won by 9 in a game that they trailed most of the game until the last 7 minutes. Five players scored in double figures for a very balanced attack, and Thomas led the way with 21, hitting 5 threes. Johnston also helped out with a double-double, and even dishing out 4 assists while the 19 from Bowser was his high of the season so far. Over the weekend Furman returned home and added another win, knocking off Harvard 79-69. Asa Thomas continued to shine, scoring a team-high 18 and grabbing 5 rebounds. Bowser, Wilkins, and Bronson also scored in double figures. 
    4. Wofford (6-4). A split this week for the Terriers, but they started it with a 7 point win at home against Presbyterian. The Blue Hose made it close with a minute to go, but Wofford held tough. Both Holmes and Machowski had 16, but overall Wofford was lucky to get a win, shooting only 29% from the field. Watley had a 9 and 9 off the bench for a nice contribution. In the game Saturday, Elon took an early lead and never looked back, beating the Terriers by 21. Interestingly enough, both Holmes and Machowski scored the same again, but this time each putting in 12. Wofford again only shot 32% so will have to really improve the shooting if they plan on competing with some of the better teams. 
    5. Chattanooga (4-5). Chattanooga had a tough week with only one game on the schedule, losing at home by 4 to SE Missouri State in a game that was within one possession for most of the 40 minutes. Frison led the way for the Mocs with 17 points and a season-high 7 rebounds. He’s also shooting 82% from the free throw line, which is definitely something to shout-out. 
    6. Western Carolina (4-5). The week started well for the Catamounds with a 62 point drubbing of Virginia-Lynchburg. The scoring was spread around well, with seven players putting up 10 or more, including 18 by both Kell and freshman Tayeshaun Smith. WCU then went on the road over the weekend to SC Upstate and played a close game in which they even took the lead with about 11 minutes left, but unfortunately fell by 11 in the end. Again the scoring was extremely balanced though, with five players scoring in double figures. Justin Johnson, a sophomore guard from Arkansas State, led the scoring with 13, his season-high, and also had 6 rebounds. Notably, Soumaoro has scored 10+ points in 7 of 8 games against DI teams. 
    7. Samford (5-6). Two tough matchups this week ended up in split results for the Bulldogs. On Friday, Samford traveled to VCU and played them close into the second half, when VCU ultimately pulled away. Faulkner had an outstanding game, scoring 22 and also collecting 9 rebounds. A tough shooting night, Samford only shot 35% from the field and 10% from three. The Bulldogs bounced back on Sunday though at home, beating Cornell 93-90 after being down as many as 15 in the second half. Huge confidence booster to end the week, and Booth led the way with 30 and Faulkner helping out with 23 on 9-10 shooting. For Booth, it was his second time scoring 30 this season, and impressively sinking all 9 shots from the free throw line. 
    8. VMI (4-7). Only one game this week for VMI, where they took care of business, knocking off Christendom 89-36. TJ Johnson continues his dominating season for the Keydets, putting up 22 and grabbing 11 rebounds. Anderes added 17 off the bench, and Holmstrom wasn’t too far from a triple-double with a 12/6/9.
    9. The Citadel (2-7). The Bulldogs were in action on Thursday on the road at Davidson, where they lost, 79-63. 13 guys saw minutes, and overall the scoring for The Citadel was well-balanced. Junior Gabe Hernandez had his best game this season, scoring 10 in 23 minutes of action. 
    10. UNCG (2-8). A win over the weekend on the road at ECU was welcomed greatly after a tough close loss on Tuesday against UNC Asheville. For the Spartans in the 82-77 loss to UNCA, Whitehead led scoring off the bench with 13. Neely added 9 and snagged 10 rebounds, which was his 7th game this season with 10+ rebounds. Trailing early in the first half, UNCG did what it needed to do to get their second win of the season while Neely and Marville combined for 45 points. Arguably Marville’s best game of the season, he scored 22 hitting all 8 of his free throws, and also had 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 29 minutes.

  • 12/2 – Quick Player Spotlight – Armani Mighty

    12/2 – Quick Player Spotlight – Armani Mighty

    The Mercer Bears have won four in a row, with huge contributions from junior center Armani Mighty. Tonight in their win against Georgia State he shot 9-10 from the field and scored 22 while also pulling down 13 rebounds. His highest scoring output this season, Mighty has been consistent for Mercer all season, scoring in double figures in all but one game, and snagging 10+ boards in four. After spending the past two seasons at Boston College where he only played minimally, he has quickly found his role for the Bears and is helping them contend as the best team in the Southern Conference.

  • Weekly Recap (11/24 – 11/30)

    Weekly recap (11/24 – 11/30)

    Hello again. Brief drop-off while Thanksgiving festivities and related events were going on. But that didn’t stop FEAST WEEK from happening on the court. So where are we as we settle in from the busy week?

    1. East Tennessee State (6-1). Only one game this week, but got a solid win at home to finish November in the ASUN/SoCon Challenge against Central Arkansas, 80-57. A close game in the first half, ETSU broke it open early in the second. Jaylen Smith continued his hot streak, putting up 28 including 7 threes, while adding 8 rebounds off the bench. Certainly his best game of the season so far. Morris added another 14 for the Buccs. Brian Taylor II recorded 14/10/10 for a fantastic triple-double. He even added 4 steals! 
    2. Mercer (5-2). Two wins this week for the Bears, with a midweek home win against Appalachian State, and then a 91-84 win on the road Saturday at Elon. Senior guard Zaire Williams, a transfer from Wagner, led the way on the scoreboard with 21. Mighty finished the game with a balanced 12 points and 9 rebounds. On Saturday, Okojie stepped up big with 29 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds. All five starters scored in double figures and Mighty snagged everything on the glass to get his third double-double of the season so far. 
    3. Wofford (5-3). A split week for the Terriers, losing a tough game on the road at Northern Kentucky on Wednesday, in a game that was close throughout and tied up until two minutes to go in the game. They bounced back over the weekend with a road win at Eastern Kentucky, 83-77. In the early loss, Holmes had his third straight game of 20+ points, and Machowski snagged 11 rebounds and put in 15 points along with 4 assists. It was his first double-double of the season. Wofford led by as many as 15 against EKU, but EKU climbed back to make it close at the end. Their leader Holmes did what he does best, score the basketball. A season-high 30 points along with 8 rebounds on 10-13 shooting, it was a great contribution from the sophomore guard. Juniors Rex Stirling, Cayden Vasko, and Machowski all scored in double figures to help Wofford in the win. 
    4. Chattanooga (4-4). A big win on Friday against Tennessee Wesleyan to build some confidence 109-59 was followed two days later by a six point loss at home to Tennessee State in which UT-Chattanooga cut it to 2 in the last minute but ultimately couldn’t complete the comeback. Freshman guard Tate Darner led the way for the Mocs with 16 points. Billy Smith also added 11, which is his fourth straight game of scoring 11+. 
    5. Furman (4-4). Furman ended November going 1-1 this week in the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational. On Thursday the Paladins handed Richmond their first loss, but then in the Championship game on Friday lost 72-65 to Illinois State. In their win against Richmond, Wilkins continued his hot start to the season, scoring 26. Asa Thomas also helped out significantly, scoring 20 with five 3s. Wilkins stayed consistent against Illinois State with another 25 point day. Freshman guard Collin O’Neal came off the bench for Furman to add 12, all from 3, in his best game of the early season. 
    6. Samford (4-5). Back to back games Tuesday and Wednesday in the Cancun Challenge, Samford won their first game against Georgia State, 78-63, and then dropped one to Utah Valley. Five players scored in double figures against Georgia State, with Faulkner leading the way with 19 and 6 boards. Senior forward Jaxson Pollard came off the bench to add 16 and also grabbed 9 rebounds. The Bulldogs got stomped by 44 in their loss to UVU, only shooting 25% from the field. Isaiah Campbell-Finch, a freshman guard, led scoring with 12.
    7. Western Carolina (3-4). In their one game this week, the Catamounts had a tough loss 93-73 to High Point. Kell shot 11-19 putting up 27, and both Stansberry and Soumaoro hit three 3s and scored in double figures. 
    8. VMI (3-7). A tough week for VMI, they dropped both games early in the week in the Fort Myers Tip-Off, then lost a third game on the road on Saturday to UCF. In their first game, a loss 78-70 to undefeated Buffalo, TJ Johnson continued to star, scoring 28, shooting 18 threes, and also grabbing 7 rebounds. Another MAC opponent in Bowling Green unfortunately also ended in a blow-out loss, and shooting only 20% from the field. A bright spot for the Keydets, sophomore guard Linus Holmstrom put up 11 and added 4 rebounds. To end the weekend, VMI got roughed up 82-57 to UCF. TJ Johnson had another tough shooting day, going 1-11, but contributed in other ways with 10 rebounds. Tatum Jr led the Keydets with 19 points off the bench, his high for the year against D-1 opponents. 
    9. The Citadel (2-6). A mid week loss to Houston Christian by 7, The Citadel tied the game with 5 minutes to go, but fell short in the end. For the Bulldogs, senior forward Braxton Williams led scoring with 20 points, hitting 5 threes in his highest scoring game of the season. Moore also added 17 with 4 rebounds. In their second game of the week, Presbyterian started by going up 17-2 and never looked back. The Citadel only shot 30%, but Williams led scorers again with 13 points. 
    10. UNCG (1-7). Two more losses for UNCG this week, to continue the tough start to their season. First on Tuesday, in the Jacksonville Classic, Greensboro fell to Delaware 73-60. The Spartans were led by freshman guard Lilian Marville, who had his highest scoring night of the season, putting in 17 and shooting 5-7 from three. Neely also scored 8 but grabbed 10 rebounds and had 3 assists. Against undefeated Miami of Ohio, UNCG even took a one point lead with 7 minutes to go but then Miami shut them down. Younger, Neely, and freshman guard Assane Mandian all scored in double figures for the Spartans. With 11 rebounds, Neely had his fourth double-double of the season, continuing to be a very consistent positive presence for this team. 

  • Weekly Recap (11/17 – 11/23)

    Hey all! Thanks again for reading. Just a quick recap of your favorite SoCon teams in action through the past week. I tried to also do some mid-week shoutouts and highlights but I don’t still quite know what my consistent format will be. Suggestions always welcome!

    1. East Tennessee State (5-1). Two more wins this week for the Buccs this week as they continue to look like the strongest team in the SoCon. A 15 point home win against Morehead State on Friday, and then wrapping up the weekend with a blowout win against UL Monroe. In the win against Morehead, four starters scored in double figures, with Taylor and Morris both getting over 20 and McCullum adding 13 and 14 rebounds. ETSU was able to empty the bench in their game Sunday against ULM, with 13 players seeing minutes. Smith off the bench added 15 points on 6-8 shooting and dished out 5 assists. 
    2. Wofford (4-2). Two more wins for Wofford this week continues the good momentum, including a home win against North Florida in the ASUN/SoCon Challenge, and a dominant win against division II Erskine at home on Friday. Holmes continues to lead the Terriers in scoring, putting up 21 and adding 9 rebounds and 3 assists, not to mention 3 steals and 2 blocks in a fantastic overall game. Freshman Chace Watley had a season high 16 points off the bench, hitting 7-8 field goals. 
    3. Mercer (3-2). Winning their only game this week, the Bears improved to 3-2 with a solid road win against Eastern Kentucky 95-83 in the ASUN/SoCon Challenge. All five starters put up double figures and senior transfer from Syracuse Kyle Cuffe Jr added 12 off the bench, shooting a perfect 3-3 from three. Mighty had his second double-double of the season, with 18 and 12. Sophomore Quinton Perkins II led the scoring with 20 points which was his season high. Mercer shot a very impressive 57% from three in the win. 
    4. Chattanooga (3-3). Two more wins added to the resume this week for UT-Chattanooga. First a mid-week win on the road at SC State, followed by a home win on Saturday in the ASUN/SoCon Challenge 71-57 against Northern Alabama. The Mocs had a balanced attack in the win against SC State, with Frison leading the way with 17 points, and Washington Jr putting in 16. Frison always added 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Senior Makai Richards came off the bench and snagged six boards. In Saturday’s win, senior guard Billy Smith, a transfer from Bellarmine, led the way with 18 points, all from 3, and grabbing 5 rebounds. While Washington Jr didn’t have his normal scoring numbers, he still contributed, leading the team with 10 rebounds. Freshman Tate Darner scored 10 off the bench.
    5. Furman (3-3). Furman started the week with a demolishing of Ohio Christian, winning at home by 55, and followed up that positive momentum with an 11 point home win 90-79 against Queens in the ASUN/SoCon Challenge. Against Ohio Christian, sophomore Clemson transfer guard Asa Thomas led the way with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Johnston always added 15 points and 11 rebounds. In the win against Queens, five players scored in double figures in a very balanced effort. Wilkins continues his impressive start to his college career, leading the Paladins in scoring, and putting up 23/5/7 in the win. With 14 points and 13 rebounds, Johnston has double doubles in five of his first six games. Bowser also added an impressive 17 points, his season high. 
    6. Western Carolina (3-3). The Catamounts got a mid-week win over UNC Asheville, but dropped a tough one Saturday on the road, 83-62 to Lipscomb in the ASUN/SoCon Challenge. The 29 from Stansberry led the way, and freshman Tahlan Pettiway helped in the win, adding 12 points off the bench. WCU won the battle of the boards, out-rebounding UNCA 43-28. The weekend game was lopsided from the jump, with Lipscomb taking the lead and never looking back. Soumaoro, Stansberry, and freshman guard Tahlan Pettway all scored in double figures, and 7’ sophomore transfer from Denver Abdulai Fanta Kabba did his part, pulling down 9 rebounds.
    7. Samford (3-4). A tough week for Samford, dropping both their games including a home loss 77-62 to FGCU in the ASUN/SoCon Challenge, then two days later on the road by 9 to New Mexico State in the Cancun Challenge. Earlier in the week at home, Booth put up an outstanding 27 points, with Faulkner adding 14 points and 7 rebounds. The Bulldogs played a tough NMSU team on Friday and stayed with them most of the game. Sophomore transfer guard Kam Martin from Long Beach State came off the bench and played 22 minutes, scoring 17 and grabbing 5 boards in by far his best game of the year so far. Another solid contributor was sophomore guard Zion Wilburn who added 15 points and 3 rebounds. 
    8. VMI (3-4). Playing on the road in both games this week, VMI got beat up by Richmond early in the week, losing by 33, and then over the weekend lost in the ASUN/SoCon Challenge to Stetson, 99-80. Against the undefeated Spiders, the team had a tough shooting night, only shooting 37% from the field. Off the bench though, sophomore guard Jaylen Pazon came in and put up 14 in 19 minutes. In the Keydets loss to Stetson, TJ Johnson scored 20 as he continues to lead the team in scoring. Clark recorded his first double double of the season with a 12 and 11. 
    9. The Citadel (2-3). Only one game this week, The Citadel got an easy win 70-57 against North Greenville, jumping out to a 14-0 lead to start the game. 13 players saw time in the game, with contributions across the board. Gonzales continues to shine off the bench, scoring 20 points and adding 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Keynan Davis and sophomore guard Eze Wali also scored in double figures. 
    10. UNCG (1-5). A close loss on Thursday on the road in the AUN/SoCon Challenge, UNC Greensboro lost 101-94 to Queens. UNCG was within 10 the entire game, but just couldn’t cut it any closer. Six players scored in double figures though, including all five starters, and junior forward Domas Kauzonas off the bench. Freshman guard KJ Younger led the Spartans with 22, his season high, on 7-9 shooting. Ending the week with a reason to celebrate, UNCG came from behind, down 18 at halftime, to get their first win, 68-62 against Youngstown State in the Jacksonville Classic. Continuing to lead the team this year in scoring, Neely put up 16 points to go with an impressive 16 rebounds and added 3 assists and 3 steals. Freshman guard Noah Norgaard from Denmark scored a season high 9 points off the bench, playing 24 minutes.