8/26/2017 - I've continued to EDIT this post to include the latest information I have, like the addition of Jalan McCloud, and the Mocs loss of Joan Duran.

Yes, it’s too soon. Some coaches are still searching for that last big recruit. But the outlines of things are there. I can’t wait for this season to start.

1 - UNCG (25-10, 14-4)

They lose their best all around guard, all-conference Diante Baldwin (13.5 points on .383 from 3 with 1.8 steals and 4 assists), and their best all around big man, all conference R.J. White who had muscle, nimble feet and soft hands producing 12.9 points on .550 shooting and 6.7 rebounds. But unlike Furman, they kept their good young coach, Wes Miller.

Guards: the big star is the great shooting, non stop runner through screens 6-3 185 Jr. Francis Alonso, El Boquerón from Malaga, Spain – a sick .462 from 3 with 102 makes and he doesn’t just score from 3. He’s clever around the basket. 6-0 187 Junior Demetrius Troy hits .383 from 3 with 44 makes and adds 3 plus assists. At 6-3 185 sophomore Malik Massey showed some promise as a freshman, with some physical, chippy play, scoring .446 (25-56) from 3 and might improve. They may have a real freshman prize in sought after 6-4 185 freshman shooting guard Kaleb Hunter of Raleigh, NC with offers from VCU, Arizona State, ODU, Murray State and others. He could take up some slack from the loss of Baldwin. Also promising is 6-1 180 freshman Isaiah Miller of Covington, GA, a first team 7A All-Stater with offers from Miami (OH), U Mass and LMU. 6-3 185 Sr transfer Justin Jordan from UW-Milwaukee was on board for the second semester last year, but only saw action in 6 games and posted no meaningful stats. He's Michael Jordan's nephew and does have some athleticism, though. Against Sevilla this August he showed some ability to create shots and get to the free throw line late in a close game.

Inside they return the rapidly improving 6-10 200 James Dickey, All-Freshman last year with 7.2 rebounds and 6.3 points, and 6-9 250 Jordy Kuiper. Quality 6-6 205 swingman Marvin Smith (9.1 ppg, 4.1 rebounds) helps. Recruiting brought no new help inside since 6-8 230 Wichita State transfer Eric Hamilton, a 3* athlete on some sites who did very little in 2 years at Wichita, will have to sit out the season. Slim 6-8 215 sophomore Kyrin Galloway contributed in the few minutes that he got as a freshman (8.3 minutes, 3.5 points, 2.2 rebounds) and could improve. 6-5 195 Rs-Fr Kylia Sykes got a look on the Spanish trip, getting 19.5 minutes with 7 ppg, 3 rebounds, 3 t.o.'s and 2 steals in 2 games, but fouled out quickly in the 3rd game with a blank stat sheet. He is thought to be a high motor, physical type who might especially help on defense.

They beat ETSU 2 out of 3 and lose less from the roster. They went 1-1 with Furman, but unlike the Paladins, they kept their coach and have fewer questions with their big guys up front. Good freshmen and improving young bigs could ease the loss of Baldwin and White. Until the Bucs’ new additions prove that they are as good as we think, the Spartans should probably rate first.

Guards:
6-3 185 Jr. Francis Alonso, 28.8 minutes, 14.9 pts, .462 (102-221) from 3
6-0 187 Jr. Demetrius Troy, 20.8 minutes, 6.9 pts, .383 (44-115) from 3, 3.6 assists
6-3 195 So. Malik Massey, 15.8 minutes, 5.3 pts, .446 (25-56) from 3
6-3 185 Sr transfer Justin Jordan, only played in 6 games last year getting 5.8 minutes, 1.5 points, 0.8 rebounds

Front Court:
6-6 205 Sr.Marvin Smith, 26.1 minutes, 9.1 pts, .314 (55-175) from 3, 4.1 rebounds
6-10 200 Rs So James Dickey, 22.1 minutes, 6.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
6-9 250 Sr. Jordy Kuiper, 19.9 minutes, 5.3 points, 4.4 rebounds
6-8 215 So. Kyrin Galloway, 8.3 minutes, 3.5 points on .650 FG%, 2.2 rebounds, 15 blocks

Newcomers:
Fr. 6-4 185 SG Kaleb Hunter, offers from VCU, Arizona State, ODU, Murray State, etc.
Fr. 6-1 180 PG Isaiah Miller, offers from Miami OH, U Mass and LMU
Rs-Fr 6-5 195 Kylia Sykes, offer from Manhattan Jaspers, touted as relentless physical player who could help on the defensive end; got significant court time on trip to Spain
Sitting out as transfer: 6-8 230 Eric Hamilton of Wichita State, 28 games, 4.8 minutes, 1.3 ppg, 29.5 FG%, .167 from 3, .353 FT%, 1.3 rebounds


2 - ETSU (27-7, 14-4)

Adding 5th yr senior 5-11 160 Texas Southern Point Guard Jalan McCloud may have filled out the roster for this season. Steve Forbes has got to put together a team from a lot of new parts. But that’s exactly what he has done the last two years, so there’s some reason to be optimistic. No T.J. Cromer, no Tevin Glass, no Hanner and no Isaac Banks. Imagine an ETSU team without A.J. Merriweather, one of my all time favorite Bucs!

Inside, we either rely on 6-10 230 Freshman Mladen Armus to step up; or 7-0 245 Sr. Peter Jurkin to improve; or we go small with 6-7 225 JUCO Jeromy Rodriguez or 6-8 225 JUCO James Harrison. Mladen is not your typical freshman, with Euro club training for Partizan Belgrade Junior team, a solid American high school program at 36-3 Southwest Christian Academy, Little Rock AK, where he averaged 16.3 points and 12.8 rebounds and age group experience on the national team in his native Serbia. We hoped for too much from Peter Jurkin two years ago; but some people are writing him off too quickly now and giving him too little credit for what he has done. His length and agility can be game changing if he makes the necessary improvement. I don’t think that Forbes would have put in the work to get an extra year from the NCAA if he didn’t see real potential. Rodriguez was POY in the tough Panhandle Conference and is touted by his Northwest FL JUCO coach as the hardest working, most improved player that he’s seen. His Northwest Florida stats are a little better than Tevin Glass’ were as a JUCO sophomore at the same school with 14.7 points on 60.0%, 9.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and a few 3’s. EDIT - Rodriguez is out indefinitely with a pickup game injury; coaches hope for a return later this year but say that a redshirt is possible; since he was looking like the best player in the front court, his loss would hurt. 2ND EDIT - well, he was due back at practice October 16; hopefully this injury proves much less serious than originally feared. James Harrison was an honorable mention All Region JUCO with a productive 14.2 points on 60.6% shooting and 6.7 rebounds.

One thing about Forbes – he doesn’t tinker with different odd possibilities. He decides pretty early on who he’s going to go with and commits to it. That may change some as the year goes on and a Lester Wilson or Deuce Bello or Jermaine Long earn more time. But we’ll probably see early how he’s going to approach things.

At the 3 we hope for 6-6 200 Sr. David Burrell to do what JUCO’s like T.J. Cromer and Jalen Riley have often done and step it up their senior years. 7.4 points on .400 from 3 and 3.3 rebounds are not bad in 17 minutes of play. But there were a few games where the ultra athletic Burrell played like a madman (6 blocks in the tournament win over UNCG; 11 points versus Florida in NCAA's). We hope to see him dominate a little more often. And we need him to give us some of the 3 point shooting that we have lost. The very athletic 6-6 190 JUCO Jr Andre Edwards (10.9 points, 5.0 rebounds) could also play a role. 6-6 220 Vermont high flyer Fr. Kendrick Gray is said to be coming in as a walk-on for Forbes when most SoCon teams would have gladly spent a scholarship for his potential. This is a guy who turned down offers from Winthrop, St. Bonaventure, Youngstown State, Vermont, Wagner and Eastern Michigan to walk on for the Bucs!

At guard we lose our go to guy in Cromer, the real SoCon POY. Steve Forbes has spent two years trying to convince 6-4 Senior Desonta Bradford (10.6 points on .354 from 3, with 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.1 steals) that the sky is the limit for him. Desonta doesn’t have the natural swagger that T.J. Cromer, Gelawn Guyn or Jalen Riley did. But he’s got awesome athleticism, great hops and finishing power, and a 3 point shot that he could rely on a little more. You don’t want to see him overburdened by the lead role like Rashawn Rembert and Jarvis Jones sometimes seemed to be. You want him to balance playing confident and aggressive, but not forcing it. Learn to have a short memory, Desonta.

6-2 Senior Devontavius Payne (6.7 points on .398 from 3 - .442 in the SoCon in just 15.5 minutes) doesn’t need to be taught about swagger or a short memory. We’d like to see the ‘second year JUCO’ effect give him a big boost in scoring, whether he starts, or comes in as a momentum changer off the bench.

6-3 Senior Jermaine Long really needs to improve his shooting (.405 FG% and .138 from 3 for 3.6 points in 13.0 minutes). We could afford that last year, because his defense and ball handling were excellent (1.5 steals in limited minutes) and we had other scoring options. This year we’ll need more offensive help. Enter 6-3 Junior Longwood transfer Kanayo Obi-Rapu, reputed to be an athletic, solid defender, who can also shoot, scoring 12.0 points per game as a sophomore for Longwood on .384 from 3 (2.3 makes per game) with 3.1 rebounds. He’ll be a real threat to get serious minutes.

Another possibility for an athletic point guard that might add some scoring punch is 5-11 160 5th yr Senior Point Guard Jalan McCloud from Texas Southern who stepped it up in their SWAC conference winning run with conference stats of 25.4 minutes, 11.4 points on .375 from 3 (18-48), .903 FT% (65-72), 2.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals. ETSU hopes that he will give the Bucs the ability to create his own shot. He graduated and is eligible to play now.

5-11 So. Jason Williams brings energy and athleticism but also needs to learn how to score on this level if he’s going to contribute (1.9 points on .293 from the field and .320 from 3 in 8.9 minutes). 6-4 190 Fr. Bo Hodges, two time Tennessee "AA" Mr. Basketball, has a game that seems to depend on power drives to the hoop (26 points, 12 rebounds). Can he make that work on this level? 6-4 210 Kevin Tiggs and 6-4 195 Ben Rhoda did. It took 6-3 205 Tommy Hubbard a couple of years to figure out how. In contrast, Ben Rhoda walked right in as a freshman and made a good living grabbing rebounds and loose balls and making put back baskets. Hodges will also need a D1 quality 3, something that Mike Smith had as a freshman, but Hubbard and Rembert took a year or two to develop. All-State in football and track, as well as basketball. Bucs from Marty Story to Mike Smith and Tommy Hubbard have shown the value that football toughness can have on the basketball court. Son of a coach. It's going to be really interesting to see the skill set that he has, and how it might work in D1.

6-0 160 local boy Patrick Good from Davy Crockett HS has transferred over from Appy State after a pretty successful freshman season (22 minutes, 7.0 points, 41% from 3, 2.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals). He's at home on the website roster, but will have to sit out a transfer year.

UNCG went 2 of 3 against us and Furman went 1-1 last year. Both teams lose fewer key parts than the Bucs. The Bucs only rank this high because Forbes has shown that he can reload quickly.

Guards:
6-4 190 Sr. Desonta Bradford, 30.6 minutes, 10.6 pts, .354 (28-79 from 3), 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steal
6-2 175 Sr. Devontavius Payne, 15.5 minutes, 6.7 pts, .398 (47-118 from 3), 1.6 rebounds, 0.7 steals
6-3 180 Sr. Jermaine Long, 13.0 minutes, 3.6 pts, .138 (4-29 from 3), 1.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists
6-3 195 Rs-Jr. Kanayo Obi-Rapu, 2015-2016 Longwood stats, 31.9 minutes, 12.0 pts, .384 (2.3-5.9) from 3, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals
5-11 185 So. Jason Williams, 8.9 minutes, .293 FG%, .320 (8-25) from 3, 1.2 assists

Front Court:
6-6 200 Sr David Burrell, 17.1 minutes, 7.4 pts, .400 (28-70) from 3, 3.3 rebounds
7-0 245 Rs-Sr Peter Jurkin, 2015-16 stats: 12.1 minutes, 5.3 ppg, .563 FG%, 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 blocks
6-7 225 Jr Jeromy Rodriguez, JUCO, Santiago DR, Northwest FL CC, 14.7 pts, 60% FG%, 9.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks
EDIT - Rodriguez is out indefinitely with a pick up game injury. He may not play at all this year... but then again, he might heal. Since he was rated #2 on the depth chart by the coaching staff, this loss will hurt.
2ND EDIT - Rodriguez was due back at practice October 16 - maybe the injury is not as serious as was feared??
6-8 225 Jr James Harrison, JUCO, Dallas TX, Blinn College, 14.2 pts, 60.6% FG%, 6.7 rebounds
6-6 190 Jr Andre Edwards, JUCO, Compton CA, Lee JC, sophomore stats: 10.9 pts, 40.4% FG%, 5.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists; better freshman year averaging 15.4 pts and 7.6 rebounds.

Newcomers:
6-10 230 Fr., Mladen Armus, Pristina, Kosovo, Southwest Christian Academy HS Sr stats: 16.3 ppg, 12.8 rebounds; offers USF, Fresno, St. Bonaventure, Washington and Washington State
5-11 (?5-10?) 160 5th Sr. PG, Jalan McCloud, Fort Worth, TX, Texas Southern Stats: 21.3 min., 8.5 ppg, 41.9 FG%, 29.7 3pt%, 84.7 FT%, 2.5 rb, 1.1 asst; In conference: 25.4 min., 11.4 ppg, .488 FG%, .375 3 pt% (18-48), .903 FT%, 2.9 rb, 1.2 asst, 1.0 steals
6-4 190 Fr., Bo Hodges, Nashville TN, Maplewood HS stats 26 pts, 12 rebounds; two time TN "AA" Mr. Basketball
6-6 220 Fr Walk On Kendrick Gray, Burlington VT (the Asheville of New England - great town), Vermont Academy; offers - Winthrop, St. Bonaventure, Youngstown State, Wagner, Vermont, Eastern Michigan
Must sit out a year: Appy State transfer Patrick Good, ASU freshman stats: 22 minutes in 29 games, 7.0 ppg, 41.7% FG%, 41% from 3, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals
6-10 240 Sr Karl Overstreet, walk on

3 - FURMAN (23-12, 14-4)

They return more 3 point shooting than anyone with 319 made 3’s on .385 shooting (UNCG loses Diante Baldwin and Wofford loses Eric Garcia). They also defend well, holding opponents to 66.3 ppg on .420 from the field and .312 from 3. Add in a +2.5 rebounding margin and a +0.59 turnover margin and they were just a solid, well rounded team. Experienced, too: they will likely start 4 seniors and 1 junior.

They only lose one player - but they lose a lot of rebounding and inside toughness with Kris Acox heading back north to Iceland. He was the second leading scorer, their leading rebounder and a big intangible plus with his relentless play. His loss hurts more because there are question marks about his replacement(s). 6-8 215 Junior Matt Rafferty will have to prove that he’s over his chronic back problems to make up for this loss. He only played 15 games before back surgery ended his season last year, his second back surgery in a 6 month period. 6-8 245 Rs-So. Jalen Williams has not yet lived up to the claims (“best rebounder in practice”) made for him by his fans – he averaged 2.3 in 8.6 minutes of playing time last year – not bad per minute… but if he were really their best rebounder, he would have gotten more time on a team in need of bigs. This would be a good time for Jalen to live up to his billing. 6-7 210 Sr Geoff Beans is more useful as a 3 point shooter (6.3 points on .391 from 3 with 45 makes) than he is as an inside presence (2.5 rebounds in 18.0 minutes). That leaves 3 inexperienced inside players in Mounce, Gurley and Clark.

Fans hope that 6-7 200 Rs-Fr Clay Mounce (brother of Tusculum's Chase Mounce) might help inside, although his only other offers were from King and Lees McRae. True Freshman Noah Gurley is said to have bulked up a bit and is now listed at 6-8 rather than 6-7 and 190 rather than 175. We'll have to see if he's ready for physical D1 play. 6-5 194 Sophomore Willie 'Tre' Clark is said to have promise, but managed only 1.2 points on .250 FG% in 7.5 minutes as a freshman. Turning guys like these into productive D1 players was a Niko Medved specialty.

Which brings us to the Paladins’ biggest loss: their excellent SoCon Coach of the Year Niko Medved who made them the kind of team that improved from year to year and from the beginning to the end of the season. Under Medved they were just a tough out. Matt McCall and Steve Forbes have showed how much a coaching change could mean, albeit in rather different ways. With a veteran team returning, Furman decided to stay with a Medved assistant in Bob Richey. A lot is riding on how well that works out.

Guard is the strong point on this squad, with all-freshman Jordan Lyons ranking no better than 4th on this squad behind 3 seniors: The second best player in the SoCon last year in 6-2 175 Senior Devin Sibley (17.7 pts on .449 from 3 with 79 makes, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.9 t.o.’s and a fantastic 0.6 steals – thoroughly inferior in most respects to T.J. Cromer, but darn good all the same), 6-4 203 Senior Daniel Fowler 30 minutes, 10.9 points on .344 from 3 (42 makes) 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists, and 5-11 165 Senior John Davis with 28.9 minutes, 8.9 points on .387 from 3 (48 makes). 6-4 212 Jr. Andrew Brown adds 18.2 minutes, 4.7 pts on .434 from 3 (43 makes) and 2.5 rebounds. It would be surprising if 5-10 150 Freshman Alex Hunter could crack this veteran lineup.

For now I’ve got to rate UNCG higher than Furman. They kept their coach, and they have better answers for their admittedly greater personnel losses. I also think that it’s likely that by conference time Steve Forbes will have found the answers that he needs out of the new recruits. If you think that Furman, who went 1-1 versus the Bucs last year and lost far fewer players, should rate higher for now, I wouldn’t give you much of an argument. If Rafferty and/or Jalen Williams come through and Richey makes a smooth coaching transition, they'll be very tough to beat.

Guards:
6-2 175 Sr. Devin Sibley, 32.1 minutes, 17.7 pts, .449 (79-176) from 3, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 asst, 2.9 t.o., 0.6 stl
6-4 203 Sr. Daniel Fowler, 30.0 min., 10.9 pts, .344 (42-122) from 3, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 ass’t, 2.8 t.o., 1.0 stl
5-11 165 Sr. John Davis, 28.9 minutes, 8.9 pts, .387 (48-124) from 3, 3.3 rebounds, 2.9 ass’t, 1.5 t.o., 1.2 stl
5-11 170 So. Jordan Lyons, 16.5 min., 5.9 pts, .356 (48-135) from 3, 1.4 rebounds
6-4 212 Jr. Andrew Brown, 18.2 min., 4.7 pts, .434 (43-99) from 3, 2.5 rebounds

Front Court:
6-8 215 Jr. Matt Rafferty, 22.4 min., 7.5 pts, .571 fg% (.182 2-11 from 3), 5.6 rebounds
6-7 210 Sr. Geoff Beans, 18.0 min., 6.3 pts, .391 (45-138) from 3, 2.5 rebounds
6-8 245 Rs-So. Jalen Williams, 8.6 min., 2.6 pts, 0 3’s, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks
6-5 194 So. Willie 'Tre' Clark, 7.5 min., 1.2 pts, .250 FG%, 0-7 from 3, 1.3 rebounds

Newcomers:
6-7 200 Rs Fr Clay Mounce (brother of Tusculum's Chase Mounce) 2*, offers from King and Lees McRae, no other D1's
6-7 190 Fr Noah Gurley 2* SF, offers Tampa, CSU
5-10 150 Fr Alex Hunter 2*PG offers Manhattan, High Point, UMBC, Asheville, Loyola MD, Lipscomb

4 - SAMFORD (19-15, 8-10)

They have fewer personnel losses than anybody in the conference and are mostly seniors and juniors. Their young coach Scott Padgett and everybody of real importance is coming back. To this they add 4 star transfer Alabama point guard 5-10 170 Jr Justin Coleman.

But… they have yet to show if they can win against the better teams. They were 8-10 in conference and averaged 81.3 to their opponents 81.4. 35 rebounds to opponents 35.3. That’s middle of the road, trading scores. Lots of points, not enough stops when it counted. Coleman’s impact may be reduced a bit because he plays a position (point guard) where Samford already has 2 solid players: 6-2 190 Senior Christen Cunningham who was second in the SoCon and 10th in D1 with 6.4 assists, adding 11.6 points, and super quick 5-10 170 All Freshman Josh Sharkey who led in steals with 2.1 (31st in D1) and was 4th in the SoCon in assists with 4.2. Coleman at Alabama did not score efficiently (.300 fg% and .272 from 3) and made far fewer assists than Cunningham and Sharkey with 3.3. But Gelawn Guyn was a little weak in those areas too, before hitting the SoCon. Samford hopes that, despite the stats, Coleman can take the standard of play for that position to a whole new level and add the toughness that will make the difference in close games. No Eric Garcia is going to mug him at the buzzer… they hope! 6-2 185 So. Tristan Chambers had a fine freshman year as a shooter with 22.7 minutes, 7.4 points on .421 with 72 makes from 3, but doesn't help them with the physical toughness or defense that they need. With two good sophomore guards in Sharkey and Chambers and transfer Coleman becoming eligible, sophomore Justin Hopkins transferred out.

Other new additions include Stefan Lakic 6-7 220 JUCO Jr. from Bosnia who brings a broad European skill set with 13.9 points on 49% shooting and 31.9% from 3 and 6.1 rebounds with some toughness and hustle. But it’s doubtful that he’ll be an improvement over guys already there in All Conference 6-5 Demetrius Denzel-Dyson with 30.6 minutes, 16.1 points on .469 with 82 makes from 3 and 4.9 rebounds, and 6-8 Alex Thompson with 25.5 minutes, 11.8 points on .417 with 70 makes from 3 and 4.2 rebounds. Mostly he will add depth.

Similarly with Freshmen 6-2 170 Kevion Nolan (a 3* athlete with offers from Jacksonville, Austin Peay and Santa Barbara) and 6-7 walk on J.T. Mumber. Samford probably has better options than those two freshmen. Although Padgett says that Nolan's shooting gives him a chance to crack the rotation, I don't think that scoring is the big need here. All Conference 6-9 240 Wyatt Walker is not the most physical or athletic player, but he is smart, very sound on fundamentals, and delivers a consistent conference leading 9.5 rebounds (26th in D1) to go with 12.7 points.

The new guys that really could have helped this year are 2 transfers who must sit out this season: 6-5 200 Jr. Brandon Austin, a 3* transfer from Alabama, and 7-0 240 Sr. Ruben Guerrero from Marbella, Spain by way of USF. Have to wait a year to see them.

Samford has to prove that they can get tough and win when it matters. They have to defend and rebound better.

Guards:
5-10 170 Jr Justin Coleman, ‘Bama stats: 38 games with 26.2 minutes, 7.8 ppg on .300 FG%, .272 from 3, .890 from the line, 3.3 assists, 2.0 turnovers, 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 steals
6-2 190 Sr Chris Cunningham, 34.6 minutes, 11.6 pts, .365 (23-63) from 3, .822 ft%, 2.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists
5-10 170 So Josh Sharkey, 22.6 minutes, 8.3 pts, .217 (20-46) from 3, 1.9 rebounds, 4.3 ass’t, 2.1 steals
6-2 185 So Triston Chambers, 22.7 minutes, 7.4 pts, .421 (72-171) from 3, 1.9 rebounds

Front Court:
6-5 205 Sr Demetrius Denzel-Dyson, 30.6 minutes, 16.1 pts, .469 (82-175) from 3, 4.9 rebounds, 2.2 t.o.’s
6-9 240 Jr Wyatt Walker, 28.9 minutes, 12.7 pts, .576 fg%, .752 FT%, 9.5 rebounds
6-8 210 Sr Alex Thompson, 25.5 minutes, 11.8 pts, .417 (70-168) from 3, 4.2 rebounds
6-8 225 Sr Alex Peters, 8.5 minutes, 2.5 pts, 0 3’s, 0.9 rebounds
6-7 215 Sr Eric Adams, 8.4 minutes, 2.5 pts, 0 3’s, 2.8 rebounds, 0.5 blocks

Newcomers:
6-7 205 Jr Stefan Lakic, Visegrad, Bosnia, West Plains JUCO stats: 13.9 ppg, fg % 49.0, 3pt % 31.9, ft % 86.7, reb/g 6.1, a/g 1.5
6-7 205 Fr J.T. Mumber, Rome GA, Darlington HS, Walk-On
6-2 170 Fr Kevion Nolan 3* Anniston, AL, Sacred Heart Catholic; offers Jacksonville, Austin Peay, Santa Barbara
6-4 180 Fr Luke Touliatos, Homewood AL, Homewood HS Walk-On
Must sit out 6-5 200 Jr ‘Bama transfer Brandon Austin 3*, 7 games last yr, 18 games yr before; 8.4 minutes, 1.4 ppg, 0.8 rebounds
Must sit out 7-0 240 Sr. Marbella, Spain (USF) Ruben Guerrero, 2016-2017, 22.9 minutes, 5.4 ppg, 0 3's, 5.1 rebounds, 1.2 blocks

5 - MERCER (15-17, 9-9)

6 seniors, 5 of whom started last year – more seniors in key positions than anyone in the SoCon. The last time Bob Hoffman’s team was so senior laden, they won the ASun and upset Duke in the NCAA’s. Unfortunately this bunch is not as talented as that one. Still, everybody of importance returns from last year. They graduate a couple of big men (Fishler and N’Ganga) who didn’t contribute much. Only Samford loses less.

Last year the Bears were 15-17 and 9-9 but were close in almost every game. They excelled on defense, matched only by ETSU. They held opponents to 66.6 points on only .415 shooting in the SoCon. Mercer also excelled in rebounding with a best in SoCon +5.7 margin. But they had some trouble scoring themselves: shooting a weak .329 from 3 in conference. They were 6th in scoring total and 5th in shooting percentage in conference. So rebounding and defense kept them close in most every game, but they wound up losing a lot at the end by not knocking down the clutch baskets. They did not match up well with last year’s Bucs, who could defend every bit as well and score better. This year???

Despite the offensive problems, Bob Hoffman did not pull any rabbits out of the recruiting hat this year: no JUCO’s, no 5th year Seniors. No freshmen who seem ready to give the needed boost to the offense this year. Freshmen are 6-4 Fr. point guard Marcus Cohen who averaged only 9.8 points per game in high school, and slim 6-10 Fr. Mason Green who seems thinner than his listed 220, along with 6-1 180 walk-on Mitch Prendergrast. I like both Cohen and Green, but can they add the scoring punch that Mercer really needs this year? It is more likely that the offensive help will have to come from improvement of guys already on board.

At post, I like freshman Mason Green’s highlights and his potential, with a fairly broad shouldered frame that looks like it could support a lot more muscle – he seems like a bigger, longer, more skilled (at this stage) Isiah Brown. Obviously Forbes liked him too or we wouldn’t have offered. 6-9 250 Sr. Desmond Ringer being from the same home town (McDonough GA) and the same high school program (Eagle’s Landing Christian) may have helped sway him. A good get for Hoffman. But how much can he help this year? Isiah needed a red shirt year. The only other option to Ringer here is a real project, 6-10 280 Rs Fr Mac Brydon. A last second addition in 6-10 220 Fr. Victor Baffuto of Brazil is a total unknown.

At guard 6-0 152 Sr. Ri’an Holland and 6-1 175 Sr. Jordan Strawberry are scorers. 6-8 180 Sr. Demetre Rivers started well, but tailed off in conference, falling from 13.6 to 9.3 ppg. Hoffman will have to look to guys like these to up their scoring and take Mercer out of the middle of the pack. The return of 6-5 205 Rs So. Ethan Stair who missed last year with injury may help boost the scoring. However his last season before injury was only 6.6 points on .281 from 3. Not exactly instant offense, but that was 2 years ago, his freshman year. Don’t know if 6-4 point guard Cohen (only 9.8 ppg as high school senior) will add much to the scoring at guard.

In a very good sign, Mercer beat the Dominican Republic National team 89-75 on August 2, 2017, with Ethan Stair scoring 16, according to the Mercer website. http://mercerbears.com/news/2017/8/2/men...89-75.aspx If that was truly the full strength adult national team, and if that increased scoring continues with Stair continuing to be a big producer, then Mercer is definitely sounding like a challenger for the top. However, I'm not certain if this was an age group version, U16-17 or U18-19. Note that Citadel was much more precise in acknowledging a recent LOSS to the DR U-19 National Team: http://citadelsports.com/news/2017/8/15/...-trip.aspx

6-6 225 Sr. Stephon Jelks declined in production (11.7 ppg on .356 from 3 to 7.3 on .286 and 8.4 rebounds to 6.7 in only 2.4 fewer minutes) and didn’t seem to play with the same fierce energy he brought the year before. The Bears could use a return to form from him.

Guards:
6-0 152 Sr Ria’n Holland, 31.5 minutes, 17.2 ppg, .377 (77-204) from 3, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 ass’t, 1.0 stl
6-1 175 Sr Jordan Strawberry, 29.3 minutes, 12.2 ppg, .436 (51-117) from 3, 3.3 rebounds, 4.0 ass’t, 0.6 stl
6-8 180 Sr Demetre Rivers, 30.0 minutes, 11.2 ppg, .348 (40-115) from 3, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 ass’t, 2.1 t.o.’s
5-8 156 Sr Rashad Lewis, 12.5 minutes, 2.8 ppg, .261 (18-69) from 3, 1.3 rebounds, 2.2 ass’t, 0.6 stl
6-5 205 Rs So Ethan Stair, 2015-2016 stats: 24.2 minutes, 6.6 ppg, .281 (18-64) from 3, 4.2 rebounds,
6-4 200 Jr Jaylen Stowe, 7.1 minutes, 1.6 ppg, .231 (3-13) from 3, 1.3 rebounds

Front Court:
6-9 255 Sr Desmond Ringer, 24.5 minutes, 7.6 ppg, .575 FG%, 0 3’s, 5.8 rebounds, 0.3 blocks
6-6 225 Sr Stephon Jelks, 26.6 minutes, 7.3 ppg, .286 (22-77) from 3, 6.7 rebounds, 1.7 ass’t, 0.5 blocks
6-5 192 Jr Ryan Johnson, 10.5 minutes, 3.8 ppg, .364 (16-44) from 3, 2.5 rebounds
6-7 195 Jr Cory Kilby, 12.9 minutes, 3.4 ppg, .355 (11-31) from 3, 2.5 rebounds

Newcomers:
6-4 190 FR Marcus Cohen HS 2*, Tampa FL, Sickles HS, 9.8 ppg, 7.0 ass’t, 6.0 rebounds, offers Richmond, Winthrop, Rice, LA Tech, Stetson
6-10 220 FR Mason Green 2* McDonough GA, Eagle’s Landing Christian, 11 ppg, 7 rebounds, 4.6 blocks , 3 assists, offers ETSU, USCU
6-1 180 FR Walk-on Mitch Prendergrast
EDIT: last second addition 6-10 220 Fr Victor Baffuto, Brasilia, Brazil. No info on him yet.

6 - WOFFORD (16-17, 10-8)

At guard they lose assists (3rd in D1!), free throws (6th in D1!), toughness, defense and clever, sometimes dirty, play from Eric Garcia. Jaylen Allen also goes. Up front they lose their best rebounder Ryan Sawvell. Only 3 players with over 5.1 points or 3.1 rebounds return. Unless they get help from newcomers or improvement from returnees they may slip this year. But Mike Young’s system does a reliable job of absorbing losses, plugging in replacements and continuing forward. Young does a remarkable job of finding somebody on the bench who can step it up and give him what the system requires, or, occasionally, somebody in the incoming group. They are tough to beat at home (11-2, 7-2). On the road, not so much (5-15, 3-6).

The Terriers can shoot: 1st in the SoCon and 7th in D1 with .403 from 3. They lose a chunk of that with Eric Garcia (.452 with 76 makes). But in the last 2 years they have added hot shooting guards in 6-4 194 Jr. All Conference Fletcher Magee and 6-4 180 All Freshman Nathan Hoover. This year’s big get at guard may be athletic 6-2 185 freshman Tray Hollowell who had offers from Oklahoma State, ETSU, EKU, Ohio U., and St. Louis. Guards 6-1 185 So. Donavan Theme-Love and 6-4 195 Sr. Derrick Brooks did not do much for them off the bench last year, getting about 10 minutes each in 2/3's of the games. However Love was slowed by injury and had been a well thought of recruit with offers from Chattanooga and Eastern Carolina among others. He might show improvement. 5-9 155 Fr. Storm Murphy is walk-on material with no other D1 offers.

Inside, 6-8 235 Jr. Cameron Jackson came on like Mike Young said he would as he returned from injury in the middle with 12.6 ppg on .588 fg% and 5.7 rebounds. He’s a Junior this year and should continue to improve. But they lose their best rebounder in Ryan Sawvell, and add no experienced help for Cameron Jackson and 6-11 240 Jr. Matthew Pegram at post. They may hope that muscular 6-6 240 sophomore Dishon Lowery or skinny 6-8 195 redshirt freshman Manning from Memphis can step up. Help inside may also come from Fr. Keve Aluma, 6-7 or 6-9 (??) 225 SF 2*, HS Sr Berlin MD; offers Canisius, MD-EastShor, UMBC, UTEP, Howard, Loyola-Md, Stony Brook, Coppin State etc.. Father 6-10 Peter Aluma played for Liberty U. and also 2 games for the Sacramento Kings and a year with the Harlem Globetrotters. Aluma looks thinner than his listed 225.

6-9 205 So. College of Charleston transfer Chevez Goodwin will have to sit out this year.

By the way, several guys have “grown” on this roster, including Murphy from 5-9 to 5-11, Aluma from 6-7 to 6-9. We shall see what they really look like.

Guards:
6-4 194 Jr Fletcher Magee, 33.3 minutes, 18.6 ppg, .423 (112-265) from 3, .893 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 ass't, 0.7 stl
6-4 180 So Nathan Hoover, 24.9 minutes, 7.8 ppg, .353 (53-150) from 3, .838 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 1.0 ass’t, 0.2 stl
6-1 185 So Donovan Theme-Love, injured after 22 games, 10 minutes, 2.7 ppg, .320 (8-25) from 3, 1.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.4 stl
6-4 195 Sr Derrick Brooks, 10.6 minutes in 27 games, 2.5 ppg, .467 (7-15) from 3, 1.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.4 stl

Front Court:
6-8 235 Jr Cameron Jackson, 20.9 minutes, 12.6 ppg, .588 fg% (1 from 3), 5.7 rebounds
6-11 240 Jr Matthew Pegram, 16.6 minutes, 5.1 ppg, .558 fg% (1 from 3), 3.1 rebounds
6-6 240 So Dishon Lowery, 7.6 minutes, 1.5 ppg, 2.1 rebounds

Newcomers:
6-8 195 Rs Fr Michael Manning Jr, Memphis TN, Lausanne Collegiate School
6-2 185 Fr Tray Hollowell 2*, Hopkinsville, KY, Offers Ok St, ETSU, EKU, St. Louis, Ohio U
6-9 (??) 225 Fr Keve Aluma 2*, Berlin MD, Stephen Decatur HS, ; offers Canisius, MD-EastShor, UMBC, Loyola-MD, UTEP, Howard, Stony Brook, Coppin State etc.
5-11 170 Fr Storm Murphy 2* PG, HS Sr, Middleton, WI, Middleton HS; offers sub D1 only
6-7 210 Fr Walk-On Grayson Hickert, Huntersville NC, Lake Norman Charter
Must sit out this year 6-9 205 SO College of Charleston transfer Chevez Goodwin, 9.8 minutes, 2.3 ppg, 0 3’s, 2.9 rebounds

Mike Young: "One of the most respected coaches at the mid-major level"

As an aside, I’ve got to respond to the poster who claimed that Mike Young is “not really” a good coach, and that “[Murry] Bartow’s resume is more impressive”. http://www.csnbbs.com/thread-809420-post...id14105822

When Mike Young took over the head coaching job in 2002, Wofford was only 7 years out of DII, with a D1 record of 68-126 (.351) and a best D1 season of 14-16 (having never so much as broken even in a D1 season). They were one of the weakest programs in D1, with one of the smallest student enrollments in D1 and a record that any quality recruit would avoid like the plague.

Bit by bit, Young did the slow work of turning all that around, getting the best recruits that he could, then making them a little better. It took 7 years to post Wofford's first ever D1 winning season, finally going 16-14 in 2008-2009. Over that 7 year period (2002-2009) Wofford went 90-117 for a record of .434. Rick Byrd also struggled in his first 7 years as a D1 head coach at Belmont (1996-2003) with a record of 86-107 .446, even though Belmont had been an NAIA power under Byrd for many years (1986-1996).

But in the 8 years since that rocky start, Wofford under Young has won the SoCon and gone to the NCAA four (4) times, coming within 3 points and 4 points of an NCAA tournament win. In 2009-2010 they lost by 4 to Wisconsin 49-53, and in 2014-2015 they lost by 3 to Arkansas 53-56. Young also landed a CBI trip. In those 8 years Young has 3 times been SoCon Coach of the Year (2010, 2014 and 2015) and once Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year (2010). [The Hugh Durham Award goes to the best mid-major coach each year.] During that period Mike Young had a record of 158-109 (.592 – an average of 20-14). By way of comparison, Rick Byrd also made NCAA's 4 times in his next 8 years at Belmont (2003-2011), although posting a much higher winning percentage of 172-85 for .669, an average of 22-11.

Really good coaches tend to build a lineage of other good coaches. Blue Ribbon calls Mike Young “one of the most respected coaches at the mid-major level”, noting that his Associate Head Coaches have gone on to be head coaches at Army, Oklahoma State and Presbyterian: Dustin Kerns became head coach at Presbyterian in May 2017; Army head coach Jimmy Allen was Young’s associate head coach in the early 2000’s; and current Oklahoma State head coach Michael Boynton, Jr., was associate head coach for Young in 2007-2008.

As for the Murry Bartow comparison – Murry was handed a successful program at UAB by his Hall of Fame father Gene Bartow (.645 winning percentage and 9 NCAA trips in 17 years at UAB) but posted a far worse record (.554 winning percentage and 1 NCAA trip in his 6 years there). UAB was slightly below .500 in his last 3 years there, 44-45. Nobody gave him a Coach of the Year award at UAB. Then Bartow was handed a loaded program at ETSU when Ed DeChellis left him the Wadood/Fields/Smith team (the Bucs were coming off 3 SoCon regular season or tourney championships in a row and a .644 winning percentage in those last 3 years under DeChellis). But he couldn’t maintain the level to which DeChellis had raised it. Bartow was .576 with the Bucs and had 3 trips to the NCAA's in 12 years - 1 with DeChellis team, and 2 with his own. ETSU was below .500 in his last 4 years here, 62-66. Murry Bartow did get 2 coach of the year awards in his 18 years as head coach. He was SoCon Coach of the Year (2004) in his first year at ETSU leading the Wadood/Fields/Smith team that he inherited from Ed DeChellis. He was also named Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year on 2/27/2007 – then one week later was humiliated by Rick Byrd’s Belmont team who crushed ETSU at home in the Minidome in the ASun Tournament finals 94-67. Overall, Murry was outpaced by the Rick Byrds, Andy Enfields and Bob Hoffmans of the ASun. Bartow was not a terrible coach, but his resume doesn't come close to Mike Young. Bartow took 2 successful programs from 2 successful coaches and did worse at each one, being forced out from each on a sub .500 streak. In contrast, Young took one of the weakest programs in D1 at one of the smallest schools in D1 and made it a force to be reckoned with in the SoCon.

A national mid-major coach of the year award, 3 SoCon Coach of the Year Awards, 4 NCAA trips in the last 8 years, and all at a little school which had never had a winning D1 season before he became head coach. As Blue Ribbon says, Mike Young is “one of the most respected coaches at the mid-major level”.

Of course, I'd still rather have Steve Forbes!

7 - CHATTANOOGA (19-12, 10-8)

Everybody in Gig City seems glad to see Matt McCall go, as Wisconsin assistant Lamont Paris takes the reins. Paris spent 7 years with the Badgers, 5 under Bo Ryan, and lost out to McCall in the bid for the Chattanooga job 2 years ago. The bad news is that the Mocs lost most of their players to graduation, transfer or decommitment. The good news is that they probably needed a fresh start and a big change in personnel anyway after the dumpster fire that McCall presided over last season.

6-7 220 Rs Sr Chuck Ester is now officially gone. That leaves only 1 inside player with any D1 experience: 6-10 220 Jr Makinde London, who was so often criticized for being talented but playing without heart (15.3 minutes, 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds). With JUCO recruit Duran failing to qualify, Makinde London has only a collection of skinny freshmen to help out inside. Nobody else weighs over 204 - see below.

EDIT: Seldom used (played 7 of 18 conference games averaging 2.9 minutes) 6-7 220 Sr Trayvon Massenburg transferred to DII Texas-Permian Basin.
EDIT: Joan Duran is gone. The only surviving McCall recruit failed to qualify. [6-7 220 Jr. Joan Duran, a Matt McCall recruit from Eastern Florida CC who played high school at Hamilton Heights in Chattanooga. JUCO stats: Games 30, pts/g 9.9, fg % 54.1, 3pt % 38.7, ft % 65.5, reb/g 5.4, a/g 2.1 http://www.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2016-17...nduranogp6]

All their recruits decommitted or failed to qualify, and Andrew Fleming and Peyton Woods transferred, so Lamont Paris hunted up the following freshmen:
6-3 206 Fr Jonathan Bryant II 2* SG, Orange Park, FL, Oak Leaf HS; with offers from Stetson, Jacksonville, Charleston Southrn (CSU), Citadel, Troy
6-6 180 Fr Duane Moss 2*Myrtle Beach SC, Carolina Forest HS; offers from South Carolina!!, CSU, MTSU, WKU, Northern Iowa, YSU, Charlotte, Southern Utah, Furman
6-6 204 Fr James Lewis, Jr. 2* Mount Holly NC, Phillips Academy Andover; offers from Furman and Radford
6-10 193 Fr Justin Brown 2*, Chicago IL, Marist HS; offers from Chicago St, Kennesaw and various DII’s
6-1 173 Fr C.J. Massengill, Chattanooga, TN, Hamilton Heights HS
Moss at least sounds like the real deal with a better collection of offers than any other SoCon newcomer, but again, all these guys are freshmen and will have to adjust.

Also 6-1 225 Jr Fairfield transfer Jerry Johnson who will have to sit out this year.

So only 10 scholarship players: 6 freshmen, 2 sophomores, 2 juniors, 0 seniors, 1 new transfer sitting out, a new coach and nobody returning with more than 6.0 points or 3.5 rebounds. Can you say “rebuilding”?

By choice or by necessity Paris seems to have decided to limit the players that he's bringing in and take the risk that this season will be difficult. Maybe try to build esprit from those who tough it out and start a new attitude around the program.

Guard:
6-1 172 So Rodney Chatman, 20.1 min., 5.3 points on .367 shooting and .257 from 3 with 2.3 assists
6-1 185 So. Makale Foreman, 11.4 min., 3.1 points on .341 shooting and .325 from 3 with 0.3 assists
6-4 183 Jr., Nat Dixon, 15.8 min., 2.5 points on .417 shooting and .333 from 3, 1.8 rebounds
6-2 180 Jr. walk on Dylan Brewster, 7 games, 4.7 minutes

Front Court:
6-10 220 Jr Makinde London, 15.3 minutes, 6.0 ppg, .314 (22-70) from 3, 3.5 rebounds
EDIT - Massenburg has transferred to DII Texas-Permian Basin: 6-7 220 Sr Trayvond Massenburg, 17 games, 4.8 minutes, 1.2 ppg, 1.4 rebounds

Newcomers:
6-1 183 Rs-Fr David Jean Baptiste, Miami FL, only other offer UNF
EDIT - Duran is gone - failed to qualify. 6-7 220 Jr. Joan Duran Hamilton Heights HS in Chattanooga, JUCO stats from Eastern Florida CC: Games 30, pts/g 9.9, fg % 54.1, 3pt % 38.7, ft % 65.5, reb/g 5.4, a/g 2.1
6-3 206 Fr Jonathan Bryant II 2* SG, Orange Park, FL, Oak Leaf HS; with offers from Stetson, Jacksonville, Charleston Southrn (CSU), Citadel, Troy
6-6 180 Fr Duane Moss 2*Myrtle Beach SC, Carolina Forest HS; offers from South Carolina!!, CSU, MTSU, WKU, Northern Iowa, YSU, Charlotte, Southern Utah, Furman
6-6 204 Fr James Lewis, Jr. 2* Mount Holly NC, Phillips Academy Andover, offers from Furman and Radford
6-10 193 Fr Justin Brown 2*, Chicago IL, Marist HS; offers from Chicago St, Kennesaw and various sub DI’s
6-1 173 Fr C.J. Massengill, Chattanooga, TN, Hamilton Heights HS
EDIT - added last second walk on 6-4 193 Fr Forward Nick DesMarais from White House Heritage High School north of Nashville
Sitting out a year: 6-1 225 Jr Fairfield transfer Jerry Johnson, 11.4 points on .384 FG%, .337 from 3 (2.3 makes), 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists

As an aside – Chattanooga still posts one of the more honest roster listings. Their recruits tend to lose an inch or two when listed, instead of growing like Wofford’s.

8 - CITADEL (12-21, 4-14)

Nobody can say that Duggar Baucom fails to shake things up when he arrives at a school. Going into his 3rd year, he’s fielding a team of 6 freshmen, 5 sophomores, 3 Juniors, and 0 Seniors. The eight lowest performing players on last year’s stat sheet are all gone. To last year’s consensus Freshman of the Year (6-1 175 Preston Parks who averaged 22.1 points in the SoCon on .451 from the field and .350 from 3), and Media All-Freshman 6-4 225 Kaelon Harris, he adds 6-0 180 freshman Tariq Simmons, listed as a 3 star athlete by Verbal Commits with offers from Charleston and Georgia Southern and interest (but no offers) from USC, Clemson and Stanford.

So far all this activity hasn’t translated into many wins (12-21 and 4-14 in the SoCon last season).

But Baucom is adding the kind of quick players that he wants to run his freakishly high speed offense (1st in D1 in scoring with 89.8, but worst in D1allowing 94.6 to opponents). And young players should be improving in his system (his top 5 scorers return, 3 sophomores and 2 juniors). So things may be looking up.

With a lack of muscle and length, rebounding (last in conference and 19th from the bottom in all D1 rebounding margin of -6.6) will continue to be a problem. The combination of weak shooting percentage (.405 from the field, 306th in D1 and .315 from 3 in conference) and weak rebounding is not a good one. It is partially countered by success in creating turnovers from opponents unfamiliar with the pace: a 1st in conference and 16th in D1 turnover margin of +3.3.

The Dominican Republic U-19 Juniors beat Citadel 134-125. Question: is this the same version of the DR National Team that lost to Mercer???? Mercer's report is not so precise as Citadel's!! http://citadelsports.com/news/2017/8/15/...-trip.aspx

Guards:
6-1 175 SO Preston Parks, 28.0 minutes, 18.1 ppg, .329 (77-234) from 3, 3.1 rebounds, 3.8 ass’t, 2.0 stl
6-4 225 SO Kaelon Harris, 19.3 minutes, 9.3 ppg, .333 (13-39) from 3, 4.9 rebounds
5-11 180 JR Quayson Williams, 17.3 minutes, 7.9 ppg, .362 (55-152) from 3, 2.8 rebounds
5-9 150 SO Frankie Johnson, 25.6 minutes, 7.8 ppg, .276 (27-98) from 3, 2.7 rebounds, 3.6 ass’t
6-1 150 JR Matt Frierson, 17.0 minutes, 6.3 ppg, .359 (65-181) from 3, 1.2 rebounds
6-6 190 SO Leandro Allende, 17.0 minutes, 5.9 ppg, .267 (27-101) from 3, 2.8 rebounds

Front Court:
6-7 205 JR Zane Najdawi, 24 minutes, 15.0 ppg, .431 (28-65) from 3, 6.7 rebounds, 2.2 t.o.’s, 1.2 blks
6-7 195 SO Tyler Burgess, 12 games, 8.1 minutes, 4.9 ppg, .373 (19-51) from 3, 0.9 rebounds

Newcomers:
6-6 220 FR Hayden Brown 2* Greer SC, Byrnes HS; other offers small schools only
6-5 205 FR Derek Webster 2* Riverview FL, Seffner Christian Academy; only offer
6-8 190 FR Robert Johnson 2* Lantana FL, Dillard HS; other offer Lees McRae only
6-0 180 FR Tariq Simmons VC 3*Columbia SC, Keenan HS; other offers, Charleston, CSU, Geo Southern, MD Eastn-Shore, interest from USC, Clemson, Stanford
6-6 180 FR Kaiden Rice 2* Columbia SC, Ridge View HS; other offers, American, Navy, Army
6-4 211 FR Alex Reed 2*, Raleigh NC, Garner Magnet High; offers from Campbell, Gardner-Webb, VMI, Western Carolina

9 - WESTERN CAROLINA (9-23, 4-14):

Worst in conference and 17th from the bottom in all D1 shooting percentage of .390 from the field. Worst in conference PPG margin (-11.9). But a positive rebounding margin (+0.7) indicates a team that will fight.

Veteran Coach Larry Hunter got elected to the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame last year for his success in building programs at Wittenberg and Ohio U. He’s used to finding underrated recruits and coaching them up. He’ll need a Hall of Fame coaching performance this year if Western Carolina is to become competitive.

They return most everybody except rising Junior Elijah Pughsley who transfers out taking 6.5 points and 2.0 rebounds with him. Otherwise their top 8 players come back, with 6-5 Rs Sr Deriece Parks, their 3rd leading scorer, returning from injury after missing all but 10 games. They add a 6-7 JUCO, Mike Amius, who averaged 11.8 points and 6.0 rebounds at North Platte CC. Hunter has turned worse players into competitive outfits.

Guards:
6-5 190 Rs Sr Haboubacar Mutombo, 32.2 minutes, 11.7 ppg, .301 (22-73) from 3, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 ass’t
6-1 175 Sr Devin Peterson, 31.4 minutes, 10.5 ppg, .185 (12-65) from 3, 2.5 rebounds, 3.7 ass’t
6-5 155 Rs Sr Deriece Parks, 10 games till injury, 25.1 minutes, 9.4 ppg, .300 (18-60) from 3, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.5 t.o.’s

Front Court:
6-7 205 Jr Marc Gosselin, 27.4 minutes, 8.9 ppg, .361 (30-83) from 3, 6.8 rebounds
6-8 220 So Adam Sledd, 19.4 minutes, 6.3 ppg, 0 3’s, 4.3 rebounds
6-5 205 So Onno Steger, 23.3 minutes, 5.8 ppg, .398 (39-98) from 3, 3.3 rebounds
6-5 175 Sr Ashley Williams, 13.1 minutes, 3.7 ppg, .250 (6-24) from 3, 1.2 rebounds
6-8 225 So Yalim Olcay, 11.3 minutes, 2.5 ppg, 0 3’s, 2.3 rebounds

Newcomers:
6-7 210 JR Mike Amius F, Lake Worth FL, North Platte CC JUCO stats, 11.8 ppg, 70% FG%, 0 3’s, 6.0 rebounds
6-3 180 FR Marcus Thomas SG 2*, Mint Hill NC (Moravian), other offers Coastal Carolina, CSU, Campbell, Oral Roberts
6-1 170 FR Matt Halvorsen PG 2*, Kingsport TN, (Christ school) other offers Lees McRae, Brown
5-11 170 FR Desmond Johnson 2*, Memphis TN, Kirby High, no other offers noted.


10 - VMI (6-24, 3-15)

Things are not going well in the Dan Earl era. The players who Dugger Baucom had brought in to run and gun did not seem to react well to Earl’s deliberate pace. After 2 years of Earl, VMI has lost its more talented players to graduation (Q.J. Peterson, Julian Eleby, Trey Chapman) and has failed to bring in promising new talent. Unlike Citadel, there are no All-Freshmen here. Last year’s “star” freshman was 6-0 170 Keith Smith who averaged 4.8 points on .407 shooting (.303 from 3) and 1.5 rebounds. This year’s class brings in primarily players whose other offers are DII and DIII schools.

The Keydets were last in scoring offense (shooting .412 and .316 from 3), last in scoring defense, next to last in rebounding margin. 6-24 is tied for 336th, out of 347, in all of D1. http://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men...eam/168/p7 And they lose their 3 best players (the aforementioned Peterson, Eleby and Chapman).

6-6 205 Senior Armani Branch is a solid player (10.6 ppg in conference on .444 from 3) with 4.1 rebounds. Otherwise nobody returning has over 4.8 points or 2.1 rebounds.

The roster features 7 freshmen, 4 sophomores, 1 junior and 2 seniors. Clearly they are hoping for development from sophomores and contribution from incoming freshmen. There are no JUCO’s or transfers to offer a quick fix.

It’s hard to find much to be optimistic about here.

Guards:
6-0 170 So Keith Smith, 20.4 minutes, 4.8 ppg, .303 (20-66) from 3, 1.8 assists
6-4 200 So Garrett Gilkeson, 12.3 minutes, 1.9 ppg, .208 (11-53) from 3, 1.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists
6-4 190 Jr Austin Vereen, 8.1 minutes, 1.2 ppg. .219 (7-32) from 3, 1.1 rebounds

Front Court:
6-6 205 Sr Armani Branch, 17.2 minutes, 7.8 ppg, .400 (20-50) from 3, 3.5 rebounds
6-8 210 So Will Miller, 10.7 minutes, 2.4 ppg, .133 (2-15) from 3, 1.3 rebounds
6-6 205 Sr Fred Iruafemi, 11.8 minutes, 1.8 ppg, 0 3’s, 2.1 rebounds
6-10 245 So Tyler Creammer; 6.6 min., 1.2 ppg, .361 FG%, 0 3's, 1.3 rebounds
EDIT gone from roster as of 9/6/17 6-6 190 Jr Will Weethee; 2 games 1.5 minutes

Newcomers:
6-6 190 Rs FR F Kuony Deng, Aldie, VA, John Champe
6-4 160 FR g Gregory Parham 2*, Monacan, VA 20 ppg 6 ast 6 reb 3 stl; 4A All-State, POY 4A East region, offers Virginia Union, many sub DI’s
5-11 155 FR Donald 'Bubba' Parham 2*, Snellville GA, Brookwood
6-8 180 FR SF Tragen Fahl 2*, VA Beach VA, Atlantic Shores Christian
6-0 188 FR PG Jordan Ratliffe 2* Laurinburg, NC, Village Christian
6-3 170 FR F Sarju Patel 2* Daleville, VA, Hargrave Military
6-6 185 FR G Miles Lewis 2* Ashburn VA, Middleburg Academy, Victory Rock Prep
FR G Ta'Vonne Bond, Columbia SC

Awesome write up SWVA. Many thanks. UNC-G will be tough as long as they have Alonso for sure. He is a stone cold killer. I was wishing he had moved on to greener pastures.

Comprehensive summary, swvabucsfan...Thank you.

(07-29-2017 03:39 PM)BaseballPops Wrote:  UNC-G will be tough as long as they have Alonso for sure. He is a stone cold killer. I was wishing he had moved on to greener pastures.

The Andalusian Assassin. One heck of an offensive player.

Question for swva or anyone - how much will UNCG miss RJ White?

(07-30-2017 04:57 PM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  Question for swva or anyone - how much will UNCG miss RJ White?

I think they are going to miss White AND Baldwin badly. Alonso is great player, but he won't be able to carry them single-handedly. Their returners/newcomers are going to have to step it up offensively. Will be interesting to see how the pre-season voting and the season goes, but I agree SWVa's top three are correct, just what order.

(07-30-2017 04:57 PM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  Question for swva or anyone - how much will UNCG miss RJ White?

Fair question. Here's my thinking.

3 SoCon teams finished 14-4 last year (UNCG, ETSU and Furman), each proving that they could beat the other. Each of them suffered significant losses at season’s end and now face the question: how do we replace those losses. Nonetheless, I think that each of those teams will probably still be better than the competition.

As I said of UNCG, they lose both their best all around guard (Diante Baldwin was a much better defender than the Andalusian Assassin) and their best all around big man in R.J. White.

At guard they have a great offensive weapon in Alonso, a solid point guard in Troy, a promising sophomore in Massey and 2 sought after freshmen in 6-4 Kaleb Hunter with offers from VCU, Arizona State, ODU and Murray State, and 6-1 Isaiah Miller, a first team Georgia all-stater with offers from Miami of Ohio, UMass and LMU. It’s not guaranteed, but they are likely to be all right there.

Inside, they’ve got 6-9 200 Rs-Sophomore James Dickey, longer and more athletic than the bulky, nimble but earth bound White. Only a redshirt freshman last year, Dickey looked excellent in stretches hauling in 7.2 rebounds to White’s 6.7 and scoring 6.3 points on .578 FG% to White’s 12.9 with .550, in 3 minutes less time for Dickey. Also 43 blocks to White’s 39. What do you want to bet that this freshman improves this year? After all, White as a freshman scored 6.5 points on .515 shooting with 5.3 rebounds, albeit in 7 minutes less time.

You’ve also got Senior Jordy Kuiper at 6’9” 250 with 5.3 points on .531 FG% and 4.4 rebounds in 19.9 minutes, giving you a little beef. And 6-8 215 Sophomore Kyrin Galloway, who is thin but athletic, and did fairly well on a per minute basis as a true freshman, getting 2.2 points on .650 FG%, 2.2 rebounds, and 15 blocks in 8.3 minutes. He is also highly likely to do better as a sophomore.

Plus they’ll have help inside at the 3 from a proven 6-6 205 Marvin Smith and a promising 6-5 195 RS-Fr. Kylia Sykes.

R.J. White is a significant loss, but I think that UNCG is in pretty good shape inside.

Maybe better than ETSU who loses Hanner, Tevin Glass and Isaac Banks and returns Peter Jurkin and adds several promising guys with no D1 experience.

Or Furman who tries to replace their heart and soul, tough Kris Acox, with a chronically injured Rafferty and an unproven Jalen Williams.
To say nothing of the danger inherent in a coaching change.

I like the Bucs chances, but I really think that the team that beat us 2 out of 3 last year will be our biggest competition this year. To my way of thinking the number of returning players with proven D1, SoCon records entitles them to the top spot. For now.

In terms of individual players, no one scares me more than Fletcher McGee. That kid is one cold dude.

Yes, it's too soon.

Yes, losing Baldwin and White hurts UNC-G a *lot*. But I don't think some here learned enough, or watched closely enough, Dickey. Dude is legit. Maybe not all-conference - but it wouldn't shock me if he 'contended' for a mention in that conversation. Kinda agree with swvabucs here that until proven otherwise, they (Spartans)(North Carolina College for Women) get the (very) tentative nod as top dog.

Not gonna bother with the overall details, 'cause, well, 'cause "it's too soon."

I do have one prediction........that one of ETSU's new incoming guys will disappoint. Yes, I know just the odds might dictate that - but I just have a 'feeling' that I don't want to elaborate on about one particular recruit. Hope I'm wrong, and this is all armchair QB-ing, anyway, even if it's roundball instead of prolate spheroid-ball.

Yes, it's too soon.

Yes, losing Baldwin and White hurts UNC-G a *lot*. But I don't think some here learned enough, or watched closely enough, Dickey. Dude is legit. Maybe not all-conference - but it wouldn't shock me if he 'contended' for a mention in that conversation. Kinda agree with swvabucs here that until proven otherwise, they (Spartans)(North Carolina College for Women) get the (very) tentative nod as top dog.

Not gonna bother with the overall details, 'cause, well, 'cause "it's too soon."

I do have one prediction........that one of ETSU's new incoming guys will disappoint. Yes, I know just the odds might dictate that - but I just have a 'feeling' that I don't want to elaborate on about one particular recruit. Hope I'm wrong, and this is all armchair QB-ing, anyway, even if it's roundball instead of prolate spheroid-ball.

My mistake - I got linked to last year's SI listing.

Never mind!!!

Samford will be the break-out team this year in the SoCon. Three players that scare me the most: Alonso, McGee, and Walker.

Early August predictions

I see the SoCon as divided into 3 groups for next season. A group of five teams with enough returning talent and/or additions that look like they could be in the mix for the title; four teams that have more questions to answer but could make a splash if some things go their way; and VMI.

1. Furman -

Experience is a big plus. Shooting and defense should be strengths. Were solid rebounding last year and should be good again. Lose only one player who had appreciable playing time. Of course, that was a good one in Acox, who made big improvements over his career and was a key player in 2016-17. He was second in scoring and first in rebounding and set the Furman record for single season FG% at 62.8%

But there are 6 players with double digit career starts returning including Rafferty, who started almost every game as a freshman. As a freshman he had more rebounds, blocked shots, and steals than Acox and was second on the team in assists. He appears to be doing well in summer workouts and is expected to be full strength for the upcoming season.

The first seven should be very strong with Sibley,Fowler, Davis, Rafferty, Brown, Beans, and Lyons all proven players. There are a few questions about who will make up the rest of the expected 8 or 9 man rotation but the potential is there. Jalen Williams was strong in some defensive attributes as a backup - his rebounds/min was almost identical to Acox's numbers and his blocked shots/min was more than twice as good. But his offense was limited and he was foul prone as a freshman which limited his minutes. Junior point guard Jonathan Jean made improvement from his freshman year and became a decent backup.

Sophomore guard Tre Clark is a terrific athlete who struggled on offense as a freshman and might have benefited from a redshirt year. The wildcards are the two freshman big men. Redshirt freshman Clay Mounce has a reputation as an excellent athlete and true freshman Noah Gurley was an all-state player in his classification in Georgia and has a nice combo of length and skills for a 6'8" guy. Freshman point guard Alex Hunter is quick and a good shooter and lead his high school team on an unexpected run to the NC state championship game last year but will probably have to wait his turn behind the veterans.

2. Mercer -

Return almost everybody but that was the group that was 9-9 and lost a lot of close games. My guess is they win more of those close ones and will be a tough out. I expect Holland to be a more consistent player and for Jelks to return to his sophomore form, if not better.

I think Stair's return will be a nice boost.

3. UNCG -

Replacing Baldwin at point guard is their biggest challenge. He was their best defensive guard in addition to being a guy who could make his own shot and break down the defense - which created shots for the shooters. Alonzo is a great shooter, but if he has to constantly create his own chances that could wear him down.

The Spartans will be fine inside with Dickey's rebounding and shot blocking abilities, although I don't think he will be quite the threat overall on offense as White. If teams don't have to double team the post that will also make it tougher on the shooters.

Their depth looks good.

4. ETSU -

Heavy losses to replace but the replacements do seem capable. My guess is a bigger line-up and a slower pace, especially early. Bradford, Payne, and Burrell as starters is as much as I can predict.

5. Samford -

Almost the same situation as Mercer with everyone back from a sub .500 (conference) regular season team. I don't think Coleman transferred to Samford to sit on the bench so someone will lose their starting role, probably Chambers. Samford has some real quickness at guard and depth there too. They have size, depth, and scoring from their front line.

I agree with swvabucsfan that their problem is defense.

6. Wofford -

Can they replace Garcia? He really did a lot for the team and made everyone else better. If they don't replace him they will not be a contender. Theme-Love may be the best hope at point. Magee and Jackson are a good duo to start with but they need a number of players to step up.

7. The Citadel -

I think they will be a much better team this year. An decent, experienced group of veterans (though young) who know what is expected in Baucom's system. Parks will be an all-conference candidate and most likely the leading scorer in the conference this season. Tariq Simmons is my early pick as FOY. The incoming freshman class will probably add several players to the rotation. They could miss Balogun, who was probably their most athletic front line player as a freshman.

8 Chattanooga -

It all depends on how fast the newcomers adjust to D1 college ball. It could be a good group in the long term, but this year is a question that won't be answered until sometime in January or February.

9. Western Carolina -

The Catamounts could be a much more competitive team this year than last year. A lot of returning players who aren't without talent and play with heart. They have got to find some shooters though. With any kind of perimeter game they could easily be a middle of the pack team.

10. VMI-

Not much to say that hasn't been said. They lost their best players. The ones they have left are decent role players at best. I hope the coach has a long term deal and a chance to build for the future.

Good to get a Furman perspective from FUATT.

Can't say that I disagree with much that you say. To me the keys for Furman are replacing Kris Acox, one of those guys worth even more than his stats indicate, and replacing Niko Medved. Neither one will be easy.

If you could be certain that Matt Rafferty's back would hold out, then I'd be a lot more optimistic about the Paladins' chances. It's good to hear that summer workouts are going well. It's another thing to endure the pounding of 30 plus D1 games. A back that has already required a couple of surgeries will just be a continuing concern. Although I understand that the last surgery supposedly showed a freakish but correctable situation (blood vessel wrapped around the spine, if I remember correctly) and not actual spinal damage.

I overlooked Clay Mounce - his big brother, Chase, was a solid player for Tusculum (apparently now playing pro in Peru??) who liked to embarrass more touted ETSU bigs in our yearly tussles, with surprising athleticism for a 6-10 frame. Sounds like Clay is smaller, listed at 6-7 200 last year. It's possible that he might help inside, but his only other offers were from King College and Lees McRae - no D1 offers other than Furman.

Jalen Williams would have to show me more than I've seen so far to convince me that he could carry too much of Acox' load in the middle. His numbers are comparable to UNCG true Freshman Kyrin Galloway - their 3rd best returning post player: Kyrin Galloway: 8.3 minutes, 3.5 points on a .650 shooting percentage, 2.2 rebounds, 15 blocks; compared to Jalen Williams 8.6 minutes, 2.6 points on a .415 shooting percentage, 2.2 rebounds and 29 blocks. Furman Freshman Noah Gurley is listed at 6-7 and about 175 on most websites and looks awfully skinny in his pictures. https://www.google.com/search?q=noah+gur...20&bih=930 It seems unlikely that a skinny 6-7 freshman could carry too much of a load in the middle this year. If he were an ETSU recruit, I'd be thinking redshirt.

The cost of losing a player has everything to do with the quality of the replacement(s). You can lose an aging Joe DiMaggio and not miss a beat..., as long as you've got a young Mickey Mantle on the bench. But without Kris Acox, Furman looks small and not very physical (Beans 6-7 210, Gurley Fr. 6-7 175, Fowler 6-4 190, Brown 6-4 195, Sibley 6-2 175, Davis 5-11 165, Lyons 5-11 170). Unless you get good seasons out of 6-8 215 Rafferty and 6-8 245 Jalen Williams.

Then there's Niko Medved. He did one heck of a job for Furman, spotting players like Rafferty, and getting good production out of a lot of guys who weren't very highly touted. Furman certainly gave the Bucs, a team with generally more highly sought after players, and everybody else in the SoCon all that they could handle. Staying with an assistant in Richey was probably the smart way to go with so much success last year and so much experience coming back. But everybody had new coach Matt McCall's experienced returning champion Chattanooga team listed as a 'can't miss' bunch last year. Admittedly McCall was not an assistant, but he came with the highest ratings. The coaching transition is just never a sure thing.

But if Rafferty is healthy and/or Williams proves that he can play big minutes at a high level, and Richey makes a smooth coaching transition, then Furman will be VERY tough to beat.

Rating ETSU higher than you have requires a bit of a leap of faith on my part. We lost a ton, and Steve Forbes has had to recruit a ton of new guys and will now have to mold them into a team. But two years with Steve Forbes has convinced me that that is just what Steve Forbes does from one year to the next. The way he has turned this program around with improved play, increased attendance, excitement and a rebuilt facility in just two years tends to make believers out of most of us.

I think that you are spot on with Western Carolina: "The Catamounts could be a much more competitive team this year than last year. A lot of returning players who aren't without talent and play with heart. They have got to find some shooters though. With any kind of perimeter game they could easily be a middle of the pack team." Marc Gosselin, Haboubacar Mutombo, Devin Peterson, Adam Sledd and Onno Steger all have some ability, and do indeed play with heart, as Larry Hunter teams tend to do. But the shooting is ugly, and makes it hard to progress too much.

I also think that you are exactly right to spot the way that Duggar Baucom is building the Citadel in his image, and the quality that he has landed with Preston Parks and now Tariq Simmons (you could have added Zane Najdawi and Kaelon Harris). They have a nice combination of experience with the Baucom system and youth that could leave them poised for a leap forward.

The only other quibble I'd have is with rating Mercer that high (2nd). (Sorry, Mercerfan!) Instead of the usual JUCO's or 5th year seniors, Hoffman has only added a couple of freshmen (albeit good ones in Marcus Cohen and Mason Green). I just don't think that's enough to boost the Bears very much above last year's 9-9. On a senior laden team, the freshmen will have a hard time making a difference. I agree that Holland is likely to improve. Strawberry might do that, too. Don't know about Jelks, who surprised me when he took a big step backward last year - the question is why? Maybe Mercerfan can enlighten us? My other question to him is this - is Hoffman still trying to land a last second recruit who might be a difference maker? Or is Mercer done for this year?

Thanks for your thoughts, and keep posting!

Without commenting on the team, ETSU has the best coaching staff in the SoCon. Top 3 or bust, as usual. Two years of dynamic history says top 2. No comment on other teams, except UNCG returning hungry and finishing top 3, in my esteem.

Obviously the health of Rafferty is a key for Furman. At this point in time all indications are positive. Coach Richey has indicated that Rafferty will likely be the starter at center and Williams will be the back up.

Mounce and Gurley are both taller and heavier than their earlier listings indicate, if the pictures posted on the Furman Twitter page are accurate. Mounce looks at least as tall as Rafferty and Gurley looks the tallest on the team by a little bit. Both appear to have benefited from the conditioning work this summer. Gurley actually has some muscle on his arms. (Yeah, he really was skinny as a HS junior.) BTW, Mounce has another brother, Carson, who is 6'10" 230 and was a sophomore at D2 UNC-Pembroke last year.

Regarding Mercer, Holland was kind of a maverick and hurt their team flow. I expect he will fit into the team system better this year. In all honesty, when Furman was winning two very close games against them last year I was quietly happy that Strawberry, Rivers, and Jelks weren't getting as many shots.

Western Carolina has at least one recruit - Halvorsen - who is supposed to be a very good shooter and Steger hit almost 40% on 3s as a freshman and could be the guy. Gosselin hit 36% as a sophomore and is someone to watch. It doesn't appear they have the stud guard to carry the load like they have had in the past with Mike Brown, James Sinclair, or Trey Sumler however.

In UNCG’s trip to Spain with 3 games against inferior competition 6-3 185 Sr transfer Justin Jordan and 6-5 195 Redshirt Freshman Kylia Sykes showed some ability. Although they certainly weren’t playing La Liga, winning all 3.

Justin Jordan, 6’3” 185 Sr. UW-Milwaukee transfer and nephew of Michael Jordan, hadn’t shown too much promise in Spain. His stat line isn’t great in 3 games against weak competition: 17 min., 5.3 pts, 50% fg, 2-8 from 3, 2 rebounds, 1.7 asst, 2.0 t.o., 0.5 stl. But in the 3rd game against Seville, with Alonso fouled out and Demetrius Troy sitting out this game along with Dickey, UNCG was down a few points with a couple minutes to go. Jordan was the guy with the athleticism to create a shot and/or get to the free throw line and make the shots. Those abilities may prove useful. And keep getting him some minutes stateside. If he can do it against better D1 competition. Last year he was eligible the second semester, but only played in 6 games, getting no significant stats.

6-5 195 hustling Redshirt freshman Kylia Sykes showed some promise in the first 2 Spanish games with 19.5 minutes per game, 7 ppg, 6-8 FG, 2-4 from 3, 3 rebounds per game, 1 ast, 3 t.o., 1 blk, 2 steals per game. However in the 3rd game he picked up some quick fouls and did absolutely nothing, fouling out after with 13 minutes with a totally blank stat sheet.

Overall UNCG was kind of underwhelming, but they were probably approaching this as more of a vacation and bonding experience than an athletic challenge.

In a good sign for the Mercer Bears, they beat the Dominican Republic national team 89-75 and got 16 points from 6-5 guard Ethan Stair who missed last season with injury. That kind of increased scoring is exactly what Mercer needs to improve from last year when defense and rebounding kept them close, but they couldn't score enough to seal the deal. http://mercerbears.com/news/2017/8/2/men...89-75.aspx

Mercer also won 3 other games on their trip to the DR, but they were mostly meaningless blowouts against overmatched opponents.

One of UNCG's victory's was over the Spanish National team - but it was the U-16 national team! Not quite the big boys.

Since the Mercer report did not contain any qualifiers, I assume that it was the actual adult DR National team that they beat - but perhaps minus folks playing for the NBA or club teams??? A victory over the U-16 DR nationals would be kind of like a victory over the Washington Nationals.

I can't find a box score that would help with details. I know, it's still too soon to be searching for meaning in relatively trivial events.

I don't think that this has been posted before, so FWIW: former 1st team JUCO All-American Julian Walters has found a spot in the SWAC at Alabama A&M. http://www.aamusports.com/roster.aspx?rp...ath=mbball

So while the Bucs pick up former SWAC guard Jalan McCloud from Texas Southern, we 'exchange' Walters who just was not a fit with the Bucs.

By the way, A&M was 2-27 last year.