Heading into last season, the Southern Conference was looked at as nothing more than Davidson’s playground; a league in which the only question was if the Wildcats could go undefeated in it. Well, those people were in for a surprise. Sure, Davidson won it, but it wasn’t easy. The Wildcats suffered two losses, and finished just three games ahead of The Citadel and Charleston, who were 15-5. Both teams defeated Davidson. Chattanooga and Western Carolina tied for the North division title at 11-9. The conference tournament continued the surprise as Stephen Curry and the Wildcats were upset by Charleston, and Chattanooga went on to win the automatic bid. Davidson had to settle for the NIT. With Curry gone, Davidson is no longer the favorite -- expect an exciting conference race.
South Division
1. College of Charleston: The Cougars need to build on last season's upset of Davidson behind guards Andrew Goudelock and Tony White.
2. Wofford: The Terriers have one of the best tandems in the conference in guard Junior Salters and forward Noah Dahlman.
3. Davidson: Without Stephen Curry, forwards Steve Rossiter and Will Archambault and guard Bryant Barr need to step up.
4. The Citadel: Don't count out the Bulldogs this season; guards Cameron Wells and Zach Urbanus keep them competitive every night.
5. Georgia Southern: The Eagles could be a major sleeper behind the return of injured Willie Powers and three other players who averaged at least 9.9 ppg.
6. Furman: The return of five starters, including Jordan Miller, brings optimism to a team that lost 24 games and finished last a year ago.
North Division
1. Appalachian State: The Mountaineers are going to be a huge threat this season, led by guards Kellen Brand and Donald Sims.
2. Western Carolina: Another team buoyed by its backcourt, the Catamounts are led by the tandem of Brandon Giles and Harouna Mutombo.
3. UNC-Greensboro: Ben Stywall is a solid forward, while Mikko Koivisto provides some perimeter balance for the Spartans.
4. Samford: The Bulldogs run the Princeton offense, which makes them a tough team to play. Bryan Friday anchors the team down low.
5. Chattanooga: The defending tournament champions lose their top four scorers, but Vanderbilt transfer Keegan Bell will make an impact.
6. Elon: Chris Long leads the way for the Phoenix, who are bringing in former Davidson assistant Matt Matheny to man the sidelines.
Player of the Year: Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
All-Conference Team:
G- Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
G- Cameron Wells, The Citadel
G- Kellen Brand, Appalachian State
G- Harouna Mutombo, Western Carolina
F- Noah Dahlman, Wofford
Second Team:
G- Junior Salters, Wofford
G- Donald Sims, Appalachian State
G- Tony White Jr., College of Charleston
G- Brandon Giles, Western Carolina
F- Ben Stywall, UNC-Greensboro
1. College of Charleston: The Cougars need to build on last season's upset of Davidson behind guards Andrew Goudelock and Tony White.
2. Wofford: The Terriers have one of the best tandems in the conference in guard Junior Salters and forward Noah Dahlman.
3. Davidson: Without Stephen Curry, forwards Steve Rossiter and Will Archambault and guard Bryant Barr need to step up.
4. The Citadel: Don't count out the Bulldogs this season; guards Cameron Wells and Zach Urbanus keep them competitive every night.
5. Georgia Southern: The Eagles could be a major sleeper behind the return of injured Willie Powers and three other players who averaged at least 9.9 ppg.
6. Furman: The return of five starters, including Jordan Miller, brings optimism to a team that lost 24 games and finished last a year ago.
North Division
1. Appalachian State: The Mountaineers are going to be a huge threat this season, led by guards Kellen Brand and Donald Sims.
2. Western Carolina: Another team buoyed by its backcourt, the Catamounts are led by the tandem of Brandon Giles and Harouna Mutombo.
3. UNC-Greensboro: Ben Stywall is a solid forward, while Mikko Koivisto provides some perimeter balance for the Spartans.
4. Samford: The Bulldogs run the Princeton offense, which makes them a tough team to play. Bryan Friday anchors the team down low.
5. Chattanooga: The defending tournament champions lose their top four scorers, but Vanderbilt transfer Keegan Bell will make an impact.
6. Elon: Chris Long leads the way for the Phoenix, who are bringing in former Davidson assistant Matt Matheny to man the sidelines.
Player of the Year: Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
All-Conference Team:
G- Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
G- Cameron Wells, The Citadel
G- Kellen Brand, Appalachian State
G- Harouna Mutombo, Western Carolina
F- Noah Dahlman, Wofford
Second Team:
G- Junior Salters, Wofford
G- Donald Sims, Appalachian State
G- Tony White Jr., College of Charleston
G- Brandon Giles, Western Carolina
F- Ben Stywall, UNC-Greensboro
Is College of Charleston's mascot the Bears? I think it would be really cool if we could refer to that team as Goudelock's bears.
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