Southern Conference Basketball Weekly Recap and Jan. 12 Previews

SoCon Week In Review

GREENVILLE, S.C.—All 12 teams were in action in league play on Thursday night, with only two games having been decided by single digits—those were games between Appalachian State and Samford (68-63, ASU), and Elon and Georgia Southern (69-63 GSU). 

The largest margin of victory in Thursday night's Southern Conference basketball action was a 32-point blasting by Furman against The Citadel at Timmons Arena. The Paladins posted a 77-45 win over the Bulldogs on Thursday night, buoyed by career-highs from Bobby Austin (17 pts) and Dominic Early (14 pts).

The big win saw the Paladins hit a season-high of 13 three-pointers and with the win, Furman snapped a three-game losing skid.

The College of Charleston was in the "Hub City" of Spartanburg, S.C. on Thursday night to take on the two-time defending Southern Conference champion Wofford at the Benjamin-Johnson Arena. The Terriers handed the Cougars their first SoCon loss, with an impressive 75-58 victory to improve to 9-6 overall on the campaign and 2-1 in league play. With its second-straight loss, CofC falls to 10-4 overall and 2-1 in league action.

The Terriers got a career-high 21 points from freshman guard Karl Cochran, as the Terriers looked very impressive in claiming their second-straight win over the College of Charleston. The Terriers of course, claimed a 77-67 win over the Cougars in last year's Southern Conference Tournament title game to punch their second NCAA Tournament ticket in as many seasons. 

Cochran was one of three Terriers in double figures, as both Kevin Giltner (15 pts) and Brad Loesing (13 pts) also added double figure scoring performances. The Terriers connected on 45.6% of their shots from the field in the game, while an impressive defensive effort saw the Terriers hold the Cougars to just 38.9% from the field.

Western Carolina dropped to 2-31 all-time at Chattanooga's McKenzie Arena, with a 78-62 loss on the Mocs' home floor Thursday night. It was a big night for Drazen Zloravich, who posted career highs of 19 points and 12 boards, helping the Mocs improve to 7-9 overall and notch their first league win, improving to 1-2. With the loss, Western Carolina drops to 7-8 overall and 2-1 in the SoCon.

Zloravich is one of four Mocs in double figures on Thursday night, and was joined in double figures by Ricky Taylor (15 pts, 8 rebs), Omar Wattad (12 pts, 6 rebs) and Dontay Hampton (11 pts). Diminutive point guard Keaton Cole led the way for the defending North Division champion Catamounts, posting 18 points with all of his points coming by way of the three-point shot (6-for-16 from three).

The Catamounts had a 60-58 lead on the Mocs with 6:59 to play in the contest. However, an 18-0 run by the Mocs from that point saw the Mocs go on top 76-60 on a lay-up by a pair of Hampton free throws with 39 seconds left. During the run, 12 of UTC's 18 points in the stretch came via lay-ups.

For just the second time this season, Appalachian State went on the road and claimed a victory, as the Mountaineers were able to hold off a pesky Samford club for a 68-63 win Thursday night at the Pete Hanna Center. With the win, ASU improves to 6-7 overall and moves into a tie for the top spot in the North Division, improving to 2-1 in the league. With the loss, Samford falls to 3-10 overall and 0-2 in SoCon play.

Appalachian saw the Bulldogs pull within a point on two separate occasions in the second half, but the Mountaineers were able to hold on for the road win. ASU was a bit short-handed, playing without suspended center Isaac Butts as well as shooting guard Rodney Milum, who missed his second-straight game attending to family matters.

The Mountaineers were led by preseason SoCon Player of the Year Omar Carter, who led all scorers with 17 points, while unlikely hero Nathan Healy matched a career-high with 14 points, and Tab Hamilton and Mike Neal chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively, to round out the double figure scorers for the Black and Gold. 

Drew Windler led the Bulldogs in the losing effort, scoring 15 points, while Jeffery Merritt contributed a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 boards. 

Elon dropped its first league game and first game on its home floor, with a 69-63 setback to Georgia Southern at Alumni Gym on Thursday evening. The win saw the Eagles improve to 5-8 overall and improve to 3-0 in SoCon play. The win by the Eagles also brought an end to a 26-game road losing streak. Elon drops to 7-6 overall and 2-1 in SoCon play. 

GSU sophomore guard Eric Ferguson turned in a monster evening, posting a season-high 21 points to go along with 14 boards to round his fourth-career double-double performance in an Eagle uniform. Jack Isenbarger paced Elon with 17 points, while Lucas Troutman added 16 for the Phoenix. 

Davidson opened the new year in strong fashion, charging to the top of the South Division standings with a 92-63 win at UNC Greensboro. With the win, the Wildcats improved to 9-4 overall and 3-0 in SoCon play. It was Davidson's 11th win in the last 12 games in SoCon regular-season play.

The Wildcats got 22 points from Nic Cochran to lead the way in the route, as Davidson shot a blistering 56-percent from the field in the win. Equally impressive was the Davidson defense, which limited the Spartans to just 33 percent shooting from the field in the win. 

SoCon Review Jan. 7

The early start in Saturday's Southern Conference basketball action saw a battle of two SoCon undefeateds take the SoCon hardwood at Davidson's Belk Arena, as the Wildcats picked up a 96-74 league win over Georgia Southern to remain unbeaten in the league. With the victory, the Wildcats improved to 10-4 overall and 4-0 in SoCon play. The loss saw Georgia Southern drop to 5-9 overall and 3-1 in SoCon play.

The story of the game was the play of Davidson post players Jake Cohen and De'mon Brooks, who combined to score 53 points and shot 82 percent from the field in helping the Wildcats to the win. Cohen posted career highs of 29 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Wildcats, while Brooks connected on 10-of-13 shots from the field and finished with 24 points, scoring 21 of those points in the second half. Cohen scored 24 of his career-high 29 points in the opening half of play. 

Davidson shot a season-high 60 percent from the field, including a blistering 63 percent in the opening half of play en route to the win. The Wildcats were 11-of-19 from three-point range in the contest. For the second-straight game, Georgia Southern was led by Eric Ferguson who scored 20 points, while veteran guard Ben Drayton III posted 13 points and eight assists in the loss. 

Both teams will return to SoCon action on Thursday night, with Davidson hosting Western Carolina at Belk Arena for an inter-divisional SoCon clash. Tip-off for that contest is set for 7 p.m. Georgia Southern will return to Hanner Fieldhouse to take on the Samford Bulldogs in another SoCon inter-divisional clash on Thursday. Tip-off for that contest is also slated for 7 p.m.

College of Charleston was able to rebound from a 75-58 setback to Wofford on Thursday night and were able to win going away at Furman on Saturday afternoon, posting a 66-43 win over the Paladins at Timmons Arena. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Cougars and helped the Cougars improve to 11-4 overall and 3-1 in SoCon play. The Paladins dropped to 7-8 overall and 1-3 in SoCon play.

Despite connecting on just 3-of-15 from three-point range in the contest, College of Charleston shot a solid 51.1 percent for the game, while limiting the Paladins to just 29.6 percent and a season-low point total. 

The win marked the ninth-straight win for the Cougars against the Paladins. The Cougars were led by a pair of talented freshmen, as Adjehi Baru and Anthony Stitt posted 14 points apiece to lead the offensive efforts for CofC, while leading scorer Antwaine Wiggins added 10 points and had three of the Cougars' 12 steals in the contest.

Furman was led in the contest by sophomore guard Charlie Reddick, as he finished the day with 11 points, while Colin Reddick led the Paladins on the glass by pulling down a team-high nine boards. 

Both College of Charleston and Furman will return to action on Thursday night, as the Cougars return home to face UNC Greensboro, with tip-off slated for 7 p.m. Furman also returns to action on Thursday evening, traveling to the High Country to face Appalachian State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Western Carolina got back on the winning track, dropping Wofford 67-57 on Saturday night in front of 2,257 fans at Ramsey Center. For the second-straight game, the Catamounts got a career-high six treys from point guard Keaton Cole, as he led way for Western with 18 points. With the win, Western Carolina improved to 8-8 overall and 3-1 in SoCon play, while Wofford fell to 9-7 overall and 2-2 in the league.

Cole was joined in double figures by a couple of Catamounts, as Harouna Mutombo added 11 points and Preston Ross finished with 10. WCU pulled out to a double-digit lead on back-to-back dunks by Mutombo and Ross in the opening moments of the second half, and the Catamounts never looked back en route to the 10-point win. 

Wofford had a couple of players in double figures in the contest, as freshman Karl Cochran and senior Brad Loesing scored 20 points apiece in the losing effort. Leading scorer Kevin Giltner struggled for the Terriers, connecting on 3-of-14 from the field, scoring just eight points in the loss. The Catamounts out-scored the Terriers 30-16 in the paint in the contest. 

Wofford will be back in action on Thursday night, continuing on this mini road trip, as the Terriers will travel to the Scenic City of Chattanooga, TN. Tip-off for that contest is slated for 7 p.m. 

The Citadel and Samford faced off in a matchup between two teams yet to win a SoCon game on Saturday night at McAlister Field House, and it was the Bulldogs of The Citadel that came up with a 73-62 win over Samford. The Citadel was on fire from the field, connecting on 56.2 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from beyond the three-point arc to come up with an 11-point win. 

With the win, The Citadel improved to 4-11 overall and 1-3 in SoCon play, while Samford dropped to 3-11 overall and 0-3 in SoCon play. The Citadel was led by talented center Mike Groselle, who connected on a perfect 10-for-10 from the field, finishing with a game-high 25 points, helping the Bulldogs claim their first Southern Conference win of the 2011-12 season.

Groselle was joined in double figures by three Bulldogs, as Cosmo Morabbi added 20 points, while guards DeVonte Wright and Ashton Moore added 12 and 10 points apiece, respectively. Samford was led by center Drew Windler, who scored 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field.

Both The Citadel and Samford are in action on Thursday night. The Citadel will host North Division foe Elon in a rematch of last year's SoCon Tournament first-round clash. Tip-off for that contest is slated for 7 p.m. at McAlister Field House.

In the best game between Southern Conference foes on Saturday, Appalachian State traveled to Chattanooga for a key North Division clash. Dontay Hampton's coast-to-coast lay-up with 0.8 seconds remaining proved to be the winning bucket in a 65-63 Mocs win. The win improved the Mocs' overall ledger to 8-9 and conference mark to 2-2. Appalachian State dropped to 6-8 overall and 2-2 in SoCon play.

Veteran guard Ricky Taylor led the Mocs in the contest, scoring 19 points, while forward Jahmal Burroughs posted career highs of 11 points and eight rebounds to bolster the Mocs' front court. Drazen Zloravich also added 11 points in the contest as he continued his strong play in the paint for the Mocs. 

Appalachian State guard Tab Hamilton led all scorers, finishing with 22 points. Hamilton was an impressive 6-for-11 from three-point range in the contest. Preseason SoCon Player of the Year selection Omar Carter added 19 points in the losing effort for ASU.

Appalachian State Hosts Furman on Thursday Night

Furman (7-8, 1-3 SoCon) at Appalachian State (6-8, 2-2 SoCon)

GAME PREVIEW:

Appalachian State will host Furman in a key Southern Conference showdown on Thursday evening at the Holmes Convocation Center. The Paladins have won three-straight against Appalachian State, including a win in their last trip to the Holmes Center back in 2009 (85-82).  The Paladins will be looking to rebound from a 66-43 setback to College of Charleston on Saturday afternoon at Timmons Arena, while Appalachian State will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 65-63 loss at Chattanooga on Saturday night. 

The Paladins were able to claim an 81-61 win over the Mountaineers last season in Greenville in what was the only meeting between the two SoCon rivals. Despite the loss to the Paladins in Furman's last trip to the Holmes Center, the Mountaineers have won five out of their last six over the Paladins at the Holmes Dome. Thursday night's meeting between the two will mark the 80th all-time meeting between the two foes, with Furman holding a 44-35 series edge.

It will mark the first of two meetings between the two teams this season, with the Mountaineers and Paladins slated to meet again on Feb. 9 at Furman's Timmons Arena. The Mountaineers have been playing without a couple of key players over the past few games, as Ike Butts has been suspended by head coach Jason Capel, while Rodney Milum missed his third-straight game attending to family matters. 

The Apps continue to be led by preseason SoCon Player of the Year Omar Carter (13.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG), who has started the season strong, and started to warm up to those preseason accolades. Carter is a strong, athletic combo guard/forward that can create scoring opportunities off the dribble as well as hit from the outside. He is coming off a 19-point effort against Chattanooga on Saturday night. However, Carter has only  connected on just 15-of-51 (29.6 percent) attempts from beyond the perimeter this season. 

Joining Carter in double-figure scoring average this season for the Black and Gold in the starting lineup has been talented swingman Jamaal Trice (10.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG), who has logged starts in 12 of 14 games for the Apps this season. Trice is one of the best athletes on the Appalachian roster and will be part of what has been a deep backcourt for the Mountaineers, although that has been somewhat affected by the absence of Milum. 

Carter will be joined in the paint by forward Andre Williamson, who has definitely picked up the slack in the absence of Butts in the past couple of games. Williamson was named Southern Conference Player of the Week last week, after averaging 17.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG in games against Campbell and Miami. Williamson is coming off a game against Chattanooga on Saturday night, which saw him post five points and six boards in the heartbreaking setback.

Williamson is especially effective on the defensive end of the floor with his athleticism for the Black and Gold. He has blocked 23 shots so far this season, ranking him tops in the league in that category. As a team, the Mountaineers are averaging a league-high 4.8 blocks-per-game. 

Rounding out the starters for the Mountaineers on Thursday evening will likely be talented freshman point guard Mike Neal (5.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 40 assists) and fellow talented freshman shooting guard Tabarris Hamilton (8.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG). Neal's 40 assists leads ASU and he ranks eighth overall in the league, averaging 3.1 helpers-per-game.

Hamilton has done a bit of everything for head coach Jason Capel this season, and he has picked up his scoring as of late in the absence of Milum, posting double-figure scoring games in each of the past two outings, including leading all scorers in ASU's loss at Chattanooga, posting 22 points. 

Coming off the bench, ASU has been led by veteran forward Nathan Healy (2.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG) and G.J. Vilarino (3.5 PPG, 1.6 RPG), who has continued to grow into his role since transferring to ASU from Gonzaga. Healy, who is not known to be too much of a threat as a scoring presence on the interior, had a breakout game in ASU's 68-63 win at Samford last Thursday. In that contest, Healy posted 14 points to match a career high. 

Should Milum and Butts return, that will bolster ASU's overall depth and make them a dangerous team in the SoCon North, as the Mountaineers look to claim a North Division crown for the first time since the 2009-10 season. 

As a team, the Mountaineers seventh in the league in scoring offense (67.3 PPG), while also ranking seventh in scoring defense (70.4 PPG). The Black and Gold have shot the basketball at a 43.5 percent clip on the season to rank sixth in the SoCon, while connecting on 36.3 percent of their three-point field goals to rank fourth in the SoCon in that category. Defensively, the Mountaineers are allowing opponents to shoot the basketball at a 43.9 percent clip to rank fifth in field goal percentage defense, while opponents have shot 31.6 percent from three, as the Apps rank fourth in the SoCon in defending the three.

Furman enters the contest having had its share of ups-and-downs of late. On Thursday night, the Paladins were sensational in posting a 77-45 win over The Citadel. Furman connected on a sizzling 55.1 percent from the field and knocked down 13 triples in the win. However, less than 48 hours later, Furman posted one of its worst shooting performances of the campaign in a 23-point loss (43-66) to College of Charleston on Saturday afternoon in Greenville. 

The Paladins lost four starters from a team that won 20 games for the first time in over two decades last season, and have struggled to find an offensive leader this season. If Furman ever does that, it might be a factor in the South Division this season. 

Most of Furman's scoring has come from its backcourt, where the Paladins are led by Richard Brown (9.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG) at point guard and Charlie Reddick (9.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG) at shooting guard. Brown will start at the point guard position for the Paladins on Thursday night against ASU, and he enters the contest leading the Paladins with 52 assists this season. His 3.5 APG ranks him seventh on the league's statistical ledger in assists-per-game.

Reddick was the lone Paladin in double figures in the loss Saturday to the Cougars, as he posted 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 from behind the three-point line. Reddick is not only one of Furman's best athletes and scorers, but he is also the Paladins' best perimeter shooter. Reddick has knocked down a team-best 30 triples this season, and is shooting 42.9 percent (30-of-70) from long range this season. 

Furman has gotten excellent production from newcomer Bryant Irwin (9.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG), who headlines the front line scoring for the Paladins heading into Thursday night's clash with ASU. Irwin is a nice inside-out player, making him tough to guard. Irwin likes to step out and shoot the perimeter jumper, ranking second on the team with 24 three-pointers this season. 

The lone starter returning off the Furman team that won 22 games a year ago is 6-9 power forward Brandon Sebirumbi (8.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG). Sebirumbi has been inconsistent this season for the Paladins, and he hasn't quite molded into the scoring leader that head coach Jeff Jackson had hoped he might entering the 2011-12 season. Sebirumbi did record the best performance of his career back in late December, recording 20 points in a 75-71 loss to Presbyterian.

Rounding out the expected starting five for Thursday night's clash with ASU will likely be senior center Colin Reddick (5.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG). Reddick has stepped up his play of late and has been a dangerous and adept passer in the post for the Paladins. He led the Paladins with nine boards in Saturday afternoon's loss to College of Charleston.  

Furman has some solid contributors coming off of its bench, led by athletic shooting guard Bobby Austin (7.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG), who might be Furman's most-complete basketball player on both ends of the floor. Austin is not only a dangerous three-point shooter, he also acquits himself well on the defensive end of the floor, having blocked eight shots on the season to rank second on the club in that defensive category. It was Austin that led all scorers in Furman's thumping of The Citadel, posting a career-high 17 points. 

Dominic Early (4.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG), Bryson Barnes (7.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG), and Jordan Lloyd (3.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG) round out the significant contributors off the Furman bench. Early is a rangy, athletic post that likes to step out and shoot the three. His four triples in the win over The Citadel helped him post a career-high of 14 points in the victory. Barnes has cooled off significantly since his 26-point effort in Furman's 76-63 win at Western Kentucky in mid-December. That was Barnes' first game back with the team after serving a suspension for the first 10 games of the season due to an academic scheduling mishap. 

As a team, the Paladins enter Thursday's North-South Division clash averaging 65.3 PPG to rank ninth in scoring offense, while allowing opponents to score on average of 65.1 PPG, to rank third in the SoCon in scoring defense. The Paladins have shot the basketball at a 40.6 percent clip this season, ranking 10th in the SoCon in overall field goal percentage. Furman is connecting on 33.0 percent of its three-point efforts this season, which also ranks the Paladins 10th in that particular shooting percentage category. Opponents are shooting 44.2 percent from the field against the Paladins, ranking Furman sixth in field goal percentage defense, and are connecting at a 32.2 percent clip from long range, as Furman ranks fifth in the SoCon at defending the three.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: APPALACHIAN STATE 72, FURMAN 65 

Western Carolina Heads to Davidson Thursday Night

Western Carolina (8-8, 3-1 SoCon) at Davidson (10-4, 4-0 SoCon)

GAME PREVIEW:

Davidson will host Western Carolina in a key Southern Conference basketball clash on Thursday night at the John Belk Arena. The Wildcats and Catamounts are two of the top teams in the league and are two teams that are expected to be favorites in their respective divisions of the SoCon this season. 

The Catamounts and Wildcats are longtime rivals on the SoCon hardwood, and will be squaring off for the 57th time in series history on Thursday night, with the Wildcats holding a 36-20 all-time series edge. Davidson holds a 19-7 series lead over the Wildcats at Belk Arena. The Catamounts and Wildcats met only once last season, with the Catamounts coming up with an 81-73 win at the Ramsey Center.

The Catamounts come into the contest being led by one of the best backcourts in the SoCon, which consists of a trio of guards averaging in double figures. Senior Harouna Mutombo (14.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG) is the team's leading scorer, but both Keaton Cole (11.8 PPG, 1.6 RPG) and Trey Sumler (11.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG) aren't all that far behind their teammate.

Mutombo has been the leader on both the offensive and defensive ends for the Catamounts this season, and he is coming off a contest in which he scored 11 points in the 77-67 win over Wofford on Saturday night. Mutombo's top performance of the 2011-12 season came against Kent State in a narrow loss, as he posted 21 points in that particular contest.  

While Mutombo has been the go-to-player this season for the Catamounts, certainly the "go-to-player" over the past couple of outings for the Catamounts has been Cole. The diminutive point guard has connected on a career-high six three-pointers in each of the past two outings for Western, and his career-best 22 points, helped the Catamounts post the 10-point win over the two-time defending SoCon champs on Saturday night at the Ramsey Center. Cole ranks second in the league with 50 made three-pointers this season, and is shooting an impressive 43.1 percent from beyond the arc this season.

Sumler has also proven he can shoot the ball effectively from distance this season as he enters Thursday's contest with 18 treys, but he has struggled to find the kind of consistency from the perimeter that he maintained throughout his first season donning the Purple and Gold. 

Set to start in the front court for the Catamounts on Thursday night will likely be Tawaski King (5.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG) and Preston Ross (5.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG). Western is clearly a guard-oriented squad, as it has been for much of the time in the seven seasons that Larry Hunter has been on the sidelines for the Catamounts, and this season is no different. However, both Ross and King have proven to be excellent role players underneath, providing just enough of a physical edge in the paint to make the Catamounts a versatile squad through the first 16 games this season. 

Hunter's Catamounts also appear to be deeper this season as opposed to years past, with young and talented players like Brandon Boggs (10.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG) and Ishmael Hollis (3.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG) coming off the bench. Boggs is athletic and the team's best on-the-ball defender. 

Davidson comes into Thursday night's contest playing the best basketball of any team in the Southern Conference at this current juncture in the season. The Wildcats continue to be led by the play of sophomore De'mon Brooks (15.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG), who has blossomed in his second year with the program. Originally slated to join the Howard Bison, Brooks had a change of heart at the last moment after a coaching change at the Washington D.C. based school, and that was obviously to Bob McKillop and Davidson's benefit. 

Brooks is a tremendous athlete and he reminds some Davidson fans of former Wildcat great Brandon Williams (1993-96). Brooks has had some outstanding performances this season for the Wildcats, and he is coming off a game in which he matched his season high with 24 points in the 96-74 triumph over Georgia Southern. 

Brooks will be joined underneath the basket by another player that is having an All-Southern Conference season, in center Jake Cohen (12.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 17 blocks). Cohen is coming off a tremendous performance in the win over Georgia Southern, as he posted a career high 29 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field, 2-for-2 from the perimeter and 11-of-12 from the charity stripe. Cohen's 17 blocks on the defensive end of the floor ranks him third in the league.

Perhaps even more impressive than its front court this season has been Davidson's backcourt. The Wildcats have a trio of guards that arguably form the top backcourt in the SoCon. Leading the talented cast in the backcourt for the Wildcats this season have been J.P. Kuhlman (12.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG) and Nik Cochran (12.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG).

Kuhlman is a two-time All-SoCon honoree, and does a little bit of everything for the Wildcats, and he is arguably the Wildcats' most complete player. Kuhlman is good at creating his shot off the dribble and is one of the team's defensive leaders, as he paces the club with 15 steals this season.

Cochran has done an excellent job of handling the point guard responsibilities this season for the Wildcats, and he is the top free throw shooter in the Southern Conference (93.8 percent) and is tied for fifth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (44.1 percent). His 22 triples this season rank him second on the squad in three-pointers made. Cochran's 41 assists this season are also a team standard. The biggest reason most will recognize Cochran for is that his three-pointer in the late going against No. 12 Kansas proved to be a dagger, in helping the Wildcats pull off the 80-74 win in mid-December.

Rounding out the starters in the backcourt for Davidson this season is Tom Droney (4.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG), who has been the defensive stopper for McKillop and the Wildcats this season. Droney's top offensive performance of the season came in the opener, as he posted 14 points in the Wildcats' win over Guilford College. 

The biggest thing that has made Davidson one of the top programs in the SoCon since re-joining the league in 1992-93 is depth, and the same holds true for McKillop's club this season. The top players coming off the bench for Davidson are Chris Czerapowicz (9.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG), Clint Mann (5.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG). Czerapowicz is one of the league's top long-range shooters and he leads the team with 26 triples on the campaign.

As a team, Davidson leads the SoCon in scoring (78.7 PPG), while ranking eighth in the league in scoring defense (70.5 PPG). The Wildcats are shooting the basketball at a 44.8 percent clip this season, ranking third in team field goal percentage, while connecting on 33.0 percent from long, ranking ninth in the SoCon. Davidson is allowing opponents to connect on 45.1 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three-point range, ranking seventh in both respective categories this season.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: DAVIDSON 79, WESTERN CAROLINA 67

Chattanooga Will Host Wofford on Thursday Night

Wofford (9-7, 2-2 SoCon) at Chattanooga (8-9, 2-2)

GAME PREVIEW:

Wofford and Chattanooga will lock horns at the Mocs' McKenzie Arena on Thursday night. The Mocs have been one of the league's hottest teams of late, as the Mocs have won four of their last five games—including their last two league games. The Mocs entered the season as the North Division favorites, but struggled out of the gates and have had both "on the court" and "off the court" issues so far this season.

Wofford comes in displaying some rather inconsistent play as of late, with the Terriers having posted an impressive 75-58 win over College of Charleston last week, but could not keep it going, as the Terriers were 67-57 losers at Western Carolina on Saturday night. 

The last time the Terriers visited the McKenzie Arena last February, Wofford left with a 39-point win, as the Terriers posted a 97-58 win over the Mocs. It would start a string of good games in quick succession for Wofford, as the Terriers went on to claim their second-straight Southern Conference title, eventually winning the title with a 77-67 title game win over College of Charleston a week later. The Mocs and Terriers will be squaring off on the hardwood for the 27th time in series history, with the Mocs holding a narrow 15-11 edge.

The Mocs' most recent victory on the hardwood came on Saturday night, as the Mocs posted a thrilling 65-63 last-second win over Appalachian State in a key North Division clash. It was diminutive guard Dontay Hampton that provided the heroics, as his coast-to-coast lay-up with .08 seconds remaining provided the heroics. 

The Mocs have been led this season by senior guard Ricky Taylor (13.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG) and combo guard/small forward Omar Wattad (13.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG). Taylor has become the leader of this team and has really developed into a solid all-conference player. Taylor is a complete player, as he is ultra important to the Mocs on both ends of the floor, and might even be more beneficial to the Mocs on the defensive end of the floor. 

Taylor comes in having scored in double figures in all but two games this season. Taylor led the Mocs with 19 points in the win over Appalachian State on Saturday night, and he scored his season-high 21 points in a big win over Hiwassee College a few weeks ago. Taylor's 36 minutes played against Appalachian State on Saturday night were a season-high for him.

Wattad is one of the best pure scorers in the Southern Conference, and though he has seen his numbers take a bit of a dip this season, Wattad has the ability to score a lot of points in a short amount of time with his ability to shoot from the perimeter. Wattad leads the team with 49 made three-point field goals this season, which ranks second in the lead in three-pointers made to Western's Keaton Cole, who has 50 treys.

Wattad's 3.3 made three-point field goals per game leads the SoCon. Wattad enjoyed his best game of the 2011-12 season against Indiana in the season opener, as he posted 24 points in the road loss to the Hoosiers. Wattad comes in having scored in double figures in each of the past four games. 

Joining Taylor in the backcourt will be point guard Keegan Bell (8.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG), who comes in as the Mocs' all-time assists leader, leading the SoCon and ranking fourth nationally in assists, with 128 helpers so far this season. Bell has helped the Mocs lead the SoCon in assists coming into Thursday night's clash, posting an average of 16.4 helpers per game. Bell has an impressive 53 assists to just 11 turnovers in the last six outings. 

Rounding out the starters for the Mocs will be Drazen Zloravic (10.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG) and Jahmal Burroughs (3.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG), who will both start underneath the basket for the Mocs. Zloravic has had a sensational opening campaign in a Mocs uniform, and he has really had to step up in the absence of Chris Early and become more of an offensive threat for the Mocs. 

Zloravic transferred into the Chattanooga basketball program from Georgia, and has been the Mocs most consistent player throughout the 2011-12 season. Zloravic is averaging 12.2 PPG and 9.2 RPG over the past five games. Zloravic recorded career highs of 19 points and 12 boards in the win over Western Carolina a couple of games ago.

Burroughs has continued to see his playing time increase as the season has progressed, and he enjoyed his best game of the season in the win over Longwood in the Dr. Pepper Classic, posting 10 points, which is his only double-figure scoring performance of the season. 

The Mocs also have one of the deeper benches in the SoCon, and the top player coming off that bench for head coach John Shulman is forward Z. Mason (4.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG), who has given the Mocs a solid body underneath and is a player cast in much the same mold of former Mocs standout Alphonso Pugh. At 6-5, 242 pounds, Mason is a powerful player in the post for the Mocs. He started his career at Ole Miss as a tight end on the football team. Like Zloravich, who also transferred into the Mocs program from an SEC institution as well, Mason has had a big impact on the Mocs in the post this season.

Dontay Hampton (6.1 PPG, 1.8 RPG) and Ronrico White (4.0 PPG, 1.9 RPG) provide Shulman's backcourt with plenty of depth. Hampton had to pick up his play and the minutes after Wattad had to miss the game with back issues, and Hampton provided the heroics, with a buzzer-beating lay-up to help Chattanooga knock off Appalachian State by two on Saturday evening.

As a team, the Mocs enter Thursday evening's showdown with the Terriers averaging 71.9 PPG to rank third in the league in that category, while surrendering 64.6 PPG to rank second in the SoCon in scoring defense. The Mocs are shooting 42.8 percent from the field this season, ranking seventh in the league in shooting percentage, while connecting on 37 percent from three-point range to rank second in the SoCon in three-point field goal percentage.  Opponents are connecting on just 38.8 percent from the field this season against the Mocs, ranking Chattanooga tops in the league in field goal percentage defense, while the Mocs rank third in the SoCon in three-point field goal percentage, allowing opponents to shoot just 29.9 percent from the field this season.

Like Chattanooga, Wofford also comes into Thursday's contest playing some good basketball. The two-time defending Southern Conference champions continue to rely on veterans Brad Loesing (13.8 PPG, 4.9 APG) and Kevin Giltner (15.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG). Loesing has done a great job of making a transition from being just a point guard and role player in his three previous seasons running the point for the Terriers. 

So far this season, Loesing has shot the ball well at times from the perimeter, and ranks third on the club in triples made this season, having connected on 27 treys. Loesing enjoyed his best performance of the 2011-12 season against Tulane, posting 24 points in the 61-50 win. 

Giltner, who has developed into one of the best combo guards in the SoCon, has led the Terriers in scoring all season, and his 15.8 PPG scoring average currently ranks him sixth in the league in scoring average. Giltner has molded into quite a basketball player in his four seasons at Wofford, as he has gone from just being a perimeter threat off the bench as a freshman to a senior starter that can score in a variety of different ways.

Giltner can still shoot the ball extremely well from beyond the arc, leading the team with 38 triples on the campaign. Giltner enjoyed his top game of the 2011-12 season against Bradley back on Nov. 22 against Bradley, posting 29 points in the 70-66 win.

Rounding out the starters in what has turned out to be a very talented backcourt for the Terriers this season is freshman Karl Cochran (11.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG). Cochran has proven to be one of the top freshman backcourt players in the SoCon this season, and he is one of the best athletes on the Wofford roster. He can create off the dribble and is a solid perimeter threat, connecting on 33 triples this season. Those 33 treys rank Cochran second on the team in three-point shooting this season. Cochran's 21 points in the 75-58 win over College of Charleston were his season high, and showed just how well the Terriers have recruited over the past couple of years. 

The two forwards set to start for the Terriers underneath the basket on Thursday night will be Drew Crowell (7.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG) and Aerris Smith (5.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG). Crowell and Smith will never be mistaken for Noah Dahlman and Tim Johnson, but the tandem has been solid all season, especially on the defensive end of the floor. Crowell and Smith are both good post defenders, and Smith is a great athlete. Crowell has been more the offensive threat and has done a nice job on the backboards for the Terriers this season.

Coming off the bench, Wofford will look to Domas Rinksalis (2.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG), Lee Skinner (5.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG), and Jarrell Byrd (2.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG). Rinksalis, a native of Lithuania, gives the Terriers size in the front court, while Skinner and Byrd add excellent athleticism and depth to the post. 

Wofford enters this evening's contest averaging 62.0 PPG, ranking last in the SoCon in scoring offense, while surrendering 62.1 PPG to rank tops in the SoCon in scoring defense. The Terriers are shooting 42.1 percent from the field, ranking eighth in field goal percentage, while shooting the ball at a 32.0 percent clip from three to rank 11th among the 12 SoCon teams. Wofford ranks fourth in the SoCon in field goal percentage defense (41.9 percent) and ninth in three-point field goal percentage defense (35.1 percent).

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: CHATTANOOGA 73, WOFFORD 68