Southern Conference Basketball

Furman (6-20, 3-12 SoCon) at Georgia Southern (11-17, 5-10 SoCon)

Feb. 23, 2013, 7:00 p.m.

Statesboro, GA., Hanner Fieldhouse (5,000)

Quick Game Preview:

Furman will look to snap its seven-game losing streak on Saturday against Georgia Southern, in a venue in which the Paladins haven't seen all too much success in the past. The good news for the Paladins is that they're playing the last team they were able to defeat. The Paladins beat Georgia Southern by an 81-74 score on Jan. 31 at Timmons Arena in Greenville, S.C. 

Georgia Southern comes in off a 53-47 loss at home to Wofford on Thursday night, marking the fourth loss in the last five outings for Charlton Young's Eagles.  

Furman and Georgia Southern will be meeting for the 48th time in the series, with Furman taking a 24-23 series edge with the earlier season win by the Paladins in Greenville. 

The Paladins have been ailing as a result of injuries all season. Without Charlie Reddick and Stephen Croone, both done for the season with foot injuries, the Paladins now look to senior Bobby Austin (6.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG) and freshman Larry Wideman (8.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG) to pick up the backcourt scoring.

Wideman and Austin are Furman's top two perimeter shooters for the Paladins, having connected on 35 and 32 trifectas respectively this season. Wideman is coming off a career-high-tying 18 points in the 73-36 loss to Davidson last Wednesday, while Austin has six double-figure scoring performances this season, which included a 17-point outing against Georgia Southern in Furman's seven-point win over the Eagles back in January. 

Georgia Southern counters with a talented backcourt trio of C.J. Reed (12.8 PPG, 3.7 APG), Brian Holmes (4.0 PPG, 2.1 RPG) and Cleon Roberts (8.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG), who have been one of the more solid units in the SoCon this season. It will be a special evening for Reed, who will be playing his final game for the Eagles in front of the Hanner Fieldhouse crowd, where earlier this season, he helped the team to gain wins over the SoCon's two top teams, Davidson (70-57) and College of Charleston (51-47).

Reed, who is the team's second-leading scorer, has enjoyed a pair of 22-point scoring performances this season, including one against Virginia Tech in Georgia Southern's top non-conference victory. Cleon Roberts also has shown the ability to be a scoring threat for the Eagles, posting a season- and career-high 20 points in a recent win at The Citadel.

In the paint, Furman will look to a pair of veterans and a freshman for its scoring, from seniors Colin Reddick (12.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG) and Bryant Irwin (6.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG) and freshman Kendrec Ferrara (6.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG).

Reddick, from Power Springs, Ga., is Furman's lone double-figures scorer for the Paladins this season, and he has clearly been the Paladins' best player. But when teams have doubled Reddick in the post, Furman has struggled to find a secondary scorer in the post.

Reddick had a season-high 25 points in a 69-65 loss at College of Charleston earlier this season, but he was held to just two points the last time out. He is shooting at an impressive 50.4-percent clip from the field this season, which ranks him sixth in the SoCon in that category. Reddick posted 12 points in the earlier win over Georgia Southern this season. His 98 career blocks ranks him fifth on the school's all-time chart.  

Irwin has been more of a perimeter threat for the Paladins out of the post over the past couple of seasons, as evidenced by his 15-point performance on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting performance from beyond the arc in a loss to SMU earlier this season.  

Georgia Southern will start senior forward Cameron Baskerville (4.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG) and junior Marvin Baynham (4.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG) in the post on Saturday night. The Eagles can bring one of the best post players off the bench, in Charlton Young's godson Eric Ferguson (14.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG).

Baskerville and Baynham are physical, athletic players in the post but don't offer all that much as offensive threats. The frontcourt duo has a combined six double-figure scoring games between the two this season for the Eagles, and the frontcourt tandem produced a combined nine points between them in the last meeting between the Eagles and Paladins back in January.

Ferguson, a 6'7" junior from Statesboro, GA., is one of the SoCon's top players and athletes in general. Some think Ferguson has a serious chance at playing in the NBA in three years, and along with classmate De'Mon Brooks of Davidson, is probably the best NBA prospect. Ferguson has scored in double figures in 25 of the Eagles' 28 games so far this season, which included 14 points in the first meeting with the Paladins this season.

Ferguson enjoyed his best performance against Georgia State earlier this season, posting a season-high 24 points in the 68-64 overtime win for the Eagles. His 1,239 points ranks him 26th all-time in school history in points. He also recently joined the 500-career rebound club earlier this season against North Carolina A&T, becoming just the 10th player in school history to score 1,000 points and post 500 rebounds in a career. 

Furman, who dressed only eight players on Wednesday night, will likely again dress eight on Saturday night against the Eagles. Top players off the bench for the Paladins will be point guard and Mauldin, S.C., native David Brown (2.5 PPG, 1.1 APG) and forward Kevin Chuisseu (1.0 PPG, 1.5 RPG).

Georgia Southern has a little bit more of an extensive bench but still utilizes an eight-man rotation for the most part. Junior guard Tre Bussey (8.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG) and junior forward Sam Mike (1.6 PPG, 1.3 RPG) join Ferguson as the top players off the bench for the Eagles. 

Furman enters with just a 1-12 mark on the road this season, and the Paladins have averaged just 44 points per game in their last two road games. It appears things won't get much easier in the "Blue Out" scheduled for Hanner Fieldhouse—a place where GSU handed Davidson its only conference loss this season—on a Saturday night.

Stay tuned for a feature on Furman basketball next week, taking a look at the recent down-trend of Furman basketball. We'll also see just how hot the seat is for current Furman head coach Jeff Jackson, now in his seventh season since taking over the reins of the program after serving as an assistant at Vanderbilit.

Final Score Prediction: Georgia Southern 68, Furman 51

The Citadel (6-19, 3-12 SoCon) at Appalachian State (12-14, 8-7 SoCon)

Feb. 20, 2013, 8:00 p.m.

Boone, N.C., Holmes Convocation Center (8,549)

Game Preview:

Appalachian State will open a three-game home slate, which will carry the Mountaineers into the 2013 Southern Conference Tournament as they head down the stretch in control of their own destiny.

With three wins, the Mountaineers will likely finish second in the North Divison, which will allow the Apps to garner one of the Top four seeds for the nation's oldest postseason conference tournament coming up in a couple of weeks.

The Mountaineers come into Wednesday night's action against The Citadel coming off a huge league win, as the Black and Gold went on the road and claimed a huge 76-68 win over The Citadel Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon to close out the road slate and complete the season sweep of the UNCG Spartans.

That win allowed the Mountaineers to remain in the middle of the North Division logjam, which includes a trio of teams vying for that all-important No. 4 seed in the Southern Conference Tournament, as the Mountaineers are now tied for third place in the SoCon North with Western Carolina, while Samford sits a half-game ahead of ASU, but the Samford Bulldogs pay a visit to the Holmes Convocation Center on Feb. 28 in what figures to be another monumental Southern Conference North Division clash.

After Wednesday night's contest between the Bulldogs and Mountaineers, ASU will have an eight-day lay-off before hitting the hardwood once again for that game against Samford.

Wednesday's meeting between the Mountaineers and Bulldogs will mark the 76th all-time clash between the two schools on the basketball hardwood, and the only regular-season meeting between the two this season. The Mountaineers hold a commanding 51-24 all-time series advantage against the Bulldogs, including a solid 28-6 all-time series edge in Boone. 

The Bulldogs, however, have been dominant in the series since the 2008-09 season, having claimed five of the last seven matchups between the two programs, including all three meetings between the two in the 2008-09 season. Prior to The Citadel's recent run of success against the Mountaineers, ASU had claimed 17-straight victories against the Bulldogs. 

The Citadel will be looking to put an end to a four-game losing streak, which was preceded by back-to-back conference wins, accounting for two of the Bulldogs' three wins in Southern Conference play this season. The Bulldogs dropped their latest game at home to the Davidson Wildcats on Saturday night, with a 72-57 setback to the Wildcats. 

In the lone meeting between the Mountaineers and Bulldogs last season at McAlister Field House on the campus of The Citadel, the Bulldogs claimed their third in final Southern Conference win of the 2011-12 season, with a 62-51 win over the Mountaineers on Feb. 22, 2012.

The Bulldogs got great play out of their front court, with a trio totaling double figures in the win, led by Mike Groselle's 18 points, while Bo Holston added his first career double-double, with 13 points and 10 boards, while C.J. Bray rounded out the double figure scorers with 10 points.

It was a night in which the Mountaineers struggled shooting the basketball to say the least, as the Mountaineers had one of their worst shooting performances of the season with a 35.7-percent clip (20-of-57) from the field for the game. Leading the scoring efforts for the Mountaineers was Nathan Healy's 19 points.   

Both teams have pretty solid guard play, with Appalachian State seemingly having an advantage in the front court, with the ability to platoon players in the low post. The Bulldogs, who suffered an early-season injury to C.J. Bray at Charleston Southern ending his season prematurely, don't enjoy that same luxury.

Leading the Appalachian State backcourt this season have been point guard Mike Neal (8.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 60 assists) and shooting guard Tab Hamilton (9.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG). Neal has had some strong performances in the ASU lineup this season, and he is coming off a 10-point, six-assist performance in the win at UNCG on Sunday afternoon.  Neal has eight double-figure scoring efforts this season for ASU, with his top scoring performance coming in an 80-70 win over Elon in Boone, posting a season-high 19 points in the win.

Hamilton is one of the Mountaineers' top perimeter shooters this season, having knocked down 43 trifectas this season for Jason Capel's Mountaineers. Hamilton has 12 double-figure scoring performances this season for the Apps, but has been held under double digits in each of the last four outings for ASU, including scoring just seven points in the win at UNCG on Sunday. Hamilton posted a season-high 21 points in a loss at Chattanooga back in January. 

Set to provide depth in the backcourt on Wednesday night will be Chris Burgess (3.0 PPG,1.0 RPG, 41 assists), who will back up Neal at the point guard position, and will be most remembered for his three-pointer in the waning moments of the first overtime win by ASU over Georgia Southern this season, while Frank Eaves (2.3 PPG, 0.3 RPG) and Jamaal Trice (6.1 PPG, 2.0 RPG) will see action at shooting guard. 

The Citadel brings a solid backcourt contingent to Boone for the mid-week SoCon North-South clash, with Marshall Harris III (6.5 PPG, 5.0 APG) slated to start at the point guard for the Bulldogs, while he will likely be joined by Raemond Robinson (3.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG) who started the last game out for the Bulldogs against Davidson. 

Harris has been the straw that stirs the drink for the Bulldogs this season, and he comes in leading the conference in helpers dished out per game this season, averaging 5.0 assists per outing. Robinson was effective in the Bulldogs' last game against the Wildcats, as he posted eight points, seven assists and four rebounds in the loss. Harris, meanwhile, had five points and three assists in the contest against the Wildcats on Saturday.

Rounding out the starting trio in the backcourt for the Bulldogs on Wednesday night against the Mountaineers will be one of the league's most impressive freshman to this point in the season, in Matt Van Scyoc (10.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG), who is one of three Bulldog players who enters the contest averaging in double figures.

Van Scyoc's greatest asset is his ability to shoot the three, having connected on a team-best 48 triples so far this season, and is shooting 36.9-percent (48-of-130) from three-point range this season. He drained a pair of three-pointers in the loss at Davidson, while also finished with three assists and a pair of blocked shots. Van Scyoc has 14 double-figure scoring performances this season, with three 20-point performances. His top game of the season came in the Bulldogs' first conference win at Georgia Southern back on Jan. 19, scoring 21 points, including going 5-for-8 from three-point range.

Off the bench in the Bulldogs' backcourt, look for Dylen Setzkorn (3.7 PPG, 1.5 RPG), Ashton Moore (6.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG) and Janeil Jenkins (2.6 PPG, 0.6 RPG) to log action off the bench. Jenkins recently became the seventh non-starter for the Bulldogs to notch a double-digit scoring effort this season, as he did so against Samford with 13 points in a loss.

Appalachian's front court has been one of the strengths for Jason Capel's club during the 2012-13 campaign, and the two main cogs in that front court are also making a strong bid for all-conference accolades this season, in Nathan Healy (14.8 PPG, 7.7 RPG) and Jay Canty (14.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG). 

Both have had outstanding seasons for the Apps, and for Healy, it has been the best of his four seasons in Boone, as he has transitioned himself into a go-to-player for the Apps from a role player, which he was in his previous three seasons for the Apps. In the win over UNCG on Sunday afternoon, Healy added 16 points and six boards in the latest win over UNCG. 

Healy comes into the home stretch of his career, as he will be playing his final three games in the Black and Gold in front of the home folks at the Holmes Convocation Center, and in his senior season, he has 21 double-figure scoring performances this season, including scoring a season and career-high 24 points on four occasions this season, with his last 24-point effort coming in an overtime win at Georgia Southern a few weeks ago.

The Mountaineers are 3-1 in those games when Healy totals 24 points, with the only loss coming against East Carolina early in the season, with an 82-72 loss at East Carolina. The three wins when Healy scores 24 points have all come against SoCon foes. 

His 24-point effort against Western Carolina earlier this season was one of the best all-around efforts by any player in Division I college basketball this season, as he posted eight boards and a career-high and tied a school record with seven steals in the win over the Catamounts. No player in NCAA Division I Basketball has registered as complete a stat line in all categories this season. 

Canty originally transferred into ASU from Xavier and since has become one of the SoCon's top newcomers this season, and he enjoyed an outstanding effort in ASU's win over UNCG on Sunday afternoon, posting 17 points, nine boards and six assists, offering one of his more complete efforts of his career as a Mountaineer.

Canty, a 6-6, 200-pound native of Jamestown, N.C., has scored in double figures in six of his last seven outings for the Mountaineers. He battled some injury issues a couple of weeks ago, but is back to 100-percent now. He has 19 double-figure scoring performances this season for the Mountaineers, with his top effort of the season being a 29-point effort in a loss at Missouri. 

The third player in that ASU starting front court is Michael Obacha (5.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG), who  has improved as much as any player on the ASU roster from the beginning of the season until now. Obacha reminds me a lot of Healy early in his career, as he has shown glimpses of being a future scorer for the Mountaineers, but has shown that night-in and night-out he's going to bring the effort to the team.

Obacha had the best offensive game of his career last week in a win over Furman, posting 14 points and five boards, and has scored in double figures in two out of his last three games, including 11 points in the win at UNCG on Sunday. 

Tevin Baskin (10.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG) has molded himself into one of the best sixth men in Southern Conference Basketball this season, and has 14 double-figure efforts off the bench for the Mountaineers and he gives Jason Capel a solid answer off the bench in the front court when Healy or Canty need a breather, and there's little drop-off in terms of scoring production.

The Citadel brings a front court player in Mike Groselle (15.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG) to the Holmes Center, who is among the top low-post players in the SoCon and mid-major college basketball. Groselle is leading the league in field goal percentage (58.2%) this season, and that has helped the Bulldogs parlay that into 11 games in which the team has shot better than 50-percent from the field in a game this season. It became the first team in school history to accomplish that feat, surpassing the 2011-12 squad, which shot at a 50-percent clip or better in 10 games. 

Groselle was 10-of-14 from the field, scoring 21 points in the loss to Davidson Saturday night, and comes into Wednesday's game with 20 double-figure games this season for the Bulldogs. He posted a season-high 24 points in a 69-63 win over Wofford.

P.J. Horgan (11.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG) will team with Groselle in the paint, and Horgan has done a nice job of stepping into the starting five for the Bulldogs since the injury-bug affected the Bulldogs in the non-conference, with C.J. Bray going down with a season-ending injury in a loss at Charleston Southern. Horgan has scored in double figures for the Bulldogs in five out of the last six games, including a career-high 25 points in the loss at Chattanooga. 

Look for the Bulldogs to keep this close early, but ASU has too much to play for down the stretch to lose this game, and though the Bulldogs have been playing better, the Bulldogs lack the depth to be a factor down the stretch in this game. However, if ASU lets Groselle and Horgan get position underneath, then the Bulldogs have a shot at springing the road upset. ASU is 8-3 at the Holmes Center this season, including 5-1 in league play.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Appalachian State 74, The Citadel 64

Furman (6-17, 3-9 SoCon) at Chattanooga (10-15, 5-7 SoCon)

Feb. 14, 2013, 7:00 p.m.

Chattanooga, Tenn., McKenzie Arena (11,215)

Game Preview:

Furman and Chattanooga square off in a Valentine's night clash at the Roundhouse on Thursday night, matching up a pair of two teams heading in distinctly different directions at this point in the season.

It's also a matchup between two of the youngest teams in the Southern Conference.

Plenty will remember that it wasn't too long ago that the Mocs and Paladins met in McKenzie Arena in a pressure-packed SoCon quarterfinal matchup in the league tournament back in March of 2011. But on that occasion, the 20-win Paladins would take down the North Division title-winning Mocs to shock the home crowd, moving on to the SoCon Semifinals, eventually losing to College of Charleston.

It's safe to say both programs have struggled to find the same type of success over the past couple of seasons, with both teams struggling over the past couple of seasons. Ironically, both Chattanooga and Furman have compiled 21 wins over the past couple of seasons, with Furman compiling a 21-33 mark to this point since that nice run to the SoCon Semifinals of a couple of years ago, while Chattanooga is 21-36 since that point.

Furman won 22 games alone in the 2010-11 season, and have since only been able to claim 21 victories. The Mocs certainly aren't used to such a lack of success on the hardwood. In fact, only Davidson has more Southern Conference men's basketball titles than UTC's 10 league tournament crowns, while the Mocs have claimed eight Southern Conference divisional titles since the league was split into two divisions back in 1993-94.

Thursday night's meeting between the Paladins and Mocs will mark the 75th all-time meeting between the two programs, UTC holds a commanding 47-27 all-time series edge. Furman, however, has been dominant in the series as of late, winning five of the last six games between the two, including each of the last two meetings.

The Paladins and Mocs met only once last season, with Furman claiming a 65-55 win over the Mocs late last season at Timmons Arena in Greenville. Thursday night's meeting between the Mocs and Paladins will also mark the only meeting between the two programs this season. 

In seven of Furman's nine Southern Conference losses this season, the Paladins have lost by less than a 10-point margin, including a 72-66 loss on the SoCon road on Monday night against Appalachian State in a game in which Furman had to battle back from as much as an 18-point deficit in the opening half of play. The Paladins will be looking to put an end to a four-game skid on Thursday night. 

Furman has been plagued by injuries all season, and have had as many as five scholarship players that have been sidelined at one point or another for the Paladins this season, forcing several players still wet behind the ears in terms of experience to step into big roles in the lineup, including at the point.  

The Mocs come in off an emotional 62-59 overtime win over Samford at McKenzie Arena on Monday night. The Mocs have won two out of their last three games, which included a heartbreaking setback to College of Charleston last week, and are playing some of their best basketball this season. 

The matchup between the Mocs and Paladins will feature two of the SoCon's top young point guards, Furman's Stephen Croone (9.7 PPG, 4.2 APG) and Chattanooga's sophomore Ronrico White (9.8 PPG, 3.0 APG), who has really come into his own this season. 

Croone has seemingly gotten better as the season has progressed this season, and he is coming off his best-career performance in Monday night's loss at Appalachian State, as he posted a career-high 20 points while dishing out three helpers in the loss. Croone finished the night going an impressive 10-for-13 from the free throw line. 

Like Furman's injuries, Chattanooga can certainly relate. Although the Mocs haven't had quite the rash of injuries that the Paladins have had this season, they certainly have had a significant player see his season and career end early when senior starting point guard Dontay Hampton went down with a career-ending injury in a January game at Elon. Hampton already had missed much of the opening portion of the 2012-13 recovering from an injury, and then played only a few games before tearing an ACL once again to effectively end his career. 

Ronrico White has really blossomed into a versatile, young point guard for the Mocs this season, with 11 double-figure scoring performances this season, including a season-high 21 points in the Dr. Pepper Classic game against High Point, while nearly matching that total with 19 points in a SoCon win over The Citadel last week. In Monday night's overtime win over Samford, White had a solid performance with eight points and six assists. 

Both White and Croone have had solid supporting casts in the backcourt this season, with freshman Larry Wideman (7.9 PPG, 1.8 RPG) and junior Charlie Reddick (9.5 PPG, 5.1 APG) playing the respective wings for the Paladins, while White has teamed with true freshman Gee McGhee (11.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG), who has started every game at shooting guard for the Mocs so far this season. 

Reddick was Furman's leading returning scorer from a year ago, but he has battled various injuries all season, and has been at 100-percent playing wise in less than half of the Paladins' games this season.

Still, Reddick is the type of player that can go off at any moment, and he has the ability to score in a variety of different ways, much the way he did with a career-high 26 points in a loss to The Citadel back on Feb. 2.  

Wideman has developed into a nice perimeter scoring threat for Jeff Jackson's Paladins this season, and he is tied for the team lead along with Reddick, with 31 three-point field goals this season. Wideman was Furman's second-leading scorer on Monday night in the loss to ASU, posting 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting from three-point range, and 2-of-2 from the line. 

McGhee is Chattanooga's second-leading scorer at 11.7 PPG and he is certainly making a solid bid for SoCon Freshman of the Year accolades this season. He has been an integral part of the Chattanooga backcourt this season, and he heads into Thursday night's clash with the Paladins having not played since the College of Charleston game, in which he was one of the Mocs' leading scorers in the contest, contributing 20 points. 

Both the Mocs and Paladins also have solid contributors off the bench in their respective backcourts, with Farad Cobb (5.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG) being the top player off the bench in the backcourt for the Mocs, while Bobby Austin (6.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG) is the top guard coming off the pine for the Paladins.

Cobb has had some outstanding performances for the Mocs in the backcourt this season, especially early on in the campaign. His most impressive performance came in a 21-point outburst in an early-season loss to Kansas.

Austin, meanwhile, has also turned in some strong performances for the Paladins in his final season playing for Jeff Jackson. He is noted as one of the Paladins' top perimeter shooters and comes into Thursday night's contest with the Mocs having knocked down one-third of his 90-career triples this season, connecting on a solid 39.0-percent (30-of-77) from three-point range this season.

Over the years, certainly a strength of John Shulman-coached clubs in the Scenic City has been the play the UTC teams have gotten out of their frontcourts over the years. When you think back during the Shulman era, players like Mindaugas Katelynas, Chris Brown, Khalil Hartwell and Nichaeus Doaks are all players put their stamp on the program by helping the Mocs to two championships during Shulman's nine seasons at the helm in the Scenic City.

This season, the Mocs have relied on a couple of the SoCon's better front court performers, in Z. Mason (14.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG) and Drazen Zloravic (9.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG). Both Mason and Zloravic transferred into the Chattanooga program from SEC programs, with Mason matriculating in from Ole Miss and Zloravic joining the Mocs program from Georgia prior to last season.

Mason, who was once a football player with the Rebels, has really come into his own in his second year in the program. This season, Mason currently ranks tied for eighth in the SoCon in scoring, while ranking fifth in the league in rebounding. In a recent three-point loss to College of Charleston, Mason posted a career-high 27 points on 11-of-21 from the field, which included 4-for-9 from three-point range.

Mason reminds me of former big man Alphonso Pugh, who had an outstanding inside-outside game. In the overtime win over Samford the last time out, Mason was held to seven points, but did snag a team-best nine rebounds in the winning effort. He ranks second on the team and 12th in the SoCon in field goal percentage, entering the contest with a 47.8-percent shooting clip from the field this season.

Zloravic has also been a vital component of this Chattanooga front line this season, and he has been a good compliment to Mason's physical, powerful post presence for the Mocs. Zloravic has been playing some of his best basketball as of late, averaging 14.0 PPG over the Mocs' last four outings. His 52.4-percent shooting clip from the field leads the team and ranks him fifth in the SoCon in field goal percentage this season. 

Zloravic enters Thursday's contest against the Paladins with four-straight double-figure scoring games, including posting 13 points in the win over Samford. In this current four-game streak, Zloravic scored 18 points in a win over The Citadel, while posting 10 points and 10 boards in a two-point setback to Georgia Southern. 

Lance Stokes (3.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG) rounds out the starting trio in the paint for the Mocs. Stokes is a rangy, athletic presence in the paint for the Mocs

Furman has gotten a majority of production from its frontcourt as well this season, as the Paladins have been led by Colin Reddick (12.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG), who enters Thursday night's game as the only Paladin averaging in double figures this season.

Reddick, a 6-9 senior center from Powder Springs, Ga., is easily having his best season in the Purple and White, transitioning himself from role player to one of the better post players in the SoCon. Just a little less than two weeks ago, Reddick established a new career-high with 26 points in a loss to The Citadel. 

Reddick comes into the contest as a defensive enforcer as well for the Paladins, as he enters Thursday night's contest against the Mocs continuing to climb the school's career charts in blocked shots. His 95-career rejections currently ranks him sixth on the school's all-time ledger.

Offensively, Reddick has been solid, especially since the start of Southern Conference play. Reddick is averaging 14.8 PPG against league foes, and he enters Thursday's contest having scored in double figures in nine of Furman's last 11 games.

Reddick will be joined in the low post by 6-9 true freshman Kendrec Ferrara (6.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG), who has started 16 games for the Paladins in his first season with the program, including 11 in Southern Conference play. Ferrara is tied with Reddick for the team lead in blocked shots this season, with 10 rejections. 

The Paladins and Mocs also have some depth coming off the bench in the low-post to spell the starters underneath. For Chattanooga, Sam Watson (2.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG) and Jared Bryant (2.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG) offer the support underneath and are serviceable players underneath for the Mocs, while Furman counters with senior forward Bryant Irwin (6.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG) and Kevin Chuisseu (1.1 PPG, 1.4 RPG).

Furman has certainly struggled defending as of late, and that has played an important role in their struggles over the past four games, as opponents are averaging 77.0 PPG, 53.1-percent from the field and 49.3-percent from three during the current four-game skid.

The Paladins have also struggled mightily on the road, dating back to the middle of last season, as the Paladins have lost 13 of their last 14 games on the road, and are just 1-10 this season. Chattanooga continues its strong play and downs the Paladins in the Roundhouse on Valentine's Night.

Final Score Prediction: Chattanooga 65, Furman 58

Wofford (10-15, 4-8 SoCon) at Western Carolina (9-15, 6-6 SoCon)

Feb. 11, 2013, 7:00 p.m.

Cullowhee, N.C., Liston B. Ramsey Center (7,548)

Game Preview

For Western Carolina, Monday night's game at Wofford is an absolutely huge game for the Catamounts, who hope to remain in contention for a bye for the upcoming Southern Conference Tournament, as the Catamounts have struggled after getting out to a 4-0 start in league play.

Western Carolina fought Davidson tooth-and-nail in that memorable Southern Conference championship a year ago before dropping that 93-91 overtime decision to the Wildcats in the Southern Conference title game.

The Catamounts snapped a four-game losing skid on Saturday night by going on the road and avenging an earlier loss to Georgia Southern in Cullowhee, getting a 71-62 win at Hanner Fieldhouse in Statesboro. The win snapped a four-game losing skid for Western, and the tailspin also saw the Catamounts lose six of seven contests. Four of the six losses in the losing streak came by 10 points or less. 

Western Carolina is currently tied for second place in the Southern Conference North Division with Appalachian State, as both teams have a 6-6 league mark.

If the Southern Conference tournament started today, Davidson would be the No. 1 seed, while College of Charleston would be No. 2, Elon would be No. 3 Elon and the fourth seed would go to Appalachian State as a result of the Mountaineers' win over Elon.

Both teams still have to play the division-leading Phoenix down the stretch, with both having to pay a visit to Alumni Gym.

While Western Carolina has struggled as of late, Wofford comes in having played some of its best basketball of late, including posting back-to-back wins against UNCG (59-50) and Elon (60-50) last week. 

The Terriers and Catamounts have two of the best backcourt scorers in the Southern Conference entering Monday night's contest, with Karl Cochran (15.3 PPG,4.4 RPG) leading the way for Wofford, while Trey Sumler (17.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 92 assists) is the backcourt leader for Western.

The two guards come into Monday night's contest ranking No. 2 and No. 3 in the SoCon in scoring this season, with Sumler ranking No. 2 and Cochran No. 3.  

Both players are among the league's leading on-ball defenders as well, with Sumler leading the SoCon in steals this season, with 52 steals (2.2 SPG) in 24 this season, while Cochran ranks third in the league in steals, with 52 takeaways (2.1 SPG) in 25 contests for the Terriers this season.

Cochran's 62 triples this season rank him third in that particular category as well, averaging 2.5 made three-point field goals per game. 

Sumler recorded the second-best scoring game of the season by a player in the Southern Conference, as he comes into Saturday's game having posted a 32-point performance from in an 80-67 loss at home to Elon earlier this month.

At the time, that performance by Sumler equaled the best scoring performance in the SoCon until Trevis Simpson poured in 41 points three nights later (Jan. 17) against Chattanooga. Sumler also had one of the more complete performances of his career against Chattanooga in a road win over the Catamounts on Jan. 19, with 25 points and 12 assists.

Sumler is the Catamounts' leader with 92 assists, and his 3.8 helpers per contest rank him third in the SoCon. He is shooting 36.9 percent from three-point range this season, having connected on 38-of-103 shots from long range this season.

Cochran comes into Monday evening's contest having charted his best game of the season at Jacksonville in a 42-point rout of the Dolphins, as he posted a career-high 29 points. He comes into Monday night's contest off a 16-point effort against UNCG the last time out.

While Cochran and Sumler are the two leaders in terms of scoring this season on their respective teams, both are surrounded by a strong supporting cast, especially in the backcourt.

The Catamounts have gone with a four-guard offense most of the season, and joining Sumler in the backcourt this season for the Catamounts have been sharp-shooter Tom Tankelewicz (10.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG), along with Brandon Boggs (10.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG) and James Sinclair (7.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG).

Tankelewicz comes in ranking second in the SoCon in three-point field goals made this season, having knocked down 62 treys in 23 games this season, averaging 2.7 made triples per game. Boggs is WCU's best athlete and one of the team's top perimeter defenders and comes in ranking 15th in the league in steals per game, averaging 1.2 thefts per game heading into the contest against Wofford. 

Boggs has also seen his offensive game come to life as of late, with six double-figure scoring efforts in the last seven games for WCU. He is coming off a team-high 18 points in the win over Georgia Southern the last time out. 

Rounding out the starting five for the Catamounts will be Tawaski King (11.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG), who has been one of the more consistent big men in the SoCon this season, and was one of a trio of Catamounts in double figures in the win in Statesboro Saturday night.

He posted 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. King leads the Catamounts with 14 blocked shots this season. King's 54.1 percent field-goal clip ranks third in the SoCon this season.  

The Catamounts don't have a deep bench, but when Larry Hunter decides to go to the pine, he looks to Preston Ross (6.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG) in the front court, while Mike Brown (3.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG) provides good depth at point guard behind Sumler. 

Wofford's Cochran is a part of one of the youngest backcourts, and for that matter, one of the youngest starting quintets in the Southern Conference this season, and he will be joined in the starting lineup by a pair of talented freshmen, in Spencer Collins (12.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG) and Indiana Faithful (4.0 PPG, 3.6 APG).

It's a Terrier backcourt that has certainly grown up as the season has progressed, with both Collins and Faithful making strong cases for inclusion to the SoCon All-Freshman team, with Colins having a chance at garnering the SoCon's Freshman of the Year award for the second year in a row, joining his backcourt teammate Cochran in that acclaim.

Collins led the Terriers with 20 points the last time out in the 59-50 win over UNCG. His 34 triples this season ranks him second on the team in that category. Faithful's 3.6 assists per game ranks him seventh among the league's leaders in helpers-per-game average this season. 

In the front court, the Terriers will start sophomore Lee Skinner (10.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG) and junior Aerris Smith (3.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG). Skinner's 7.2 RPG ranks him fifth in the SoCon this season. 

Like Hunter, Wofford head coach Mike Young doesn't have a deep bench, but has one that has been effective this season. Jarrell Byrd (4.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG) and C.J. Neumann (2.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG) being two of the top performers off the bench, adding depth to the Terrier frontcourt this season. 

It's a crucial game for both clubs, as both remain in the hunt for a bye for the Southern Conference tournament. While WCU has dominant in recent seasons on its home floor, it has struggled this season, however, the Catamounts should get a close win over the Terriers at the Ramsey Center.

Western Carolina 79, Wofford 72

Davidson (11-7, 6-1 SoCon) at Western Carolina (8-11, 5-2 SoCon)

Jan. 24, 2013, 7:00 p.m.

Cullowhee, N.C., Liston B. Ramsey Activities Center (7,515)

Historical Background:

After last season's meeting in the championship game in the Southern Conference Tournament, the Davidson-Western Carolina series has a chance to become one of the more exciting Southern Conference hardwood rivalries.

Thursday night's meeting will mark the 59th meeting between the Wildcats and Catamounts in a series that dates back to 1977, which was Western's first in its time as a Southern Conference member, and Davidson holds a 38-20 all-time series edge.

Western is just 3-8 in the last 11 meetings between the two programs, with Davidson having won two-straight, including a 93-91 double-overtime win in the Southern Conference Tournament Championship game last year in Asheville, N.C., in what will go down as one of the greatest Southern Conference Tournament title meetings in league history.

Western, of course, forged one of the greatest upsets in SoCon title game history back in the 1996 championship game. It was a memorable one in a 69-60 win over a Davidson team that had not lost to a SoCon team all season, going a perfect 18-0 against the league in the regular-season and tournament.

Game Preview: 

 Davidson and Western Carolina square off in a rematch of the Southern Conference Title game on Thursday night at the Ramsey Center. 

It will be "White Out" night at the Ramsey Center, and the atmosphere should be electric at one of the tougher venues for an opponent to come into in Southern Conference basketball.

Coming into Thursday night's clash between the Catamounts and Wildcats, Western has protected its home court as well as any team in the SoCon over the past couple of seasons, having posted 50 wins in their last 60 home games over the past three seasons. Including having won 33 of their last 41 against Southern Conference foes in the friendly confines. 

The Catamounts come in off a mini two-game road trip to Chattanooga and Samford last week, splitting both of those North Division battles. The Catamounts were able to post a 90-81 win over Chattanooga last Saturday night, while dropping a 64-60 decision at North Division leading Samford last Thursday.

Davidson, meanwhile, has gone on a little streak since suffering its first Southern Conference loss of the season, which was a 70-57 setback at Georgia Southern 10 days ago. The defending Southern Conference champions were able to reel off wins against The Citadel (70-38) last Thursday night and College of Charleston (77-68) on Saturday night to solidify the Wildcats' standing atop the South Division standings, at 5-1 in the league.

However, the Davidson loss at Georgia Southern last week proved that despite the Wildcats' experience and talent, they are not immune to defeat in what is a balanced league in 2012-13, and that is especially true when the Wildcats travel into some of the tougher home cauldrons in SoCon basketball. Obviously, the Thursday night clash at Western Carolina is one of those "cauldrons." The last time Davidson traveled to Cullowhee in February of 2011, the Wildcats were upended 81-73 by the eventual North Division champions. 

Larry Hunter's Wildcats are once again positioning themselves to make a run at that North Division crown, and the Catamounts' four-guard offense and high-octane attack, with some elements of the Princeton offense infused into their offensive scheme, makes Western's offensive game plan one of the most diverse and toughest to defend in the SoCon. 

Leading the charge in the backcourt for the Catamounts this season has been junior guard Trey Sumler (17.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG), who is making a strong bid for Southern Conference Player of the Year accolades, and he has recently taken over the scoring lead in the Southern Conference. Sumler played in the shadows somewhat of Harouna Mutombo in his first two seasons in the Catamount basketball program, but now he is running the show and has stepped into a leadership role this season.

Sumler isn't so much different from former Catamount scoring threats Anquell McCollum, Frankie King and Kevin Martin, in that he can score in a variety of different ways. Sumler comes into Thursday night's contest having posted the SoCon's top scoring game of the season, having posted 32 points in the 80-67 setback to Elon back on Jan. 14.

Sumler has scored in double figures in 65 of his 87 career games as a Catamount, including having done so in 17 of 19 games this season for WCU. He posted 18 points in last year's championship game against Davidson, which included a clutch three-pointer in the waning moments to help send the game to overtime.

He will team with Tom Tanklewicz (10.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG), Brandon Boggs (9.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG) and James Sinclair (6.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 44 assists) in the starting guard rotation for WCU Thursday night. Tankelewicz ranks second in the SoCon in three-pointers made, with 52 triples on the season, and probably reminds WCU fans of former Catamount three-point assassin Joe Stafford, who was a member of that 1996 championship team. 

Brandon Boggs is probably the best athlete in the starting rotation for the Catamounts and is one of the team's best defenders. Boggs has played well the past couple of times he has taken the floor, posting 13 and 19 points, respectively, in those road contests at Samford and Chattanooga last week. 

Rounding out the starting five for the Catamounts heading into Thursday night's battle against league favorite Davidson is Tawaski King (11.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG). King is one of the more unheralded post players in the SoCon, but has been a vital part of the WCU offense this season, and has had to shoulder a lot of responsibility to score in the post in this four-guard attack. King's 54.5 field goal percentage ranks second in the league heading into the contest with Davidson.

Coming off the bench, Western will look to get production from Preston Ross (7.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG) in the frontcourt, with Mike Brown (3.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG). Brown can play either the point or wing positions in the backcourt, while Ross will offer support in the front court support off the bench.  

As a team, the Catamounts enter Thursday night's SoCon inter-divisional clash, ranking fourth in the league in scoring offense (70.2 PPG), third in free throw percentage (72.1%), while leading the league in team steals (8.1 SPG) and second in three-point field goal percentage defense (30.4%).

Davidson comes into Thursday night's clash with the league's top frontcourt, led by the 2012 co-Southern Conference Players of the Year, in De'Mon Brooks (13.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG) and Jake Cohen (13.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG).

At times, getting consistency from the league's top low-post duo has been a bit of an issue, but both have come up with some simply near-flawless performances this season, showing why the tandem is so highly regarded in the SoCon and nationally at the mid-major level.

Cohen comes in ranking second in the league in blocked shots, averaging 1.6 BPG. Cohen is the active career-leader in the SoCon in points (1,523), rebounds (662), blocked shots (169) and games started (107). Cohen posted 17 points in the SoCon title win over WCU last season.

Brooks is a player that is a tremendous athlete, and is one of the few players in the league that could draw more than a glance from the National Basketball Association. The junior posted 19 points in the epic win over Western Carolina in the title game last season, tying for team high honors in the win.

Brooks led four Wildcats in double figures with 17 points in the win over College of Charleston the last time out. Brooks has the athleticism and smooth shooting touch coupled with the ability to score off the dribble, much akin to former Wildcat standout Brandon "Ozone" Williams from the mid 1990s. 

The Wildcats also have the league's most veteran backcourt, comprised of seniors Nik Cochran (9.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.4 APG) and J.P. Kuhlman (8.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG), and junior three-point threat Chris Czerapowicz (8.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG).

Kuhlman has been the model of consistency throughout his career for the Wildcats, and is probably the most versatile player in the backcourt and is one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the SoCon.

Cochran does a number of things well, but is most known for his heady decision-making as the Wildcats' point guard, and he has a knack for getting to the charity stripe. Cochran currently ranks second nationally in foul shooting, converting 62-of-65 attempts from the line this season for a 95.4-percent shooting clip. Cochran ranks ninth in the league in three-point field goal percentage this season, connecting on 40.7-percent (22-of-54) from long range this season. 

Perhaps the greatest asset for this 2012-13 Davidson team, however, might be its bench, which includes a couple of players that could start for just about any other SoCon school. Tyler Kalinoski (7.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG) and Tom Droney (3.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG) give the Wildcats tremendous depth in the backcourt, with Kalinoski being one of the team's several three-point threats, having knocked down 30 treys this season, while Droney is a physical, fundamentally sound defensive presence off the bench, who has locked down some of the league's better scorers in his career wearing the Red and Black.

Clint Mann (7.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG), who hasn't been known as an offensive threat in his career, but has shown potential as an offensive threat at times in his career.

The Wildcats come into Thursday's contest leading the nation in team free throw percentage (79.1%), while being tied for the team lead in the SoCon in three-pointers made, with 138 on the campaign. Davidson's 71.4 PPG offensively ranks the Wildcats third in the SoCon. 

This has the potential to be a great game in an atmosphere that should be electric on Thursday night. Davidson usually responds well in those type of situations, and the Wildcats will squeak out a road win in a barn-burner at the Ramsey Center.

Final Score Prediction: Davidson 73, Western Carolina 72

Furman (4-12, 1-4 SoCon) at UNC Greensboro (4-12, 2-3 SoCon)

Jan. 20, 2012, 2:00 p.m.

Greensboro, N.C., Greensboro Coliseum (7,617)

Preview:

Furman heads to UNC Greensboro for a rare Sunday afternoon Southern Conference game, as the Paladins look to rebound from a 73-59 loss to Elon on Thursday night, while the Spartans are coming off a big 71-52 win over Wofford on Wednesday night.

Sunday afternoon's meeting between the Paladins and Spartans marks the 22nd all-time meeting between the two programs, with Furman holding a narrow 11-10 all-time series edge. In the lone meeting between the two last season in Greenville, the Paladins were 93-85 victors. Furman is just 1-8 all-time against the Spartans in Greensboro, with the lone win by the Paladins coming in the 2010-11 season.

It's the same "usual suspects" leading the Spartans so far this season, with the Spartans bringing one of the top backcourts in the Southern Conference into Sunday's matchup, led by the league's leading scorer Trevis Simpson (18.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG).

Simpson is the league's most-dynamic scorer, and is coming off a 19-point effort in the win over Wofford on Wednesday night in the 19-point win. Simpson ended last season's meeting with the Paladins, posting 28 points on 9-of-21 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe.

Teaming with Simpson in the backcourt on Sunday afternoon for the Spartans will be Derrell  Armstrong (16.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG) and Drew Parker (4.3 PPG, team-leading 51 assists), who will handle the point guard responsibilities for the Spartans on Sunday. 

Armstrong comes into the contest ranking third in the SoCon in scoring average, and he has scored in double figures in 13 games this season, including 16 the last time out in the win over the Terriers. Armstrong has knocked down 26 three-point shots this season, while backcourt mate Simpson has canned 30 triples this season.

Parker is the straw that stirs the drink for the UNCG offense, manning the point guard responsibilities. He averages 3.2 assists-per-game, which ranks him 11th overall in the SoCon in assists-per-game.

Set to start at the two post positions for the will be David Williams (4.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG) and one of the league's top newcomers, in freshman forward Kayel Locke (10.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG). Locke has been the "x-factor" at times for the Spartans this season, and he has had some standout performances for UNCG. He had a career-high 22 points in a loss to cross-town rival North Carolina A&T earlier this season, but has been held under double figures in each of the last three games.

The Spartans will be without Korey Van Dussen once again, who is out with an injury. The top performers off the Spartans' bench this season have been sharp-shooting Nicholas Paulos (7.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG), who leads the team with 31 triples this season, as well as Kelvin McNeil (6.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG), who adds good athleticism underneath the basket for the Spartans. 

UNCG continues to be the SoCon's top offensive team, entering Sunday's matinee matchup with the Paladins averaging a league-best 73.8 PPG, while also continuing to struggle on the defensive end of the floor, surrendering a league-high 76.4 PPG.

Furman, who is 1-13 in its last 14 road contests dating back to last season, will look to post its first road game of the 2012-13 season, in what is the second of a three-game road swing. The Paladins continue to be led by Colin Reddick (12.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG), who remains the lone Paladin scoring in double figures entering Sunday's matchup. Reddick contributed 18 points in Furman's loss at Elon Thursday night. 

Reddick scored a career-high 25 points in a road loss at the College of Charleston a couple of weeks ago. Teaming with Reddick underneath the basket on Sunday afternoon will be one of the league's more impressive freshman low-post performers, in Kendrec Ferrara (7.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG). Ferrara has been solid in Southern Conference play this season, averaging 9.4 PPG and 4.6 RPG.

Furman's starting trio in the backcourt for Sunday's contest will consist of point guard Stephen Croone (8.3 PPG, 4.3 APG), along with wing guards Bobby Austin (6.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG) and Larry Wideman (7.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG). 

Croone enters the contest having a big true freshman campaign for the Paladins, as he comes in ranking second in the SoCon in assists average so far this season. Wideman, who is the third freshman starter in the lineup, leads the team in three-point field goals this season, having knocked down 23 triples so far this season. Austin, a senior, is coming off his best game of the season, leading the Paladins with 19 points in the loss at Elon on Thursday night.

Furman will bring some solid depth off the bench, including last year's leading scorer Charlie Reddick (8.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG), who can either play guard or underneath the basket and is the team's most athletic perimeter defender, as well as sharp-shooting post presence Bryant Irwin (7.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG). Irwin canned five treys in Furman's loss at SMU earlier this season.

At times this season, the Paladins have found cold spells in the offense and have had trouble scoring the basketball. In fact, Furman enters Sunday's contest with the Spartans averaging just 61.1 PPG, which ranks ninth among the 12 league teams, and are connecting on just 40.7-percent of its shots from the league, which ranks 11th in the SoCon in field goal percentage.

Furman will keep it close into the second half, but look for UNCG's athleticism and depth to be the difference in the second half, as the Paladins drop to 1-9 versus the Spartans in the Gate City. 

Final Score Prediction: 86-80 Spartans

Appalachian State (7-9, 3-2 SoCon) at Samford (6-12, 4-1 SoCon)

Jan. 19, 2013, 8:00 p.m. (EST)

Birmingham, AL., Pete Hanna Center (5,000)

Preview: Appalachian State heads to Samford for a key Southern Conference North Division clash on Saturday night at the Pete Hanna Center.

The Mountaineers had their five-game winning streak come to an end in heartbreaking fashion on Thursday night. They blew a 19-point lead with a little less than seven minutes to play, allowing Chattanooga to come back and tie the game to send the game to overtime. Eventually, Chattanooga ended up with an important 91-88 North Division win on Thursday night.

Samford on the other hand, remained hot on Thursday night. The Bulldogs posted a third-straight win with a narrow 64-60 win over Western Carolina to take full possession of the lead in the North Division standings. 

Saturday night's meeting between the Mountaineers and Bulldogs will mark the ninth all-time meeting between the Mountaineers and Bulldogs, with ASU leading the all-time series 5-3. An early February win by Samford in Boone last season snapped a five-game losing streak to the Mountaineers. 

Samford's current three-game winning streak is its longest win streak since Dec. of 2010, when the Bulldogs earned consecutive non-conference wins against UT-Arlington, Asbury University and UTSA. 

Samford coach Bennie Seltzer is making an early bid for SoCon Coach of the Year honors in his first season in the Magic City since taking over for Jimmy Tillette. Seltzer has had some help, however, and that help has come in the form of the league's top freshman performer, in Tim Williams (14.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG).

The 6'8" freshman forward comes into Saturday's contest ranking 64th nationally in field-goal percentage this season, as he is connecting on 52.9-percent from the field percentage. His 1.4 blocks-per-game ranks him fourth in the SoCon, and his four double-doubles this season ranks second in the league in that category. In the win over Western Carolina, Williams produced one of those double-double performances, with 16 points and 10 boards.

Williams will be joined in the starting lineup in the low-post by another freshman, in Clide Geffrard Jr. (9.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG), and he is certainly having a strong season in his own right. Geffrard is another solid athletic presence in the paint for the Bulldogs. Geffrard has had some superlative performances this season, including a season-high 24 points against Toledo, as well as 22 points in a 69-65 win at The Citadel.

Samford starts a trio of solid performers in its backcourt, led by Raijon Kelly (14.6 PPG, 3.8 APG), who is having a sensational sophomore season, and he will team in the starting rotation with both Will Cook (3.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG) and Connor Miler (7.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG) on Saturday night. 

Kelly, who is coming off a season which saw him garner SoCon All-Freshman honors, is certainly following up on that rookie season with a season that is worthy of All-SoCon praise. Kelly was namedSoCon Player of the Week after the Bulldogs swept through Charleston with wins over College of Charleston and The Citadel, averaging 15.5 PPG, 5.5 APG for the week. He had 10 points and six assists in the win over Western Carolina.

Cook is in his third year in the Samford basketball program, having put together a solid junior season. He's not a prolific scorer, but he gives the Bulldogs a veteran, athletic presence in the backcourt. Miller can be a prolific scorer with his ability to shoot from the perimeter, as he comes into Saturday night's contest with 11 triples on the season, ranking second on the team.

Off the bench, the Bulldogs will look to both reserve point guard Russell Wilson (3.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG) and sophomore forward Tyler Hood (7.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG) to provide key minutes. Both had quality appearances off the bench the last time out against the Catamounts, with Hood totaling eight points off the bench, while Wilson contributed eight points and three steals off the bench in the win over WCU. 

Appalachian State will be looking to rebound from a heartbreaking 91-88 overtime loss to Chattanooga on Thursday night in the Scenic City, surrendering a 19-point lead with a little under seven minutes to play. 

The Mountaineers have been one of the most explosive offensive teams in the league this season, and much of that potency has to do with the Mountaineers' backcourt, especially with the return of Mike Neal (10.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG) to the point guard position. Neal has led the Mountaineers to six wins in their last eight outings since his return to the lineup. He had six points and seven assists in the loss to Chattanooga on Thursday night.

Neal will be joined in that backcourt by Tab Hamilton (10.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG), who is coming off a strong performance against Chattanooga on Thursday night. Hamilton had 21 points against the Mocs, which included going 5-of-6 from three-point range in the loss. Hamilton's 31 triples leads the team so far this season. 

Nathan Healy (14.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG) and Jay Canty (15.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG) are both having solid seasons, with both coming into Saturday night's action against the Bulldogs averaging in double figures. In fact, Canty's 15.5 PPG ranks him as the league's fifth-leading scorer and the Xavier transfer has been the league's top newcomer to this point in the season. It will be an intriguing matchup to see Canty go against Samford's Williams on Saturday night.  

Healy led the Mountaineers with 22 points the last time out against the Mocs, also posting 10 boards to complete the double-double effort. Healy and Canty combined for 41 points and 16 boards in the loss to the Mocs. Healy's 29 triples ranks him second on the team in made three-pointers this season. Healy and Canty will team with Michael Obacha (3.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG) to round out the starting five for the Black and Gold on Saturday night. 

The Mountaineers may be getting better bench production than any team in the SoCon this season, and one of the biggest reasons for that production has been Tevin Baskin (10.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG). The 6'6" forward is coming off of an 11-point performance in the loss at Chattanooga, and has now scored in double figures in eight-straight games for the Mountaineers. Baskin teams with reserve guards Chris Burgess (3.5 PPG, 1.3 RPG) and Jamaal Trice (6.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG) off the bench to give ASU possibly the top bench in the league. 

This is a crucial game for ASU, and it meets up with a Samford basketball team that has been playing some of the best basketball in the league as of late. Look for ASU to make things real interesting in the North Division by getting a win at Samford on Saturday night.

Final Score Prediction: Appalachian State 81, Samford 77

Furman 69, Wofford 65

Furman hosted the Wofford Terriers on Monday at Timmons Arena. The Paladins entered the game looking to build on the momentum gained in solid performances during losses to Davidson and College of Charleston, teams expected to take the top two spots in the SoCon South Division come league tournament time in March. 

Furman had lost six straight entering the battle and had lost three straight and seven of the last eight to Mike Young's Terriers. However, Monday night would see Furman face down adversity.

The Paladins have battled injuries and struggled this season with shooting, but everything would come together in the win over Wofford. The Paladins ended their six-game skid and posted their second win this season over a Division I opponent.

It was a senior veteran, who has been the personification of perseverance and facing down adversity in his own career, that would deliver the dagger to the Terriers. Senior guard Bobby Austin, who suffered a broken back early in his career after a car accident and didn't know if he would ever play basketball again, knocked down a critical three-pointer with 17 seconds left to ultimately give Furman the victory. 

It had appeared that Furman would coast to its first Southern Conference victory with a 15-point lead at the break (40-25). However, with just under 17 minutes remaining in the contest, Lee Skinner got a steal and a slam for the Terriers to cut Wofford's deficit to 14 points. On the play, the Paladins' leading scorer, senior forward Colin Reddick, suffered a deep gash over his left eye and was forced to leave the game for the remainder of the contest, .

The Terriers took advantage of the big man's absence, fashioning a 15-8 run over the next eight minutes—capped by a triple from Karl Cochran with 8:50 remaining—and cutting Furman's lead to five (52-47). That run by Wofford would help set up a dramatic finish between the two Upstate rivals.

Wofford threatened the Paladin advantage on several occasions in the second half, but could never get over the hump. With Furman leading 61-54 with seven minutes to play, Spencer Collins drained a jumper in the lane and Cochran connected on a triple after a Furman turnover to cut the Paladin lead to two, at 61-59.

Furman would answer with a Charlie Reddick three-pointer to take a 64-59 lead, but Collins knocked down a pair of free throws and had an offensive put-back to cut Furman's lead to a point, at 64-63.

A shot-clock violation by Furman and a turnover by Wofford allowed Furman to get a good offensive look when Reddick drove to the basket, but was fouled. He converted 1-of-2 free throws to make it a 65-63 Paladin lead at the 1:07 mark.

Cochran came off a screen and got an excellent look at the basket for a go-ahead three-pointer on the ensuing possession, but missed, setting up Austin's pivotal three-pointer as the shot-clock expired on Furman's next offensive possession.

Austin received the ball in the open floor from fellow senior Charlie Reddick, sighted in and knocked down the trey from the right wing to account for his only points of the evening. That shot increased the Paladins' lead from two points to five, at 68-63, and they would go on to finish 69-65.

The four-point win marked Furman's first against the Terriers since the match on Jan. 24, 2011 at Wofford's Benjamin Johnson Arena. 

Freshman forward Kendrec Ferrara led Furman in scoring with a career-high 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field, while classmate Larry Wideman added 11 points. Senior forward Bryant Irwin came up big off the bench for the Paladins, contributing 10 points as the other Paladin scorer in double digits.

Furman connected on a season-best 58.1 percent of its shots from the field and went 10-for-18 from three-point range for 55.6 percent. Furman hit its first four three-pointers of the game.   

Wofford's Collins led all scorers with 18 points, while Cochran charted his 10th game in double figures this season with 17 points but was just 7-for-22 from the field and 3-for-13 from three-point range. Skinner rounded out the Terriers in double figures with 13 points and a team-leading eight boards. 

The Terriers connected on 43.3 percent of shots from the field, but connected on just 5-of-22 from three-point land.

Furman's strong shooting performance was needed to overcome a sloppy performance taking care of the basketball, with 19 turnovers. Freshman point guard Stephen Croone had another solid performance running the Furman offense, with nine points and six assists. Colin and Charlie Reddick finished with eight points apiece, and Charlie Reddick posted a game-high nine rebounds. 

The win improves Furman to 4-11 overall and 1-3 in SoCon play, while Wofford falls to 7-10 overall and 1-3 in the SoCon. 

Wofford returns to the hardwood on Wednesday night with a trip to Greensboro to face the UNCG Spartans, while Furman begins a three-game road trip Thursday night at Alumni Gym against the Elon Phoenix.