Southern Conference Basketball

 UNC Greensboro (2-9, 1-0 SoCon) at Davidson (7-6, 1-0 SoCon) 

Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, 7:00 p.m.

Davidson, N.C., Belk Arena ()

Background on The Rivalry: One of the more underrated rivalries on the Southern Conference is the one between the Davidson Wildcats and the UNC Greensboro Spartans. 

It will mark just the 31st meeting between the two programs, but it has been a rivalry that has seen some great contests in its lineage in the years since the UNC Greensboro joined the Southern Conference from the Big South. 

Though the Spartans have had little success in the series since the two first met in the series in February of 1998, two of their nine wins in the series still have Davidson fans fans smarting to this day. 

Both of the Spartan wins that still stick in the craw of Davidson fans occurred in the Southern Conference Tournament. 

In the 2005 Kyocera Mita Southern Conference Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn., it was the Spartans that brought an end to head coach Bob McKillop and the Wildcats' Southern Conference title hopes with a 73-68 win in the Southern Conference semifinals. 

The win propelled the Spartans to one of their two Southern Conference title game appearances, while ending an experienced, veteran Davidson team's hopes of a tournament trophy and subsequent NCAA Tournament possibility. Also lost was a chance to finish Southern Conference play and the tournament unblemished, as it was a Wildcat team that breezed to a 16-0 regular-season mark in league play.

It took a career-high 22 points from Josh Gross to claim the win, and it was the only 20-point effort in his 111-game collegiate career. That UNCG team also had two of the greatest players to ever grace the Fleming Gym (former home court) and Greensboro Coliseum hardwood for the Spartans, in the freshmen tandem of guard Ricky Hickman and Kyle Hines.

Hines' workman-like 10-point, six-rebound effort was certainly noteworthy, while Hickman finished on the cusp of double figures, with eight points.

The Spartans' five-point win was over a starting cast for the Wildcats that included four juniors and one senior, and a Davidson team that featured SoCon Player of the Year Brendan Winters, who led Davidson with 19 points in the losing effort.

It appeared that veteran leadership was ready to propel the Wildcats into the championship game to face Chattanooga on its home floor, however, as Davidson raced out to 48-40 lead after scoring 10 of the first 12 points in the second half to race out to the advantage.

However, a three-pointer by Gross sparked a 6-0 run by the Spartans and cut Davidson's lead to just a basket with a little over 10 minutes remaining.

After the Spartans took a 55-53 lead on a three-point play the old fashioned way by Hines' driving baseline lay-up and subsequent free throw following the foul, the game would change hands seven times over the final eight minutes of the contest.

Davidson's star would come through in the clutch, as his driving reverse lay-up around the league's leading shot-blocker Hines tied the contest, 66-66 with about two minutes left to play. But the senior Gross, the unsung hero of the 2004-05 season for the UNCG basketball team, would provide an emphatic answer to the league's Player of the Year, nailing a triple from the right corner to give the Spartans a 69-66 lead--a lead which UNCG would not relinquish--with 1:31 to play.

It was a bitter defeat for the Wildcats, who looked to be charted on a course to complete the unblemished run through the league and tournament which Davidson's 1996 team ended just a game short of completing during the feat, losing in the title game to Western Carolina.

The Wildcats would end up qualifying for the NIT that season, ending their run in the semifinals. UNCG would go on to lose, (), in the SoCon title game to Chattanooga.

The only other Southern Conference title game appearance came four years earlier at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, S.C., and just like the '05 meeting, the Spartans faced mighty Davidson in the Southern Conference semifinals.

But Fran McCaffery's weren't an upstart bunch looking to forge an upset against the Wildcats in the '01 tournament, it was a Spartans team that entered the proceedings in Greenville as one of the pre-tournament favorites. 

In fact, the Spartans had claimed one of the four first-round byes in the opening round of the league tournament, finishing second in the SoCon North Division behind division champion Davidson. Led by players like David Schuck and Courtney Eldridge, the Spartans were able to an identical 73-68 win over the Wildcats, moving onto the championship game against Chattanooga.

Though the losses have not come all that often to the Spartans, with Davidson holding the 21-9 advantage heading into Saturday night's contest, when they have come, they have usually been especially bitter.

Saturday night's contest sees a Davidson team favored to win the SoCon South Division, and with players like Jake Cohen (13.PPG, 5.5 RPG), De'Mon Brooks (14.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG) and Chris Czerapowicz (8.2 PPG, team-high 25 triples), the Wildcats have looked like living up to their preseason billing through an especially tough non-conference slate, which saw the Wildcats post wins over the likes of BCS conference foesVanderbilt and West Virginia, while posting a very impressive win over a perennial mid-major power, Richmond, just last week. Davidson's lone Southern Conference win was an 81-59 win over Chattanooga back in early Dec.

UNCG, meanwhile, has struggled to live up to its preseason praise of being the favorites in the SoCon North Division. Much like last year, the Spartans struggled mightily during non-conferece play, posting a 2-9 mark. One of those wins was a Southern Conference victory, however, with a resounding 84-54 win at The Citadel.

But if there's any team that can get things going in conference play, it's UNCG. With an explosive scoring backcourt that features league Player of the Year candidate Trevis Simpson (20.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG) and Derrell Armstrong (15.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG), who has been the SoCon's top sixth man this season.

In fact, Armstrong is one of two double-figure scorers that comes off the bench for the Spartans, as freshman forward Kayel Locke is having a freshman season reminiscent of predecessor Kyle Hines (2004-08), averaging 11.9 PPG and 4.8 RPG.

The problem for the Spartans has been defensively this season, was UNCG enters the contest, yielding a league-high 81.3 PPG. That doesn't bode well for the Spartans, who face a Davidson team averaging a 70.4 PPG to rank third in the SoCon in scoring offense.

Wes Miller was the talk of the SoCon last year after taking over for Mike Dement under an interim status last season, and with the struggles in the non-league slate and with high expectations, the pressure will be on Miller to help UNCG live up to the hype in the weaker SoCon North.

Davidson has owned this rivalry of late, posting 11 wins in the past 13 meetings between the two, including having won nine-straight over the Spartans at Belk Arena. In the only meeting between the two last season, Davidson won going away, 92-63, at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Look for the trend to continue and Davidson to send the North Division favorites to .500 in conference play and a 10th straight defeat at Belk Arena Saturday night.

Final Score Prediction: Davidson 82, UNCG 70

Furman (3-9, 0-1 SoCon) at College of Charleston (9-4, 1-0 SoCon)

Jan. 5, 2012, 5 p.m.

Charleston, S.C., T.D. Arena (5,000)

Preview: Southern Conference play gets underway in earnest on Saturday afternoon, with struggling Furman heading to the College of Charleston. 

The Paladins enter the contest having dropped four straight and seven of its last eight, while the College of Charleston comes into Saturday afternoon's clash having won four straight and playing some of its best basketball of the season. 

The Paladins and Cougars will be facing off on the hardwood for the 80th time, with the Paladins holding the narrow 41-38 advantage in the all-time series. The Paladins and Cougars split the season series, with Furman claiming a 69-63 win over the College of Charleston, while the Cougars downed the Paladins, 66-43, in Greenville.

Furman's win at TD Arena was their first in Charleston since 1952, and the win by the Paladins over their in-state rival also snapped a nine-game losing skid to the Cougars. 

Furman is coming off a 72-53 loss at SMU in its most recent outing back on Dec. 28, while the Cougars got an 85-75 win at Marist on New Year's Eve.

The Paladins come into the contest having struggled offensively this season, ranking 10th out of 12 teams in the league in scoring, averaging just 60.1 PPG, and ranked 11th in the league in field goal percentage by connecting on just 39.0-percent from the field through the first 12 games. 

The College of Charleston on the other hand, enters Saturday evening's home SoCon clash, ranking eighth in the league in scoring offense (62.4 PPG), while ranking top in the league in team field goal percentage, connecting on 44.8-percent of its shots from the field this season.

The Paladins enter Saturday evening's matchup with the Cougars, boasting just one player averaging in double figures in scoring, with forward Colin Reddick (10.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG) enjoying his best season as a Paladin.  The 6'-9", 240-pound senior from Powder Springs, GA., has posted double figure scoring efforts in eight out of 12 games this season.  

Reddick scored a season-high 17 points in a win over Brevard earlier this season, while scoring 15 points in Furman's only other Southern Conference game, a 79-65 home loss to Western Carolina back on Nov. 28. Reddick is coming off a 12-point outing in the Paladins' 72-53 road loss at SMU last Saturday night.

He also enters the contest being a factor on the defensive end of the floor this season, having blocked a team-high 13 shots this season. His 13 swats this season give him 88-career blocks, which ranks Reddick seventh in school history. Reddick's 1.1 blocks-per-game average ranks him seventh among the league leaders heading into the clash with the Cougars. 

Joining Reddick in the Paladin starting five on Saturday night will be both Bryant Irwin (8.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG) and Kendrec Ferrara (6.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG). 

Irwin, a 6'-7" senior, is coming off one of his best outings of the season, as he posted 15 points on five treys in the loss at SMU the last time out. Irwin has been a prolific, streaky, outside threat for the Paladins this season, having posted 12 triples this season, and is one of four Paladins with double-digit three-pointers this season. 

His 15 point performance in the road loss to the Mustangs last Saturday night marked the fourth double-digit effort of the season for the senior, matching his previous season-high in points with 15, which he also accomplished in a loss at Mercer back in late November. 

Irwin was also one of three Paladins in double figures in the win at Charleston last season, posting 14 points in the road win. 

Ferrara rounds out the front court starters for the Paladins heading into Saturday night's contest, and he has had an impressive freshman season for Furman. Ferrara has started the last five games for the Paladins, and he has seen action in all 12 games for the Paladins this season.

Ferrara has four double-figure scoring performances this season, including a season and career-high 13 points in the win over Presbyterian. Ferrara's four double-figures scoring efforts came consecutively. He is also second on the team in field goal percentage this season, connecting on 51.4% (36-of-70) from the field this season.

Furman's backcourt has been hampered by injuries this season, with last year's starting point guard Jordan Lloyd out for an indefinite amount of time with a knee injury, while sophomore reserve point guard David Brown (2.4 PPG, 0.7 APG) has struggled with an ongoing back injury this season.

That means the point guard duties have fallen to true freshman Stephen Croone (8.4 PPG, 4.2 APG), who has matured as the season has progressed and is certainly making a bid for All-Freshman SoCon honors with his play so far this season. 

Croone comes into the Paladins' second Southern Conference game of the season, posting the team's second-best scoring average, and he also enters the matchup with the Cougars, ranking second to only Citadel sophomore point guard Marshall Harris III in assists per game. Earlier this season, in a win over Southern Wesleyan, Croone tied a school record with 14 helpers.

In terms of being a threat as a scorer this season for the Paladins, Croone has registered five double-figure scoring efforts this season for the Paladins, registering a season-high 15 points in a loss to Clemson. 

After struggling with turnovers early in the season, the Paladins have taken good care of the basketball as of late, and that has much to do with Croone's maturity at the position. The Paladins still sport a -2.8 turnover margin coming into Saturday's contest, which ranks the Paladins 10th in the SoCon in assist/turnover ratio, but Furman has only averaged 15 or fewer turnovers in each of the past five outings. 

Croone hasn't proven to be much of a perimeter shooting threat this season, connecting on just 1-of-15 shots from long range so far this season.

Rounding out the starting five for the Paladins on Saturday will likely be Bobby Austin (5.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG), with Charlie Reddick's (8.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG) status uncertain after having suffered an injury a couple of weeks ago in the loss at Jacksonville. 

Austin is another of the senior leaders on the Furman roster, and he was one of the three holdovers from the two previous seasons, which saw the Paladins combine to win 37 games, including the 22 victories a couple of years ago. 

The senior from Cincinnati is one of the hardest workers on the Paladin roster, and he comes into Saturday's SoCon showdown at CofC having started eight out of 12 games for the Paladins this season. He has two double-figure scoring efforts this season, including a season-high 20 points to lead the Paladins to a win over PC. 

Austin has once again proven to be one of the team's best perimeter threats this season, having connected on 15 treys (15-of-50, 30.0%). 

After coming into the season as Furman's leading returning scorer, senior guard Charlie Reddick has struggled at times to find that type of production this season. Should Reddick find himself contributing against the Cougars on Saturday evening, the Paladins will need a big night from him to have any change of a second-straight upset win at TD Arena.

Reddick has four double-digit efforts this season, posting a season high 16 points in the win over PC. He posted 12 points as a part of a trio in double digits in the win at CofC last season. Reddick is also tied for second on the team in three-pointers made this season, having knocked down 15 triples, and he is shooting 31.9-percent (15-of-47) from three-point range this season. 

Reddick might be the best athlete on the team, and is one of the team's best on-the-ball defenders.  He ranks second on the team in steals, with 10 thefts this season. 

The top reserves off the Furman bench this season have been freshman wing guard Larry Wideman (6.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG) and redshirt freshman Keith Belfield (4.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG). Wideman leads the team from the perimeter with 17 triples this season, and posted his best performance of the season against 18 points in the win over Southern Wesleyan.

Belfield can also be a threat from the perimeter; he had eight triples this season, and posted his career-high performance with nine points on a couple of occasions in wins over Southern Wesleyan and PC.

The College of Charleston enters Saturday's contest with an impressive resume that includes wins over Baylor (63-59), Boston College (71-67), and Old Dominion (76-65.  The Cougars' lone Southern Conference win came in a 56-54 victory against a veteran, talented Elon team up at Alumni Gym.

The Cougars are in their final year as a Southern Conference member, as the Cougars are all set to join the CAA in 2014.

The Paladins caught the Cougars at the perfect time last season; it was ultimately a time of transition, with Bobby Cremins on his way out as a result of health concerns, and a team that really lacked chemistry, despite having plenty of talent, down the stretch last season.

Doug Wojcik took the reins of the Cougars' basketball program after a sour ending to his career at Tulsa last season. Other than one stretch about three weeks ago, which saw the Cougars drop a resounding setback to No. 4 Louisville (80-38) and and an unexplained blowout loss to Division II Anderson University (65-49) a few nights later on the home floor, the Wojcik has managed to seemingly utilize the talent he has at his disposal at the fullest for the most part this season.

The Cougars come into Saturday's Southern Conference contest against Palmetto State rival Furman with one of the top backcourt tandems in the league; both Andrew Lawrence (14.0 PPG, 4.0 APG) and Anthony Stitt (11.5 PPG, 3.7 APG) are the leaders in the backcourt this season.

Both Lawrence and Stitt are the lone double-figure scorers in the starting lineup for the Cougars so far this season. Lawrence, who played in the Olympics for Great Britain this past summer, has established himself as one of the league's top perimeter shooters over the past couple of seasons. Lawrence is tied for the team lead in three-point field goals, having knocked down 22 triples on the season, which matches his backcourt teammate Stitt. Lawrence is the reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week.

Lawrence has a pair of 22-point scoring performances this season, posting 22 points the last time out in the 85-75 win at Marist, while also posting 22 points in CofC's win over Boston College earlier this season in the Charleston Classic. Stitt also had a season-high 22 points earlier this season, which came in the win over Coastal Carolina.

The Cougars also have some of the best talent and athleticism in the Southern Conference in the front court as well, and that unit has been led by Adejhi Baru (9.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG), who has developed into one of the top big men in the Southern Conference, as he enters Saturday's contest averaging nearly a double-double per game.

Baru's nine boards per contest lead the Southern Conference, and he enters Saturday's contest against the Paladins with a couple of double-doubles this season.

Baru has had some great performances this season, including a 16-point, 14-board performance in the loss to Louisville, and he just missed a double-double effort in the win over Old Dominion, posting 20 points and nine boards. He comes in connecting on 50.0-percent (48-of-96) from the field this season, ranking ninth in the league in field goal percentage.

Teaming with Baru in the paint on Saturday afternoon will be juniors Anthony Thomas (7.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG) and Willis Hall (7.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG). Thomas is perhaps the team's top athlete, while Hall is one of its hardest workers.

Hall, Thomas and Baru have helped the Cougars out-rebound 10 of their 13 opponents so far this season, including out-boarding Marist by a whopping 14 boards on Saturday.   

The Cougar front court has also gotten it down defending the paint, with the Cougars entering Saturday's contest leading the league in blocked shots, having swatted away 59 shots, averaging 4.5 collectively per game. Individually, that charge has been led by Baru, who leads the team and ranks fifth in the SoCon with 15 rejections this season. 

The Cougars will utilize three players off the bench on Saturday against the Paladins, with Matt Sundberg (2.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG) and Nori Johnson (5.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG) contributing in the backcourt, while Theo Johnson (2.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG) will be the primary contributor in the front court off the pine. 

This game has the potential to be close in the opening half, but the College of Charleston has too much talent to really be in danger of losing this game.

Final Score Prediction: College of Charleston 72, Furman 56

The Citadel (3-7, 0-1 SoCon) will open up the new year with its final nonconference test before beginning SoCon play in earnest as the Bulldogs face off against ACC foe and Palmetto State rival Clemson (7-4) in a 4 p.m. contest on New Year's Day. 

The Bulldogs and Tigers will be meeting for the 83rd time on Tuesday afternoon, with the Tigers holding a commanding 60-22 all-time edge, including having won the past 14 games between the two teams. Last year the Tigers went to McAlister Field House and handed the Cadets a 73-50 setback on Nov. 16, 2011. 

The Bulldogs enter Tuesday afternoon's clash coming off a loss to another ACC foe. The Bulldogs dropped a 73-41 contest in Atlanta to Georgia Tech back on Dec. 22. The Tigers come in to Tuesday's clash already having posted a 4-1 record against teams from the Palmetto State this season, including having knocked off The Citadel's fellow SoCon rival, Furman (72-55) at Timmons Arena back on Nov. 16. 

The Citadel will mark the third straight opponent from the Palmetto State that the Tigers have faced, most recently disposing of South Carolina State (77-41) back on Dec. 23. They dropped their only game to a team from the Sandlapper State back on Dec. 19 with a 69-46 loss at Coastal Carolina. Additionally, Clemson has also knocked off in-state opponents Presbyterian (77-44) and South Carolina (64-55) this season.

The Bulldogs enter Tuesday afternoon's clash looking to snap a six-game losing streak dating back to a 92-50 win over Union College of Kentucky back on Nov. 17. 

The Bulldogs enter the contest against the Tigers continuing to be led by one of the best big men in the Southern Conference, Mike Groselle (15.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG). Groselle, a senior from Plano, Texas, enters the New Year's Day clash ranking sixth in Southern Conference scoring while ranking second in the league in rebounding. 

Groselle has scored in double digits in nine of 10 games this season for the Bulldogs, with the only time he was held under double figures being the last time out against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets were able to limit Groselle to just nine points. He has a couple of 20-point performances on the season, including a 21-point effort in the Bulldogs' season-opening win over VMI. Groselle posts a 54.6 percent shooting clip from the field this season, which ranks second in the SoCon.

Groselle enjoyed a strong performance against Clemson last season, posting 16 points in the 73-50 setback.

Joining Groselle in the Bulldogs' starting lineup in the front court will be Stephen Elmore (3.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG). Elmore, a redshirt senior from New York City, has been a nice role player underneath the basket this season for Chuck Driesell's Bulldogs.

Elmore enjoyed his top performances of the season in each of the past two contests, contributing eight points in losses to both St. Bonaventure and Georgia Tech. He also contributed 10 boards in the loss at Georgia Tech the last time out and nearly completed the double-double effort against the Bulldogs. 

The trio in The Citadel backcourt for Tuesday afternoon's clash will include Ashton Moore (7.8 PPG, 1.7 APG), Marshall Harris III (5.7 PPG, 4.8 APG) and Matt Van Scyoc (10.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG).

The Bulldogs have gotten nice production out of their backcourt at times this season, especially Van Scyoc, who is a 6-6 wing guard that ranks second on the club in his first season with the program and is making a strong case for All-Freshman honors through his first 10 games in The Citadel Blue. 

Van Scyoc has started every game so far in his young Bulldog career, and he's the team's leading perimeter shooter, having connected on a team-best 21 triples on the season. He is shooting a blistering 41.3 percent (21-of-53) from three-point range this season. Van Scyoc has enjoyed six double-digit scoring efforts on the season, including a season-high 18 points in his first career game as a Cadet against VMI. 

Moore and Harris are veterans that saw plenty of action last season in the Bulldogs' backcourt. Both played in every game as freshmen last season, with 14 starts for Moore and Harris logging 11 in his frosh season. 

Harris has started all 11 games this season for the Bulldogs while Moore has logged five starts in 10 games this season for The Citadel. Harris leads the SoCon in APG average so far this season. He enjoyed his best offensive outing of the season against VMI in the win over the Keydets, posting a season- and career-high 19 points. Moore had a season-high 12 points in a loss to Radford earlier this season, which is one of four double-figure scoring efforts for the sophomore in 2012-13.

The Bulldogs will employ the services of three primary players off the bench, including sophomore guard Lawrence Miller (8.6 PPG, 1.0 RPG), redshirt freshman wing guard Daniel Setzekorn (5.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG) and fellow freshman wing guard Quinton Marshall (4.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG). 

Miller is the third-leading scorer for the Bulldogs this season and has given The Citadel good offensive production off the bench as of late, with four double-figure scoring performances this season, including a season-high 13 points in a loss to Air Force. 

The Bulldogs have struggled finding depth in the frontcourt after a season-ending ankle injury to starting forward C.J. Bray about a month ago in a loss to Charleston Southern. That means for the Bulldogs to have any shot of staying in the contest against Clemson on New Year's Day, the Bulldogs must keep leading scorer Groselle out of foul trouble. 

As a team, The Citadel averages 65.2 PPG as a team to rank seventh in the Southern Conference in team scoring average, while ranking 11th out of the 12 SoCon members in scoring defense, allowing 74.8 PPG.

The Bulldogs are a team that has made good in its trips to the charity stripe this season, entering Tuesday's contest ranking second in the Southern Conference in free-throw shooting percentage (72.4 percent, 142-of-196), while posting the league's fifth-best team field goal percentage this season, connecting on 45.2 percent from the field this season. 

Clemson comes into Tuesday afternoon's Palmetto State showdown having been led by strong play among its three post performers this season. All three starting bigs for the Tigers enter Tuesday's contest posting double-digit scoring averages.

Leading the charge in the post this season for Brad Brownell's Tigers has been senior center Devin Booker (11.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG). Booker is arguably playing the best basketball of his career and has been at his best when getting the ball in the low post, converting a career-best 57.3 percent of the time on 55-of-96 shooting from the field this season. 

The powerful Booker was one of three Tigers in double digits in Clemson's win over the Bulldogs in Charleston last season, leading the club with 14 points. Booker has charted double digits in seven of the Tigers' 11 games this season, including a season-high 18 points in a loss to Purdue in the ACC/Big Ten challenge matchup. He is coming off a 16-point effort the last time out against Coastal Carolina, and he did not play against SC State. 

Booker has one double-double this season, which came in a win over Marist as he posted 15 points and 13 boards. His 7.5 RPG ranks him eighth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in rebounding average through the first 11 games.

Teaming with Booker in the paint will be both Milton Jennings (10.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG) and K.J. McDaniels (11.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG). Both Jennings and McDaniels are tremendous athletes and will be tough matchups for the Bulldogs as a result of that athleticism.

McDaniels, who is the team's second-leading scorer, might be one of the best leapers in the Atlantic Coast Conference. McDaniels has 12 double-digit scoring performances in his Clemson career, including logging seven in this his sophomore season. 

McDaniels enjoyed his best offensive game of the season and of his career in a win over UTEP, recording a career-high 17 points in that victory.

McDaniels has also been extremely effective on the defensive end with that athleticism this season, swatting away a team-high 23 shots, which ranks him third in the ACC in that category, averaging 2.1 BPG. McDaniels has also proven to be Clemson's top perimeter threat this season; the 6-6 wing guard has connected on 14 triples in 2012-13.

Jennings rounds out the starters underneath the basket, and like Booker, he's looked to for leadership on this Clemson basketball team. He underwent some off-the-court issues earlier in the season, but Jennings has played well as of late. 

After going just 2-for-12 from the field in the loss to Coastal Carolina, Jennings rebounded in a big way against South Carolina State the last time out, tying for the team-lead in scoring, with 15 points. Jennings has recorded three double-figure scoring games in the eight he has seen action in this season. He recorded a season-high 18 points in the win over Marist. 

The Clemson backcourt will feature Rod Hall (6.4 PPG, 4.2 APG) and freshman point guard Jordan Roper (5.9 RPG, 1.1 RPG). Hall is in his second season as a starter for the Tigers, and has evolved into more than just a defensive, athletic presence on the floor this season for Brownell's Tigers.

Hall's 4.2 APG average ranks him seventh in the ACC in that particular category entering the New Year's Day showdown. Hall has one double-digit scoring performance this season, posting 15 points in the win over arch-rival South Carolina. He also ranks fourth in the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 40-to-17 this season. 

Roper is another explosive athletic presence in the Clemson starting five and got his career off to a resounding start with 11 points in his first ever game for the Tigers, which was a season-opening win over Presbyterian. His steal and slam also helped the Tigers cement a 64-55 road win over his hometown college and Clemson arch-rival, the University of South Carolina. 

He is one of the Tigers' top perimeter threats, having knocked down 47.8 percent (11-of-23) from three-point range this season, and his 16-point performance in a win over Florida A&M earlier this season represents a career-best effort. 

Clemson has not had any problems when looking to its bench so far this season. In fact, the Tigers are outscoring opponents from the bench 233-164 so far this season. Two of the biggest contributors off that Tiger bench are the backcourt tandem of Adonis Filer (7.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG) and DaMarcus Harrison (5.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG). 

In the frontcourt off the bench, Clemson looks to newcomers Nnoko Landry (1.4 PPG, 1.1 RPG), Josh Smith (1.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG) and Bernard Sullivan (2.0 PPG, 1.4 RPG). 

As a team, the Tigers are a defensive-minded club and that fact is represented by the fact that the Tigers rank last in the ACC in scoring offense (64.4 PPG) and third in scoring defense (55.4 PPG). Clemson also ranks fifth in the league in field goal percentage defense (38.2 percent) and fourth in team SPG (7.5). The Tigers are blocking an ACC-best 5.3 shots per game this season. 

This matchup looks a bit one-sided in favor of the Tigers, and the matchup doesn't offer much of a contrast in styles between the two to give the Bulldogs much of a chance of springing the upset on New Year's Day. 

Final Score Prediction: Clemson 74, The Citadel 56

Davidson (6-4, 1-0 SoCon) at Drexel (3-7, 0-0 CAA)

Dec. 22, 2012, 7 p.m.

Daskalakis Athletic Center (2,532)

Preview:

The Southern Conference preseason favorite Davidson Wildcats travel into CAA country on Saturday night, as they will be in the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Drexel Dragons in a key non-conference battle. 

A win by the Wildcats would give the SoCon a second win over the league this week, as College of Charleston was able to get a 76-65 win over Old Dominion Tuesday night. 

Saturday night's meeting between the Wildcats and Dragons marks just the second all-time meeting between the two programs, with Drexel picking up a 70-67 win over Davidson at the Comcast Lobo Invitational back in the 2000 campaign.

Saturday night's meeting with Drexel marks the second-straight meeting against the CAA, with Davidson picking up a 77-61 win over UNC Wilmington last Saturday.

The Wildcats have what is considered the strongest front court in the Southern Conference this season, with players De'Mon Brooks (15.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG) and Jake Cohen (12.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG), who are SoCon Player of the Year candidates, and both were named co-league Players of the Year last season.  

Brooks is one of the league's top NBA prospects and comes into Saturday night's showdown as Davidson's top scorer. So far this season, Brooks has posted double figures in nine of 10 games this season, and is second on the club with 51-career double figure scoring efforts. 

Brooks has enjoyed some superlative efforts this season for the Wildcats, having posted a couple of 20-point efforts in back-to-back games for the Wildcats to open the season, amassing a season-high 24 points in the season-opening win over Emory, while posting 22 points in the second game of the season, which was a loss at New Mexico. He is coming off a 14-point, five-rebound effort in Davidson's win over UNC Wilmington last Saturday.

Cohen has had an equally impressive season and career for the Wildcats. He enters Saturday night's contest having posted seven double-figure scoring games this season, including leading the club with 74-career double-figure scoring games. 

Cohen is coming off a season-high, 21-point performance in the win over UNC Wilmington the last time out. He connected on a season-high 3-for-6 from three-point range in the win over the Seahawks. 

The trio leading the Davidson backcourt will include Chris Czerapowicz (9.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG), J.P. Kuhlman (8.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG) and Nik Cochran (8.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG), composing one of the league's top guard combinations. 

Czerapowicz, a native of Gothenburg, Sweden, is one of the SoCon's most-feared perimeter shooters, entering Saturday night's contest having connected on 22-of-42 (50 percent) from three-point range this season. Czerapowicz has double-digit games for the Wildcats this season, including a 14-point effort the last time out against UNCW. He recorded a season-high 15 points twice this season in games against Emory and Gonzaga.

Cochran also has four double-digit scoring performances this season, recording a season-high 17 points in the loss to Gonzaga.

Kuhlman, who was injured earlier this season, has seen action in eight games this season, and scored in double figures in the first three games for the Wildcats, but hasn't found his way into double-figures since. Kuhlman's season-high of 16 points came in a loss at Milwaukee. His 4.2 helpers-per-game leads Davidson. 

Davidson's leading performers off the bench this season have been junior guard Tom Droney (3.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG), senior forward Clint Mann (7.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG) and sophomore guard Tyler Kalinoski (7.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG).

Droney is one of the team's best defenders off the bench, while Mann is one of the team's scrappiest and most physical performers underneath the bucket. Kalinoski was a SoCon All-Freshman selection last season, and he enters with four double-figure scoring performances this season, including a season-high 15 points in a win over Chattanooga.

As a team, Davidson enters Saturday night's contest, averaging 73.7 PPG, while leading the SoCon in scoring margin (+6.3), free throw percentage (78.4 percent), three-point field goal percentage (40.2 percent) and assist/turnover ratio (1:2). Davidson also ranks second in the SoCon in team field goal percentage (44.5 percent) and assists (14.0 APG).

The Wildcats already sport wins over both Big East member West Virginia (63-60) and SEC East member Vanderbilt (75-62) this season. 

Drexel comes into the contest with a 3-7 mark this season, and the Dragons were a team that posted a school-record 29 wins a year ago, advancing to the NIT quarterfinals, winning the CAA regular-season crown in 2011-12. 

Things haven't come as easily this season for the Dragons under Bruiser Flint, who is now in his 12th season at the helm of the program. Despite four starters returning off that squad from last year, the Dragons are currently four games below .500.

Five of seven losses this season by the Dragons have come against teams that made a postseason appearance in one of four of Division I college basketball tournaments last season. 

Drexel has been led by one of mid-major college basketball's most explosive backcourt tandems, in Damion Lee (17.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG) and Frantz Massenat (13.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG). Both Lee and Massenat are the lone two players averaging in double figures this season, and the backcourt duo averages nearly half of the team's 64.5 PPG. Lee's 16 three-point field goals this season lead the team.

Lee scored a career-high 28 points in a loss to Rider earlier this season, and enters Saturday night's contest having posted nine-straight double-figure scoring performances, including 15 points the last time out in a 69-58 loss to Fairfield. He was the CAA's Rookie of the Year last season. 

Massenat comes into Saturday night's contest having been selected as the CAA's Preseason Player of the Year and currently ranks second in the CAA in assists-per-game, with 4.4 helpers-per-contest. Massenat has seven double-figure scoring games this season, posting a season high 20 points in a loss to Rice earlier this season. 

Senior Derrick Thomas (5.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG) rounds out the starters in the backcourt, and he has put together a solid season for the Dragons, and has a couple of double-figure scoring performances this season, including a 13-point, six-rebound, six-assist effort in a loss to Illinois State earlier this season. 

Rounding out the starters for the Dragons entering Saturday night's contest will be post performers Daryl McCoy (4.5, 7.8 RPG) and Dartaye Ruffin (8.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG). Both McCoy and Ruffin are excellent on the boards and both players' athleticism could give the Wildcats trouble on Saturday night. Both McCoy and Ruffin are shooting over 50 percent from the field this season, with McCoy connecting at a 54.3 percent clip (19-of-34) on the season and Ruffin at a 52.7 percent mark (39-of-74) in 2012-13.

The leading players off the bench for the Dragons this season have been forwards Tavon Allen (9.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG) and Kazembe Abif (4.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG). Allen has been a key scoring presence off the bench, especially after second-leading scorer and senior guard Chris Fouch, who was averaging 16.3 PPG, had his season cut short after only three games, suffering a fractured ankle. 

While I think the Dragons' athleticism might give the Wildcats some trouble, Davidson is used to coping with deficiencies athletically and Saturday night's road contest, despite being in hostile territory, will see a disciplined Davidson team squeak out a seventh win in a tough venue against a quality opponent.

Final Score Prediction: Davidson 70, Drexel 64 

Western Carolina (4-7, 2-0 SoCon) at Tennessee (6-3, 0-0 SEC)

Dec. 21, 2012, 7 p.m.

Thompson-Boling Arena (21,678)

Preview

Western Carolina heads just up I-40 to face Tennessee in a non-conference battle on Friday night in the Catamounts' final game before the Christmas holiday. 

The Catamounts and Volunteers will be meeting for just the eighth time, with Tennessee holding a commanding 6-1 all-time series advantage. 

The Catamounts have faced an especially tough non-conference slate, playing the likes of Georgetown (81-68) and Illinois (72-64) in the early going, showing well in both of those games against ranked foes. 

The Catamounts, who have already gotten off to a 2-0 start in Southern Conference play, last defeated the Volunteers back in 1993, with the likes of Frankie King and current assistant coach Anquell McCollum helping lead the charge for Western in the 63-51 win in Knoxville. 

The Volunteers and Catamounts share several common opponents so far this season, including Wichita State, UNC Asheville and Georgetown. Western dropped all three games to common foes, while Tennessee went 2-1 against the common foes, with the only loss coming in a 37-31 setback to Georgetown.

Western dropped its last game on the hardwood this past weekend, dropping a 13-point decision to Georgetown the last time out. In that contest, the Catamounts got superlative performances from Tom Tankelewicz and Trey Sumler, who accounted for two of the three Western players in double figures in the contest, with 24 and 11 points, respectively.

Tankelewicz's 24-point performance represented a career-high performance, eclipsing the previous career-high performance of 19 points in the SoCon win over Appalachian State. Tankelewicz's 36 triples this season lead the league. 

In total, Tankelewicz enters Friday's contest against the Volunteers averaging 11.6 PPG and 3.0 RPG, and enters Friday night's contest having reached double figures in seven of the Catamounts' 11 games this season. 

Tankelewicz will be joined in the backcourt by two pretty solid players in their own right, as both Sumler (15.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG) and James Sinclair (7.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG) round out the starting trio in the backcourt for the Catamounts on Friday night. 

Sumler has been the go-to-scorer for the Catamounts this season, as he comes into the contest ranking fourth in the Southern Conference in scoring this season, averaging 15.7 PPG.

Sumler can also be a dangerous perimeter shooter for the Catamounts, as he enters the contest against the Volunteers ranking second on the club in three-pointers made this season, with 21 triples on the campaign. Sumler is shooting 44.7 percent (21-of-47) from three-point range this season. Coming into Friday night's contest, Sumler has recorded nine double-figure scoring performances this season, with a season-high 25 points in a 92-81 loss to Western Kentucky.

Sinclair comes into Friday night's contest having made five starts in 11 games for Larry Hunter's Catamounts this season. He has four double-figure scoring performances for the Catamounts this season, including having scored in double digits in three out of the last four games for Western. He enjoyed his best performance of the season against Illinois, posting 13 points in the loss to the Illini. 

The Catamount front court will consist of both King and Preston Ross (8.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG), who have both served the Catamounts well in the paint this season.

King has started the past 46 games in a Catamount uniform. He has been one of the hardest workers on the Catamounts roster the past couple of seasons, and he comes into Friday's contest having posted double figure scoring performances in the first 10 games of the season, including his lone double-double of the season coming in the season opener against UNC Asheville, with 13 points and 10 rebounds. 

Ross has been a consistent performer for the Catamounts in first two-plus seasons in Cullowhee, and he, like King, is a hard worker on the interior for Larry Hunter's Catamounts. The undersized forward makes up for what he lacks in height with his size and strength on the interior. This season, Ross has four double-digit scoring performances on the season, with a season-high 19 points coming against Western Kentucky. 

Coming off the bench, the Catamounts have gotten excellent production out of Brandon Boggs (9.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG), who has started six games this season and can play either the wing guard position or in the post, as well as freshman guard Mike Brown (3.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG), who has provided good depth in the backcourt coming off the bench for the Catamounts.

Boggs has started six games this season and is one of the team's best defenders. He comes into Friday night's contest having posted his best outing of the season in the loss to Illinois, finishing with 16 points and six boards in what was an eight-point loss.

As a team, Western Carolina is averaging 71.9 PPG, and comes into Friday night's contest ranking fourth in the Southern Conference in scoring offense. Meanwhile, Tennessee has one of the best scoring defenses in SEC Basketball, having not allowed an opponent to score more than 69 points all season.

The Volunteers are under the direction of second-year head coach Cuonzo Martin, who led the Volunteers to a 19-15 mark in his first season at the helm. The expectation for the Volunteers this season is the NCAA Tournament. 

Tennessee also has some Southern Conference ties within in its coaching staff, with former Appalachian State head coach Houston Fancher now an assistant on Martin's staff. The Volunteers come into Friday night's contest having been led by junior guard Trae Golden (13.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG), who is one of three Tennessee starters averaging in double figures this season. 

Golden is joined in the backcourt by both Skylar McBee (7.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG) and Jordan McRae (10.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG), who have both been able to add some scoring punch along with Golden this season. McRae joins Golden in double-digits scoring average, and Golden, who plays the point, leads the club with 5.0 assists per game.

The club has been led from three-point range this season by McRae, who has canned 17 triples on the campaign and is connecting on 34.3 percent (17-for-50) from long-range this season. Golden has registered double figures in the win over Wichita State, posting 25 points.

One of the most impressive freshmen in the SEC last season was post performer Jarnell Stokes (11.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG), as he garnered SEC All-Freshman honors for the 2011-12 season, and he is one of the best athletes on the Tennessee roster. Stokes has two double-double performances this season, including his best performance of the season, which was a 24-point, 12-rebound contest in the 83-69 win over UMass. 

Stokes will be joined in the paint in the starting five for the Volunteers by sophomore Josh Richardson (6.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG), who plays more like a wing guard than an actual post performer.

Richardson is pretty much the Brandon Boggs of the team and is long and athletic, as well as being the team's top perimeter defender. With Jeronne Maymon out with injury, Richardson's role has become much more important for the Volunteers this season. Maymon proved to be one of the SEC's top rebounders a year ago. 

The Volunteers bench will look for production from Kenny Hall (6.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG), who will be looking to return from a hamstring injury, which forced him to sit out the win over Presbyterian earlier this week. Junior guard D'Montre Edwards (3.6 PPG,2.5 RPG) and center Yemi Makanjuola (2.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG) have provided adequate support off the bench this season. 

Tennessee's long, athletic guards might be tough for the Catamounts to handle, and rebounding the basketball has been something that the Volunteers have done pretty well in Martin's first two seasons in Knoxville, and the Volunteers come into Friday's matchup sporting a plus-6.0 rebounding margin against foes this season. The Catamounts, meanwhile, rank ninth in the SoCon in rebounding margin, with a minus-1.9 entering Friday's contest. 

The Catamounts should keep it close for a while, but Tennessee will be able to pull away with its size underneath the basket and pull out a hard-fought win in Knoxville against Larry Hunter's scrappy bunch from Cullowhee. 

Final Score Prediction: Tennessee 72, Western Carolina 63

Appalachian State (2-7, 0-1 SoCon) vs. South Carolina (6-3, 0-0 SEC)

When: Dec. 19, 2012, 5 p.m. ET

Where: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)

Preview: 

The Appalachian State Mountaineers will be looking to capture their second win in a row to complete a four-game road trip when they face the South Carolina Gamecocks in a nonconference battle on Wednesday evening at the Colonial Life Arena. 

The Mountaineers were able to snap a seven-game road-losing streak on Sunday afternoon by getting an 81-71 win at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A win over the Gamecocks on Wednesday would hand the Gamecocks a second loss this season to a team from the Southern Conference's North Division. South Carolina dropped a 65-53 decision to Phoenix on Nov. 21.

Wednesday night's meeting between the Mountaineers and Gamecocks marks the fourth all time in the series between the two schools, with the Gamecocks having claimed all three previous games. It marks the first meeting between the Mountaineers and Gamecocks since Dec. 1, 2004, when the Mountaineers lost 91-57 in Columbia.

South Carolina enters Wednesday's contest coming off a 91-74 win over Jacksonville 12 days ago, having taken a break for end-of-the-semester exams.

The Gamecocks are under the direction of Frank Martin, who is in his first season at the helm in Columbia since moving over from Kansas State.

Appalachian State was able to get the victory on the road on Sunday, getting some big production out of junior forward Tevin Baskin, who posted 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field while snagging four rebounds in the win over the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos.

Baskin led four Mountaineers in double figures in the contest, as he was joined by Tab Hamilton (17 points), Jamaal Trice (16 points) and Jay Canty (12 points). 

In their last game against the Jacksonville Dolphins, the Gamecocks were paced by Michael Carrera with 17 points. He was joined in double figures by Brian Richardson (16 points), Brenton Williams (12 points) and Bruce Ellington (12 points). 

The Mountaineers enter the Wednesday early-evening contest being led by Jay Canty (17.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG), who is the No. 2 scorer in the Southern Conference this season. He has been the league's most dynamic newcomer this season after transferring in from Xavier.

Canty is a pure scorer, and he marks a trend of successful transfers who have made their home with the Appalachian State basketball program, including players like Omar Carter from Charleston Southern (2011-12) and Donte Minter (2006-07) from Virginia. Both of those players were all-league performers.

Canty, a 6'6" guard/forward, is one of the most athletic players in the Southern Conference and has scored in double figures in seven of 10 games this season, including six straight double-figure scoring performances. His best performance of the campaign came against Missouri, when he posted 29 points in the 72-56 loss to the Tigers.

Joining Canty in the Appalachian starting lineup will be Hamilton (12.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG) and Trice (8.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG). Canty is a good ball-handler who has had to handle some of the point-guard responsibilities after Mike Neal was sidelined with an injury.

Appalachian State has been led from the perimeter by Hamilton, who comes into the contest having nailed 19 triples and is shooting a sizzling 45.2 percent (19-of-42) from the perimeter. That percentage currently ranks him sixth in three-point percentage in the Southern Conference.

In the paint, Appalachian State is led by Michael Obacha (4.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG) and Nathan Healy (13.2 PPG. 5.7 RPG). Obacha is active and athletic in the paint and is one of the hardest workers on the team. Much like Healy, Obacha is a scrappy player with the uncanny ability to get to loose balls and is active at getting his hands in passing lanes for deflections.

Healy is having his best season for the Mountaineers in 2012-13, and he has become one of the team's most reliable scorers, having developed a nice mid-range game.     

The Mountaineers have gotten good minutes off the bench from Baskin (7.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG) and freshman point guard Chris Burgess (3.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG). Burgess has been able to provide some good depth with the absence of Neal. 

Appalachian State enters Wednesday night's game averaging 72.6 PPG to rank third in the Southern Conference in scoring average. However, the Mountaineers have struggled defensively, as they yield 77.3 PPG, ranking them No. 11 out of 12 teams so far this season. The Mountaineers shoot 43.8 percent from the field to rank fifth overall in the conference in field-goal percentage.

South Carolina enters Wednesday night's clash being led by guard Brenton Williams (13.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG) and small forward Michael Carrera (11.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG).

Williams has been the key offensively for the Gamecocks this season, having scored in double figures in seven games. His top performance was against Rider in a Gamecocks win, when he posted 22 points. He has a team-leading 16 trifectas this season and is shooting 50 percent (16-of-34) from three-point range.

Carrera has not been too far behind Williams on the scoring trail this season, and he has scored in double figures in four of the six games he has seen action in for the Gamecocks. He leads the team with eight rebounds per game. His 17 points and 15 boards in the season-opening win over Milwaukee were enough to garner him SEC Freshman of the Week honors. 

Joining Williams in the backcourt will be junior point guard Eric Smith (6.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG). He enjoyed his best game of the season in a 10-point win over Morgan State, posting 17 points. His seven assists the last time out against Jacksonville also represented a season high.

Carrera will be joined in the low post by RJ Slawson (3.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG) and Lakeem Jackson (9.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG). Jackson and Slawson are two solid role players on the interior for South Carolina. Jackson is on the cusp of averaging in double figures for the Gamecocks with four double-digit scoring performances. He enjoyed his top performance of the season against Elon University, posting 14 points.

The top players coming off the pine for Martin's Gamecocks are guards Bruce Ellington (11.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG) and LaShay Page (12.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG).

Since joining the team from football, Ellington has scored in double figures twice in his three games, posting 12 points in back-to-back games against Jacksonville and Clemson. South Carolina is simply a better basketball team with Ellington in the lineup. 

Page, who will play one of the wing positions off the bench, has started all eight games he has played in this season. Page missed the last game against Jacksonville, but like Ellington he is a pure scorer. His top performance came against Missouri State, when he posted 22 points. 

This should be a good contest, as the Mountaineers have gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Missouri, Virginia Tech and East Carolina before losing those games in heartbreaking fashion. The Mountaineers will keep it close but will lose this one by the seven- to 10-point range. The Mountaineers are improving with each game and should be a factor in the North Division by the time league play begins in earnest in 2013. 

Final Score Prediction: South Carolina 68, Appalachian State 62

                     Upstart Western Carolina To Face Davidson in rematch of ’96 Title Bout

NO. 3 NORTH DIVISION WESTERN CAROLINA (17-17, 8-10) vs No. 1 SOUTH DIVISION DAVIDSON (24-7, 16-2)

In what was one of the greatest Cinderella stories in Southern Conference basketball history, the 1995-96 season saw the ultimate David vs. Goliath championship matchup, as an unbeaten Davidson team faced an upstart Western Carolina in the first venue to host the Southern Conference title game after the previous run in Asheville.

Adding to the magic of that evening for Western Carolina was head coach Phil Hopkins' promise to his team should the Catamounts win the game. The promise--propose to his girlfriend, which he did of course upon the cutting down of the nets by WCU, and she followed the theme of what was a perfect evening all-around for Catamount nation by saying "yes."

On that afternoon at the Greensboro Coliseum, however, it was Western Carolina, who represented “David” in the scenario and it would be a Catamount team that would produce one of the greatest championship game upsets in Southern Conference history, prevailing by an improbable 69-60 score-line in what was a defensive battle between two offensive-minded clubs.

It remains the Catamounts’ lone Southern Conference Basketball title in school history since joining the league as an official member in 1976-77.

In the 1995-96 season, Western Carolina was a team that had seen its share of ups and downs, as the Catamounts, who were in the last championship played at the pre-renovated Asheville Civic Center, once suffered through a seven-game losing skid during that campaign some 16 seasons ago.

The losing streak included a surprising 60-58 home loss to Division II Coker College at the Ramsey Center.

The Catamounts had lost a big scorer from the previous season in Frankie King, who was a late-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers. King, along with another of the greatest players to ever suit in the Purple and Gold, Anquell McCollum (26.3 PPG led nation in 1995-96), were a prized backcourt seemingly poised to lead the Catamounts to a title in 1995.

However, the Catamounts let what looked to be a sure SoCon title and subsequent trip to the NCAA Tournament slip away in the waning moments, as the experienced Chattanooga Mocs under the direction of Mack McCarthy, would ultimately gain the crown with a (63-61) win over the Catamounts, breaking the hearts of many who made the short trek from Cullowhee.

That loss to the Mocs was 17 years ago to the day, and remains one of the most heartbreaking moments in the school’s basketball history to Catamount fans. To many, the scoring and versatility of that 1994-95 team were ingredients that hadn’t been seen in WCU basketball since the early-mid 1980’s.

In what many considered to be a weak Southern Conference in 1995-96, the Catamounts, who were then Southern Conference South Division members, garnered the first-round bye for the league’s post-season tournament by finishing second in the SoCon South, with a 7-7 overall league mark, and posted just a 14-13 regular-season record.

The Catamounts would dispatch mountain rival Appalachian State (74-66) in the Quarterfinal round before using 42 points from the nation’s leading scorer McCollum to power past the high-octane, fast-break style offense of Bart Bellairs’ VMI team (97-93).

Memories of that 1995-96 WCU team won’t be too far removed from the current Catamount edition, as McCollum is now an assistant coach on Larry Hunter’s current staff.

That set up what many thought would be a mismatch in the title game, as the Wildcats had strolled into the title game.

Davidson had gotten past East Tennessee State (67-43) and Marshall (92-77) in the semifinals, which was not all that unexpected from a team that had beaten its SoCon foes by a whopping total of 16.6 PPG during the regular-season league slate.

It might be even more of a David vs. Goliath matchup on Monday night, as the Catamounts have come from finishing third-place in the North Division to the SoCon title game. The Catamounts will carry a .500 record (17-17) into the title game on Monday night.

In the 1995-96 season, the Catamounts played Davidson only once during the regular season, dropping a 98-85 decision at the Ramsey Center on Feb. 3. The two teams have now swapped divisions, with the Catamounts now members of the SoCon North, while the Wildcats are now members of the SoCon South.

In that 1995-96 title game, it was unlikely heroes and a stout defense of the normally proficient shooting Davidson shooters that powered the Catamounts to the school’s greatest athletic achievement.

The Wildcats, who marched into that title game with a 25-3 mark, were limited to a meager 32.9% shooting percentage—a season low by the Catamounts in the nine-point loss. Western was also stingy from beyond the arc, holding one of the nation’s top three-point shooting clubs to 3-for-24 shooting from long-range in the victory.

McCollum scored a season-low 13 points, which made the title win by the Catamounts even more remarkable. It was performances from role players like Kevin Kullum (12 points, 10 boards), Hartsville, S.C., native Jarvis Graham (11 pts., 5-of-9 from the field in upset win over Davidson in '96) and center Kerry Wright (8 points, 9 boards, 3 blocks)

The Catamounts themselves shot the ball at just 36.0% clip in the contest, but dominated the physical Wildcat front court, which consisted of the likes of Quinn Harwood, Brandon Williams and Narcisse Ewodo, out-rebounding the Wildcats, 51-39.     

However, a win by the Catamounts this season, would top even that magical run of 16 years ago, as the Catamounts look to establish a first in the nation’s oldest post-season tournament—become the first team to go from the proverbial “play-in” round to a championship title win.

Furman made it all the way to the title game in 2002 having started its tourney run on Thursday, but then ran into Davidson.

Elon met the same fate in 2008, starting the tournament with a convincing win over Furman in the play-in round, before meeting its match in the title game, which was once again against a talented Davidson team.

The latest team to try to complete the four-game sweep was College of Charleston in 2009, which completed an upset win over the Stephen Curry-led and favored Wildcats in the semifinals (59-52) before eventually losing the title game to the Chattanooga Mocs (80-69) in what was a packed “Roundhouse.”

The Cougars eventually followed the same path in the title game as its predecessors that tried to complete the difficult four-day task, which was run out of gas. Not only did CofC face a tough crowd, the Cougars also had to compete against a home-court partisan crowd heavily in favor of the Mocs.

The Catamounts might as well call Asheville a home-away-from-home, as the U.S. Cellular Center is only about an hour drive from the WCU campus in Cullowhee.

The matchup 16 years ago between the two will have no bearing on what happens Monday night, but it’s often funny how things that happen in history happen similarly years later. This year’s Catamount team mirrors the one of 16 years ago in that both teams got hot at the opportune time.

Western enters tomorrow’s title game having won seven straight, while the 1995-96 team rolled into championship bout against the Wildcats having won six-straight games and 10 of its previous 11 games.

In similar fashion to the 1995-96 Davidson team, the 2011-12 Wildcats have also been nearly as dominant against league foes. Though not a perfect 18-0 against SoCon competition entering the title game, Davidson does hold an 18-2 mark against league foes entering the tournament, while WCU is 11-10 against SoCon competition this season.

Like that 1995-96 tourney, the Wildcats have also produced convincing wins in the 2012 tournament, blowing past Furman (73-54) in the SoCon quarterfinals, and followed that with another convincing win over Elon (83-67) in the SoCon semifinals.

Meanwhile, Western had little trouble with its first two foes of the tournament, knocking off The Citadel (68-56) and posting a sizable upset over second-seeded Wofford (82-59) in the SoCon quarterfinals to make Saturday evening’s semifinal game. That game saw the Catamounts claw their way to an 82-77 result over North Division champion UNC Greensboro.

The Catamounts have a talented versatile scoring squad, led by senior and SoCon active career-leading combo guard/forward Harouna Mutombo (13.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG).

After struggling early this season, Trey Sumler (13.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG) has rebounded to recapture the shooting touch so many were used to seeing in his freshman campaign last season.

Sumler’s 45 triples rank second on the team in three-pointers made. And like that 1995-96 team, which had a player by the name of Joe Stafford, who led the nation in three-point field goal shooting percentage, the Catamounts have one of the nation’s most-prolific long-range shooters in the nation 16 years later, in guard Keaton Cole (113 triples, leads team at 14.3 PPG).

Brandon Boggs is WCU’s defensive stopper (10.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, team-leading 15 blocks) and Tawaski King (7.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and Preston Ross (8.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG) are undersized, but have tag-teamed and been able to stay out of foul trouble to be WCU’s “unlikely heroes” down the stretch, just like Graham, Kullum and Scott Scholtz were in 1995-96.

Davidson counters with the co-SoCon Players of the Year, in media selection De’Mon Brooks (15.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG) and coaches pick Jake Cohen (13.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG).

Like the combination of Chris Alpert, Ray Mineland and Jeff Anderson in the backcourt for Davidson in 1995-96, the 2012 Wildcats have their own talented trio of sharp-shooters, in Nic Cochran (10.8 PPG,team-best 71 helpers ) and J.P. Kuhlman (10.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 29 steals), as well as defensive stopper Tom Droney (4.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG).

The Wildcats enter the title game leading the SoCon in scoring offense. Chris Czerapowicz (10.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG) has been the Wildcats’ most versatile scorer this season, with good athleticism, while also being the team’s top perimeter threat (team-high 62 treys)

A win on Monday night would give the Wildcats, who are tied for the most tournament crowns in league history, a league-record 11th SoCon Tournament crown and mark the first appearance by Davidson in the Big Dance since the magical run to the Elite Eight by the Wildcats in 2008.

A win by Western Carolina would mark only its second title in league history on the basketball hardwood, while also likely placing the Catamounts firmly in the first-four and potential 16-seed.

The Catamounts entered the tourney as the 16-seed in 1996, nearly producing the first-ever upset of a 16-seed over a No. 1-seed, eventually dropping a 73-71 contest to Purdue, which it later vacated due to an ineligible player.

The Catamounts dropped the only regular-season game meeting between the two championship game participants, with an 88-67 setback at Davidson’s John Belk Arena on Jan. 12.

The Wildcats enter leading the all-time series between the two, 37-20, including posting a mark of 7-2 in the last nine meetings.

Final Score Prediction: Davidson 86, Western Carolina 80    ­