The Dean's List - Jan. 22, 2025

Note: The following piece was prepared by Dean Keener, who provides commentary on Southern Conference men’s basketball broadcasts.

Keener played collegiately at Davidson before embarking on a successful 20-year coaching career. He served as head coach at James Madison from 2004-08. You can follow him on X: @DeanKeener1

The Dean’s List 

January 22, 2025 

Wow, we’re one-third of the way through conference play and the competitiveness has created chaos and unpredictability unlike anything we’ve seen in a long time.  Through six league games, everyone has at least one loss. Furman went 12-1 in nonconference play and now stands at 3-3 in the SoCon. Samford recently had their 28-game home winning streak stopped by ETSU, and VMI continues to be a very tough out. 

Even with all their personnel losses, I think most thought that Samford had a chance to be good, but Bucky McMillian and staff have done an outstanding job.  The Bulldogs and UNCG are at the top of the standings, but they’re going to have to battle every night to stay there.  As usual, the Spartans are defending, but this team may be the best offensive team Mike Jones has had at UNCG which is a huge boost. 

Chattanooga, Wofford, and ETSU are just one game out and have played well at times.  This tells us that all three could very well remain in the upper tier, yet for different reasons. Dan Earl dealt with injuries until recently, Dwight Perry and the Wofford Terriers had just four nonconference home games but have turned the corner and won six of their last eight.  Brooks Savage has also navigated through injuries/personnel losses as well as two, three-point losses in league play.  He now has the Bucs in a position to make a run as they are tough and generally play with the grit that is necessary to win on the road. 

VMI continues to be the feel-good story in the Southern Conference.  Their victory at The Citadel was significant in that it marked the Keydets' second league victory in a row, which had not happened since the 2021-22 season. It was also VMI's eighth victory of the season which doubled their win total from a year ago. The Keydets now have four Division I victories this season to show their progression under Andrew Wilson.   

Mercer has also had some tough luck under first-year coach Ryan Ridder.  Three of the Bears’ four conference losses this season have been by three points or less.  The starting backcourt of Ahmad Robinson and Chip Johnson can compete with any in the league. 

It's hard to believe we’re just over six weeks until the Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships in Asheville. It’s going to be fun to see how things continue to play out.  

While it’s always easy to ask questions during the hoops season, finding the right answer is more difficult.  Here are a few questions (with answers) related to SoCon basketball now that we are into league play: 

•  Can VMI affect the league race?  Yes, without a doubt.  The Keydets are well coached and better than many thought.  This is the most talent and best team Andrew Wilson’s had in his three years in Lexington.  They still have a small margin for error, but they will continue to affect things during the next six weeks of regular season play. 

•  Who’s competing for Player of the Year honors?  The race is WIDE open at this point.  In fact, I can’t remember a time in late January when a few candidates hadn’t broken out of the pack.  Here are a few that warrant consideration:  

  o ETSU guard Quimari Peterson has been good and leads the league in scoring

o UNCG’s Kenyon Giles has been a big key for the Spartans

o UNCG wing Donovan Atwell is shooting 53% from three and is perfect (12-12) from the free throw line in conference play!

o Samford’s Rylan Jones leads the SoCon in assists, but has not played to his level the past few games

o Furman’s PJay Smith, Jr. was terrific in non-conference play, but his numbers are down in league play

o Chattanooga guard Trey Bonham, the Preseason Player of the Year, has been solid in league play

o Wofford’s Corey Tripp and Kyler Filewich are also playing well and are extremely valuable to their teams’ success. Speaking of the Terriers, Justin Bailey has been on a tear in league play

o Mercer’s Ahmad Robinson and Chip Johnson along with VMI’s Rickey Bradley, Jr are also playing well, but would need their teams to finish in the upper tier to be considered

• Wofford forward Kyler Filewich is averaging a double-double

• Chattanooga’s Garrison Keeslar would lead the nation in assist/turnover ratio if he had one more assist

• Samford is sixth in the nation in three-pointers made per game at 11.2

• Samford is getting 30.3 bench points per game  

III. Replay  

The ability to have replay has helped the college game.  That said, I have an issue with allowing teams to go to their bench during a replay.  There needs to be a rule that all players in the game cannot go to the sideline and visit with their coaches.  They should be required to go to the opposite free throw line. 

These stoppages in play are used like a timeout by coaches (I don’t blame them).  But there is no way this was the intent of the rule when replay was installed.  In fact, we’ve seen many times where a team that is out of timeouts “steals” 60 to 90-seconds or more which allows their coach to draw up a play or set the defense.  This is simply not fair. 

The NCAA rules committee would be well-served to tweak the way reply stoppages are handled.   The intent was to get the correct ruling, not to give a team an advantage. 

 IV. Clock Management  

As we get into the heart of conference play, one of the most critical variables is clock management, especially in the last few minutes of a game.  There have already been several one or two possession games in SoCon play. 

Clock management involves many aspects.  Therefore, a coaching staff needs to work on the following areas during staff meetings as well as during practice time:   

1. Proper Substitutions

a. Having your best FT shooters and ball handlers in the game, when needed

b. Offense / Defense – always having the best unit(s) on the floor based on time and score

2. Who to foul

a. This is all about scouting. It’s not just overall free throw percentages, but what a player shoots from the line in the final five minutes of a game

3. When to foul

a. Having a clear philosophy about fouling / not fouling, especially when it involves being up by three points late in the game

4. Use of timeouts

a. Having timeouts allows coaches to provide their team instructions and / or make key substitutions

5. Player management

a. Reviewing and practicing plays and late-game situations so that players know what to do in critical, pressure-filled conditions (especially if a coach does not have a timeout)

Practicing late game situations is important.  Most coaches utilize daily practice time to review unique situations, so their players understand what to do and when to do it. 

 V. Slotting the Teams

We are still just over six weeks from the finish line of the regular season, yet as the games start to play out, we’re finding out a lot about each team: 

Samford – The Bulldogs had their 28-game home winning streak snapped last Saturday by ETSU.  That said, they are still talented and well-coached.  Bucky McMillan plays 10 guys 11.5 minutes or more per game and can go deeper, if needed.  This is Rylan Jones’s team and while he’s played well in conference play, I truly believe he can be better.  If so, the Bulldogs will be a tough out. 

UNCG – The Spartans have hit a nice stride, winning six of their last seven.  Yes, they fell to Samford two weeks ago but otherwise have played well in league play.  They’re 7-0 at home and have all the goods to compete for a championship.  The backcourt of Kenyon Giles, Ronald Polite III and Donovan Atwell are as good as any in the league and inserting Demetrius Davis into the lineup has been a terrific move. 

Chattanooga - The Mocs are another team trending in the right direction.  They are finally healthy (Frank Champion is getting close to being 100%) and simply need additional time to gel as a team.  They shoot free throws really well and generally don’t turn the ball over – which bodes well in conference play. 

Wofford – This team continues to show toughness and resiliency.  The Terriers have picked up road wins at ETSU and Furman which puts them in a good position.  Their perimeter players are now shooting the ball well in league play and Kyler Filewich is averaging a double-double. 

Furman – The Paladins have created their current situation.  That is, they sit at 3-3 in league play and most people are asking, “what’s wrong?”  The truth is nothing’s wrong.  They are 15-4 overall and have won 84 games over the past three-plus seasons, thus many think they should win every game.  Yes, they need to have a bit more “toughness” with their inside play as well as shoot it better from three, but Bob Richey and staff will have the Paladins in the thick of things all season and into tournament play. 

ETSU – The Bucs scored a huge win on Saturday, ending Samford’s 28-game home winning streak.  Quimari Peterson is playing at a very high level and getting help from Jaden Seymour and John Buggs III.  Brooks Savage just needs Karon Boyd and others to impact winning with solid defense and taking/making the shots they are capable of. When that comes together, this will be a very dangerous team. 

Mercer – The Bears have been up and down – and a little bit unlucky.  Three of Mercer's four conference losses this season have been by three points or less (2 vs. ETSU, 3 vs. Western Carolina, 1 vs. Samford).  If they can shoot just a bit better (currently 39.7% FG & 64.2% FT), they may very well find themselves on the right side of things. 

VMI – Andrew Wilson continues to work magic. After beating The Citadel last Saturday, VMI captured its eighth victory of the season to double its win total from a year ago. Conference teams should be ready for a battle when they play the Keydets, especially inside Cameron Hall when the Cadets are in attendance. 

Western Carolina – Unfortunately, the Catamounts are turning the ball over too much and not shooting well enough through the first six league games.  Tim Craft is doing a nice job, but with a small margin for error and four of their next six on the road, they need to have better ball security and find some “easy baskets.” 

The Citadel – I’ve said this for many years.  Ed Conroy is an outstanding coach.  Period.  That said, the Bulldogs need to rebound better and surprisingly, shoot free throws better as they are just 56% in league play. 

Until the next “Dean’s List” on February 5, follow me on X:  @DeanKeener1