Don’t sleep on these mid major conference tournaments. The Southern Conference Championship has the makings of a classic. Chattanooga sits atop the league with a stellar 15-3 record. But they have plenty of contenders to fend off with East Tennessee State, Furman, Wofford and more all chomping for a chance to win the golden ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
Get in on the madness even before the Big Dance starts. Check out our complete tournament previews for the Big South and CAA Championships.
The Chattanooga Mocs have been incredibly dominant in the Southern Conference. They went a stellar 15-3 in conference play to secure the top seed in the league tournament. The Mocs are a very balanced team with an excellent blend of offense and defense. They’re ranked 95th in the nation with 76.5 points per game and 62nd with 66.9 points allowed per game.
The Mocs get most of their production from a trio of players. Casey Jones (12.6 PPG), Tre’ McLean (12.2 PPG) and Justin Tuoyo (11.6 PPG) are the only ones averaging double digit scores this season. Jones is the Mocs’ field general leading the team with 3.9 assists per game. Distributing the ball around the floor should help Chattanooga get their first conference tournament championship since 2009.
East Tennessee State Buccaneers
The East Tennessee State Buccaneers are sizzling heading into the Southern Conference Tournament. They’ve won five straight to finish just one game behind Chattanooga. Getting the second seed is vital for the Buccaneers. They haven’t beaten Chattanooga in the regular season. They’re also a combined 7-1against all the four teams in their bracket.
ETSU has the benefit of fielding one of the best scorers in the conference. Ge’Lawn Guyn ranks second in the league with 18.1 points per game this season. T.J. Cromer is also a very good scorer with 15.1 points per game. The Buccaneers have one of the best offenses in the conference, one which could light up the tournament to earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Sleeper
UNC Greensboro Spartans
UNC Greensboro is entering the Southern Conference Tournament red hot on a five game-win streak. Including in their win streak is a 79-64 blowout of No. 1 seed Chattanooga on the road. The Spartans have a very balanced roster with five players averaging more than nine points per game this season. Francis Alonso leads the way with 13.2 points per game.
Diante Baldwin is the motor of the team contributing anywhere on the floor. He’s averaging 11.5 points, five rebounds and five assists per game this season.
Long Shot
VMI Keydets
The VMI Keydets are one of the worst teams in the league. They finished the regular season, going 4-14 in conference play. But three of those conference wins came toward the tail end of the season. They’ve done pretty well having won three of their last six games considering how bad they played at the start of the season.
The Keydets should be fired up heading into the tournament. They ended the regular season with a tight contest against No. 1 seed Chattanooga. A three-pointer with two seconds left could have given VMI the upset. But Q.J. Peterson missed his shot. Expect Peterson to be sharp in the tournament. He leads the league with 19.6 points per game this season. He’s been sharp towards the tail end of the season, shooting at a 41 percent clip from downtown.
Writer’s Prediction
Chattanooga wins the golden ticket to the Big Dance.
