Post by The Cats on Oct 20, 2023 9:24:46 GMT -5
Predicted Order of Finish
Furman
Western Carolina
UNC Greensboro
Samford
East Tennessee State
Chattanooga
Mercer
VMI
Wofford
The Citadel
www.midmajormadness.com/2023/10/19/23924260/socon-season-preview-can-furman-paladins-repeat-its-championship-run
Western Carolina (18-16, 10-8 SoCon/4th)
If there is a team that can challenge Furman, it’s most certainly its purple nemesis Western Carolina. Third-year head coach Justin Gray is building something in Cullowhee, and the Catamounts nearly were the spoiler for the Paladins in the 2023 Southern Conference Tournament semifinal in Asheville as they battled to an 83-80 final in overtime.
With that said, Gray’s Catamounts figure to have one of the most dynamic backcourts in all of mid-major basketball this coming season, returning a pair of players, in Tre Jackson (15.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 42.7% 3pt FGs ) and Vonterius Woolbright (14.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 168 assists). Both figure to both be in the mix for Southern Conference Player of the Year in 2023-24.
Though the Catamounts return 72.4% of their scoring production from a year ago, the void will be in the middle of the paint as Tyzhaun Claude transferred to Georgia Tech.
Woolbright is the x-factor for this team and might be the top player overall in the league. He is a player that you can put at positions 1-4 on the floor, and at 6 feet, 6 inches, he can present some matchup problems at the point guard spot.
Also returning in the backcourt is diminutive point guard Russell Jones Jr. (2.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG), while the Catamounts also added former Mercer guard Kamar Robertson from the transfer portal. Robertson won’t have to sit out this season as a result of the SoCon’s in-league transfer rule. That’s because he has already graduated from Mercer. Robertson adds quickness and scoring ability to a backcourt already blessed with so much talent.
Another player who kind of flew under the radar for the Catamounts but was an effective scorer at times last year was DJ Campbell (5.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG). The sophomore from Hampton, Va., saw action in every game the Catamounts played last season and logged starts in 16 contests last season. He is an excellent on-ball defender, and showed that in the Catamounts’ loss to NCAA Tournament bound UNC Asheville, posting a career-best four steals.
Most of the questions for Gray’s Catamounts surround the front court, especially with the loss of Claude to Georgia Tech. With that said, Gray welcomes back versatile and athletic Bernard Pelote (5.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG) underneath the basket. Gray went to the portal and added 6-foot-10-inch College of Charleston transfer Charles Lampten (0.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG) as well as 6-foot-9-inch forward Corneilous Williams, who is still a bit of a project, but possesses raw athleticism.
Williams wore a different hue of Purple and Gold for one season as an LSU Tiger, where he was Matt McMahon’s first recruit when getting the job at LSU from Murray State. The 6-foot-9-inch, 210-pound forward helps somewhat soften the blow of the departure of the departure Claude. Williams redshirted his only season with LSU. The Meridian, Miss., product is raw, but talented and has a year of prep school under his belt at Combine Academy, where he averaged 13.2 PPG and 8.8 RPG.
One of the big man transfers to keep an eye on that will have a chance to make an impact immediately is Lampten, who comes to WCU from College of Charleston, where he spent each of the past two seasons. He helped the Cougars to an unprecedented 31 wins, a CAA title and an NCAA Tournament bid last season. The 6-foot-11-inch center saw action in 32 games and led the team with 32 blocks. He will give Gray’s Cats a defensive enforcer around the rim, which is something they have lacked consistently since maybe as far back as the days of Rans Brempong.
The reason the Catamounts can challenge Furman is due to how they are built as a basketball team. When Western Carolina knocked off the Paladins 79-67 in Cullowhee early in Southern Conference play last season, they did so because Furman had trouble matching WCU’s quickness in the backcourt, especially when Western got going downhill.
Colin Granger (2.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG) returns as one of the team’s best 3-point marksman, and he provided some key minutes off the bench last season for Gray’s Catamounts.
Western and Furman will meet in conference play on Jan. 20 at Timmons Arena, while the two will meet at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee late in SoCon play, facing off on Feb. 28.
Non-Conference Game To Watch: Dec. 9 vs. UNC Asheville
Furman
Western Carolina
UNC Greensboro
Samford
East Tennessee State
Chattanooga
Mercer
VMI
Wofford
The Citadel
www.midmajormadness.com/2023/10/19/23924260/socon-season-preview-can-furman-paladins-repeat-its-championship-run
Western Carolina (18-16, 10-8 SoCon/4th)
If there is a team that can challenge Furman, it’s most certainly its purple nemesis Western Carolina. Third-year head coach Justin Gray is building something in Cullowhee, and the Catamounts nearly were the spoiler for the Paladins in the 2023 Southern Conference Tournament semifinal in Asheville as they battled to an 83-80 final in overtime.
With that said, Gray’s Catamounts figure to have one of the most dynamic backcourts in all of mid-major basketball this coming season, returning a pair of players, in Tre Jackson (15.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 42.7% 3pt FGs ) and Vonterius Woolbright (14.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 168 assists). Both figure to both be in the mix for Southern Conference Player of the Year in 2023-24.
Though the Catamounts return 72.4% of their scoring production from a year ago, the void will be in the middle of the paint as Tyzhaun Claude transferred to Georgia Tech.
Woolbright is the x-factor for this team and might be the top player overall in the league. He is a player that you can put at positions 1-4 on the floor, and at 6 feet, 6 inches, he can present some matchup problems at the point guard spot.
Also returning in the backcourt is diminutive point guard Russell Jones Jr. (2.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG), while the Catamounts also added former Mercer guard Kamar Robertson from the transfer portal. Robertson won’t have to sit out this season as a result of the SoCon’s in-league transfer rule. That’s because he has already graduated from Mercer. Robertson adds quickness and scoring ability to a backcourt already blessed with so much talent.
Another player who kind of flew under the radar for the Catamounts but was an effective scorer at times last year was DJ Campbell (5.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG). The sophomore from Hampton, Va., saw action in every game the Catamounts played last season and logged starts in 16 contests last season. He is an excellent on-ball defender, and showed that in the Catamounts’ loss to NCAA Tournament bound UNC Asheville, posting a career-best four steals.
Most of the questions for Gray’s Catamounts surround the front court, especially with the loss of Claude to Georgia Tech. With that said, Gray welcomes back versatile and athletic Bernard Pelote (5.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG) underneath the basket. Gray went to the portal and added 6-foot-10-inch College of Charleston transfer Charles Lampten (0.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG) as well as 6-foot-9-inch forward Corneilous Williams, who is still a bit of a project, but possesses raw athleticism.
Williams wore a different hue of Purple and Gold for one season as an LSU Tiger, where he was Matt McMahon’s first recruit when getting the job at LSU from Murray State. The 6-foot-9-inch, 210-pound forward helps somewhat soften the blow of the departure of the departure Claude. Williams redshirted his only season with LSU. The Meridian, Miss., product is raw, but talented and has a year of prep school under his belt at Combine Academy, where he averaged 13.2 PPG and 8.8 RPG.
One of the big man transfers to keep an eye on that will have a chance to make an impact immediately is Lampten, who comes to WCU from College of Charleston, where he spent each of the past two seasons. He helped the Cougars to an unprecedented 31 wins, a CAA title and an NCAA Tournament bid last season. The 6-foot-11-inch center saw action in 32 games and led the team with 32 blocks. He will give Gray’s Cats a defensive enforcer around the rim, which is something they have lacked consistently since maybe as far back as the days of Rans Brempong.
The reason the Catamounts can challenge Furman is due to how they are built as a basketball team. When Western Carolina knocked off the Paladins 79-67 in Cullowhee early in Southern Conference play last season, they did so because Furman had trouble matching WCU’s quickness in the backcourt, especially when Western got going downhill.
Colin Granger (2.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG) returns as one of the team’s best 3-point marksman, and he provided some key minutes off the bench last season for Gray’s Catamounts.
Western and Furman will meet in conference play on Jan. 20 at Timmons Arena, while the two will meet at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee late in SoCon play, facing off on Feb. 28.
Non-Conference Game To Watch: Dec. 9 vs. UNC Asheville
