Post by Cujo on Mar 12, 2024 8:00:29 GMT -5
Ok, no sense discussing Cit or VMI. They should drop to D3 and play W&L and similar such schools and quit pretending. They drag the conference down in just about every sport except rifle and that’s not really a sport.
The rest of the conference was 8 schools who were fairly evenly matched. It came down to team chemistry, coaching, consistency and luck. I think Samford had all of these things going for it this season. But, the difference between 8 and 1 on any given night was razor thin. That’s how the top 4 teams basically went .500 against the # 8 team and how the 7 team got to the finals of the conference tournament. ETSU didn’t learn how to play hard and well until late in the season, but when they did . . . they will be tough next year. They have a young, passionate coach who ran a good program. He reminds me a lot of Bucky.
Achor. Who at the end of last season saw Achor as the preeminent big man in the league? Who foresaw his meteoric rise to prominence? He was so mediocre last season. He seemed to be all arms and legs and bounce, but lost on the court. I think yours truly said “he isn’t the future” (I remember others saying it), in my infinite wisdom.
As for the league:
8. Furman is welll coached, but dirty and classless. Hien should have been disqualified for the cheap shot he took on Achor. The trouble with FU is deciding whether to hate their team or their fans more. The eddy Haskell of the SoCon.
7. Mercer. A collection of the bad news bears meets the Oakland Raiders.
6. UnCG. The best team nobody cares about. Thug U. Talented and undisciplined.
5. Wofford.Gritty and skilled. Sneaky, but I don’t have anything bad to say about them.
4. UTC. Class program. Proud
3. WCU. Lost between UNCG and ETSU. They are stuck in the middle of an identity crisis. Do they want to go outlaw or do they want to be respectable. They are left stuck in the middle, mediocre. So much potential, but they need to get both feet in the same camp.
2. ETSU. A sleeping giant. A program with history, tradition and a following.
1. Samford. Question marks. Is it a school developing an identity and reputation, or a flash in the pan. I wouldn’t count on the next hire replicating Bucky’s success. The AD is getting a lot of props for the hire. Having to buy out the two previous futile efforts/disasters sort of tied his hands. He had to do the easy thing and that was balance the budget. He’s batting .333 and in NCAA sports that’s not a good thing. At least he connected in his last swing, otherwise it was 3 strikes/busts and you are out.
The rest of the conference was 8 schools who were fairly evenly matched. It came down to team chemistry, coaching, consistency and luck. I think Samford had all of these things going for it this season. But, the difference between 8 and 1 on any given night was razor thin. That’s how the top 4 teams basically went .500 against the # 8 team and how the 7 team got to the finals of the conference tournament. ETSU didn’t learn how to play hard and well until late in the season, but when they did . . . they will be tough next year. They have a young, passionate coach who ran a good program. He reminds me a lot of Bucky.
Achor. Who at the end of last season saw Achor as the preeminent big man in the league? Who foresaw his meteoric rise to prominence? He was so mediocre last season. He seemed to be all arms and legs and bounce, but lost on the court. I think yours truly said “he isn’t the future” (I remember others saying it), in my infinite wisdom.
As for the league:
8. Furman is welll coached, but dirty and classless. Hien should have been disqualified for the cheap shot he took on Achor. The trouble with FU is deciding whether to hate their team or their fans more. The eddy Haskell of the SoCon.
7. Mercer. A collection of the bad news bears meets the Oakland Raiders.
6. UnCG. The best team nobody cares about. Thug U. Talented and undisciplined.
5. Wofford.Gritty and skilled. Sneaky, but I don’t have anything bad to say about them.
4. UTC. Class program. Proud
3. WCU. Lost between UNCG and ETSU. They are stuck in the middle of an identity crisis. Do they want to go outlaw or do they want to be respectable. They are left stuck in the middle, mediocre. So much potential, but they need to get both feet in the same camp.
2. ETSU. A sleeping giant. A program with history, tradition and a following.
1. Samford. Question marks. Is it a school developing an identity and reputation, or a flash in the pan. I wouldn’t count on the next hire replicating Bucky’s success. The AD is getting a lot of props for the hire. Having to buy out the two previous futile efforts/disasters sort of tied his hands. He had to do the easy thing and that was balance the budget. He’s batting .333 and in NCAA sports that’s not a good thing. At least he connected in his last swing, otherwise it was 3 strikes/busts and you are out.