SoCon Fast Break

The 2026 Ingles Fast Break Summer Tour rolls into Lexington! VMI Head Coach Andrew Wilson and senior guard TJ Johnson discuss the Keydets' plan for the 2026 season. Coach Wilson holds nothing back — from the brutal reality of navigating last season's devastating injury wave to how he handled an emotional, late-night phone call involving the SEC. Plus, TJ Johnson opens up about the unique demands o...

The 2026 Ingles Fast Break Summer Tour kicks off in Johnson City! ETSU Head Coach Brooks Savage and senior guard Maki Johnson discuss the Bucs' plan for the 2026 season. Coach Savage holds nothing back — from his brutal offseason self-critique to the "Illusion of Choice" mentality borrowed from Nick Saban. Plus, Maki Johnson opens up about his maturation, his faith, and why he's all-in on carrying...

The NCAA is on the precipice of expanding the tournament to 76 teams. Is this a win for "access," or a defeatist move that waters down the greatest event in sports?. Richmond and Darren are joined by bracketologist Rocco Miller (Bracketeer.org/Field of 68) to peel back the curtain on the business and basketball implications of the 76-team proposal. In This Episode: The 76-Team Math: Why automatic...

Richmond and Darren dive into the "transfer portal chaos" currently reshaping the Southern Conference. With the portal officially closed, the league is grappling with a staggering 78 players entering the transfer market, including all 12 players from the All-SoCon first, second, and third teams who still had eligibility. In This Episode: The High-Major Jump: Analysis of Alex Wilkins’ move to Kentu...

The NCAA Tournament is often called the "perfect" sports event, but is the push for expansion about to break what makes March magical? In this Insider Edition, we're joined by Vince Wolfram of The Field of 68 and The College Sports Company to go deep into the "steam" picking up behind tournament expansion. In This Episode: The Expansion Debate: Exploring whether moving beyond 68 teams is inevitabl...

The transfer portal has officially entered a state of chaos. Richmond and Darren Angell break down the "boots on the ground" reality from the Final Four and the NABC convention in Indy. With 69 players from the Southern Conference already in the portal, the league is facing a total roster reset. We dive into the staggering new market rates for talent—where point guards are reportedly commanding $3...

Richmond and Darren put a bow on the 2025-26 Southern Conference basketball season. From Furman’s run as a 6-seed in Asheville to the shocking coaching changes at UNCG, we analyze why the SoCon remains one of the most talented leagues in the country—regardless of what the national metrics say. In This Episode: The Seeding Struggle : Why the conference’s lowest KenPom ranking since 2015 doesn't ref...

A 15-seed bid for an upset fell just short, but Furman made the Southern Conference proud in a physical battle against the Huskies. Richmond and Darren break down the key runs and the standout performers from a wild night in Philly. In This Episode: First Half Resilience : How Furman weathered a 6-0 UConn start. Tarris Reed Jr.: The historic individual performance with 31 points and 27 rebounds Al...

The heart and soul of the 2022-2023 "Better Together" squad. Mike Bothwell joins the show just hours before the Furman Paladins take on the UConn Huskies in the 2026 NCAA Tournament . Mike doesn't hold back, revealing the "tough love" text messages he sent this year's team during their mid-season slump, his memories of scoring 18 straight points at Samford, and the emotional reality of watching JP...

Are the Furman Paladins poised for another "One Shining Moment" in Philadelphia? After tearing through the SoCon Tournament, the Paladins have secured a 15-seed and a date with the 2-seed UConn Huskies. But don't let the seeding fool you—this isn't your average 15-seed matchup. Inside This Episode: The "Blender" Offense : How Furman must defend UConn’s relentless screening and cutting actions. Ale...

Richmond and Darren are joined by former Furman Basketball star and current Indiana Pacers forward, Jalen Slawson. Jalen reflects on his journey from breaking Furman’s 43-year SoCon title drought to making his mark in the NBA. In this episode: The NBA Transition : What life is like playing for Rick Carlisle and the grind of the G League. Betting on Yourself : Why Jalen turned down lucrative overse...

The Furman Paladins Claim the 2026 SoCon Championship! After 1,099 days since their last celebration, the No. 6 seed Furman Paladins returned to the top of the mountain, dismantling top-seeded ETSU 76–61 in a championship performance that was never in doubt. Richmond and Darren take you through the entire journey at the Harrah's Cherokee Center—from the opening-round thrillers to the moment Bob Ri...

In this Player Edition of SoCon Fast Break , Richmond and Darren get the inside story from Furman guard Tom House as the Paladins found their rhythm at the perfect moment to cut down the nets in Asheville. Tom was the ultimate catalyst for the Paladins, dropping 20 points off the bench in a gritty quarterfinal win over Samford and following it up with 13 points in the championship victory against...

Richmond and Darren Angell look at the high-stakes Saturday evening sessions of the 2026 Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships in Asheville. As the tournament heat intensifies, it's a clash between the league's most efficient offenses and the hottest teams entering the weekend. In this episode: Samford vs. Furman (6 p.m.): We discuss why Samford is considered the "scariest" team in the league desp...

The votes are in and the hardware has been handed out! The Southern Conference has officially announced the 2026 Men’s Basketball awards, and it was a historic day for Samford’s Jadin Booth, aka Jadin Buckets! In this episode: The Jadin Buckets Era: Reacting to Jadin Booth sweeping the top individual honors and leading the nation in three-pointers. Defensive Dominance: Breaking down the co-winners...

The Road to Asheville has officially reached its destination! Richmond and Darren Angell look at the opening round of the SoCon Tournament, focusing on the tactical matchups that will define Friday night at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center. In this episode: The Roundhouse Hex is Broken: How The Citadel’s physical, gutty identity led to their first win in Chattanooga since 2012 and what that means for...

March is here, and "the madness begins" in the Southern Conference. With the regular season officially wrapped, the bracket is set for Asheville, and the parity in the league has never been higher. In this episode: The Regular Season Recap: How ETSU clinched the title but is entering the tournament on back-to-back losses. The Asheville Bracket: A look at the opening matchups, including Chattanooga...

The regular season comes to an end, and the seating scenarios are enough to give any fan a headache! While ETSU has already clinched the outright title, the battle for the Top 6 is wide open. In this episode: ETSU at Mercer: The newly crowned champions take their #1 scoring defense into Macon to face the league's top-scoring offense. We discuss the "Barocco Okogie factor" and whether Mercer’s star...

It's a Thursday night matchup in the Scenic City as the UNCG Spartans head to "The Roundhouse" to take on the red-hot Chattanooga Mocs. With the Southern Conference standings tightening, this is a "must-win" situation for a Spartan team trying to snap a two-game slide and secure a top-six finish. In this episode: The First Matchup : A look back at the January 1st season opener where UNCG took a 77...

Wednesday night in the Southern Conference is a powder keg with implications all over the standings. On today’s episode, we break down two massive matchups that will define the race for the #2 seed and the crucial first-round byes in Asheville. In this episode: The #1 Seed Response: How ETSU will handle the "mountaintop" after clinching their first regular season title since 2019-20. The "Back-Bre...

The #1 seed is officially set, but the pathway to Asheville remains a total mystery. We look at ETSU's dominant run to the top of the Southern Conference and discuss whether anyone can catch them in the tournament. In this episode: The Clinch : How ETSU secured the top seed with a massive road win and some help from Furman. The "Gold Standard" : Why health and consistency made the Bucs the best te...

Samford’s Jadin Booth is officially the most dangerous threat from deep in college basketball. In this special Player Edition of SoCon Fast Break , we sit down with the man known as "Jadin Buckets" to go beyond the stat sheet and explore the incredible journey that led him to the top of the national rankings. Jadin opens up about his unique path through the transfer portal and how a devastating kn...

It is Separation Saturday in the Southern Conference, and the stakes couldn't be higher as we head into the final stretch before Asheville! ETSU is on the verge of clinching the regular-season title and the #1 seed—we walk through their path to the top. Plus, the Samford Bulldogs are the hottest team in the league, looking for their 7th straight win as they visit Mercer. In this episode: ETSU at U...

Will Furman avenge their 15-point collapse, or can ETSU bounce back in this OT thriller rematch? We’re breaking down the keys to the game, the impact of Asa Thomas and Charles Johnston, and our official prediction. Plus, a massive road test for UNCG at Western Carolina. Highlights: The Rematch: Can Furman finish the job this time against the Bucs? The X-Factors: Why Asa Thomas and Charles Johnston...

With only two weeks until the Southern Conference Tournament descends on Asheville, the race for the top seed is reaching a fever pitch. Samford and UNCG have officially shown they're the hottest teams right now, but can they keep it up before the bracket is set? In This Episode : The Big Two: Analyzing Samford’s 5-game tear and UNCG’s relentless 4-game win streak. Player Spotlights: How Jadin Boo...