SoCon Fast Break

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...

Three of the hottest teams in the Southern Conference are on a collision course this Saturday, and something has to give. With Samford and ETSU both riding four-game winning streaks into their showdown, and UNCG looking to extend its own streak against second-place Wofford. In This Episode: [00:44] Wofford vs. UNCG: Can the Spartans make it four in a row, or will the Terriers play spoiler? [09:18]...

Football is officially in the books, which means the road to Asheville is heating up! In this episode of SoCon Fast Break , we dive into the mid-February madness where the "baked-in" identities of teams are being tested by injuries, upsets, and some seriously head-scratching performances. In this episode: The Power Shift: Are ETSU and Wofford turning this into a two-horse race? We discuss their co...

We have officially crossed the ten-game mark of the Southern Conference slate! With the 18-game journey to Asheville more than halfway complete, the standings are beginning to harden. This week, we analyze the "Second-Half Surge" and whether anyone can crack ETSU's defensive shell as the hunt for the top seed intensifies. In this Episode: Contenders Separate: We're starting to see clear separation...

Not even a winter storm could slow things down in the Southern Conference! We discuss the "Winter Storm 2026" scheduling shakeup and a week of basketball that defied the odds. From a historic comeback in Charleston to a superstar performance in Spartanburg, the SoCon is starting to see some separation at the top of the standings. In this Episode: The 0.5% Miracle: A dive into The Citadel’s legenda...

A third of the way through the conference slate, the SoCon is reaching a fever pitch, with elite individual performances and a wild week in which road teams dominated, winning 8 of 10 games. In this episode: Nationally Dominant: A deep dive into Armani Mighty’s historic week for Mercer, including a 25-rebound performance against VMI—the most in college basketball since 2023. Team of the Week: Why...

In this "Coach Edition" of SoCon Fast Break , we sit down with Mercer head coach Ryan Ridder to discuss the Bears' explosive start to the conference season. Coach Ridder shares how his team transitioned from a defensive-focused group in the summer to becoming the most efficient, high-octane offense in the Southern Conference today. In this episode: The Offensive Explosion: Insights into the "mind-...

The Southern Conference hierarchy is beginning to take shape. This week was defined by breakthroughs, defensive masterclasses, and an offensive explosion in Macon that has the rest of the league on high alert. In this episode: The Streak is Over : Analysis of The Citadel’s emotional overtime win against Western Carolina, snapping a 37-game losing streak against Division I opponents and the "electr...

What does it feel like to get the "dream job" call just days before the season begins? We’re joined by Wofford Head Coach Kevin Giltner to pull back the curtain on his "whirlwind" return to Spartanburg and the Terriers' impressive 3-1 start to Southern Conference play. In this exclusive Coach Edition of SoCon Fast Break , Giltner shares: The Sudden Call : His "I'm in" moment and the emotional real...

After just two games of conference play, the standings are already providing surprises, from winless starts for preseason contenders to dominant defensive statements. In this episode: The Power Rankings Shift : Why ETSU claims the #1 spot with their elite defensive efficiency. National Recognition : Nils Machowski’s historic week for Wofford, earning him Lou Henson National Player of the Week hono...

Conference play in the Southern Conference is officially here, and the quest for Asheville begins now! In This Episode: Conference Tip-Off : We preview the opening slate of games, including the 106th season of SoCon basketball, tipping off with ETSU at The Citadel. Surprise Standings : Discussing Wofford’s unexpected rise under Kevin Gilder and the challenging non-conference schedules of teams lik...

MID-TERM GRADES: Final exams are over and conference play is just two weeks away! We transition from observations to definitive trends handing out official mid-term grades for all 10 teams! In This Episode: ETSU Buccaneers (Grade: A-): Brook Savage has the Bucs (8-3) at the top of the class with a NET of 100 and elite defensive metrics. Mercer Bears (Grade: A): The surprise of the league. Ryan Rid...

We break down the SoCon's Top 10 Storylines , separating early trends from final conclusions as the league will turn their attention to conference play soon! In This Episode: SoCon Frontrunners: ETSU's defensive dominance and Mercer's high-scoring backcourt (led by Baraka Okojie ) are signaling championship trajectories. Freshman Phenom: Why Alex Wilkins (Furman) is playing like a seasoned star an...

We examine the  SoCon's  most surprising early-season moments!  In This Episode: Triple-Double History: Celebrating Brian Taylor II 's rare historic feat for ETSU as the Bucs look like the team to beat (6-1). Freshman ASCENT: Why Alex Wilkins (Furman) and Brian Sumpter (Wofford) are leading the charge for freshman talent in the league. Top Performers: Breaking down Baraka Okojie's s...

Time to talk Feast Week and the state of the SoCon with national analyst Rocco Miller (Bracketeer.org)! In This Episode: Mid-Major Crisis: Rocco details how NCAA Tournament expansion and biased NET rankings hurt quality SoCon teams like Furman from getting at-large bids and valuable Quad 1/2 games. SoCon Standouts: Wofford's surprising start under Kevin Giltner . TJ Johnson (VMI) leads in scoring....

In the early weeks of SoCon non-conference action, we analyze the early risers, surprise starts across the league, and dive into the SoCon/ASUN Challenge . In This Episode: Wofford Miracle: How new coach Kevin Giltner stabilized the Terriers for a competitive start, despite the coaching chaos. Star Performers: TJ Johnson (VMI) is a top scorer in the nation. Jadin Booth and Keaton Norris (Samford)...