Scanning the SoCon - Week Four

Each week, our SoCon bloggers/message boarders (one representing each team) will vote on a Game of the Week, Power Rankings and Player of the Week. At least three will answer a series of questions on their team and things of interest around the SoCon.

Scanning the SoCon - Week Four


This is my submission to this week's Scanning the SoCon, to read the combined product, see MocsMania

Power Rankings
1. Davidson
2. Elon
3. Chattanooga
4. UNCG
5. Western Carolina
6. Furman
7. GSU
8. The Citadel
9. Wofford
10. App State

 Game of the Week.
 Davidson at Stetson

Player of the Week
Tre Bussey,   GSU

Sum up your team.
Starting out the season with 2 seniors suspended, looked to be a huge hardship for the Catamounts, but they beat both Wittenberg and UNCA on the strength of bench. Trey Sumler returned for the Oregon game, and put up 29 points in a losing effort to the Ducks. The Cats then traveled to Va Tech, where the Cats shot a dismal 32% from the floor, with Sumler scoring only 11 points. The Cats now own a 4-4 overall record, with wins over Wittenberg, UNCA, Liberty and Niagara. Loses to Va Tech, Kent State and USC Upstate are due to inconsistent scoring by the Cats, especially Sumler, Tankelwwicz, and King. This could be the turmoil caused by the suspension and then return of Sumler and Mendenhall, but I expected more consistant play from the seniors on the team, that hasn't yet materialized. Unless it does, the Cats will finish mid-pack going into the tournament.

The SoCon has not been good. The RPI currently ranks at #33. Why is the SoCon so bad?
Bad teams, equals a bad conference. A traditionally weak basketball conference, the SoCon has slipped even slower. No SoCon team has a winning record against Div I teams, only one team is at .500 and 9 have losing records, while 5 teams have won no games against Div I opponents. The best performer at this point. Western Carolina has 3 Div. I wins, but 4 Div. I losses, while 5 teams have only 1 Div. I win. Of the three teams that are departing at the end of the season, App State is 0-4, GSU is 0-3, and Davidson is 1-4. I think the conference's emphasis on FCS football is to blame, as each school devotes a lion's share of the resources to football (except Davidson & UNCG).

So far we are three weeks in. Which new head coach is doing the best job? (Georgia Southern, Chattanooga, Furman) 
If you base it on Div. 1 games only records, it's Furman at 1-2. GSU is 0-3 and Chattanooga comes in at 0-3. Just three weeks into the season, I think that is about all that can be concluded from so few games played.
What;s your thoughts on exempt tournaments, both that allow winners to advance in true tournament fashion or like the Las Vegas Invitational with teams playing road games against the best teams and then a tournament against the lesser teams at a location, etc? 
I'm for any opportunities for teams to play additional games, in tournament settings. These exempt tournaments provide valuable experience for the teams playing in them in preparation for both the regular conference season and conference tournament play.