SoCon League Preview - Chattanooga

UT - Chattanooga
Last Year: 16-16 (12-6)
Finish: Tied 1st North Division
Postseason: None
Final 10: 4-6
Coach: John Shulman (8th yr)

OOC Games:
@ Indiana, @ Butler, Kennesaw State, Warren Wilson, Savannah State, Gardner-Webb, @ Mercer, Spalding, @ Kentucky, Hiwassee College, Longwood

Additions:
- 6'-5" F Z. Mason - Ole Miss Football Transfer (Nashville, TN)
- 6'-9" F Drazen Zlovaris - Georgia Transfer (Novi Sad, Serbia) 0.9 pts, 0.5 rebs 2009-2010 season.
- 6'-6" SF Lance Stokes - ESPN Rated 87 (Orlando, FL)
- 6'-1" SG Ricco White - ESPN Rated 77 (Knoxville, TN)
- 6'-7" PF Jared Bryant - ESPN Rated 77 (Cincinnati, OH)
- 6'-7" SF Trey Brown - ESPN Unrated (Brandon, MS)

Losses:
- DeAntre Jefferson (Graduated) 8.2 pts, 6.4 rebs
- Jeremy Saffore (Graduated) 3.4 pts, 3.3 rebs
- Troy Cage (Graduated) 4.1 pts, 2.5 rebs
- Jeff Smith (Graduated) 1.5 pts, 0.5 rebs

Top returners:
- Omar Wattad 14.3 pts, 3.7 rebs, 2.0 asists
- Keegan Bell 9.7 pts, 3.3 rebs, 5.7 assists, 0.9 steals
- Ricky Taylor 13.0 pts, 3.7 rebs
- Chris Early 9.3 pts, 6.3 rebs

SoCon League Preview - Charleston

College of Charleston
Last year: 26-11 (14-4)
Finish: Tied 1st South Division
Postseason: NIT (Quarterfinals)
Last 10: 6-4
Coach: Bobby Cremins (6th yr)

OOC Games:
Holy Cross, Morehead State, @ Clemson, @ Central Florida, Tennessee, Charleston Southern, @ Louisville, @ Coastal Carolina, George Mason

Additions:
- 6'-9" C Adjehi Baru - ESPN Rated 95 (Abidjan, Ivory Coast)
- 6'-1" PG Anthony Stitt - ESPN Rated 83 (Charlotte, NC)
- 6'-4" SG Trevonte Dixon - ESPN Rated 82 (Florence, SC)
- 6'-1" SG Patrick Branin - ESPN Unrated (Richmond, VA)

Losses:
- Andrew Goudelock (Graduated) 23.7 pts, 3.9 rebs, 4.2 assists, 0.9 steals
- Jeremy Simmons (Graduated) 13.3 pts, 6.2 rebs
- Donovan Monroe (Graduated) 12.4 pts, 2.7 rebs, 2.6 assists
- Jordan Turok (Graduated) 04 pts, 0.3 rebs (8 games)
- Garrett Campbell (Graduated) Appeared in 10 games

Top Returners:
- Willis Hall 8.4 pts, 5.9 rebs
- Trent Wiedeman 8.4 pts, 6.6 rebs
- Antwaine Wiggins 7.9 pts, 5.6 rebs, 1.0 steals

*UPDATE: According to this article Willis Hall has torn his ACL and is out for the 2011-2012 season.

SoCon League Preview - App State

Appalachian State
Last year: 16-15 (10-8)
Finish: 3rd North Division
Postseason: None
Last 10: 8-2
Coach: Jason Capel (2nd yr)

OOC games:
Lees McRae, @ ETSU, @ Tenn Tech, East Carolina (in Charlotte), Miligan, @ Minnesota, ETSU, @ North Carolina, Campbell, @ Miami (FL)

Additions:
- 6'-0" G - Rodney Milum - JUCO (Houston, TX) 9.7 pts, 2.4 rebs, 1.0 assists
- 6'-6" F/G - Jamaal Trice - JUCO (Los Angeles, CA) 8.3 pts, 2.7 rebs
- 6'-2" SG Michael Neal - ESPN Rated 84 (Greensboro, NC)
- 6'-3" SG Tabarris Hamilton -ESPN Rated 79 (Winston-Salem, NC)

Losses:
- Donald Sims (Graduated) 21.0 pts, 3.7 rebs, 3.6 assists, 1.7 steals
- Jeremi Booth (Graduated) 8.7 pts, 3.1 rebs
- J.R. Archer(Graduated) 1.1 pts, 0.4 rebs (7 games)
- Anthony Breeze (Early Graduate) 4.7 pts, 3.1 rebs (14 games)
- Marcus Wright (Transfer) 4.4 pts, 1.8 rebs, 1.2 assists
- Josh Nirenberg (Transfer) 0.5 pts, 1.5 rebs (4 games)
- Anthony Thomas (Transfer) 1.1 pts, 0.5 rebs (8 games)

Top Returners:
- Omar Carter 16.3 pts, 5.8 rebs, 1.3 assists
- Andre Williamson 8.7 pts, 6.3 rebs
- Isaac Butts (Medical Redshirt) 8.5 pts, 8.1 rebs (2009-2010)

SoCon League Preview - Intro

We're less than a week away from the start of practice. So, I decided that I would take a quick snapshot of the entire SoCon. Where they finished last year. What they've lost. What they've gained. Who are they playing this year. Looking at all of this info should help give you a better idea of how the teams stack up.

I am going to try to post at least 1 or 2 of these every day. Enjoy!

New 2012 Commitment

With 3 open scholarships for the class of 2012, UNCG has used one of them on 5'-10" PG Jordan Potts (Columbus, OH). According to Rivals, the Northland HS senior picked the Spartans over James Madison, Western Kentucky, Bethune-Cookman and a large group of other mid-majors.

- ESPN Recruiting rates Jordan at 80.

Strengths: A sturdy point guard whose body type borders on stocky, Potts runs the teams and distributes the ball for a highly talented All Ohio Red team. He rarely looked to create anything off the dribble and was typically content to keep the ball moving along the perimeter.

- Jordan's former HS teammate is Jarred Sullinger who was a McDonald's All-American and now plays at Ohio State.

- Jordan's AAU program All-Ohio Red won the 2011 Under-17 National Chamionship.

Here's a Youtube clip of Jordan from several years ago.


- UNCG won't released any information about Jordan until he officially signs his National Letter of Intent to play for the Spartans. We will post a link to that article when it becomes available.

-Welcome to the Spartans, Jordan !!!

Tanner New Spartan Director of Basketball Operations

Former UNC walk-on and VCU graduate assistant J.B. Tanner is the newest Spartan coach. Tanner will take over the Director of Basketball Operations duties from Brian Judski for the 2011-2012 season. Here is some of Tanner's bio from the UNCG Athletics website.

With the Spartans Tanner is responsible for many administrative duties including team travel, film, administrative recruiting and summer camps.

Tanner comes to UNCG after spending the previous two seasons as a graduate assistant on Shaka Smart’s staff at VCU, helping the Rams to a remarkable run through the 2011 NCAA Tournament which culminated with an appearance at the Final Four in Houston. Overall, the Rams won 55 games during Tanner’s two seasons in Richmond.

Tanner spent two seasons as a walk-on at North Carolina (2007-09), helping the Tar Heels to the 2009 National Championship. Tanner appeared in 39 games in two seasons as UNC won a pair of ACC championships under Roy Williams. Tanner spent his first two years at UNC as a member of the UNC Junior Varsity squad.

Newest Spartan - Derrell Armstrong

Wow, this post is a longtime overdue. Former Alleghany CC 6'-1" PG Derrell Armstrong (Mechanicsville, MD) has joined Nick Paulos as the newest faces for the Spartans for this upcoming season.

Armstrong was a teammate of Spartan player Aaron Bracket for one season before going on to earn honorable mention JUCO All-American status this past season at Alleghany. For the 2010-2011 season, Derrell averaged 21.4 pts, 8.9 rebs, 4.5 assists and 2.2 steals. Derrell was a 2009 graduate of Chopticon HS in Morganza, MD.

- According to Rivals, Derrell picked UNCG over Towsen.

- In HS, Armstrong was a 2009 All-Beltway 1st team player.

Armstrong led the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference with a 25.3 points per game average. Armstrong surpassed the 1,000-point plateau in just two seasons playing for Chopticon. Led team with 31 blocked shots. Produced averages of 7.9 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 2.4 assists per game. Shot over 70 percent from the free-throw line.

Surpassed 30 points on six different occasions during the season. Scored season-high of 33 points on two occasions, in overtime win over Glen Burnie on Dec. 22 and again against Leonardtown on Feb. 13. Scored in double digits every single game. Armstrong led the Braves to a 19-5 mark – with three one-point losses – and a 3A South semifinal appearance.

- Here is the article from the UNCG Athletics website after he signed his LOI.

Welcome to the Spartans, Derrell !!!