Non-Con Edition: MID-TERM Grades

This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Final exams are over, so it's time for our midterm grades. SoCon Fast Break starts now. All right, we've got the holidays coming up, but also I can tell you, I can promise you, you know it, you've lived it, not only as a student athlete, but as a coach. Once final exams are over, you can have a little bit of decompression. You can breathe a sigh of relief. And then also you've got the anticipation of winding down the non-conference part of the schedule and getting ready, obviously, for the conference part of the schedule. Absolutely. And the nice piece of that too is there's a little bit of a sense of relief knowing that you're going to get like three or four days to kind of let your body rest up a little bit, see some family, see some friends, you know, eat a good meal or two at home. It's always an enjoyable time of the year on the coaching end players front, really, because you just kind of know that one part is wrapping up and you're moving on to really, frankly, the part that matters for most schools in the country, and that's conference play. Oh, no question about it. And there's almost like this calm before the storm. Yeah. That you can have a little bit of, like I said, decompression period, not having to worry about any of your schoolwork, not have to go to any classes, anything of that nature. And then from a coach's perspective, yeah, you don't have to monitor all of that. You can schedule based on just how you want to schedule. And then obviously the focus starts turning, starts shifting to the conference part of the schedule. And that's what's crazy is that, I mean, we're recording this here on December 16th. We're two weeks away from conference play in the Southern Conference. It's going that fast. And so before we get to our midterm grades, though, we do need to just take a look back at some of the big games this past week. And I thought a big one for VMI. Yeah. The first time ever they've been able to beat Loyola, Maryland, 86 to 70. And I don't even know if this score was actually as indicative as how well VMI played. This is the score makes it seem like it was closer, but I'm telling you, VMI dominated this game from the opening tip. They did. And this is a bigger win than I think people are probably thinking as we talk through this. Like you mentioned, first time they've been able to beat Loyola, Maryland. But also with everything that's been going on and like this is just a really good momentum builder as they head into conference. Because it's a Division One win, as you mentioned, a very convincing Division One win. Yes. And you got contributions out of guys that look at this point, I think we need to start preparing for being without Ricky Bradley, Jr. for the season. So it's still a mystery right now. We don't know. So to that vein, you know, getting the contributions they got out of some of these guys, they're going to need this to continue moving forward. And guys were efficient now, too. Yes. You mentioned this was a very well played game by the VMI key debts. Yes. And talking about some of those other players when you've got Mario Tatum, Jr. He's stepping up. A.J. Clark is continuing to play well. And then obviously the Swedish sharpshooter, Lina's Homestorm, and we'll talk about him in a little bit more detail. But this was a great win for Andrew Wilson and the key debts again to the point where we don't know what's going on with Ricky Bradley, Jr. And so you're having other guys, obviously a T.J. Johnson who is tied for first in points per game here in the Southern Conference. So you're still able to obviously get a guy like T.J. Johnson who's the alpha score for VMI. But when you can get some other production and obviously also get some defensive pressures, VMI is still putting together some pieces, even in a tough non-conference schedule. And again, I thought this was a big win for them. No, it was. And it's a really good way for them to head into the holidays. We've talked about it before. They have a very unique class schedule in terms of the demands that they have. So to be able to get a win at Loyola, Maryland, very limited schedule left before a conference, I think they have one more game before a conference. If I'm correct, it's a good momentum builder, as I said, for them leading into conference play. And we talked about it, I believe, on the preview show. Southern Conference did not necessarily do them any favors for their first four opponents in the Southern Conference. So no, this is definitely good for them. And getting production out of guys that maybe they didn't anticipate needing that level of production out of them is a good sign for them. No doubt, yes. Obviously a big win there in Lexington for the key debts. And then Clemson, 70 to 63 over Mercer. And we talked about this when I was there in person, I got to see Mercer up close and personal. And I'm telling you, this is a solid team. Ryan Ritter has done a fantastic job putting the pieces together. You've got a high major big in Armani Mighty. You've got a high major point guard in Baraka, Okoj, and then you've got a complimentary lineup of shooters. And so they just fit really well. Obviously, you're talking about a Quinton Perkins, the second. And don't forget about Zaire Williams, that he can make some big shots even from outside the art. But also, he is one hell of a defender out on the perimeter. Yeah, and I think that's, we talked about it during the preview show, but even reiterating it now. The comment you make about Zaire Williams defensively, I think they've shown us they can really score it so far. No doubt. What I think it's going to ultimately come down to for them is can they defend at a high enough level to be able to outpace anybody offensively? And if Zaire Williams can defend the way he's defended this year, and he's got a track record of doing it throughout his college career, obviously, they are going to continue to be a very formidable foe. And look, I mean, you talk about what you saw. I mean, they played Clemson. They were up by six and a half time. Yeah, they played Clemson very tough. 64% from the field in the first half for Mercer. That's significant right there. And I know you can look at Clemson, and as a Clemson grad, you know, I was there at Madison Square Garden and saw the loss to BYU on a last second three point shot there. And there's a little bit of the hangover effect. You had finals that week also, and then you're getting ready. If you're Clemson with the in-state rival game coming up tonight actually against South Carolina. So maybe there was a look ahead type of situation. But that's exactly what Mercer was in the position to be able to do is capture some of that and take advantage of it. And they did that. They just weren't able to hold on there in the second half, but give Mercer a lot of credit. I'm telling you, I just like the actions that they get into. And the pieces just fit right now for Ryan Ritter's squad and what he's been able to put together. My question would be just how deep they can be. Because I do think there's a drop off. Once you get out of that starting lineup, then where can you turn in terms of having guys that can step up? Yeah. And I think that's a really good point from the league perspective overall. There are some starting fives that have really illustrated that, look, we're going to be a challenge come conference season. But which of these teams, especially the ones that we've talked about that we kind of feel like are going to be up in the front, which of them can go to their bench and get the depth that they need. Because to your point, they just did not get a whole lot of bench scoring in that game. Not even scoring, but minutes. That can be the challenge. Just are you going to be able to get some minutes to give some of your guys some rest? And I think that was part of it down the stretch. I just think there were some of the guys for Mercer that were just gassed because Clemson was coming at them in waves. Yeah. They were rotating 11 players in and out of that lineup. And that's what Brad Bernal has been doing this season because he doesn't have that one core nucleus of guys that he trusts at any given time. And so for Mercer, are you going to be able to get some opportunities to get some rest by bringing in some of your bench players? Yeah. No, I mean, like you can tell by even just the percentages. Mercer kind of ran out of gas. I mean, they shot 13% from three in the second half. I mean, heck, you shoot 25%. That's probably two or three more. Could be a different game. Could be a completely different game. Oh, yes. Could be a win for Mercer. But I tell you, I was very impressed with Mercer there at Little John Coliseum. Justin P. 76, ETSU 75. Man, a tough one for the Bucks there on the road. And they were oh so close. I still have watched that shot over and over again. Blake Barkley in the middle of the lane. I still don't know how it didn't fall to win the game right there. You and me both. They just unfortunately were doomed by a really tough first half. Yes. They got down. I don't know if that's... And had to climb out of that hole. I don't know what that's amounted to, but to your point, man, I thought about that ball was going in and that they were going to escape with a victory. It was kind of a tail two halves. I mean, they played pretty well in the second half. They gave up almost 43 points in the first half. I mean, that's especially for the stuff that we've talked about previously. They've been really good defensively. So giving up 43 points and a half is very uncharacteristic of this team so far. But the one thing that I kind of pull from this other than that first half is as good as they've been and as much as we've sung their praises, they have three losses and all three are on the road. And two of them, frankly, are against teams that they should beat. No disrespect to PC, Presbyterian College, and no disrespect to Austin P. Those are games that if I'm coached savage, we got to go on the road and get those games. So I'm not saying this is a trend, but I do want to keep an eye on how they play to start the league off on the road because they've got two losses that they should have as victories and they both were on the road. Yeah, well, they'll be on the road to start conference play at Citadel. So we'll see how that goes. But again, I know that's a tough loss for the Bucks right there. Chattanooga 78, Auburn 92. And I know this score looks bad, but also it was actually 89 to 78 as Auburn hits a three pointer as time expired. Yeah, I couldn't believe that they even shot the shot because they imbounded the ball and took off down the court and knocked down a three pointer as time expired. It was almost like an insult there to Chattanooga. But give Chattanooga a lot of credit because right now, I mean, this is a mash unit. Injuries continue mounting up. You've got players there on the sidelines on crutches. You've got players coming out of games. Tate Darner, he was getting hot and only played 15 minutes against Auburn because he had to come out. Obviously Mulholland not in the lineup. Sean Casano out for the year. I mean, you've had just a crazy rash of injuries for Chattanooga up to this point. But this was actually a much closer game than this score indicates. Yeah, I mean, it's a triage unit over there on the bench for Chattanooga right now. And this may sound weird to say, but I think this to me was as good as they've looked all year. They got big time contributions. I know there's injuries, right? So guys are going to have to step up, but they got big time contributions out of Jordan Friesan, who's starting to play a lot better. Oh, he's playing extremely well. You know, Billy Williams. Billy Smith chipped in with 14. And Teddy Washington, Jr. had 16 off the bench. So, you know, I think that's the sort of offensive production that we expected to see out of those three guys, something around that for Chattanooga to kind of be where we would expect Chattanooga to be. So I think there were some really encouraging things that they pulled out of this one. And a front court in particular that was decimated, right? We're talking about a ton of injuries, but their front court is front court. Yes. Decimated right now. No question about it. They offered 83 Gardner Webb 57. And this was a seven point game at halftime and Gardner Webb is struggling this year. They're struggling. They've only won one game, but the Terriers, they respond in the second half, 49 points there in the second half. And I'm telling you, you look at some of the freshmen with Chase Wattley there and then also Brian Sumter, like double digit scores both in that game. Yeah. And then obviously Kamari Holmes, he just continues extremely well. Great ball. 15 points, nine rebounds, distributing the ball really well. And so I'm looking at this Wofford team. I'm still, it's one of the surprises of the SoCon right now. No, they look, they are. And you look at them and I know we'll talk a little bit more about it later, but they're sitting right now fourth in the net rankings in the league. Yeah. You know, and I mean, certainly the net has its flaws, but you know, they're sitting at, you know, 217. We'll talk more about that in a little bit, but you know, they have illustrated that they're a very capable team. And you mentioned the freshmen continuing to get better, continuing to make progress. What can they do to take another step forward in conference play? And what does that mean for Wofford's ability to potentially sneak into the top four there? And the last thing I want to add to it is, man, have we had a better group of freshmen in the Southern Conference in recent years? I mean, it just seems like everybody's got freshmen that are not just in the rotation, but are really contributing his integral parts. No doubt. To these rosters. And I think that's imperative now in terms of being able to hopefully develop some of these players and can they be contributors? Because I think if you can get some of that type of production, that has an opportunity of taking your team from one level to the next potential tier and what that might look like. Because everybody wants to be a contender. Yeah. And I think we're eventually going to start seeing some of those teams that obviously come conference play. I mean, that's what I'm so excited about is that we'll have a better measuring stick as far as these teams once we start seeing head to head. Because it's still hard to evaluate some of these teams just based on the non-conference schedule, especially with the wide variance of teams that each of these schools are playing. And so that's why I'm really excited about conference play. But I did think that was another big win for Wofford and what Coach Giltner's doing. I mean, it's just extremely impressive. All right. So speaking of net rankings, let's take a look at the latest net rankings here on December the 16th. As you mentioned, Wofford at 2.17. They were previously at 2.46. And then you go down to the bottom Citadel at 3.57. VMI 3.34. Chattanooga at 2.95. And injuries just depleting them. UNCG 288. Western Carolina 275. Samford at 2.66. Furman there at number three at 1.69. Mercer at 1.08. And ETSU at 1.00. So not a whole lot of movement from the last rankings other than Wofford. They were the big mover from 2.46 to 2.17. So again, Wofford, I'm telling you, they're playing connected as a team. And I know I've used that before, but it's evident when you see them play, if you watch them, it's one thing to look at the stats, look at the record, look at the net rankings, actually watch them play. And they seem to be playing free. They seem to be playing as one unit, both on the offensive and defensive side. And I think, you know, we've talked about it before. That's the most impressive thing. Put the record aside. Put the play of some of these guys aside. Like, to me, the fact that they are playing as connected as they are after everything that they've gone through is, I think, the biggest thing for me because, you know, there just was a, like I said, we talked about it previously, but like, they could have gone one way down a negative path and fractured, or they could go down the path that appears. I don't even think we need to say appear anymore. They've gone down and that's to be a connected unit. And to me, that's just the most impressive thing because this thing was a disaster in the middle of September. So really, really encouraging stuff out of Spartanburg there. You know, Chad at 295 to me is the most surprising though. And I think that really relates to a couple of bad losses that they had at home. But I would suspect that especially after that Auburn game kind of seeing where they're going, I don't think they're going to be that low for too, too much longer. But that said, it is hard when you get to conference play to make significant strides when you're in mid-major league. So, you know, they will certainly not end up at 295, but... But you have to rely on other teams in the SOCON elevating their rankings. But everybody's obviously taking each other down. And so it's, you know, a trade-off. Well, and without going on a tangent, I think like this is a perfect example of why I wish we wouldn't rely. I wish the selection committee wouldn't rely so much on the net. We have a 2 and 8 UNCG team where they... Yes. We have a 2 and 8 UNCG team at 288 and chat and VMI below them. To me, that's just crazy, especially chat. Like, you know... Well, it's based on schedule too, because they've got a tough schedule. UNCG has relative to some of the other schools. They have. They certainly have. But it's just to me, crazy that you could have a 2 and 8 team and say that, you know, that's a better basketball team than Chattanooga in particular. Yeah. Well, and it goes back to your point that you made earlier. The net rankings, they're not without its flaws. We do know that. And so what can you do? And I know Rocco Miller, as we had him on, he talked about the Wins above Bubble, the WAB, and how that is a better indicator. So maybe the committee's going to look, you know, in those type of illytics rather than just solely on the net rankings, which I do think is smart also. All right. Player of the Week, Spotlight as Lienis Holmstrom from VMI was just named Sokand Player of the Week, coming off of 23 points there against Loyola, Maryland, and that big victory that we talked about 86 to 70. And now you've had two VMI players that have been named Player of the Week in the Southern Conference. And neither one of them is the name Ricky Bradley, Jr. Who would have thought that nobody in their right mind would have said that Lienis Holmstrom and TJ Johnson would win Player of the Week in the Southern Conference before Ricky Bradley, Jr. Would have lost a lot of money. Yes. Would have lost a lot of money. There's no doubt. Credit to him. I mean, made seven threes. Yes. And he went for the program, can't be underestimated. I know it's not a big time opponent, but can't be underestimated and played really well. And I had one turnover, four assists. That's right. I mean, he's got a great assist to turnover ratio right now, 2.67. He's averaging almost 11 points per game. So he's definitely been one of those guys, a key contributor for VMI. And he's experienced because he's played international. He's won championships overseas, obviously from Sweden. Again, the Swedish sharpshooter, the flamethrower, whatever you want to call it. And he plays with confidence. He's not afraid to shoot anywhere out on the court. Yeah. No, and look, keep Bradley, Jr. does not play. He's going to have to be able to play. I want to be, you know, really competitive in the Southern Conference this year. So it's great to see I'm happy for him and Coach Wilson to get that win and to play well. And, you know, you want to talk about another team that I think has continued to show some fight in the face of some adversity being without their top player. I know it hasn't necessarily shown up from a wins and losses perspective. They did go through a tough stretch, but these guys, these guys seem to be battling despite playing without, you know, Southern Conference preseason player of the year. Oh, no doubt. Okay. It is time for grades midterm grades. Yes. Professor Weaver. We will see what type of teacher you are. What you're going to throw out there, Professor, I should say also, yes. All right, we'll start with the Citadel. Okay. And then you have to feel for Coach Conroy. They continue to grind. They continue to do so many of the things that you need to do to win, but they just can't get over that hump. Yes, they've had some injuries also, but they're also just struggling on the defensive side right now, giving up almost 49 percent opponent field. Goal percentage and that's just not a recipe for winning. You're just not going to have an opportunity because you can't, you've got to be able to slow some teams down. And if you're, if a team is shooting almost 50 percent, that means you have to be shooting at such a high clip also just to keep up. Yeah. And unfortunately Citadel just the Citadel has not been able to do that as of yet. And I don't like giving out some of these grades, but just based on where we're seeing right now. I mean, I'm going D plus here with the Citadel. It's early. Things can turn around. Obviously come conference time, but again, they're just struggling being able to slow teams down. No, they, they are. And, you know, they don't necessarily shoot particularly well either too. So they've, they've unfortunately really struggled defensively. I'm, I'm kind of right there with you. In fact, I had D, I'm okay with the D plus. I'm okay putting the plus on that. But yeah, it's, I feel for, you know, for those guys down there, because they just haven't been able to get that monkey off the back of getting a D one win. That's right. Yeah. They're three and eight, but they don't have a D one win. And I think that that, I certainly think whether they'll admit that or not, that's weighing on them. You know, hopefully they can, they can get a little bit of a stride here going into league. They did play, they did play South Carolina pretty well. They did. Last weekend. South Carolina needed a second half very similar to Clemson to be able to actually pull away from the Citadel. Yeah. And I believe it was, I don't know the exact timing of it, but I think it was 47, 46, at least six or seven minutes into the second half. And it was a quick six, oh run with two, three's back to back that South Carolina hit. And then it was just kind of, that's right. That was kind of the, they go into win 71 to 55. Yeah. And Citadel, they slowed down offensively and then unfortunately allowed South Carolina to get hot. And again, three and eight on the season right now. All right. UNCG and we apologize to coach Jones and the rest of the crew there because they're actually three and eight, not two and eight. Okay. Yep. So we need to make sure that we give them their respect and the credit there. This might be the surprising grade though, the C minus, because I wouldn't have thought that I would be saying C minus for UNCG. Yeah. And you probably could actually go a little bit lower with this. Unfortunately, just if you're just looking at the record, yeah, but I'm starting to see some things that I think UNCG starting to play better. And we know they've got confidence. Justin Neely, oh, he's ready to dominate the Socon as we found out after their win against the South Carolina. After their win against ECU. But you do have a team that is relatively trying to figure them themselves out right now. I mean, you've got Justin Neely, we've talked about, I mean, he's a double, double machine leading the league and rebounding right now. But at the end of the day, what's so surprising is that this is a Mike Jones team that's given up almost 83 points per game. And that's not something that we're used to seeing. And that's why I'm looking at it from a C minus perspective, just because they haven't played defense like we typically see. No. And look, I mean, that to me, you circle exactly what you just said as the key reason for the lower grade. And I had them in a D plus just because. Oh yeah, you're harsh. You know, I just, I think for me, look, they've got some younger pieces. I get that. I get that they have what has appeared from the outside looking in kind of struggled to figure out the right rotation and where, where they're going to get contributions consistently outside of, outside of Justin Neely. But it's the defense aside, the floor that's, that's what has me kind of where I'm at is that it's just so uncharacteristic of a coach Jones team to be giving up the amount of points per game they're giving. And really just not be the aggressor and the enforcer, the way that they kind of impose their will on you defensively that, you know, yeah, they've had some tough games and they've had some close losses. Yeah. But if they can't defend, I just, I just don't think they're good enough offensively to be very competitive in the league. Not as of right now. Yeah. That's right. Yes. They're in at the end of the day. Their identity is defense. They're going to have to step up and be able to play defense, slow people down. You can't give up over 80 points per game if you're going to be successful in the Socon. There's just, there's just no recipe for that. All right. Western Carolina, I give them a solid C right now. And I know you're looking at the record and they definitely have struggled at times, but they are leading the Socon and rebounding at just over 40 rebounds per game. I see some toughness in them. I see the ability that they can, if they can get some things going and be in sync offensively, obviously with Julian Somaro there, then Marcus Kell, we know what type of player he can be. He can get hot. Cord Stansberry, I think is a guy that can also be that type of guy that can get hot. Now they struggled there in the first half against Virginia Tech, but again, that's a high major type of program. And so, Good team. Exactly. And I think Tim Kraft is got the pieces here because you do have some guard play. You've got a little bit of front court. You've got some rim protection there. And so now it's just a matter of, can you put it all together? Come conference play? Yeah, no, I have them as a C as well. I think at times they've looked like they could be a team that you don't want to play on any given night league. And I think at times they've looked like a team that, Okay, if we come in here and we play well and we're an up-rush lawn Southern Conference team, we're going to get a win. Now, I think as we get into conference play that'll level out a little bit because as you've mentioned, at times it can be harder and the non-con to kind of judge where a team's at because of the different level of opponents and different kind of opponents. But I agree with you. There are pieces there. They've shown it. They do have three or four guys that on any given night can really put the ball in the basket. I think I'd like to see Samaro get back to a little bit more of what he was doing the first through the first, you know, five or six games. That's not to say that he's played poorly. Yeah, just from a consistency standpoint, especially from the perimeter for these guys. That's where I haven't seen the consistency that I think you were expecting. Correct. And in this is like a backhand and compliment to Marcus Cal. I think we were expecting him to be more consistent this year based on what he did last year and he's had his moments. But again, I think consistency is almost the theme overall with Western Carolina. Yes. When they when they are playing. That's right. They're an interesting matchup. They are can be a tough out. Yeah. But they go on these roller coaster rides. They do. Not only throughout the season, but during the games. Yeah. They have, you know, those spurts where like they can't miss. Yeah. And then they'll go cold for eight minutes. And I don't know if they have the depth to have those spurts in games. You know, it's one thing if you have those spurts, but you can legitimately go, you know, eight or nine deep. I just don't know if they're going to be. I don't know if they can go eight or nine deep. And if they go four or five minutes in a low offensively or struggle defensively, are they going to have enough, you know, for the last media in particular to be able to push through. And I would like to see Marcus Kale just take over. I agree. Be the alpha guy. I agree. Just take over this team and be that offensive alpha type of score. All right. VMI. I have them as a C plus and that's actually a compliment to coach Wilson. Yes. And you don't have your preseason player of the year as we've talked about Ricky Bradley, Jr. But you do have the resiliency that you've seen from this team being able to overcome that and really not let it be such a major negative to the program. TJ Johnson, again, he's tied for the league lead in points per game at over 18 points here. You know, so he's been able to contribute and shoulder a lot of that scoring and be that alpha guy that we've talked about. Now he's had some games where he's been inconsistent, but overall, I mean, he's showcased that. Not only is he a very talented and skilled player, but he can be a leader and also TJ Johnson was just selected as one of three student athletes to serve on the NCAA Board of Directors. Wow. So yeah, that's very big honor right there for TJ Johnson. And that just speaks volumes to the type of player that he is again on and off the court. Yeah. No, that's, I didn't know that. And that's huge. Congratulations to TJ Johnson. That's a very, that's a very good resume builder and a very great opportunity that to your point speaks volumes of him. I'm with you. I agree. C plus, you know, and I also second the compliment of that because we're not dealing with a similar situation as we were with Wofford. But this is also a very traumatic situation when you haven't played a game with the preseason conference players. Yeah, exactly. The year. I mean, that is so significant. It's massive. You play with him all summer, all fall, and all of a sudden, opening night comes and he's not playing. And so, you know, obviously there's there's a physical component of that of you just don't you don't have a dude, a guy that can flat out play and flat out score it. And from everything that we've seen and everything that coach Wilson talked about was providing really good leadership in the locker room. And when that all of a sudden just disappears and maybe they know more than we do, but with the question marks that it's obviously they do from the outside looking in the narrative. That's a lot to shoulder, right? And so they have weathered the storm for the most part. They had a stretch for about two weeks where they really struggled. That's right. And we talked about it previously. They played a lot of games in a shorter stretch and it was a tougher part of their schedule. But generally speaking, like they've they've somewhat weathered the storm and gotten contributions out of guys that, you know, maybe they weren't expecting as much and TJ Johnson has done a great job leading and, you know, Tatum stepping up as a freshman. Yeah. And being a contributor right away. So certainly, you know, not all doom and gloom and Lexington. No, not at all. Five and seven record as of right now here again on December the 16th. All right, Chattanooga. I've got them at a C plus also. I know you don't like their net ranking at 295 looking their potential here based on obviously the injuries we talked about. And again, I'm giving the grade based on where they are right now. And I'm almost like foreshadowing what I expect Chattanooga to be once they have an opportunity to get healthy. But even with all of that said, I mean, they still have a healthy plus eight point differential right now, considering they haven't had a starting lineup or a part of the roster that has been consistent. So going back to that consistency theme. And I think part of it too is that you were expecting to get so much out of Colin Mulholland here in the nonconference. If he can come back be 100% healthy or as close to 100% to come conference play, then I do think that you could see a different type of Chattanooga team. But the question is like a Tate Darner, a freshman that started to play really well being inserted into the starting lineup. You know, hopefully he's able to come back and get close to 100% or 100% come conference play and Teddy Washington, Jr. Can he be a guy that really elevates his game again once we get into January play? So I think from a perspective as far as the preseason favorite Chattanooga right now, you do have to grade them based on what we've seen and part of it. You do have to build in injuries. You can't control it, but five and six right now. There's obviously improvement or areas of improvement for Chattanooga. No, look, I think you make some really good points at a C, but I think there's certainly look after watching the Auburn game trending towards C plus. I walked away feeling a lot better about where I think they can be in a month. But I kind of don't I don't give them the plus because they got two bad home losses to Tennessee State and Cimo games that at home. You just have to find a way to win those games, especially with the talent that Chatt has. So that's my main reason for not giving them that that C plus, you know, and then I'll be at earlier and off of very odd scheduling scenario. I mean, they get blown out at UNLV and so I expect them to be more competitive in that game as well. You know, we just got beat by Tennessee State. Yeah, ironically, who who beat Chatt. Yeah, exactly. So maybe maybe Tennessee State is better than I think they are credit for. Yes, I think they definitely are. But Chattanooga does lead the league in assist and also in assist a turnover ratio. So they are a distributed in the ball well. Samford, right? I got I have them at a C plus right now, but I'm I could be convinced a B for Samford. You've got Jaden Booth and Dylan Faulkner. I think two of the best players in the Southern Conference. And again, what Jaden Booth, what he's been able to do again, tied for the league lead and scoring right now there with TJ Johnson, just over 18 points per game. This guy didn't miss a beat making the transition from Division two to Division one. No. And there's no doubt that Leni A cuff, I think has found some pieces again. They've had some injuries also. Can they be 100% healthy? Come conference play because I think they can be dangerous. So yes, I will go and tell you, I'm changing it to a B right now. OK, OK, I'm changing it to a B. I like that. I gave him a curve. Yes, I'm going. I'm grading on the curve right now. I'm not mad at that. I got them as a C plus. I think the reason for that C plus has just been despite some of the injuries and obviously a big loss, you know, in the preseason starter. I just think that they have been up and down as well. I think that in moments they've looked really good in a team that can 100% compete to win the league. And I think it other times they've just been OK. And we talk about it. That's to be expected during non-conference play, especially when you've got a new roster. But you know, I think that they've shown their moments where, look, they've got as much offensive firepower as anybody in the league, as you mentioned. But like I said, they've shown moments where I'm just not fully convinced that this is a team that can go out and win the league. So and I really want to see what this team looks like in a month. But I expect this team to still be. Oh, I think so. This is a top four. I've got a feeling that. This is a top four. We're going to see Samford there at the top of the Socon standings. All right, Wofford. I have them as a B minus right here. But I think I could actually be convinced a B because you have to make the argument that as much as we talked about UNCG being a surprise, Wofford being a surprise is, I think is more surprising than UNCG because of what we've talked about the chaos in which what Coach Giltner has been able to do right now. It's extremely impressive. And I know we're beating a dead horse, so to speak, continuing to say the same thing about Coach Giltner. But you do have to give him a lot of credit. So now is it going to translate though, come conference play, can they keep up the same type of level of intensity and then also consistency, at least for them, because we didn't know how consistent they could be because of all of the chaos going into the season. No, I mean, look, I here's here's where my thoughts are. Here's here's where maybe easier grade or I don't know, but I actually have them an A minus. Okay, yeah, plus, yeah, and I'm actually pretty comfortable. You know what, I'm going to go B plus, I'm going to go B plus. But I think that they really they have been very competitive for the most part throughout their throughout their non conference schedule. They're getting big time contributions out of Kamari Holmes and Nils Malkowski has been really good. And you mentioned the freshmen, right? I mean, they are getting significant contributions out of the freshmen that as we talked about earlier, those guys seem to be getting better and making more contributions. Now, I do think and I've said it before, I think they've had a pretty favorable schedule. And so but they've taken advantage of that. You got to take advantage of it. You know, and I think I think they have a good win against a good Milwaukee team. So I do really want to see what they look like come conference time. And I think that's going to be the biggest test to see how good this team is. But I don't think there's any question in Spartanburg anymore of is is this ship righted and is this ship on the right path. It seems to be on the right pathway. All right, the firm and Paladins, I have them as a solid B. Again, they've played a tough non-conference schedule. All you have to do is go look at the non-con net rankings in terms of strength of schedule and you'll realize that. But right now they continue to get better from what I see each and every game. We talked about it. Asa Thomas seems to be a potential difference maker. And then obviously you've got Alex Wilkins, the top freshman in the Southern Conference right now. And don't forget about Cooper Bowser and Charles Johnson. I mean, Cooper Bowser, his effective field goal percentage, it's 79%. I mean, that's insane. That's number one in the country right now. And Charles Johnson doing a fantastic job as a double, double machine. So when you look at Furman, I'm telling you right now, they seem to be playing more efficient. They're cutting down on some of the turnovers and they can be a dangerous team. No, look, I mean, I know I'm biased, but I mean, this is as dangerous as a team as there's in the league. I've got them as solid B right now. It's trending very, very much towards a higher grade as we move forward. If one is six out of seven, that only loss is coming against a really good Illinois State team. That's right. It's going to compete to win the Missouri Valley. And frankly, they had their chances to win that game as well. And so they've played a lot better. They've cut down on the turnovers. They seem to be clicking a lot better offensively. The ball's not sticking nearly as much as it was earlier in the year. And, you know, defensively, they've been a lot better too. And one thing we don't talk about, look, that front court size is especially when you get into conference play. I know we've talked about there being some more front court size overall, but Charles Johnson and Cooper Bowser are a very formidable front court. Each of those guys gives you a little something different, and they have for the most part controlled the rebounding margin this year. No doubt. What's one of the toughest mid-major schedules in the country. Yes, agreed. So I think they, as to be expected, will be right there and are trending in a really good direction. All right. The Mercer Bears, I have them with a solid A right now running a high octane offense, leading the Southern Conference at almost 83 points per game. Barakko Koj is doing fantastic, not only in terms of scoring, but also he leads the league in assists at six assists per game right now. So you're talking about efficiency. Can they also, can they play some defense, some lockdown type of defense? And I think when you look at Mercer, this is another surprise team, but they do have some pieces there. And I think this can be a dangerous team, conference play. Yeah. I mean, I couldn't have said it much better myself. I mean, I've got them at an A minus. They have been the biggest surprise in the league in a positive way. You have arguably the best player in the league in a Koj, playing fantastic. You know, Armani Mighty, you know, your favorite for all name team has been really good. I think, you know, for me, I agree. It's all about the defensive end for them. If they can defend at a championship level, they are going to be right there. Come on, Ashville. No question about it. ETSU, the Bucks, I have them at an A minus right here. They do have the best overall record, eight and three, the best point differential right now at 15.3. Because they've got elite defense right now, holding teams to 65 and a half points per game. So they have been consistent for the non-conference part. Now, again, I know they've had a few games where they haven't played consistently on defense, but that's normal. That's going to happen. They've been part of playing basketball throughout an entire season. But when you've got the team that Coach Brook Savage has been able to put together, when you've got a Brian Taylor, the second, and you've got Cam Morris, the third. I mean, you've got some pieces, and especially Cam Morris, the third, you're talking about efficient and consistent. He's definitely been a model of that. So right now, ETSU, they do seem to be the team that people are looking up to here in the Southern Conference. No, they really are. And they have been excellent. Minus the hiccups that they've had on the road. I've got them at a solid B plus. I think what would keep me from giving them the A minus is the two losses to Austin P and Presbyterian College. Those are two games that, and I know we're nitpicking because they're 83. And PC is at the beginning of the season. So I do give them a little bit of a curve on that grade based on where it was in the season. Certainly. But this is a very formidable team. We talk about defense wins championships. Yes, you have to be able to score the basketball as well. But I think that this team has illustrated combined with how Coach Savage wants to play. This is a team that has proven that they can score it enough to match the defensive intensity that they play with. And that combination is really dangerous. And this is another team. Again, I fully expect them to be right there as we progress through conference play. I've been very impressed with this group so far. They lead the league in blocks, steals, field goal percentage, their second in points per game, their fifth in rebounds and their third in assist. Yeah, that's a recipe for success right there. And that's why I give them an A minus. Yeah, because they've done a fantastic job putting together pieces and showcasing it here in the non-conference. All right, games coming up this week. Speaking of ETSU tonight at North Carolina. Okay, can you slow down Caleb Wilson there for the Tar Hills? That's going to be a tough task. And then on December the 17th, Chattanooga at Bellarmine. That's an interesting matchup. Mercer at UCF. Okay, this is going to be a tough stretch for Mercer. We'll talk about that December 17th also. Wofford at Wichita State. I'm very interested in that game. That's going to be another barometer test, litmus test, whatever you want to say in terms of where Wofford is heading into conference play. Very winnable game. Okay, there you go. December 18th, Furman at Manhattan. Again, this is a winnable game for Furman. You've got to go up to New York City, celebrate the lights, celebrate everything going on. Get a good meal. There, that's right exactly. And get the win. December 20th, Mercer at Washington State. So you go for more Lando at UCF, then out to the Pacific Northwest and Pullman, Washington State. Washington State sitting there at three and eight. So could this be a Mercer team that surprises one of these two teams? I got a hot take here. They're coming back on this road trip one-on-one. One-on-one. Is it going to be the Washington State win or UCF win? Or does it matter? Actually, you know what? I'm actually going to take that back because one-on-one is not really a hot take. I'm saying they're winning both these games. Both of them. I think they're going to go to Orlando and they're going to go out to Pullman and they're going to go two and oh. I'm really liking what I'm seeing from this Mercer team. Maybe I'm jumping on the bandwagon here right now. Hot take. Hot take. Hot take. Let's go. December 21st, VMI at Radford. And this is an interesting matchup there in the state of Virginia. And I do think this is a winnable game, but you're going to have to slow down somebody who just scored 53 points. And that's Dennis Parker, the junior there from the transfer from NC State. And you've also got Dale Jones who transferred from Clemson there as a part of the backcourt. He's averaging 14 points per game. So you might have a tough task slowing those players down. But if you can get a TJ Johnson, if you can get AJ Clark, especially on the defensive side, slow some things down. If you can get Homestorm, the sharpshooter out there, anything can happen. Yeah, no, I mean, to your point, very winnable game, but they're going to have to play well. But they're going to have to slow those guys down. I mean, you know, maybe they mix it up a little bit defensively to kind of throw Radford off a little bit. But both those guys can really score it. And I am a little bit leery on VMI's ability to stop both those guys. Yeah. And I don't know if Andrew Wilson is going to veer off of his zone principles. Yeah. He might do some full court press, but that's about it. He loves that zone. All right, that is our midterm grades. And remember, make sure you hit that subscribe or follow button wherever you get your podcast, including YouTube, Spotify, or the iHeartRadio app. Until next time, may all your jumpers hit nothing but the bottom of the net.