The Southern Conference hasn't won an NCAA tournament game since Stephen Curry and Davidson were still members in good standing, and, no, Mercer doesn't count. When the Bears shocked the world by defeating Duke in the 2014 round of 64, Bob Hoffman's team was still in the Atlantic Sun.
Mercer fared well (12-6) in its initial season in the SoCon in 2014-15, but Hoffman then lost T.J. Hallice and Darious Moten to graduation and Ike Nwamu to the transfer market (namely UNLV). Newly eligible South Carolina transfer Desmond Ringer will supply some help, but the Bears appear to be at least a year away from their first SoCon title.
Another upper-division team seeking to offset personnel losses is Wofford. The Terriers knew they'd lose senior and SoCon Player of the Year Karl Cochran after last season, but forward Lee Skinner departing early to play professionally in Austria was an additional hit to coach Mike Young's roster.
Attrition at the top of the league should create opportunity -- but for whom? Samford will be young (especially in the frontcourt), Western Carolina is remarkably foul-prone and VMI will reboot under first-year coach Dan Earl. Given all of the above, it's possible that one SoCon team will stand above the rest...
Favorite
Former Mocs coach Will Wade (now at Virginia Commonwealth) was replaced by Florida assistant Matt McCall, who has walked into one sweet situation. Virtually the entire rotation returns from a team that outscored the Southern Conference by 0.10 points per trip in 2014-15. At 6-foot-5 Casey Jones, is the prototypical dominant mid-major interior scorer, and 6-foot-10 forward Justin Tuoyo is the league's reigning defensive player of the year. McCall has an excellent chance of reaching the NCAA tournament in his first season as a head coach.
Sleeper
East Tennessee State Buccaneers
ETSU will roll the dice with Lester Wilson, A.J. Merriweather, Petey McClain and a host of newcomers, including Deuce Bello (arriving by way of Baylor and Missouri), Cincinnati transfer Ge'Lawn Guyn, Indiana transfer Peter Jurkin and, not least, first-year coach Steve Forbes.
Speaking of novelty, Furman could post its first finish at .500 or better in SoCon play since 2011. This season, the Paladins bring back Stephen Croone and every other member of their eight-man rotation under third-year coach Niko Medved, a former assistant at Colorado State under both Tim Miles and Larry Eustachy
Lastly keep an eye on UNC Greensboro, where coach Wes Miller returns nearly as many minutes and possessions from last season as Furman.
Team that could fall on its face
The Citadel pulled off an extremely rare move and hired a current head coach from within its own conference. Former VMI coach Duggar Baucom has a reputation for playing at a fast tempo, but in his first season in Charleston, he's finding the cupboard rather sparse: "Of all the teams I've rebuilt, this is certainly the most challenging." At any pace, the Bulldogs need stops.
Top pro prospect
Eric Robertson, Chattanooga
Last summer, Tyler Harvey was drafted in the NBA draft's second round out of Eastern Washington after not even starting for the Eagles for the better part of a season, when he first arrived in Cheney, Washington. Well, Robertson has the "not starting" part covered, and at 6-foot-4, he's also an unconscious perimeter shooter, just like Harvey. Last season, Robertson nailed 46 percent of his 3s for Chattanooga. Give that Moc the rock, coach McCall!
Projected all-conference team
G: Stephen Croone, Furman Paladins
G: Casey Jones, Chattanooga
G: Spencer Collins, Wofford Terriers
F: Justin Tuoyo, Chattanooga Mocs
C: RJ White, UNC Greensboro Spartans