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2020 Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Basics

Dates

Friday, March 6th (first round); Saturday, March 7th (quarterfinals); Sunday, March 8th (semifinals); Monday, March 9th (championship)

Format

Traditional bracket

Site(s)

For the ninth season in a row, the SoCon will gather in Asheville, N.C., at the renamed Harrah’s Cherokee Center, which seats a little more than 7,600.

TV/Streaming Info

ESPN will air the championship game on Monday night. Most of you will need to subscribe to ESPN+ watch the first three rounds, but Nexstar stations in the SoCon footprint will air the quarterfinals and semifinals.

Participants

All 10 teams will participate.

Downloadable Bracket

Schedule

First Round (Fri., March 6)

ESPN+ ($) will stream both games.

Game 1: No. 9 VMI 96, No. 8 Samford Bulldogs (10-23, 4-14) 78
The Bulldogs swept the season series.

Game 2: No. 10 The Citadel Bulldogs (6-24, 0-18) 76, No. 7 Wofford 93
The Terriers swept the season series.

Quarterfinals (Sat., March 7)

Select Nexstar stations will air and ESPN+ ($) will stream all four games.

Game 3: No. 9 VMI Keydets (9-24, 3-15) 57, No. 1 ETSU 70
The Bucs swept the season series.

Game 4: No. 5 Western Carolina 70, No. 4 Mercer Bears (17-15 11-7) 56
The season series was a home split.

Game 5: No. 7 Wofford 77, No. 2 Furman Paladins (25-7, 15-3) 68
The season series was a home split.

Game 6: No. 6 Chattanooga 78, No. 3 UNCG Spartans (23-9, 13-5) 68
The season series was a home split.

Semifinals (Sun., March 8)

Select Nexstar stations will air and ESPN+ ($) will stream both games.

Game 7: No. 5 Western Carolina Catamounts (19-12, 10-8) 75, No. 1 ETSU 97
The Bucs swept the season series.

Game 8: No. 7 Wofford 72, No. 6 Chattanooga Mocs (20-13, 10-8) 70
The Mocs swept the season series.

Championship (Mon., March 9)

Game 9: No. 7 Wofford Terriers (19-16, 8-10) 58, No. 1 ETSU Buccaneers (30-4, 16-2) 72
The Bucs swept the season series.

10-Year Mayhem Potential

Data from Bob Vetrone Jr. on Twitter.

Over the past 10 seasons, one of the SoCon’s top two seeds has won the automatic bid seven times. Three of those wins went to the South’s 1 seed, which claimed the No. 1 overall seed before each of those tournaments in the divisional era.

• 1 seed (4): 2010 (South), 2012 (South), 2013 (South), 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019
• 2 seed (1): 2011 (South)
• 3 seed (2): 2014, 2017

10-Year NCAA Seeding Record

Years with an NCAA win are in bold.

• 13 seed (4): 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018
• 12 seed (2): 2015, 2016
• 14 seed (2): 2011, 2013
• 7 seed (1): 2019
• 15 seed (1): 2014

Both 2019 Wofford’s seven seed and NCAA wins are outliers for the SoCon. Note that the Davidson Wildcats, now in the Atlantic 10, represented the league in 2012 and 2013.

ETSU is in line to earn a 10, 11, or 12 seed with a SoCon auto bid. UNCG and Furman could both earn 12 or 13 seeds if they qualify instead. As for the other seven, a 15 or 16 would be more likely.

Last NCAA Tournament Appearances

Wofford: 2019 (7 seed, 2nd Round)
UNCG: 2018 (13 seed, 1st Round)
ETSU: 2017 (13 seed, 1st Round)
Chattanooga: 2016 (12 seed, 1st Round)
Mercer: 2014 (14 seed, Round of 32, ASUN member)
Samford: 2000 (13 seed, 1st Round, TAAC (ASUN) member)
Western Carolina: 1996 (16 seed, 1st Round)
Furman: 1980 (10 seed, Round of 48)
VMI: 1977 (Sweet 16)

The Citadel is one of the four original Division I members to have never reached the field.

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