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2022 Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Basics

Dates

Friday, March 4 (first round); Saturday, March 5 (quarterfinals); Sunday, March 6 (semifinals); Monday, March 7 (championship)

Format

Traditional bracket

Site

For the eleventh consecutive season, the SoCon’s teams will gather in Asheville, N.C., at Harrah’s Cherokee Center, which seats a little more than 7,600. The arena hosted the relocated 2020 edition of the Maui Invitational and was the site of the first Asheville Championship tournament back in November.

TV/Streaming Info

ESPN will air the championship game on Monday night, while ESPNU picked up Sunday’s semifinals. Most of you will need to subscribe to ESPN+ watch the first two rounds, but Nexstar-owned stations in the SoCon footprint will air Saturday’s quarterfinals.

Participants

All 10 SoCon teams will participate.

Downloadable Bracket

Schedule

First Round (Fri., March 4)

Game 1: (9) The Citadel 84, (8) ETSU (15-17, 7-11) 76 (OT)
Game 2: (10) Western Carolina (11-21, 5-13) 53, (7) Mercer 81

Quarterfinals (Sat., March 5)

Game 3: (9) The Citadel (13-18, 6-12) 66, (1) Chattanooga (25-7, 14-4) 71
Game 4: (5) VMI (16-15, 9-9) 66, (4) Wofford 68
Game 5: (7) Mercer (16-17, 8-10) 66, (2) Furman 80
Game 6: (6) UNCG (17-14, 9-9) 64, (3) Samford 66

Semifinals (Sun., March 6)

Game 7: (4) Wofford (19-13, 10-8) 56, (1) Chattanooga 79
Game 8: (3) Samford (21-11, 10-8) 68, (2) Furman 71

Championship (Mon., March 7)

Game 9: (2) Furman (22-12, 12-6) 63, (1) CHATTANOOGA (27-7, 14-4) 64 (OT)

Mayhem Potential

Data originally posted by Bob Vetrone Jr. on Twitter in 2020 with my own additions for 2021 and 2022.

The Southern Conference Tournament is a rarity in that the No. 1 seed has dominated lately. The top seed has four straight titles and six in the last seven seasons and considering the league’s brief period of divisional play, the top overall seed has won eight of the last 10. The No. 3 seed has the other two triumphs in that time, so this is a typically top-heavy event.

• 1 seed (8): 2012 (South), 2013 (South), 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
• 2 seed (1): 2011 (South)
• 3 seed (2): 2014, 2017

NCAA Seeding Record Since 2011

Years with an NCAA win are in bold.

• 7 seed (1): 2019
• 12 seed (2): 2015, 2016
• 13 seed (4): 2012, 2017, 2018, 2021
• 14 seed (2): 2011, 2013
• 15 seed (1): 2014

Wofford is responsible for both the SoCon’s last single-digit seed and NCAA win. The Davidson Wildcats, now in the Atlantic 10, represented the league in 2012 and 2013.

With the No. 1 seed dominating in Asheville, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the conference’s representative has avoided the 16 seed line with a 12 or 13 seed a possible outcome. Given the improved strength at the top of the SoCon, don’t be surprised if that’s where Chattanooga or Furman land should they cut down the nets. Note that ETSU could have been seeded as high as 11th had the Buccaneers been able to participate in the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

Last NCAA Tournament Appearances

UNCG: 2021 (13 seed, 1st Round)
Wofford: 2019 (7 seed, 2nd Round)
ETSU: 2017 (13 seed, 1st Round)—2020 SoCon Tournament Champions
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 remains the lone SoCon member—and one of the four original Division I schools—that has never reached the field.