What is SoCon Basketball?
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the United States and around the world. The Southern Conference (SoCon) is one of the leading collegiate basketball conferences in the nation, competing at the Division I level in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The SoCon is made up of ten member schools located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The conference has a long and proud history of producing some of the best collegiate basketball teams in the country.
History of the SoCon
The Southern Conference (SoCon) was founded in 1921 and is the nation’s oldest athletic conference. The conference is comprised of ten member schools: East Tennessee State University, Furman University, Mercer University, The Citadel, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, University of Tennessee at Martin, Virginia Military Institute, Western Carolina University, and Wofford College.
The SoCon has a long history of producing successful collegiate basketball teams. In the past, the conference has produced several teams that have gone on to win NCAA championships, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s 1982 and 1993 championship teams. The conference has also seen several of its teams make deep tournament runs, most recently in 2016 when the University of North Carolina at Wilmington made it to the Sweet 16.
SoCon Regular Season
The SoCon basketball regular season runs from November through March. During the regular season, each team plays a round-robin schedule against the other nine SoCon teams. At the end of the regular season, the top eight teams advance to the SoCon Tournament, which is held in Asheville, NC.
SoCon Tournament
The SoCon Tournament is a single-elimination tournament that is held during the last week of March. The tournament is held at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville, NC and typically features all ten SoCon teams competing for the championship. The tournament champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
SoCon Teams
The SoCon is comprised of ten teams located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Here is a list of the ten teams in the SoCon:
- East Tennessee State University
- Furman University
- Mercer University
- The Citadel
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
- University of Tennessee at Martin
- Virginia Military Institute
- Western Carolina University
- Wofford College
Notable Players
The SoCon has produced many talented basketball players, some of whom have gone on to have successful professional careers. Here are some of the most notable players to come out of the SoCon:
- Bobby Jones – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Stephon Marbury – Georgia Institute of Technology
- Antawn Jamison – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Vince Carter – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Shane Battier – Duke University
- Shaquille O’Neal – Louisiana State University
- James Worthy – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Kobe Bryant – Lower Merion High School
- Chris Paul – Wake Forest University
- Grant Hill – Duke University
SoCon Hall of Fame
The SoCon Hall of Fame honors the outstanding players, coaches, and contributors to the SoCon basketball program. The Hall of Fame was established in 1985 and is located in Asheville, NC.
The Hall of Fame inducts new members each year during the SoCon Basketball Tournament. The inductees are honored with an induction ceremony and their names are added to the Hall of Fame plaque that hangs in the U.S. Cellular Center. To date, there are over 100 members in the SoCon Hall of Fame.
SoCon Championships
The SoCon has a long and proud history of producing championship-caliber teams. The conference has won a total of nine NCAA championships in men’s basketball and one in women’s basketball.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has won six of the nine NCAA championships, including five in a row from 1982-86. Duke University has won two championships, and the University of Virginia won the most recent championship in 2019.
SoCon All-Conference Teams
At the end of each season, the coaches of the SoCon teams select an All-Conference team to honor the top players in the conference. The All-Conference team consists of a first team, a second team, and an honorable mention team.
The All-Conference teams are selected based on a player’s performance throughout the season. Players are judged on their individual statistics, team performance, and ability to lead their teams to success.
SoCon Basketball Today
Today, the SoCon is one of the top collegiate basketball conferences in the nation. The conference is home to some of the best teams in the country, including the 2019 NCAA champion, the University of Virginia.
The conference is also home to some of the top players in the country, including 2019 NBA draft picks PJ Washington of Kentucky and Jarrett Culver of Texas Tech. The SoCon continues to produce some of the best collegiate basketball teams in the nation and its teams are consistently competitive in the NCAA tournament.
Conclusion
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is one of the nation’s premier collegiate basketball conferences. The conference is comprised of ten teams located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The conference has a long and proud history of producing some of the best teams and players in the country.
The SoCon is home to many talented players, including several who have gone on to have successful professional careers. The conference also produces championship-caliber teams that are consistently competitive in the NCAA tournament. The SoCon is a highly competitive conference that produces some of the best collegiate basketball teams and players in the nation.