EAST

1. #13 Christopher Newport Captains (9-1)
Predicted Record: 12-4
Scheme: Triangle/Press

Strengths: Offensively, the starting group can attack you from anywhere. Ogden holds down the point and is equally adept at distributing the ball as he is pouring it in from deep. In the frontcourt, Cianciolo, Opitz, and Haney can all crash the offensive glass and carry the scoring load on any given night. Opitz can be a bit turnover-prone but he's an efficient scorer nonetheless. The rest of the team really takes care of the ball well and their -6.2 turnover margin is third best in the conference. 

Weaknesses: While this starting lineup is just about as good as you'll find, they could use another shooting threat, as the 2-guard Orr has been cold early in the season--coach says he'll get his shot straight by season's end, however. The real weakness for the Captains is depth, which can be particularly problematic on a press team. They haven't gotten much scoring output off the bench and that issue will rear its ugly head when this team faces the conference's better press teams and even more so against fastbreak/press teams. 

Final Word: Now in his fourth season at Christopher Newport, there is no more time for excuses for coach kenny. Nine of the 10 scholarship players on the team were recruited by him so the pressure is on him to finally make a NT run--and I think they can. They might have to make a lineup change at some point to bring some more scoring off the bench, but this is a talented group that meshes well together and is still progressing. 

Grade: 87.0 

2. Averett Cougars (7-3)
Predicted Record: 11-5
Scheme: Motion/Press

Strengths: This team has a great, deep group of guards and has athletes all the way down the bench. They win with consistent, high-pressure defense that turns into easy transition buckets. They also take care of the ball well, turning it over a league-low 12.2 times per contest in the non-conference. 

Weaknesses: Rebounding: this is the big one for the Cougars. They only have two respectable rebounders on the active roster right now and putting them on different lines isn't enough to prevent their opponents from having a field day on the boards--their -11.4 rebounding margin is safely the worst in the conference. They also lack rim protection. Teams might struggle to find space to shoot the three against Averett but they are usually guaranteed an easy bucket when they penetrate into the lane. 

Final Word: This team is inconsistent right now to be sure, but they absolutely have talent and are improving rapidly. Behind the scoring of their junior guard Ayon, they will have a chance in almost any game, but coach trail likely has his focus on next season, when they will return all of their current scholarship players. 

Grade: 83.5  

3. Methodist Monarchs (6-4)
Predicted Record: 10-6
Scheme: Motion/Press

Strengths: Every player on this team can defend and they have a few bigs that can really protect the rim. They also get a good bit of their scoring off the bench and generally have a good mix of inside and outside scoring that should only improve as freshman guard Plummer gets a better handle on the offense. 

Weaknesses: The Monarchs' guards are a bit slow to run the press it seems and they definitely lack stamina in the frontcourt. They also have had a tendency to get their shots rejected with abnormal frequency (5.8) but that may just be a statistical anomaly. 

Final Word: As you can tell from the commentary above, there aren't a lot of strengths and weaknesses that stand out on this team. They are solid from top to bottom and coach zwatts has a proven track record, with two national championships and an additional appearance with Methodist. He'll have them humming by the time the conference tournament rolls around and it would be a big surprise if they didn't reach the national tournament--it would be the first such instance since zwatts' first season at the school, which was 27 seasons ago. 

Grade: 81.0 

4. Ferrum Panthers (8-2)
Predicted Record: 5-11
Scheme: Fastbreak/Zone

Strengths: This is a team that makes it money in the paint. They get rebounding from nearly every position and lead the conference in both FG% (53.1) and blocks per game (5.8). They get the majority of their scoring in the post and this leads to lots of fouls, which is a bonus in a conference with a handful of press teams. 

Weaknesses: Depth is definitely a concern for Ferrum. They didn't have a great recruiting period and you can tell that their starters are running on fumes by the each half's end. They also haven't faced much competition in the non-conference so they could be in for a shock in the toughest conference in the country. They're going to need to find more shooting range as well because 31 percent 3-pt shooting is not going to get it done in this conference. 

Final Word: Last season's PIT runner-up won't be a push-over given their ability to score down low and this conference's general tendency to lack rim-protectors, but they are far from being a tournament-caliber team. 

Grade: 68.5 

5. Greensboro Pride (2-8)
Predicted Record: 4-12
Scheme: Motion/Man

Strengths: This squad is definitely not lacking rebounders--they have seven guys that could really help Averett out. They also have a number of shot-blockers but they can't get them all on the court at the same time. Perhaps they'd be better off running a 2-3 zone. Davy is their saving grace offensively. Without him, they'd struggle to put up points. 

Weaknesses: Despite their deep group of rebounders, they haven't exactly dominated the boards and they aren't efficient enough to get it done on offense without second chances. They don't have many capable scorers and are really lacking shooters--not that you'd guess it by their hastily chucking up 90 3-pointers in 10 games. 

Final Word: Greensboro is definitely a season away from getting back to national tournament contention. They have some talent but the pieces just don't fit right now. 

Grade: 63.0 

6. Chowan Hawks (5-5)
Predicted Record: 1-15
Scheme: Motion/Man

Strengths: They can rebound and have good work ethic. Without Frank Thompson, they probably wouldn't win a game all season. 

Weaknesses: Where to start? They play ole' defense and have struggled against a poor schedule. They don't have players that fit together and collectively are about as athletic as a pile of sticks. 

Final Word: I rarely recommend overlooking a conference opponent, but the Hawks might not win a game in conference play and it will get really ugly at points. 

Grade: 51.0 

WEST 

1. #2 Oglethorpe Petrels (10-0)
Predicted Record: 14-2
Scheme: Fastbreak/Press

Strengths: This team has the athletes to rival some mid-major DI programs and their defensive fundamentals are impressive all-around. Their depth is pretty astonishing so despite them lacking a 12th scholarship player that is usually necessary to run the FB/Press combo effectively, they will be just fine. What's really interesting about this team is that they don't have any stars of the typical mold, but they don't seem to need any. 

Weaknesses: So far, they haven't really found their range from beyond the arc. They have a handful of guys that are effective from mid-range, but only Fuqua has the potential to really pour it on. But perhaps the best strategy for the Petrels is to pound it inside and continue to draw an inordinate amount of fouls. 

Final Word: With great coaching and an immense amount of talent, this team is going places. They have played the second toughest schedule in the conference so far and have come out unscathed. While it's unlikely that they'll run the table in conference play, they should come damn close. 

Grade: 95.0

2. #5 La Grange Panthers (10-0)
Predicted Record: 13-3
Scheme: Flex/Zone

Strengths: This is as well-rounded of a team as you'll find in the country right now. They haven't faced the best competition thus far, but they've taken care of business so far and will handle themselves well even against this tough conference slate. They get adequate rebounding from their bigs and their team passing is probably the league's best (18.2 assists per game, 2nd-conference). 

Weaknesses: Uhhhh...this is a tough one. They are pretty much solid in all facets of the game. The only lacking area that really sticks out is their inability to turn their opponents over. 12.7 forced turnovers per game is not gonna help you in a conference where most teams force 18+. 

Final Word: La Grange takes care of the ball, has plenty of scoring, and play great defense on the perimeter and in the paint. They are one of the most formidable teams in the conference and now have some tournament experience after a Sweet 16 visit last season. They have their eyes on greater heights this season, however. 

Grade: 91.5 

3. #10 Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish (8-2)
Predicted Record: 12-4
Scheme: Fastbreak/Press

Strengths: Haha, the Sailfish? Who knew. But I digress. In contrast to Oglethorpe, this team relies on a few offensive stars to carry the load. Both Langdon and Mears are elite-level scorers and excellent and adequate defenders respectively. But when those two guys are off the court, Palm Beach does not struggle--they have a deep group of guys who aren't necessarily great scorers but can get the job done. They play 12-deep and are well-conditioned so the FB/Press combo can really wear on opponents. 

Weaknesses: They're allowing an absurdly high FT% to opponents. Okay, maybe that's not their fault. As far as true concerns go, they definitely need to cut down on the fouls and they could use some better ball handling in the backcourt. They also lack a solid rebounder outside of Manthey, but they've been handling their business on the boards adequately so far. 

Final Word: The Sailfish are the most battle-tested team in the conference and have been the USAS's most consistent team over the last six seasons. They might not be a title-caliber as per usual, but you can't count them out to win the conference after three consecutive regular season championships. 

Grade: 88.5 

4. Shenandoah Hornets (4-6)
Predicted Record: 6-10
Scheme: Motion/Press

Strengths: Perhaps they've just had bad luck so far, because there is talent on this team. They have a couple guys that can shoot and Hendrickson is a force in the post from the 4. They have a starting lineup that seems to mesh, but the backups are really struggling. 

Weaknesses: They could use some guards with better...well...guard skills. Poor conditioning is definitely a problem as well as some of their best talents aren't conditioned enough to play as many minutes as coach schaefdawg would like. They have a handful of guys with post-scoring skills, but it's not working for them because they don't have the guards to feed them. 

Final Word: The Hornets are a great guard away from being a fringe NT team, but as it stands a PIT appearance should be the goal. However, they've dug themselves a hole with some tough non-conference losses and the schedule only gets tougher from here. The good news is that they have just one senior. 

Grade: 71.5

5. Piedmont Lions (7-3)
Predicted Record: 5-11
Scheme: Fastbreak/Press

Strengths: They're durable, hard-working, and have a full roster. They're also going to be a much better team next season, but for now they have a few things going for them. Mainly, they don't have too many defensive liabilities and you can't overlook the value of good athleticism on a FB/FCP team. 

Weaknesses: Just like athleticism pays off in the FB/FCP, lack of speed works just as hard in the opposite direction. They have maybe one guard that is a good fit for their scheme and almost all of their bigs are tweeners. They don't have any guys that can consistently hit the 3 so they'll struggle to come from behind in close games. 

Final Word: Piedmont is a year off. They have a deep group of juniors and won't lose much after the season. With a strong freshman class as well, the future should be brighter, but they might not even reach the PIT this season. 

Grade: 65.0 


6. N. Carolina Wesleyan Battling Bishops (1-9) 
Predicted Record: 2-14
Scheme: Fastbreak/Zone

Strengths: Eddie Kearney is an excellent small forward. 

Weaknesses: The obvious one is that they have just eight scholarship players who have average or poor stamina and they run the fastbreak offense. And outside of Brown, Kearney, and Favorite, these players look like they're running around with their shoelaces tied on defense. 

Final Word: Boosters are already calling for first-year coach blakevassen's head after he failed to sign a recruit in the offseason. It won't help his case when the Battling Bishops struggle to win a game during conference play. 

Grade: 58.0