Peach Belt season preview
North Division
Augusta St: Boasting some of the strongest underclassmen in the conference from two consecutive top 10 recruiting classes, coach Asharriger is well on his way to bringing this historical doormat to relevance. The team will be led by senior C Samuel Ball (season 93 11.5 pts/ 6.5 reb/ 1.5 stl) and junior PG Marcelino Russo (14.5 pts/ 2.6 ast/ 1.4 stl). Remarkedly improved sophomores SF Cliff Prater, Joe Kitts, and Tommy Bell should continue to take huge steps forward and become leaders for this Augusta St team, which is poised to become a north division contender next season. Their main strength is rebounding and scoring, with multiple inside and outside scorers making it tough for opposing defenses to focus on one individual. Although their defensive ratings are not as high as their coach would like in the man to man scheme, the young guys should see considerable improvement in that area as inside sources confirm Assharriger plans on running intense defensive drills every practice. With a Sim AI-heavy non-conference schedule and a fairly grueling Peach Belt slate of games, expect them to be close to .500 with a possible PI berth. Next year and the following year, however, this team will make the NT and be scary good.
Armstrong Atlantic St: The only explanation for Strang's signing of 439 soph JUCO C Chris Tucker is that all of his attributes are exceedingly green (only recruit of the most recent class). Expect him to get a decent amount of playing time to increase his WE in order to realize that potential, most likely as the 6th man. Besides the interesting pickup of Tucker, the other young players on this team appear to also have a problem staying in the gym to work on their craft. Coach will have an interesting choice this season...play the upperclassmen led by PG Tim Hensley (preseason AA honorable mention), SG Sandy Roberts, and PF Paul Schild and probably make the NT as a lower seed, OR play the high potential/low WE underclassmen in an attempt to build them up for a better chance at being a regular contender in the future. The biggest strength for this team is their guard play, with strong speed, ball-handling, and passing. The largest area for concern is their defense in the man to man scheme, as well as the previously mentioned work ethic. Their chances at the NT will depend entirely on coach Strang's strategy for the future. The rest of us in the Peach do not envy him as he has to make this tough decision.
Clayton St: SF Michael Fox (last season 20.7 pts/ 3 reb/ 1 stl) will be on a mission this year to prove himself after being snubbed by the preseason AA committee. He is also the main inside scoring threat (100LP) on coach wildblue's team, a man who has been historically conservative when it comes to allowing his players to bomb from deep range. He will be a finalist for Peach Belt POY this season, which will automatically put him in consideration for national POY, an honor which has gone to a Peach Belt player for 6 out of the last 7 seasons. Besides Fox, PG Dean Joseph and PF Gregory Doyle will help share the load on another run to the NT. Freshmen PF Leroy Bailey will also make an immediate impact with his inside scoring. Ranked #25 in the preseason polls, Clayton St has many strengths when it comes to player ratings (ATH, SPD, DEF, scoring, passing), but perhaps the biggest strength is wildblue's gameplanning ability, as many of the other Peach Belt coaches will confirm. Although the team may be outrebounded from time to time, there are no glaring weaknesses for this team. Expect yet another NT bid this year.
Columbus St: After two straight low-seed bids to the NT with 1st round exits, a stronger non-conference schedule could be the fuel needed for a better seed this season. Although coach pdxblazerfan's team lost some incredible seniors, so did many of the Peach Belt's major powers. Led by C Timothy Lowry, PF Amos Byrd, and a collection of athletic wings, Columbus St's transition from a fast paced scoring team with no defense into a defensive-minded team is nearly complete. The huge signing of 2-star recruit Wilbert Skidmore ensures that trend will continue. The team's top two scorers are also among the worst defenders (PG Frank Nevius and PF Stephen Myers), so expect pdxblazerfan to stick to the zone defense this season in order to mask that deficiency. Preseason ranked #23, the main strength of this team is their improved ATH and DEF, but they are vulnerable on the offensive side of the ball with only two decent scoring options and weak passing skills. If Columbus St can enter conference play with a positive record, expect another trip to the NT.
Georgia College: A final four contender 8 seasons ago, Georgia College has fallen into the depths of Sim AI disrepair. New coach mdodge13 will look to drag them up out of the mire as he begins the rebuilding process. The rest of the Peach will watch with interest to see how he employs his players and whether or not the young coach decides to change the motion/press scheme. Senior PG David Reiss (96PER) looks to be an outside threat, but his defense is definitely suspect (32DEF). Don't expect much from this team until mdodge can get some of his own recruits onboard in the coming years. He has inherited a mis-matched collection of players who are incredibly skilled in only 1 or 2 areas, but not one player with overall quality. This will be quite a monumental rebuild, especially in a conference as tough as the Peach Belt. All of the north division coaches are wishing mdodge success. If Georgia College can rise up, perhaps the north can finally contend with the south division in a few years.
South Division (aka the Iba D2 Champion's League)
Kennesaw St: After a surprising loss in the conference tournament, Kennesaw St went on a legendary run through the big dance as a 5 seed to become national champions. It is suprising to see them left out of the preseason top 25, despite losing national POY Raymond Leddy in the offseason. Like all the rest of the south division, this is an athletic team with superior defense that will be led by senior PG Christopher Wong and soph C Dallas Davis. Those two players are the only major offensive threats, however, and coach adlorenz will heavily rely on them to carry the load. There aren't many upperclassmen on this team, so IQ and free throw shooting may be an issue early in the season, but should get better as the year progresses. Low passing skills are also a concern for Kennesaw St, but with adlorenz's strong gameplanning and superior ATH/DEF, expect them to return the NT even if they might not have enough in the tank to defend their title.
Lander: Even with underclassmen filling more than half of the roster, coach getbedarded and the preseason #6 Lander Bearcats (wth is that) are poised for another deep tournament run after falling in the final four last year. The loss of some stud seniors was mitigated by a very strong recruiting class full of potential. Expect Lander to dominate inside the paint this season with seniors Erasmo Rossi and Norman Sherrod (both preseason AA honorable mentions). Both big men are athletic rebounders who can score and defend at an incredibly high level. The local South Carolina media have already been toying with affectionate nicknames such as "Big Blue Bruisers," "Lander Leviathans," and of course the classic "Twin Towers." SG Adam Moyers and SF Jeffrey Rodriguez will also play key roles in this season's march back to the NT. Not only is this team strong defensively, but getbedarded has sneakily assembled the best collection of offensive talent in the conference. Opposing coaches, double team at your own risk.
North Florida: Due to their ridiculous run of recent success, last year's exit from the final four at the hands of Kennesaw St was considered a disappointment by coach teamvip. Yes, three of the four final four teams were from one division of one conference. Teamvip responded to that NT let-down by signing one of the top two recruits in D2 (hat tip to zorzii) in 3-star SG John Wynn. Wynn joins a team ranked preseason #7 led by PG Osvaldo Navarro (1st team preseason AA), SG Daniel Forsyth (3rd team preseason AA), senior SG George Kennedy, and PF Donald Williams. Both Forsyth and Navarro could compete for national POY, but will likely share the load instead in an effort to reclaim the national title once again. This team is stacked full of athletic defenders, as well as good rebounders, passers, and ball-handlers. There are 5 freshmen on the roster however, so depth could be an issue early in the season as teamvip begins to improve their IQ. Make no mistake, the heavyweight battles between N. Florida and Lander will continue to be the highlight of the Peach Belt's schedule.
UNC, Pembroke: Many pundits predict coach skinnycat's team to take a step back this year with 3/4 of the roster filled by underclassmen, but insiders know the emergence of PF Santos Duran (2nd team preseason AA) as a true stretch 4 will shock the Peach Belt this year. Duran is also an elite rebounder with high ATH/DEF and is the early favorite to win conference POY. Fellow seniors Richard Alves and Charles Shuffler will ensure that UNC Pembroke gets to the NT once again. Like many other teams in the conference, early season IQ will be an issue, but not for long. Their major strengths are ATH and DEF, but they could have significant trouble with pressing teams as there are no players with elite BH or passing on the roster.
USC Upstate: Entering the season with the preseason #4 ranked team, look for the stubborn coach towlie to continue to employ the slowdown offensive tempo this season. Led by 911-rated SF John Kogan (1st team preseason AA), C Scott Beck (3rd team preseason AA), and SG Genaro Costa (preseason AA honorable mention), towlie's team also possesses some of the most talented underclassmen in D2. Weary of the perennial dominance of Lander and N. Florida, and overshadowed by the incredible story of Kennesaw St's title run, USC Upstate fans are bubbling with guarded excitement for this season. With the slowdown tempo, these phenomenal seniors will have more playing time to dominate their matchups. Even though they have a top 5 ranking, this team is the dark horse contender for both the Peach Belt championship and the national title.
5/25/2017 2:46 AM (edited)