With basketball season just days away, The Pendulum has put together Southern Conference power rankings for the 2013-2-14 season as well as picking All-SoCon teams and Players of the Year awards for SoCon men’s basketball.

Southern Conference Power Rankings

1. Elon – Head coach Matt Matheny’s crew has an advantage few other college basketball teams do — familiarity. Trotting out the same starting five, including SoCon Player of the Year candidate Lucas Troutman (15.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.1 bpg), should give Elon the edge over Davidson College. Elon struggled to get to the line last season, which could be paramount in the postseason, where scoring is hard to come by. Troutman, scoring forward Ryley Beaumont and three-point ace Jack Isenbarger lead the way in Elon’s last Southern Conference season.

2. Davidson – The old guard of the Southern Conference, Davidson loses SoCon Player of the Year Jake Cohen, but forward De’Mon Brooks (13.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg) will make that loss hurt significantly less. Brooks’s athleticism stands out among his peers, and his versatility will allow head coach Bob McKillop to fill in the blanks with Brooks as his new starters adjust. Point guard remains the biggest question mark, depending on the play of three-star recruit Jack Gibbs along with Miami of Ohio transfer Brian Sullivan.

3. Chattanooga – Mocs first-year head coach Will Wade helped Shaka Smart and VCU construct the most terrifying defense in the NCAA last season. Emphasizing a full-court press along with constant rotations and gambles makes the already-athletic Mocs a dark horse in the Southern Conference race. Forward Z. Mason (14.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg) is one of the best rebounders in the conference, but he needs help from beyond the three-point line, where Chattanooga shot below 30 percent last year.

4. Samford – The young Bulldogs got a year of experience under their belt, and now SoCon Freshman of the Year Tim Williams (14.2 ppg, 54.4%) and Samford have a chance to take a major jump in the standings. Losing nine games by four points or fewer, Samford brings in a great recruiting class along with four returning starters. Be on the lookout for talented big man and junior college transfer Michael Bradley, as head coach Bennie Seltzer’s rebuilding project is coming along quicker than anticipated.

5. Western Carolina – Trey Sumler (18.4 ppg) remains the best guard in the conference, and all of the starters from last year return to help him with the scoring load. However, the bench is all but gone, which could force the starters to wear out their welcome. The Catamounts need to improve defensively before they get aspirations for a conference title.

6. Wofford – The Terriers were the best in the Southern Conference defensively last season (59.1 points allowed per game), but their offense was largely inefficient due to guards Karl Cochran (15.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Spencer Collins (12.4, 3.2) biting off more than they could chew when it came to scoring. It’s a depth issue more than anything, though, for the Terriers. Past Cochran, Collins and forward Lee Skinner, the Terriers need an extra scoring punch, particularly from its frontcourt.

7. Appalachian State –  Head coach Jason Capel has a deep squad that’s looking for a No. 1 option after the graduation of SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Nathan Healy. Forward Jay Canty was expected to be that guy, as he scored 29 points in a loss to the University of Missouri, and his numbers (14.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg) should’ve jump as his teammates give him more looks. However, Canty will miss the first nine games of the season due to academic ineligibility. Appalachian State could have a rough start with last season’s leading scorer out, but that means more touches for everyone else, benefiting the Mountaineers for conference play. One of the players passing to Canty after his suspension will be Michael Obacha, who impressively led the Mountaineers in assists at the center position.

8. The Citadel – The Bulldogs are very impressive purely based off of statistics. Guard Marshall Harris III led the conference in assists last season. Matt Van Scyoc and P.J. Horgan is a frontcourt combination that can trade buckets with teams higher in the power rankings. The loss of center Mike Groselle will hurt, and The Citadel will have matchup issues with more athletic teams throughout the year.

9. Georgia Southern – The impressive head coach/assistant coach combination of Mark Byington and Randy Peele will have difficulties keeping this roster competitive after the Eagles lost three of their starters. Forward Eric Ferguson (13.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg) is the best option on this team, but he has taken a medical redshirt due to his knee and the rest of the roster needs work. Georgia Southern was last in the conference in assists per game last season.

10. UNC Greensboro – The departure of the top two scorers Trevis Simpson and Derrell Armstrong will hurt, to put it mildly. The Spartans were a sieve defensively as well, which makes it difficult to find any bright points for UNCG this season. Head Coach Wes Miller, just 30 years old, is on the hot seat. He should make sure Arizona State transfer and forward Kyle Cain gets plenty of minutes, along with sophomore forward Kayel Locke, who averaged 9.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game a season ago.

11. Furman – Head coach Niko Medved has a big rebuilding project ahead of him, but promising sophomore guard Stephen Croone (9.9 ppg, 3.9 apg) should help out the Paladins, along with four other players who got at least 16 starts last year. The bench remains a big issue, and it would surrender easy scoring runs last season, which contributed to Furman’s minus 10.0 scoring margin.

All-SoCon First Team

De’Mon Brooks, Forward | Davidson

Lucas Troutman, Forward | Elon

Z. Mason, Forward | Chattanooga

Trey Sumler, Guard | Western Carolina

Karl Cochran, Guard | Wofford

All-SoCon Second Team

Tim Williams, Forward | Samford

Marshall Harris III, Guard | The Citadel

Ryley Beaumont, Forward | Elon

Raijon Kelly, Guard | Samford

Michael Bradley, Center | Samford

SoCon Honors

Player of the Year – De’Mon Brooks, Forward | Davidson

Defensive Player of the Year – Michael Bradley, Center | Samford

Newcomer of the Year – Kyle Cain, Forward | UNC Greensboro

Coach of the Year – Will Wade | Chattanooga