Oct. 12, 2004

Spartanburg, SC - Basketball expectations are not off the charts for The Citadel this season.

At the Southern Conference preseason basketball meetings Monday, the Bulldogs were picked to repeat last year's last-place finish in the SoCon South.

Whether the Bulldogs can confound those expectations in the 2004-05 season depends on how quickly some talented young big men can develop for both teams.

Citadel coach Pat Dennis, whose team was 6-22 last year, returns solid backcourt players in juniors Kevin Hammack and Dante Terry. But the Bulldogs' hopes of moving up in South Division standings likely rest with freshman big men Warren McLendon and Demetrius Nelson. McLendon is a 6-6, 254-pounder from Dublin, Ga., and Nelson a 6-6, 231-pounder from St. John's High School.

"I think that is the big thing," Dennis said. "And Demetrius has been a pleasant, pleasant surprise. He's really a little better than we anticipated. He definitely will be able to help us right away.

"And Warren is a man-child, a warrior. He gives us the air of toughness that Cliff Washburn did, but he's more talented than Cliff was."

Said Dennis, "I think we'll be better, but I think a lot of other teams will be better, too."

NOTES

-- Zakee Wadood and Jerald Fields, who led East Tennessee State to two straight SoCon titles, are playing pro ball in Spain ... This is ETSU's last year in the SoCon before heading for the Atlantic Sun next year ... After two years in Charleston, the SoCon tournament heads to Chattanooga this season.

-- With ETSU leaving the SoCon, the league continues to ponder expansion. It is not likely to happen before the 2005-06 season, which will leave the SoCon with 11 men's basketball teams for at least that season. Commissioner Danny Morrison said the league is seeking a football-playing school within its geographic footprint. Speculation continues to center on Coastal Carolina.

-- Thirty-nine Southern Conference men's games are scheduled to be televised this season, and the College of Charleston will be on Fox Sports Net South four times: Dec. 4 against ETSU, Dec. 7 against Auburn, Jan. 15 against Davidson, and Jan. 29 against Georgia Southern.

Preseason All-SoCon men's team

Tim Smith, ETSU (player of the year); Brendan Winters, Davidson; Ronnie Burrell, UNC Greensboro; Terry Williams, Ga. Southern; Jackson Atoyebi, Elon; Tony Mitchell, College of Charleston; Howard Wilkerson, Wofford; Alphonso Pugh, Chattanooga; Elton Nesbitt, Ga. Southern; Quan Prowell, Furman.

Coaches Poll
(first-place votes)
South Division
1. Davidson (10)
2. Ga. Southern (2)
3. Charleston
4. Furman
5. Wofford
6. The Citadel
North Division
1. ETSU (9)
2. Chattanooga (2)
3. Elon
4. UNC Greensboro
5. App State
6. Western Carolina

Media Poll
(first-place votes)
South Division
1. Davidson (18)
2. Ga. Southern (6)
3. Charleston (6)
4. Furman
5. Wofford
6. The Citadel
North Division
1. ETSU (28)
2. Chattanooga (2)
3. Elon
4. UNC Greensboro
5. App State
6. Western Carolina