SAC Men’s Basketball Offseason Report

It may be summer but college basketball programs never truly hit an 'offseason.' There's almost always some kind of action for each of the 24 D2 basketball conferences, and something to discuss, including a 2015-16 review, BennettRank and how each program performed versus the pre-season polls. There have been coaching changes key losses. There are players to watch for once the season gets underway.

We close out our look at the Southeast Region with a recap of the South Atlantic Conference.

2015-2016 SAC Standings | BennettRank (BR) Recap

NCAA Tournament Recap

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL QUARTERFINALS (First Round)

Wingate 89, Montevallo 88 (OT)
Lenoir-Rhyne 83, King (Tenn.) 79
Lincoln Memorial 98, Lander 71
Queens 94, Columbus State 84

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL SEMIFINALS (Second Round)

Lenoir-Rhyne 76, Wingate 69
Lincoln Memorial 95, Queens 67

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (Third Round)

Lincoln Memorial 103, Lenoir-Rhyne 80

NATIONAL QUARTERFINALS (Elite Eight)

Lincoln Memorial 93, Barry 75

NATIONAL SEMIFINALS (Final Four)

Lincoln Memorial 103, West Liberty 102

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Augustana (S.D.) 90, Lincoln Memorial 81

Coaching Changes

Coker: Assistant coach Aric Samuel is promoted to head coach following the retirement of Dan Schmotzer. Samuel spent three seasons as an assistant to Schmotzer, who retired after 29 seasons and a career coaching record of 374-412.

“Having been at Coker for the last few years, we already know he is a great fit for our program. He is hard working, dedicated and has a real passion for Coker basketball. I feel very confident that he can build on the rich tradition that Dan Schmotzer established at Coker.” – Coker AD Lynn Griffin

Lenoir-Rhyne: Georgia State assistant Everick Sullivan takes over as head coach of the Bears, replacing Ryan Odom. After leading L-R to their first Sweet 16 in program history, Odom resigned to accept the head coaching position at D1 Maryland-Baltimore County.

“He brings a high level of character, playing and coaching experience, vast recruiting contacts, and most importantly a commitment to developing his players to their full potential both on and off the court. I feel confident that the program will thrive under the leadership of Coach Sullivan as we embark on a new era of Lenoir-Rhyne Men’s Basketball.” – Lenoir-Rhyne AD Kim Pate

All-SAC Performers

Key Losses

Keenan Palmore, G, Lenoir-Rhyne: 21.9 ppg (First Team)
Will Perry, G, Lenoir-Rhyne: 17.5 ppg (Second Team)
Gerel Simmons, G, Lincoln Memorial: 20.9 ppg (First Team)
Jalen Steele, G, Lincoln Memorial: 16.8 ppg (Second Team)
Rob Lewis, G, Queens: 18.1 ppg (First Team)
Sean Morgan, F, Queens: 17.3 ppg (First Team)
Marquis Rankin, G, Queens: 12.9 ppg (Honorable Mention)
Darius Carter, G, Tusculum: 17.5 ppg (Second Team)

Key Returnees

Charles Clark, Jr. G, Carson-Newman: 21.6 ppg (First Team)
Luquon Choice, Sr. G, Lincoln Memorial: 16.7 ppg (First Team)
Sawyer Williams, Sr. F, Carson-Newman: 16.5 ppg (Second Team)
Jameel Taylor, Jr. G, Catawba: 17.3 ppg (Second Team)
Isiah Cureton, Sr. F, Wingate: 14.4 ppg (Second Team)
Randall Shaw, Soph. G, Anderson: 19.8 ppg (Honorable Mention)
Demarcus Threatt, Sr. G, Brevard: 20.9 ppg (Honorable Mention)
Donte Samuels, Sr. F, Coker: 15.6 ppg (Honorable Mention)
Dorian Pinson, Jr. F, Lincoln Memorial: 10.2 ppg (Honorable Mention)
Gerald Evans, Sr. G, Newberry: 9.7 ppg, 4.8 apg (Honorable Mention)

Circle the Date

Dec. 31, Bellarmine (GLVC) vs. Lincoln Memorial: A battle of two national powerhouses closes out 2016 as Bellarmine makes the trip to Harrogate to take on a Railsplitters squad fresh off a national championship game appearance in a contest that has “game of the year” written all over it.