SoCon Season Rewind: The KenPom Lie, Freshman Phenoms + Coaching Changes

About this episode

Richmond and Darren recap the 2025-26 Southern Conference basketball season, discussing talent, coaching changes, and standout freshmen.

Richmond and Darren put a bow on the 2025-26 Southern Conference basketball season. From Furman’s run as a 6-seed in Asheville to the shocking coaching changes at UNCG, we analyze why the SoCon remains one of the most talented leagues in the country—regardless of what the national metrics say. In This Episode: The Seeding Struggle : Why the conference’s lowest KenPom ranking since 2015 doesn't reflect the actual talent on the floor. The "Reset" : How a week off helped Bob Richey's Paladins reboot for a championship run and a competitive showing against UConn. Transfer Portal Be Damned : A deep dive into an elite freshman class, headlined by Alex Wilkins, that proved high school recruiting is still alive and well in the SoCon. National Stat Leaders : Breaking down how Jadin Booth, Baraka Okojie, and Justin Neely topped the national charts in major categories. Coaching Carousel : Reaction to the "shocking" news out of UNCG regarding Mike Jones and the arrival of Jerod Haase. The New Member : Welcoming Tobin Anderson and Tennessee Tech to the league for the upcoming season. Presented by Ingles Markets

People in this episode

Hosts: Richmond, Darren

Topics covered

• Southern Conference basketball
• coaching changes
• freshman talent
• KenPom rankings
• transfer portal
• national stat leaders

Keywords

• Southern Conference
• basketball
• KenPom
• freshman class
• coaching changes
• national leaders

Sponsors

Ingles Markets

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Furman, UNCG, Tennessee Tech

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