ETSU’s loss to Chattanooga Monday not only ended the Bucs’ supremacy in the North Division at four straight titles but also changed the power structure in the Southern Conference, as tournament time is now less than a week away.
The Mocs clinched the North Division title in Memorial Center, where a year ago they lost to the North Division champions for the second time in the regular season.
Other SoCon teams find themselves feeling a little more comfortable going into tournament time without the four-time North Division champs looming in the distance. Chattanooga, unable to defeat the Bucs under Jeff Lebo, who is now head coach at Auburn, is excited to host the tournament at home and without a powerful foe marching out of East Tennessee.
“Last year we came in here and lost bad,” said Chris Brown, who dropped in 15 points against the Bucs. “This is the first year we have beaten them two times in a row. It feels good to come in here and win the North Division championship against a rival.”
John Shulman is this season’s Murry Bartow in the sense that he inherited a very talented team via the departing Lebo. Shulman, an assistant coach during the glory days of ETSU in the early ’90s, finds himself with a most-valued first-round bye in the SoCon Tournament.
Shulman and the Mocs have an advantage this SoCon as they host the tournament in Chattanooga.
They’re ready to look past ETSU to an NCAA bid that looks most attainable.
“We feel there is a difference not having a Bucs team with Zakee Wadood and Jerald Fields,” said Brown. “We have felt the pressure this year, especially since beating Tennessee [Dec. 5]. We went on a little losing streak, but we’re ready.”
It seems that few teams in the SoCon have been consistent, with the exception of undefeated Davidson.
The Mocs fit this season’s description of inconsistency; they suffered a 23-point loss to Georgia Southern, and during late January lost three in a row to Greensboro, Davidson and Elon.
They manhandled Charleston in Chattanooga and fell hard to Appalachian State in the next.
South Division champions Davidson have played close games all season, defeating the Bucs by one point at home. They escaped from Charleston with a two-point victory on Feb. 14.
Since Jan. 22, Davidson has averaged only an eight-point margin of victory. The outliers were two double-digit victories against the Citadel and Chattanooga.
“Anything can happen in tournament play,” said Brown. “Every team has to go out and play hard every night.”

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