The start of the Southern Conference men?s basketball tournament today at U.S. Cellular is Education Day, with as many as 1,500 kids attending the four first-round games.
Among the lessons to be learned by the children from Buncombe County and Asheville City Schools?
How the other half of the SoCon lives.
While the top four seeds ?No. 1 Davidson (23-7), followed in order by Elon (20-10), College of Charleston (22-9) and Appalachian State (14-15) ? are off for a sixth straight day, eight teams that each lost at least 18 games begin the challenging quest of trying to win four games in four days in order to claim the SoCon title and an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.
No team has ever accomplished that feat in this tourney?s 91-year history, though Western Carolina came close last year.
The Catamounts won three games and scared top seed Davidson before dropping a 93-91 double overtime decision in the title game in the tourney?s return to Asheville after a successful 12-year stay here from 1984-95.
And there are eight teams who are dreaming they can do something similar this season.
?It?s a new season, and everyone is 0-0,? Georgia Southern coach Charlton Young said. ?It?s tournament time, it?s March Madness, strange things happen.?
Today?s four men?s games involve seeds five through 12, who have a combined record of 85-157.
And while their records suggest there could be some unsightly basketball today ? and whose winners may only serve as quarterfinal fodder for the top seeds Saturday ? there is also evidence of some competitive teams who were just a few end-of-game plays away from having successful seasons.
No. 5 Samford (11-20), which plays No. 12 Furman (6-23) at 2 p.m., had 13 games decided by four points or less, including seven of their last nine in the regular season.
The Bulldogs are 0-4 in overtime games this season and lost eight games by four points or less.
No. 6 WCU (13-18), playing No. 11 The Citadel (8-21) at 8:30 p.m., should be tournament tough, posting a 6-7 record in games decided by six or less points.
And as often is the case with with losing records, there are teams that can run hot or cold.
In a six-day stretch of mid-January, No. 9 Georgia Southern (13-18) beat top seed Davidson by 13 points and also defeated No. 3 seed College of Charleston.
The Eagles, who play No. 8 Wofford (13-18) at 11:30 a.m. today, followed that with a 15-point loss at home to No. 11 The Citadel.
The other first-round men?s game today is No. 7 Chattanooga (13-18) against No. 10 UNC Greensboro (8-21).
Among the lessons to be learned by the children from Buncombe County and Asheville City Schools?
How the other half of the SoCon lives.
While the top four seeds ?No. 1 Davidson (23-7), followed in order by Elon (20-10), College of Charleston (22-9) and Appalachian State (14-15) ? are off for a sixth straight day, eight teams that each lost at least 18 games begin the challenging quest of trying to win four games in four days in order to claim the SoCon title and an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.
No team has ever accomplished that feat in this tourney?s 91-year history, though Western Carolina came close last year.
The Catamounts won three games and scared top seed Davidson before dropping a 93-91 double overtime decision in the title game in the tourney?s return to Asheville after a successful 12-year stay here from 1984-95.
And there are eight teams who are dreaming they can do something similar this season.
?It?s a new season, and everyone is 0-0,? Georgia Southern coach Charlton Young said. ?It?s tournament time, it?s March Madness, strange things happen.?
Today?s four men?s games involve seeds five through 12, who have a combined record of 85-157.
And while their records suggest there could be some unsightly basketball today ? and whose winners may only serve as quarterfinal fodder for the top seeds Saturday ? there is also evidence of some competitive teams who were just a few end-of-game plays away from having successful seasons.
No. 5 Samford (11-20), which plays No. 12 Furman (6-23) at 2 p.m., had 13 games decided by four points or less, including seven of their last nine in the regular season.
The Bulldogs are 0-4 in overtime games this season and lost eight games by four points or less.
No. 6 WCU (13-18), playing No. 11 The Citadel (8-21) at 8:30 p.m., should be tournament tough, posting a 6-7 record in games decided by six or less points.
And as often is the case with with losing records, there are teams that can run hot or cold.
In a six-day stretch of mid-January, No. 9 Georgia Southern (13-18) beat top seed Davidson by 13 points and also defeated No. 3 seed College of Charleston.
The Eagles, who play No. 8 Wofford (13-18) at 11:30 a.m. today, followed that with a 15-point loss at home to No. 11 The Citadel.
The other first-round men?s game today is No. 7 Chattanooga (13-18) against No. 10 UNC Greensboro (8-21).
