The 2014–15 Southern Conference men's basketball season began on November 14, 2014, and concluded in March with the 2015 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament played at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville, North Carolina.
Following the previous season's departure of Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Davidson, and Elon from the league, three new members were added - East Tennessee State, Mercer, and VMI. Both ETSU and VMI had previously competed in the SoCon, as the Buccaneers left for the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2005, while VMI spent eleven years in the Big South. Mercer came from the Atlantic Sun as well. With ten league members, the conference schedule featured a full round-robin with two games against every opponent, totaling eighteen, up from sixteen the previous season.
Wofford, the preseason favorites, cruised through the SoCon regular season with a 16–2 conference record en route to their second straight conference tournament title. Wofford senior guard Karl Cochran was named Player of the Year, while fellow Terrier Lee Skinner was named tournament MVP.
Awards and honors Player of the Year: Karl Cochran, Wofford Freshman of the Year: Devin Sibley, Furman Defense Player of the Year: Justin Tuoyo, Chattanooga Coach of the Year: Mike Young, Wofford
All–SoCon Teams
All-Conference Team NameSchool Pos. YearAshton MooreThe CitadelGSeniorJalen RileyEast Tenn. StateGSeniorStephen CrooneFurmanGJuniorDarious MotenMercerFSeniorIke NwamuMercerGJuniorCasey JonesChattanoogaGJuniorJustin TuoyoChattanoogaFSophomoreJames SinclairWestern CarolinaGSeniorKarl CochranWoffordGSeniorLee SkinnerWoffordFSenior
All-Freshman NameSchool Pos.Jake WrightThe CitadelGDevin SibleyFurmanGChristen CunninghamSamfordGDaniel FowlerFurmanGStephon JelksMercerF
Postseason
SoCon tournament
2015 SoCon Men's Basketball Tournament Seeds and Results Seed School Conference Overall Tiebreaker First roundMarch 5 QuarterfinalsMarch 7 SemifinalsMarch 8 ChampionshipMarch 9 1Wofford ‡ 16–2 25–6 BYE #8 UNC Greensboro #4 Western Carolina #10 Furman 2Chattanooga 15–3 22–9 BYE #10 Furman 3Mercer 12–6 17–14 BYE #6 VMI #10 Furman 4Western Carolina 9–9 14–16 BYE #5 ETSU #1 Wofford 5East Tenn. State 8–10 16–13 BYE #4 Western Carolina 6VMI 7–11 11–18 BYE #3 Mercer 7The Citadel 6–12 11–18 3–1 vs. UNCG, Samford #10 Furman 8UNC Greensboro 6–12 10–21 2–2 vs. Citadel, Samford #9 Samford #1 Wofford 9Samford 6–12 13–18 1–3 vs. Citadel, UNCG #9 UNC Greensboro 10Furman 5–13 8–21 #7 The Citadel #2 Chattanooga #3 Mercer #1 Wofford‡ – SoCon regular season champions.Overall records are as of the end of the regular season.
Bracket
* denotes overtime period
NCAA tournament
Seed Region School Second round Third round Sweet 16 Elite Eight Final Four Championship 12 West Wofford L Arkansas 56–53 1 bid0–1 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 TOTAL: 0–1
College Basketball Invitational
Seed Bracket School First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship Mercer W Stony Brook 72–70 L UL Monroe 71–69 1 bid 1–0 0–1 0–0 TOTAL: 1–1
Head coaches
Will Wade, Chattanooga Chuck Driesell, The Citadel Murry Bartow, ETSU Niko Medved, Furman Bob Hoffman, Mercer
Scott Padgett, Samford Wes Miller, UNC Greensboro Duggar Baucom, VMI Larry Hunter, Western Carolina Mike Young, Wofford
References