Tickets to Southern Conference basketball games are a little easier to find now that Stephen Curry is playing in NBA arenas.
But these four players still star in the SoCon:
Andrew Goudelock
College of Charleston junior forward
Goudelock has hit the most exciting shot of the season. He drilled a long 3-pointer from the right wing as time expired in regulation to tie the Cougars with then-No. 9 North Carolina, and Charleston went on to win.
“He made a shot for the ages for our program,” coach Bobby Cremins said. “It was one of those special, rare moments. “I came real close to calling a timeout.”
Goudelock is the most athletic player on the most athletic team in the Southern Conference. His skill set includes the rare mid-range game, dribbling ability to get to the rim and elevation to finish when he gets there. He averages 18.6 points per game.
“Having Steph in our league taught him a lot,” Cremins said. “He taught him what it takes to be a great player, and he’s heading in that direction.”
Plus he’s shown a flair for the dramatic.
“I’d pay to see him play,” Wofford coach Mike Young said.
Josh Odem
UTC freshman guard
An early-season contender for league freshman of the year, Odem averages 9.9 points per game. He is smooth, plays with great instincts and has a basketball IQ rarely seen in freshmen.
“He’s going to terrorize the league,” said Georgia Southern coach Charlton Young, who watched Odem score 22 points including four 3-pointers against his Eagles. “My favorite guy.”
Of course, he still can play like a freshman as he did Monday with a two-point night against UNC Greensboro.
Donald Sims
Appalachian State junior guard
Anybody who can score 44 points in a SoCon contest can be a star.
Sims became the ninth player in the last decade — joining the likes of Curry, Kevin Martin and Tim Smith — to break the 40-point barrier when he torched Davidson for a career high last Saturday.
“Donald Sims was magnificent,” Davidson coach Bob McKillop said. “He scored on the catch, with the dribble at the rim in transition and at the foul line.”
Sims, who averages 19.1 points per game, was named player of the week Wednesday.
Cameron Wells
The Citadel junior guard
The SoCon’s 2007-08 freshman of the year has continued improving. He averages 17.1 points per game and has made only six 3-pointers this season. His specialty is getting to the basket.
He can blow by one-on-one perimeter defenders, spin out of a double team and add to his 66 assists or dunk it.
“There’s not a lot of guys at our level who can do it off the bounce like he can,” The Citadel coach Ed Conroy said. “He can get by people, and he does it all the time. He has that rare combination of strength and ability to handle that basketball.”
And Four More
Isaac Butts, Appalachian State junior forward
Noah Dahlman, Wofford senior forward
Brandon Giles, Western Carolina senior guard
Amu Saaka, Furman junior center