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Southern Conference: Title race coming down to the wire

By Doug Winkey

Mar 7, 2016; Asheville, NC, USA; A general view of center court logo prior to the Southern Conference tournament final between the Chattanooga Mocs and the East Tennessee State Buccaneers at the U.S. Cellular Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2016; Asheville, NC, USA; A general view of center court logo prior to the Southern Conference tournament final between the Chattanooga Mocs and the East Tennessee State Buccaneers at the U.S. Cellular Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Southern Conference favorite, Chattanooga, has faded to fourth in the conference race. The final weeks promise to have fantastic contests for SoCon fans.

The defending Southern Conference champs Chattanooga Mocs have dropped to fourth in a tight race after losing to East Tennessee State. The 10-5 Mocs have just three games left, but none against teams currently ahead of them in the standings. Who will ultimately win the SoCon title at this point?

The three teams ahead of Chattanooga right now are Furman, ETSU and UNC Greensboro. The Mocs have split with two of those programs, but East Tennessee State swept the season series. Chattanooga needs to beat both Samford and The Citadel on the road and Mercer at home to have a chance at the title.

11-4 Greensboro has also done very well for itself after finishing last season in sixth place. The third-place Spartans have split with both Chattanooga and Furman, but likely need to win their season finale with ETSU to have a shot at the title. However, they can’t look too far ahead with a road game at Mercer and a visit from VMI.

That brings us to second-place 12-3 East Tennessee State. The Buccaneers have swept Chattanooga, but fell to both Greensboro and Furman earlier this year. The team has three games left which include rematches with both the Paladins and Spartans. There is a road date with Western Carolina sandwiched in-between as well. They have the hardest remaining schedule, but maybe the best overall chance to win the title.

Finally, Furman is maybe the biggest surprise after losing last year’s POY, Stephen Croone. The 13-3 Paladins have gotten where they are by winning 10 straight conference games before losing to Greensboro at home. A huge test looms when Furman heads to Johnson City, TN, to challenge the ETSU Buccaneers. That game could very well decide who wins the regular season title, regardless of whether or not Furman beats Wofford after that.

Next: Updated bracketology

As you can see, the Southern Conference race is extremely tight. The defending Mocs might be out of the race, but the other top teams have at least one game against other contenders. Greensboro is my pick right now to take the SoCon title, but close races can often equal crazy results. Four teams playing this tough means the upcoming conference tournament should be quite the show.