As we continue our series of college conference previews, we head down south today and look at a couple of highly competitive men’s conferences in the Big South and Atlantic Sun. Will someone rise from one of these groups and make a stir at the NCAA Tournament this year?

Big South

Brian Sowell (VMI)

All league selection Ayou Sossou returns for VMI(m) along with starting goalkeeper Brian Sowell, while Todd Ray, Fejiro Okiomah and Shawn Sloan are among the returnees at High Point.

For Jeff Alder’s Liberty Flames, Darren Amoo returns to the front line and is joined by Tim Bullock, plus defender Chris Phillips and goalkeeper A.J. Madero.  Gardner-Webb returns Jovan Ivanovich and Jon Ole Reinhardsen to the back line, with John Sargent and Romeo Kabanda back in the midfield. Winthrop returns Enrique Miranda and Daniel Di Bagio to a young squad. Presbyterian is even younger, with 15 freshmen and sophomores on the roster for Bret Boulware’s Blue Hose.

At Coastal Carolina, Big South Player of the Year Djamel Bekka is gone, but the Chanticleers return Alan Russell, Luis Faz, Scott Angevine, Sean McCormick and  Matt Schroeder are all back. Myles Jones and James Jordan are back at Radford, while Bryan Bartels, David Parra and Zachary Odum return to UNC Asheville.

Atlantic Sun

Khalil Johnson (Cambell)

Defending regular season champion Campbell returns Mitchell Cardenas, Justin Smith, Keegan Terry and Khalil Johnson. The Belmont Bruins have Freshman of the Year Brandon Tarr back, plus Austin Embry and Alex Davis.

Ian Cameron and Brett Petricek are back at Mercer. Miguel Da Silva is back at Lipscombb. Fredrik Brustad and Jonathan Mendoza are back at Stetson, while Matthew Smith, Matthew O’Shaughnessy and Cristian Raudales return to Florida Gulf Coast(m) United.

Guilherme Reis and Sean Hoek return to East Tennessee State, while overseas standouts Davide Faga and Filip Terland will be back at Jacksonville. Adam O’Neill is at North Florida, but Head Coach Charles Morrow welcomes 15 freshmen to the squad at Lipscomb.