Picked in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll as second place finishers to Belmont, Jacksonville State is on a mission to prove themselves this season.
It’s true. Nobody quite believes that second year head coach Ray Harper’s squad has what it takes to be a legitimate mid-major program in the national picture. Even after finding their rhythm late during last season and coasting to a conference tournament championship, the hype around the Gamecocks is missing.
What is it about this team that just makes them lack the credit they deserve?
From the outside, skeptics will say that the relative lack of praise comes from an absence of signature victories for Jacksonville State, as in their biggest test this season on the road at Mississippi State, the Gamecocks came up short.