As hard as it is to believe, conference play begins Saturday. Here’s our updated Big South men’s basketball power rankings based on games played through the Christmas holiday.

Note: National rankings are courtesy of KenPom.com. Arrows denote movement in power rankings since last ranking.

1. UNC-Asheville 7-6 #147
   no change

The Bulldogs have been a little up and down throughout non-conference play, but coming in as the preseason favorite, they’ve done enough to stay on top as we head into league play.

This week: 12/30 vs Campbell, 1/3 @ High Point

2. Liberty 9-4 #154
   no change

The Flames have proven they belong in the top third of the league, and currently own the best record of all Big South teams. Just one more win to this point, and Coach McKay’s squad would likely have been able to leapfrog UNCA for #1.

This week: 12/30 @ Gardner-Webb, 1/2 vs Charleston Southern

3. Winthrop 6-5 #176
   no change

The Eagles did exactly what we expected them to do in their two games since our previous update, defeating Alabama State and falling to VCU. They are attempting to grab at least a share of the Big South regular season title for the 3rd straight season.

This week: 12/30 vs High Point, 1/3 @ Radford

4. Radford 7-6 #179
   no change

The Highlanders have beaten who they were supposed to and lost to who you would think they would lose to during non-conference play. Their best win came against KenPom #168 UC Davis while their worst loss was to #185 Elon. Do they have the potential to contend for a league title this year? We’ll likely find out this week.

This week: 12/30 @ Presbyterian, 1/3 vs Winthrop

5. Presbyterian 7-6 #332
   no change

The surprise of the Big South in non-league play is first-year head coach Dustin Kerns seeming to right the ship in Clinton. Will it carry over into conference play? They have a chance to pick up two very solid wins to begin Big South action.

This week: 12/30 vs Radford, 1/3 @ Longwood

6. High Point 5-6 #233
  1

The Panthers are a team that we don’t really know much about, as their non-conference resume leaves much to be desired. With their 2 contests this week, we’ll find out in a hurry if they’re going to be a contender or pretender in the league race this year.

This week: 12/30 @ Winthrop, 1/3 vs UNC-Asheville

7. Campbell 6-6 #230
  1

The Camels have an explosive offense that is capable of scoring points in bunches, but it hasn’t necessarily carried over to the win-loss column as their adjusted defensive efficiency ranks in the bottom third of all division I basketball teams.

This week: 12/30 @ UNC-Asheville, 1/3 vs Gardner-Webb

 

8. Gardner-Webb 5-8 #266
  1

The Runnin’ Bulldogs picked up just their 2nd DI win of the season with a 1 point nail biter over future Big South foe Hampton last week. Two of their first three Big South contests are on the road, with their one home game coming against one of the better teams in the league, Liberty.

This week: 12/30 vs Liberty, 1/3 @ Campbell

9. Charleston Southern 5-6 #307
  1

The Buccaneers enter league play with 4 straight losses against Division I opponents, and have just two DI wins all season.

This week: 12/30 vs Longwood, 1/2 @ Liberty

 

10. Longwood 3-10 #347
   no change

With Presbyterian’s best start in a long time, the Lancers are firmly entrenched in the basement. The good news for Longwood? There’s only one way to go from here.

This week: 12/30 @ Charleston Southern, 1/3 vs Presbyterian