Just two weeks left in the regular season! Here’s our updated Big South men’s basketball power rankings based on games played through February 11th.
Note: National rankings are courtesy of KenPom.com. Arrows denote movement in power rankings since last ranking.
1. UNC-Asheville 18-9, 11-3 #178
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The Bulldogs are the hottest team in the league having won 7 straight games and 10 out of 11. The final 2 weeks of regular season play will determine who gets the #1 seed and home court advantage in the Big South Tournament, and if anyone other than UNCA or Winthrop claims #1, it will be surprising. The Bulldogs and Eagles meet in Asheville on February 22nd.
This week: 2/15 vs Liberty, 2/18 @ CSU
2. Winthrop 16-9, 10-4 #136
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The defending conference champions are playing nearly as well as UNCA, having won 9 out of 10 games. Their last two losses came against Liberty as they haven’t lost to a team not named Liberty since January 6th.
This week: 2/15 @ Gardner-Webb, 2/18 vs Longwood
3. Campbell 14-12, 8-6 #218
no change
Will Chris Clemons or Winthrop’s Xavier Cooks win the Big South Player of the Year award? It’s a very close call between the two players. No one will want to face Clemons and the Camels in a single elimination tournament especially after what he did last year.
This week: 2/15 @ Radford, 2/18 vs Liberty
4. Liberty 16-11, 7-7 #191
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After dropping 5 straight games, Coach McKay seems to have steadied the Flames as they have won 4 out of 5. Liberty has a tough 4 game stretch to close out the regular season as they attempt to fight towards the top of the cluster in the middle of the conference standings.
This week: 2/15 @ UNCA, 2/18 @ Campbell
5. Radford 15-12, 8-6 #188
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Just a few short weeks ago the Highlanders were sitting in first place in the conference. They’ve now lost 3 straight and have just 4 wins in their last 10 games. As they fight for positioning in the conference tournament, Radford has a huge matchup with Campbell on Thursday.
This week: 2/15 vs Campbell, 2/18 vs Presbyterian
6. High Point 12-13, 7-7 #198
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The Panthers got a big win at Radford last week to keep them in the mix to get a first round bye in the conference tournament, as the top 6 teams do. They have a favorable schedule down the stretch with games against PC and Longwood and also Gardner-Webb at home. The regular season finale at Liberty could have big implications on seeding depending on how the next two weeks play out.
This week: 2/15 @ Presbyterian, 2/18 vs Gardner-Webb
7. Gardner-Webb 12-15, 7-7 #280
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Since opening league play at 4-1, the Runnin’ Bulldogs have dropped 6 out of 9 games with their wins coming at home against the three teams at the bottom of these power rankings. Their final 4 games include home meetings against Winthrop and Asheville and road games at high Point and Presbyterian.
This week: 2/15 vs Winthrop, 2/18 @ High Point
8. Charleston Southern 11-14, 6-8 #274
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The Bucs were sitting at 2-7 in Big South play after losing to Presbyterian at home in late January. Since that time they have won 4 out of 5 games including 2 on the road as they attempt to make a late push to get a first round bye.
This week: 2/15 @ Longwood, 2/18 vs UNCA
9. Presbyterian 10-17, 3-11 #333
no change
The Blue Hose have already won more conference games than they did a season ago, and they own the tiebreaker with Longwood as the fight for 9th place is on.
This week: 2/15 vs High Point, 2/18 @ Radford
10. Longwood 6-21, 3-11 #342
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Other than a midseason hot stretch where the Lancers won 3 out of 4 games, Longwood has been one of the worst teams in Division I. Those 3 wins are the only 3 DI wins Coach Jayson Gee’s team has all season.
This week: 2/15 vs CSU, 2/18 @ Winthrop
