Here’s our updated Big South men’s basketball power rankings based on games played through February 4th as we are in the final month of regular season play.
Note: National rankings are courtesy of KenPom.com. Arrows denote movement in power rankings since last ranking.
1. UNC-Asheville 18-7, 10-2 #104
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UNCA has won 5 straight and 10 of their past 11. The Bulldogs rank 4th in the nation in turnover margin, and are 2nd in the Big South in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Huge match up on Thursday which will go a long way in determining who claims the #1 seed.
This week: 2/9 vs Winthrop, 2/11 @ Longwood
2. Winthrop 18-5, 10-2 #120
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The Eagles lost to High Point in overtime, their 2nd home loss in Big South play. Pat Kelsey’s squad has won 14 of their last 16 games with their two losses coming by a combined 5 points. If they can spring the mild upset at Asheville on Thursday, they could coast to the #1 seed and hosting the Big South Tournament.
This week: 2/9 @ UNC Asheville, 2/11 vs Gardner-Webb
3. Liberty 15-10, 10-2 #190
no change
While Liberty has had a very impressive run through conference play, opening 6-0 on the road, the Flames have not been able to crack Winthrop or UNC Asheville’s code. If Coach McKay’s squad wants to take the next step toward competing and winning conference championships this season, they must be able to knock off either the Eagles or the Bulldogs.
This week: 2/9 @ Gardner-Webb, 2/11 vs Charleston Southern
4. High Point 13-11, 7-5 #256
no change
High Point had their 6 game winning streak put to an end with a 3 point loss at home to Asheville on Saturday. They have the slight upper hand and inside track on the #4 spot in the conference standings since they already beat Gardner-Webb on the road. The Panthers and Runnin’ Bulldogs meet in the regular season finale on February 25th.
This week: 2/9 @ Presbyterian, 2/11 vs Radford
5. Gardner-Webb 14-11, 7-5 #201
no change
After alternating wins and losses for 6 straight games, the Runnin’ Bulldogs have reeled off 3 straight wins. A huge week ahead for Gardner-Webb to see where they belong in the Big South pecking order.
This week: 2/9 vs Liberty, 2/11 @ Winthrop
6. Campbell 11-13, 4-8 #301
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Flip a coin on teams 6-8 on where to rank them in these power rankings. All 3 are really struggling, but have the potential to spring an upset. The Camels are 1-6 in their last 7 with the only win coming at Radford by 17 points. They have 2 very winnable games this week as the Camels try to stay out of the play-in round of the Big South Tournament.
This week: 2/9 vs Longwood, 2/11 @ Presbyterian
7. Radford 9-15, 4-8 #283
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The Highlanders have been just as bad as the Camels recently, losing 5 straight and 7 of 8. Mike Jones’ squad last 3 games did come against the top 3 teams in the conference. The top 6 teams get an opening round bye in the conference tournament, and, therefore, don’t have to play in the play-in round.
This week: 2/9 vs Charleston Southern, 2/11 @ High Point
8. Charleston Southern 8-15, 4-8 #305
no change
The Bucs are coming off a win, albeit an overtime win at home against Presbyterian. 4 of their final 6 games are on the road, including this week’s contests at Radford and Liberty.
This week: 2/9 @ Radford, 2/11 @ Liberty
9. Presbyterian 5-18, 1-11 #350
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PC moves out of the cellar thanks to their win over Longwood a week ago. They narrowly pulled a 2nd win this past Saturday at Charleston Southern, forcing overtime. Their final opportunities for win during the regular season are likely this week.
This week: 2/9 vs High Point, 2/11 vs Campbell
10. Longwood 6-17, 3-9 #348
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The Lancers have been decimated by injuries this season, and have lost 9 straight games. The only game Longwood has really even been competitive in was against the Blue Hose. Outside of that, they’ve suffered losses of 26, 24, and 31 points in their last 4 match-ups.
This week: 2/9 @ Campbell, 2/11 vs UNC Asheville
