Here’s our updated Big South men’s basketball power rankings based on games played through January 12th.
Note: National rankings are courtesy of KenPom.com. Arrows denote movement in power rankings since last ranking.
1. High Point 12-4, 5-0 #96
no change
The Panthers had just one game this week, a 16-point win over Presbyterian. John Brown scored 19 boards and grabbed 7 rebounds.
This week: 1/14 @ Winthrop, 1/16 vs Coastal Carolina
2. UNC-Asheville 12-5, 5-0 #140
no change
The Bulldogs have now won 5 straight and 10 of their past 11 games including wins over Winthrop and Charleston Southern this week. UNCA overcame a 23-point 2nd half deficit against Winthrop to keep their win streak alive. We’ll see just how good Asheville is after two very big tests this week.
This week: 1/14 @ Radford, 1/16 vs Gardner-Webb
3. Gardner-Webb 10-8, 5-1 #182
no change
The Runnin’ Bulldogs challenged themselves out of conference more than any other time, and it is paying early dividends in conference play. GWU is right on the heels of High Point and Asheville with their only loss coming by 2 points to the Panthers. They should be well rested for their trip to Asheville on Saturday.
This week: 1/16 @ UNC-Asheville
4. Radford 9-8, 2-3 #206
1
The Highlanders are one of four teams tied for 4th place in the Big South with a 2-3 conference record. Their three losses all came on the road as they have held serve at home. We’ll see if they deserve to be mentioned as one of the top four teams in the league as they host UNCA Thursday.
This week: 1/14 vs UNC-Asheville, 1/16 @ Presbyterian
5. Winthrop 10-6, 2-3 #237
1
The Eagles move up one spot by default, as they blew a big 2nd half lead at UNC-Asheville and continue to struggle. A season that started with such promise at 9-3, has turned into plenty of question marks as Winthrop has dropped 3 straight conference games. It won’t get any easier as undefeated High Point pays a visit to Rock Hill Thursday.
This week: 1/14 vs High Point, 1/16 vs Liberty
6. Liberty 5-13, 2-3 #334
5
What a difference a week makes. In our last update, the Flames were on a 12-game losing streak with no hope in sight. A last second John Dawson 3-pointer at Coastal and a win at home over Campbell, and Coach McKay has his squad on their first win streak since 2014. McKay says the packline travels. We’ll see if that’s true as Liberty hits the road to South Carolina for a brief 2-game road trip.
This week: 1/14 @ Charleston Southern, 1/16 @ Winthrop
7. Presbyterian 7-9, 2-3 #309
2
DeSean Murray scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead the Blue Hose in a come from behind win to beat Longwood. Murray leads the Big South in scoring at 21.r points per game and he’s 3rd in the league rebounding as he grabs 8 boards a game.
This week: 1/14 @ Coastal Carolina, 1/16 vs Radford
8. Campbell 8-8, 2-4 #283
1
Since their upset win at Winthrop, the Camels have lost 3 straight games including consecutive 3-point road losses. Freshman Chris Clemons continues to be a bright spot, averaging 16.9 points per game. Campbell has 2 very winnable games this week as they try to make a push towards the top half of the league.
This week: 1/14 vs Longwood, 1/16 vs Charleston Southern
9. Charleston Southern 5-11, 1-4 #289
1
Three straight losses for the Buccaneers including at Radford and at home against UNCA this week. Their only Big South win this season came in December at Liberty. The Flames and Bucs have the rematch on Thursday.
This week: 1/14 vs Liberty, 1/16 @ Campbell
10. Coastal Carolina 8-8, 2-4 #220
6
Consecutive lossses to Liberty and Longwood? Ouch. Thursday night’s game against Presbyterian is virtually a must-win now as High Point looms on Saturday.
This week: 1/14 vs Presbyterian, 1/16 @ High Point
11. Longwood 5-13, 1-4 #308
1
Five Lancers scored in double figures on Saturday as Longwood upset visiting Coastal Carolina for their first Big South win of the season. The win also ended Longwood’s 9-game losing streak to Division I opponents.
This week: 1/14 @ Campbell
