The Big South Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off on Thursday, and our Tournament Central, with the bracket and schedule, can be found here. As tipoff gets closer, here’s a quick preview of each team entering the tournament this week:
#1 High Point
Despite being a #1 or #2 seed each of the past 3 seasons, High Point has been eliminated in the quarterfinals each season. If that trend continues to this year, John Brown’s career will go down as a huge underachievement. Speaking of John Brown, we all are curious what his status is. He injured his foot against Winthrop last Thursday and hasn’t played since. If he is unable to go in his 4th and final Big South Tournament, it may be tough for the Panthers to advance very far. High Point is still looking for its first Big South Tournament and championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. As the #1 seed, they have clinched an NIT appearance should they falter this week.
#2 Winthrop
Photo courtesy USA Today
The Eagles finished the regular season in a first place tie with High Point, but lost the tie breaker as they get the 2 seed. They finished the season as the top scoring offense in the conference, led by Keon Johnson, Jimmy Gavin, and Xavier Cooks who all rank in the top 8 in scoring. Pat Kelsey is doing his best to catapult the program to the glory days of the Gregg Marshall years. Winthrop has advanced to the championship game of the Big South Tournament in each of the last 2 seasons before falling to Coastal Carolina on their home floor. The Eagles have won the tournament championship 10 times, twice as many as any other Big South team.
#3 Coastal Carolina
Photo courtesy al.com
The two-time defending tournament champions will be seeking the 3-peat, but will have to do so on someone else’s home floor for the first time in 4 years. When the Chanticleers announced they were joining the Sun Belt, the Big South decided it would move this year’s tournament away from Conway and Coastal Carolina. Cliff Ellis will attempt to guide the Chants to their 6th ever Big South Tournament championship which is 2nd most (behind Winthrop). Coastal has the top defense in the Big South, holding opponents to league-lows in points per game (67.3) and field goal percentage (39.9%).
#4 UNC Asheville
Photo courtesy USA Today
Coming down the stretch it looked like the Bulldogs were going to win the regular season championship and finish as the #1 seed, but losses in 3 of their last 5 games thwarted their plans. Coach Nick McDevitt has a balance squad with all 5 starters scoring in double figures. UNCA is holding opponents to 29.7% from 3, the best in the conference and 6th best in the country. Asheville is seeking its 5th Big South Tournament championship and first since 2012. One more win and the Bulldogs will have 20 on the season, a feat they haven’t accomplished since Eddie Biedenbach was roaming the sidelines.
#5 Liberty
The Flames had an 8 win improvement under new head coach Ritchie McKay, winning 10 Big South games this year compared to just 2 league wins a season ago. Liberty strung together 7 consecutive wins January 19th to February 13th. A regular season finale win over Gardner-Webb ended a late season swoon and moved the Flames into a top 5 finish and first round bye. Liberty is the last Big South team not named Coastal Carolina to win the Big South Tournament, accomplishing the feat in 2013. To do so again, LU will have to knock off UNCA for the first time in 9 tries.
#6 Gardner-Webb
Photo courtesy USA Today
The Runnin’ Bulldogs have been a streaky team all season. They started the new year with a 5 game win streak. Followed that with a 4 game losing streak. Then a 3 game win streak followed by a 2 game losing streak. Head coach Tim Craft hopes they can string together 4 wins this week to win the Big South Tournament championship for the first time in school history. As the 6 seed, Gardner-Webb gets to play the last place team in the opening round. Unfortunately for them, tournament host Campbell finished in last place.
#7 Radford
Photo courtesy VirginiaFirst.com
The Highlanders led Longwood by 20 points with 14 minutes left in the game on Saturday afternoon. A win would ensure Radford a top 5 finish and first-round bye in the tournament, but the Lancers raced back to take the victory. Now, Radford drops to the 7 seed where they will face Presbyterian on Thursday. The Highlanders only face the Blue Hose once this season, falling by one point in Clinton. Mike Jones’ squad has alternated wins and losses in their last 7 games. Radford has the potential to win this tournament, but has struggled all season with consistency.
#8 Longwood
Longwood seeks its first ever Big South Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The Lancers have not been easy outs, having picked up 3 wins in their first 3 Big South Tournaments, both coming as the lower seeded team. In fact, Thursday’s game against #9 seed Charleston Southern marks the first time Longwood has played as the higher seeded team in the Big South Tournament. When CSU and Longwood faced each other during the regular season, it was one of the better games in the Big South this year. The Lancers were able to outlast the Bucs in double overtime in the game played in North Charleston.
#9 Charleston Southern
Photo courtesy USA Today
Charleston Southern enters this week’s Big South Tournament reeling. The Buccaneers have lost 4 straight games and 9 out of their past 10. CSU has won the Big South Tournament on 4 previous occasions, but have not done so since 1997. CSU will face Longwood in the first round on Thursday in a rematch of a quarterfinal game from the 2015 Big South Tournament. In last year’s meeting, #1 seed Charleston Southern was upset by the 9 seed Lancers, 68-60.
#10 Presbyterian
Presby has never won a game in the Big South Tournament. Granted, they’ve only had 3 opportunities. They did beat first round opponent Radford in the teams’ only meeting this season. DeSean Murray led the Big South in scoring (20.1) and is 2nd in rebounds (7.4). Murray has been red-hot lately, averaging 26 points and 9.3 rebounds in Presbyterian’s last 3 games.
#11 Campbell
Photo courtesy fayobserver.com
The Camels were the beneficiary of Coastal’s decision to move to the Sun Belt as Campbell was awarded as host of this year’s Big South Tournament. If they are able to take advantage, Campbell will have to do so as the lowest seeded team. The Camels are 1-3 in the Big South Tournament since making their return to the conference prior to the 2012-13 season, with their only win coming in 2013 against Presbyterian. Freshman Chris Clemons finished the 4th leading scorer in the conference, averaging 18.8 points per game. He led the league in 3-point field goals made, making 3.1 per game.
