Big South Conference 2003-04 Season Recap
Going into the season, most people expected the favorites to be Winthrop, Liberty, and Birmingham-Southern, with Winthrop being the consensus choice as league champion. Liberty and Birmingham-Southern played well throughout the conference season, as they finished tied for first in the conference with a 12-4 record. Winthrop did not have a bad year, but they were a mild disappointment, finishing tied with High Point at 10-6 and getting swept by both Liberty and Birmingham-Southern. High Point was perhaps the surprise of the league. The Panthers came into the season off of a last-place finish, with a new coach, and a roster full of new players. However, Bart Lundy was able to patch things up quickly for HPU, and had them playing well immediately.
The other five teams in the league did about as well (or poorly in some cases) as expected. Charleston Southern and VMI were both expected to struggle, and neither team was able to get into the win column too often, as VMI finished 4-12 and CSU finished 3-13 in the conference. UNC Asheville was coming off of a conference championship, but lost its three best players, so their struggles were not too surprising either, as they finished in seventh place at 6-10. The middle of the league featured a pair of teams (Coastal Carolina and Radford), each with a dominate player (E.J. Gallup and Whit Holcomb-Faye respectively), but neither team was able to string together enough wins to join the league’s top teams. Coastal finished fifth with an 8-8 record in the league and Radford finished 7-9.
In non-conference play, wins were not easy to find for most of the teams in the league, especially against top competition. The highlight of the early-season games was Winthrop’s twenty-point victory at Georgia. However, the Eagles’ starting point guard, Ivan Jenkins, did not play another game after that due to injury. Other big season-ending injuries early in the year occurred to UNC Asheville’s Joseph Barber, VMI’s Preston Beverly, and Coastal Carolina’s Clint Reed.
Despite some players going down with injuries, there were plenty of good, healthy players remaining. High Point’s Danny Gathings was the best of the bunch. Gathings was a double-double machine and had two buzzer-beating winners for the Panthers this season. Liberty’s Gabe Martin also had a great year, as his slashing, athletic game was a perfect compliment to the sharp shooting of freshman guards Larry Blair and David Dees. Birmingham-Southern had two of the league’s best players this past year, as Jakob Sigurdarson’s outside game was combined with Grant Davis’ rebounding and versatile post play to make the Panthers a difficult team to defend. Finally, as mentioned earlier, Gallup from Coastal Carolina and Holcomb-Faye from Radford were both dominant players from the backcourt, putting up huge numbers all season and ending the year as the two highest scorers in the league.
Conference Tournament Recap
The Big South changed its tournament format, rewarding successful regular-seasons by having each tournament game played at the site of the better seed. The results ended up in favor of home teams, as there was only one upset through the entire tournament and the top seed (Liberty) ended up winning while playing all three of its games on its home court.
The first round saw top seeds winning three of the four games. Eighth seed Charleston Southern gave Liberty a tough game, but ended up falling late. Fourth seed Coastal Carolina held off Radford in Conway and second seed High Point had an easy time with VMI. The only upset came in Rock Hill, as Winthrop fell to UNC Asheville, marking the second straight season that the Bulldogs have upset the Eagles. There were no surprises in the semifinals as the top two seeds advanced, Liberty beating Coastal Carolina and High Point beating UNC Asheville. The championship game looked to be an exciting and close battle before the tip, but Liberty dominated from the start, easily beating High Point 89-44 and earning Liberty its first NCAA bid in ten years.
NCAA Tournament
Liberty – 16-Seed
The Flames made their second-ever trip to the NCAAs and were given a sixteen-seed and a matchup with St. Joseph’s in the East Rutherford Region. After a rocky first half, Liberty played well in the second half against the Hawks, but a twenty-point halftime deficit was way too much for LU to overcome as they fell 82-63. Freshman David Dees led the way for the Flames with a 22-point effort.
Hoopville Hardware
Big South MVP:
Danny Gathings, High Point
All-Conference Team:
E.J. Gallup, Coastal Carolina
Danny Gathings, High Point
Whit Holcomb-Faye, Radford
Gabe Martin, Liberty
Jakob Sigurdarson, Birmingham-Southern
Defensive Player of the Year:
Shema Mbyirukira, Birmingham-Southern
Freshman of the Year:
Larry Blair, Liberty
Coach of the Year:
Bart Lundy, High Point
Team-by-team Recaps
Liberty Flames (18-15, 12-4)
Liberty weathered a tough non-league slate and used a tough home-court advantage to make the NCAA tournament for the second time in school history. The Flames did not lose a conference game at home and rode their Vines Center success to the NCAAs by winning three games in their own building in the Big South Tournament, including a 45-point shellacking of High Point in the championship game. Senior forward Gabe Martin led the way for the Flames throughout the year, but freshman guard Larry Blair gave Liberty the spark they needed to turn the corner from a contender to a champion.
Team MVP – Gabe Martin (13.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.6 spg)
Top Scorer – Gabe Martin (13.7 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Gabe Martin (7.4 rpg)
Top Assists – Brian Woodson (4.7 apg)
Starters Leaving
Gabe Martin (graduating)
Jason Sarchet (graduating)
Ryan Mantlo (graduating)
Louvon Sneed (graduating)
Key Players Returning
Larry Blair (freshman guard, 13.2 ppg)
David Dees (freshman guard, 10.5 ppg)
Brian Woodson (junior guard, 4.7 apg)
The Flames lose quite a few players, most notably Martin, but they do have a very potent backcourt returning, spearheaded by Blair and Dees. The returning guards should be able to keep the Flames among the better teams in the league next year, and if anybody can emerge in the frontcourt, they could challenge for another title.
Birmingham-Southern Panthers (20-7, 12-4)
The Panthers were possibly the unluckiest team in the nation this year, as they had a twenty-win season and tied for the regular-season championship, but were unable to compete in the Big South Tournament due to their probation period in moving from NAIA to NCAA Division I. BSC proved that they were capable of competing with anybody in the league and its outside shooting attack led the whole nation in three-point percentage.
Team MVP – Jakob Sigurdarson (14.7 ppg, 3.3 apg, 48.5 3PT%)
Top Scorer – Jakob Sigurdarson (14.7 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Grant Davis (8.5 rpg)
Top Assists – Jakob Sigurdarson (3.3 apg)
Starters Leaving
Grant Davis (graduating)
Derrick Williams (graduating)
Key Players Returning
Jakob Sigurdarson (junior guard, 14.7 ppg)
Shema Mbyirukira (junior center, 2.1 bpg)
James Collins (sophomore guard, 49.4 3PT%)
Birmingham-Southern is poised to be right near the top of the conference again next season, as the outside combination of Sigurdarson and Collins should complement the inside game of Mbyirukira well. And if NCAA legislation goes through that will allow Birmingham-Southern to get the league’s automatic bid next season, then the Panthers could be poised to make a run to the NCAA tournament.
High Point Panthers (19-11, 10-6)
High Point surprised everybody this season by adding a new coach (Bart Lundy) and bringing together a roster of almost completely new faces and turning a last place team into a top-tier team and a tournament runner-up. Led by Danny Gathings and a host of junior college transfers, the Panthers used an up-tempo attack and sheer athleticism to give teams in the Big South fits throughout the year. A 45-point loss in the championship game put a sudden halt to the season, but Lundy was able to improve this Panther team by twelve wins from the previous year and give this program hope for the future.
Team MVP – Danny Gathings (15.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 53.1 FG%)
Top Scorer – Danny Gathings (15.8 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Danny Gathings (8.0 rpg)
Top Assists – Jorsua Chambers and Landon Quick (2.3 apg)
Starters Leaving
None
Key Players Returning
Danny Gathings (junior forward, 15.8 ppg)
Zione White (junior guard, 13.7 ppg)
Jerry Echenique (junior center, 6.1 rpg)
High Point returns practically its entire roster for next year and there is little doubt that the Panthers will be one of the favorites going into the season. The Panthers were dangerous this season, but could be even better next year as the team will have much more experience playing with each other and under Lundy.
Winthrop Eagles (16-12, 10-6)
The Eagles came into the season as more-or-less the consensus favorite, but an early season-ending injury to starting point guard Ivan Jenkins and inconsistent play pushed Winthrop toward the middle-of-the-pack. Winthrop showed signs of having a very strong team at times, most notably with an 80-60 victory at Georgia, but the Eagles were unable to duplicate that performance later in the season. Tyrone Walker, who was the preseason pick for Big South Player of the Year, had a solid year, but did not seem to meet the expectations that were put on him coming into the year.
Team MVP – Tyrone Walker (12.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.0 bpg)
Top Scorer – Tyrone Walker (12.9 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Tyrone Walker (7.8 rpg)
Top Assists – James Shuler (3.8 apg)
Starters Leaving
Tyrone Walker (graduating)
Marcus Cooke (graduating)
Key Players Returning
James Shuler (sophomore guard, 8.7 ppg)
Torrell Martin (freshman guard, 8.4 ppg)
Billy Houston (sophomore center, 4.0 rpg)
The Eagles will be very young next year, with only one senior on the roster (Brandon Key) but they should have enough returning talent to be at or near the top again if the young players such as Martin and Shuler can produce. Watch for Gardner-Webb transfer Otis Daniels to make an impact in Walker’s old spot in the rotation.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (14-15, 8-8)
The Chanticleers have had huge injuries affect them for the last few years, and though none of their star players went down this year, the loss of Clint Reed in the middle of the year with a knee injury really hurt the team’s frontcourt depth. Luckily for Coastal, they had a very strong backcourt with E.J. Gallup, Brandon Newby, and Alvin Green leading the way. The potent scoring from the guards allowed the Chants to mask their lack of playmakers inside, but did not allow them to reach the top of the standings either. It was one of the better years for head coach Pete Strickland though, and he did receive a contract extension during the season.
Team MVP – E.J. Gallup (17.2 ppg, 1.8 spg, 43.4 3PT%)
Top Scorer – E.J. Gallup (17.2 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Clint Nagel (4.3 rpg)
Top Assists – Alvin Green (3.7 apg)
Starters Leaving
E.J. Gallup (graduating)
Brandon Newby (graduating)
Clint Reed (graduating)
Anthony Susnjara (graduating)
Key Players Returning
Alvin Green (junior guard, 3.7 apg)
Moses Sonko (freshman forward, 6.2 ppg)
Clint Nagel (junior forward, 4.3 rpg)
Coastal was a senior-led team this past season, so it will be interesting to see how they perform next year with the likes of Gallup and Newby. Expect the Chants to take their lumps early in the season, but they should improve as players like Sonko and Pele Paelay learn to become leaders on the team.
Radford Highlanders (12-16, 7-9)
Radford started the season well, led by the scoring of Whit Holcomb-Faye. However, as the season continued, the Highlanders and Holcomb-Faye both seemed to fade a bit. As is typical for a Radford team, they played very tough at home, but struggled away from the Dedmon Center. The Highlanders had difficulty in finding consistent help for Holcomb-Faye, and as a result, his numbers declined as the year progressed as nagging injuries took a toll on the sophomore guard. Aaron Gill, Chris Goodin, and Olumuyiwa Popoola all had times where they could be counted on to contribute, but all struggled to do it consistently.
Team MVP – Whit Holcomb-Faye (17.5 ppg, 4.1 apg, 1.4 spg)
Top Scorer – Whit Holcomb-Faye (17.5 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Aaron Gill (7.0 rpg)
Top Assists – Whit Holcomb-Faye (4.1 apg)
Starters Leaving
Aaron Gill (graduating)
Key Players Returning
Whit Holcomb-Faye (sophomore guard, 17.5 ppg)
Chris Goodin (sophomore forward, 42.6 3PT%)
Olumuyiwa Popoola (junior forward, 44.0 3PT%)
With Gill being the only key player to graduate, the Highlanders have a lot to look forward to next season. Holcomb-Faye should have another great season and if some of the young frontcourt players can contribute, Radford could rack up plenty of wins.
UNC Asheville Bulldogs (9-20, 6-10)
The Bulldogs had one of the youngest teams in the nation, as there were no seniors on the roster and only two juniors to start the season. Obviously with a team so young, the season started slowly for UNCA, and only got worse when center Joseph Barber went down with a knee injury midway through the season. However, the gritty play of freshman K.J. Garland did not allow the Bulldogs to fall all the way to the bottom of the conference standings as they showed quite a bit of improvement from January to March.
Team MVP – Bryan McCullough (10.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.5 apg)
Top Scorer – Bryan McCullough (10.0 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Chad Mohn (5.0 rpg)
Top Assists – Bryan McCullough (3.5 apg)
Starters Leaving
None
Key Returning Players
Bryan McCullough (junior forward, 10.0 ppg)
K.J. Garland (freshman guard, 9.9 ppg)
Joseph Barber (junior forward, 9.8 ppg)
Do not look for the Bulldogs to bring in too many new faces next season as the entire roster returns to the Justice Center. The team showed signs of improvement over the course of last season and if Barber can return to his old form after his injury, they could make some noise next year.
VMI Keydets (6-22, 4-12)
It was a rough debut in the Big South for VMI, as injuries really hampered the Keydets throughout the year, causing them to play with a different lineup almost every night. Radee Skipworth, the team’s leading scorer and one of the conference’s most talented players was rarely 100 percent after spraining his ankle early in the year. Even though he had a great season, it would not have been hard to imagine him having an amazing season if he was healthy all year. Freshman Matt Murrer was a pleasant surprise, as he led the conference in field goal percentage and played big in some of the Keydets victories.
Team MVP – Radee Skipworth (16.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.1 spg)
Top Scorer – Radee Skipworth (16.0 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Radee Skipworth (6.2 rpg)
Top Assists – Richard Little (5.9 apg)
Starters Leaving
Radee Skipworth (graduating)
Richard Little (graduating)
Key Returning Players
Matt Murrer (freshman forward, 58.2 FG%)
Tim Allmond (junior center, 4.5 rpg)
Matt Coward (freshman guard, 3.1 apg)
With the Keydets losing its two best players in Skipworth and Little, it will be difficult to see them winning a lot of games next year. Murrer will be counted on to be the main contributor, but the team will need someone to become a playmaker along the lines of the two departing seniors.
Charleston Southern Buccaneers (6-22, 3-13)
The Bucs had to know that they would have a tough season after losing a handful of key players from last year’s team, but they probably did not expect to start as slowly as they did. CSU did not beat a Division I team until Dec. 30 and started the conference season 0-11. However, the emergence of Kurtis Rice as a scoring threat, along with the always consistent play from point guard Ed O’Neil led to wins in three of their last six games, along with several close calls. The Bucs just did not have the athleticism, experience, or depth to regularly win games, especially early on.
Team MVP – Ed O’Neil (9.3 ppg, 5.8 apg, 2.3 spg)
Top Scorer – Kurtis Rice (13.1 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Kurtis Rice (5.2 rpg)
Top Assists – Ed O’Neil (5.8 apg)
Starters Leaving
Ed O’Neil (graduating)
Key Returning Players
Kurtis Rice (junior forward, 13.1 ppg)
Trent Drafts (junior forward, 8.7 ppg)
Nathan Ball (junior center, 4.1 rpg)
O’Neil was the heart and soul of this Buccaneer team for the last few seasons, so somehow CSU will have to find a way to win without him. The Bucs have some talent, especially in the frontcourt, but some solid backcourt contributors are going to have to emerge if they want to climb much in the standings next season.
Conference Outlook for Next Season
There should be very few major changes in the Big South heading into next season. No schools are leaving and no new schools are joining the fray. Also, there have been no coaching changes so far in the off-season (and none are expected at this point). The biggest change could come with the inclusion of Birmingham-Southern into the Big South Tournament next season, a year earlier than expected. In the NCAA’s off-season meetings, the possible revocation of the 5/8 rule is getting all of the attention, but they are also planning on changing the rules regarding the eligibility of teams getting at-large bids. If the change goes through, Birmingham-Southern will be eligible to compete for the Big South’s automatic bid in the 2004-2005 season.
