Big South Conference Preview
Everybody is now invited. After an NCAA ruling early in the off-season, Birmingham-Southern will be allowed to compete for the Big South’s automatic bid a year sooner than expected. Birmingham-Southern, which finished tied for first in the regular season last year with Liberty, has been in an NCAA-mandated transition period in the last few years and unable to compete for the conference’s automatic berth into the Big Dance. With this change, all nine of the league’s teams will be competing for the eight conference tournament slots that will be available at the end of the regular season. And just like last season, the tournament will be held at the site of the higher seed for each game, placing a high premium on regular season success.
Other than the inclusion of Birmingham-Southern into the conference tournament, there have not been any other notable changes in the league over the summer. There were no head coaching changes after last season and no teams left the conference and no new teams are being introduced this year.
On the court, the fight for the chance to dance in March should be intense with more than half of the teams coming into the season with a legitimate shot at the championship. Liberty is the defending champion and despite some key personnel losses, the Flames cannot be overlooked. High Point suffered an embarrassing 45 point loss in the conference championship game, but Bart Lundy’s squad returns the reigning player of the year (Danny Gathings) and an impressive supporting cast. UNC Asheville, Radford, and Winthrop also have teams that could show up at or near the top of the standings when the season is finished. Finally, Birmingham-Southern could make its first appearance in the conference tournament memorable as they have been chosen by the league’s coaches and SIDs as the favorites to win it all.
And if you are fan of Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, or VMI, all is not lost. Surprises have often happened in this league, and even though each of those teams has some big question-marks, it is not unheard of for a team picked at or near the bottom of the Big South to find its way into the field of 65 come March.
Pre-season All-Conference Team
Larry Blair, Liberty
Danny Gathings, High Point
Whit Holcomb-Faye, Radford
Jakob Sigurdarson, Birmingham-Southern
Zione White, High Point
Conference MVP – Danny Gathings, High Point
It is hard to pick against the defending player of the year, and Gathings has given us no reason to believe that he will not be an even better player this year. The Panthers’ senior forward has great court awareness and an ability to score in a variety of a ways. Expect Gathings to be in the top five of most of the league’s statistical categories when this season is finished.
Freshman of the Year – Chris Moore, Charleston Southern
There is plenty of young talent coming into the league, and over a handful of players could walk home with this award. However, Moore is being described as one of the more dynamic newcomers to the conference and this freshman guard should get plenty of playing time in the Buccaneer backcourt this season, allowing him to put up big numbers.
Newcomer of the Year – Otis Daniels, Winthrop
Daniels is a versatile forward that led Gardner-Webb in scoring two years ago and transferred to Winthrop just in time to fill the void left by the graduating Tyrone Walker. He presents a match-up problem because of his ability to score around the basket and hit the perimeter jumper. He could also be among the league leaders in rebounds and will bring a high-level of intensity to the court that should endear him with head coach Gregg Marshall.
Defensive Player of the Year – Shema Mbyirukira, Birmingham-Southern
No shot around the paint is safe with Mbyirukira lurking around. And with the an additional fifteen points added to his lanky 6-11 frame over the off-season, his defensive presence will only become more imposing this year.
1. High Point Panthers
(Last Season: 19-11; 10-6, T-3rd in Big South)
Projected Starters:
C – Jerry Echenique, Senior – 6-6, 260 (11.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
F – Danny Gathings, Senior – 6-6, 205 (15.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg)
F – Arizona Reid, Freshman – 6-5, 205 (True freshman)
G – Akeem Scott, Junior – 6-1, 180 (JuCo transfer)
G – Zione White, Senior – 6-3, 175 (13.7 ppg, 59 3-pointers made)
If losing your conference championship game by 45 points on national television does not give you motivation heading into the following season, then nothing will. So count on High Point having a chip on its shoulder along with a vast amount of talent and athleticism this season after falling in last season’s championship 89-44 to Liberty. Returning to head coach Bart Lundy’s squad in his second season is a strong trio of starters in Gathings, White, and Echenique to join an impressive array of freshmen and transfers that should lift the Panthers to the top of the standings.
Gathings will lead the way once again for High Point with last season’s Big South Player of the Year trophy sitting in his trophy case. The versatile forward should get plenty of help from White and Echenique, who both averaged in double-figures last year. However, the biggest strength of this Panther team could come from the unknown, as Lundy brought in seven new players, with most of them slated to get plenty of playing time. The new batch features Scott, who could start immediately at point guard, and Reid, an explosive scorer from Gaffney (SC) High School. The biggest star of the new bunch could end up being Mark Wilson, a JuCo transfer who spent part of last year at North Texas and will be eligible after the first semester ends. The 6-4, 215 lb. forward should step in immediately and contribute right when the conference games are about to begin.
It is probably safe to say that High Point features the most athletic team in the league and will be on a mission to show that the loss to Liberty last year was a fluke. About the only things that will stop them from making a serious run at the title is if Lundy cannot get the new players to blend with the old, or if his team decides not to play defense.
2. Birmingham-Southern Panthers
(Last Season: 20-7 overall, 12-4 Big South, T-1st in conference)
Projected Starters:
G – James Collins, Junior – 6-2, 170 (10.5 ppg, 49.4 3pt%)
G – Bucky McMillan, Sophomore – 6-3, 175 (2.9 ppg, 41.7 3pt%)
C – Shema Mbyirukira, Senior – 6-11, 210 (11.0 ppg, 2.1 bpg)
G – Jakob Sigurdarson, Senior – 6-5, 185 (14.7 ppg, 48.5 3pt%)
F – Thomas Viglianco, Junior – 6-9, 225 (Transfer from William & Mary)
Last season, if Birmingham-Southern was given an opportunity to compete in the conference tournament, the Panthers would have had the best chance of any in the league to knock off Liberty. This season, they will get their opportunity to show how they can play in March, and Duane Reboul’s team is very capable of beating anyone that will stand in their way.
The Panthers lost two valuable pieces from last year’s team in power forward Grant Davis and point guard Derrick Williams, but the returning players are talented and experienced. Among the returnees, all-conference guard Sigurdarson leads the way, with a potent outside shot and an ability to take the ball to the basket. Collins joins him in the backcourt and is poised for a breakout year. Last year, the Panthers led the nation in three-point shooting percentage, and with those two on the outside along with McMillan, they should be one of the nation’s best from beyond the arc again this season. Once you add the presence of Mbyirukira on the inside, you have all of the makings of a devastating inside/outside game. Newcomers include the very athletic Arnold Gore, a 6-5 swingman that will enter this year as a redshirt freshman, and Viglianco, a William & Mary transfer that will give the Panthers another weapon in the frontcourt to help Mbyirukira.
Reboul has proven in years past that he can reload after losing a few key parts from his teams. With a senior-laden roster of talented guards and interior players, this is a team with very few weaknesses. If the Panthers can avoid further attacks from the injury bug (they just lost senior forward Sredrick Powe to a season-ending elbow injury), they have every reason to think that their first conference tournament appearance could end up being memorable.
3. Winthrop Eagles
(Last Season: 16-12 overall, 10-6 Big South, T-3rd in conference)
Projected Starters:
F – Craig Bradshaw, Sophomore – 6-10, 230 (2.3 ppg, 38.1 3pt%)
F – Otis Daniels, Junior – 6-5, 220 (Transfer from Gardner-Webb)
C – Billy Houston, Junior – 6-8, 230 (7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
G – Torrell Martin, Sophomore – 6-5, 185 (8.4 ppg, 1.9 spg)
G – James Shuler, Junior – 6-6, 210 (8.7 ppg, 3.8 apg)
Head coach Gregg Marshall and the Eagles found themselves in an unfamiliar position last year, finishing tied for third in the conference and out after the first round of the Big South tournament. Things did not get much better after the season concluded. Ivan Jenkins, who started six of the first seven games at point guard last season before being sidelined with a knee injury, decided to transfer. Jenkins’ departure leaves the point guard either in the hands of Martin and Shuler (who both filled in last year, despite being out-of-position) or with freshman Chris Gaynor. The 5-10 Gaynor is the point guard of the future for the Eagles, but he may be asked to step in right away.
Uncertainty at point guard along with an inexperienced roster will be the biggest obstacle for Marshall and the Eagles to overcome. However, the cupboard is not bare for Winthrop, as Marshall has plenty of athleticism and versatility at his disposal along with the proven leadership of Marshall. Martin and Shuler were both hampered by lingering injuries last year, but both are both able to play three positions and score from anywhere on the court. They will join other returnees Bradshaw (who played on the New Zealand Olympic team in Athens) and Houston to form the core of the team that welcomes ten new faces to the roster. Daniels should step in and contribute immediately as the Gardner-Webb transfer does not need any time to adapt to the Division I game. Other newcomers such as Gaynor and freshmen forwards Scott Draughn and Taj McCullough have plenty of upside and should get quite a bit of playing time right away.
Winthrop should have the size, speed, and strength to battle with anyone in the league, especially on the defensive side of the ball and on the boards. They also have a coach that has won with teams that did not have the athleticism or size of this team. The biggest questions lie with the inexperience of the squad and the ability to produce consistently on the offensive end. A top-tier finish will be possible if the ball can find the basket with regularity. If the offense struggles, do not be surprised to see the Eagles stuck in the middle of the pack.
4. UNC Asheville Bulldogs
(Last Season: 9-20 overall, 6-10 Big South, 7th in conference)
Projected Starters:
F – Joseph Barber, Senior – 6-9, 235 (9.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
G – Omar Collington, Junior – 6-1, 185 (7.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
G – K.J. Garland, Sophomore – 6-1, 170 (9.9 ppg, 2.7 apg)
F – Oliver Holmes, Junior – 6-6, 205 (8.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
F – Bryan McCullough, Senior – 6-6, 205 (10.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
As is normally the case, UNC Asheville must go through the guarantee-game gauntlet before heading into conference play. With teams like Maryland, Texas Tech, and Michigan State on the schedule, the Bulldogs will almost certainly take their lumps early in the year as they collect their large checks. Head coach Eddie Biedenbach’s teams in the past usually rebound well once conference play starts, especially when he has an older, more experienced team. If that trend holds, this could end up being a great season for UNCA as essentially the entire roster from last year returns.
The seasoned roster is headlined by McCullough, a forward that has the court awareness of a point guard, and Garland, one of the brightest young stars of the conference. They will get plenty of help from Collington and Holmes, who both have seen their game improve greatly since their arrival in Asheville. The biggest boost for the team, though, should come with the return of Barber, who missed most of last season with a knee injury. Barber, who was an important piece of UNCA’s team that made the NCAAs two years ago, can create havoc for defenses as he is big and strong enough to play well around the paint, but also has great touch from outside. Also expect junior forward Chad Mohn and senior forward Billy Allen to have big games for the Bulldogs this winter.
Asheville has the potential to be a very dangerous team after it gets through with its vicious early-season schedule. They do not have the athleticism of High Point or the sharp shooting of Birmingham-Southern, but they have a balanced attack that can create problems for defenses around the league. The X-factor could come in the form of 7-1 sophomore center C.J. Walker. Walker was strictly a project on the offensive end of the court last year, but was twelfth in the nation in blocked shots in very limited minutes. If his offensive game improves dramatically from last year, he gives the Bulldogs an extra weapon that could push them to among the conference’s elite teams. Otherwise, a finish anywhere from third to sixth should be expected for Asheville.
5. Liberty Flames
(Last Season: 18-15 overall, 12-4 Big South, T-1st in conference)
Projected Starters:
G – Larry Blair, Sophomore – 6-1, 185 (13.4 ppg, 62 3-pointers made)
G/F – David Dees, Sophomore – 6-5, 200 (10.2 ppg, 53 3-pointers made)
F – Leo Lightbourne, Senior – 6-8, 215 (2.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
F – Rashad Robinson, Junior – 6-9, 260 (JuCo transfer)
G – Brian Woodson, Senior – 6-3, 195 (5.3 ppg, 4.7 apg)
A finish near the top of the standings would not be startling for the defending Big South champs, but Randy Dunton’s squad lost plenty of pieces from his first place team of last season and he will have to patch up a few holes in order to cut down the nets again. Luckily for Dunton, Blair and Dees return after remarkable freshman seasons and should keep the Flames in the thick of things with their sharp outside shooting and playmaking ability. But will they have enough help in the paint to return to the Big Dance?
Liberty lost almost its entire frontcourt as Gabe Martin, Louvon Sneed, Jason Sarchet, and Glyn Turner have all seen their college basketball days numbered. This leaves a glaring hole in the middle as the Flames will be forced to rely on newcomers such as Robinson and inexperienced players such as Lightbourne to keep defenses from keying on the talented backcourt and keeping offenses from exploiting the middle of the Flames’ defense.
Woodson will again run the point for the Flames, and the backcourt should get a boost with the return of Jeremy Monceaux to the lineup. Monceaux missed almost the entire season last year due to injury and he gives the Flames and extra weapon from outside. Freshman Rell Porter also gives the Flames a possible replacement for the invaluable Martin, as this 6-7 swingman could get plenty of playing time early.
With Blair and Dees on the court, Liberty can win plenty of games, but the ultimate success of this team will hinge on the development of the big men. Look for inconsistency to plague the Flames early in the year, but Dunton has been able to push the right buttons the last two years, so do not be surprised if he is able to do it again this season.
6. Radford Highlanders
(Last Season: 12-16 overall, 7-9 Big South, 6th place in conference)
Projected Starters:
G – Whit Holcomb-Faye, Junior – 6-1, 169 (17.5 ppg, 4.1 apg)
F – Chris Oliver, Sophomore – 6-7, 201 (6.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
G – Olumuyiwa Popoola, Senior – 6-3, 185 (9.8 ppg, 44.1 3pt%)
G – Branden Smith, Freshman – 6-3, 170 (True freshman)
C – Ivan Wilson, Junior – 6-9, 243 (JuCo transfer)
Head coach Byron Samuels’ Highlanders have been a pesky team the last couple of years, but have been a few ingredients short of a championship-caliber team. With Holcomb-Faye still running the show in the Dedmon Center, Radford will again give other teams fits, but unless the young, inexperienced frontcourt can give the talented backcourt some help, the Highlanders will likely be a middle-of-the-pack team once again this year.
Samuels will have plenty of backcourt talent this season, with Holcomb-Faye capable of a conference MVP season and Popoola’s strong defense and ability to hit the three-point shot. They will be joined by sharp shooting Chris Goodin and the freshman Smith, who is one of the favorites to take home the league’s Freshman of the Year award. The frontcourt has some talent as well, but the whole front line is young and there is no way to tell how they will blend with each other and with the guards. Oliver had a solid freshman year and could be the core of the group. He should get some help from senior Brandon Jeffers and a host of new players. The newcomers include 6-8 freshman Josh Fox, 6-9, 300 pound freshman Colby Trent, 7-0 freshman Duane Ricks, and JuCo transfer Wilson.
Newcomers have been able to take this conference by storm in the past, so there is nothing to prevent the young group in the paint to play well right away and put Radford near the top of the heap. The progress of the frontcourt along with the ability to keep Holcomb-Faye healthy will define this team. A good year is definitely possible for the Highlanders, but a championship run may have to wait until next year.
7. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
(Last Season: 14-15 overall, 8-8 Big South, 5th in conference)
Projected Starters:
G – Alvin Green, Senior – 5-9, 160 (7.1 ppg, 3.7 apg)
F – Clint Nagel, Senior – 6-7, 200 (3.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
G – Pele Paelay, Junior – 6-4, 190 (5.5 ppg, 40.6 3pt%)
C – Matthijs Reinders, Senior – 6-11, 225 (1.7 ppg, 1.2 rpg)
F – Moses Sonko, Sophomore – 6-5, 205 (6.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
With seven seniors leaving the team after last season, it seems that Pete Strickland’s Chanticleers missed their chance to climb to the top of the conference. The Chants no longer have the conference’s second-leading scorer E.J. Gallup and Brandon Newby, a solid scorer in his own right and the heart of last year’s club. At the time this article is being written, Coastal only has a sparse eleven man squad that features a group of players that have been waiting for their time to shine.
The backbone of this year’s team will be Green. He has been the starting point guard the whole time he has been with Coastal, and he will allow Coastal to stay in games with his harassing perimeter defense and playmaking ability. However, Green is not suited to shoulder the scoring load, so players such as Paelay and Sonko need to take the step up from solid role players to key contributors this year. Another possible offensive source could come from Nagel, who has generally been only asked to provide help on the defensive end and on the boards in the past. Help could also come from the recruiting class that Strickland brought in. The highlights of the class are 6-3 Jack Leasure and 6-8 Chad Ferguson. Leasure has been compared favorably to the departed Gallup whereas Ferguson gives the Chants some much needed size and athleticism.
Coastal will not likely hit rock bottom despite losing so many players, but it is also not likely that this team has enough depth or offensive firepower to be a contender either. Green will have to put his teammates in positions to succeed and limit his turnovers in order to keep the Chants competitive this season.
8. Charleston Southern Buccaneers
(Last Season: 6-22 overall, 3-13 Big South, 9th in conference)
Projected Starters:
C – Nathan Ball, Senior – 6-9, 205 (8.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
G – Terrell Brown, Junior – 5-9, 155 (6.4 ppg, 2.3 apg)
F – Trent Drafts, Senior – 6-6, 175 (8.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
G – Chris Moore, Freshman – 6-2, 170 (True freshman)
F – Kurtis Rice, Senior – 6-4, 205 (13.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
It took a long time for the Bucs to find any success last season, but Jim Platt’s squad ended up winning three out of its last six games to end an otherwise disastrous season on a pretty good note. Charleston Southern will look to capitalize on the momentum created late last year, but they will have to do it without point guard Ed O’Neil. O’Neil graduated as one of the best players to ever wear a CSU uniform and his ability on both ends of the court and his leadership will be missed immensely.
Luckily for Platt, O’Neil was the only significant off-season loss, so he can bank on having a team with some experience and some players that came on strong at the end of the year. Rice was expected to be a big scorer from the start last year after he transferred to the team, but it took a while for him to find his groove. However, he played very big down the stretch and was a major reason that the Bucs gave people fits to close out the year. Ball and Drafts also had big games, and these two seniors will be expected to carry the load along with Rice. Unlike most teams in the league, CSU’s experience is found in the frontcourt and they will be relying on younger players to anchor the perimeter. Brown will be expected to fill O’Neil’s shoes at the point and he has plenty of speed, but has not proven to be a good shooter yet in his career. But Brown may not have to score much if he can get some help from Moore, the highly touted 6-2 freshman guard from Morganton, NC. Moore should step in from day one and give the Bucs a scoring punch from the backcourt.
Most teams would be picked to finish high in the standings if they only lost one player and had three talented, experienced seniors returning to the starting frontcourt. However, the loss of O’Neil strips the Bucs of the heart from their past few seasons and there is very little depth to help support a decent starting lineup. The Bucs may end up being a little better than they were a year ago, but do not expect to see significant improvement.
9. VMI Keydets
(Last Season: 6-22 overall, 4-12 Big South, 8th in conference)
Projected Starters:
C – Tim Allmond, Senior – 6-9, 220 (6.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
G – Matt Coward, Sophomore – 5-10, 160 (5.3 ppg, 3.1 apg)
G – Levar Joseph, Junior – 6-2, 170 (8.5 ppg, 42.1 3pt%)
F – Matt Murrer, Sophomore – 6-7, 185 (8.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
F – Reggie Williams, Freshman – 6-5, 195 (True freshman)
If there is one team in this entire preview that will finish far from where they are predicted, the Keydets will be that team. On one end, this is a team that struggled through most of last season and saw its two best players, Radee Skipworth and Richard Little, both graduate from the program. On the other end, this is also a team that was ravaged by injuries and other problems last year, so there is no way to know how good VMI could have been last year, or could be this year.
Of the returning players, only Murrer and Coward played significant minutes and stayed healthy last season. Among the others, Joseph had a great start, especially behind the arc, but became ineligible eight games into the year. Allmond, along with the 6-6 Sam Mielnik and 6-9 Tadas Mankevicius made up a walking-wounded front line last year that rarely saw any of them at full strength. Along with their nagging injuries, 6-6 junior forward Preston Beverly managed to only play four games before his season was cut short by injury. Therefore, nobody in the Big South knows what to expect of this Keydet team if it stays healthy. Murrer is the only sure thing on the team, as the sophomore forward led the conference last year in field goal percentage (58.2 percent) and should only get better. Coward had plenty of playing time at the backup point guard position last year, but he had as many turnovers as assists and shot under 30 percent so he needs to handle and shoot the ball better if VMI wants to win this year.
The key to success for the Keydets not only starts with staying healthy, but also on a talented recruiting class that has the potential to lift this team even if injuries do knock out a few players. Williams is the best of the bunch and was the MVP of the Virginia High School all-star game last year. He will be joined by 6-2 guard Zach West and 6-5 forward Borko Popic as the freshmen that are most likely to make an impact for head coach Bart Bellairs’ team. Do not be surprised if VMI ends up finishing in the middle-tier of the league, but it is just too hard to see where this team is going due to its youth and the injury problems from a year ago.
Closing Thoughts
Last year’s postseason proved that home-court is very important during the conference tournament as home teams went 6-1 in the new tournament format. Now that all of the coaches, players, and fans have seen the impact that the tournament seeding now has, expect the intensity of the regular season games to get turned up a notch as every team jockeys for the right to host tournament games. With a large cast of talented newcomers and plenty of returning talent, there should be no shortage of excitement or suspense in the 2004-2005 season in the Big South.
