The Big South remains one of the premier one-bid mid-major conferences in Division I men’s basketball. Despite growing difficulties for all nine programs to retain players, the conference should once again be geared toward an exciting season. High Point is the favorite to retain its title, with programs like Winthrop, Longwood, Radford and UNC Asheville remaining in contention for a possible bid steal at the end of the season.
Here are the nine Big South programs ranked on their likelihood to cut down the nets in Johnson City, Tennessee, along with a player per team who is poised to have a banner year.
1. High Point Panthers
Player to Watch: Rob Martin, Senior, Guard
High Point finally cut down the nets last season in Johnson City, but most of the group of players that got them there are gone. The team also won the regular-season title after going a blistering 14-2 in the Big South last season. Kezza Giffa, Kimani Hamilton, D’Maurian Williams and Bobby Pettiford left the program over the summer after securing High Point’s first-ever Big South Tournament title. To make matters even more complicated, head coach Alan Huss left to join Creighton as the head coach in waiting, prompting the internal hire of Flynn Clayman as the new head coach.
As for the new arrivals, Rob Martin and Youssouf Singare stand out. Martin played a pivotal role in SEMO’s first-place regular-season finish in the OVC and averaged 14.8 points per game on 46% shooting. If Clayman continues the style of basketball High Point has grown accustomed to, Martin will have plenty of chances to drop 20 points in a game.
2. Winthrop Eagles
Player to Watch: Daylen Berry, Senior, Guard
Winthrop was agonizingly close to pulling off a major bid-steal in the 2025 Big South title game against High Point, but the Eagles ran out of gas. They finished third in the conference last year with an 11-5 conference record. Winthrop was also 16-2 at home last year, which has only further solidified its brand as one of the toughest teams to play on its home floor in all one-bid conferences.
Kelton Talford, an icon of Rock Hill, South Carolina, graduated in the offseason and now the school looks for its new big name. There’s no reason why it can’t be Daylen Berry, a free-scoring shooting guard from Charleston Southern. Berry was instrumental for one of Winthrop’s Big South rivals, averaging about 14 points and five rebounds per game. Winthrop, regardless of who it loses and who it gains, will challenge the top of the conference any given year.
3. Longwood Lancers
Player to Watch: Elijah Tucker, Senior, Forward
Griff Aldrich is no longer coaching the Lancers, having taken the associate head coaching position at Virginia in the offseason. With the promotion of Ronnie Thomas to head coach, Longwood brought in plenty of new faces. However, it’s the five returners who might be more influential.
They had a frustrating year in 2024-25, finishing sixth in the conference with a 7-9 record. Elijah Tucker is still a Lancer, which is probably the biggest news that occurred in the offseason from a roster-construction standpoint. Tucker averaged just under 10 points per game and shot 58% last season. He was a clear bright spot in a season that fell short of expectations.
With the additions of Alphonzo Billups III and Jacoi Hutchinson, along with the impressive returning talent, Longwood is equipped with the tools it needs to get back to title contention.
4. Radford Highlanders
Player to Watch: Dennis Parker Jr., Junior, Guard
Radford lost hometown hero and coach Darris Nichols to La Salle last offseason and Zach Chu came in from SMU to replace him. While Chu has never been a head coach at the Division I level, he brings extensive NBA and college analytical experience to the Highlanders. Following Radford’s quietly impressive year in 2024-25, the roster looks almost entirely different, with only Zion Walker remaining from last year’s team.
Among the new arrivals is Dennis Parker Jr. from North Carolina State. A four-star recruit and top-100 player nationally in the 2023 class, Parker Jr. played in 52 games over two seasons for the ACC school. He was a part of the NC State run to the Final Four two years ago. He averaged 3.8 points per game and shot 40% from the field last season, with a breakout performance against Vanderbilt in the non-conference slate, where he recorded 18 points and nine rebounds.
5. UNC Asheville Bulldogs
Player to Watch: Toyaz Solomon, Fifth year, Forward
UNC Asheville and Mike Morrell have been near the top of the conference for what seems like forever. The team finished 11-5 in conference play, including a win over the eventual champions, High Point.
UNC Asheville saw the emergence of guard Jordan Marsh. He averaged 18.8 points per game and shot over 44% from the field, earning Big South Newcomer of the Year.
Upon Marsh’s transfer to USC, Asheville will likely lean on Toyaz Solomon like they have done for the past two seasons. Solomon, like Marsh, was instrumental to the Bulldogs’ second-place finish last season, scoring 15.7 points per game and shooting 61% from the field while playing in all 32 games.
6. Charleston Southern Buccaneers
Player to Watch: A’lahn Sumler, Junior, Guard
Charleston Southern has finished seventh in the Big South for two straight seasons, a drop from the more competitive campaigns it enjoyed not long ago. The Buccaneers went 6-10 in league play last year and now face life without one of their all-time greats, Taje’ Kelly.
With Kelly gone, head coach Saah Nimley needs a new go-to scorer — and A’lahn Sumler could be the answer. The preseason All-Big South second-team pick missed all of the 2024-25 season with an injury but was redshirted. If he returns to full strength, Sumler has the potential to be one of the league’s most dangerous scorers after averaging 14 points and shooting 40% from the field in 2023-24, when he earned All-Big South honorable mention honors.
7. Presbyterian Blue Hose
Player to Watch: Iverson King, Sophomore, Guard
Quinton Ferrell and Presbyterian finished fifth in the Big South last season. Following their elimination from the Big South Tournament quarterfinals, they participated in the CBI for the second consecutive year. Postseason basketball is an excellent experience for the Blue Hose as they have one of the youngest rosters in the conference. One of their young playmakers is Iverson King, who was named to the all-freshman team last year after putting up 5.6 points per game, and will be a key part of their quest to challenge the top of the conference.
8. USC Upstate Spartans
Player to Watch: Karmani Gregory, Junior, Guard
Another program that entered last season with a first-year head coach, USC Upstate won only two conference games and was eliminated by Gardner-Webb in the Big South tournament play-in round. Despite the disappointing campaign, the Spartans saw the rise of freshman standout Mister Dean, who averaged 15.7 points per game and earned Big South Freshman of the Year honors. Dean’s breakout season attracted Power Five attention, and he transferred to Charleston in the offseason.
Junior guard Karmani Gregory, who averaged 11.1 points per game last year, returns as a key piece. If the Spartans and head coach Marty Richter are to make noise this season, it will likely be behind Gregory’s offensive ability.
9. Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs
Player to Watch: Jamias Ferere, Freshman, Guard
The Runnin’ Bulldogs finished eighth in the conference last year in Jeremy Luther’s first season at the helm. They had a few decent wins at home in the conference, but their lack of depth on the offensive side of the ball kept them behind most of the other Big South schools.
Jamaine Mann, Buddy Simmons II and Anthony Selden, Gardner-Webb’s top three scorers, all left the program in the summer. The addition of true freshman Jamais Ferere will pay dividends this season. A gifted scorer from Putnam Science Academy, Ferere averaged 16 points a game there and was subsequently named North Carolina District Seven Player of the Year. The Runnin’ Bulldogs have some more building to do and may face some early struggles as they adjust to the losses of Simmons, Selden and Mann.
