Big South Hoops Hub Non Conference Recap and Awards
Recapping the Big South Non Conference Slate
With non conference coming to a close, and conference play coming to a start on Jan, 2nd. I would like to shine a light on the great games, teams and players from the non conference part of the season.
Big South Hoops Hub Impresssive Team:
Radford
Originally picked 7th in the preseason media poll, Radford currently sits with the 4th best record in the conference and at times has looked like the best team in the conference.
Radford has marquee wins over Purdue Fort Wayne, Evansville, and St Francis placing them 2nd in the Big South in the NET Rating only behind High Point. Led by a group of transfers in Jarvis Moss and Isaiah Gaines mixed with returners like Josiah Harris and Truth Harrus, Radford got to 10 wins and had their best start since the 1981-82 season.
Honorable Mentions: High Point and Presbyterian
Big South Hoops Hub MVP Award:
D’Maurian Williams (High Point)
The best player on debatebly the best team in the conference, D’ Maurian Williams has been outstanding leading High Point with 15.3 PPG and has the most rebounds by a guard with 3.5 RPG and 2nd most assists with 3 APG behind Bobby Pettiford.
D’ Maurian has yet to have a game below 100 in KenPom Offensive Rating, and High Point in 8-0 when he has an offensive rating of 120+. Not to mention him having the highest PRPG! rating of all Big South players on BartTorvik.
Honorable Mentions: Taje’ Kelly and Jarvis Moss
Big South Hoops Hub Best Game Award:
Radford at Evansville 11-16-2024
Usually when a team is down 22 with 1:31 left in the 1st half, that is usually a death sentence, just look forward to the next game. For Darris Nichols and his Radford team, they have the opponent RIGHT WHERE THEY WANT THEM.
Radford would go on a 20-0 run right after going down 22, closing the game to a 2 point game, then would take the lead with 7:32 left in the 2nd half with an Ibu Yamazaki 3, and then going back and forth, Radford had a 15-2 run to basically ice the game winning the game 92-81. Resulting in at the time biggest CBB comeback of the year and as of today the 3rd biggest of the season.
Honorable Mentions: UNC Asheville vs Central Arkansas and UT Martin vs Longwood
Big South Hoops Hub Best Performance Award:
Chase Johnston vs Coppin State 11-6-2024
The highest scoring performance in a win this season so far, also seems to be the best just all around (in a win). Opening night vs Coppin State, Chase Johnston lit the Qubein Center a blaze with his 31 point performance on 84% from the field.
Along with this record breaking shooting from Johnston he also tallied 3 rebounds and 2 assists, his 9 three pointers in a High Point record vs A D1 opponent, along with having the biggest margin of victory against in D1 school in High Point’s history.
Honorable Mentions: Taje Kelly vs North Alabama, Jarvis Moss vs Evansville, RJ Johnson, Thompson Camra and Taje Kelly vs Miami
Big South Hoops Hub Non Conference First Team:
G: Jarvis Moss - Radford (15.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 37% 3PT Percentage)
The “leader” of the 10 win Radford Highlanders, Jarvis Moss early in the season looked like the best guard in the conference, while he might not be the clear best guard, he is still one of the better guards on one of the best teams.
G: D’ Maurian Williams - High Point (15.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3 APG, 48.7% 3PT Percentage)
I had to include a High Point player, and the answer was actually pretty easy. D’ Maurian Williams has been the best player on High Point so far, his shooting has been lights out, the offense is HUMMING with him on the court.
F: Taje’ Kelly - Charleston Southern (18.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 35.2 MPG)
While Charleston Southern might not be having the best season, Taje Kelly has been a VERY BIG bright spot for the team. Taje Kelly leads the Big South in PPG, RPG, Field Goals Made Per Game, Points Produced Per Game, and is 3rd in MPG. From the dates of 11-30 to 12-22 he had 5 double doubles in 6 games.
F: Kelton Talford - Winthrop (14.8 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 55.9% FG Percentage)
One of the Winthrop returners, Kelton Talford is back as the leader of Winthrop again, and he seems to have taken another small leap up. This year he leads Winthrop in PPG and RPG and helped this team get to 10 wins in non conference for the FIRST time in the Mark Prosser era.
C: Toyaz Solomon - UNC Asheville (14.9 PPG, 7.8 RPG 1.4 BPG)
Finding a true number 5 to give this spot to was hard, but one name stood out. Toyaz Solomon. The senior (that will get one maybe two more years) has filled Drew Pember’s role pretty well. Toyaz is 2nd on the team in PPG, and 1st in rebounds per game.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Marsh, RJ Johnson, Brit Harris, Mister Dean, Kimani Hamilton, Juslin Bodo Bodo