Fab Five: A Big South Recap Week 4
A Recap of the last week and preview of the next week
Truly one of our most tame weeks so far in the Big South, let’s regroup, recap, and preview the next week of action in the Big South.
Talking Points:
1. UNC Asheville STILL Top of the Pack.
After 4 weeks of Big South action, must like last week. UNC Asheville is still in 1st place after wins over Charleston Southern and Gardner Webb. High Point is .5 games back (having played 1 more game than UNCA) after their sweep of Upstate and Winthrop. Then Longwood in 3rd, 1 game back of Asheville after their sweep of Radford and Upstate.
2. Road Resurgence
Finally the road teams have started to add a few wins, this week going 3-1 on Thursday and 2-2 on Saturday.
This moves the home teams to 24-8 this season, still tied the highest percentage in all of CBB with the Patriot League and only around 3% behind the all time Home/Road split record (in the KenPom Era) held by the MCC in 2000 at 78.6%
3. HISTORY IN THE MAKING?
The Big South seems poised to break some records both for the conference in KenPom but maybe even player career records.
Right now in the KenPom Era (1997 and after) the 2024 Big South is having it’s best year in Efficency (111), Effective FG% (52.2 tied with 2020), TO% (16.4), and Home Record (24-8). Along with potentially having 4 teams
4. Presbyterian Sweep Big South Weekly Honors
For the first time since last year, a team sweeps Freshman of the Week and Player of the Week, and like last year it was Presbyterian.
Kobe Stewart won Player of the Week after talling 16 points in their win vs Charleston Southern and a career high 28 in their loss to Radford.
Iverson King won Freshman of the Week after grabbing 10 rebounds in the Charleston Southern win and a career high 14 points in their game vs Radford.
5. Big South Hoops Hub Coaching Carousel Coming Soon…
Worried about you coach leaving this offseason, I rate the likelyhood of each coach leaving, getting fired, and more coming.
Thursday Jan 30th, 2025.
(Because of these late season articles, recaps will be few and far between. I will make up for this with the other content. Don’t you worry.)
3 Best Games of Next Week
3. Charleston Southern at USC Upstate
In a game of what could have been, Charleston Southern had very high aspirations entering the season but that got derailed by two preseason injuries to Sumler and Patrick. Upstate has looked pretty good for Upstate standards with Freshman star Mister Dean but could be better if they weren’t without star transfer Kanye Jones.
This will probably be the closest games, and it will be a battle of a slower CSU offense versus the high speed Upstate offense, I lean with the speed and depth of Upstate.
Prediction: CSU 72 - USC Upstate 79
2. Gardner Webb at Winthrop
One of the most interesting matchups of the weekend in MM hoops, two former Big South powers who has slightly fallen down the standings are hoping to get back on track with a win. Winthrop coming off back to back losses to Asheville and High Point and GWU coming off a bye game after losing to Asheville.
This should be a good game, I do give the edge to Winthrop both with a better roster and home court.
Prediction: GWU 81 - Winthrop 91 in OT
1. Radford at UNC Asheville
Probably the biggest game of the week both for the standings and for entertainment, Radford is trekking down to Asheville to face #1 in the Big South, UNC Asheville. This matchup will likely come down to Toyaz Solomon and Jordan Marsh versus Josiah Harris and Jarvis Moss.
I give the edge to Harris and Moss despite being on Asheville’s home court, Asheville is due from some regression.
Prediction: Radford 81 - UNC Asheville 72