Fab Five: A Big South Recap Week 5

The weekly recap covering the exciting world of Big South Men's Basketball

As we now start to enter the 2nd half of conference play, the road to Johnson City is becoming clear by the week, so let’s recap this past week, and preview a VERY GOOD week of Big South action ahead of us.

Talking Points:

1. Asheville STILL Top of the Big South Mountain

Due in part to their bye game on Saturday, UNC Asheville is still atop the Big South after their win on Thursday over Radford, but now UNC Asheville has to play 8 straight games before heading to Johnson City.

High Point is .5 games back after their two wins and will face UNC Asheville on Saturday, with Asheville on 1 days notice much like High Point was earlier this season in their matchup.

The rest of the standings goes as follows:

Longwood, Radford and Winthrop 5-4 (2.5 games back)
Charleston Southern and Gardner Webb 4-5 (3.5 games back)
Presbyterian 2-7 (5.5 games back)
USC Upstate 1-8 (6.5 games back)

2. 40 BOMB!

During this weeks Gardner Webb vs Winthrop game, Darryl Simmons at Gardner Webb had a 40 point performance. The only 40+ point game of the season in the Big South, and the first since Drew Pember who did it twice in the 2022-23 season.

If you exclude Drew Pember (who did it 3 times over his career), the last time a Big South player scored 40 was Lavar Batts Jr in 2019.

3. ESPN U headed to Kimmel Arena

Announced last week, ESPN U has chose the wild card game for Feb 6th, that being Gardner Webb at UNC Asheville. The game earlier this year was entertaining and I would assume nothing less in this game.

The past two ESPN U wildcard games were Radford at High Point (High Point won 75-58) and High Point at Longwood (Longwood won 82-80 at the buzzer).

4. Coaches vs Cancer

As many might have noticed (I think) all Big South coaches supported Coaches vs Cancer this past weekend along with the majority of the College Basketball Coaching community.

Just wanted to use this spot to say Thank you to all the coaches and staffs for supporting such a good cause.

5. Big South Weekly Awards and National Awards

Monday the Big South announced Players of the Week those being Kameron Taylor winning Freshman of the Week at UNC Asheville and Darryl Simmons winning Player of the Week for Gardner Webb.

Simmons would also be named Oscar Robertson Player of the Week.

Recap of the BARN BURNERS of the Week

3. Charleston Southern at USC Upstate

Charleston Southern pulled off an 82-75 road win over USC Upstate in a game that stayed VERY CLOSE until the final minutes. Tied at 62 late in the second half, the Buccaneers found another gear, putting together a decisive 10-2 run that created just enough separation. Clutch free throws down the stretch sealed the deal for Charleston Southern. USC Upstate had a balanced scoring effort, with Mister Dean leading the way with 22 points and a career-high six steals. Brit Harris added a spark off the bench with 17 points, while Andrew McConnell and Daniel Helterhoff chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively.

2. Longwood at Charleston Southern

After their win over Upstate, Charleston Southern caught fire once again with an 89-85 win over Longwood. Charleston Southern lit it up, knocking down a season-high 13 three-pointers, which proved to be the key difference-maker. Daylen Berry was the star of the show, dropping 28 points, while Taje' Kelly mad his presence felt all over the floor. Longwood kept things close with four players scoring in double figures, but they couldn’t slow down Charleston Southern’s offensive rhythm when it mattered most.

1. Gardner Webb at Winthrop

Winthrop continued to follow the Big South home winning trend, holding off rival Gardner-Webb for a thrilling 96-93 victory. The Eagles leaned on big performances from their star Kelton Talford, who posted 20 points and nine rebounds, and guard Kasen Harrison, who added 19 points. Gardner-Webb’s Darryl Simmons II best effort to steal the show with an incredible 40-point outburst, keeping the Runnin’ Bulldogs close all night. Sadly for Simmons, Winthrop's fast paced attack and timely clutch shots gave them the edge over Gardner Webb.

Weekly Preview’s:

3. High Point at Radford

High Point heads to Radford in a pivotal Big South showdown. High Point, entering on a 4 game winning streak since their loss to Longwood. This comes as Radford enters after their win over USC Upstate. The key battle will be in the paint, where High Point's interior defense will be tested by Radford's physical forwards.

Prediction: High Point 85 - Radford 77

2. Gardner Webb at UNC Asheville

Gardner-Webb faces off against UNC Asheville in what promises to be an intense Big South game on ESPNU. Gardner-Webb brings a slower, more easy rolling pace lead by Darryl Simmons and Anthony Selden. Meanwhile, UNC Asheville thrives on fast paced scoring and solid interior scoring, creating mismatches with their versatile lineup. Limiting turnovers and each others star guards will be crucial as both teams look to establish their styles early.

Prediction: Gardner Webb 72 - UNC Asheville 82

1. UNC Asheville at High Point

UNC Asheville travels to High Point for a big game that will likely decide 1st place in the Big South. High Point's strong offense and improved defense will clash with Asheville's dynamic high flying and high paced offense, creating an intriguing contrast. High Point’s defense will focus on limiting Asheville's perimeter threats and creating turnovers, while Asheville will aim to push the tempo whenever possible. The battle between Asheville’s quick guards and High Point’s all time great roster could be the deciding factor.

Prediction: UNC Asheville 82 - High Point 91.