The Big South Tournament final saw Winthrop take on surging Campbell for the conference’s automatic NCAA bid.
Winthrop entered the Big South Tournament as the top seed after going 15-3 in conference play. The Eagles came into the title game seeking their first NCAA birth since 2010. They had to hold off a high-powered Campbell attack that had already taken down 2-seed, UNC-Asheville, and then Radford.
Winthrop shot well from all angles, defended the Camels well outside of Chris Clemons, and led almost the entire game for the big championship victory. Winthrop will rep the Big South coming out of Rock Hill, South Carolina.
The Eagles will be one of the big sleepers in this year’s Big Dance. They didn’t take any wins off big programs, but played Florida State and Dayton tough on the road. Their statistics suggest a team that focuses largely on offense and speed; they are 40th in team points per game and 47th in adjusted tempo.
Whichever team draws Winthrop will have to stop the Eagles’ dynamic duo of Keon Johnson and Xavier Cooks. Johnson is a 5’7″ lightning bug averaging 22.4 points and has hit 40% of his three-point attempts. Cooks is an Australian force down under with 16.2 points, 9.0 boards, and 1.8 blocks. Those are the team’s primary option, but Anders Broman is a dangerous third scorer on the year with 61 threes. Overall the Eagles are an offensive-minded squad that could make life hard for a few potential opponents.
Next: OVC Tournament: Jacksonville State going dancing
The school is going to its 10th NCAA Tournament, but its first under head coach Pat Kelsey. This has been a long time coming for the Eagles, who have suffered several Big South Tournament letdowns, but not this year. Kelsey has the team in a great spot and white-hot with their eighth victory in a row. Don’t sleep on the Winthrop Eagles.