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Big South basketball: 2018 Conference Tournament preview

By Brad Cavallaro

BUIES CREEK, NC - MARCH 06: Players, coaches and staff of the North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs pose for photos with their trophy following their 77-68 victory against the Winthrop Eagles during the championship game of the 2016 Big South Basketball Tournament at Pope Convocation Center on March 6, 2016 in Buies Creek, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
BUIES CREEK, NC - MARCH 06: Players, coaches and staff of the North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs pose for photos with their trophy following their 77-68 victory against the Winthrop Eagles during the championship game of the 2016 Big South Basketball Tournament at Pope Convocation Center on March 6, 2016 in Buies Creek, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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The Big South will crown one of the first automatic bids next weekend. Who are the players and teams to watch out for?

UNC Asheville lost their final regular season game on Saturday, but clinched the top seed in the Big South conference tournament anyway. The Bulldogs finished with a 13-5 record which put them one game ahead of Winthrop and Radford, who both finished at 12-6.

While UNC Asheville remains the favorite in the Big South tournament, they are no lock. The later rounds of the tournament will be played at Kimmel Arena in Asheville, but there are multiple quality teams who are poised to upset the Bulldogs on their home floor. Winthrop and Radford have strong squads and each split their season series with UNC Asheville which should make this an intriguing tournament.

Winthrop won the Big South Tournament last season behind a strong performance from senior guard Keon Johnson. Even after losing their talented lead guard to graduation, the Eagles have ample talent to return to the NCAA Tournament. Their star forward Xavier Cooks is one of the best players in the mid-major ranks.

One of the most interesting aspects of this conference is the cluster of teams in the middle. Eight of the ten schools finished at .500 or better and the eighth seeded Charleston Southern Buccaneers were only four games out of first place.

The Buccaneers are also one of the hottest teams in the Big South. After starting 1-6 in conference play, CSU rattled off eight wins in their last eleven games. Their three losses in that span were by single digits, including an overtime loss to the regular season champs UNC Asheville.

The Big South Tournament is one of the most wide open fields where 80% of the conference has a legitimate chance to earn the automatic bid. This will make it one of the most compelling tournaments and certainly makes it a must watch.

This article will touch on some of the conference’s best players, favorite and sleeper teams, postseason rundown, and will conclude with Big South Tournament predictions.