Big South Basketball: 2022 Conference Tournament preview and prediction

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 19: D.J. Burns Jr. #30 of the Winthrop Eagles attempts the shot against the Villanova Wildcats during the second half in the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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Sahvir Wheeler Kentucky Wildcats John-Michael Wright (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Key players in the Big South Tournament

Drew Pember – UNC Asheville

2021-22 stats: 15.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.0 BPG

Pember is one of the best examples of a successful “down transfer”, which simply means that he made the move from a high-major to a mid-major conference. The former Tennessee Volunteer ranks third in the Big South in scoring, second in rebounding, and first in blocked shots.

The 6-10 junior also leads the league in box +/- as well as ranking first in KenPom’s Big South Player of the Year ratings.

D.J. Burns Jr. – Winthrop

2021-22 stats: 15.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 63.5% FG

Burns is the fourth-leading scorer in the Big South this season, which is even more impressive when you consider that he only plays 20.8 minutes per game. The three players who average more points than Burns play 34.6, 35.7, and 27.0 MPG, respectively.

The reason for Burns’ lower usage is that Head Coach Mark Prosser plays one of the deepest rotations in the country, with 10 players averaging 10+ MPG.

From an efficiency standpoint, Burns is the most effective player in the league. Not only does he put up more than 15 PPG in only 20 MPG, but he also shoots 63.5% from the field. That makes him the only player in the top 10 of the league in scoring to also shoot over 50% from the field, much less over 60%.

Justin Hill and Isaiah Wilkins – Longwood

Hill’s 2021-22 stats: 13.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.5 SPG

Wilkins’ 2021-22 stats: 12.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.6 SPG

Longwood has nine players averaging between 14.7 and 30.7 minutes, giving them one of the deepest rotations in the league. As a result, Hill and Wilkins’ individual statistics might not jump off the page, but each player’s impact on winning for the regular-season champion Lancers this season is worth more than flashy statistics.

Wilkins, like the aforementioned Pember, is one of the most successful “down transfers” in the country, bumping his scoring average from 1.9 to 12.5 after transferring from Wake Forest this past offseason. He also ranks first in the Big South in box +/- and second in steal percentage, per KenPom.

Hill is the Lancers’ leading scorer and one of the most versatile players in the conference. He is one of less than 20 players nationally currently averaging at least 13.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals.

John-Michael Wright – High Point

2021-22 stats: 18.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.4 APG

Wright was the second-leading scorer in the Big South last season and is the leading scorer in the league this season, averaging 18.5 PPG. He has scored 25+ seven times this season, putting him in the top 20 nationally in that category.

High Point is the No. 7 seed but Wright has the potential to put up huge numbers on any given day, making the Panthers a team to keep an eye on in this tournament.