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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Big South Basketball D’Maurian Williams Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Key teams in the Big South Tournament

Team to Beat: Longwood

Longwood won the outright Big South regular-season title this season going 15-1 in league play.

The Lancers are the best offensive team in the league, although it might not appear that way by just looking at their final scores due to their slower tempo. They rank first in the conference in adjusted offensive efficiency and 3-point percentage, per KenPom.

The regular-season champion isn’t always the favorite in the conference tournament, but Longwood has more than earned its spot at the top of the Big South so far this season.

Top Contender: Winthrop

Winthrop lost its head coach after going 24-2 and making the NCAA Tournament last season but hasn’t skipped a beat under Head Coach Mark Prosser so far this season, going 14-2 in league play and winning the South division.

The Eagles rank first in the Big South in effective field goal percentage (eFG%) and 2-point percentage, per KenPom. They are also the only team that ranks in the top three of the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

Winthrop is the default perennial favorite in the Big South and for good reason, considering they’ve won the Big South Tournament the last two years and 11 total times since 2000.

Defensive Powerhouse: Gardner-Webb

Head Coach Tim Craft took Gardner-Webb to its first NCAA Tournament in 2019, making them the last team other than Winthrop to win the Big South Tournament.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs out of Boiling Springs, NC, are the best defensive team in the league, ranking first in defensive efficiency, eFG% defense, 2P% defense, and defensive rebounding, per KenPom. They also rank No. 56 nationally in defensive efficiency — the highest ranking of any Big South team since Winthrop finished No. 20 in 2007-08.

Gardner-Webb went 11-5 in league play this season earning them the No. 3 seed in the tournament. Their proficiency defensively coupled with a first-round bye makes them a tempting sleeper pick.