With schedules released all across the country and the college basketball season just around the corner, the Big South Conference and its nine programs are gearing up for a crucial season. The conference is at its highest point it has ever seen, with most experts having the Big South in the middle of the pack when compared to the rest.
Here are seven non-conference games of Big South programs to look out for.
1. Winthrop Eagles vs Virginia Tech on Nov. 11
Although Virginia Tech is an ACC school with a solid NCAA Tournament pedigree, Winthrop is one of the Big South schools that aren’t afraid to battle it out with the big schools. Last season, Winthrop beat Coastal Carolina and almost took down the likes of Georgia and Florida State. Kelton Talford, who runs the show for the Eagles, is unsurprisingly on the preseason all-conference first team. Virginia Tech finished near the middle of the ACC and went to the NIT last campaign. With the Winthrop Eagles consistently being a competitive side in the Big South, this game should be a hard-fought contest and certainly one to keep an eye on.
2. Longwood Lancers vs SMU on Dec. 29
The Longwood Lancers’ big non-conference opponent is at the very end of their non-conference schedule. A trip to Dallas to take on SMU on Dec. 29 will be a fascinating game for both teams. For SMU, this game will be sandwiched between two ACC games, which they recently joined. After winning the conference tournament last season, Longwood grabbed multiple high-quality transfers, including DJ Jefferson from Tennessee and guards Colby Garland from Drake and Kyrell Luc from St. Bonaventure. With SMU having plenty of postseason campaigns in years past, there is no reason to think that this clash of two rising programs would be dull.
3. High Point Panthers vs UAB on Nov. 15
Two mid-major schools that are usually great to watch, High Point and UAB should have all of the ingredients for an outstanding game. UAB made March Madness last season as a 12 seed after winning the American Conference Tournament. The High Point Panthers, picked as the favorite for the Big South title across the board for this season, came up short in the Big South tournament against Longwood last go-around. With star guards Kezza Giffa and Kimani Hamilton returning along with Juslin Bodo Bodo, it’s not unfair to say that they have three potential conference players of the year on their roster. This is a game the Panthers have to be competitive in if they want to get it right in 2024-25.
4. UNC Asheville Bulldogs vs Alabama on Nov. 4
UNC Asheville is coming off another 20-win season, which is now an expectation for Bulldogs fans. Asheville did lose its best player in program history in Drew Pember, after he graduated last year. With Pember now playing professionally in Europe, guards Josh Banks and Fletcher Abee have to carry the load offensively for a new-look Asheville team. Even though the matchup with Alabama could be seen as a mismatch, this is a great occasion for the Bulldogs and the conference. If the Bulldogs show that they can hang with the Crimson Tide, which they might be able to, then that can be a spark for the rest of their non-conference schedule.
5. Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs vs East Carolina on Dec. 21
To say that Gardner-Webb lost a lot of talent would be an understatement, even with center Ademide Badmus and forward Isaiah Richards still around. Following a third-place regular-season finish in 2023-24, the Boiling Springs, North Carolina, school was picked sixth in the preseason poll. Even though they might not have the talent in the backcourt like last year, a game against East Carolina should not disappoint. East Carolina is a well-respected AAC school waiting for its chance to break out, representing a good test for Gardner-Webb and a winnable game.
6. Charleston Southern vs Davidson on Dec. 6
Charleston Southern fought to a seventh-place finish in the Big South last season after a very slow start to Big South play. In the offseason, they kept guard A’lahn Sumler and Taje’ Kelly, both named to preseason all-conference teams. Ranked fifth in the Big South preseason poll, CSU has a very demanding schedule in November and December, but the game against Davidson should be close and very intriguing. Davidson finished near the bottom of the Atlantic 10 Conference last season. Davidson will undoubtedly be a good match for a resurging Charleston Southern team.
7. Old Dominion vs Radford Highlanders on Nov. 12
Radford’s season got off to a flying start in 2023-24, but it fell apart quickly. The Highlanders finished dead last in the Big South but did end up beating USC-Upstate in the play-in round of the Big South Tournament. The Highlanders grabbed a few key pieces in the offseason, namely Isaiah Gaines from FAU. They placed seventh in the preseason poll. Darris Nichols’s team is a good matchup for a Sun Belt program like Old Dominion. ODU has similar talent and finished near the bottom of the Sun Belt. Radford has tougher teams on their non-conference slate, but it should be considered winnable for a Highlanders team looking to improve on a disappointing season.
