Villanova impresses in final tuneup before season opener, locking down FDU

Head coach Denise Dillon looks on as Villanova battles FDU in exhibition Thursday. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

TEANECK, N.J. — The newly-minted scoreboard inside FDU’s Bogota Bank Savings Center gave the final tally:

Villanova 57, FDU 37.

Beyond the sheer numbers of Thursday’s exhibition, there was greater significance for both teams.

Villanova won its second straight exhibition and looks very worthy of its fourth-place preseason Big East projection. FDU had the opportunity to face outside competition following several months of practices and intrasquad matchups, and the NEC’s choice to repeat as champion saw positives, as well as things to work on.

Points of emphasis:

Game flow: Villanova jumped out to a 10-2 lead. FDU buried two threes to cut the deficit to 12-8. The Wildcats responded, taking an 18-8 lead after the first period. FDU defended well, holding Villanova scoreless for the first 5:15 of the second period. However, the problem for the Knights was a struggle to put points on the board, going scoreless over seven minutes. FDU scored five points for the period, trailing by a 30-13 halftime margin.

All-NEC guard Ava Renninger continues to run FDU’s offense. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Over the final two periods, FDU settled in and played much better. But even with a brief run to cut the Knights’ deficit to 12 points, the hole was too large to come back from. For the final 20 minutes, Villanova owned a narrow 27-24 advantage.

Individuals: Jasmine Bascoe, an all-Big East selection last year, scored just seven points, yet the sophomore guard’s contributions go beyond the box score.

Jasmine Bascoe looks to move the ball against FDU’s Kailee McDonald. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

“She is a key,” Villanova coach Denise Dillon said. “She really is continuing to grow, she loves the game and her teammates. She allows the game to come to her rather than feel like she has to make something happen.”

Rachel Wirts, a 6-foot-3 Villanova sophomore forward, is effective in the high post and down low. She has progressed dramatically.

“I think of Rachel Wirts from last October to now, and the difference is fantastic,” Dillon said. “She has a tremendous upside. She’s a worker.”

Kailee McDonald did an excellent job on the defensive end, especially fighting through high ball screens. The sophomore guard also led all scorers with 14 points, a number of them coming on trips to the basket. Her backcourt partner, Ava Renninger, struggled, missing all but two of her 15 shots.

“My outside shot wasn’t falling, so I decided to drive,” McDonald said.

Inside penetration is something she worked on during the offseason, and the results showed.

In the summer, FDU coach Stephanie Gaitley was looking for rebounding and defense from six-foot freshman Leah Crosby. Scoring would be a bonus. Against Villanova, Crosby scored nine points, grabbing five boards, three offensive.

“She can definitely score,” Gaitley said of Crosby. Dillon was also impressed with the FDU freshman, adding, “she will get points off offensive rebounds.”

“This was a great opportunity for our young players to get game experience,” Dillon said of her own squad. “We are relying on them and it was good to get them in game position, especially secondary ball handlers and backups. I do wish our defense was a little better.”

From the days of the legendary Harry Perretta, Villanova has run a motion offense. Dillon, who played for Perretta, has not altered that approach.

“We play motion, five-out read and react,” Dillon said. “It’s tough, though, when players haven’t played together. They tend to speed up and try to make individual plays. I wasn’t too happy with our assists (12) to field goals (25). We are a work in progress, but will continue to get better.”

Gaitley praised the Wildcats, noting, “they are all around 6-foot-1, can pass, shoot and play interchangeable positions.”

“It was a great test for us, and we did a much better job in the second half when we settled down,” Dillon remarked of her Villanova team’s effort. “Overall, our defense was good, keeping them under 60 points. They outrebounded us by four (40-36) after we outrebounded Towson by 22 (in the Wildcats’ 79-54 victory). Offensively, we showed our inexperience and we just have to learn from that.”

Gaitley agreed, allowing Villanova to score in the final six seconds of the first three periods was something that needed to be addressed.

“It’s the details,” she said. “Those details are so important.”

Gaitley was also impressed with the freshmen, especially Crosby and guard Reece Downey.

“(Downey) rushed a few shots, but she was not intimidated out there,” Gaitley said.

“It was very intense,” Downey added with regard to her on-court debut. “I rushed a bit with the first-game jitters, but overall, it was fun.”

In a grind-it-out, 62-possession affair, Villanova held a decided 108-60 advantage in offensive efficiency. Interestingly, Villanova did not attempt a free throw, while FDU made all six of its foul shots in an exhibition that came about as a return meeting.

“They scrimmaged at our place last season, so we returned the game,” Dillon said. “Plus, I have known Stephanie forever and her teams always play really

hard. They work their tails off and will win a lot of games. They’re relentless. No one prepares a team better than Stephanie, they’ll be going for another championship this season.”

The Wildcats open the regular season Monday, as

they entertain Lafayette at Finneran Pavilion. FDU embarks on a Hoosier road trip, opening at Purdue Monday before visiting Notre Dame two days later.

David Borges takes you inside the inner sanctum of UConn in Hurley’s Heroes

Veteran UConn beat writer David Borges shares Huskies’ reign under Dan Hurley as seen from his press row perspective in Hurley’s Heroes, available this November wherever books are sold. (Photo by Globe Pequot Publishing Group)

As the University of Connecticut’s chase of history and a third consecutive national championship has come to a close, the retelling of one of college basketball’s most recent — and among the most prolific — success stories is being brought to the fore from numerous angles.

Head coach Dan Hurley was first to recount the inside-the-ropes experience in his autobiography, Never Stop: Life, Leadership, and What It Takes to Be Great, released at the end of September. Weeks after Hurley shared the thrill of attempting a three-peat, while also revealing his journey to maintain his mental heath along the way, another account of the Huskies’ exploits and travails will soon be available, as seen from press row and the bevy of microphones and recorders in press conferences and locker rooms.

Longtime UConn beat writer David Borges chronicles the seven-year odyssey under Hurley in Hurley’s Heroes: UConn’s Return to College Basketball’s Elite, which will be available to purchase on November 4, one day after the Huskies open the 2025-26 season against New Haven. As one of the last remaining members of UConn’s once-legendary media horde from the Jim Calhoun years, and oftentimes the sole reporter who travels with the Huskies to every road game, Borges’ perspective is unequaled as he relives and resurrects the seminal moments of Husky history under the program’s current leader.

Hurley’s Heroes begins with an ominous scene-setter, the infamous Gampel Pavilion loss to Saint Joseph’s in 2019, shortly after Hurley started his second season as Kevin Ollie’s successor in Storrs. Prior to that game, the Gampel roof had leaked that morning, prompting the ever-superstitious Hurley to wish in retrospect that the infrastructure issues lingered on to postpone the contest after St. Joe’s scored the game’s first 14 points en route to an upset win. From there, the story continues with a closer look at the early years of Hurley’s rebuild, starting with his 2018 hire and UConn’s final years in the American Athletic Conference before rejoining the Big East in 2020.

The second part of Hurley’s Heroes looks at UConn’s years leading up to the first of two national championships, and the recruiting class of Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson, a trio instrumental in building the Huskies back up along with the core of the 2024 championship unit, Donovan Clingan, Tristen Newton and Alex Karaban. Borges also intersperses various figures between the segues to tell their own stories properly, such as Hurley’s well-documented superstitions, the promise of Akok Akok’s career before it was cut short, program icon Joey Calcaterra — dubbed “Joey California” by Hurley — and the coach’s own family, namely wife Andrea and younger son Andrew.

After the first championship, Borges spells out, in detail, the process of crafting a roster capable of repeating. Hurley’s recruitment of Stephon Castle, Solo Ball, Jaylin Stewart, Jayden Ross and Youssouf Singare to join the returning Newton, Karaban, Samson Johnson and Hassan Diarra; plus Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer, ended up creating one of the most dominant teams in college basketball this century. During the title defense, the recruitment of Cooper Flagg is also revisited in detail, with Flagg nearly choosing the Huskies before ultimately attending Duke. The story concludes with last season’s trials and tribulations, from the Maui Invitational to Hurley’s confrontations with officials, to UConn’s gallant fight and NCAA Tournament loss to eventual national champion Florida that Hurley deemed honorable for how his players fought.

Unlike the coach’s own tale, Borges offers a preview of what the upcoming season can be for UConn, mentioning the Huskies’ incoming freshman class of Braylon Mullins, Eric Reibe and Jacob Furphy, plus transfers Silas Demary, Jr. and Malachi Smith. The renewed optimism in resuming the role of the hunter serves as a fitting climax for a program looking to make an even bolder mark on the college basketball world.

A unique take as seen from press row, Hurley’s Heroes serves as a definitive guide to UConn’s resurgence and sets the stage for an interesting next chapter, whatever that may be or however that may play out.

Hurley’s Heroes: UConn’s Return to College Basketball’s Elite

Author: David Borges

Publisher: Lyons Press/Globe Pequot Publishing Group

Publication Date: November 4, 2025

Lyons Press/Globe Pequot link for Hurley’s Heroes

Click here to purchase Hurley’s Heroes on Amazon

Rebounding a concern for St. John’s after exhibition tests

While Dillon Mitchell (1) has shown promise on defensive end, his teammates are still learning Rick Pitino’s high standards as St. John’s gears up for season opener Monday. (Photo by St. John’s Athletics)

NEW YORK — St. John’s has tried to temper expectations for a team ranked fifth in the country and viewed as a potential Final Four contender.

Head coach Rick Pitino was open and honest about challenging his squad often during the non-conference slate the Red Storm will navigate, wanting to identify weak points in real time so that they can be shored up well ahead of the Johnnies’ December 16 Big East Conference opener against DePaul.

On the heels of an overtime loss to seventh-ranked Michigan in a Saturday exhibition at Madison Square Garden, Pitino did not necessarily offer excuses, but instead delivered a rudimentary diagnosis of his roster after an opponent he praised as a teaching tool.

“Defensively, we’re nowhere near where we were last year, but this was a great exhibition game and I’m so happy that we found out where we need to get better and where to work,” he said Saturday. “We have eight new players and we need to find our weaknesses, where we need to work and improve.”

“There’s a lot of things that need to be cleaned up,” senior forward Zuby Ejiofor echoed, despite a 24-point, 6-rebound, 6-assist effort. “We’re just trying to get back to the defensive mindset that we were at last year. It’s gonna take time, but we’ll figure it out.”

For Pitino, who crafted a defense that ranked second in the nation a year ago, trailing only nations runner-up Houston, the roadblock at the present moment is a group still learning not only one another and how to coalesce as one, but the need to rebound from every position on the floor as well.

“They’re not used to working together, and that’s been the toughest thing so far,” the coach admitted. “We’re not a together team defensively because we’ve been outrebounded twice now, by Towson and (Michigan).”

“We definitely got better from the Towson game, but the same problem two games in a row, our guards did not rebound the ball. In the (Towson) game, all the backcourt players had three rebounds (total). (Against Michigan), you’ve got Oziyah (Sellers) with zero, Joson (Sanon) with zero, Ian (Jackson) with one and you’ve got Dylan Darling with zero. And what happens is if it’s a long rebound, the guards have to get tougher and rebound the ball, so that was the most glaring weakness.”

Of St. John’s 36 rebounds against Michigan, 23 came from the frontcourt of Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell. Ruben Prey added four off the bench, and while Lefteris Liotopoulos contributed six boards, a majority of that work came in overtime when the Wolverines were attempting to close out the game. Backcourt rebounding has been a staple of the most successful Pitino teams, and with the Johnnies tipping off the season Monday against Quinnipiac, the deficit among the guards on the glass is being attacked with a sense of urgency.

“I’ve always had really good guards that rebounded,” Pitino emphasized. “That’s the weakness as I’m looking at the team right now. The guards don’t rebound. Our guards just have got to get tougher, they’ve gotta be meaner and tougher. And they will. Dillon and Bryce aren’t great block-out guys, they try to just go get it. The guards have got to have their backs and go rebound the ball. I’ve been very blessed in my coaching career with guards that rebound, and I’ve had a group here that doesn’t rebound the ball. We gotta do something about that.”

St. John’s transfer portal class led the nation in terms of its strength and overall talent, a collection of players fans came to embrace as a mega-haul in the offseason. But when overseeing such significant roster turnover, patience remains a virtue even in the instant gratification nature of society. Pitino is cognizant of both sides of the spectrum, confident that everything will come together, but his star senior appeared to be even more accountable and vigilant in his own approach.

“It’s early in the season, but like we said previously, we have a tough schedule ahead of us,” Ejiofor said. “So we have no time to waste in figuring it out. With 10 new guys or anything like that, it’s gonna be difficult, but we gotta figure it out. There’s no excuses. Winning is the standard we’re trying to build here at St. John’s. Everybody came here to win.”

“A lot of people are in the same boat we’re in with new players,” Pitino shared, citing the need to build a cohesive unit. “Next year’s team, there’ll be eight new players again. It’s just difficult, but I set the schedule tough because I want to find out what our weaknesses are. It’s a great teaching tool. They’re not together defensively, but they’re not together because they don’t know each other. But we gotta find out in a hurry. Alabama’s one of the fastest-shooting teams in America. We’ll make our corrections. It’ll be a fun team to coach.”

Fouls linger, but UConn handles business in exhibition win over Michigan State

Alex Karaban led UConn with 18 points as Huskies defeated Michigan State in exhibition finale. (Photo by UConn Men’s Basketball)

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

HARTFORD, Conn. — Dan Hurley summed up UConn’s exhibition matchup against Michigan State as only he could Tuesday night, offering a candid take on the physicality that saw a total of 56 fouls called. 

“At halftime, I tried to ask for eight,” he quipped, pleading in jest for a longer leash for players on both sides before they were to foul out.

Coming into the night, not many people knew what to expect when the fourth-ranked Huskies hosted the 22nd-ranked Spartans. UConn was able to pull off a 76-69 win in front of a good October crowd inside PeoplesBank Arena, but it wasn’t the prettiest display of basketball you’ll ever see, to say the least.

“Tonight, we were missing two starters, a flamethrower in Braylon (Mullins), and Tarris (Reed, Jr.), who can potentially be one of the best centers in the country,” Hurley said. “There were a lot of fouls and it was a frustrating game, a long game. We have to clean up the fouling.”

All in all, the two historic programs attempted 74 free throws as a result of the aforementioned foul total, with the Huskies accounting for 34 of the 56 whistles. It got so bad that after Dwayne Koroma was called for his fifth personal foul, there was an announcement on the public address system that Hurley and Tom Izzo agreed each player would get an extra foul due to it being an exhibition game.

“We fouled a lot, a lot of it was a lack of discipline,” Hurley said. “We have to figure it out. We were in foul trouble in the first half even with the six fouls.”

Trying to sway away from the whistles, UConn played a pretty complete game on both sides of the ball. Three Huskies finished in double figures, led by Alex Karaban and Solo Ball dropping 18 points each, with Jayden Ross adding 13.

Perhaps the biggest storyline coming in was Silas Demary, Jr. in his UConn debut after missing the exhibition win two weeks ago against Boston College. The Georgia transfer started out red hot, splashing two triples in the game’s opening minutes before, you guessed it, foul trouble.

“Silas is a big time player for us (and) having him as a big point guard is going to be a big help for us,” Karaban said. “I think it's a good first game in a UConn jersey.”

Another key to monitor was who would step up to replace the production of Braylon Mullins after it was announced last week the freshman guard would miss most of non-conference play with an ankle injury. Enter Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross.

Stewart stepped into the starting lineup and had an underwhelming night, scoring just three points in 22 minutes of action. Ross, on the other hand, improved drastically on the offensive end from his performance two weeks ago and looked like a complete player on both ends.

“I loved J-Ross,” Hurley said. “I’ve seen that movie streaming at home in my house, now I’m hoping that it hits theaters for you all to see.”

“It’s been a long time coming,” Ross said. “I’m a junior now, so there’s no reason to hold back. Credit to my teammates.”

With Mullins out, the depth that Hurley raved about is going to be tested right out of the gates. It's crucial for guys like Ross to take that next step into someone you can rely upon to be on the floor in critical moments. The junior wing was in the closing lineup on Tuesday and showed the poise that was inconsistent in his sophomore season.

Freshman Eric Reibe had much better competition against the big veteran frontcourt of the Spartans and struggled a bit, finishing with five points and seven rebounds and being one of the four Huskies with at least five fouls. Even though he wasn’t dominant, the experience going up against a pair of seniors in Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler is invaluable in October.

The offensive game plan shifted from jacking up as many threes as possible against Boston College to having a more balanced attack on Tuesday. Karaban took just four triples against the Spartans and hit two, vastly different from his 3-for-10 from deep at Mohegan Sun Arena. Ball had a similar, perhaps slightly concerning, shooting night, as he went 1-for-7 from three after going 1-for-8 two weeks ago. 

“With Solo and Alex,  I thought that those first threes they took of the game were bad threes,” Hurley said. “You don’t want your first three of the game to be a 28-footer.”

All in all, take away the near-one foul per minute and UConn handled business against a Top 25 team in the country that’s expected to be near the top of the Big Ten with one of the greatest coaches of this generation in Tom Izzo. Oh yeah, the Huskies were down two expected starters. And it’s only October.

“Going into this kind of matchup against a Big Ten team, I think we needed to make a statement and set a standard for this year,” Ross said.

The Huskies are back in action six days from now, when they host New Haven on opening night at Gampel Pavilion to officially tip off the 2025-26 season on Monday night.

St. John’s new-look backcourt hopeful of taking next step in exhibition finale against Michigan

Although not point guard as Rick Pitino had initially hoped, Ian Jackson’s knowledge of game is increasing as St. John’s readies for final exhibition game before season opener. (Photo by St. John’s Athletics)

NEW YORK — The biggest offseason question surrounding St. John’s has been where, and to whom, the Red Storm will turn at the point guard position after being willed to success through the hands of Daniss Jenkins and Kadary Richmond over the past two seasons.

Head coach Rick Pitino has a different approach this year with no proven floor general to lean on as the Johnnies, ranked fifth in the nation, begin the season, but to suggest that the two-time national champion mentor does not have a plan would be folly at its finest.

Pitino revealed last week that Stanford transfer Oziyah Sellers would be the de facto ball handler in the backcourt, but the coach has stood by his positionless basketball approach as St. John’s heats up for its second of two exhibition games, welcoming Michigan to Madison Square Garden Saturday. However, that is not to say the verdict at which he arrived was not reached through trial and error.

“We tried about five different guys,” Pitino said, ultimately realizing that forward Zuby Ejiofor was a greater ball handler than his initial option at the point, Ian Jackson. “Then we realized when we broke down practice that Zuby was handling the ball more than our point guard, so that’s when we said it was a positionless offense. Oziyah is going to defend the point guard, he’s going to bring it up more than the other players in the backcourt, but once you get to the frontcourt, it’s positionless basketball so it really is not that important. Ian was just turning the ball over too much when he was bringing it up. That’s not his natural position.”

Jackson may not be the on-ball guard Pitino was hoping for over the summer, but the coach heaped praise on the North Carolina transfer, taking pride in the sophomore becoming a student of the game since his return home.

“I’m going to be very frank: I was concerned this summer, at the beginning of the summer,” Pitino shared. “I thought this would be too much for Ian to handle coming home, with his reputation and the way he was playing at that time. But Ian, without question, is the most improved basketball player. He’s gone from the 10th or 11th man to one of the top three on our team, and I’m really happy for him that he’s evolved.”

“When you say a player is a sponge, he’s in the offices after practice with Coach (Steve Masiello) and Coach (Bob) Walsh looking at film, (saying) where can I get better? So I’m really, really excited and happy that he’s evolved into the player he is today, because it was tough to watch at the beginning of the summer.”

Jackson himself has noticed an expansion in his knowledge both with and without the ball in his hands, and feels that his relationship with Sellers on the floor has grown in tandem.

“My understanding of the game has grown,” Jackson declared. “I feel like I’ve picked up small things, like knowing when to take certain shots, when to make the extra pass, seeing guys open, just the small things you probably won’t see on a stat sheet. It’s huge in being a great player.”

“(Sellers and I) complement each other well. We’re both very unselfish. Oziyah is an excellent 3-point shooter, I would say I’m a decent shooter, but we both shoot the ball really well and our size at the one and the two, both being 6-foot-5, is tremendous.”

Sellers came to St. John’s with a reputation for being a knockdown shooter, as evidenced by how he was used by Stanford head coach Kyle Smith. Like his backcourt partner, he, too, has been tutored in a new curriculum, but believes that the lessons he has been taking will pay off in increasing fashion leading into St. John’s opener.

Oziyah Sellers has moved into starting point guard spot, although St. John’s is still running a largely positionless offense. (Photo by St. John’s Athletics)

“I would say just handling the ball, being on-ball more,” Sellers said of what he has been adjusting to most under Pitino. “At Stanford, my role was kind of coming off ball screens, but I was a lot more off-ball. Obviously, now having to bring the ball up, facilitate and things like that, that’s something I have to continue to do.”

“I feel like it’s been going pretty well. I’ve been at this now since the summer, so by now, I’m pretty comfortable in that position. I feel like I’ll be ready for sure.”

20 Questions for the Big South

High Point is preseason favorite to repeat as Big South champions, but Panthers will face their share of challenges this season. (Photo by High Point Athletics)

By Josh Noel (@Josh_DDH)

To say this season’s Big South landscape looks different than previous years is an understatement. 

 

The conference’s all-time winning percentage leader, Alan Huss, departed champion High Point after just two seasons to return to his alma mater Creighton as an associate head coach and head coach in waiting. 

 

Griff Aldrich, one of seven coaches in Big South history to make multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, also left his post at Longwood to reunite with former UMBC colleague Ryan Odom as an associate head coach at the University of Virginia. A third coaching change occurred when Darris Nichols made an unexpected move from Radford to become the next head coach at La Salle. 

 

The changes don’t stop with coaching personnel either, as only one all-Big South player — UNC Asheville’s Toyaz Solomon — returns this year. After producing a second first-time champion in four years, the Big South enters a new era with more questions than answers.

 

In the spirit of the 2003 toy “20Q,” here are 20 of those questions for the 2025-26 Big South basketball season.

1. Can High Point repeat as Big South tournament champions?

HPU’s first-ever Big South tournament championship in its 27-year Division I history felt like a long time in the making. This year, a new collection of Panthers will need to carry on the program’s recent success. 

 

Not only did Huss leave, but four of the 2024-25 starters and conference tournament MVP Bobby Pettiford are gone. Flynn Clayman takes the reins in his first-ever head coaching job after spending the past two years on staff as associate head coach. 

 

Eight transfers headline the on-floor changes for HPU. First team all-OVC honoree Rob Martin from Southeast Missouri State and all-Big West honorable mention Scotty Washington are two of those transfers, each of whom received preseason first team all-Big South honors. Notable Panther returners include sole remaining starter Chase Johnston and stretch guard Terry Anderson.  

 

If the on-paper talent and new coaching regime lives up to the billing, it absolutely could be a second consecutive purple reign in Johnson City.

2. Can veteran leadership return UNC Asheville to the mountaintop? 

The Bulldogs sprinted out of the gate to an 8-1 start in Big South play last year, but sputtered down the stretch, losing five of their last nine games. 

 

Gone are first team all-Big South guard Jordan Marsh and all-Big South honorable mention Josh Banks, but Asheville returns ample high-end talent. This season’s Big South Preseason Player of the Year, Toyaz Solomon, is back for his fifth year as the conference’s sole returning honoree from a year ago.

High-flying guard Kameron Taylor also garnered second team all-Big South recognition, making Asheville the only team besides High Point to claim multiple preseason award selections. 

 

Mike Morrell’s team will certainly be a tough out this season, especially at home in Kimmel Arena, where it boasts a 38-3 record over the past three seasons.

3. What does the post-Griff Aldrich era of Longwood basketball look like? 

Like UNC Asheville, the Lancers began Big South play 5-2 a year ago, but went 2-8 in their final 10 games to close the year. 

 

Aldrich won’t be manning the sidelines in Farmville for the first time since 2019, but his successor also comes from his own staff. Bowtie-sporting Ronnie Thomas gets his shot to lead Longwood following five seasons on the staff, including four as an assistant coach.  

 

First team all-Big South forward Elijah Tucker will pace the attack inside. Transfer Alphonzo “Fats” Billups III appears poised to make a scoring impact along with a trio of upperclassmen in Johan Nziemi, Emanuel Richards, and KJ McClurg. A cohesive coach and cast should reinforce the brand of physical, punishing basketball that established the Lancers as a Big South stalwart and Top 100 rebound percentage team in three of the past four seasons.

4. How will Radford’s new-school approach pay off?

Radford only needed five days to fill the vacancy left by Darris Nichols, hiring Zach Chu as the next face of its men’s basketball program. Chu, who developed a reputation as an analytics-heavy coach, begins his first head coaching gig following nine years in the NBA and most recently returning to the college game as a chief strategist at SMU. 

 

The Highlanders will certainly look different this season, as they return a conference-low 4.3 percent of their minutes from a season ago. Preseason first team all-Big South guard Jaylon Johnson is a player to watch as one of nine transfers to join the roster. A trio of Power 5 guards in Brennan Rigsby, Jr. (Minnesota), Del Jones (Clemson) and Dennis Parker, Jr. (NC State) will bring a veteran edge to an unproven roster. 

 

With fresh faces and revamped resources, Radford is a trendy pick to win the Big South.

5. Is Winthrop’s retooled roster primed for another championship push?

Unlike others’ late-season stumbles, Winthrop closed its 2024-25 season on a blistering pace. The Eagles went 9-2 to close the season, nearly landing an upset and NCAA Tournament bid over High Point in the Big South tournament championship. 

 

The frontcourt tandem of Kelton Talford and KJ Doucet left the nest this offseason, but the maroon and gold will likely once again fly near the top of the table. Two of the four Big South intraconference transfers will play in Rock Hill, as preseason second team guard Daylen Berry and forward Pharrell Boyogueno bring full seasons of starting experience from Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb, respectively. 

 

Mark Prosser has established the Eagles’ identity as a physical bump-and-grind team, as Winthrop led the country in free throw rate over the past two seasons and finished in the Top 10 the year before that. The Eagles also incorporated a frenetic pace of play last year, finishing fourth nationally in adjusted tempo. Look for more of the same in Rock Hill this season, which means a real chance to add yet another banner to the rafters of the Winthrop Coliseum.

6. Can Presbyterian’s frontcourt produce a special season? 

The Blue Hose appeared to be turning a corner down the stretch last season, winning on the road at Longwood, Radford and UNC Asheville to earn the fifth seed in the Big South tournament, the highest in the program’s history. An overtime loss to Radford ended Presbyterian’s run. 

 

Leading guards Kobe Stewart and Kory Mincy are gone, but Quinton Ferrell’s solution to replacing their production may be in the frontcourt. Jonah Pierce returns as a Big South second team nominee after playing only seven games last season due to injury. Fellow forward Jaylen Peterson will provide steady defense on the interior and give PC a worthy one-two punch in the paint. The duo of veteran big men will need to lead the way for a PC squad that ranks youngest in the Big South at an average of 1.63 years of experience, while Iverson King looks primed to lead the backcourt after starting in each of the Blue Hose’s final 15 games. 

 

The pieces are in place for another year of improvement in Clinton, South Carolina.

7. Will Charleston Southern produce a second straight Player of the Year?

For the first time in four years, Taje’ Kelly won’t be taking the floor for the Buccaneers after being named the 2024-25 Big South Player of the Year. Though the Bucs will need a new roster to gel without Kelly, they get the return of a 2023-24 Big South honorable mention. 

 

A’lahn Sumler, a Big South second team selection, will make his much-awaited return to Buccaneer Fieldhouse after missing all of 2024-25 with a hip injury. Sumler averaged 14.2 points per game in that 2023-24 season, making it easy to see why he can immediately step back into a sizable workload. Senior forward Reis Jones will anchor the frontcourt after a strong junior campaign where he started in 18 games. 

 

Head coach Saah Nimley will seek to build a cohesive crew around Sumler and Jones as CSU jockeys for position in conference play.

8. Who will emerge from a new litter of Runnin’ Bulldogs?

Jeremy Luther enters year two at the helm for Gardner-Webb, but it’s effectively year one all over again. 

 

The Runnin’ Bulldogs only return two players and 10.5 percent of their minutes from last season. They also are the only Big South team to not have a preseason all-conference nominee.  

 

As for who may become the top dog, Jacob Hudson is the returning leader in minutes, and started three of Gardner-Webb’s last five games last season. Transfer guard Ace Talbert will return to college basketball after suffering a knee injury just five games into last season at Saint Francis. 

 

There may be more questions than answers right now in Boiling Springs, but a new core of players could form a new identity that turns the conference on its head.

9. Can USC Upstate’s roster continuity produce a step forward? 

Despite a lackluster first season, head coach Marty Richter and USC Upstate may very well have a brighter horizon this year. The Spartans return 68.5 percent of their minutes from last year, a significant figure given they’re the only team in the Big South to return more than 50 percent. 

 

While last season’s top two scorers are gone, Upstate still boasts two returning double-figure scorers. Karmani Gregory earned a Big South second team nod after leading the conference in assists last season, while Carmelo Adkins will look to build off an all-freshman caliber season. 

 

If last year is any kind of indicator, USC Upstate will certainly get its steps in up and down the floor after finishing fifth nationally in adjusted tempo. Perhaps this core, now a year older and wiser, can push the pace and guide the Spartans into the upper echelon of the conference standings.

10. Will the Big South continue its strong run as a conference?

For the past two seasons, the Big South finished 18th in KenPom’s conference rankings. Both seasons tied for the highest the conference had ever finished. Prior to 2023, the Big South’s only other Top 20 ranking came at 19th in 2019. 

 

The Big South enters the 2025-26 season ranked 19th out of 31 conferences. High Point (103) and Radford (143) slot in KenPom’s Top 150 to begin the year, with Winthrop (151) right on the cusp. Longwood (220) and UNC Asheville (222) certainly have the personnel to join the other three in that Top 200 range. 

 

Even with all the coaching and roster changes of this year, it’s an encouraging sign that the Big South will continue its rise among mid-major conferences.

11. Which preseason snubs will be all-conference players by season’s end?

Seemingly every season, a handful of players who didn’t make the preseason awards list emerge as clear-cut difference makers for their squads. 

 

Here’s one player from each team that figures to be in the mix for some end-of-season recognition in Johnson City: 

 

High Point: Owen Aquino — Started all 35 games for NCAA Tournament qualifier Liberty last season, averaging 8.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

 

UNC Asheville: DJ Patrick — The fourth intraconference transfer, by way of Charleston Southern, Patrick is a 6-foot-6 guard with a double-figure scoring repertoire.   

 

Longwood: Alphonzo Billups III — The former ESPN top 100 recruit from VCU will be a matchup nightmare as a 6-foot-7 guard/forward.  

 

Radford: Brennan Rigsby, Jr. — Power conference starting experience at both Oregon and Minnesota will have Rigsby primed for Big South play.   

 

Winthrop: Kareem Rozier — Another transfer guard with NCAA Tournament experience from Duquesne, Rozier comes off a season where he was among the Top 10 in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio. 

 

Presbyterian: Jaylen Peterson — Led the Big South with 52 blocks last season despite only starting 10 games for the Blue Hose. 

 

Charleston Southern: Reis Jones — Checking in at 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, Jones recorded five or more rebounds in 20 games for the Bucs a year ago. 

 

Gardner-Webb: Ace Talbert — Talbert started 26 games in his two seasons for Saint Francis prior to injury. 

 

USC Upstate: Breylin Garcia — Shot 65 percent in 21 games last season for the Spartans prior to having his season cut short due to injury. 

 

 

12. Who will be Coach of the Year?

Since 2019, every regular season champion coach has won Big South Coach of the Year. Mike Morrell of UNC Asheville now stands as the only current Big South coach to have won the award previously. 

 

Perhaps a runaway regular season from Flynn Clayman, Ronnie Thomas, or Zach Chu nets them the award on their first try. Mark Prosser could join the ranks of Winthrop’s elite coaching tree of Gregg Marshall and Pat Kelsey if he takes it home.

 

It will likely be the regular season winner once again, but the conference’s best story may win the day for the top coaching honor. 

 

13. Who will be Freshman of the Year?

The modern landscape of college basketball has seemingly pushed freshmen aside in favor of seasoned veterans via the portal who can make an immediate difference. Still, the Big South is living proof that a freshman can contribute meaningful minutes. 

 

Juslin Bodo Bodo and Anthony Dell’Orso, two of the last three Big South Freshman of the Year winners, have gone on to play Power 5 basketball at Baylor and Arizona, respectively. 

 

UNC Asheville leads the Big South with five freshmen on its roster, while Winthrop and USC Upstate only carry one freshman each. It’s far too early to tell who will command impactful minutes, but someone on these nine rosters will become a known name around the league by season’s end. 

 

14. Who will be Defensive Player of the Year?

Once again, a Juslin Bodo Bodo-sized hole has opened for a new name to claim the Big South Defensive Player of the Year. 

 

Toyaz Solomon finished as the runner-up for this award last season, tallying four first-place votes. Solomon is one of three returning Big South players to finish in the Top 10 of total rebounds after placing fifth in 2024-25. The other Top 10 rebounders are Presbyterian’s Jaylen Peterson and Charleston Southern’s Reis Jones, who ranked ninth and tenth, respectively. Jones finished not far behind Peterson (52) and Solomon (51) in blocks as well, with 41 swats of his own. 

 

Winthrop’s Daylen Berry makes for a sleeper defensive candidate as well after finishing seventh in the Big South for defensive rebounding and fourth in steals last season.

15. Who will be Newcomer of the Year?

The newest Big South conference award has only existed for two seasons. Previous winners Duke Miles and Jordan Marsh are now on Power 5 rosters at Vanderbilt and USC, respectively, indicating this honor is one that can make waves nationally. 

 

Only three of the ten players selected for the all-conference teams are new to the Big South: Rob Martin and Scotty Washington of High Point, and Jaylon Johnson for Radford. Others such as Owen Aquino and Alphonzo Billups III could certainly make a case to be the top new kid in town. 

 

Whoever becomes the third winner will undoubtedly make their name one to remember for Big South seasons to come.

16. Who will be Player of the Year?

Toyaz Solomon will look to make it three Big South Player of the Year winners for UNC Asheville in the past four seasons, but he’ll have stiff competition to do so. 

 

Despite winning the regular season in each of the past two years, High Point hasn’t produced a Big South Player of the Year since John Brown in the 2015-16 season. The Panthers hold the longest drought of current Big South members to support a Player of the Year. Rob Martin appears to be Solomon’s primary competition, but a deep HPU roster may force the spotlight to several potential winners. 

 

A Jaylon Johnson Player of the Year win would mark the first Radford recognition in this category since Carlik Jones in 2019-20. Longwood, USC Upstate, Presbyterian, and Gardner-Webb have never produced a Big South Player of the Year, so there’s no better time than the present for some history to be made.

17. Which conference games will be selected for the ESPNU wild cards?

Over the past twelve seasons, the Big South has received the national spotlight of ESPNU for wild card broadcasts. 

 

According to the Big South website, January 29, February 12, February 19, and February 26 are the selected dates for this year. Each televised game will be announced two to three weeks in advance. 

 

The eligible games are as follows:   

 

January 29:

Gardner-Webb at UNC Asheville 

Longwood at USC Upstate 

Presbyterian at High Point 

Radford at Charleston Southern

 

February 12:

High Point at USC Upstate 

Presbyterian at Charleston Southern 

UNC Asheville at Longwood 

Winthrop at Gardner-Webb

 

February 19:

Gardner-Webb at Radford 

Longwood at Presbyterian 

UNC Asheville at High Point 

USC Upstate at Winthrop

 

February 26:

High Point at Presbyterian 

UNC Asheville at Gardner-Webb 

USC Upstate at Radford

Winthrop at Charleston Southern

 

It’s not an exact science as to how these games are selected, but here goes nothing:

 

Thursday, January 29: Presbyterian at High Point

The Qubein Center could kick off the wild card series for the second straight year, as the Panthers eye a third consecutive Big South regular season crown. 

 

Thursday, February 12: UNC Asheville at Longwood

A projected top three clash in the Big South’s newest arena between two of the last three Big South champions.  

 

Thursday, February 19: UNC Asheville at High Point

This appears to be the safest of the four predictions. The Big South’s projected top two teams will almost certainly battle it out on primetime TV. 

 

Thursday, February 26: USC Upstate at Radford

The Dedmon Center gets to showcase a raucous Radford crowd as Zach Chu and company close the 2025-26 wild card series.

18. Which team will emerge as the Big South dark horse in 2025-26?

Five of the past six Big South regular season winners have gone on to win the conference tournament. The lone team in that six-year period to not be a top seed and win it all was the 2023-24 Longwood Lancers. 

 

Though they came up short in the championship, last year’s Winthrop Eagles appeared on their way to stealing a bid as well. 

 

At least one new team has emerged in the top three and five of the Big South standings over the past three seasons since the dissolution of divisions. With so many changes across the conference, seemingly any team could make a run at becoming a legit contender this year.

19. Which non-conference matchups are worth noting prior to Big South play?

Before Big South play can begin, a whole slate of non-conference games will set the table for the rest of the season.

 

High Point begins its season against Furman in Rock Hill on November 3 in the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon, and makes a return trip to UAB on November 14. UNC Asheville takes on Will Wade and NC State December 6 before also making the trip to Birmingham to take on the Blazers on December 21.

 

Longwood returns home from a trip to Pittsburgh November 7 and takes aim at a statement win against in-state foe James Madison on November 12. Zach Chu makes his return to SMU as Radford battles the Mustangs on November 24. 

 

Winthrop visits two NCAA Tournament second-weekend teams in Arkansas (November 18) and Texas Tech (December 28). Presbyterian will look to catch some blue waves in a pre-Thanksgiving trip out west against Cal (November 18) and UCLA (November 21). Charleston Southern opens its season on the road in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech November 3.

 

Gardner-Webb begins its 2025-26 campaign at Minnesota (November 3) and Clemson (November 7) before closing it at Tennessee (December 21). USC Upstate takes on North Carolina for the first time in program history, on December 13 in Chapel Hill.

20. Who will cut down the nets in Johnson City?

Now, for the big question. 

High Point enters the 2025-26 season as the clear-cut favorite in the Big South with a reloaded roster chock-full of experience. UNC Asheville brings seven upperclassmen and the preseason Player of the Year looking to close his career with an elusive conference tournament championship. 

 

Longwood packs a plethora of effective talent who have a tough-nosed identity in an established winning culture. Radford’s reconfiguration of analytics and guard play sets up well to make a run at the conference leaders. Winthrop will once again cause chaos using a downhill, contact-seeking style of play.  

 

Any one of Presbyterian, Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, and USC Upstate can piece together a run. 

 

Will the Big South produce a new conference tournament winner for the fourth consecutive year? All it takes is three wins in three days on the first weekend of March.      

 

Enough talk. Let’s play some basketball.