The 2021–22 Big South Conference men's basketball season started non-conference play on November 9, 2021, and began conference play on January 5, 2022. The regular season ended on February 26, 2022, setting up the 2021–22 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament from March 2 to March 6.
Conference changes
Due the offseason addition of the North Carolina A&T Aggies the Big South changed the conference play format. The conference was split into a north and south division. The north included Campbell, Hampton, High Point, Longwood, North Carolina A&T and Radford while the south consisted of Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate and Winthrop. Conference play consisted of 96 total games with each team playing 16 games. Each team played 10 intra-division games and 6 cross-division games. The first 11 games of conference play consisted of 5 intra-division games and 6 cross-division games, while the last five games were all intra-division.
Head coaches
Coach Changes Radford hired Darris Nichols to replace Mike Jones who left for UNC Greensboro to become head coach.
Winthrop hired Mark Prosser to replace Pat Kelsey who left for College of Charleston to become head coach.
Coaches TeamHead coach Previous Job Years At School Record at School Big South Record Big South Titles NCAA Tournaments CampbellKevin McGeehanRichmond (Associate HC)10123-13360-7900Charleston SouthernBarclay RadebaughMiami (FL) (Assistant)17210-274114-15700Gardner-WebbTim CraftEast Carolina (Assistant)9138-12181-6111HamptonEdward JoynerHampton (Assistant)13197-19026-2603High PointTubby SmithMemphis434-5321-3000LongwoodGriff AldrichUMBC (Director of Recruiting)442-5324-3000North Carolina A&TWillie JonesNorth Carolina A&T (Interim HC)325-150-000PresbyterianQuinton FerrellCollege of Charleston (Assistant)317-3712-2300RadfordDarris NicholsFlorida (Assistant)10-00-000UNC AshevilleMike MorrellTexas (Assistant)429-5319-2900USC UpstateDave DickersonOhio State (Associate HC)424-6413-3700Winthrop EaglesMark ProsserWestern Carolina10-00-000 Notes:
Year at school includes 2021–22 season. Overall and Big South records are from the time at current school and are through the end of the 2020–21 season. NCAA Tournament appearances are from the time at current school only.
Preseason Awards The Preseason Big South men's basketball poll was released on October 20, 2021.
Preseason men's basketball polls
North First Place Votes in Parentheses
Campbell (20) - 148 Longwood - 96 North Carolina A&T (3) - 92 Radford (3) - 83 Hampton - 70 High Point - 57
South First Place Votes in Parentheses
Winthrop (23) - 152 UNC Ashville (3) - 131 Gardner-Webb - 103 Presbyterian College - 72 Charleston Southern - 47 USC Upstate - 41
Preseason Honors HonorRecipientPreseason Player of the YearD. J. Burns, WinthropPreseason All-Big South First TeamD. J. Burns, WinthropJohn-Michael Wright, High PointCedric Henderson Jr., CampbellTajion Jones, UNC AshevilleRayshon Harrison, Presbyterian CollegePreseason All-Big South Second TeamKameron Langley, North Carolina A&TJordan Whitfield, CampbellLJ Thorpe, UNC AshevilleRussell Dean, HamptonJustin Hill, Longwood
Regular season
Conference standings North DivisionConferenceDivisionOverallRankTeamRecordPercentRecordPercentRecordPercentTiebreaker1Longwood4-01.0002-01.00012-5.7062North Carolina A&T4-2.6672-2.5009-11.4503Campbell3-3.5002-1.66710-7.5884Radford2-4.3331-3.2506-12.3335Hampton1-3.2501-2.3335-10.333Ahead of High Point based on Head-to-Head Win %6High Point1-3.2501-1.5007-11.412 South DivisionConferenceDivisionOverallRankTeamRecordPercentRecordPercentRecordPercentTiebreaker1Winthrop5-01.0004-01.00012-6.6672USC Upstate5-1.8334-01.0008-10.4443Gardner-Webb3-3.5002-2.5009-10.474Ahead of UNC Ashville based on Division Win %4UNC Ashville3-3.5001-2.33311-8.5795Charleston Southern1-5.1670-3.0004-14.2226Presbyterian0-5.0000-4.0008-12.400 Combined DivisionsConferenceOverallRankTeamRecordPercentRecordPercentTiebreaker1Winthrop5-01.00012-6.6672Longwood3-01.00012-5.7063USC Upstate5-1.8338-10.4444North Carolina A&T4-2.6679-11.4505UNC Ashville3-3.50011-8.579Ahead of Gardner-Webb and Campbell based on Win % between 3-3 teams6Gardner-Webb3-3.5009-10.474Ahead of Campbell based on Win % between 3-3 teams7Campbell3-3.50010-7.5888Radford2-4.3336-12.3339Hampton1-3.2505-10.33310High Point1-3.2507-11.41211Charleston Southern1-5.1674-14.22212Presbyterian0-5.0008-12.400
Conference Matrix CampbellCharleston SouthernGardner–Webb HamptonHigh PointLongwoodNorth Carolina A&TPresbyterianRadfordUNC AshevilleUSC UpstateWinthropvs. Campbell–0-11-00-10-11-01-0vs. Charleston Southern1-0–1-00-11-01-01-0vs. Gardner-Webb0-1–0-11-00-11-01-0vs. Hampton1-0–0-11-01-0vs. High Point1-01-0–0-11-0vs. Longwood0-10-1–0-10-1vs. North Carolina A&T1-00-11-0–0-10-10-1vs. Presbyterian1-01-01-0–1-01-0vs. Radford1-00-11-01-0–1-00-1vs. UNC Asheville0-10-11-00-1–1-01-0vs. USC Upstate0-10-10-10-11-00-1–vs. Winthrop0-10-10-10-10-1−
Players of the Week WeekPlayer(s) of the WeekSchoolFreshman of the WeekSchoolNov. 15Ricky ClemensCampbellJordan GaineyUSC UpstateNov. 22Leslie NkereuwemLongwoodZack AustinHigh PointNov. 29Patrick GoodRayshon HarrisonWinthropPresbyterianJordan Gainey (2)USC Upstate (2)Dec. 6John-Michael WrightHigh PointZack Austin (2)High Point (2)Dec. 13Drew PemberUNC AshvilleZack Austin (3)High Point (3)Dec. 20Drew Pember (2)UNC Ashville (2)Jalen BreazealeUSC Upstate (3)Dec. 27D. J. BurnsWinthrop (2)Zack Austin (4)High Point (4)Jan. 3Zion WilliamsGardner-WebbZack Austin (5)High Point (5)Jan. 10Anthony SeldonGardner-Webb (2)Jordan Gainey (3)USC Upstate (4)Jan. 17Isaiah WilkinsLongwood (2)Jordan Gainey (4)USC Upstate (5)Jan. 24Drew Pember (3)UNC Ashville (3)Jordan Gainey (5)USC Upstate (6)Jan. 31Justin HillDalvin WhiteLongwood (3)USC UpstateJordan Gainey (6)USC Upstate (7)Feb. 7D. J. Burns (2)Winthrop (3)Zack Austin (6)High Point (6)Feb. 14Kameron LangleyNorth Carolina A&TZack Austin (7)High Point (7)Feb. 21Isaiah Wilkins (2)Longwood (4)Jordan Gainey (7)USC Upstate (8)Feb. 27Justin Hill (2)Longwood (5)Zack Austin (8)High Point (8)
Records against other conferences Power 7 ConferencesRecordPower 7 ConferencesRecordACC0-12American0-6Big East0-1Big Ten0-3Big 120-1Pac-121-2SEC1-8Power 7 Total2-33Other Division I ConferencesRecordOther Division I ConferencesRecordAmerica East3-0Atlantic 100-3ASUN3-3Big Sky NoneBig West NoneColonial3-7Conference USA2-4Horizon LeagueNoneIvy LeagueNoneMAAC0-1MAC0-1MEAC8-7MVCNoneMWC0-1NEC1-0OVC1-3Patriot League1-2SoCon10-15Southland1-0SWACNoneSummit LeagueNoneSun Belt0-4WAC1-1WCCNoneOther Division I Total34-52NCAA Division I Total36-84NCAA Division II Total5-0NCAA Division III Total8-0NAIA Total7-0NCCAA Total9-0USCAA Total4-0Total Non-Conference Record69-85
Conference tournament The 2022 Hercules Tire Big South tournament was held at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina from March 2 to March 6.
References