Get To Know The 2025 Big South Tournament Champs: High Point Basketball

For the first time in school history, High Point basketball will be headed to the NCAA Tournament after an exciting win over Winthrop in the Big South Tournament Final.

General Information:

Team: High Point

Location: High Point, North Carolina

Record: 29-5 (14-2)

Head Coach: Alan Huss (2nd season, all at High Point)

What to know about High Point basketball:

Alan Huss, the 6’9 second-year coach, took this team to a regular season championship in year 1. Unfortunately, they got bounced by Longwood and had to wait another year for their shot at glory. Most of the time, when a team has a great season and the top players still have eligibility, they all hit the transfer portal and look to get minutes at a power conference level.  Besides one player, they actually kept their core and added some key transfers.

High Point went 29-5 on the season, losing just twice in conference play and ending the season on a 14-game winning streak, one of the longest in the country. They picked up wins in the non-conference against UAB and North Texas, two of the top three teams in the American conference.

This team isn’t led by one player and is extremely balanced. If you had to pick one, it would be Kezza Giffa, who led the team in scoring at 14.7 PPG. Kizza is an elite three-level scorer and is usually the guy with the ball in his hands down the stretch.

The rest of last year’s core is Kimani Hamilton, Abdou Thiam, and Juslin Bodo Bodo. All three of them hold different values, with Bodo Bodo being the rebounding machine down low and also the Big South two-time defensive player of the year (as a sophomore).

They also added key transfers, highlighted by two former Big 12 guards in D’Maurian William and Bobby Pettiford. This team is unbelievably deep. So deep that in the second half of the final game, when they were down big to Winthrop, Huss threw in the bench, and they were able to bring them all the way back and win that game.

This High Point basketball team finished in the top 20 in the country in points per game and 26th in KenPom’s offensive efficiency. For reference, the next highest low major team in that category is Chattanooga at 55.

The big concern is the defense, but they have so many players who can score that it cancels out those struggles.

NCAA Tournament prediction for High Point basketball: Round of 32 Exit

Projected seed: 13

If you ask me, I think they are a second weekend team; that’s how deep they are. If you’re a three seed right now, you’re doing whatever you can to stay on the line and avoid this High Point team. They have the size, depth, and scoring, and one of the better coaches in the country. The big issue, as mentioned earlier, is the defense. If they can’t defend, it’ll be much harder to get back into a game against a high-level scoring team like Wisconsin, and it could be a disappointing exit.

High Point fans travel, so don’t be surprised if you hear some noise on your TV. Every game in March is hard, but this team has the talent to bust some brackets and make a run.