2026 Big South Tournament Preview & Conference Awards

CBB Review prepares you for every conference tournament leading up to Selection Sunday on Mar. 15. Up next: The Big South Tournament.

The Big South was a two-team race all season long between High Point and Winthrop. Both teams had just one loss with three games to go in conference play. High Point got the win and earned its third straight regular-season title.

Last year, High Point swept the titles, giving Purdue a tough time in the first round but not getting the Big South a tournament win. They’re hoping to get redemption, but with a conference format that doesn’t necessarily help the high seeds, anything can happen.

If you love upsets, this probably isn’t the conference tournament for you. At least three of the top four seeds have made the semifinal in the last eight tournaments, and the one seed has won four of the last five tournaments. This is March, though, and the madness can certainly happen, so make sure you have this one on your list.

2026 Big South Conference Awards

Player of the Year: Logan Duncomb, Winthrop

Freshman of the Year: Spence Sims, Gardner-Webb

Transfer of the Year: Dennis Parker Jr., Radford

Coach of the Year: Flynn Clayman, High Point

First Team:

• G: Dennis Parker Jr., Radford (18.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG)
• G: Kameron Taylor, UNC Asheville (18.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG)
• G: Rob Martin, High Point (14.9 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.6 SPG)
• F: Terry Anderson, High Point (15.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG)
• C: Logan Duncomb, Winthrop (18.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.8 BPG)

Second Team:

• G: Kody Clouet, Winthrop (13.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.8 SPG)
• G: Del Jones, Radford (17.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG)
• G: A’Lahn Sumler, Charleston Southern (18.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 0.8 SPG)
• F: Toyaz Solomon, UNC Asheville (16.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.3 BPG)
• F: Jonah Pierce, Presbyterian (16.4 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 0.8 SPG, 1.4 BPG

2026 Big South Tournament Simulation

First Round – Wednesday, Mar. 4

8. USC Upstate (13-18, 5-11) vs. 9. Gardner Webb (3-28, 1-15) – 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Gardner-Webb won three games the entire season. Three! They’ve lost nine straight and lost by ten to this USC Upstate team in the season finale. Not much else to say.

Ariel’s Pick: 8. USC Upstate

Quarterfinals – Friday, Mar. 6

1. High Point (27-4, 15-1) vs. 8. USC Upstate – 12 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Ten games separate these teams in the conference standings. That might be the most of any game in this entire tournament. High Point won both games by 20 or more in the regular season and will do it again in Johnson City.

Ariel’s Pick: 1. High Point

2. Winthrop (21-10, 13-3) vs. 7. Charleston Southern (16-15, 9-7) – 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+

The big question in this one is going to be whether Logan Duncomb plays. In the penultimate game of the season, Duncomb got hurt after nine minutes against this Charleston Southern team, and as a result, they dropped just their third game in conference play. This will come down to the guard play, and while Sumler is capable of taking over and giving his team another win, Clouet will step up and ensure they stay alive.

Ariel’s Pick: 2. Winthrop

4. UNC Asheville (14-16, 8-8) vs. 5. Longwood (16-15, 8-8) – 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+

This one is as even as it gets. UNC Asheville took both games in the regular season, and the trio of Kameron Taylor, Toyaz Solomon, and Justin Wright will be too much for this Longwood team.

Ariel’s Pick: 4. UNC Asheville

3. Radford (16-15, 9-7) vs. 6. Presbyterian (14-17, 7-9) – 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Presbyterian ended the season ice cold, losing 3 straight. We did get one of the best Big South games of the season when these two teams played earlier this season, a two-overtime battle that Radford won. The other matchup was less exciting, with Radford winning by 19 at home. Presbyterian can’t make threes, and if they find themselves down, it’ll be hard for them to come back.

Ariel’s Pick: 3. Radford

Semifinals – Saturday, Mar. 7

1. High Point vs. 4. UNC Asheville – 12 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Look, I can say a lot of good things about UNC Asheville, but High Point is a different beast. They beat UNC Asheville 74-48 when they played on February 19th, and while this one might be closer than 26 points, High Point should still survive and advance comfortably.

Ariel’s Pick: 1. High Point

2. Winthrop vs. 3. Radford  – 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Again, this comes down to whether Duncomb plays or not. For now, we’re going to assume he is. If he doesn’t, Radford wins this. When the two played this season, the combined victory total was three points. Winthrop won both, but it shows that even though Radford won four fewer games in conference play, these teams are closer than they seem. With Duncomb not at 100%, Dennis Parker and Del Jones will step up and lead their team to the championship.

Ariel’s Pick: 3. Radford

Finals – Sunday, Mar. 8

1. High Point vs. 3. Radford – 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Here we go. Can High Point go back-to-back, or can Radford win their first title since 2018? High Point’s only loss was to Winthrop, and while Radford ended the season hot, High Point is just on a whole other level. They force a lot of turnovers, but don’t turn it over themselves. They play fast and shoot the ball well. They have depth. While Radford might put up a fight, it’s been High Point’s league all season long, and that continues here.

Ariel’s Pick: 1. High Point