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2022 Big South Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Basics

Dates

Wednesday, March 2 (first round); Friday, March 4 (quarterfinals); Saturday, March 5 (semifinals); Sunday, March 6 (championship)

Format

Traditional bracket

Site

After many seasons of playing on-campus, the Big South Tournament moves to the Bojangles Coliseum in downtown Charlotte. This is original building named the ‘Charlotte Coliseum,’ not the now demolished “Hive” on the city’s outskirts nor the Spectrum Center where the current Hornets play.

TV/Streaming Info

ESPN2 airs the championship game Sunday afternoon, with ESPN+ streaming the first three rounds.

Participants

With the Big South currently at 12 members, the conference split into two six-team divisions for the 2021-22 season. All of them will play in Charlotte. Teams will be seeded 1 through 12, though the two division winners were guaranteed to be seeded first and second.

Downloadable Bracket

Schedule

First Round (Wed., March 2)

Game 1: (9) North Carolina A&T 78, (8) Radford (11-18, 7-9) 71 (OT)
Game 2: (12) Charleston Southern 79, (5) UNC Asheville (16-13, 8-8) 78
Game 3: (10) Hampton (9-19, 5-11) 77, (7) High Point 84 (OT)
Game 4: (11) Presbyterian (12-20, 4-12) 72, (6) Campbell 75 (OT)

Quarterfinals (Fri., March 4)

Game 5: (9) North Carolina A&T (12-20, 6-10) 65, (1) Longwood 79
Game 6: (12) Charleston Southern (6-25, 1-15) 62, (4) USC Upstate 72
Game 7: (7) High Point (14-18, 7-9) 51, (2) Winthrop 68
Game 8: (6) Campbell (16-13, 8-8) 53, (3) Gardner-Webb 54

Semifinals (Sat., March 5)

Game 9: (4) USC Upstate (14-16, 10-6) 70, (1) Longwood 79
Game 10: (3) Gardner-Webb (18-13, 11-5) 67, (2) Winthrop 76

Championship (Sun., March 6)

Game 11: (2) Winthrop (23-9, 14-2) 58, (1) LONGWOOD (26-6, 15-1) 79

Mayhem Potential

Data originally posted by Bob Vetrone Jr. on Twitter in 2020 with my own additions for 2021 and 2022.

Up until 2020 and 2021, the top two seeds hadn’t seen much recent success in the Big South Tournament, Winthrop’s victories in each of the last two seasons changed that, however.

• 1 seed (3): 2012, 2017, 2021
• 2 seed (3): 2014 (1 South), 2018, 2020
• 3 seed (2): 2011, 2015
• 4 seed (2): 2016, 2019
• 9 seed (1): 2013 (5 North)

NCAA Seeding Record Since 2011

Years with an NCAA win are in bold.

• 12 seed (1): 2021
• 13 seed (1); 2017
• 15 seed (1): 2016
• 16 seed (7): 2011 (First Four), 2012, 2013 (First Four), 2014, 2015, 2018 (First Four), 2019

Winthrop earned a 12 seed in 2021, but the Eagles would have been placed in the Big South champ’s usual slot on seed line 16 had the 2020 NCAA Tournament happened. Longwood is the conference’s best chance at earning a higher seed this time around, though they’re hovering around the 15/16 border at the moment. However, if the Lancers win both the regular season and tournament titles, they could earn a 14 if things break right elsewhere.

Last NCAA Tournament Appearances

Winthrop: 2021 (12 seed, 1st Round)—2020 Big South Tournament Champion
Gardner-Webb: 2019 (16 seed, 1st Round)
Radford: 2018 (16 seed, 1st Round)
UNC Asheville: 2016 (15 seed, 1st Round)
Hampton: 2016 (16 seed, 1st Round, MEAC member)
North Carolina A&T: 2013 (16 seed, 1st Round, MEAC member)
Charleston Southern: 1997 (15 seed, 1st Round)
Campbell: 1992 (16 seed, 1st Round)

While eight of the Big South’s 12 members have reached the NCAA Tournament, including short-timers North Carolina A&T and Hampton (both of whom leave for the CAA this summer), High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, and USC Upstate have never done so. With the Lancers the No. 1 seed and the Spartans their potential quarterfinal opponent at No. 4, they’re the most likely to break through in 2022.