Winthrop Men’s Basketball Picked To Finish Second In Big South; Hightower Named All Conference

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Longwood University’s men’s basketball team has been chosen as the favorite in the Big South Conference’s annual preseason poll for the 2022-23 season, it was announced this morning.

The defending champion Lancers are the preseason favorite for the first time, as the voting panel of head coaches and media bestowed 16 first-place votes and 195 total points upon this year’s squad. Winthrop followed in second-place with 170 points and one first-place vote, followed by UNC Asheville in the third spot with 159 points and two first-place nods. Gardner-Webb landed in the fourth position with 136 points, with High Point in fifth-place with 89 points. Campbell and Radford tied for sixth with 88 points each, and the Camels received the remaining first-place vote. USC Upstate (eighth, 86 points), Presbyterian College (ninth, 49 points) and Charleston Southern (10th, 40 points) round out the men’s preseason rankings.

Winthrop senior Corey Hightower was named to the Conference’s Pre-Season First Team.

The college basketball season tips off Monday, Nov. 7, and the first conference date of the 18-game league schedule is Thursday, Dec. 29. The season culminates with the 2023 Hercules Tires Big South Men’s Basketball Championship March 1-5 at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C.

2022-23 Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll

Rk – School (first-place votes) Points
1 – Longwood (16) 195
2 – Winthrop (1) 170
3 – UNC Asheville (2) 159
4 – Gardner-Webb 136
5 – High Point 89
T-6 – Campbell (1) 88
T-6 – Radford 88
8 – USC Upstate 86
9 – Presbyterian College 49
10 – Charleston Southern 40
Note: points are based on a weighted system. First-place votes received 10 points, followed by nine points for second-place, and so on.