Big South basketball notebook: Winthrop bidding for 2016 men’s conference tourney
Winthrop bidding to host Big South tournament
Winthrop athletic director Tom Hickman confirmed on Monday morning that Winthrop has bid to host the 2016 Big South Conference men’s basketball conference tournament, as well as the men’s and women’s tournaments from 2017 to 2019.
The Big South had a contract with Conway to continue hosting both the men’s and women’s tournaments this coming spring and in 2017, but that was voided after Coastal Carolina announced an impending move to the Sun Belt Conference. Big South bylaws dictate that any school leaving the league cannot host postseason tournaments, which Coastal has done the last three seasons.
The league put that decision into effect immediately, meaning the bidding for this year’s events is up for grabs. Hickman mentioned that besides Winthrop, Campbell, High Point and UNC Asheville have bid for the men’s event. High Point and UNC Asheville have bid for March’s women’s tournament.
League athletic directors were meeting Monday and Tuesday to discuss the bids. Hickman said the AD’s will rank the bids one through five based on viability, but the ultimate say is left up to the school presidents. They’ll vote in early November to decide the hosts for this year’s event, as well as the 2017-19 bid winners.
Big South preseason poll
Women’s
1. Liberty (6); 2. Winthrop (4); 3. Radford; 4. High Point; 5. Campbell; 6. Gardner-Webb; 7. Presbyterian; 8. UNC Asheville; 9. Longwood; 10. Coastal Carolina (1); 11. Charleston Southern.
Men’s
1. High Point (17); 2. Coastal Carolina (10); 3. Winthrop (3); 4. Radford; 5. Gardner-Webb; 6. Longwood; 7. UNC Asheville; 8. Charleston Southern (1); 9. Presbyterian; 10. Campbell; 11. Liberty.
First place votes in parentheses
Preseason all-conference teams
Women’s
First team
*Ashley Rininger, Liberty (R-Sr., 6-4, F/C)
Erica Williams, Winthrop (R-Jr., 5-10, G/F)
Schaquilla Nunn, Winthrop (R-Sr., 6-3, C)
Kaylah Keys, High Point (Jr., 5-5, G)
Aisha Foy, Radford (Sr., 5-6, G)
Second team
Sadalia Ellis, Liberty (Sr., 5-6, G)
Olivia Parker, Gardner-Webb (Sr., 6-0, F)
Aliyah Kilpatrick, Winthrop (R-Jr., 5-8, G)
Raven Williams, Longwood (Sr., 5-8, G)
RaeChaun Edwards, Campbell (R-Sr., 5-4, G)
Men’s
First team
*John Brown, High Point (R-Sr., 6-8, F)
Elijah Wilson, Coastal Carolina (Jr., 6-4, G)
DeSean Murray, Presbyterian (Soph., 6-5, F)
Keon Johnson, Winthrop (Jr., 5-7, G)
Second team
Lotanna Nwogbo, Longwood (R-Sr., 6-8, F/C)
Badou Diagne, Coastal Carolina (Sr., 6-7, F)
Adam Weary, High Point (Sr., 6-3, G)
Xavier Cooks, Winthrop (Soph., 6-8, G/F)
D.J. Mason, Campbell (Sr., 6-6, F)
* - preseason player of the year
This story was originally published October 26, 2015 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Big South basketball notebook: Winthrop bidding for 2016 men’s conference tourney."