High Point

State of '08: North Carolina

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:45:49 -0700

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Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA - In the past four years, UNC has won 3 ACC regular season titles, 2 conference tournaments, advanced to 2 Final Fours, and won a National Championship. Not bad.

DUKE - In most other states, Duke would be the run away top program.. but UNC happens to be in the middle of a nice run. Still, the Blue Devils have reached the Sweet Sixteen in 8 of the last 11 years.

DAVIDSON - Bob McKillop's teams have long dominated the Southern Conference. The Wildcats have finished 1st or 2nd in the conference in 12 of 13 seasons, including at least 10 league wins in those 12 years. But last year, the program reached another level by advancing to the Elite Eight.

WAKE FOREST - For obvious reasons, the past few seasons have been disappointing for the Wake community. But most fans are expecting a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, and perhaps the Deacons' first Sweet Sixteen trip since 2004.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE - For whatever reasons, NC State was never satisfied with Herb Sendek even though he took over a program struggling under Les Robinson, and led them to five straight NCAA Tournaments from 2002 to 2006. Sidney Lowe will most likely end his 3rd season without a Tournament bid, though next year's recruiting haul is impressive.

6. CHARLOTTE - From 1995 to 2005, the 49ers made the Big Dance in 8 of 11 seasons. In the last three years since joining the A10, there's just been a pair of NIT selections. This year's team should once again be in the postseason mix.

7. UNC WILMINGTON - Ever since Jerry Wainright took over in 1995, UNCW has been one of the most consistent teams in the CAA. From 2000 to 2006, UNCW made 4 NCAA Tournaments. Third year coach Benny Moss will have to probably wait until at least 2010 for his first postseason trip.

8. APPALACHIAN STATE - Houston Fancher's 8 year tenure at App State has been solid, but he's still looking for that elusive NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2007, the Mountaineers did make the NIT after finishing the regular season with an RPI of 65.

9. UNC ASHEVILLE - Coming off one of the program's better seasons (19 D1 wins, and a conference finals trip), the Bulldogs should struggle once again in 2009. UNCA did make the Tourney in 2003, coming out of nowhere to win the Big South after a sub-par regular season.

10. UNC GREENSBORO - The Spartans knocked off Georgia Tech early last year on their way to a solid 19-win season. It was their best campaign since 2002, when they reached the NIT a year after losing to Stanford in the Big Dance.

11. HIGH POINT - Considering the program is barely a decade old at the D1 level, High Point's limited success is actually impressive. In both 06 & 07, the Panthers were a Top 200 RPI team, something that very few programs in the state can claim. 2009 should be the 4th season in a row with a finish of .500 or better in the Big South.

12. GARDNER-WEBB - The Bulldogs join the Big South this year, after less than a decade in the A-Sun. Except for a disappointing 2007 campaign, the program has actually been respectable recently.

13. ELON - 2006 was arguably the high-water mark in Elon history. The Phoenix shocked Clemson, and finished 10-4 in the Southern Conference. Last year, despite a mediocre regular season, Elon surprised many by reaching the conference title game.

14. EAST CAROLINA - While ECU has had some success on the football field, the hardcourt is another story. In the last two years, the Pirates have won just 12 D1 games and even lost to an NAIA squad last December.

15. WESTERN CAROLINA - In the last decade, WCU hasn't finished above .500 in the Southern Conference, and their top RPI finish is 230th.

16. CAMPBELL - The Camels lone NCAA Tournament came in 1992. The next one might be years away.. Campbell hasn't even reached .500 in the Atlantic Sun since 2000. There is at least some hope for respectability in 2009 thanks to star Jonathan Rodriguez.

17. NORTH CAROLINA A&T - From 03 to 06, A&T was one of the worst teams in the country. The team has at least been competitive in the MEAC the past two years, but its still the MEAC..

18. WINSTON-SALEM STATE - The Rams improved in their 2nd season at the top level, winning an impressive 11 D1 games. The team should be good enough in 2009 to perhaps knock off their first Top 200 team.

19. NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL - The Eagles transition to D1 started slowly with a 4-26 record last year.

Last: New York - Next: Ohio

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

Daily Poll: Who Will Win the Big South?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 16:33:39 -0700

Big South Preseason All-Conference Team

Press Release — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 07:32:51 -0700

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – High Point University senior Arizona Reid (Gaffney, S.C.) has been voted the Big South Conference 2007-08 Preseason Men’s Basketball Player of the Year by the League’s Head Coaches, Sports Information Directors and media panel, it was announced today at the Conference’s annual Basketball Tip-Off Media Luncheon at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Concord, N.C. This year’s preseason All-Conference team features four players who were named to the League’s All-Freshman team in 2004-05.

Reid was the Conference’s Player of the Year in 2006-07, after leading the Big South in rebounding (9.5 per game) and finishing second in scoring (21.0) – the first player in League history to average 20 points and nine rebounds in one season. He was an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press last season and received All-District honors from the USBWA and the NABC. Reid also was fourth in the Big South in field goal percentage (.509), 10th in free throw percentage, tied for 13th in blocks per game, fourth in offensive rebounds and first in defensive rebounds. In League play last year, Reid increased his totals to 26.0 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. He also scored in double figures in 29 games, including 19 straight, surpassed the 20-point mark 19 times with five 30-point outings, and brought down a Big South single-game record 25 rebounds against VMI in late February. Reid received 21 first-place votes and finished with 134 points in the voting to earn a spot on the preseason All-Conference team.

2007-08 Big South Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team

Arizona Reid, High Point, Sr., F
Reggie Williams, VMI, Sr., F
Michael Jenkins, Winthrop, Sr., G
Jack Leasure, Coastal Carolina, Sr., G
Chris Gaynor, Winthrop, Sr., G

Williams, who received six first-place votes and 106 total points, became the first player in Big South history to lead the nation in scoring last year with his League-record 28.1 points per game average. He was named NABC All-District 4 second-team, ranked in the top four in the Conference in points (1st), rebounding (4th), field goal percentage (3rd) and assists (3rd), and also ranked ninth in free throw percentage and 10th in steals. Williams set new Big South and VMI records for most points in a season (928), became the first player in Conference history to log three 40-point games in a career and topped 40+ points in four games last season. He had nine double-doubles, scored in double figures in 31 games last season and had 15 30-point games. Williams needs just 351 points to become the Big South’s all-time leading scorer.

Jenkins enjoyed a breakout season last year for the Eagles as he earned First-team All-Conference honors as well as All-Tournament team accolades in his first year as a starter. He developed into one of the team’s top scoring threats as well as being a defensive stopper on the perimeter. He led Winthrop in scoring with 14.8 points per game and surpassed every single season individual career best last year. Jenkins led the Big South in three-point shooting percentage (41.5 percent), scored in double figures 27 times and tied a school and Big South record for three-pointers in a game with 12 vs. North Greenville. He led the Eagles to a 77-66 win over Missouri State in the ESPNU BracketBusters with his 25-point performance and seven 3-pointers, and posted seven rebounds and 11 assists in Winthrop’s 74-64 NCAA Tournament win over Notre Dame.

Leasure has been a Conference honoree all three seasons at Coastal Carolina – All-Freshman in 2005, First-team All-Conference and Player of the Year in 2006 and Second-team All-Conference in 2007. He led CCU to its second .500-or-better season last year for the first time since 1993-94, and became just the 14th player in CCU history to reach 1,000 points in his career (currently at 1,424). Leasure enters his senior year third all-time in Big South history with 300 career three-pointers. In 2006-07, he led Coastal and ranked seventh in the League at 15.6 points per game. He also ranked in the top 10 in the Conference in three pointers (3.0 pg), three-point field goal percentage (.372), assists (3.6 pg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8). He scored in double-figures in 12-of-14 League games last year and 25-of-30 games overall.

Gaynor was named Collegeinsider.com’s National Mid-Major Most Valuable Player in 2006-07 after helping the Eagles to a 29-5 overall record, 14-0 Big South mark and NCAA Tournament first round win. He has started all 95 games of his career at Winthrop (out of 98) and has been the Eagles’ floor general since his freshman season. He ranked first in the Big South last year in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.16) and was fourth in assists (4.39), while adding eight points a game. Gaynor saw his career games started streak end due to an injury in early December, but he still led the squad with 46 steals and ranked among the Conference leaders in the steals category. He scored a career-high 19 points vs. Liberty on Feb. 6 to help fuel a 80-76 come-from-behind win. He enters his senior season in fourth-place on the Winthrop all-time assist list with 427.

2007-08 High Point Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 06:00:27 -0700

High Point Panthers

Overall Rank: #137

Conference Rank: #2 Big South

2006-07: 22-10, 11-3, 2^nd

2006-07 postseason: none

High Point has quietly put together a solid program under the shadow of fellow Big South member Winthrop. Coach Bart Lundy, who once attended and coached at the school he is now chasing, has done an amazing job turning High Point into a consistent contender after taking over the program in 2003. Led by superstar Arizona ‘AZ’ Reid, who averaged 21.0 points and 9.5 rebounds last season, the Panthers will get a step closer to Winthrop. And Reid’s senior season may be the best chance they get to unseat the reigning champs.

Who’s Out:

The graduation of Landon Quick and the transfer of Troy Bowen will cause a few problems in the backcourt. Quick, who started all 32 games, averaged 8.2 points and 3.8 assists during his senior campaign. Bowen has opted to transfer after earning 22 starts as a sophomore. Mike Davidson, who is transferring, and Josh Lamons, who is retiring from basketball for medical reasons, are also headed out of the Panthers program.

Who’s In:

Incoming freshmen Matt Smigielski, Ibrahim Appiah and Alquan Mendenhall will provide some depth to the backcourt. Smigielski is a tough 6-3 shooting guard who can not only score, but also help on the glass. Appiah may make the biggest impact of the newcomers. The Ghana native who is heading to High Point via Montreal, Canda, is a superb shooter and even a better defender. Mendenahall is a score first point guard, but he is a smart player who will find his open teammates. High Point could use some depth in the frontcourt and the program hopes Earnest Bridges can provide that. At 6-5, the Raleigh, North Carolina native is a little undersized, but he is a strong, powerful athlete who has plenty of potential.

Who to Watch:

Reid may be the star of the team, and the most fun to watch, but it is the play of forwards Jerald Minnis and Cruz Daniels that is the most important. If Coach Lundy wants to play big, both Minnis and Daniels will be in the game, but starting both may be risky until the depth behind them is solidified. Minnis, a 6-7 235 pound senior, started 19 games last year and is a solid rebounder. He will do some scoring inside as well, but doing the dirty work under the basket will be enough to help out the Panthers. Daniels performed admirably as a redshirt freshman, averaging 3.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. The offensive game needs to continue to develop and staying a presence under the basket on the defensive end without the constant foul trouble will keep Daniels on the floor much longer.

Final Projection:

As long as the big guys can hold their own High Point will be very good. Mike Jefferson is a steady point guard, a good senior leader and a prolific scorer. Gene Harris had a surprisingly effective freshman season and is the most reliable three-point shooter returning. Tim Burns and Melvin Crowder both have the potential to become more productive options out of the backcourt. Due to the foul and depth concerns up front, Burns or Crowder, or one of the newcomers, is likely to earn a starting role in the backcourt, allowing Coach Lundy to run a three guard offense. With Reid on the floor, the Panthers can beat anybody in the Big South. If the rest of the team takes a step closer to Reid’s level, High Point can compete with anybody in the NCAA Tournament.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Mike Jefferson, Senior, Guard, 13.4 points per game

Gene Harris, Sophomore, Guard, 8.4 points per game

Arizona Reid, Senior, Forward, 21.0 points per game

Jerald Minnis, Senior, Forward, 8.0 points per game

Cruz Daniels, Sophomore, Center, 3.1 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2007-08 Preview | Discuss the Preview

Big South Player of the Week

Press Release — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:52:41 -0800

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – High Point junior forward Arizona Reid (Gaffney, S.C.) has been selected as the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for games played Jan. 8-14, while Coastal Carolina guard Joshua Mack (Hopkinsville, Ky.) received New Balance Freshman of the Week honors, it was announced today by the League office.

Reid averaged 30.5 points and 14.0 rebounds in two Big South wins last week in helping the Panthers to a 3-0 start in Conference play. At VMI, Reid tied his career-high with 32 points in addition to 14 rebounds and 15-of-25 shooting ( =60.0) as the Panthers knocked off the Keydets, 115-104. Saturday vs. UNC Asheville, Reid stopped the Bulldogs’ 29-8 opening rally with a three-pointer, which sparked a 42-5 High Point run that led to HPU’s eventual 26-point win. He finished the game with 29 points and 15 rebounds, and was 3-of-4 from three-point range – matching his season-to-date total. Reid recorded his 500th career rebound at VMI, narrowly reached 1,000 career points vs. Asheville (993), was 27-of-44 from the field ( =61.4), 4-of-4 from the line and averaged 2.0 assists per game.

Mack averaged 15.0 points and 53.6 percent from the field (15-of-28) in three games last week, helping the Chanticleers to two wins. He scored in double figures in each game, including 16 points in Coastal’s first road win of the season at UNC Asheville, Jan. 8. Mack tied his career-high with 19 points vs. Savannah State, Jan. 10, and added 10 points, five assists and three steals in a four-point loss at Radford. On the week, Mack was 10-of-19 from three-point range ( =52.6), 5-of-6 from the line ( =83.3) and averaged 4.3 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals.

Other Player of the Week nominees for Week 9: Dwayne Jackson (Charleston Southern), Moses Sonko (Coastal Carolina), Chris Oliver (Radford) and Reggie Williams (VMI).

Other Freshman of the Week nominees for Week 9: Eugene Harris (High Point) and Amir Johnson (Radford).

Big South Co-Players of the Week

Press Release — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 10:40:21 -0800

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – High Point forward Arizona Reid (Gaffney, S.C.) and Winthrop guard Torrell Martin (Columbia, S.C.) have been selected as the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Co-Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for games played Dec. 4-10, while Winthrop guard Kyle Moore (Gainesville, Fla.) received New Balance Freshman of the Week honors, it was announced today by the League office.

Reid averaged 21.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 50.9 percent from the field (29-of-57) in helping the Panthers to a 2-1 record in a busy week. He opened the week with 22 points and nine rebounds in HPU’s win over Elon, in addition to shooting 56.3 percent from the floor (9-of-16). Against Longwood, he posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while scoring the game-winning basket with :05 seconds left. At No. 3 North Carolina, Reid led all scorers with 26 points on 13-of-23 from the field ( =56.5) and grabbed eight rebounds.

Martin averaged 18.0 points and 52.0 percent from the floor in two games last week. He scored a season-high 31 points at No. 11 Wisconsin, hitting 11-of-18 field goals ( =61.1), including 7-of-11 from beyond the arc (= 63.6), as Winthrop nearly pulled the upset over the Badgers. His seven three-pointers set a Kohl Center record for most three-point field goals by one player. He also doled out four assists and two steals in the game. Martin finished the week averaging 47.1 percent from long-range in addition to 3.5 rebounds.

Moore, a walk-on for the Eagles who averaged 5.0 minutes, saw a season-high 28 minutes of action at Wisconsin as the Eagles were without starting point guard Chris Gaynor. Moore scored a season-high nine points and dished out four assists while not committing a single turnover. He connected on all three of his three-point attempts. Against Limestone Saturday, Moore scored five points in 21 minutes of action, with four helpers and three rebounds.

Other Player of the Week nominees for Week 5: Moses Sonko (Coastal Carolina), Larry Blair (Liberty), K.J. Gardland (UNC Asheville), Chris Oliver (Radford) and Reggie Williams (VMI).

Other Freshman of the Week nominees for Week 5: Joshua Mack (Coastal Carolina), B.J. Jenkins (Liberty) and Amir Johnson (Radford).

-BigSouthSports.com-

Big South Conference Preview

CHN — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 09:40:25 -0800

Conference Previews | Top 144 | 06-07 Preview Home

Big South Preview

Conference Rank: 19th

Conference Page

All-Conference

Player of the Year - Jack Leasure, Coastal Carolina, G

Torrell Martin, Winthrop, G

Larry Blair, Liberty, G

Chris Oliver, Radford, F

Craig Bradshaw, Winthrop, F/C

Nat'l	Team (Click for Preview)	Conf	Tourney
77	Winthrop	1	NCAA
112	High Point	2
141	Coastal Carolina	3
189	Charleston So	4
219	Radford	5
272	VMI	6
293	Liberty	7
310	UNC Asheville	8

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Capsules of teams ranked 111th to 120th in CHN's 144 Teams in 144 Days Preview.