Rock Hill, S.C. – The Big South Conference Men's Basketball preseason poll and preseason all-conference teams were announced on Wednesday as the league held is annual Basketball Media Day at the Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City, Tenn.
Winthrop newcomer and senior guard
Daylen Berry was named to the Big South Conference Preseason Second Team while the Eagles were voted fifth in the preseason poll.
Berry came to the Eagles have spending the 2024-25 season with Charleston Southern where he ranked 12
th in the Big South in points per game (13.9), fourth in steals (1.7), 10
th in assists (2.8) and 13
th in rebounding (5.3), He made a team-high 56 threes (1.8 per game), shooting 39 percent behind the arc. Berry was in double-figures in 20 games with five games of 20 or more points
High Point was voted as the preseason favorite to win the regular season followed by Asheville as the Panthers received eight first place votes and Asheville received one. There were just two votes separating third place and fifth place. Longwood was picked third (53 votes) followed by Radford (52 votes) and Winthrop (51). Rounding out the preseason poll is Presbyterian in sixth followed by Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb and USC Upstate.
The 2025-26 regular season opens on Monday, Nov. 3 as the Eagles will take on Queens at 8 a.m. as part of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon. The game will be played at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center in downtown Rock Hill, S.C.
The Eagles open conference play on Wednesday, Dec. 31 with a trip to Farmville, Va. to take on Longwood. The 2026 Big South Conference Basketball Championship returns to Freedom Hall in Johnson City, Tenn. which will take place Mar. 4-8.
| Rk - School (first-place votes) |
Points |
| 1 - High Point (8) |
80 |
| 2 - UNC Asheville (1) |
68 |
| 3 - Longwood |
53 |
| 4 - Radford |
52 |
| 5 - Winthrop |
51 |
| 6 - Presbyterian College |
37 |
| 7 - Charleston Southern |
27 |
| 8 - Gardner-Webb |
19 |
| 9 - USC Upstate |
18 |
Note: points are based on a weighted system. First-place votes received 9 points, followed by 8 points for second-place, and so on.
2025-26 Big South Conference Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
First-Team
Toyaz Solomon, UNC Asheville (Preseason Player of the Year)
Rob Martin, High Point
Scotty Washington, High Point
Elijah Tucker, Longwood
Jaylon Johnson, Radford
Second-Team
Kameron Taylor, UNC Asheville
Jonah Pierce, Presbyterian College
Daylen Berry, Winthrop
A'lahn Sumler, Charleston Southern
Karmani Gregory, USC Upstate
