Big South Non-Con Best Wins 2025

The non-conference schedule is over as the Big South is days away from their first conference match-ups on Wednesday, 31 December.  Looking back at the non-conference schedule, let’s rank Big South teams by their best win. 

Opponent ranks were based on Bart Torvik metrics. 

#9 Gardner-Webb

Best Win: Brevard (NCAA Division III) (home) 77-63

That’s right… Gardner-Webb has yet to tally an NCAA Division I win yet.  And they might not all season.  Their only other win was against Toccoa Falls in NCCAA Division II.  

#8 Radford

Best Win: #338 VMI (home) 97-90 (all 4 D1 wins against lower)

Don’t let Radford’s 7-8 record fool you; they’ve had an abysmal start to their season.  Despite the highest NIL in the Big South, their win against #338 VMI has been their best.  Their three other NCAA Division I wins were against #354 Western Illinois, #357 St. Francis (dropping to NCAA Division III next year), and #365 Coppin State.  

#7 Longwood

Best Win: #201 James Madison (home) 82-72

Two years ago, James Madison was a train.  But they’ve slipped down to #201.  Still, a double-digit victory by Longwood is a very impressive add to their non-conference resume.  

#6 USC Upstate

Best Win: #181 Fresno State (away) 67-66 (Mountain West)

This might have been the surprise win of the early season in the Big South.  The Mountain West sent a conference record 6 teams to the NCAA tournament last year and many of their teams are projected to be part of the PAC-12 realignment.  This is the closest the Big South had to a Power-X win this year, even if against a weaker Mountain West school.  

#5 Winthrop

Best Win: #176 Mercer (home) 105-69

Winthrop’s best win came in dominating fashion, winning by 36 against #176 Mercer.  Notably, Mercer is currently projected to be the #3 team in the SoCon.  

#4 Presbyterian

Best Win: #159 East Tennessee State (home) 68-64

Presbyterian by almost all prognostications projects as a middling team in the Big South.  But they bested the #2 team in the SoCon.   Simply, Big South > SoCon.

#3 UNC Asheville

Best Win: #152 Lipscomb (home) 69-64

Nipping at the heels of High Point, Asheville’s best victory was against #152 Lipscomb, the top team in the Atlantic Sun Conference. If both Asheville and Lipscomb find their way into March Madness, this game could serve as a tie-breaker for seeding purposes.  

#2 High Point

Best Win: #150 Furman (neutral) 97-71

Coming in at #2 on this list, HPU could not match their non-conference magic from the 2024-5 season.  Last year, they had two top-100 wins against UAB and North Texas.  This year, their best win was limited to #150 Furman on a neutral court, albeit an absolutely dominant victory.  And continuing a thread… Furman is projected as the #1 team in the SoCon.  

#1 Charleston Southern 

Best Win: #105 Richmond (away) 77-72

At 9-6, Charleston Southern boasts the 2nd best non-conference record in the Big South.  But the crown jewel was against #105 Richmond. And this victory came with their star player and early favorite for Big South Player of the Year Brycen Blaine on the bench after fouling out. Before the loss, Richmond was ranked higher than every team in the Big South.  Yes, Charleston Southern is legit and just might be dancing at the end of the year.