2018–19 Big South Conference men's basketball season
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox sports season
| title = 2018–19 Big South Conference men's basketball season
| color =#3366ff
|color text =#ffffff
| league = NCAA Division I
| sport = Basketball
| logo =
| pixels = 125px
| caption =
| duration = November 2018
through March 2019
| no_of_teams = 11
| attendance =
| TV =
| draft =
| draft_link =
| top_pick =
| picked_by =
| season = Regular Season
| season_champs = Campbell & Radford
| season_champ_name = Champion
| league_champs =
| league_champ_name =
| second_place =
| MVP = Chris Clemons, Campbell
| MVP_link = Big South Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
| top_scorer =
| top_scorer_link =
| playoffs =
| playoffs_link =
| conf1 =
| conf1_link =
| conf1_champ =
| conf1-runner-up =
| conf2 =
| conf2_link =
| conf2_champ =
| conf2-runner-up =
| playoffs_MVP =
| playoffs_MVP_link =
| finals = Tournament
| finals_link = Big South Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
| finals_champ = Gardner-Webb
| finals_runner-up = Radford
| finals_MVP = D.J. Laster - Gardner-Webb
| finals_MVP_link = Most Valuable Player
| seasonslist =
| seasonslistnames = Big South Conference men's basketball
| prevseason_link = 2017–18 Big South Conference men's basketball season
| prevseason_year = 2017–18
| nextseason_link = 2019–20 Big South Conference men's basketball season
| nextseason_year = 2019–20
}}
{{2018–19 Big South men's basketball standings}}
The 2018–19 Big South Conference men's basketball season began with practices in October 2018, followed by the start of the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. Conference play began in January 2019 and concluded in February 2019. The season marked the 35th season of Big South Conference basketball.
On December 21, 2018, Campbell's Chris Clemons became the all-time leading scorer in Big South history. He passed VMI guard Reggie Williams' 2,556 career point total in a game against Austin Peay.{{cite news|url=https://bigsouthsports.com/news/2018/12/22/mens-basketball-chris-clemons-becomes-big-souths-all-time-scorer.aspx|title=Chris Clemons Becomes Big South's All-Time Scorer|first=Jim|last=Allen |website=Big South Conference |date=December 22, 2018 |accessdate=January 8, 2019}}
Preseason
= Conference realignment =
During the 2018 offseason, one school left the Big South and two joined.
On successive days in November 2017, two schools were unveiled as incoming members—former ASUN Conference member USC Upstate on the 15th,{{cite press release|url=http://bigsouthsports.com/news/2017/11/15/general-big-south-to-add-usc-upstate-as-full-member.aspx |title=Big South to add USC Upstate as Full Member |publisher=Big South Conference |date=November 15, 2017 |accessdate=November 17, 2017}} followed by former MEAC member Hampton.{{cite press release|url=http://bigsouthsports.com/news/2017/11/16/general-big-south-adds-hampton-university-as-full-member.aspx |title=Big South Adds Hampton University as Full Member |publisher=Big South Conference |date=November 16, 2017 |accessdate=November 17, 2017}}
Liberty, which had started a transition to FBS football in the 2017 season, had initially reached an agreement with the Big South that it would continue to house all of its other sports (except for field hockey and women's swimming, neither of which is sponsored by the Big South) in that conference after becoming classified as an FBS independent from the 2018 season forward.{{cite press release|url=http://www.liberty.edu/flames/index.cfm?PID=36963&newsID=19015 |title=Big South Conference Announces Decision on Liberty's Membership Status |publisher=Liberty University Athletics |date=September 22, 2017 |accessdate=November 17, 2017}} However, in May 2018, Liberty changed course, announcing that all of its other Big South sports would instead move to the ASUN.{{cite press release|url=http://asunsports.org/general/2017-18/releases/20180516hf2r4k |title=ASUN Conference Announces Liberty University as League Member for 2018-19 |publisher=ASUN Conference |date=May 17, 2018 |accessdate=May 31, 2018}}
=Coaching changes=
- On March 2, 2018, Longwood head coach Jayson Gee was fired.{{cite news|url=https://www.midmajormadness.com/2018/3/2/17072616/jayson-gee-relieved-of-duties-as-longwood-mens-basketball-coach-big-south-2018-vacancy|title=Report: Jayson Gee relieved of duties at Longwood|work=midmajormadness.com|first=Torrance|last=Jones|date=March 2, 2018|accessdate=January 11, 2019}} He finished at Longwood with a five-year record of 42–120. On March 22, the school hired UMBC assistant Griff Aldrich as head coach.{{cite press release|url=http://longwoodlancers.com/news/2018/3/21/longwood-names-umbcs-griff-aldrich-head-mens-basketball-coach.aspx|title=Longwood Names UMBC's Griff Aldrich Head Men's Basketball Coach|publisher=Longwood Athletics|date=March 22, 2018|accessdate=January 11, 2019}}
- On March 7, 2018, High Point head coach Scott Cherry and the school mutually agreed to part ways after 9 seasons.{{cite news|url=http://www.journalnow.com/sports/colleges/basketball/scott-cherry-out-as-high-point-university-head-coach/article_b7b5ff2a-c1bd-5d0f-8ebd-8ac7d093ffa8.html|title=Scott Cherry out as High Point University head coach|first=Keith|last=Srakokic|newspaper=Winston-Salem Journal|date=March 7, 2018|accessdate=January 11, 2019}} On March 26, the school hired High Point alumnus Tubby Smith as head coach.{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2018/03/26/ap-source-high-point-hiring-tubby-smith-as-mens-hoop-coach/33304205/|title=Tubby Smith agrees to coach alma mater High Point|work=USA TODAY|access-date=2019-01-11|language=en}}
- On March 24, 2018, UNC Asheville coach Nick McDevitt accepted the head coaching job at Middle Tennessee.{{cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22896608/middle-tennessee-state-hires-unc-asheville-nick-mcdevitt|title=Nick McDevitt joins Middle Tennessee St. after lengthy run at UNC Asheville|website=ESPN.com|first=Jeff|last=Goodman|date=March 24, 2018|accessdate=March 24, 2018}} He finished at UNC Asheville with a five-year record of 98–65. On April 11, the school hired Texas assistant Mike Morrell.{{cite web|url=https://www.uncabulldogs.com/news/2018/4/11/morrell-named-head-coach-of-unc-asheville-mens-basketball-program.aspx?path=mbball|title=Morrell Named Head Coach of UNC Asheville Men’s Basketball Program - UNC Asheville|website=UNC Asheville}}
= Preseason poll =
Charleston Southern picked fifth in Big South basketball preseason poll|work=The Post and Courier|date=October 23, 2018|access-date=October 24, 2018}}
| class="wikitable"
!Rank !Team | |
| 1 | Radford (28) |
| 2 | Winthrop (2) |
| 3 | Hampton (2) |
| 4 | Campbell |
| 5 | Charleston Southern |
| 6 | Gardner–Webb (1) |
| 7 | High Point |
| 8 | UNC Asheville |
| 9 | Presbyterian |
| 10 | Longwood |
| 11 | USC Upstate |
() first place votes
= Preseason All-Conference Teams =
| class="wikitable" style="white-space:nowrap; font-size:90%;"
! Award ! Recipients |
| First Team
| Chris Clemons (Campbell) |
| Second Team
| Carlik Jones (Radford) |
Big South Preseason Player of the Year: Chris Clemons (Campbell)
Regular season
= Conference matrix =
= Season summary & highlights =
= Conference regular season =
= Midseason watchlists =
Postseason
=Big South tournament=
{{Main|2019 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament}}
==Highlights==
= NCAA Tournament =
{{Main|2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament}}
= National Invitation Tournament =
{{Main|2019 National Invitation Tournament}}
Awards and honors
{{Empty section|date=June 2020}}