Conference Play on the March...in December

You probably know the Big South got its earliest start ever for Conference play in men's basketball...but even setting that ESPN game of a few weeks ago aside, things are still rolling a little early for everyone this year.

Saturday the 6th offers up a quartet of Conference games (and all for your viewing pleasure on The EDGE): GWU at LU, VMI at UNCA, WU at RU, and PC at HPU.

For a rundown of those and the other games available this week, you can check out the video...

By the way, how many of you caught the Big South TV doubleheader of on Wednesday night?

Okay, not really a twin bill, but in the early evening you had SportSouth with UNC Asheville at Tennessee (although UT's Tyler Smith getting the first-ever triple-double for the Vols and Bruce Pearl getting career win #400 obviously didn't leave much attention for the Bulldogs following the 22-point loss) and in the nightcap you had MASN showing Winthrop at VMI (if you haven't seen the Keydets play, you owe it to yourself to catch the running and gunning show they do there--Winthrop gave it a strong effort early, but succumbed to the three-point attack 92-74). It's cool to see the Big South teams get that kind of exposure. There's another one on MASN Saturday, the 3pm tilt for Gardner-Webb at Liberty: newcomer GWU ready to start Conference play on the road against a hot LU squad with freshman Seth Curry already asserting his skills. You can read more about Curry in a write-up from today's Charlotte Observer.

Speaking of UNC Asheville and tough opponents, they are in a murderer's row of teams in the AP Top Ten, having played North Carolina and Tennessee--with Duke still ahead...and as a bonus, the Bulldogs get unranked but unforgiving Ohio State just before Christmas. Ho-ho-ho.

No time to chat more now, but let me close with a SHOUT-out to Coastal Carolina's Ashleigh Gunning (pictured)--the Big South Women's Soccer Player of the Year has been invited to the Women's Professional Soccer West Coast Combine (Dec. 11-14, San Diego). The WPS will be conducting two combines with a total of 144 invited players. Congratulations, Ashleigh--and good luck!!!