Check Your Calendars!

What season IS this?

Yes, we're in the middle of basketball season with a good chunk of winter still ahead of us (not because of any groundhogs, mind you, but because of cold hard facts--emphasis on cold)...but Charleston Southern has a home SOFTBALL game this afternoon, plus a doubleheader Saturday. Baseball games are right around the corner as well, and don't forget that the tennis and golf seasons have launched! Track is still on the indoor side, but that championship is later this month and then they will also hit the great outdoors.

Whew! Guess there's a lot going on out there these days. Next thing, I suppose we'll be saying that the Quiz Bowl is here too...um, actually, yes. Once a year, the Big South Conference sponsors an academic competition among its athletic members--and that showdown is this weekend (Saturday the 7th, starting at 9am). The event will be held at Gardner-Webb University and will be streamed live on The EDGE. Liberty has won all three previous meetings, but last year's event was only decided by a tie-breaker after a three-way knot including LU, GWU, and VMI.

Speaking of streaming, here's the latest video update on the events you can find at the Online Video Source of the Big South Conference:

So let's talk about that hoops stuff for a moment...in men's play, VMI took an upset home loss against UNC Asheville this week--that, combined with Radford's win the same night, ended VMI's run with sole ownership of first place. As of this writing, the Keydets and the Highlanders are both 9-2 in the Big South. They share another interesting stat: both teams have taken their losses at home and are undefeated on the road in Conference play so far this year.

On the women's side, Liberty remains spotless in Big South games: 8-0. The range in the standings is as wide as possible, given that Presbyterian is at the opposite end of the spectrum at 0-8, still seeking its first Big South Conference victory. PC has lost 14 in a row overall this year. Three teams are deadlocked in the middle of the standings, as UNC Asheville, Coastal Carolina, and Winthrop are all 4-4 heading into the weekend.

And hey, you haven't been seeing double (or more) lately...the Holmes twins from VMI are just about everywhere! Travis and Chavis Holmes, the best point-producing twins in college hoops, have been media stars: interview on ESPN2 "First Take", item in ESPN The Magazine, feature article in Sports Illustrated, and countless write-ups in papers across the region. Bravo! T&C Holmes have earned the attention and they have handled it well.

Keep up with the latest on the Big South Conference here at the Big South SHOUT, at BigSouthSports.com or at YouTube/BigSouthSports--thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!