In the first edition of Four Point Play in 2025, I gave an overview of four of the 26 mid-major conferences across the country. Today we’ll look at another four: Big Sky, Big South, Big West, and Coastal Athletic.
Big Sky
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Montana will be led by Money Williams who helped guide the Grizzlies to a regular season and conference tournament championship as well as an NCAA tourney berth. The Blue Ribbon Yearbook picked Williams as the preseason Player of the Year after he posted 13.2 ppg, 3.5 boards, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. The Grizz don’t return any more of their 4 top scorers from last year’s team. Senior Te’Jon Sawyer is back, though, and will look to build on a ’24 campaign where he posted 9.4 ppg and 4.1 boards while shooting 57.7% from the field and above 40% from beyond the arc. The Grizzlies will have a tough non-conference slate with trips to Stanford, UNLV, Texas A&M, and Louisville. While Eastern Washington’s opener at UCLA will be the toughest opening night, the Grizzlies will be the most well tested by the time conference play comes around in January.
Player Spotlight
Caleb Van De Griend- Senior 6’8 Forward is transferring in from Division II Minot State. He started all 36 games for the Beavers and led them to a 17-0 start. He averaged a double-double (20.9 ppg/13.1rpg) and posted 30 to lead the nation. His 70.8 FG% was deadly. (I apologize, Caleb, I can’t find any videos I can share, but let me just say going to the floor, between a defender’s legs to score a scoop layup was pretty)
Big South
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High Point will look to go back to back as regular season and tourney champs for the Big South. Rob Martin will be looked to lead the Panthers as he transfers in from Southeast Missouri where he put up 14.8 ppg behind 46.4% from the field and 40.7% from three. Vincent Brady, Missouri State, and Scotty Washington, Cal State Northridge, join Martin as senior transfers to the Panthers. Both averaged 13+ points per game, 3+ rebounds, and at least 1 assist. High Point will be under new management as Flynn Clayman takes over the reins after previous head coach Alan Huss rejoins Creighton as “head-coach-in-waiting.”
Player Spotlight
Toyaz Solomon- Senior 6’9 Forward returns to UNC Asheville for a shot at Player of the Year and conference championship hopes. He shot 61% from the field to put up 15.7 ppg along with 7.2 rebounds and almost 2 blocks per game.
Big West
Top 2
UC Irvine is coming off an NIT title appearance last season after going 32-7 overall and 17-3 in the Big West. Sophomore Jurian Dixon will be asked to step up into a more centralized role after winning Big West Freshman of the Year honors. He appeared in all 39 games for the Anteaters and his 8.8 ppg were fourth best. He will be joined this year by Junior transfer Harrison Carrington, Colorado, and Graduate Andre Henry. Carrington appeared in 30 games for the Buffaloes in ’24-’25 but saw his playing time severely limited even though he produced a solid 60.9% from the field and grabbed 37 rebounds. Henry was limited to nine games last season before a season-ending injury. He will look to get back to his ’23-’24 form where he put up 10.3 ppg off of 45.7% from the field and 42.1% from the arc. The Anteaters face one road test in their non-conference schedule when they travel up to the Bay to play SJSU.
UC Santa Barbara was the only other team picked by the coaches poll to finish first in the Big West. Coming off a 21-13, 11-9 season, the Gauchos added a stalwart transfer when they brought in Aidan Mahaney from UConn. While the Senior Guard was limited and not quite up to the Big East task, Mahaney is only a year removed from back-to-back years averaging 13.9 ppg on 38+% shooting and 2+ rebounds and assists per game at Saint Mary’s. Perhaps being back on a familiar coast will be good for him. Junior Guard Jason Fontenet II and Senior transfer Forward Hosana Kitenge, Lafayette, will look to help Mahaney send UCSB to the top of the Big West. A trip to Nevada will likely be the biggest test for the Gauchos before the calendar flips to ’26.
Player Spotlight
Aidan Mahaney
Coastal Athletic
Top 3
Towson is on a campaign to defend their regular season title from last year. They will be guided by CAA Preseason Player of the Year Tyler Tejada who is coming off a season in which he posted 16.7 ppg on 43.1% from the field. The Junior has a fellow Junior, Dylan Williamson, joining him on the Preseason All-CAA First Team. Williamson was dynamite from beyond the arc as he made 88 threes at a 43.1% clip and had him second, behind Tejada, on the team in scoring. Towson has a couple chances in their non-conference schedule to impress on the national stage when they visit Houston and Kansas.
UNCW features the only senior on the Preseason All-CAA First Team in CJ Luster II. Luster comes over from Stony Brook where he showcased his shooting prowess to the tune of 16.8 ppg on 42.9% from the field and 42.1% from beyond the arc. Monmouth transfer Madison Durr is a solid addition as he has put up double digit averages in both of his last two seasons. Jahnathan Lamothe, NCA&T transfer, fills out a trio of guards the Seahawks brought in. Lamothe averaged 13.8 points and 7.3 rebounds last year. UNCW has the smoothest non-conference as road trips to Kent State, Radford, Louisiana, and Valparaiso won’t matchup to either of the other two competitors on this list.
As the only other team receiving over 100 points in the preseason poll, Charleston joins a tight group in the top-heavy CAA. A trip to South Florida will be an opportunity for the Cougars to truly test their merit against stiff competition. They will also host a visit from Drake, who are coming off an upset of Missouri in the Big Dance. Junior transfer Colby Duggan, All-CAA First Team, leads the Cougars after a 15.7 ppg on 46.1% from the field season at Campbell. In Campbell’s trip to Charleston last season, Duggan put up 19 on 38.9% from the field and 42.9% from the arc.
Player Spotlight
Colby Duggan
Next up: Conference USA, Horizon and Ivy Leagues, and the MAAC, stay tuned!
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