Matchup Preview: CCU men’s basketball at UNC Asheville

Who: Coastal Carolina at UNC Asheville

Where: Kimmel Arena, Asheville, N.C.

When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday

TV/Internet: ESPN3.com

Radio: WSEA-FM 100.3

About the Chanticleers (17-10, 11-6 Big South): Coastal Carolina has already clinched a first-round bye for the Big South tournament next week, and heading into their regular-season finale the Chanticleers will be looking to maximize their seeding potential. The Chants, who have won nine of their last 11 games, still have a chance at finishing in a four-way tie for first place and claiming the No. 1 seed, thanks to High Point’s win over Winthrop on Thursday night. Winthrop, High Point and UNC Asheville are all tied for first a game ahead of Coastal Carolina, and if the Chants can knock off the Bulldogs and the Eagles (at Campbell) and Panthers (at Presbyterian) both lose Saturday, the Chants would own the tiebreaker for the top seed. That’s one scenario, but there are certainly a number of other outcomes in play. First, the Chants have to figure out a way to win inside Kimmel Arena, where they are 0-and-4 against UNC Asheville since the building opened. They’ll also have to do it without senior forward Badou Diagne, who will miss his second straight game with a strained ligament in his foot.

About the Bulldogs (18-10, 12-5): UNC Asheville has split its last four games and is just 7-5 since mid-January – including a 68-66 overtime loss to Coastal Carolina in Conway back on Jan. 27. The Bulldogs rank third in the Big South in both scoring offense (75.2 points per game) and scoring defense (67.6 points per game). They have five players averaging in double figures offensively, led by freshman guard Dylan Smth at 13.4 points per game. They are 11-2 overall at home and 7-1 in home conference games.

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Matchup Preview: CCU men’s basketball at UNC Asheville."