Overview
The Atlantic Sun Tournament is unique for a couple of reasons. One, it starts Tuesday, March 1, but doesn’t end until March 8. Unlike power conference tournaments, the rounds aren’t played on consecutive days, resulting in a longer tournament.
The quarterfinal round will be on Thursday, March 3, and the semifinal round will be Saturday, March 5. Every game except for the final will be available on ESPN+ and the final will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
The games will be played at campus sites, with the higher seed hosting and getting that precious home court advantage. Bellarmine and North Alabama are transitioning to Division I so if either of them win the tournament, the automatic qualifier will go to the regular season champion, Jacksonville State.
The Contenders
The ASUN is a fairly top heavy league. Only 5 teams finished above .500 in conference play and have a legit shot to win the tournament, so let’s meet them. The Bellarmine Knights (17-13, 11-5) have very smoothly transitioned from a Division-II powerhouse to a very respectable DI program.
They played a gauntlet of a non-conference schedule that included bouts with Purdue, Gonzaga, UCLA, and West Virginia. Head coach Scott Davenport runs a very unique offense that results in almost no dribbling and all passing.
The offense is led by Dylan Penn and CJ Fleming, who are averaging 16.3 and 15.2 points per game respectively. Even though the Knights aren’t eligible for the big dance, they will be hungry for their first conference tournament title to further prove they belong at this level.
Next up we have traditional ASUN powerhouse, the Liberty Flames (21-10, 12-4). If you are a big fan of the NCAA tournament, you might remember the Flames’ upset of No. 5-seed Mississippi State in 2019 for their first ever tournament win.
If the Flames can punch their ticket this year, they will be another trendy upset pick as a No. 12 or No. 13 seed. The key for the Flames is star player Darius McGhee who is averaging 24.7 points per game on a blistering 40 percent from long distance. As a team, the Flames will rely on the long ball to get them into the big dance.
The Jacksonville Dolphins (19-9, 11-5) have had a spectacular season. They are usually near the bottom of the ASUN but thanks to one of the best defenses in the country, they have a shot to make some noise in March. Their opponents are averaging just 58.6 points per game on less than 30 percent shooting.
They don’t have the most offensive firepower and will need big performances from Kevion Nolan if they want to advance far in this tournament. They say defense wins championships, and if that saying rings true this week, Jacksonville could hear their name called on Selection Sunday.
The Dolphins’ crosstown rival, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (20-9, 13-3) have also had a tremendous season and won the ASUN regular season. That means that if Bellarmine or North Alabama win the tournament, they will represent the conference in the tournament. But the Gamecocks want to control their own destiny and win this thing themselves.
Jacksonville State has a very balanced offense, with three players averaging 11 or more points per game. They are shooting 40 percent from deep as a team and scoring nearly 75. They nearly knocked off Alabama in Tuscaloosa and have won four straight heading into the tournament.
Last but not least, we have the darlings of the 2013 tournament, the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (20-10, 10-6). Many of you may remember Lob City’s run to the Sweet 16 led by head coach Andy Enfield who is now at USC. If you like scoring, FGCU is the team for you.
They score quite a bit but also give up 73 points a game to opponents. They want to play a track meet and get up and down the court quickly. Their potent offense is led by Tavian Dunn-Martin, who is averaging 20.8 points per game.
Behind him is a balanced attack filled with three-point shooters and anchored by big man Kevin Samuel. The only contender to not get a double bye, the Eagles will have a long and difficult road to the title, but they’ve done it before.
The Pick
I’m going with Liberty to take home the ASUN title this year. They have championship pedigree and are built for March. They have the best player in the league in Darius McGhee, who I think will be the X-factor and MVP of the tournament. The ASUN tournament promises to have great action and the winner will have a great shot of pulling or upset or two come time for the big dance.