There is no greater time than postseason college basketball. For a football conference like the Sun Belt, the conference tournament is the perfect time to showcase its prowess in basketball.
The regular season was an interesting one. Texas State won the regular-season title after pulling off an impressive nine-game win streak.
However, coming up in a close second was football powerhouse Appalachian State who ended the season with the same amount of conference wins but three more losses. You should expect both of these teams to be threats for the postseason title and a trip to the big dance.
The first round of games begins this afternoon with the lower seeds. Higher seeds such as App State, Troy, Georgia State and Texas State all play on the fourth. Of these lower seeds, both Arkansas State and the University of Texas-Arlington will be interesting to watch.
Arkansas State has Norchad Omier, a freshman who is the third-best scorer in the conference. He averages 17.2 PPG and 12 rebounds per game on the defensive side. As the No. 6 seed, Arkansas State will take on ULM, splitting the regular-season series. As for UTA, they will be led by the number one scorer in the Sun Belt: David Azore.
The 6-foot-4 senior led the conference in PPG and FG percentage. If there is anyone who could change the tide of a game, it is this man. UTA’s first game will be against Louisiana, which they beat twice in the regular season.
While Texas State appears to be the favorite based on their hot end to the season, App. State is the team that could leave Pensacola with the Sun Belt crown. Led by Adrian Delph, the 6-foot-3 guard, App State will be in an excellent position to win their second straight Sun Belt championship.
Delph is the league’s second-best scorer averaging 17.3 PPG and shooting close to 40% behind the arc. The Mountaineers also have two other players who are in the top 30 in scoring in the conference: Donovan Gregory and Michael Almonacy. Both average 10 PPG.
The Other favorite will be Texas State. The Bobcats look unstoppable. Led by Caleb Asberry, the Bobcats hit the perfect time to be hot. Asberry was 10th in the conference in scoring, averaging 13.7 PPG. He also averages close to 40% behind the arc.
The Sun Belt conference tournament will be a fun one. You could make arguments for at least four teams to have a shot to take home the title. App State and Texas State appear to be the favorites, but others can make a run. Could it be Georgia State?
Or will it be underdog Arkansas State? Regardless, the conference will live up to its unofficial nickname: The Fun Belt.
The tournament runs from March 3-7, and you can find the championship game on ESPN 2.