After last year’s overtime finish, the 2025 Women’s Basketball Sun Belt Conference tournament is set to bring just as much heat as last year.
With last year’s runner up dominating the conference, some rising squads are looking to make a name for themselves. And of course, as always, a ticket to the field of 68 is on the line.
Also coming into play this season is a new tournament structure that makes it a gauntlet for the bottom seeds to make a deep run implementing the fish tail style bracket.
The Favorite: James Madison (27-4, 18-0)
It’s been nearly two months since the Dukes lost a game, and they’re hoping to find themselves back in the championship for another shot at cutting down the net. Picked to be the regular season champs, the Dukes have already locked one title up.
Taking the “defense wins championships” approach, the Dukes lead the SBC in points allowed per game this year (61.9, 59.6 in conference play). Led by the dynamic duo of 6’0 guard Peyton McDaniel and 6’3 center Kseniia Kozlova, the Dukes have used their size to their advantage to dominate games during conference play. Looking for a perfect conference record, these girls are coming into this tournament with a chip on their shoulders.
Contenders: Arkansas State and Coastal Carolina
Arkansas State (19-10, 15-3)
The Red Wolves started conference play off scorching hot. After they dropped their first game to Appalachian State, they won their next thirteen conference games. But since then, they have dropped their last two to Old Dominion and Coastal Carolina by a total of 23 points, both on the road.
Arkansas State is led by a large upper class group and one sophomore, Crislyn Rose. The Red Wolves haven’t seen any trophies added to the case since their 1993 NWIT title win over SMU, nor have they ever punched their way to March. This slumping squad is hoping to heat up at the right time to change that trend.
Coastal Carolina (22-7, 12-6)
The league’s best team out of conference is in search of their first ever appearance in the big dance. Struggling early in conference play, Coastal Carolina started the year just 4-5 suffering a three game losing streak starting and ending with James Madison. The Chanticleers have since won eight straight, seven of which have come against conference opponents.
The Chanticleers boasted the best margin of victory per game with a margin of victory of 11.2 whereas the next closest team was James Madison at 11.0 and then Troy at 6.8. Led by heavily respected Head Coach Kevin Pederson, the Chanticleers have quickly put themselves in the conversation for a Sun Belt championship after a pair of down years once Pederson took over. A conference title could cement this program as a top dog for years to come.
Dark Horses: Appalachian State and Old Dominion
Appalachian State (13-16, 9-9)
Appalachian State came into conference play on the struggle bus, but it was able to make some noise early going 8-2 through their first ten conference games picking up a win over Arkansas State. However, since then, the Mountaineers have dropped their last seven and eight of their last nine.
The Mountaineer defense has disappeared in these last seven giving up 71 points a game compared to 64.6 during the earlier ten game stretch. The defense will need to make an appearance if the Mountaineers want a shot at the conference title.
Old Dominion (17-14, 9-9)
Another team that was strong through their first few conference games, but then started slumping, losing six straight – four of which they lost by two possessions or less. Behind the 32-point effort of senior guard En’Dya Buford, the Monarchs were able to right the ship versus Arkansas State with a 95-88 win.
Heating up at the right time is often key for making a deep run in the conference tournament, and this team seems to fit that category hoping to recreate a 1985 championship.
Cinderella: Marshall (11-19, 6-12)
Last year’s conference champions have been struggling for most of the season after losing two of their top scorers in Abby Beeman and Roshala Scott. However, it seems they could be another case of heating up at the right time.
As winners in three of their last four, the Thundering Herd have been very solid on both sides of the court, scoring at least 70 in each of their wins as well as giving up more than 60 just once in those wins. With Sun Belt Conference leading scorer Ashlyn Hayes leading the way, if the defense can hold strong, the defending champions might not go down without a fight.
My Prediction: James Madison – but the long bye could hurt
With this new tournament style, James Madison won’t be playing a game until March 9. (10 days after their last game). As much as byes usually negatively affect teams, I don’t think the Dukes will be affected too much with multiple players from last year’s team coming in with something to prove for themselves. I see a 73-64 win over Coastal Carolina in the championship.