Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Tournament Preview
| March 04, 2024 | Sports,
Favorite:
Eastern Kentucky: In their third year in the conference, the Colonels were the regular season champions in the Atlantic Sun, meaning they will have home-court advantage for the entirety of the tournament. Eastern Kentucky did not lose on their home floor in conference play this season which means it will be a tall ask for anyone to go up to Richmond and take down the Colonels. EKU asserts its dominance on the glass. Isaiah Cozart has been dominant in the paint this year at 6’7, 250 lbs averaging nearly a double-double every game. He will be the key to the Colonels’ attack as they seek to protect their home court and advance to the tournament.
Contenders:
Lipscomb: Lennie Acuff’s team enters the ASUN tournament as the hottest team in the conference. The Bisons finished their season on a high note, winning their last four games. Acuff still holds to the DNA established by the previous head coach, Casey Alexander. That DNA is making shots from beyond the arc. The Bisons are shooting at a 38.1% clip on the year. A Lipscomb victory in the tournament will start and end with their ability to score the basketball. Derrin Boyd and Will Pruitt are both prolific scorers who spearheads the attack for Lipscomb. The biggest hurdle for this team to cross is their seedline. As the 3rd seed, they may need to go win on the road twice if they want to dance.
Stetson: The Hatters enter the ASUN Tournament as the 2nd seed, meaning the bottom side of the bracket will go through DeLand, Florida. This Hatters team starts and ends with Jalen Blackmon. The Grand Canyon transfer has lit the conference ablaze the season, averaging 21 points per game which leads the league. He’s a guard who can score at all three levels and is the kind of player who could give any head coach nightmares before a game. They say that big-time players make big-time plays, and the best player in this league is wearing green and white. If he can perform, Stetson can find themselves dancing in March.
Dark Horse:
Kennesaw State: It may seem hard to believe that last year’s champion could find themselves categorized as a dark horse but the Owls have struggled mightily after their debut in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Owls have been able to score the basketball but not much else which does make them an extremely dangerous team this time of year. Kennesaw State leads all teams in scoring this season with Terrell Burden and Simeon Cottle forming an elite guard tandem. Although you “don’t want to start a war with the Owls,” the defending champions will have an uphill climb as they will need to win two games in a row in Richmond, but if they can defeat Jacksonville and then slay the giant that is Eastern Kentucky, they may well be in the driver’s seat to win the whole tournament and go dancing once again.
My Pick:
Lipscomb: The Bisons are playing so well right now that it feels hard to pick anybody else. I think that this is the year that Lipscomb punches its second ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Their shooting and their quickness makes them so difficult to guard in the halfcourt and this Bisons team is lethal in transition.