Championship Week Tips Off with Atlantic Sun, Patriot League, Sun Belt, Horizon League, NEC and Big South

The top half of the conference is filled with overachievers based on preseason expectations, including top seed Wright State (20-11, 15-5). However, the team to beat may be Robert Morris (21-10, 13-7), which went on a huge win streak a year ago to win the Horizon League Tournament and won the final seven games of the regular season to earn the No. 2 seed. Plus, they swept the other top three seeds, Wright State and Detroit Mercy (15-14, 12-8).

Two teams with the potential to make noise include Oakland (16-15, 12-8), led by star 5-foot-10 point guard Brady Robinson (17 points and 6.8 assists per game), and Purdue Fort Wayne (17-14, 11-9), which has 6-foot-3 junior guard Corey Hadnot, who leads the conference with 20.6 points per game. Due to the format, however, these teams may have to play an extra game in the tournament to make the semis.

Patriot League

Dates: March 3-11

TV: ESPN+ and CBSSN

Notable: Higher seeds host each game throughout the tournament

The Patriot League was dominated by Navy (25-6, 17-1), which finished a whopping six games ahead of second place. They have arguably the two best players in the conference in 5-foot-11 senior guard Austin Benigni (18.1 points and 4.4 assists per game) and 6-foot-10 senior center Aidan Kehoe (15.4 points and 11 rebounds per game), who ranks sixth in the nation in rebounding.

So who can stop the Midshipmen? Their lone loss was a 65-51 setback to the No. 4 seed American, the reigning Patriot League champion. Navy also needed overtime to beat Lehigh (15-16, 11-7) and Colgate (17-14, 11-7), the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in this event. Still, Navy will be the heavy favorite, as it can host the entire event. 

Sun Belt

Dates: March 3-9

TV: ESPN+ and ESPN2

Notable: Bottom 4 seeds will need to win seven games to win the Sun Belt Tournament

Considering that there’s a six-way tie for second place in the standings and just one game separating first-place Troy (20-11,12-6), there’s no true favorite in this unbalanced tournament, as No. 6 South Alabama (21-10, 11-7) will have to win as many as four games to get the auto-bid. 

Among the players to watch are Troy’s 6-foot-8 junior forward Thomas Dowd (14.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game), 6-foot-1 senior guard Jalen Speer (15.7 points and 5.5 assists per game), who is the top scorer and passer for Marshall (19-12, 11-7), and 6-foot-3 senior guard Joshua Beadle, one of the top scorers in the Sun Belt with 17.5 points per game. There may not be a more balanced tournament among the top contenders, with Troy and Marshall having byes all the way to the semis. 

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Atlantic Sun

Dates: March 4-8

TV: ESPN+ and ESPN2

Notable: No. 6 seed West Georgia (14-16, 8-10) is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to transition from D-II

Austin Peay (21-8 (15-3) was the dominant team in the regular season until two straight losses last week placed them as the No. 2 seed, allowing Central Arkansas (20-11, 15-3) to take over as the No. 1 seed. Six-foot-8 senior forward Collin Parker (18.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game) is the star of the Governors, while 6-foot-3 senior guard Camren Hunter (19.7 points per game) leads the Bears in scoring.

The other two teams to watch are Queens (18-13, 13-5) and Lipscomb (19-12, 12-6), the only other teams over .500 in ASUN play. And while it can’t make the NCAA Tournament, West Georgia can be the X-factor in this, having arguably the most talented individual in 6-foot-6 senior forward Shelton Williams-Dryden (20.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game). A big game from him could cause an upset to one of the top teams.

Big South

Dates: March 4-8

TV: ESPN+ and ESPN2

Notable: Only two teams are better than two games over .500 in league play

The storyline throughout the Big South regular season was the battle between the top teams, High Point (27-4, 15-1) and Winthrop (21-10, 13-3), with Winthrop being the lone team to beat the Panthers in league play. However, a recent foot injury to Winthrop’s best player, 6-foot-9 senior center Logan Duncomb (18.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game), has put his status for the tournament in serious question.

If Duncomb is out, that makes High Point the clear favorite in this tournament. The Panthers are the third-highest scoring offense in the country (90.7 points per game), led by 6-foot-6 senior forward Terry Anderson (15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game). If 6-foot-6 senior forward Cam’Ron Fletcher (13.4 points per game) can get back to form after dealing with various injuries, High Point could run through the tournament without much opposition.

NEC

Dates: March 4-10

TV: NEC Front Row, ESPN+, ESPN2

Notable: Saint Francis failed to qualify for the tournament, New Haven (14-17, 9-9) is ineligible due to transition from D-II, and both Mercyhurst (15-16, 10-8) and Le Moyne (15-16, 10-8) are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to reclassification rules

Only six teams are even eligible for the NCAA Tournament, meaning upsets could make things interesting in the title game. But the clear favorite is Long Island (21-10, 15-3), which finished in first place by three games over the rest of the league. The Sharks are led by 6-foot-5 senior forward Jamal Fuller, who paces the team with 16.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. 

Ironically, all three of LIU’s losses in league play came to teams that can’t make the Big Dance. That leaves Central Connecticut (18-11, 12-6) as the only other true threat, led by the NEC’s leading scorer, 6-foot-7 sophomore forward Darin Smith Jr. (20.4 points per game). Central Connecticut lost both games to Long Island by a combined 27 points, so the Blue Devils will need to do better in a potential Round 3 matchup.