Sun Belt Conference NCAA Tournament Betting
Texas State is the favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the second straight season. The Bobcats finished 12-3 in conference play last year, but they were edged by eventual champion Appalachian State in their first game the previous March. They finished 12-3 in Sun Belt action again this season, and they are looking to avoid last year’s letdown.
Caleb Asberry is the leading scorer on the Bobcats. He averaged 13.7 PPG while making 40% of his threes for Texas State this season. Mason Harrell also knocked down 40% of his treys as the second leading scorer, but this team doesn’t have a lot of size. Only two rotation players are over 6’5 (Isiah Small and Nigheal Ceaser), so rebounding can be an issue.
Reigning conference champions Appalachian State must be respected again. The Mountaineers were 12-6 in conference play this season, and they beat South Alabama twice in the regular season by comfortable margins. Adrian Delph has been one of the top players in the conference, averaging 17.3 PPG and 5.5 RPG while making 39.7% of his threes.
South Alabama is the best team in the conference by Ken Pomeroy’s numbers. The Jaguars only went 9-7 in conference play, but they are slightly rated ahead of Texas State.
Charles Manning Jr. and Jay Jay Chandler are both averaging 15 PPG, but this team really struggles from beyond the arc despite ranking first in the conference in effective field goal percentage. There is a good amount of size on South Alabama’s roster too, so they can slug it out with teams that play at a slow pace like Texas State and Appalachian State.
Sun Belt Tournament Format
The Sun Belt Tournament will be held at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida starting on Thursday, March 3. All 12 teams will take part in the tournament with the top four teams receiving a bye into the quarterfinals. The No. 5 through No. 12 seeds will play in the first round for the right to make it into the quarterfinals on Saturday, March 5.
The semifinals will get underway on Sunday, March 6 starting at 5 p.m. ET, and the Sun Belt Conference champion will be crowned on Monday, March 7 with the game starting at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2. This is certainly a one-bid league once again, so only the conference champion will make it to March Madness.
Most Wins All-Time in Sun Belt Tournament
| WINS |
TEAM |
LAST |
| 9 |
Western Kentucky |
2013 |
| 5 |
South Alabama |
2006 |
| 4 |
UAB |
1987 |
| 4 |
Louisiana Lafayette |
2014 |
| 3 |
Georgia State |
2019 |
| 3 |
VCU |
1985 |
| 2 |
Charlotte |
1988 |
| 2 |
Jacksonville |
1986 |
| 2 |
New Orleans |
1996 |
| 2 |
North Texas |
2010 |
| 2 |
Little Rock |
2016 |
| 1 |
Appalachian State |
2021 |
The first thing to note about the Sun Belt is that this is a league that has had multiple dancers in the past. In 2013, Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee both earned spots in the field of 68. Additionally, the 2008 season saw Western Kentucky and South Alabama both taking part in March Madness. Secondly, it should be noted that the Sun Belt has been a bit of a revolving door over the years. That’s largely due to football being the tail that wags the dog with this conference.
Western Kentucky is the most accomplished champion in the history of the Sun Belt Tournament with nine titles, and the Hilltoppers are one of two teams to win three straight conference crowns. They left to join Conference USA along with some other schools at the conclusion of the 2013-14 season, but they could be coming back soon as CUSA has been a mess.
Every team in the Sun Belt has been to the NCAA Tournament at least one time, but not all the schools have made it to March Madness as members of this conference. Newcomers like Coastal Carolina and UT-Arlington participated as members of another conference, but they have brought over their legacy.
Sun Belt Tournament Championship Games
| YEAR |
WINNER |
RUNNER-UP |
VENUE |
| 2021 |
Appalachian State |
Georgia State |
Pensacola Bay Center |
| 2019 |
Georgia State |
Texas-Arlington |
Lakefront Arena |
| 2018 |
Georgia State |
Texas-Arlington |
Lakefront Arena |
| 2017 |
Troy |
Texas State |
Lakefront Arena |
| 2016 |
Little Rock |
Louisiana Monroe |
Lakefront Arena |
| 2015 |
Georgia State |
Georgia Southern |
Lakefront Arena |
| 2014 |
Louisiana Lafayette |
Georgia State |
Lakefront Arena |
| 2013 |
Western Kentucky |
Florida International |
Summit Arena |
| 2012 |
Western Kentucky |
North Texas |
Summit Arena |
| 2011 |
Little Rock |
North Texas |
Summit Arena |
| 2010 |
North Texas |
Troy |
Summit Arena |
| 2009 |
Western Kentucky |
South Alabama |
Summit Arena |
| 2008 |
Western Kentucky |
Middle Tennessee |
Mitchell Center |
| 2007 |
North Texas |
Arkansas State |
Cajundome |
| 2006 |
South Alabama |
Western Kentucky |
Murphy Center |
| 2005 |
Louisiana Lafayette (Vacated) |
Denver |
UNT Coliseum |
| 2004 |
Louisiana Lafayette (Vacated) |
New Orleans |
E.A. Diddle Arena |
| 2003 |
Western Kentucky |
Middle Tennessee |
E.A. Diddle Arena |
| 2002 |
Western Kentucky |
Louisiana Lafayette |
Lakefront Arena |
| 2001 |
Western Kentucky |
South Alabama |
Mitchell Center |
| 2000 |
Louisiana Lafayette |
South Alabama |
Alltel Arena |
NCAA Basketball Conferences
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