Atlantic Sun basketball: 2018 Conference Tournament preview
Top players in the Atlantic Sun Tournament
JR Garrison Mathews – Lipscomb
2017-18 stats: 21.4 ppg 5.4 rpg 1.4 apg
The leading scorer in the conference, Mathews is a volume shooter. He dropped a career-high 43 points on the road at Kennesaw State, and half of his games in the Atlantic Sun had him going for at least 20 points.
It’s a two-player race for Conference Player of the Year, with the best players of the top teams battling for it. But an argument can be made that the Bison junior has less talent around him, making him the worthy candidate for the award.
SR Brandon Goodwin – Florida Gulf Coast
2017-18 stats: 18.4 ppg 5.7 rpg 4.8 apg
The Eagles guard is probably the best overall player in the league, with multiple double-digit rebounding and assist games. His scoring has picked up as of late, averaging 27.3 ppg in his last three games. He’s also shown an ability to score against good foes like his 23 ppg versus Middle Tennessee.
SO Noah Horchler – North Florida
2017-18 stats: 11.8 ppg 8.7 rpg 1.4 apg
After a solid Junior College season, Horchler became an immediate impact player for the Ospreys. He leads the Atlantic Sun in rebounding, never going below seven in a game. The sophomore also has a pension for some monster games, including a 31 point and 13 rebound game against South Carolina Upstate.
SR Nick Masterson – Kennesaw State
2017-18 stats: 15.9 ppg 2.8 rpg 3.3 apg
The most efficient player in the Atlantic Sun lies with the Owls, with Masterson shooting 56% from the field, and 55% from three-point range. He was very close to making history, just a percentage point shy of 90% from the charity stripe.
It’s amazing how consistent he’s been, considering that he also leads the league in minutes played. Only five games did he not play all 40 minutes, making him the most important player for his team.
JR Rob Marberry – Lipscomb
2017-18 stats: 16.4 ppg 5.9 rpg 1.9 apg
If it wasn’t for a stretch of six single-digit games out of eight, the junior could be up there with the other leading scorers. Marberry has games of 32, 38 and 39 points, showing that he along with Mathews could take over this tournament.