Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: Predicting all 32 regular-season conference champions for 2018-19

By Tristan Freeman

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: The Villanova Wildcats celebrate their overtime win over the Providence Friars during the championship game of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 10, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: The Villanova Wildcats celebrate their overtime win over the Providence Friars during the championship game of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 10, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TN – MARCH 16: Isaiah Williams #11 and Malik Benlevi #2 of the Georgia State Panthers react against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the game in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 16, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN – MARCH 16: Isaiah Williams #11 and Malik Benlevi #2 of the Georgia State Panthers react against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the game in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 16, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

Sun Belt Conference

2017-18 regular season champ: Louisiana Lafayette

2018-19 favorite: Georgia State – Biggest threats: Georgia Southern, Troy, and Appalachian State

The Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana ran away with the regular season by four games, thanks to Frank Bartley IV’s 18 ppg and Bryce Washington averaging a double-double to lead the team. With both of them having graduated, there’s a good chance that 2019 will have a new Sun Belt winner.

Georgia State is the prohibited favorite, bringing back the team’s top four scorers from a year ago. Three of them (Devin Mitchell, Malik Benlevi, and Jeff Thomas) are seniors while reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year D’Marcus Simonds (21.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and 4.4 apg) will be a junior. The experience + talent will make for a winning combination for the Panthers.

It won’t be a runaway though, with 19 ppg scorer Tookie Brown leading a veteran-laden Georgia Southern squad for this season. Fellow guard Ike Smith saw his average drop from 19.6 ppg to 12.0 in less playing time but a return to his sophomore form will make the Eagles the No. 1 threat to Georgia State.

Troy and Appalachian State both finished in the middle of the pack but are primed to take a leap in the standings. Jordon Varnado (18.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg) and Alex Hicks (11.7 ppg and 8.4 rpg) give the Trojans a quality frontcourt in the Sun Belt, while Ronshad Shabazz (18.5 ppg) could lead the Mountaineers to their highest finish since arriving in the Sun Belt in 2014.

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