Sun Belt Basketball: 2020 conference tournament preview and predictions

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 12: The Troy Trojans celebrate after the championship game of the Sun Belt Basketball Tournament against the Texas State Bobcats at UNO Lakefront Arena on March 12, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Troy Trojans won 59-53. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

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WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 17: Damon Wilson #1 of the Georgia State Panthers (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Teams to look out for

Team to Beat: Little Rock

At 15-5 and currently first place in the Sun Belt Basketball standings, Little Rock has a huge target on its back. The Trojans have played well in conference play the entire season. In fact, there is not one opponent that has beaten them twice. This, however, is not to say that they will make it through this conference tournament unscathed. Just the other night, they fell 89-70 to the Georgia State Panthers. If they want to stay in command of the conference and earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament, they must play better defensively than they did the other night.

Top Contender: South Alabama

The South Alabama Jaguars are second in the Sun Belt Basketball Standings and are the second overall seed in the conference tournament. Despite the fact they are sitting in second, it is not by much. With a 13-7 record in conference play, the same record as Texas State, the Jaguars win the tiebreaker over the Bobcats because of their head-to-head victory against them this past Tuesday. That victory against Texas State gives them their eighth straight win heading into the conference tournament. They certainly have the momentum they need to get to the title. Let’s see if they can do it.

Team Likeliest to Surprise: Georgia State

Yes, the coaching staff at Georgia State is a lot different this year than it has been over the last few years, but Head Coach Rob Lanier has come in and done an excellent job in his first season at the helm. The Georgia State Panthers are tied for fourth with Georgia State in the Sun Belt Basketball standings, but they own the #4 seed in the conference tournament. This is a dangerous place to have them. The Panthers possess the talent necessary to give the three teams at the top of the league something to worry about. Also, as I mentioned earlier, they are riding the momentum of their Tuesday night victory against Little Rock.