NCAA Basketball: 2023 Sun Belt Tournament preview and best bets
By Brian Emory
The calendar officially rolled over to March on Wednesday, and the ensuing madness is already upon us. The Sun Belt Tournament tipped off Tuesday afternoon with the four lowest seeds fighting against one another to extend their seasons. Arkansas State scored a win over Coastal Carolina while Texas State knocked off the reigning champion Georgia State Panthers.
Over the past two years, the Sun Belt Conference ambitiously threw its hat in the ring of the whirlwind of conference realignment. Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill was able to lure four strong programs into the conference in James Madison, Marshall, Southern Mississippi, and Old Dominion.
While nearly every connoisseur of Sun Belt athletics would agree that this conference primarily makes decisions with football at the forefront, these additions have rapidly improved the conference’s basketball quality. As we head into postseason play, all four of the conference’s new additions find themselves within the top five of the Sun Belt standings.
The Sun Belt currently has an RPI of 14th, its best mark since 2017. This improved standard of play should set the stage for an intriguing weekend of play, with multiple teams that have the potential to make a run and cut down the nets in Pensacola, Florida Monday night.
The Bracket:
https://twitter.com/SunBelt/status/1630785836194168832?s=20
Location: Pensacola, Florida.
How to Watch: ESPN+, Championship Game on ESPN 2.