Hey there! Let‘s dive into the Sun Belt and March Madness

College basketball season will be here before you know it. And for fans of the Sun Belt conference, that means one thing: dreams of hearing your school‘s name on Selection Sunday as they earn a spot in March Madness.

As a longtime fan of college hoops, I‘m here to give you an in-depth lowdown on the Sun Belt, the conference tournament, and what it takes for these teams to go dancin‘. Grab some snacks and let‘s get ready to nerd out on Sun Belt basketball!

All about the Sun Belt Conference

The Sun Belt is an NCAA Division I conference made up of 10 schools across the southern United States. Here are some key facts:

• Founded in 1976 with members in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

• Sun Belt schools compete in 18 different sports, including basketball, football, soccer, tennis, golf and more.

• Current Sun Belt members:

  • Appalachian State Mountaineers
  • Arkansas State Red Wolves
  • Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
  • Georgia Southern Eagles
  • Georgia State Panthers
  • Louisiana Ragin‘ Cajuns
  • Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks
  • South Alabama Jaguars
  • Texas State Bobcats
  • Troy Trojans

• Notable Sun Belt hoops programs include Louisiana, Georgia State, UTA, Texas State and Little Rock.

• Since 2015, the conference tournament has been held in New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center.

So in a nutshell, the Sun Belt boasts schools stretching from the Southeast to the Southwest, unified by a passion for college sports. And the conference tournament brings these fervent fanbases together each year for a shot at the Big Dance.

How the Sun Belt tournament works

The Sun Belt tournament is a 10-team single elimination bracket held each March. Here‘s a quick rundown:

• The top 4 seeds get a first round bye. Seeds 5-10 must play an extra game.

• Quarterfinals are seeded 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, and 4 vs 5.

• Win or go home! It‘s single elimination from there on out.

• The last team standing earns the Sun Belt‘s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

With only one chance to punch their ticket, the competition is fierce. This tournament rewards teams that get hot at the right time, not just the best regular season records.

Cinderella runs are definitely possible! In 2021, 8-seed Appalachian State ripped through the bracket, winning 4 games in 4 days to steal the bid. Craziness!

Sun Belt teams can make noise in March

Now let‘s look at the Sun Belt‘s NCAA Tournament history:

• Sun Belt teams have qualified for 19 of the last 20 Tournaments.

• Overall, the Sun Belt has 41 NCAA Tournament appearances.

• Their combined NCAA Tournament record is 18-41 (.305 win percentage). Not bad for typically being lower seeds!

• The Sun Belt has produced two Sweet 16 teams:

  • Louisiana-Lafayette (2000) – As a #12 seed they upset #5 seed Wisconsin and #4 seed Ole Miss before falling to Tulsa.

  • Western Kentucky (2008) – The #12 seed Hilltoppers upset #5 seed Drake and #13 seed San Diego before losing a close one to UCLA.

• Recent Sun Belt upsets:

  • In 2018, #13 Buffalo stunned #4 Arizona 89-68 in the first round.

  • In 2016, #12 Little Rock trounced #5 Purdue 85-83 in a thriller.

So Sun Belt squads can definitely do damage in March Madness! They‘ve proven they can knock off higher seeds when given the chance.

Key players to watch

The 2022-23 season is almost here, and there are some Sun Belt stars capable of leading their teams on a March run:

• Norchad Omier, Arkansas State: The dominant 6‘7" forward averaged 17.9 points and 12.2 rebounds last season en route to Sun Belt Player of the Year honors. He‘ll be a force inside.

• Greg Williams Jr., Lousiana: A talented guard, Williams dropped 15.3 points per game last year. He dropped 35 points vs. Marshall and will be the catalyst for Louisiana‘s offense.

• David Azore, UTA: A dynamic 6‘4" guard, Azore averaged 19.2 points per game last season. He‘s an explosive scorer who can take over games.

• Mason Harrell, Texas State: The Utah transfer guard averaged 14.5 points per game at his previous school. He‘ll bring much needed firepower to the Bobcats.

The road to March Madness

The journey starts now. As the season tips off, Sun Belt teams will battle night in and night out for the chance to shine when the lights are brightest in March. Running the gauntlet of the conference tournament to seize that automatic NCAA Tournament bid is the dream.

We‘re in store for another wild Sun Belt season. Get ready for high-flying dunks, buzzer-beating shots, and the passion of players giving it their all. I don‘t know about you, but I can‘t wait to see which Sun Belt squad will prevail and go dancin‘ this year!

Let me know if you have any other questions about the Sun Belt‘s path to March Madness. I‘m always down to talk college hoops!