The James Madison football team made noise nationally by opening 10-0 before losing to Appalachian State. The men’s basketball version of the Dukes earned a national ranking from the AP, started 14-0 and were in the Top 25 for weeks.
Once again, the Mountaineers are standing between JMU and its goals. As the Sun Belt Tournament begins with a pair of first-round games on Tuesday, James Madison owns a 28-3 record and earned a berth in the quarterfinals as the No. 2 seed.
Appalachian State swept the regular-season series against the Dukes with a pair of tight wins, handed them their only home loss and guaranteed itself at least an NIT bid thanks to its regular-season title. Can both teams reach the NCAA Tournament by making it to the Sun Belt Tournament final?
That’s entirely possible.
James Madison enters the postseason with an NCAA NET ranking of 52 and a 1-1 win against Quad 1 foes. The selection committee will hold their lack of games against quality competition against it, but if bubble teams flounder in their conference tournaments, JMU’s case will be a viable one.
Appalachian State is 69th with a 2-0 record in Quad 1 games and faces a similar obstacle as the Dukes do, but owns a clear head-to-head edge.
Neither of the Sun Belt’s juggernauts can afford a loss before the tournament final if they’re going to stay alive for an at-large bid, but both have done enough to merit consideration as action tips off in Pensacola, Florida.
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Live Sun Belt Tournament odds
Here are the latest college basketball betting odds to win the Sun Belt Tournament from top-rated sportsbooks:
Sun Belt Tournament schedule
Tuesday, March 5 – First round
- 6 PM ET: No. 12 Louisiana-Monroe vs. No. 13 Coastal Carolina
- 8:30 PM ET: No. 11 Texas State vs. No. 14 Old Dominion
Thursday, March 7 – Second round
- 12:30 PM ET: No. 8 South Alabama vs. No. 9 Georgia Southern
- 3 PM ET: No. 5 Louisiana vs. ULM/Coastal winner
- 6 PM ET: No. 6 Southern Miss vs. Texas State/ODU winner
- 8:30 PM ET: No. 7 Georgia State vs. No. 10 Marshall
- 8:30 PM ET: No. 11 Texas State vs. No. 14 Old Dominion
Saturday, March 9 – Quarterfinals
- 12:30 PM ET: No. 1 Appalachian State vs. South AL/GA Southern winner
- 3 PM ET: No. Arkansas State vs. ULL vs. ULM/Coastal winner
- 6 PM ET: No. 3 Troy vs. So. Miss vs. TX St./ODU winner
- 8:30 PM ET: No. 2 James Madison vs. GA St./Marshall winner
Saturday, March 10 – Semifinals
- 6 PM ET: Early quarterfinal winners
- 8:30 PM ET: Evening quarterfinal winners
Monday, March 11
- 7 PM ET: Championship (ESPN2)
Sun Belt Tournament contenders
James Madison
The top-seeded Mountaineers rightfully get their own section below, so we have to start with James Madison here. Head coach Mark Byington got decent results over his first two seasons in Harrisburg as a CAA member and went 22-12 in his first season in the Sun Belt.
The Dukes finished fourth in league play but didn’t play in any other tournaments after losing in the Sun Belt semis, but adding T.J. Bickerstaff from Boston College has helped take them to another level. Teaming with another big forward in Julien Wooden, Bickerstaff has provided stability up front, averaging nearly 14 points and a team-high 8.4 rebounds per game.
JMU leads the Sun Belt in points per game (84.6), offensive rating, ranks second in defensive rating, and shoots a league best 35.8 percent from 3-point range. Terrance Edwards (17.6 ppg) leads the conference in scoring and free throw attempts, getting to the line at will. He shoots 82 percent from the stripe.
Noah Friedel, a standout at South Dakota State before transferring in last season, is the Sun Belt’s most prolific 3-point shooter. The Dukes opened the season by beating Michigan State in East Lansing and also owns a win over likely MAC regular-season champ Akron. They’re 26-1 in Quad 3 or Quad 4 game, suffering their one bad loss at Southern Miss.
Southern Miss
Among the teams outside the top four who have to play Thursday, the Golden Eagles are the best of the lot. Transfer guards Austin Crowley (Ole Miss) and Andre Curbelo (St. John’s/Illinois) can do major damage but have been dealing with injuries down the stretch. Forward Victor Iwuokar (Oklahoma/UNLV) is a difference-maker up front.
Troy
Troy and Arkansas State are the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, blowing out preseason expectations. The Trojans won 20 regular-season games and field four double-figure scorers, paced by veteran guard Christyon Eugene, one of the conference’s most versatile performers. Wing Myles Rigsby was named the Sun Belt’s Freshman of the Year, while guard Tayton Conerway earned Top Sixth Man honors.
Troy leads the league in offensive rebounds per game, ranks second in points per game (79.9) and third in defensive rating. If they advance to face JMU in the semis, that would be a high-level game. The teams haven’t played this season.
Arkansas State
The fourth-seeded Red Wolves responded well to first-year head coach Bryan Hodgson, formerly a top recruiter assisting Nate Oats at Alabama. He’s got a lot of talented veterans who have been around the block. UMass transfer Dyondre Dominguez and guard Taryn Todd (TCU/New Mexico) are major talents. Arkansas State was routed by App State in the regular-season finale 80-57 on Senior Night in Boone and would love another shot at the top seed at a neutral site.
Betting on App State in the Sun Belt Tournament
You won’t be able to bet on Appalachian State in the Sun Belt Tournament in their home state of North Carolina unless the Mountaineers make the final, as NC sports betting launches March 11. You can, however, take advantage of pre-launch offers from the top Tar Heel State sportsbooks by clicking “Claim Promo” below:
The Mountaineers were bounced in the first round of this event last season and haven’t been to the NCAAs since a First Four loss to Norfolk State in 2021. SBC Coach of the Year Dustin Kerns is in his fifth season and led that aforementioned group to wins over both the East and West Division’s champs in that tournament, surviving twice in OT.
Donovan Gregory was tremendous in that tournament and returns as a graduate senior, serving as one of this team’s leaders. The 6-foot-5 guard was joined on the All-Sun Belt First Team by forward Tre’Von Spillers, one of the league’s top rebounders (9.0 rpg).
If you’re of the belief defense wins championships, Appalachian State is the team for you. It allows the fewest points per game in the Sun Belt (66.1), owns the best defensive rating and averages nearly seven blocks per game thanks to the presence of 6-9 sophomore Justin Abson, the conference’s defensive player of the year.
Kerns can run out Terence Harcum and top sixth man Myles Tate, who started his career at Butler, in the backcourt alongside Gregory to take some pressure off him. 3-point shooting is Appalachian State’s Achilles heel, but Harcum and reserve Chris Mantis are flammable and can alleviate concerns from beyond the arc if they find the range.
Like JMU, Appalachian State owns one statement win, having beaten Auburn in Boone on Dec. 3. Wins against UNC Wilmington and Toledo are also solid non-conference conquests. The Mountaineers enter this tourney 15-1 since Jan. 11, covering the spread in 11 of those wins. App State is 6-0 ATS over its last six.
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Sun Belt Tournament prediction
Although there may be a few surprises over the first few rounds in Pensacola, expect the top three teams in the Sun Belt, the Mountaineers, Dukes and Trojans, to survive into the semifinals. James Madison has the old cliche about how difficult it is to beat a good team three times working in its favor if one last matchup with Appalachian State is all that’s standing in its way of an NCAA Tournament bid, but the fact it has to go through a talented Troy team while the top seed has an easier road may ultimately make the difference.
The Mountaineers have experience winning this event, a great leader in Gregory, a top-notch defense and a heck of a coach. It won’t be easy, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them deny JMU again in another close game.
Pick: Appalachian State