2013 College Basketball Picks: Sun Belt Conference Tournamant Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – Sun Belt Conference Tournament Schedule and Tournament Bracket: While the Sun Belt Conference isn’t exactly a college basketball powerhouse, some of the top teams in the country will be keeping a close eye on the action in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The top-seeded Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders have compiled an impressive enough regular season resume that they will probably secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens in the conference tournament. As a result, major conference teams on the bubble will be cheering like crazy for the Blue Raiders because if another Sun Belt team wins the conference tournament, one less at-large bid will be available. For a closer look at the favored Blue Raiders and the other contenders, here is a preview of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
2013 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Odds, Free Picks and Predictions
The Contenders
Although they could probably sneak into the NCAA Tournament without winning the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, the top-seeded Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (27-4, 19-1 Sun Belt) won’t have to wonder on Selection Sunday if they continue to take care of business on the court. After all, the Blue Raiders have won 16 games in a row heading into the conference tournament and currently lead the Sun Belt in points per game and are giving up the fewest points. Surprisingly, senior guard Marcos Knight is the only player on the team averaging in double figures, but Middle Tennessee has the luxury of depth. Eight players contribute significant minutes, and seven are scoring more than six points per game. The balanced offense and stifling defense allowed the Blue Raiders to finish five games ahead of the next closest team in the Sun Belt standings.
Despite finishing a distant second in the East Division, the South Alabama Jaguars (17-11, 14-6 Sun Belt) could have an X-factor in the conference tournament. Forward Augustine Rubit is arguably the best player in the Sun Belt, and the junior is averaging 18.9 points and 10.8 rebounds on the year. Meanwhile, Rubit and frontcourt mate Javier Carter combine to average 3.8 blocks per game. The downside is that the Jaguars went just 2-2 down the stretch, but if Jaguars big men protect the rim on defense and Rubit goes on a tear scoring the ball, South Alabama just might have the star power to go on a run and win the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
Fresh off of winning the weaker West Division title, the Arkansas State Red Wolves (18-11, 12-8 Sun Belt) will try to prove they are the Sun Belt’s best by winning the conference tournament. The Red Wolves are actually a terrible offensive team in terms of shooting percentage, but leading scorers Ed Townsel and Trey Finn can get hot from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Arkansas State’s defense is the second best in the Sun Belt, and the Red Wolves average more than nine steals per game. Arkansas State is also the only team that has beaten top-seeded Middle Tennessee during conference play, but on the flip side the Red Wolves finished seven games back of the Blue Raiders overall.
Bottom Line
As the final regular season conference standings suggest, there is a serious talent gap between the Blue Raiders and everyone else. Middle Tennessee may not have the conference’s best individual player, but they have far more overall depth than any other team. The Blue Raiders have more position-for-position athleticism than any team in the Sun Belt, and even if they have a mediocre shooting performance, they have a stingy defense to fall back on. Upsets are commonplace in March, but in the case of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, the top-seeded Blue Raiders will continue to steamroll the competition.
Prediction: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Win the Sun Belt Conference Tournament
Odds to Win 2013 Sun Belt Conference Tournament
Middle Tennessee -380
Arkansas State +600
South Alabama +1700
Western Kentucky +1900
Arkansas Little Rock +2300
Florida International +2600
Florida Atlantic +3000
North Texas +7000
UL Lafayette +8500
Troy +17500
UL Monroe
2013 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Schedule
Friday, March 8 – First Round
7 p.m.: No. 6 Western Kentucky vs. No. 11 Louisiana-Monroe (Game 1, Summit Arena), Sun Belt Digital Network
7:30 p.m.: No. 8 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. No. 9 North Texas (Game 2, Convention Center Court), SBDN
9:30 p.m.: No. 7 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 10 Troy (Game 3, Summit Arena), SBDN
Saturday, March 9 – Quarterfinals
7 p.m.: No. 4 Florida International vs. Arkansas-Little Rock (Game 4, Convention Center Court), SBDN
7:30 p.m.: No. 1 Middle Tennessee vs. Game 2 Winner (Game 5, Summit Arena), Sun Belt Network
9:30 p.m.: No. 3 South Alabama vs. Game 1 Winner (Game 6, Convention Center Court), SBDN
10 p.m.: No. 2 Arkansas State vs. Game 3 Winner (Game 7, Summit Arena), Sun Belt Network
Sunday, March 10 – Semifinals
7:30 p.m.: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, Sun Belt Network
10 p.m.: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, Sun Belt Network
Monday, March 11 – Championship
7 p.m.: Semifinals Winners, ESPN
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