CBB Review hands out awards for each conference tournament in 2023. Up next: The Sun Belt Tournament.
In Ethan Carbone’s Sun Belt tournament preview, he predicted a Southern Miss vs. Louisiana final. He was half-right, with Louisiana defeating South Alabama to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament. A missed three-pointer from South Alabama could’ve tied the game late, but the Ragin’ Cajuns won 71-66.
CBB Review Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Jordan Brown, UL-Lafayette
Brown was a physical presence in every game he played in, but perhaps none better than the championship against South Alabama. Brown scored 13 points and collected 16 boards. Over three games in the Sun Belt Tournament, he averaged 15.7 PPG and 11.7 RPG. Brown anchors the frontcourt for the best team in the conference.
CBB Review All-Sun Belt Tournament First Team
- G: Mason Harrell, Texas State – 2 games played (15.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.8 APG)
- G: Isaiah Moore, South Alabama – 4 games played (22.0 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG)
- G: Terrence Edwards, James Madison – 2 games played (20.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.0 APG)
- F: Terence Lewis II, Louisiana – 3 games played (11.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 63.2 FG%)
- F: Jordan Brown, Louisiana – 3 games played (15.7 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 BPG, 1.3 SPG, 52.5 FG%)
Louisiana’s NCAA Tournament Prediction
Round of 64
Louisiana has size and a quality backcourt to pull off an upset in the NCAA Tournament. Jordan Brown could start for most Power 6 programs, and Themus Fulks has played well as a lead guard in the past few weeks. They’ve got depth, too, evidenced by Jalen Dalcourt’s 13-point performance off the bench in the championship against South Alabama. However, they’ll likely be pitted against either a 3-seed or 2-seed in the tournament, given the relative strength of the Sun Belt. While they could likely beat a handful of ranked teams, they aren’t enough to handle a team like Marquette, Baylor, or Texas for 40 minutes.