CBB Review prepares you for every conference tournament leading up to Selection Sunday on Mar. 17. Up first: The Atlantic Sun Tournament.
The Atlantic Sun Tournament will look a bit different in 2024. Liberty moved on to Conference USA, taking away one of this league’s top programs. Still, with no clear favorite, the championship is wide open to a handful of teams looking to secure an automatic bid to March Madness.
2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Isaiah Cozart, Eastern Kentucky
Freshman of the Year: Tucker Anderson, Central Arkansas
Transfer of the Year: Demarcus Sharp, Austin Peay
Coach of the Year: Corey Gipson, Austin Peay
First Team:
- G: Will Pruitt, Lipscomb (14.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 43.2 3P%, 52.1 FG%)
- G: Jalen Blackmon, Stetson (21.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, 40.7 3P%)
- G: Demarcus Sharp, Austin Peay (17.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 2.2 SPG)
- G: Chaz Lanier, North Florida (19.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 43.4 3P%, 50.4 FG%)
- F: Isaiah Cozart, Eastern Kentucky (15.6 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 0.6 APG, 3.9 BPG, 65.8 FG%)
Second Team:
- G: Terrell Burden, Kennesaw State (16.7 PPG, 6.3 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.5 SPG)
- G: Stephan Swenson, Stetson (13.2 PPG, 6.2 APG, 4.6 RPG, 1.6 SPG)
- G: AJ McKee, Queens (18.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.7 SPG)
- G: Derrin Boyd, Lipscomb (17.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 44.0 3P%, 52.6 FG%)
- F: Devontae Blanton, Eastern Kentucky (14.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.5 APG)
Atlantic Sun Tournament Simulation
First Round – Mon., Mar. 4
9. Kennesaw State (15-15, 6-10) vs. 10. Jacksonville (14-16, 5-11) – 7 p.m. on ESPN+
Records might look even on paper, but the Owls average 10+ more points per game and swept the Dolphins in the regular season. Both games were close, but I’ll take the higher seed in this one.
Mat’s pick: 9. Kennesaw State
7. FGCU (14-17, 8-8) vs. 8. Queens (13-18, 7-9) – 7 p.m. on ESPN+
A similar story to the prior matchup, Queens averages over 80 points per game, while Florida Gulf Coast is at a measly 71 PPG. Don’t let that fool you from what this Eagles team can accomplish. They put up 90 in a win over Queens just last Saturday. The Royals have also lost four of their last seven games.
Mat’s pick: 7. FGCU
Quarterfinals – Tues., Mar. 5
9. Kennesaw State vs. 1. Eastern Kentucky (17-13, 12-4) – 7 p.m. on ESPN+
The three-headed monster of Isaiah Cozart, Devontae Blanton, and Leland Walker is tough for any team in the tournament to match up against. The Owls are a good rebounding team and get up a lot of shots, but if a 10-point home loss in the regular season is any indication, this will go EKU’s way.
Mat’s pick: 1. Eastern Kentucky
7. FGCU vs. 2. Stetson (19-12, 11-5) – 7 p.m. on ESPN+
Could this be our first major upset? Stetson took down the Eagles at home by one point on Feb. 17, but it was FGCU winning at their place by 24 points in January. Swenson and Blackmon were held to just 20 points in that game and it doesn’t seem like a fluke – FGCU has a capable defense. The Hatters also just fell to UNF by 19 to close out the regular season. It’s not a good time of the year to look shaky.
Mat’s pick: 7. FGCU
3. Lipscomb (20-11, 11-5) vs. 6. North Alabama (14-16, 8-8) – 8 p.m. on ESPN+
Like many teams in the A-Sun, Lipscomb can put up a lot of points. They’re also susceptible to giving up a lot of points, which could make this a high-scoring close contest. However, I’m looking at the three-point line, where the Bisons have the 16th-best percentage in the country. When they get going, it’s hard to stop.
Mat’s pick: 3. Lipscomb
4. Austin Peay (17-14, 10-6) vs. 5. North Florida (16-15, 9-7) – 8 p.m. on ESPN+
Demarcus Sharp vs. Chaz Lanier should be one of the best player matchups in this entire Atlantic Sun Tournament. Both can light it up, earning CBB Review Atlantic Sun First Team honors. When the teams played in the regular season, it ended in a Governors’ win in double overtime. While UNF has the talent to pull this win off, Austin Peay’s won seven of their last eight games.
Mat’s pick: 4. Austin Peay
Semifinals – Thur., Mar. 7
1. Eastern Kentucky vs. 7. FGCU – TBD on ESPN+
Can FGCU’s Atlantic Sun Tournament Cinderella story continue? Unfortunately, this isn’t the 2013 NCAA Tournament. EKU is much stronger on the boards and Cozart’s presence will be too much for the Eagles to handle. In the regular season, he dropped 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks against them.
Mat’s pick: 1. Eastern Kentucky
3. Lipscomb vs. 4. Austin Peay – TBD on ESPN+
The Bisons swept the regular season series 2-0, and both teams are playing incredibly well. Lipscomb knocked off EKU to end the season and the Governors are the hottest team in the league. This is truly a toss up.
Mat’s pick: 3. Lipscomb
Championship – Sun., Mar. 10
1. Eastern Kentucky vs. 3. Lipscomb – 2 p.m. on ESPN2
Both teams score the basketball and have experienced backcourts, but once again, EKU’s dominance inside can be a slight edge. The Colonels average 7.3 more rebounds per game which has the chance to give them a crucial edge if it comes down to second-chance points. Don’t count out Will Pruitt and AJ McGinnis, but Cozart, Blanton, and Michael Moreno have the rebounding skills to give EKU the extra juice they might need.
Mat’s pick: 1. Eastern Kentucky
[…] CBBReview A-Sun preview had Eastern Kentucky defeating Lipscomb, but the Colonels were met by Robert McCray V, and the […]