Breaking Down Every Conference Race - Pt. 1: American Sun, America East, American Athletic, Atlantic 10

Men's College Basketball Conference  Races: Pt. 1

ASUN

Favorite - Liberty | Seed: (13-15)

Liberty, led by Darius McGhee, has been the ASUN’s favorite since the year began. They didn’t get off to the best start, but have gone 7-1 in their last 8 games with wins over Bradley and Bryant. It won’t be easy for them, but if Liberty can pair a secondary scorer outside of McGhee with their already great defense, they’ll be hard to beat

Contenders - Florida Gulf Coast, Queens, Jacksonville, Lipscomb, Kennesaw State

We start off with 5 solid contenders. Florida Gulf Coast and Queens currently have the best records in the ASUN, with FGCU having beat very good teams like St. Bonaventure and USC. Jacksonville finished near the top of the league last year, led by Kevion Nolan, who is probably the second best player in the ASUN. Lipscomb and Kennesaw State both have played very hard schedules, both sporting good wins and close losses against very good teams.

Sleeper - Stetson

Stetson started off the year with wins against Florida State and South Florida, but were not able to keep that level of play up for the rest of their non-conference play, though they played Florida and 3 other top mid-majors in the country. If they can get back to their play from the beginning of the season, Stetson could surprise in the ASUN.

America East

Favorite - Bryant | Seed: (12-14)

Bryant has a star-studded starting lineup. Sherif Gross-Bullock, their leading scorer at 16PPG,  has had a breakout season after 3 seasons at La Salle. Earl Timberlake was a very solid player at Memphis and now is a top 3 player in the America East. Pride is their returning 2nd high scorer from last year’s tournament team, and Walker is having a good year after a few seasons at Rhode Island. Lastly, Doug Edert was St. Peter’s second best player in their run to the Elite Eight. They’ve been inconsistent this season, beating Syracuse and Towson but losing to Brown. If all these new pieces get experience playing together, which they will, they’ll be one of the better AQ teams in March Madness, assuming they can make it past UMass Lowell.

Contender - UMass Lowell

UMass Lowell has been the biggest surprise out of any team this basketball season. Though they haven’t played the hardest schedule, they’re 12-2, including a win over UMass. Their only 2 losses are to Rutgers and at Rhode Island by 2. They are neck-and-neck with Bryant and there really isn’t anyone else close to them two.

Sleeper - Vermont

Outside of UMass Lowell and Bryant, there really isn’t much contention. Vermont dominated this conference last season, but haven’t gotten off to the best start. They’re 6-8, but have shown signs of improvement in their last few games, going on a 4-game win streak then playing a very good Toledo team close. They probably won’t win the conference, but under the experience of Dylan Penn and the recent breakout of Aaron Deloney, anything is possible.

AAC

Favorite - Houston | Seed: (1-2)

Houston is one of the best teams in the country. They have one of the best coaches in the country in Kelvin Sampson, the best SG in the country in Marcus Sasser, as well as the experience and skill in other spots to round it out. They currently sit at #3, with wins over Virginia, Oral Roberts, and Saint Mary’s. They will be one of the most lopsided favorites out of any team to win any conference, but there is 1 team that could knock them off.

Contenders - Memphis, Tulane, UCF, Cincinnati, SMU

Memphis is the only other likely tournament team in the AAC. They are also the only other team that are consistent enough to finish above Houston. Tulane has a very solid starting 5, but haven’t been consistent thus far and will need an incredible AAC resume for a NCAA tournament bid. UCF and Cincinnati both have solid records and will finish top 5 in the conference. UCF is led by freshman Taylor Hendricks, who is one of the best freshmen in the country. Lastly, SMU got off to a horrendous 3-7 start, but have just recently beaten Iona and Utah State as they will play Hawaii in the championship of the Diamond Head Classic.

Sleeper - Temple

Temple was one of my March Madness sleepers at the beginning of the year, but they have let me down. Like Tulane, they’re inconsistent, sitting at 6-7 with wins over Villanova and Rutgers, but lost to Wagner and Maryland Eastern Shore. They’ll need to virtually win out, and they have the talent to get it done. Khalif Battle and Damian Dunn are the best guard duo in the AAC outside of Houston’s Jamal Shead and Marcus Sasser.

Atlantic 10

Favorite - Fordham | Seed: (12-15)

In the absence of a league powerhouse, Fordham has emerged as the favorite. They have one loss at Arkansas, but are otherwise undefeated. They have an incredible trio of scorers in Darius Quisenberry, Khalid Moore, and Kyle Rose. Dayton has talent but not enough experience, Saint Louis has experience but not enough talent, and this Fordham team seems to have both.

Contenders - Duquesne, Saint Louis, Dayton, Davidson, UMass

The disappointment of Saint Louis and Dayton has been mind-boggling so far. They were both considered by many to be tournament locks, but now both sit at 8-5. They both really need to play very well in conference play, but unfortunately, I don’t see a clear path to an at-large bid for them. Davidson is always solid, and they are led by Foster Loyer, who’s debatably the best player in the A10. Duquesne finished in last place last year, but currently have the second best record in the league at 9-3 with wins over DePaul, Winthrop, UCSB, Colgate, and Montana. 

Sleeper - St. Bonaventure

The Bonnies were the league favorite last season, but didn’t live up to expectations as they then lost all of their important players. However, they have rebuilt nicely, led by Saint Peters’ and Holy Cross’ best players in Daryl Banks and Kyrell Luc. They have wins over MTSU and Notre Dame, but are now on a 4-game skid. But, don’t be surprised if they turn it around and finish near the top of A10 conference play.