2019-20 Sun Belt Men's Basketball
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2019-20 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Mercedes-Benz Superdome 1500 Sugar Bowl Drive • New Orleans, LA 70112 Final SunBeltSports.org • @SunBelt • #SunBeltMBB Contact: Scottie Rodgers ([email protected]) Appalachian State • Little Rock • Arkansas State • Coastal Carolina • Georgia Southern • Georgia State Louisiana • ULM • South Alabama • UTA • Texas State • Troy STANDINGS Conference Overall W-L Pct. PF PA W-L Pct. PF PA Home Away Neutral Last 10 Streak Little Rock* 15-5 .750 76.4 72.2 21-10 .677 73.2 69.4 13-2 8-8 0-0 7-3 L 1 South Alabama 13-7 .650 67.9 66.2 20-11 .645 71.3 67.5 11-5 7-5 2-1 8-2 W 8 Texas State 13-7 .650 71.3 65.6 21-11 .656 73.1 64.3 15-3 6-8 0-0 8-2 W 1 Georgia State 12-8 .600 77.9 72.8 19-13 .594 78.1 72.2 12-3 6-10 1-0 4-6 L 1 Georgia Southern 12-8 .600 72.9 68.8 20-13 .606 75.6 70.7 11-4 8-8 1-1 7-3 W 2 Appalachian State 11-9 .550 68.3 69.6 18-15 .545 68.4 67.3 10-5 7-9 1-1 6-4 L 1 UTA 10-10 .500 71.9 69.2 14-18 .438 70.6 68.4 8-8 6-9 0-1 5-5 L 1 Louisiana 8-12 .400 71.8 75.8 14-19 .424 73.2 76.2 10-6 3-12 1-1 5-5 L 1 Arkansas State 8-12 .400 71.8 73.9 16-16 .500 70.7 71.9 10-7 6-9 0-0 1-9 L 1 Coastal Carolina 8-12 .400 75.9 78.7 16-17 .485 78.0 76.3 9-10 7-7 0-0 4-6 L 1 ULM 5-15 .250 63.7 69.3 9-20 .310 63.1 67.4 7-8 2-12 0-0 3-7 L 2 Troy 5-15 .250 67.4 75.3 9-22 .290 68.7 73.4 6-10 3-12 0-0 1-9 L 7 *Won Regular-Season Title AROUND #SUNBELTMBB • The 2019-20 season for Sun Belt Conference men's basketball was • The Sun Belt closed the season with two teams ranked in the final canceled on March 12 and canceled due to concerns surrounding the CollegeInsider.com Men's Mid-Major Top 25 with Little Rock ranked 16th spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. and Texas State ranked 22nd to go along with South Alabama receiving votes. • The season was canceled the day after the quarterfinal games of the 2020 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Championship. No. 3 seed Texas State (21-11, 13-7 • Little Rock secured its first regular-season title since 2015-16 with its Feb. Sun Belt) and No. 5 seed Georgia Southern (20-13, 12-8) scored wins on their 29 win over Louisiana. The Trojans were one of just two teams, joining respective home courts to earn spots in the semifinals with No. 1 Little Rock Merrimack in the Northeast Conference, in Division I that finished in first (21-10, 15-5) and No. 2 South Alabama (20-10, 13-7) in games scheduled to be place in their conference after being picked 11th or lower in its conference's played at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. preseason poll. • Brian Burg was named head coach at Georgia Southern on April 3. Burg, • Little Rock head coach Darrell Walker was named Joe Gottfried Sun Belt who helped lead Texas Tech to the 2019 NCAA National Championship Coach of the Year honors, joining Wimp Sanderson in 1995-96 and Chris game and the Big 12 Conference regular-season championship, takes over Beard in 2015-16, as the third Trojans mentor to earn the conference's Coach in Statesboro after four successful seasons. of the Year award. • Appalachian State finished second in the nation amongst Division I • South Alabama closed the season tied for the eighth-longest active men's basketball programs in the 2020 NCAA Teamworks Helper Helper winning streak in NCAA Division I. The Jaguars earned a top-three Sun Belt Community Service Competition. The Mountaineers had 100 percent Tournament seed for the first time since being the No. 3 seed for the 2013 participation on the team and totaled over 1,000 hours of community championship. service. • Texas State earned a top-four seed for the second-straight year and • Sun Belt teams combined for an 72-61 (.541) record in non-conference advanced to the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals for the third time in four play, marking the sixth-straight year the conference posted a .500 or better seasons. non-conference record during the regular season. • Georgia Southern reached the 20-win mark for the third-straight season, • Texas State finished with the Sun Belt's highest ranking in the Ken a feat not accomplished since 1986-89. The Eagles have 80 wins in the last Pomeroy Ratings (93rd), ESPN College Basketball Power Index (105th), Jeff four seasons, the most in a four-year period since totaling 84 from 1986-90. Sagarin Ratings (107th) and NCAA NET Rankings (120th), while Little Rock Georgia Southern advanced to the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals for the had the conference's top ranking in the CBSSports.com RPI (89th). The third consecutive season. Sun Belt ranked 14th among the Division I conferences, according to the Sagarin Ratings. 2019-20 SUN BELT MEN'S BASKETBALL FINAL AROUND #SUNBELTMBB NATIONAL POSTSEASON HONORS • Arkansas State (16-16, 8-12) had 35 double-figure scoring games from COLLEGEINSIDER.COM players off the bench, second-most in Division I behind Winthrop. Senior Ben Jobe Award guard Jerry Johnson Jr. was responsible for 16 double-figure scoring games Finalists off the bench. Nationally, the Red Wolves led in free throws made (578) and Darrell Walker, Little Rock ranked third in free throw attempts (814). Richie Riley, South Alabama • UTA (14-18, 10-10) had eight different leading scorers and nine different Lou Henson All-America Team players reach double-figure points in a game. The Mavericks have posted Markquis Nowell, Little Rock 30 double-figure scoring performances from players off the bench and Nijal Pearson, Texas State their leading scorer came off the bench 14 times by seven different players. Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America Team • Appalachian State finished second in the nation amongst Division I Ruot Monyyong, Little Rock men's basketball programs in the 2020 NCAA Teamworks Helper Helper Community Service Competition. The Mountaineers had 100 percent Kyle Macy Freshman All-America Team participation on the team and totaled over 1,000 hours of community Mylik Wilson, Louisiana service. Mid-Major Top 25 Final Poll • Pearson headlined the 2019-20 Sun Belt men's basketball postseason 16. Little Rock honors, named Player of the Year and earning first-team All-Sun Belt 22. Texas State honors for the second year in a row. The school's all-time leading scorer RV. South Alabama closed his career with 2,122 points, which ranks seventh in conference history and stood 22nd among active Division I players this season. Pearson LOUISIANA SPORTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION was just the 10th player in Sun Belt history to reach 2,000 career points Newcomer of the Year and first player in school history to score 500 points in three consecutive Jalen Johnson, Louisiana seasons. All-Louisiana Teams • Monyyong, the 2019-20 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team Newcomer of the Year, led the conference in rebounds per game (9.8), Jalen Johnson, Louisiana blocks per game (2.0) and double-doubles (16). His presence in the middle Michael Ertel, ULM for the Trojans was highlighted by averaging 7.6 boards per game off the defensive glass, which ranks 15th nationally. His 16 double-doubles Honorable Mention ranked tied for 17th nationally. His 62 blocks rank third all-time in school Mylik Wilson, Louisiana history and were the most in a single season in Little Rock's Division I era. Monyyong scored in double figures 24 times and posted 18 double-digit NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BASKETBALL COACHES rebounding performances. District 23 Coach of the Year • Wilson, the 2019-20 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, averaged 11.5 points, Darrell Walker, Little Rock 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game and finished as the lone Division I freshman nationally to 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and First Team All-District two steals per game. He was the 21st Division I freshman since 1992-93 to Ruot Monyyong, Little Rock average 11/5/2/2, joining a list that includes NBA stars James Harden and Markquis Nowell, Little Rock Zion Williamson. Wilson led all Sun Belt freshmen in scoring, rebounds, DeVante Jones, Coastal Carolina steals and minutes. Josh Ajayi, South Alabama Nijal Pearson, Texas State • Georgia Southern redshirt senior guard Ike Smith was named a recipient of the 2020 All-American Athlete Award by the National Strength and Second Team All-District Conditioning Association for his accomplishments and his dedication to Justin Forrest, Appalachian State strength and conditioning. Smith closed his career with 1,931 career points Ike Smith, Georgia Southern (24th among active Division I players this season), which ranks for 14th on Kane Williams, Georgia State the conference's all-time list. Michael Ertel, ULM David Azore, UTA • South Alabama redshirt senior forward Josh Ajayi closed his career with 1,691 career points, which ranked 49th among active Division I players this NATIONAL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSOCIATION season.