Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Conference Tournament Day Two Preview

After a fun day one of the Sun Belt Conference tournament, the momentum looks to continue as two fascinating matchups take the court on day two.

(9) James Madison vs. (12) Louisiana

After one extra day of rest, James Madison enters the tournament to take on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns. Louisiana is coming off an 84-75 victory over Georgia State in the second round.

One down. More to go. Cajuns Win!#GeauxCajuns pic.twitter.com/gyFBApUS5o

— Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns® Men’s Basketball (@RaginCajunsMBB) March 4, 2026

The Dukes enter the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the conference, winning six of their final seven games. In those games, third-team All-Conference selection Cliff Davis led the team in scoring six times. On the season, Davis is averaging 15.3 points per game, just behind fellow third-team All-Conference selection Justin McBride. The 6-foot-7 junior is averaging 15.5 points and is also second on the team in rebounds per game (5.5). As a team, the Dukes rank sixth in KenPom offensive efficiency and have the second-best effective field goal percentage. On the defensive side, they rank ninth in efficiency.

Louisiana is coming off a win against Georgia State, pulling away late. Jaxon Olvera led all scorers with a career-high 29 points, shooting 50% and hitting nine free throws. The Cajuns also saw contributions from De’Vion Lavergne, Dorian Finister and Karris Bilal. Louisiana dominated the glass, grabbing 10 more rebounds than the Panthers, including 18 offensive boards. The Cajuns also got to the line often, hitting 26 free throws, eight more than Georgia State.

James Madison and Louisiana have met once this season, a game that resulted in a 64-61 win for the Cajuns in Harrisonburg. Finister led all scorers with 18 points. Olvera was held to 2-for-11 shooting and will need to be better to beat the Dukes for a second time. For James Madison, Cliff Davis led the team with 12 points. As a team, the Dukes shot 35% from deep. Their downfall was at the free-throw line, where they went 8-for-19.

Tipoff: 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT)

TV: ESPN+

Radio: JMU Sports Network (James Madison), Ragin’ Cajuns Digital Network (Louisiana)

(10) Georgia Southern vs. (11) Old Dominion

The second game of the day sees Georgia Southern enter the tournament. The Eagles will play Old Dominion, which is coming off an 87-80 victory over ULM in the first round.

On the final night of the regular season, Georgia Southern earned a convincing win over Marshall on national television. The Eagles had three players score 20 or more points, led by Tyren Moore, who scored 26 points on eight made three-pointers. Alden Applewhite and Nakavieon White also scored 20 or more. On the season, Moore is averaging just over 15 points per game, with backcourt mate Spudd Webb just behind him. As a team, the Eagles score more than 80 points per game and rank near the top of the conference in many statistical categories outside of three-point shooting. Defensively, they rank near the bottom of the conference in several categories.

The Monarchs are coming off a win over ULM in a game that was closer than many expected. Senior KC Shaw led the team with 25 points while nearing a triple-double in rebounds and assists. Jared Turner and Robert Davis Jr. were huge contributors off the bench, both scoring 15 points. Center Caelum Swanton-Rodger left the game with an injury, and his status is unclear.

In the regular season, Georgia Southern defeated Old Dominion twice, both single-digit wins in January. In the first game, four Eagles scored in double figures, and as a team they outrebounded the Monarchs by eight. In the second matchup, the numbers were similar, but the Eagles made nine more free throws than Old Dominion. In both games, Applewhite scored 17 points. With Swanton-Rodger potentially out, his replacements will need to be strong on the glass and prevent Georgia Southern from getting to the free-throw line

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. CT)

TV: ESPN+

Radio: The Varsity Network (Georgia Southern), ESPN Radio 94.1 (Old Dominion)