Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Conference Tournament Day Three Preview

After another exciting day of Sun Belt Conference Tournament action, the excitement continues as four teams battle to keep their season alive. Southern Miss faces James Madison, while Arkansas State takes on Georgia Southern.

(8) Southern Miss vs. (9) James Madison

The first game of the day sees the entrance of Southern Miss into the tournament. They take on James Madison, who picked up an impressive 87-72 victory over Louisiana.

Day ✌️ in Pensacola 🔜#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/AraVXzgOik

— JMU Men’s Basketball (@JMUMBasketball) March 5, 2026

Southern Miss comes into the tournament after picking up an impressive road victory over South Alabama on the final night of the regular season. In the win over the Jaguars, first-team all-conference honoree Tylik Weeks led all scorers with 19 points. Chiante’ Tramble finished with a season-high 18 points, while Issac Tavares and Djahi Binet hauled in double-digit rebounds.

On the season, Weeks finished second in the conference in scoring with 18.8 points per game and also adds 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. After an impressive start to the season, Tavares finished the year scoring just under 15 points per game after dealing with an injury. Point guard Dylan Brumfield started the most games for the Golden Eagles and averaged 8.1 points and a team-high three assists per game.

After receiving a first-round bye, James Madison grabbed a 15-point victory over Louisiana in its first game of the conference tournament. Cliff Davis led the Dukes with 21 points despite going 1-for-5 from deep, which is his strength. Forward Justin McBride finished with 20 points while also adding eight rebounds, tied for the most in the game. Off the bench, Bradley Douglas added 18 points and shot 50% from both the field and deep.

The Dukes and Golden Eagles did have a meeting this year in which Southern Miss picked up a 73-65 victory at home. In that game, Weeks finished with 28 points and six rebounds and found his way to the free-throw line 18 times. Davis and Douglas led the Dukes with 18 points each despite struggling significantly from three-point range. If the Dukes want a chance at revenge, they will need to shoot better than 4-for-20 from deep and prevent the Golden Eagles from getting to the line. Southern Miss will also need to shoot better, as it only made three three-pointers.

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

TV: ESPN+

Radio: Southern Miss Radio Network (Southern Miss), JMU Sports Network (James Madison)

(7) Arkansas State vs. (10) Georgia Southern

The nightcap includes the entry of Arkansas State, which won its final four games of the regular season and has a point to prove as many don’t feel like it should be the No. 7 seed. Georgia Southern comes off a close victory over Old Dominion.

It’s March.

🆚 Georgia Southern
📍 Pensacola Bay Center | Pensacola, Fla.
🕑 7:30 PM
📺 https://t.co/jlRbvygOoO
📻 https://t.co/DNFWjgCKau
📊 https://t.co/jMZo5mdAVf #WolvesUp🐺 pic.twitter.com/c8rR58HQsw

— Arkansas State Men’s Basketball (@AStateMB) March 5, 2026

Arkansas State is maybe the most balanced team in the conference, with four players averaging 10 points or more and three more players just under that. All-conference selection Christian Harmon is averaging 12.9 points per game. Matt Hayman, Chandler Jackson and Sun Belt sixth-man player of the year Joey Chammaa also average double-digit points. Forward Jalen Hampton also grabs over eight boards per game, marking one of the top marks in the conference. Although the Red Wolves don’t shoot the ball well percentage-wise, their No. one-ranked tempo in KenPom helps them get plenty of possessions, helping them still score over 83 points a game.

Georgia Southern enters the next round fresh off an 88-84 win over the Old Dominion Monarchs. The Eagles saw an impressive night from Spudd Webb, who scored 29 points, and a career night for Alden Applewhite, who scored a career-high 28 points. Tyren Moore only scored 11 points and fouled out but led the team in scoring on the season. Collectively, the Eagles shot over 60% from 2-point range and also shot over 40% from deep.

The two teams have played each other once this season, with Arkansas State picking up an 85-68 victory. The Red Wolves had five players in double-digit scoring, led by Chammaa with 15. They also had two more players with eight points. To beat the Red Wolves this time, Georgia Southern must shoot better from deep, as it went 5-for-33. The Eagles did force 17 turnovers and battled on the boards but will need to be more efficient offensively.

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

TV: ESPN+

Radio: KFIN 107.9 (Arkansas State), The Varsity Network (Georgia Southern)