Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Conference Tournament Day Four Preview

After day three of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament saw the first lower-seeded team advance, the conference tournament continues as South Alabama and Texas State enter the fray.

(5) Texas State vs. (8) Southern Miss

After getting past a tough James Madison team 86-80, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles take on the No. 5 seed Texas State Bobcats in their second game.

Texas State enters the tournament following a win over App State in its season finale, setting off the craziness of the six-way tie for second place. Freshman DJ Hall was named conference Freshman of the Year and was also named all-conference after leading the Bobcats in scoring (15.3) and rebounding (7.5). Guard Mark Drone has also been an elite offensive threat, averaging 14 points per game. Texas State is 16-1 on the season at home but only 3-11 away from home, causing some room for concern.

Southern Miss defeated James Madison behind Tylik Weeks’ 31-point performance. The Golden Eagles only went 4-for-11 from deep in the game, but their 28 made free throws and only six turnovers helped them get the victory. Issac Tavares added 17 points and eight rebounds, while Djahi Binet was the third player to get into double figures. Center Tegra Izay also provided one of his best games of the season in place of Binet, who dealt with foul trouble.

𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗡 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗣.@SouthernMissMBB picks up win No. 1 in Pensacola and stamps its ticket to Friday’s fourth round. ☀️🏀 pic.twitter.com/aw36nQB10G

— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) March 6, 2026

The two teams battled each other twice in the regular season, with both home teams winning. In Hattiesburg, Southern Miss won by 10 in overtime behind Weeks’ 25 points and Binet’s 15 rebounds. The Golden Eagles held the Bobcats to 24% from deep, making only six threes. In San Marcos, Texas State held on by seven with Kaden Gumbs leading the Bobcats with 18 points and eight rebounds. The Bobcats were able to gain nine more rebounds than Southern Miss and hit eight more shots from the charity stripe.

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

TV: ESPN+

Radio: KTSW 88.9 (Texas State), Southern Miss Radio Network (Southern Miss)

(6) South Alabama vs. (10) Georgia Southern

South Alabama makes its entrance into the tournament, taking on Georgia Southern, which became the first lower seed to win with its 80-77 victory over Arkansas State.

Another opportunity to do our thing tonight! 👊

🆚 South Alabama
⏰ 8:30 PM
💻 ESPN+
🎙️ Varsity Network
📈 https://t.co/HNC4Ogj4zl #HailSouthern pic.twitter.com/haQYICHP8M

— Georgia Southern Men’s Basketball (@GSAthletics_MBB) March 6, 2026

The Jaguars are led by the conference Player of the Year, Chaze Harris. The 6-foot-6 senior is averaging a conference-high 18.9 points per game and also adds just under five rebounds and assists per game. Harris is also a rare player in today’s game, averaging as many points as he does without shooting many three-pointers. He is joined by another all-conference selection in Adam Olsen, a stretch forward who averages 16.7 points per game on the season. South Alabama also plays one of the funkiest zones in all of basketball, forcing opponents to shoot nearly 40 threes per game.

Georgia Southern comes off a win over Arkansas State, led by Tyren Moore, who made seven threes and finished with 25 points and four assists. Alden Applewhite added 16 points and six rebounds after dropping 27 points in the Eagles’ first game of the tournament. The Eagles were out-rebounded by 15 by Arkansas State, but their 14 made threes and 90% shooting from the charity stripe helped them pull out the victory. They will need to rebound better as they get deeper into the tournament.

The Eagles will look to get revenge once again in their run, as South Alabama beat them 87-71 in the regular season. Olsen led all scorers with 22 points for the Jags, including six threes. Harris added 21, and Stephen Williams had his best game of the season off the bench with 19 points and nine rebounds. The Jags shot 59% from the field, 64% from deep and hauled in 13 more boards than the Eagles. Georgia Southern shot 45 threes but made only 12 of them. They will continue to get those looks in the rematch and will need to make more to win the game.

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

TV: ESPN+

Radio: WRKH 99.5 (South Alabama), The Varsity Network (Georgia Southern)