Sun Belt Men's Basketball Conference Tournament Day One Preview

After a crazy end to the Sun Belt basketball season that finished with a six-way tie for second place, March and conference tournament season has arrived. The Sun Belt tournament, and its much-talked-about bracket, kicks off with two games.

The bracket isn’t the problem — tiebreakers are (explaining them) pic.twitter.com/RCHU6si9PP

— Sun Belt Syndicate (@SunbeltSyndicat) March 3, 2026

(12) Louisiana vs. (13) Georgia State

The first game of the conference tournament features the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (10-21, 7-11 Sun Belt) taking on the lower-seeded Georgia State Panthers (10-21, 7-11).

Louisiana enters the tournament after a rough stretch to end the regular season, losing five of its final six games, with its only win coming against Texas State. In four of those six games, the Cajuns were led in scoring by Jaxon Olvera, who is second on the team in scoring this season at 12.7 points per game. The team’s leading scorer is Dorian Finister, who is averaging 14.7 points on 44/37/74 shooting splits. Point guard De’Vion Lavergne has also provided a scoring spark, reaching double figures in 16 games.

After starting conference play 6-2, Georgia State lost nine of its final 10 games to fall to the No. 13 seed in the tournament. The Panthers enter behind second-team All-Sun Belt honoree Jelani Hamilton, who is averaging 17.7 points per game, which good for top five in the conference. The backcourt duo of Micah Tucker and Malachi Brown is also having impressive seasons, with both averaging more than 12 points and roughly three assists per game.

To start Georgia State’s cold stretch, Louisiana defeated the Panthers 82-72 in the Cajundome. The game featured big scoring performances from both point guards, as Brown scored 25 for the Panthers and Lavergne added 23 for the Cajuns. Louisiana held Georgia State to 31% shooting from the field and 23% from deep, while shooting 50% from both the field and three-point range. Georgia State will need a much better start this time around after falling behind by 26 just after halftime in the first meeting, although they did cut the lead to five later in the game.

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

TV: ESPN+

Radio: Ragin” Cajuns Digital Network (Louisiana), WRAS 88.5 (Georgia State)

(11) Old Dominion vs. (14) ULM

The nightcap of day one features Old Dominion (11-20, 7-11) taking on the No. 14 seed ULM Warhawks (4-27, 1-17).

Old Dominion enters the tournament fresh off a win against Georgia State, a crucial one for seeding. In that game, Jordan Battle scored 20 points on efficient shooting, while LJ Thomas added 18. The game also marked the return of Robert Davis Jr., who played in his first game in nearly a month. On the season, KC Shaw leads the Monarchs in scoring at 17.1 points per game, while Thomas and Battle are also averaging double figures.

ULM enters the tournament with only one conference win and two Division I wins overall. The Warhawks have struggled this season, ranking 353rd in KenPom. Despite the lack of team success, ULM has one of the top scorers in the conference in Krystian Lewis. The hometown product is averaging 18.1 points per game, third most in the Sun Belt. MJ Russell and Lavell Brodnex are also averaging more than 14 points per game, with Brodnex ranking among the conference’s leading rebounders at 8.2 boards per game.

Although the Warhawks have just one conference win, it did come against the Monarchs in Norfolk. In the 85-79 victory, Lewis led all scorers with 28 points, while Russell and Brodnex both scored more than 20. Despite hitting only three 3-pointers, ULM dominated the glass, outrebounding Old Dominion by 15 and making nine more free throws. If the Monarchs want revenge, they will need to be better on the boards and keep the Warhawks off the free-throw line and out of the paint.

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

TV: ESPN+

Radio: ESPN Radio 94.1 (Old Dominion), KLBM 105.7 (ULM)