2024–25 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball season
2024–25 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball season | |
---|---|
League | NCAA Division I |
Sport | Basketball |
Duration | November 4, 2024 – March 2025 |
Number of teams | 14 |
TV partner(s) | ESPN |
2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season | |
Tournament |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arkansas State | 1 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 10 | – | 3 | .769 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Alabama | 1 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 8 | – | 4 | .667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Troy | 1 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 8 | – | 4 | .667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Texas State | 1 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 8 | – | 5 | .615 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Southern Miss | 1 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 5 | – | 7 | .417 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Old Dominion | 1 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 5 | – | 8 | .385 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Louisiana | 1 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 3 | – | 10 | .231 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coastal Carolina | 0 | – | 1 | .000 | 7 | – | 6 | .538 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Georgia Southern | 0 | – | 1 | .000 | 7 | – | 6 | .538 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
James Madison | 0 | – | 1 | .000 | 7 | – | 6 | .538 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marshall | 0 | – | 1 | .000 | 7 | – | 7 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appalachian State | 0 | – | 1 | .000 | 6 | – | 6 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Georgia State | 0 | – | 1 | .000 | 4 | – | 9 | .308 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Louisiana–Monroe | 0 | – | 1 | .000 | 4 | – | 10 | .286 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† 2025 Sun Belt tournament winner As of December 29, 2024 |
The 2024–25 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball season is the season for Sun Belt Conference men's basketball teams that will begin with practices in October 2024, followed by the start of the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. Conference play will begin in December 2024, and conclude in March 2025. The 2025 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament will take place at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida.
Head coaches
[edit]Coaching changes
[edit]Coastal Carolina
[edit]On December 6, 2023, head coach Cliff Ellis retired with assistant coach Benny Moss named interim head coach for the rest of the season. On March 12, 2024, Western Carolina head coach Justin Gray was named new head coach.[1][2]
James Madison
[edit]On March 25, 2024, Mark Byington left to become head coach of Vanderbilt. On March 29, 2024, Morehead State head coach Preston Spradlin was named new head coach of the Dukes.[3] [4]
Louisiana
[edit]Head coach Bob Marlin was fired on December 19, 2024, after 15 seasons with the Ragin' Cajuns. Assistant coach Derrick Zimmerman was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[5]
Marshall
[edit]On March 25, 2024, head coach Dan D'Antoni and Marshall parted ways. Later that day, associate head coach Cornelius Jackson was named his successor.[6]
Old Dominion
[edit]Jeff Jones resigned following a heart attack he had on December 20, 2023, and special assistant coach Kieran Donahue was named interim head coach for the rest of the season. Jones retired on February 26, 2024. Former Old Dominion player and Maryland assistant coach Mike Jones was named new head coach on March 1, 2024.
Coaches
[edit]Team | Head coach | Previous job | Years at school | Overall record | Sun Belt record | Sun Belt titles | Sun Belt Tournament titles | NCAA Tournaments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Appalachian State | Dustin Kerns | Presbyterian | 6 | 98–67 (.594) | 55–35 (.611) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Arkansas State | Bryan Hodgson | Alabama (Asst.) | 2 | 20–16 (.556) | 11–7 (.611) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Coastal Carolina | Justin Gray | Western Carolina | 1 | 1–0 (1.000) | 0–0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Georgia Southern | Charlie Henry | Alabama (Asst.) | 2 | 9–23 (.281) | 8–10 (.444) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Georgia State | Jonas Hayes | Xavier (Assoc.) | 3 | 25–38 (.397) | 11–25 (.306) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
James Madison | Preston Spradlin | Morehead State | 1 | 1–0 (1.000) | 0–0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Louisiana | Bob Marlin | Sam Houston | 15 | 269–198 (.576) | 151–103 (.594) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Derrick Zimmerman (interim) | Louisiana (Asst.) | 4 | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Louisiana–Monroe | Keith Richard | LSU (Asst.) | 15 | 163–271 (.376) | 91–165 (.355) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Marshall | Cornelius Jackson | Marshall (Assoc.) | 1 | 1–0 (1.000) | 0–0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Old Dominion | Mike Jones | Maryland (Asst.) | 1 | 0–1 (.000) | 0–0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
South Alabama | Richie Riley | Nicholls State | 7 | 110–83 (.570) | 57–50 (.533) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Southern Miss | Jay Ladner | Southeastern Louisiana | 6 | 65–88 (.425) | 33–57 (.367) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Texas State | Terrence Johnson | Texas State (Asst.) | 5 | 69–51 (.575) | 37–29 (.561) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Troy | Scott Cross | TCU (Asst.) | 6 | 81–76 (.516) | 43–45 (.489) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Preseason
[edit]Preseason Coaches Poll
[edit]On October 14, 2024, the conference announced a preseason conference poll as voted by the league's 14 head coaches.[7]
Rank | Team |
---|---|
1. | Arkansas State(12) |
2. | James Madison (1) |
3. | Troy (1) |
4. | Louisiana |
5. | Southern Miss |
6. | Appalachian State |
7. | Texas State |
8. | Georgia Southern Old Dominion |
10. | Marshall |
11. | South Alabama |
12. | Georgia State |
13. | Coastal Carolina |
14. | Louisiana–Monore |
Preseason awards
[edit]Sun Belt preseason player of the year
[edit]- Kobe Julian – Arkansas State [7]
Preseason All-Sun Belt team
[edit]2024-25 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Teams[7] | ||||||
First Team | Second Team | Third Team | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mark Freeman – James Madison |
Obinna Anochili-Killen – Marshall |
Xavier Brown – Appalachian State |
Regular season
[edit]Early season tournaments
[edit]Team | Tournament | Finish |
---|---|---|
Appalachian State | Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic | 2nd |
Arkansas State | Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship | |
Coastal Carolina | Alabama A&M Bulldog Bash | |
Georgia Southern | Rock Hill Classic | 3rd |
Georgia State | Jacksonville Classic | – |
James Madison | Boardwalk Battle | 3rd |
Louisiana | Paradise Jam | 8th |
Old Dominion | Cayman Islands Classic | 8th |
South Alabama | Jaguar Classic | 3rd |
Texas State | Myrtle Beach Invitational | 5th |
Player of the week
[edit]Week | Player(s) of the Week | School |
---|---|---|
Nov 11[8] | Jackson Fields | Troy |
Nov 18[9] | Nate Martin | Marshall |
Nov 25[10] | Bryce Lindsey | James Madison |
Dec 2[11] | Myles Corey | South Alabama |
Dec 9[12] | Denijay Harris | Southern Miss |
Dec 16[13] | Taryn Todd | Arkansas State |
Dec 23 |
Records against other conferences
[edit]Power 6 Conferences | |
---|---|
Conference | Record |
ACC | 0–0 |
Big East | 0–0 |
Big Ten | 0–1 |
Big 12 | 0–2 |
Pac–12 | 0–0 |
SEC | 0–3 |
Combined | 0–6 |
Other NCAA Division I Conferences | Record |
America East | 0–0 |
American | 2–4 |
ASUN | 0–0 |
Atlantic 10 | 0–0 |
Big Sky | 0–0 |
Big South | 0–1 |
Big West | 0–0 |
CAA | 0–1 |
Conference USA | 0–0 |
Horizon | 0–0 |
Independents/Non-Division I | 2–0 |
Ivy | 0–0 |
MAAC | 0–0 |
MAC | 9–4 |
MEAC | 0–1 |
Missouri Valley | 0–0 |
Mountain West | 0–0 |
Northeast | 0–0 |
OVC | 0–2 |
Patriot | 0–0 |
Southern | 0–0 |
Southland | 2–0 |
SWAC | 0–0 |
Summit | 0–0 |
West Coast | 0–0 |
WAC | 0–0 |
Combined | 13–13 |
Post season
[edit]Sun Belt tournament
[edit]- The tournament will be held at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida, in March 2025.
NCAA tournament
[edit]Seed | Region | School | First Four | 1st round | 2nd round | Sweet 16 | Elite Eight | Final Four | Championship |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W–L (%): | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) Total: 0–0 (–) |
References
[edit]- ^ "Cliff Ellis Announces Retirement, Ending 49-Year Coaching Career". Coastal Carolina University Athletics. December 6, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
- ^ "Coastal to Introduce Men's Basketball Coach Justin Gray at Press Conference Thursday". goccusports.com. March 12, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
- ^ "James Madison Welcomes Preston Spradlin as Men's Basketball Head Coach". James Madison University Athletics. March 29, 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Names Mark Byington Head Basketball Coach". VUCommodores.com. March 25, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
- ^ Yoshonis, Scott (December 19, 2024). "UL fires men's basketball coach Bob Marlin". KLFY. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ Morehouse, Keith (March 25, 2024). "MU parting ways with Coach Dan D'Antoni". WSAZ-TV. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Arkansas State Tops 2024-25 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Preseason Poll". Sun Belt Conference. October 14, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "Troy's Jackson Fields Tabbed Sun Belt Men's Basketball Player of the Week". November 12, 2024. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "Marshall's Nate Martin Earns Sun Belt Men's Basketball Player of the Week". November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "James Madison's Bryce Lindsay Nets Sun Belt Men's Basketball Player of the Week Honor". November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "South Alabama's Myles Corey Tabbed Sun Belt Men's Basketball Player of the Week". December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- ^ "Southern Miss' Garners Sun Belt Men's Basketball Player of the Week". December 10, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ "Arkansas State's Taryn Todd Collects Sun Belt Men's Basketball Player of the Week Nod". December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.