With Selection Sunday looming, the race for automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament intensified as two more conferences crowned their champions on Monday night. James Madison clinched its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2013 by overpowering Arkansas State 91-71 in the Sun Belt Tournament fina
The Dukes, seeded second, displayed an impressive offensive performance, shooting 62.5% from the field and connecting on 11 of 19 shots from beyond the arc. Under the guidance of fourth-year coach Mark Byington, JMU boasts a remarkable 31-3 record and is projected as a No. 12 seed in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology, potentially setting the stage for a Cinderella story.
Meanwhile, Samford secured its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000 by defeating East Tennessee State 76-69 in the Southern Conference Tournament championship game. Led by Achor Achor’s 25 points and Jermaine Marshall’s 23, the Bulldogs, seeded first in the SoCon, demonstrated their depth and up-tempo style, earning a projected No. 13 seed in Palm’s Bracketology.
Tuesday promises to determine five additional spots in the NCAA Tournament as the CAA, Horizon League, NEC, Summit League, and WCC crown their tournament champions. Notable matchups include Charleston facing Stony Brook in the CAA final and Coastal competing in the Big Sky semifinals.
As each conference awards its automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament, we’ll provide updates here.
Conference Tournament Champions: SoCon: Samford 76, East Tennessee State 69 Sun Belt: James Madison 91, Arkansas State 71
Other Tournaments in Progress: Big Sky: Quarterfinals Coastal: Semifinals Horizon League: Semifinals Summit: Semifinals Southland: Second round WCC: Semifinals
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