While bowl season continues, the NFL playoff picture becomes more clear and everyone recuperates from Christmas, some things have been on the back burner.  But it's time to pay attention:

Sun Belt Conference basketball begins this week.

Action begins Wednesday and Thursday, with a full slate of conference games on Saturday.  The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns have the first bye in the league schedule and won't get back into conference play until January 2nd when the Cajuns host Appalachian State  Remember, all conference games are doubleheaders with the men and women.

As league play starts, here are how the teams have fared in non conference play:

GEORGIA STATE (7-2) AT UT ARLINGTON (9-2)--The defending champion Panthers have won four straight and haven't lost since December 1 when they fell to UAB.  UTA has raised eyebrows with wins at Ohio State, Memphis, Rice and UTEP.  Scott Cross tied for the most wins in UTA history in the Mavericks' last game against Sul Ross State.  These two teams have played the league's best basketball thus far.  Wednesday night could be fun in Arlington.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN (4-6) AT TEXAS STATE (6-3)--Georgia Southern broke a three game losing streak with a 20 point win over Stetson this past Tuesday.  Freshman Tookie Brown had 27 points for the Eagles.  Georgia Southern is one of the nation's youngest teams and they'll get a test against Danny Kaspar's defense.  Texas State has won three of its last four.  Bobcats haven't played a really tough non conference schedule and it's hard to get a pulse on them.  But we know Emani Gant is a very good player.

ARKANSAS STATE (4-7) at TROY (5-6)--Things have been tough in Jonesboro.  John Brady had to dismiss one point guard before the season started and had another leave after the first semester after obtaining his degree  Brady has already announced this will be his last season at A-State.  Anthony Livingston, as expected, has been a bright spot. The Red Wolves haven't won away from the Convocation Center this season.  Troy has been better than most people believed they'd be.  They've lost three of their last four, but two of the losses were road games at Seton Hall and Ole Miss, and they took the Rebels to overtime before falling.  6-6 Freshman Jordan Varnado has made a difference in Phil Cunningham's club.

LITTLE ROCK (10-1) at SOUTH ALABAMA (5-6)--The Trojans finally came back down to earth with a loss to Tubby Smith's Texas Tech club, snapping a ten game winning streak. LR has wins at San Diego State, Tulsa and DePaul and they've done it with a stifling defense that has allowed just 54 points per game and has a +6.5 turnover margin.  The issue in Mobile has been the ability to shoot the basketball.  USA is shooting just 41% from the field and 31% from beyond the arc.  Interesting to see how USA does against that Trojans' defense.

APPALACHIAN STATE (2-9) AT ULM (5-7, 1-0)--Frank Eaves is one of the league's best players, but he hasn't gotten a ton of help.  App State has lost six in a row.  To be fair, the Mountaineers have had only three home games and have not played a non-D1 game   Meanwhile, ULM has lost five of their last six, with all the losses coming away from Fant-Ewing Coliseum.  And Majok Deng missed three games with an injury.  These two teams play Thursday at 2pm, the only Thursday game scheduled in the league.

Saturday the teams will flip on travel partners with Georgia Southern at UTA, Georgia State at Texas State, Arkansas State at South Alabama, Little Rock at Troy and Appalachian State at Louisiana.  ULM will have the bye.

 

 

More From 103.3 The GOAT