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2009 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

atlantic-sun-3309 The 2009 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament tips off Thursday March 5th at Lipscomb Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Just 7 teams out of the 11-team conference qualify for the tournament with just the No. 1 seed, Jacksonville, receiving a first round bye. Let’s cut right to the chase with my Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament predictions. Bet the 2009 Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament at BetUS and receive up to 145% in sign up bonuses.

The Favorite: Jacksonville Dolphins
The Dolphins took home the regular season title with a 15-5 conference mark, and although they have already reserved a spot in the NIT, they will be playing for an automatic bid to the Big Dance. Winning the regular season title was no cake walk and taking home the tournament title doesn’t figure to be either. The Dolphins defeated Belmont 84-82 in overtime at Belmont in their season finale to capture the conference championship by the skin of their teeth. Now Jacksonville will be wearing the target on its back. Jacksonville is a pretty high scoring team with four players averaging double figures. Lightning quick 5′10” guard Ben Smith leads the way with 16.7 points and 4 assists per game.

Another Team That Can Win: Belmont Bruins
Not nabbing the top spot leaves the defending Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament champs with plenty of work to do. They’ll likely have to navigate through both East Tennessee State, which tied the Bruins for second place in the league, and Jacksonville to earn a spot in the field of 64. While the path won’t be easy, the Bruins have experience and motivation on their side. An overtime loss in their season finale at home will leave a sour taste in Belmont’s mouth and there’s only one way to wash it out. Belmont figures to have plenty of rowdy fans in attendance as the university is located in Nashville where the tournament is taking place. That will give the defending champs another edge. Belmont has now won three straight Atlantic Sun Tournament titles to earn three straight NCAA tourney berths. Do-it-all guard Alex Renfroe leads the team in three major categories: points (16.3), rebounds (6.7), and assists (4.9). He will need to come up big for Belmont to win a fourth straight tournament championship.

2008 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Recap:
Belmont won the 2008 regular season title and then proved it with a conference tournament title win. The Bruins went through East Tennessee State and Jacksonville to earn an automatic bid to the Big Dance for a third straight year. Thus far, the Bruins have not been able to break through with an NCAA Tournament win, but they have come oh so close. In 2008, the Bruins lost by just 1-point to No. 2 seed Duke in the first round of the West Region. The Bruins rallied from 9 point and 7 point deficits in the second half to take a 70-69 lead late in the game but ended up losing 71-70. It would have been one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history.

Check out the NCAA basketball lines at Locksmith Sports this March to see which college basketball betting books are listing the best odds on the games you are wanting to wager on. And make sure you consult Jimmy Boyd’s NCAA basketball picks for the most winners through the championship game.

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