Checking in on… the Atlantic Sun
Posted by rtmsf on February 5th, 2010
Ryan Dunn in the RTC correspondent for the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Current Standings
- Jacksonville (9-3 A-Sun, 13-8)
- Lipscomb (9-4 A-Sun, 10-12)
- Belmont (8-5 A-Sun, 13-10)
- Campbell (8-5 A-Sun, 13-9)
- East Tennessee State (8-5 A-Sun, 12-12)
- Kennesaw State (7-6 A-Sun, 12-12)
- Mercer (7-6 A-Sun, 11-12)
- North Florida (5-7 A-Sun, 10-12)
- Florida Gulf Coast (4-10 A-Sun, 7-16)
- USC Upstate (3-9 A-Sun, 3-18)
- Stetson (3-11 A-Sun, 5-17)
News and Notes
Each team in the Atlantic Sun plays each other twice and so far each team has at least played everyone in the league once. So with more than half of the conference season out of the way we have named our all-conference team through the first half.
- G – Ben Smith (Jacksonville) – Smith was the preseason player of the year by many publications and although he started a little slow this season, he has really turned it on in conference play and is second in the A-Sun in scoring at 20 points per game. If the Dolphins can win the regular season I wouldn’t be surprised to see him named as the conference player of the year.
- G – Josh Slater (Lipscomb) – This guy continues to amaze me with his play and if the season ended today he would no doubt be my selection for A-Sun player of the year. The lefty can do it all, especially in the big games. Just ask Campbell and ETSU. Slater is the reigning player of the week in the league and could win the award again this week after his incredible performance at Campbell (scored 21 pts and hit the game winning three).
- G – James Florence (Mercer) – Florence got off to a sizzling start to the season but has cooled off as of late. However, he is still averaging over 19 pts per game on the season and is quite possibly the most prolific scorer in the league. Florence, just like Jonathan Rodriguez, will go down as one of the most productive players in school history.
- F – Adnan Hodzic (Lipscomb) – The big man was my pick for preseason player of the year and he has certainly not disappointed as he leads the league in scoring at just under 22 pts per game. Hodzic also ranks fourth in the league in rebounding.
- F – Jonathan Rodriguez (Campbell) – The senior has shattered tons of team and conference records this season. He now has over 2,000 points and over 1,000 career rebounds. He will go down as quite possibly the most successful player in school history and he is currently leading Campbell to its best mark since 1992.
Team News
- Jacksonville has now won ten straight and could possibly be one of the hottest mid-major teams in the country. They are pressing on defense and that has been the key to their success as of late. The Dolphins take the brutal trip to Nashville to play Belmont and Lipscomb next. If they can come away successful on that trip, the Dolphins may pull away in the A-Sun race.
- Lipscomb has won a couple games in a row but both games could have easily gone the other way. They defeated ETSU in OT last weekend before knocking off Campbell on the road with a last second three-pointer by Josh Slater.
- Belmont is no doubt the hottest team in the league other than Jacksonville. They are playing extremely well on the defensive end and are starting to make some shots from the perimeter, which is scary for the rest of the league. Coach Rick Byrd always seems to get the most out of his teams and has done quite possibly his best job this season.
- Campbell was off to a sizzling 6-1 start to conference play and held a one game lead, but the Camels lost three straight and four of five before finally getting a win last night at Stetson. After the game Saturday at Florida Gulf Coast, the schedule becomes more favorable with four very winnable home games in a row.
- East Tennessee State, just like Campbell, was in the middle of a skid before coming away with a victory over Florida Gulf Coast last night. The Bucs are incredibly athletic but can be streaky from the perimeter and when they are hitting shots they have a tough time earning victories.
- Kennesaw State has a very young team but could have the most talented young roster in the A-Sun. Freshmen Markeith Cummings and LaDaris Green have been crucial to the success of the Owls as of late. Kennesaw continues to inch up the A-Sun standings and could be a scary team to play in the tourney.
- Mercer climbed to the upper half of the league before losing three straight and looks to be running out of gas. The Bears fell to Kennesaw State last night in a road contest that dropped them into seventh in the league. Mercer hosts the conference tournament so they desperately want to earn a top seed.
- North Florida continues to hang tough and will no doubt be a scary team to play down the stretch for any of the leaders in the league. The Ospreys don’t have the most talented roster but they play extremely hard and have already pulled some upsets in league play.
- Florida Gulf Coast has a very talented group but they have struggled a bit lately. However, they did earn a nice victory over Mercer last week and already earned a victory over Belmont earlier in the year.
- USC Upstate has lost three straight but they are also one of those teams you can’t sleep on as they have knocked off some the league’s best already this season.
- Stetson has struggled for much of the season, but have earned some key wins against ETSU and Mercer. The Hatters have some work to do in order to make the A-Sun tourney, but as of now they are on the outside looking in.
Key Upcoming Games
- Jacksonville @ Belmont (2/5) – A battle between two of the hottest teams in the A-Sun that could be big for the upper half of the conference standings.
- Jacksonville @ Lipscomb (2/7) – Battle between the two top teams in the league at this point.
- Mercer @ Campbell (2/12) – Mercer knocked off Campbell at home so the Camels will try to return the favor.
- Mercer @ ETSU (2/14) – A Valentine’s Day matchup between two teams that are currently struggling. This game could be key in determining seeds in the A-Sun tourney.
