Sun Belt Basketball Weekly Recap
Scores
Tuesday, January 3
Kentucky 73, Arkansas-Little Rock 51
Thursday, January 5
Florida Atlantic 58, Louisiana-Monroe 30
North Texas 78, South Alabama 73 (OT)
Louisiana-Lafayette 72, Western Kentucky 70 (OT)
Denver 53, Arkansas State 50
Middle Tennessee 63, Troy 53
Saturday, January 7
Denver 67, South Alabama 50
Troy 67, Western Kentucky 65
Middle Tennessee 65, Louisiana-Lafayette 53
Louisiana-Monroe 54, Florida International 50
Arkansas-Little Rock 40, Florida Atlantic 38
Arkansas State 75, North Texas 72
The past week was a week for defense in the Sun Belt Conference. One might be inclined to think that a full season – or at least a full month – needs to run its course before offenses hit a wall and defenses take over, but that was the case in the first week of January, with conference competition just beginning to settle into a rhythm. Speaking of the phrase “settle into a rhythm,” that only applies to the Sun Belt’s defenses.
Just look at the numbers throughout this far-flung league: Louisiana-Monroe scored just 30 points against Florida Atlantic on Thursday. Florida Atlantic scored 58 in that game and won by a country mile. The Owls, having allowed 30 on Thursday, conceded just 40 points on Saturday… and lost. Yes, coach Mike Jarvis’s team managed only 38 points against Arkansas-Little Rock and fell to the Trojans, completing a very screwy week of basketball in the American South.
The defensive trend continued throughout the rest of the league, except for North Texas, which played its two league games in the 70s. South Alabama was held to 50 by Denver in a Saturday loss. Florida International was held to 50 in the same circumstances. Louisiana-Lafayette posted only 53 against Middle Tennessee, dropping its own Saturday soiree. Troy mustered only 53 in its own loss to MTSU on Thursday. Clearly, Middle Tennessee can play a lick of defense. Even winning teams – Denver on Thursday against Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday against Florida International – couldn’t exceed 54 points.
It seems as though March-level defensive intensity has already arrived in the Sun Belt.
Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer
Leave your response!