WHAT TO WATCH FOR
FRONT FOUR: Four teams have guaranteed themselves a top-four seed in the Sun Belt Conference Championship bracket, including top-seeded App State, James Madison, Troy and No. 4 seed Arkansas State.
Winners of six-consecutive games, App State (25-5, 15-2 SBC) has already clinched the top seed in next week’s Sun Belt Championship bracket and can claim the outright regular-season title with a win over Arkansas State (16-14, 11-6 SBC) or a loss by James Madison (27-3, 14-3 SBC) on Friday evening.
James Madison can solidify the No. 2 seed with a win at Coastal Carolina (8-20, 5-12 SBC), and can claim a share of the title with a win plus an App State loss.
Troy (20-10, 13-4 SBC) currently stands in third place and could move into second place via tiebreaker with a win at Texas State (13-17, 6-11 SBC) and a loss by James Madison.
STREAKS OF SIX: App State and Arkansas State have won each their last six games, respectively, entering Friday’s showdown in what will be the lone meeting between the teams this season. At 14-0, the Mountaineers are the only Sun Belt team to hold an undefeated mark at home this season. The matchup could also be a preview of one half of the Sun Belt tournament’s semifinals. If top-seeded App State and No. 4 seed Arkansas State both win their respective quarterfinal games, the teams would meet again on Sunday, March 10 with a trip to the championship game on the line.