The 2022 #GSCMBB Tournament Preview

3/1/2022 9:00:00 AM

BIRMINGHAM Ala. — The 2022 GSC Men's Basketball Championship presented by TicketSmarter is set to begin on March 1 with the quarterfinal matchups being hosted by the higher seed. Winners will then travel to the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Ala., to compete in the semifinals and championship games on March 5 and 6, respectively.

All three rounds will be streamed live wil be streamed live on FloSports and can be accessed online or on the FloSports app which is available on a variety of mobile devices including Apple, Android, iPad, etc. Instructions to signup can viewed on the men's basketball tournament page.

CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE

Top seed West Alabama (23-5, 16-4 GSC) is set to host the No. 8 seed Delta State (10-16, 9-11 GSC) in the quarterfinals. UWA is seeking its first conference tournament title since 1982, while 2019 champs Delta State looks to add to its conference-leading six title. West Alabama has been one of the top offenses in the conference with an average of 71 points per game after making 77.4 percent of its free throws while holding opponents to just 61 ppg. Kortrijk Miles (UWA) has been a top scorer in the GSC this season with an average of 18.9 ppg and 8.4 rebounds per game. Delta State averages 69 ppg on 44.3 percent shooting. The Statesmen are led by the scoring duo of Maalik Cartwright and Airen Brooks. Brooks averages a team-high 15.7 ppg and 7.3 rpg while Cartwright scores 14.6 ppg on 58.4 percent shooting. The two teams split the two matchups this season with UWA taking the most recent game, 76-53.

Second-seeded Union (21-7, 15-5 GSC) will face off against No. 7 seed Montevallo (13-15, 11-9 GSC). Union hopes to claim its first conference tournament title in program history while Montevallo seeks its first GSC championship since 2007. Union's offense has been effecient all season long with a 47.4 field goal percentage, 37.2 percent from three and an average of 78.6 ppg. The Bulldogs are led by Tyree Boykin who averages a league-best 19.2 ppg while shooting 86.9 percent from the charity stripe. Montevallo has shot the ball well from three-point range with three players averaging double-digit points; Braxton Bertolette (15.7 ppg), James McNiel (12 ppg), and Xavier Malcolm (12ppg). Bertollete is the main weapon for UM with a field goal percentage of 49.2 percent and a three-point percentage of 40.9. Union took the first matchup against Montevallo, 87-80, on Jan. 13.

Lee (18-8, 14-6 GSC) is set to host West Florida (18-10, 11-9 GSC) in the 3-6 matchup. Lee looks for its first GSC tournament crown, while West Florida seeks its second title since winning it 2018. The Flames' offense is averaging 74.1 ppg and 46.6 percent shooting behind the stellar play from senior guard Quay Kennedy. Kennedy has averaged 14.6 ppg with 5.9 rpg and an 84.7 percent free throw mark while his teammate Jayce Willingham averages 12.6 ppg and 5.2 rpg. West Florida's high-scoring offense scores 77 points per contest on 47.2 percent from the floor while its defense has held opponents to just 29.5 percent from three-point range. UWF guard Daniel Sofield is the team's top scorer with an average of 16.8 ppg on 52.6 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. Lee and West Florida split the regular season series with each team taking one matchup.

In the final quarterfinal game, No. 4 seeded Alabama Huntsville (19-10, 12-8 GSC) will play host to No. 5 seeded West Georgia (15-12, 12-8 GSC). UAH will look to add a fifth title and the first since 2020 while West Georgia hopes to win its fourth championship and the first since 2016. Alabama Huntsville has the highest scoring offense with 80.6 ppg on the strength of 9.2 three's per game and 15.34 apg. Chaney Johnson leads the conference's best offense with 16.9 ppg and a 59 percent shooting mark. Charger guard CJ Williamson averages 15.9 ppg on 56.8 percent shooting while also pulling down 6.6 rpg. West Georgia is led by Kadeim Jones who scores a team-high 15.7 ppg while his teammate Seth Carter-Brown has been the most effecient shooter with a field goal percentage of 45.9 and a three-point percentage of 39.9 for a total of 14.7 ppg. Alabama Huntsville won the first two mathups against West Georgia by a total of five points.

The winner of the 2022 GSC Men's Basketball Championship will earn an automatic qualifier for the 2022 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship. For more information regarding the GSC tournament, including game times and tickets, be sure to visit the tournament page.