ASUN men's basketball tournament
Introduction The '''ASUN Conference men's basketball tournament''' (formerly known as the '''Trans America Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament''' between 1979 and 2001) is the conference championship tournament in basketball for the ASUN Conference, formerly known as the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) and Atlantic Sun Conference. The tournament has been held every year since 1979, except for 1992–93.It is a single-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season records. The winner, declared conference champion, receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament, as long as it is eligible for NCAA-sponsored postseason play. The eligibility issue applied in both 2021 and 2022, with each final featuring a team representing a transitional member of Division I (North Alabama in 2021 and Bellarmine in 2022). Under NCAA rules, a school transitioning from NCAA Division II is not eligible for NCAA-sponsored D-I postseason play (either the NCAA tournament or the NIT) during its four-year transitional period. North Alabama began its transition in July 2018 and was thus ineligible for the NCAA tournament or NIT through the 2021–22 season; Bellarmine began its transition in July 2020 and is thus ineligible for said events through 2023–24.Should a transitional school win the tournament, ASUN rules call for the regular-season champion to receive the automatic bid. North Alabama lost its final, making the issue moot for 2021, but Bellarmine won in 2022, giving Jacksonville State that season's automatic bid.
History ===Trans America Athletic Conference=== Year Champion Score Runner-up MVP Location 1979 '''Northeast Louisiana''' 90–69 Mercer Calvin Natt, Northeast LouisianaFant–Ewing Coliseum • Monroe, Louisiana 1980 '''Centenary''' 79–77 Northeast Louisiana George Lett, Centenary 1981 '''Mercer''' 72–67 Houston Baptist Tony Gattis, Mercer Hirsch Coliseum • Shreveport, Louisiana 1982 '''Northeast Louisiana''' 98–85 Centenary Donald Wilson, Northeast Louisiana Fant–Ewing Coliseum • Monroe, Louisiana 1983 '''Georgia Southern''' 68–67 Arkansas–Little Rock Jim Lampley, UALR Barton Coliseum • Little Rock, Arkansas 1984 '''Houston Baptist''' 81–76 Samford Craig Beard, Samford Spring Branch Coliseum • Houston, Texas 1985 '''Mercer''' 105–96 Arkansas–Little Rock Sam Mitchell, Mercer Hanner Fieldhouse • Statesboro, Georgia 1986 '''Arkansas–Little Rock''' 85–63 Centenary Michael Clarke, UALRBarton Coliseum • Little Rock, Arkansas 1987 '''Georgia Southern''' 49–46 Stetson Jeff Sanders, Georgia Southern 1988 '''Texas–San Antonio''' 76–69 Georgia Southern Frank Hampton, UTSA Ocean Center • Daytona Beach, Florida 1989 '''Arkansas–Little Rock''' 100–72 Centenary Jeff Cummings, UALRBarton Coliseum • Little Rock, Arkansas 1990 '''Arkansas–Little Rock''' 105–95 Centenary Derrick Owens, UALR 1991 '''Georgia State''' 80–60 Arkansas–Little Rock Chris Collier, Georgia State Edmunds Center • DeLand, Florida 1992 '''Georgia Southern''' 95–82 Georgia State Charlton Young, Georgia Southern Hanner Fieldhouse • Statesboro, Georgia 1993 ''No tournament'' 1994 '''Central Florida''' 70–67 Stetson Victor Saxton, UCFUCF Arena • Orlando, Florida 1995 '''Florida International''' 68–57 Mercer James Mazyck, FIU 1996 '''Central Florida''' 86–77 Mercer Harry Kennedy, UCF Edmunds Center • DeLand, Florida 1997 '''College of Charleston''' 83–73 Florida International Anthony Johnson, C of CJohn Kresse Arena • Charleston, South Carolina 1998 '''College of Charleston''' 72–63 Florida International Sedric Webber, C of C 1999 '''Samford''' 89–61 Central Florida Marc Salyers, SamfordJacksonville Coliseum • Jacksonville, Florida 2000 '''Samford''' 81–68 Central Florida Marc Salyers, Samford 2001 '''Georgia State''' 79–55 Troy State Thomas Terrell, Georgia State GSU Sports Arena • Atlanta, Georgia===Atlantic Sun/ASUN Conference=== Year Champion Score Runner-up MVP Location 2002 '''Florida Atlantic''' 76–75 Georgia State Thomas Terrell, Georgia State UCF Arena • Orlando, Florida 2003 '''Troy State''' 80–59 Central Florida Ben Fletcher, Troy GSU Sports Arena • Atlanta 2004 '''Central Florida''' 60–55 Troy State Dexter Lyons, UCFCurb Event Center • Nashville, Tennessee 2005 '''Central Florida''' 63–54 Gardner–Webb Gary Johnson, UCF 2006 '''Belmont''' 74–69OT Lipscomb Justin Hare, BelmontMemorial Center • Johnson City, Tennessee 2007 '''Belmont''' 94–67 East Tennessee State Justin Hare, Belmont 2008 '''Belmont''' 79–61 Jacksonville Shane Dansby, BelmontAllen Arena • Nashville, Tennessee 2009 '''East Tennessee State''' 85–68 Jacksonville Kevin Tiggs, ETSU 2010 '''East Tennessee State''' 72–66 Mercer Micah Williams, ETSU University Center • Macon, Georgia 2011 '''Belmont''' 87–46 North Florida Mick Hedgepeth, Belmont 2012 '''Belmont''' 83–69 Florida Gulf Coast Kerron Johnson, Belmont 2013 '''Florida Gulf Coast''' 88–75 Mercer Brett Comer, FGCU 2014 '''Mercer''' 68–60 Florida Gulf Coast Langston Hall, Mercer Alico Arena • Fort Myers, Florida 2015 '''North Florida''' 63–57 USC Upstate Demarcus Daniels, North Florida UNF Arena • Jacksonville, Florida 2016 '''Florida Gulf Coast''' 80–78OT Stetson Marc-Eddy Norelia, FGCUAlico Arena • Fort Myers, Florida 2017 '''Florida Gulf Coast''' 77–61 North Florida Brandon Goodwin, FGCU 2018 '''Lipscomb''' 108–96 Florida Gulf Coast Garrison Mathews, Lipscomb 2019 '''Liberty''' 74–68 LipscombScottie James, Liberty Allen Arena • Nashville, Tennessee 2020 '''Liberty'''73–57 LipscombCaleb Homesley, Liberty Vines Center • Lynchburg, Virginia 2021 '''Liberty'''79–75 North Alabama Darius McGhee, Liberty UNF Arena • Jacksonville, Florida 2022 '''Bellarmine'''77–72 Jacksonville Dylan Penn, Bellarmine Freedom Hall • Louisville, Kentucky 2023 '''Kennesaw State'''67–66 Liberty Terrell Burden, Kennesaw State  KSU Convocation Center • Kennesaw, Georgia====Broadcasters==== Year Network Play-by-play Analyst2024 ESPN2023ESPN2Mike Corey Tim McCormick2022 Bob Valvano2021ESPN Anish Shroff Jon Sundvold2020 Mike Corey Jon Crispin 2019Anish ShroffCory Alexander 2018 2017ESPN2 Kevin Brown 2016Tom Hart 2015 2014 Jason Benetti 2013 Roy Philpott Dereck Whittenburg 2012 Adam AminBob Valvano 2011 Mark Jones 2010 Rob Stone Tim McCormick 2009ESPN Eric Collins Bob Valvano 2008  2007 ESPN2 Jon SciambiBucky Waters 2006ESPN Lou Canellis 1998 Dewayne Staats Len Elmore
Performance by school  School Championships Years Belmont  2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012 UCF  1994, 1996, 2004, 2005 Arkansas-Little Rock  1986, 1989, 1990 Georgia Southern  1983, 1987, 1992 '''Florida Gulf Coast'''  2013, 2016, 2017 Liberty  2019, 2020, 2021 Mercer  1981, 1985, 2014 College of Charleston  1997, 1998 East Tennessee State  2009, 2010 Georgia State  1991, 2001 Northeast Louisiana  1979, 1982 Samford  1999, 2000  '''Bellarmine'''  2022 Centenary  1980 Florida Atlantic  2002 Florida International  1995 Houston Baptist  1984 '''Kennesaw State'''  2023 '''Lipscomb'''  2018 '''North Florida'''  2015 Troy  2003 UTSA  1988 TOTAL ''Teams in '''bold''' are ASUN members as of the upcoming 2023–24 NCAA basketball season. ''* Among other current ASUN members:** Jacksonville, North Alabama, and Stetson have advanced to the tournament final but have yet to win a championship. ** Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, and Eastern Kentucky have yet to advance to the tournament final.===Footnotes===
See also * ASUN women's basketball tournament
References