Liberty at Bellarmine, 12:00 PM, ESPNU
Conference tournaments are underway, but the Under the Radar Game of the Day limits itself to regular season play, and Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky is the site of one of the most intriguing games on the schedule for today — the nationally-televised 12 noon tipoff for the Atlantic Sun regular season championship between Liberty and D1-newcomer Bellarmine. Today’s winner will capture the title and bet the #1 seed in the conference tournament that begins Thursday in Jacksonville.
Liberty enters today’s game at 19-5 overall, 10-2 in ASun play and having won 8 straight games. The Flames are led by Darius McGhee who is averaging 14.8 points per game. Liberty’s metrics are the best in the entire conference, led by their #1 rated offense and defense according to KenPom. Bellarmine, in their first season of transition up to Division I, is 13-5 overall,, 10-2 in conference and have won 10 games in a row. The Knights have four players averaging double figures in scoring led by Pedro Bradshaw’s 15.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
If Bellarmine can win today, they match what Merrimack amazingly pulled off last season — capturing a conference regular season crown in their first year of transition up to D1. Unlike Merrimack, the Knights will also get a shot to win a conference tournament title, though crazily enough they will actually be playing for Liberty in that event. Per Atlantic Sun rules, if a team that is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament (as Bellarmine is due to their transition) wins the tournament, the automatic bid goes to the highest ranked team in the conference — which will be Liberty regardless off whether they win or lose today.