The 2021–22 ASUN Conference men's basketball season started non-conference play on November 9, 2021, and began conference play on January 4, 2022. The regular season ended on February 26, 2022, followed by the 2022 ASUN men's basketball tournament held March 1–8, 2022.
The conference's regular season champions, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, were awarded the conference's automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The conference tournament was won by the Bellarmine Knights, who were ineligible for the NCAA tournament due to their transitional status moving from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I.
Conference changes
Due to the offseason additions of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and Jacksonville State, the ASUN changed the conference play format. The conference was split into East and West Divisions. The East includes Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, North Florida and Stetson, while the West features Bellarmine, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Lipscomb and North Alabama. Conference play consists of 96 total games, with each team playing 16 games. Each team plays home-and-home against the other teams in its own division, and single games against teams from the other division evenly split between home and away games.
Head coaches
Coaching changes Jacksonville hired Jordan Mincy after Tony Jasick was fired after going 11–13.
Coaches TeamHead coach Previous Job Years at School Record at School ASUN Record ASUN Titles NCAA Tournaments BellarmineScott DavenportLouisville (Assistant)17375-12010-300Central ArkansasAnthony BooneCentral Arkansas (Assistant)314-330-000Eastern KentuckyA. W. HamiltonNC State (Assistant)451-420-000Florida Gulf CoastMichael FlyFlorida Gulf Coast (Assistant)434-4820-2100JacksonvilleJordan MincyFlorida (Assistant)10-00-000Jacksonville StateRay HarperWestern Kentucky697-640-001Kennesaw StateAmir Abdur-RahimGeorgia (Assistant)36-472-2900LibertyRitchie McKayVirginia (Associate HC)9177-9338-732LipscombLennie AcuffAlabama–Huntsville331-2818-1300North AlabamaTony PujolWyoming (Assistant)434-4922-2500North FloridaMatthew DriscollBaylor (Assistant)13192-194111-8411StetsonDonnie JonesDayton (Assistant)328-3216-1600 Notes:
Year at school includes 2021–22 season. Overall and ASUN records are from the time at current school and are through the end of the 2020–21 season. NCAA Tournament appearances are from the time at current school only, and refer solely to Division I. Before Ballarmine started its transition to Division I, Scott Davenport had led the Knights to 12 Division II tournament appearances.
Preseason Awards The ASUN preseason men's basketball poll was released on October 20, 2021.
Preseason men's basketball polls
Coaches Poll First Place Votes in Parentheses
Liberty (9) - 141 Eastern Kentucky (1) - 126 Jacksonville State - 103 Bellarmine (1) - 97 Lipscomb - 89 Florida Gulf Coast - 88 North Florida (1) - 82 Stetson - 67 North Alabama - 49 Jacksonville - 40 Kennesaw State - 37 Central Arkansas - 17
Media Poll First Place Votes in Parentheses
Liberty (30) - 276 Eastern Kentucky (2) - 288 Bellarmine / Lipscomb - 284
Jacksonville State - 240 North Florida - 230 Florida Gulf Coast - 200 Stetson - 176 North Alabama - 174 Jacksonville - 94 Central Arkansas - 80 Kennesaw State - 0
Preseason Honors HonorRecipientPreseason Player of the YearDarius McGhee, Liberty*Preseason Defensive Player of the YearKevin Samuel, Florida Gulf CoastPreseason All-ASUN First TeamDarius McGhee, Liberty*Ahsan Asadullah, Lipscomb*Dylan Penn, BellarmineBraxton Beverly, Eastern KentuckyJomaru Brown, Eastern KentuckyKevin Samuel, Florida Gulf CoastKevion Nolan, JacksonvilleDarian Adams, Jacksonville StateCarter Hendricksen, North FloridaRob Perry, Stetson *unanimous selection
Regular season
Conference standings North DivisionConferenceDivisionOverallRankTeamRecordPercentRecordPercentRecordPercentTiebreaker1Liberty5-01.0004-01.00013-6.6842Kennesaw State3-1.7503-01.0008-9.4713Jacksonville3-2.6003-1.75011-6.6474Florida Gulf Coast2-4.3332-3.40012-8.600Ahead of Stetson based on Head-to-Head Win %5Stetson2-4.3331-4.2008-11.4216North Florida0-6.0000-5.0004-16.200 South DivisionConferenceDivisionOverallRankTeamRecordPercentRecordPercentRecordPercentTiebreaker1Jacksonville State5-01.0004-01.00012-6.667Bellarmine5-01.0004-01.00011-8.5793Central Arkansas3-2.6003-2.6006-12.3334Eastern Kentucky2-4.3331-4.20010-10.500Ahead of Lipscomb based on Head-to-Head Win %5Lipscomb2-4.3331-4.2009-12.4296North Alabama1-5.1671-4.2008-11.421 Combined DivisionsConferenceOverallRankTeamRecordPercentRecordPercentTiebreaker1Liberty5-01.00013-6.684Jacksonville State5-01.00012-6.667Bellarmine5-01.00011-8.5794Kennesaw State3-1.7508-9.4715Jacksonville3-2.60011-6.647Central Arkansas3-2.6006-12.3337Florida Gulf Coast2-4.33312-8.600Ahead of Lipscomb and Stetson based on Win % between 2-4 teamsEastern Kentucky2-4.33310-10.5009Lipscomb2-4.3339-12.429Stetson2-4.3338-11.42111North Alabama1-5.1678-11.42112North Florida0-6.0004-16.200
Conference Matrix BellarmineCentral ArkansasEastern Kentucky Florida Gulf CoastJacksonvilleJacksonville StateKennesaw StateLibertyLipscombNorth AlabamaNorth FloridaStetsonvs. Bellarmine–0-10-10-10-10-1vs. Central Arkansas1-0–0-11-00-10-1vs. Eastern Kentucky1-01-0–1-00-11-00-1vs. Florida Gulf Coast–1-01-01-01-00-10-1vs. Jacksonville1-00-1–1-00-10-1vs. Jacksonville State0-10-10-1–0-10-1vs. Kennesaw State0-1–1-00-10-1vs. Liberty0-10-1–0-10-1vs. Lipscomb1-01-01-01-00-1–0-1vs. North Alabama1-01-00-11-01-0–1-0vs. North Florida1-01-01-01-01-0–1-0vs. Stetson1-01-01-01-00-10-1−
Players of the Week WeekPlayer(s) of the WeekSchoolNewcomer of the WeekSchoolNov. 15Ahsan AsadullahLipscombJacob OgnacevicLipscombNov. 22Ahsan Asadullah (2)Lipscomb (2)Darious HallCentral ArkansasNov. 29Tavian Dunn-MartinFlorida Gulf CoastJannson WilliamsEastern KentuckyDec. 6Cyrus LargieFlorida Gulf Coast (2)Kevin SamuelFlorida Gulf CoastDec. 13Tavian Dunn-Martin (2)Florida Gulf Coast (3)Jarius HicklenNorth FloridaDec. 20Christiaan JonesStetsonJacob Ognacevic (2)Lipscomb (2)Dec. 27Darius McGheeLibertyIbbe KlintmanCentral Arkansas (2)Jan. 3Devontae BlantonEastern KentuckyCameron HunterCentral Arkansas (3)Jan. 10Ahsan Asadullah (3)Lipscomb (3)Cameron Hunter (2)Central Arkansas (4)Jan. 18Darius McGhee (2)Liberty (2)Osayi OsifoJacksonvilleJan. 24Dylan PennBellarmineTavian Dunn-MartinFlorida Gulf Coast (2)Jan. 31Kayne HenryJacksonville StateMike MarshJacksonville (2)Feb. 7Tavian Dunn-Martin (3)Florida Gulf Coast (4)Kevin Samuel (2)Florida Gulf Coast (3)Feb. 14Tavian Dunn-Martin (4)Florida Gulf Coast (5)Camren HunterCentral Arkansas (5)Feb. 21Jarius HicklenNorth FloridaTavian Dunn-Martin (2)Florida Gulf Coast (4)Feb. 28Darius McGhee (3)Liberty (3)Tavian Dunn-Martin (3)Florida Gulf Coast (5)
Records against other conferences Power 7 ConferencesRecordPower 7 ConferencesRecordACC0-7American1-3Big East0-2Big Ten0-2Big 120-6Pac-120-6SEC1-11Power 7 Total2-37Other Division I ConferencesRecordOther Division I ConferencesRecordAmerica East1-0Atlantic 102-2Big SkyNoneBig South3-3Big West NoneColonial4-2Conference USA2-7Horizon League4-0Ivy League1-0MAAC0-5MAC3-2MEAC3-0MVC1-3MWCNoneNECNoneOVC2-5Patriot League1-0SoCon1-5Southland1-1SWAC7-0Summit League1-1Sun Belt1-3WAC1-2WCC0-5Other Division I Total39-46NCAA Division I Total41-83NCAA Division II Total1-0NCAA Division III Total9-0NAIA Total16-0NCCAA Total12-0USCAA Total1-0Total Non-Conference Record80-83
Conference tournament
The 2022 ASUN Tournament was held at the higher seeded team's home court from March 1, 2022 to March 8, 2022.
References