The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE major conferences grab the headlines, but a number of Bahamian players will also contest conference tournaments for their “mid major” programmes this week as they seek a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Travis Munnings and Prince Cooper have claimed the second seed in the upcoming Sun Belt Conference with the University of Louisiana Monroe Warhawks.

The Sun Belt Conference Championship presented by First Bank and Trust is scheduled for March 10-13 at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana.

As the second seed, they received a bye into the semi-finals, set for 3:30pm March 12.

Munnings has made an immediate impact in his freshman season with the Warhawks. He has appeared in all 31 games thus far with 17 starts and is averaging 7.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 51 per cent from the field.

Munnings finished with six points and six rebounds in 20 minutes in the Warhawks’ 91-78 win over Georgia State.

Cooper has appeared in 18 games, averaging 2.5 points per game.

Munnings spent his early high school years with the St George’s Jaguars under coach Darell Sears. When he left the Bahamas, he joined the Sunrise programme under Kyle Linstead who has guided several Bahamians to NCAA programmes across the country - including both Buddy Hield and Lourawls Nairn Jr.

In the Southland Conference, Nathan Bain and Andre Sands are also preparing for their conference title when it begins Wednesday at the Leonard E Merrell Center in Katy, Texas.

The pair also played under Linstead at Sunrise Academy.

Bain and the Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks will look to claim their third consecutive conference tournament.

The Lumberjacks went a perfect 18-0 in conference play for the second time in three years to win their fourth consecutive regular season conference title and sixth overall. Their 18-game winning streak is the longest such streak in NCAA division I.

They will receive a double-bye into the semi-finals 6pm Friday local time against an opponent to be determined in the first two rounds.

In his freshman season, Sands averaged 2.3 points in 23 games played.

Sands and the Sam Houston State Bearkats are the third seeded team in the tournament. In the second round, they await the winner of the McNeese/Nicholls game 7:30pm Thursday.

The Bearkats finished the regular season 17-14 overall and 12-6 in conference. Expected to be a major contender based on recent success, they reached the Southland championship in 2014 and 2015 but fell short both times.

Sands, a JuCo transfer from Casper College, averaged 3.8 points in his debut season with Sam Houston State.