The 2022-23 men’s basketball season is set to begin in less than two weeks. It will be Liberty’s final year in the ASUN before the Flames move to Conference USA. This year’s ASUN features 14 teams with the additions of Queens and Austin Peay and there will be no divisions. As we prepare for the beginning of the season, here are our preseason power rankings for the ASUN.
Note: National rankings are courtesy of KenPom.com. Arrows denote change in power rankings since previous ranking.
1. Liberty #79
Darius McGhee is back, as well as every one of Liberty’s primary contributors from last year’s squad with the exception of Keegan McDowell. The addition of true freshman point guard Colin Porter should help take some of the offensive burden off McGhee and Kyle Rode as the Flames look to win their 4th ASUN title in 5 years.
2. Jacksonville #172
The Dolphins surprised everyone under first head coach Jordan Mincy last year. Jacksonville went unbeaten on their home floor, won 21 games overall, and advanced to the ASUN Tournament championship game. Behind senior guard Kevion Nolan, Jacksonville returns the majority of their top performers from last year’s team. Mincy has a squad that features nine upperclassmen.
3. FGCU #257
Pat Chambers takes over as head coach in Fort Myers, and he has a lot of pieces to turn to as the Eagles hope to return to the top of the league. The rare in-conference transfer sees Chase Johnston move from Stetson to FGCU. Johnston became one of the most explosive scoring guards in the league during his time with the Hatters, averaging over 15 points per game last year.
4. North Florida #219
UNF returns a wealth of riches from last year’s team, including preseason all-conference selections Carter Hendricksen and Jose Placer. Jarius Hicklen, Dorian James, and Jonathan Aybar are also back. The Ospreys faced several injuries throughout last season, if they can stay healthy this year, North Florida should contend near the top of the standings.
5. Kennesaw State #209
The young talent that Kennesaw State had a couple years ago are now experienced upperclassmen. Led by preseason all-ASUN selection Chris Youngblood, the Owls should be poised to contend for a conference title this season. They have seen improvement in each of the past few years and should continue to see growth.
6. Jacksonville State #217
The Gamecocks were the ASUN’s representative in the NCAA Tournament last year in their first season in the league even though they did not win the ASUN Tournament. Jacksonville State had a veteran team last year, but this year’s team has a lot of new faces that will be counted on.
7. Bellarmine #242
The Knights have surprised during their first two years in the ASUN after moving up from Division II. Last year, Bellarmine won the ASUN Tournament after pulling the upset of Liberty in the conference semifinals. This year’s Bellarmine team has a lot of pieces that will have to step into larger roles than they have had the past few seasons.
8. Lipscomb #180
Ahsan Asadullah is still in Nashville, and he hopes to make this year a special season for the Bisons. It has been a disappointment for Asadullah and head coach Lennie Acuff since they made a surprising run to the ASUN Tournament final in 2020.
9. Austin Peay #218
Austin Peay hopes to be this year’s Jacksonville State – a team that is new to the ASUN that wins the regular season title. Under former Duke great, head coach Nate James leads a program that has been competitive in the Ohio Valley Conference.
10. Eastern Kentucky #313
Things didn’t go as expected for Eastern Kentucky last year during their first season in the league. Many expected the Colonels to contend in the upper half of the ASUN, but COVID issues and injuries derailed those plans before the season really even got started.
11. Queens #227
Queens hopes to follow the path of Bellarmine in making an immediate splash after transitioning into the ASUN from the Division II level. Queens is a storied program that has seen a lot of success in recent seasons. They will come into the league expecting to win some games and challenge every team.
12. Stetson #313
Things looked promising for head coach Donnie Jones a couple years ago with some very talented underclassmen that advanced to the ASUN semifinals. That success hasn’t carried over to the following seasons and now the Hatters will have to do so without dynamic scoring playmakers Chase Johnston, Rob Perry, and Christiaan Jones.
13. Central Arkansas #332
Reigning ASUN Freshman of the Year, Camren Hunter will hope to lead the Bears to a strong season this year. He averaged 14.1 points per game and was the team’s top scorer in their first season in the ASUN.
14. North Alabama #321
The Lions advaned to the ASUN Tournament championship game in 2020, giving Liberty a challenge before the Flames were able to secure a third straight title. Last year, Tony Pujol’s team struggled to a 9-21 overall record and 2-14 mark in league play.
