2001 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament

August 2023 2001 Sun Belt Conference I Men's 200px 11 Mitchell Center Mobile, AL Western Kentucky 3rd Dennis Felton 1st Chris Marcus Western Kentucky The 2001 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament was held March 2–6 at the Mitchell Center at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.2000–01 Sun Belt Conference Season Summary sports-reference.com Sports Reference LLC 2016 https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/sun-belt/2001.html April 30, 2016 Top-seeded Western Kentucky defeated hosts South Alabama in the championship game, 64–54, to win their third Sun Belt men's basketball tournament. The Hilltoppers, in turn, received an automatic bid to the 2001 NCAA tournament. No other Sun Belt members earned bids to the tournament. Format The Sun Belt added three new teams prior to the 2000–01 season: Middle Tennessee State (Ohio Valley), New Mexico State (Big West), and North Texas (Big West). The conference's total membership increased to twelve. The tournament field expanded once again, increasing from nine to eleven teams (NMSU did not compete). With all eleven participating Sun Belt members seeded based on regular season conference records, the five highest-seeded teams were awarded byes into the quarterfinal round while the six lowest-seeded teams entered the bracket in the preliminary first round. Bracket First roundFriday, March 2 QuarterfinalsSaturday, March 3Sunday, March 4 SemifinalsMonday, March 5 ChampionshipTuesday, March 6 5E 2000 men FIU Panthers Florida International 59 4W 2000 men Denver Pioneers Denver 52 6E 2000 men Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Middle Tennessee 61 3W 2000 men New Orleans Privateers New Orleans 66* 4E 2000 men Little Rock Trojans Arkansas–Little Rock 80 5W 2000 men North Texas Mean Green North Texas 67 1E Western Kentucky 68 5E Florida International 51 3E 2000 men Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Louisiana Tech 56 2W 2000 men Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns Louisiana–Lafayette 63 2E 2000 men Arkansas State Red Wolves Arkansas State 82 3W New Orleans 73 4E Arkansas–Little Rock 62 1W South Alabama 85 1E Western Kentucky 82 2W Louisiana–Lafayette 75 2E Arkansas State 53 1W South Alabama 76 1E Western Kentucky 64 1W South Alabama 54 See also Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament References Category:Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament Category:2000–01 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball season Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament