Homecoming 2010 cruicial for both teams

The theme for Homecoming 2010 is “from anywhere to here,” and for the current student athletes, “here” is the Curb’s hardwood court where they will face opponents from Mercer on Thursday and Kennesaw State on Saturday.

Here’s a look at the games and the players:

What’s at stake for the men? Even though March doesn’t start for a few more days, it’s absolute madness at the top of the Atlantic Sun men’s basketball standings. Going into this weekend, 35 of 96 conference games have been decided by six points or less. The A-Fun is truly living up to its name.

Four teams – Belmont, Jacksonville, Lipscomb and Campbell – are still in contention for the regular season title with two games remaining. One could ramble for hours about the possible scenarios that could play out, but the reality is this: Belmont must beat both Mercer and Kennesaw State this weekend to stay in contention and gain momentum going into the conference tournament.

No mercy from Mercer. The Bruins’ men’s team has had Mercer’s number as of late. Belmont beat the Bears earlier this year 94-90 in overtime. In last year’s conference tournament, Mick Hedgepeth put in a lay-up as time expired to end Mercer’s season. Mercer seniors James Florence and Daniel Emerson – both talented players – would love to crush the Bruins’ hopes for a regular season championship.

For the women, room to shuffle. Unlike the men’s side, the top of the A-Sun women’s basketball standings is pretty much set in stone. Strangely, two of the top three teams – Florida Gulf Coast and USC-Upstate – are ineligible for postseason play because they are still in transition to full NCAA status.

Belmont is currently in fourth at 8-10 in the conference, but Kennesaw State and Jacksonville are just one game behind. The key game this weekend is against KSU. The Lady Bruins crushed Kennesaw 68-44 in their first meeting this season.

End of an era? Head coach Tony Cross’s 22-year streak of finishing with a .500 record or better could come to an end this season if the Lady Bruins don’t turn things around. Right now, Belmont is 13-13 with two games remaining before the conference tournament. So, if the Lady Bruins win both games, the streak is safe. If not, it’s in serious jeopardy.

Mercer players to watch. Mercer senior guard James Florence has been a mainstay talent in the Atlantic Sun over the past three years. He’s averaging 18.4 points per game and has had several remarkable performances this year including a 40-point effort against Georgia Tech. Unfortunately for him, the Bears haven’t been able to put together a consistent season. Still, expect Florence to put his best hand forward over the last few games of his career.

On the women’s team, senior guard Courtney Ford has really made the wheels turn for the Lady Bears. She’s averaging 17 points per game – up from just 11.7 last year– and shooting 35 percent from three-point range. In addition, she’s been handing out four assists per game and leads her team in steals.

Kennesaw players to watch. Markeith Cummings is the only player challenging Ian Clark for the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year award. The redshirt freshman from Savannah, Ga., has had a remarkable year. He’s averaging 17.2 points per game, and in the Owls’ first meeting with Belmont he put up a season-high 32 points.

Kennesaw State’s Gia Lockett has provided the Lady Owls with a steady hand at point guard this year. The senior averaging 11 points is the only player on her team’s roster who has started all 27 games.

Belmont players to watch. It will be tough to imagine Belmont Bruins basketball without senior guard Amber Rockwell. She has had a decorated career – including being named to the Atlantic Sun All-Tournament team in 2009 – and will be rightfully honored on Saturday night. This year, Rockwell is averaging 13 points per game and has been a leader on the court. She’s put up 30-point performances twice this year, a 33-point effort against Central Arkansas and a 30-point game against Lipscomb.

As the lone senior on this year’s team, Keaton Belcher has humbly taken a backseat to younger talent. But at the same time, he’s stepped up when the team has needed him. Through it all, Belcher has embodied the selfless teammate. His shooting has ebbed and flowed, but during a crucial five-game stretch against the league’s top talent, Belcher shot 16 of 22 from three-point range. His best game of the year came against Kennesaw State earlier in the year when he scored 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting.