If you’re looking at a map and wondering how a school from Carrollton, Georgia, and a private university in Louisville, Kentucky, ended up as conference rivals, you aren't alone. It’s one of those modern college sports quirks. Basically, the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) conference has become a landing pad for schools making the leap from Division II to the big leagues.
West Georgia vs Bellarmine is a matchup that feels like it’s been around for decades because of their shared DII DNA, but they are actually fresh faces in the Division I landscape. The Wolves only just started their reclassification journey in 2024. Bellarmine, on the other hand, is like the older brother who just finished his four-year "probation" period and finally got the keys to the car.
The New Year’s Day Drama at The Coliseum
Let's talk about the game that actually put this matchup on the map for casual fans. On January 1, 2026, Bellarmine took a trip down to Georgia to face West Georgia in what turned into a total offensive fireworks show. Honestly, most people expected a low-scoring, grind-it-out conference opener.
They were wrong.
West Georgia ended up walking away with an 87-85 win, but the score doesn't even tell the whole story. The Wolves came out like their hair was on fire, putting up 52 points in the first half alone. It looked like a blowout. Then, Bellarmine did what Bellarmine does—they slowed things down, ran their motion offense to perfection, and nearly pulled off a miracle comeback in the final minutes.
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Jack Karasinski was a beast for the Knights, dropping 21 points and living at the free-throw line. But West Georgia’s Shelton Williams-Dryden was just a bit better. He finished with 23 points and 9 rebounds, proving why he was a Preseason All-ASUN pick.
Style vs. Style: Why These Games Are So Weird
When you watch West Georgia vs Bellarmine, you're seeing two completely different philosophies of basketball clashing in a 94-foot box.
Bellarmine is famous for the "Scotti-Ball" legacy. Even with Doug Davenport taking over the reins from his legendary father, Scott Davenport, the identity remains:
- Constant motion. If you stop moving, you're on the bench.
- No-dribble passes. They’d rather pass ten times than dribble once.
- Extreme efficiency. They aren't going to out-jump you, but they will out-think you.
West Georgia plays a much more "modern" brand of ball. Coach Dave Moore likes his team to be long, athletic, and disruptive. They want to use their 6-foot-9 Kenneth Chime and 6-foot-10 JaVar Daniel to protect the rim and turn blocks into fast breaks.
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When these two styles meet, it’s a chess match. Bellarmine wants to pull those big rim protectors out to the perimeter to guard shooters, while West Georgia wants to use their superior athleticism to beat the Knights' back-door cuts.
The Women’s Side: A Tale of Two Directions
If you think the men's games are close, the women's matchups have been even more lopsided lately, but for different reasons. The West Georgia women’s team has hit the ground running in the ASUN. Players like Asia Donald and Sydne Tolbert have been absolute scoring machines.
In their early 2026 meeting, West Georgia put up a staggering 106 points against Bellarmine. You just don't see that often in conference play.
Bellarmine’s women’s program has had a rougher go of it. They’ve been plagued by injuries, sometimes playing with a rotation of only seven or eight healthy players. It’s hard to keep up with a high-octane offense like West Georgia’s when you're literally just trying to keep enough bodies on the floor to finish the game.
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What Most People Miss About the "Transition"
There’s a misconception that moving from Division II to Division I is just about changing a logo on the floor. It’s actually a brutal four-year process.
- Year 1: You're basically an independent with a conference schedule.
- Year 2-3: You're building the scholarship counts to meet DI requirements.
- Year 4: The "lame duck" year where you can play the games but can't go to the NCAA Tournament.
Bellarmine just finished this gauntlet. West Georgia is right in the thick of it. This creates a weird dynamic where Bellarmine is technically "eligible" for the Big Dance, while West Georgia is playing for pride and building a "legacy" for the 2028 season and beyond.
Actionable Insights for the Next Matchup
If you're betting on or just watching the next West Georgia vs Bellarmine game, keep these three things in mind:
- Watch the 3-Point Volume: West Georgia doesn't shoot a ton of threes, but they make them at a high clip (top 2 in the ASUN). If they start hitting from deep early, Bellarmine’s defense is in trouble.
- The Fatigue Factor: Bellarmine’s short bench (especially on the women's side) is a real issue. Look for West Georgia to press and speed up the tempo in the second half.
- Free Throw Disparity: Bellarmine lives and dies by the "charity stripe." In their January loss, they shot 34 free throws. If the refs are calling it tight, advantage Knights.
The next time these two meet is January 28, 2026, at Knights Hall in Louisville. Expect a sell-out. The crowd at Knights Hall is famously right on top of the court, and for a West Georgia team still getting used to DI road environments, that "Welcome to the ASUN" moment is going to be loud.