As the regular season winds down on college hoops, one of the deepest basketball leagues in Division II will put its automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament up for grabs starting when the Gulf South Conference Tournament tips off Feb. 28.

It was a wild final week of conference games last week in the Gulf South - one that saw the league leaders sit less than 10 minutes from an outright conference title, before a furious rally that may have kept another team's playoff hopes alive.

It’s not the last week of games in the Gulf South Conference, but Week 10 marks the final Saturday of conference competition for the GSC.

We’re two weeks into the Gulf South portion of the schedule, and just like we all predicted, Delta State is the lone undefeated team left in the league with wins over each of the preseason poll favorites.

Delta State helped flip the Gulf South on its head early into the conference season last week, outlasting one of the preseason favorites – West Florida – in a double-overtime classic.

The Gulf South's league slate kicked off last week with North Greenville bouncing back from an 0-2 start to earn a road win over Mississippi College by a 41-19 score and temporarily move to the top of the league standings.

A top-flight defensive back has the ability to flip a game like few other positions. As passing offenses have proliferated in recent years, defensive backs take on more challenges, serving to heighten the importance of solid play in the secondary.

A full Labor Day weekend slate of non-league games awaits the members of the South Atlantic Conference. The 2022 season gets underway on Thursday and ends Saturday night, the weekend bookended with SAC matchups against CIAA competition as Tusculum hosts St. Augustine's and Newberry faces Allen.

With a variety of the top offenses in the country, including two of the very best in Valdosta State and West Florida, it’s safe to say that the Gulf South Conference is an offensive league. But with so many standouts on offense, that does create opportunities for defensive players to make a name for themselves. Here’s a look at some of the top returning talent returning to the Gulf South Conference ahead of the 2022 season — on both sides of the ball.

The past three seasons of Gulf South football have been ruled by Valdosta State, with the Blazers going 22-1 in the league over that time.

No position commands the spotlight more prominently than quarterback. In the 2022 season, Div. II is rife with playmakers made to shine in pressure-packed moments.

A heavyweight showdown in the Gulf South Conference could shape the landscape of Div-II’s Super Region II.

Sitting alone atop the Gulf South Conference and ranked in one of the top two spots in the national polls isn’t anything new for Valdosta State.

The top half of the Gulf South Conference used Week 6 to create separation from the bottom half, and the emphatic results make for a Week 7 with high stakes.

From unranked to start the season to the top 15 of the poll, both West Alabama and West Georgia have made emphatic statements to start the 2021 season.