That’s not to say that college basketball conference tournaments for power conferences aren’t important. Yes, many of the teams in action this week are already gearing up when it comes to their NCAA college basketball tournament selections. But we can enjoy tons of high-quality games all day long. And sometimes we have the 2024 NC State game. A team that was a complete afterthought, a team that earned an 11 seed in its own conference, earned a bid to the dance, and advanced to the Final Four. Good luck telling DJ Burns that this week doesn’t matter. Here are the favorites to win this week’s college basketball conference tournaments.
Big Ten:
The loaded Big Ten has four teams ranked in the KenPom top 10, a number you won’t find in any other league. But among that top tier, Michigan is in a tier of its own. They are the only team in the league to rank in the top three of the conference in offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency. Can anyone figure out how to handle the frontcourt trio of Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, and Aday Mara?
East US:
This is a case of one team being significantly better than the other in a major mid-major conference. And the Terriers will have the added advantage of playing the championship game on their home floor. Can they repeat the magic of 2018?
ACC:
Yes, yes, I know I’m picking the No. 1 seed here. But as of now, it seems like no one else in this league can beat Duke for 40 minutes. Cam Boozer’s coronation will be held in Charlotte as the Blue Devils look to claim the No. 1 overall seed on Selection Sunday.
SWAC:
The Wildcats opened the season by taking Auburn to overtime in the jungle, and it would be incredibly ironic if this season ended with Bethune Cookman dancing and Auburn sitting at home. A conference like this can be dominated by one player, and former Texas and Kansas shooting guard Arterio Morris could completely dominate this tournament.
MEAC:
The MEAC received a perfect score of 4 from KenPom, making it the worst conference in the country. But that doesn’t mean every team in it is bad. Howard is actually 100 points ahead of the next closest competition. Bison fans, you can book a hotel in Dayton for the First Four.
Scotsman:
Miami grabs the headlines for going undefeated, but it’s actually Akron who has played a tougher schedule, had better wins, and more thoroughly dominated the MAC than the Redhawks. If they had played Miami at home, they might have halted their undefeated streak. I expect John Groce, Tavari Johnson, and the Mahaffey brothers to end their MAC title game streak and punch their ticket to the dance, making Miami sweat on Selection Sunday.
US Conference:
Ritchie McKay’s team has some glaring weaknesses. I am short. To be exact, they are the second shortest team in all of Division I. But I don’t think anyone in the league has figured out a way to take advantage. Because Zach Cleveland has played the small-ball five perfectly, so he will likely be the CUSA POTY.
Big 12:
I’m struggling with this and hope Bill Self and Darryn Peterson finally figure it out. The Jayhawks are actually the only team in the league to have beaten four of the top five teams (although they can’t beat themselves), as they have wins over Arizona, Texas Tech, Houston, and Iowa State.
WAC:
If you’re a fan of small guards who are electric with the ball in their hands, I’d like to introduce you to Cal Baptist’s 5’10” Dominique Daniels. He’s the type of player who could become a March legend. Plus, with all the drama surrounding Utah Valley, the WAC would love to see another team win the tournament.
Mountain West:
Can we keep any of these teams from making the NCAA Tournament? No conference has performed worse in the NCAA Tournament this decade than the MWC, and their record has been backed up by a couple of Brian Dutcher masterclasses by SDSU. Don’t look now. But this year’s Aztecs are now fully healthy and need a win if they want to dance.
Big West:
Do you remember Aidan Mahaney? A crafty point guard who started two years at St. Mary’s? Well, he’s now at UC Santa Barbara and leading the conference’s best offense. The top eight teams in the league have power ratings within 10 points of each other on KenPom, so expect some confusion in this bracket!
Atlantic 10:
The Flyers, a preseason favorite, were stuck in an injury rut but finished the season 7-2 in their final nine games, losing only to VCU. Good news for the Flyers. VCU is 6-2 against teams on the other side of the bracket and in fact. French Stretch 5 Amael L’Etang can help lead the Flyers to their first A10 tournament championship in 20 years. This may seem unlikely to be true, but it is true.
secretary:
Playing against Florida now will feel like standing in front of a freight train. I have no intention of doing that. The Gators have won 11 straight as they head to Nashville, and their much-maligned backcourt of Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland is living up to expectations.
ivy league:
The Bulldogs are turning into a dynasty at Ivy and have retained most of the core from their previous two NCAA Tournament teams. According to KenPom, they are about nine points better than the rest of the league and will have the advantage of playing the championship on their home floor.
American:
The Golden Hurricane is coming off a strong finish to the season, beating UTSA, Tulane and ECU by more than 25 points. They have the highest rated offense in the league and arguably the best dynamic duo in Tylen Riley and David Green.
— Enjoy The Big Lead’s top news and popular stories for free. —
NFL: Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott splits with fiancee before marriage
Major League: Tarik Skubal breaks silence on impending free agency
Sports Media: Stephen A. Smith accuses dominant NBA star of being a ‘food addict.’
leukocyte: Livvy Dunne, Paul Skenes debut ‘travel day’ perfect for World Baseball Classic
WNBA: Players, union leaders split, letter of claim from two-time MVP and four-time All-Star
Virus: Wendy’s goes viral on NFL quarterback with ‘Chief Tasting Officer’ job offer.
