Eight teams are already in the NCAA Tournament, and the beginning of the week will feature five more contests for automatic bids in the MEAC, the MAC, the SWAC, the Atlantic 10, and the Big East. Below are previews for the conference tournaments beginning on Monday and Tuesday.
MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC
The Conference: The MEAC is about the second-weakest conference in the country and its its tournament (starting Tuesday) will likely determine one of the participants of the 16-seed play-in game.
The Favorite: Savannah State (21-10, 14-2) and Norfolk State (22-9, 13-3) were the two strongest teams in the conference. Norfolk State at least enjoyed some nonconference success, beating Drexel on a neutral court.
Other Challengers: Third-place team Delaware State beat Norfolk State twice, and Bethune-Cookman earned a split with Savannah State, so nearly anyone can win this thing.
The Pick: Norfolk State is taken out by Delaware State, and Savannah State gets the MEAC’s automatic bid.
The Conference: The MEAC is about the second-weakest conference in the country and its its tournament (starting Tuesday) will likely determine one of the participants of the 16-seed play-in game.
The Favorite: Savannah State (21-10, 14-2) and Norfolk State (22-9, 13-3) were the two strongest teams in the conference. Norfolk State at least enjoyed some nonconference success, beating Drexel on a neutral court.
Other Challengers: Third-place team Delaware State beat Norfolk State twice, and Bethune-Cookman earned a split with Savannah State, so nearly anyone can win this thing.
The Pick: Norfolk State is taken out by Delaware State, and Savannah State gets the MEAC’s automatic bid.
MID-AMERICAN
The Conference: The MAC is only okay—ranked 17th in RPI, it won’t get an at-large bid and its March Madness representative will be a 14- or 15- seed. Its tournament got started on Monday.
The Favorite: Akron (21-10, 13-3) is the defending champion and the #1 seed in this tourney. The Zips beat Mississippi State in its season opener. But they’ve struggled recently, with three losses in their last five games.
Other Challengers: Both the 2-seed and the 3-seed—Ohio and Buffalo—have beaten Akron during its recent skid.
The Pick: Ohio makes a run and wins the MAC. This tournament is wide open, though.
The Conference: The MAC is only okay—ranked 17th in RPI, it won’t get an at-large bid and its March Madness representative will be a 14- or 15- seed. Its tournament got started on Monday.
The Favorite: Akron (21-10, 13-3) is the defending champion and the #1 seed in this tourney. The Zips beat Mississippi State in its season opener. But they’ve struggled recently, with three losses in their last five games.
Other Challengers: Both the 2-seed and the 3-seed—Ohio and Buffalo—have beaten Akron during its recent skid.
The Pick: Ohio makes a run and wins the MAC. This tournament is wide open, though.
SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC
The Conference: The SWAC is probably the worst conference in the country. Its first-place finisher went 1-11 during nonconference play and its March representative will assuredly be a 16-seed in a play-in game. The tourney gets started on Tuesday.
The Favorite: Mississippi Valley State (18-12, 17-1) went undefeated through conference play until its regular season finale. The Delta Devils traveled to some hostile venues earlier in the season, like North Carolina, Wisconsin, Florida, and Iowa State.
Other Challengers: Well, pretty much anyone. Arkansas-Pine Bluff finished sixth in the conference but was the only team to beat the Delta Devils.
The Pick: Mississippi Valley State dominated the conference and has played some of the toughest competition in the country. Whether they win the play-in game, though, could be a whole different story.
The Conference: The SWAC is probably the worst conference in the country. Its first-place finisher went 1-11 during nonconference play and its March representative will assuredly be a 16-seed in a play-in game. The tourney gets started on Tuesday.
The Favorite: Mississippi Valley State (18-12, 17-1) went undefeated through conference play until its regular season finale. The Delta Devils traveled to some hostile venues earlier in the season, like North Carolina, Wisconsin, Florida, and Iowa State.
Other Challengers: Well, pretty much anyone. Arkansas-Pine Bluff finished sixth in the conference but was the only team to beat the Delta Devils.
The Pick: Mississippi Valley State dominated the conference and has played some of the toughest competition in the country. Whether they win the play-in game, though, could be a whole different story.
ATLANTIC 10
The Conference: The A-10 ranks 7th in conference RPI and its tournament, beginning Tuesday, will be one of the country’s most important for bubble teams. Temple and Saint Louis are tournament locks, but Xavier, Saint Joseph’s, and Dayton are all still clinging to at-large hopes. The middle of the conference is strong too, with teams like Massachusetts, St. Bonaventure, and La Salle all finishing above .500.
The Favorite: Temple (24-6, 13-3) has won 13 of 14 games and beat Duke back in January. The Owls have risen above the madness abound in the middle of the league.
Other Challengers: The Atlantic 10 features astounding parity and five or six teams could conceivably win this tournament. #1 seed Temple and #2 seed Saint Louis are very solid teams. Tu Holloway and Xavier are always dangerous and are looking to secure their spot in the NCAA tournament. And both Saint Joseph’s and Dayton need to do something dramatic to get an at-large bid.
Bubble Matchups: If 6-seed Dayton beats 11-seed George Washington (as they must and should), the Flyers will play 3-seed Xavier in the quarterfinals. The loser of that game will probably be eliminated from at-large contention. Meanwhile, 5-seed Saint Joseph’s could make a much-needed run to the semifinals by beating Charlotte and St. Bonaventure; the Hawks would then potentially face Temple, who they beat a week ago.
The Pick: Saint Louis. The Billikens have been incredibly consistent all season, and Temple could get tripped up by a desperate Saint Joseph’s team. Any way this shakes out, the A-10 tournament will have a huge impact on the bubble, and has the potential to get crazy.
The Conference: The A-10 ranks 7th in conference RPI and its tournament, beginning Tuesday, will be one of the country’s most important for bubble teams. Temple and Saint Louis are tournament locks, but Xavier, Saint Joseph’s, and Dayton are all still clinging to at-large hopes. The middle of the conference is strong too, with teams like Massachusetts, St. Bonaventure, and La Salle all finishing above .500.
The Favorite: Temple (24-6, 13-3) has won 13 of 14 games and beat Duke back in January. The Owls have risen above the madness abound in the middle of the league.
Other Challengers: The Atlantic 10 features astounding parity and five or six teams could conceivably win this tournament. #1 seed Temple and #2 seed Saint Louis are very solid teams. Tu Holloway and Xavier are always dangerous and are looking to secure their spot in the NCAA tournament. And both Saint Joseph’s and Dayton need to do something dramatic to get an at-large bid.
Bubble Matchups: If 6-seed Dayton beats 11-seed George Washington (as they must and should), the Flyers will play 3-seed Xavier in the quarterfinals. The loser of that game will probably be eliminated from at-large contention. Meanwhile, 5-seed Saint Joseph’s could make a much-needed run to the semifinals by beating Charlotte and St. Bonaventure; the Hawks would then potentially face Temple, who they beat a week ago.
The Pick: Saint Louis. The Billikens have been incredibly consistent all season, and Temple could get tripped up by a desperate Saint Joseph’s team. Any way this shakes out, the A-10 tournament will have a huge impact on the bubble, and has the potential to get crazy.
BIG EAST
The Conference: The Big East’s 16-team tournament is one of the country’s best, and it spans from Tuesday until Saturday. The conference ranks second in RPI and features a lock for a #1 seed, six other tournament teams, and three bubble squads.
The Favorite: Obviously it’s Syracuse (30-1, 17-1). The Orange are one of the deepest and most talented teams in the country, and this tournament should tell us a lot about their national championship chances.
Other Challengers: One side of the bracket features Marquette, Notre Dame, and Louisville. The other half has Cincinnati, Georgetown, and UConn. Take your pick.
Bubble Matchups: 8-seed West Virginia is probably safe. 9-seed Connecticut should beat 16-seed Providence before facing the Mountaineers, and they’ll likely be safe too. 6-seed South Florida and 10-seed Seton Hall are in much more precarious situations. The Pirates can’t lose to Providence in the first round—then they’ll get a shot against Louisville. And USF can’t lose to the winner of the ‘Nova-Rutgers game before getting a chance to beat Notre Dame.
The Pick: Syracuse is on a different level compared to the rest of the conference.
The Conference: The Big East’s 16-team tournament is one of the country’s best, and it spans from Tuesday until Saturday. The conference ranks second in RPI and features a lock for a #1 seed, six other tournament teams, and three bubble squads.
The Favorite: Obviously it’s Syracuse (30-1, 17-1). The Orange are one of the deepest and most talented teams in the country, and this tournament should tell us a lot about their national championship chances.
Other Challengers: One side of the bracket features Marquette, Notre Dame, and Louisville. The other half has Cincinnati, Georgetown, and UConn. Take your pick.
Bubble Matchups: 8-seed West Virginia is probably safe. 9-seed Connecticut should beat 16-seed Providence before facing the Mountaineers, and they’ll likely be safe too. 6-seed South Florida and 10-seed Seton Hall are in much more precarious situations. The Pirates can’t lose to Providence in the first round—then they’ll get a shot against Louisville. And USF can’t lose to the winner of the ‘Nova-Rutgers game before getting a chance to beat Notre Dame.
The Pick: Syracuse is on a different level compared to the rest of the conference.
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