The behemoth that is the Big East tournament kicked off on Tuesday. Below are previews for the four conference tournaments beginning on Wednesday.
SOUTHLAND
The Conference: It ranks 28th in RPI, so nothing exciting here. Whoever wins the Southland will most likely be a 16-seed.
The Favorite: Texas-Arlington (23-7, 15-1) didn’t lose in Southland play until the regular season finale, when it fell to UTSA.
Other Challengers: Last year, the #7 team won this tournament, so anyone could step up. Lamar won the East division and recently got some media attention for coach Pat Knight’s ranting about his seniors. They’ve won three in a row since then.
The Pick: Texas-Arlington wins the Southland tournament in its final year before moving to the Western Athletic Conference.
CONFERENCE USA
The Conference: C-USA ranks ninth in conference RPI and has two at-large locks: Memphis and Southern Miss. But with desperate teams like UCF and Marshall, there’s potential for a third team to steal a bid.
The Favorite: Memphis (23-8, 13-3) enjoyed a solid under-the-radar season. Led by Will Barton (18 ppg, 8 rpg), the Tigers have won eight of nine and played a tough nonconference schedule.
Other Challengers: Southern Miss is another tournament team that finished in second and earned a split with Memphis. UCF (10-6, with a win over UConn) and Marshall (9-7) are extreme long shots to receive an at-large bid and will be looking to make a major run through this tournament.
Bubble Matchups: UCF and Marshall must each win out, essentially, to appear in the NCAA tournament.
The Pick: Memphis is welcoming back freshman standout Adonis Thomas from injury and the Tigers are the conference’s most talented team.
PACIFIC 12
The Conference: The Pac-12 suffered a down year, ranking 10th in conference RPI and featuring some of the worst teams in Division I. Still, we should see two teams (Washington and California) in the NCAA tournament, and up to two more (Arizona and Oregon) could play their way in. With some of the league’s top teams stumbling down the stretch, this tournament will assuredly be hectic.
The Favorite: Cal spent much of the season in first place, but Washington (21-9, 14-4) has overtaken the Golden Bears over the last few weeks. The Huskies are certainly the conference’s most talented team, with players like Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten; though they did drop their regular season finale at UCLA.
Other Challengers: Anyone except USC, Arizona State, and Utah. Cal lost its final two regular season games, but was mostly consistent throughout the season. Arizona is well-coached and playing for a spot in the NCAA tournament, but is coming off a loss to Arizona State. Oregon is another fringe bubble team looking to make a run, and Stanford, UCLA, and Colorado have proven they can beat anyone on any given night, too.
Bubble Matchups: Washington and Cal are most likely safe. 4-seed Arizona can’t afford to lose to the winner of the UCLA/USC game; that gets the Wildcats into the semifinals against Washington where a win would seal the deal. 3-seed Oregon has to go through 2-seed Cal to get to the finals, which is the least the Ducks must do to get at-large consideration.
The Pick: Oregon is playing the best basketball of any of these teams and needs a run more than anyone. Transfer Devoe Joseph has transformed this team since arriving in December. In such a wide-open affair, it’s easy to see the Ducks streaking through the tournament and stealing a bid.
BIG 12
The Conference: The Big 12 ranks 3rd in RPI and has been one of the highest-profile conferences in the country. Kansas and Missouri are championship contenders playing for a #1 seed; Baylor, Iowa State, and Kansas State are tourney locks; and Texas is trying to play its way in.
The Favorite: Kansas (26-5, 16-2) won yet another Big 12 championship and is looking to lock up a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Jayhawks are led by Player of the Year candidate Thomas Robinson, senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor, and a cast of supporting actors who seemingly take turns having huge games: Jeff Withey, Elijah Johnson, Conner Teahan, and Travis Releford.
Other Challengers: 2-seed Missouri is another Final Four hopeful; the Tigers beat Kansas at home and built a 19-point lead at Allen Fieldhouse before losing in overtime. 3-seed Iowa State has also beaten Kansas, so either team would be a difficult matchup in the finals for the Jayhawks. That is, if Kansas gets there at all—Bill Self’s team will have to beat either Baylor or Kansas State in the semifinals.
Bubble Matchups: Texas is clinging to tournament hopes and the Longhorns get their chance in this tournament. Their first-round game against Iowa State could be an elimination game for them. They desperately need a big win.
The Pick: Everyone is hoping for one last Kansas-Missouri classic. With the games being held in Kansas City, and with Missouri having to go through Iowa State, the Jayhawks are the pick. But they can’t afford to overlook their difficult semifinals matchup with either K-State or Baylor.
SOUTHLAND
The Conference: It ranks 28th in RPI, so nothing exciting here. Whoever wins the Southland will most likely be a 16-seed.
The Favorite: Texas-Arlington (23-7, 15-1) didn’t lose in Southland play until the regular season finale, when it fell to UTSA.
Other Challengers: Last year, the #7 team won this tournament, so anyone could step up. Lamar won the East division and recently got some media attention for coach Pat Knight’s ranting about his seniors. They’ve won three in a row since then.
The Pick: Texas-Arlington wins the Southland tournament in its final year before moving to the Western Athletic Conference.
CONFERENCE USA
The Conference: C-USA ranks ninth in conference RPI and has two at-large locks: Memphis and Southern Miss. But with desperate teams like UCF and Marshall, there’s potential for a third team to steal a bid.
The Favorite: Memphis (23-8, 13-3) enjoyed a solid under-the-radar season. Led by Will Barton (18 ppg, 8 rpg), the Tigers have won eight of nine and played a tough nonconference schedule.
Other Challengers: Southern Miss is another tournament team that finished in second and earned a split with Memphis. UCF (10-6, with a win over UConn) and Marshall (9-7) are extreme long shots to receive an at-large bid and will be looking to make a major run through this tournament.
Bubble Matchups: UCF and Marshall must each win out, essentially, to appear in the NCAA tournament.
The Pick: Memphis is welcoming back freshman standout Adonis Thomas from injury and the Tigers are the conference’s most talented team.
PACIFIC 12
The Conference: The Pac-12 suffered a down year, ranking 10th in conference RPI and featuring some of the worst teams in Division I. Still, we should see two teams (Washington and California) in the NCAA tournament, and up to two more (Arizona and Oregon) could play their way in. With some of the league’s top teams stumbling down the stretch, this tournament will assuredly be hectic.
The Favorite: Cal spent much of the season in first place, but Washington (21-9, 14-4) has overtaken the Golden Bears over the last few weeks. The Huskies are certainly the conference’s most talented team, with players like Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten; though they did drop their regular season finale at UCLA.
Other Challengers: Anyone except USC, Arizona State, and Utah. Cal lost its final two regular season games, but was mostly consistent throughout the season. Arizona is well-coached and playing for a spot in the NCAA tournament, but is coming off a loss to Arizona State. Oregon is another fringe bubble team looking to make a run, and Stanford, UCLA, and Colorado have proven they can beat anyone on any given night, too.
Bubble Matchups: Washington and Cal are most likely safe. 4-seed Arizona can’t afford to lose to the winner of the UCLA/USC game; that gets the Wildcats into the semifinals against Washington where a win would seal the deal. 3-seed Oregon has to go through 2-seed Cal to get to the finals, which is the least the Ducks must do to get at-large consideration.
The Pick: Oregon is playing the best basketball of any of these teams and needs a run more than anyone. Transfer Devoe Joseph has transformed this team since arriving in December. In such a wide-open affair, it’s easy to see the Ducks streaking through the tournament and stealing a bid.
BIG 12
The Conference: The Big 12 ranks 3rd in RPI and has been one of the highest-profile conferences in the country. Kansas and Missouri are championship contenders playing for a #1 seed; Baylor, Iowa State, and Kansas State are tourney locks; and Texas is trying to play its way in.
The Favorite: Kansas (26-5, 16-2) won yet another Big 12 championship and is looking to lock up a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Jayhawks are led by Player of the Year candidate Thomas Robinson, senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor, and a cast of supporting actors who seemingly take turns having huge games: Jeff Withey, Elijah Johnson, Conner Teahan, and Travis Releford.
Other Challengers: 2-seed Missouri is another Final Four hopeful; the Tigers beat Kansas at home and built a 19-point lead at Allen Fieldhouse before losing in overtime. 3-seed Iowa State has also beaten Kansas, so either team would be a difficult matchup in the finals for the Jayhawks. That is, if Kansas gets there at all—Bill Self’s team will have to beat either Baylor or Kansas State in the semifinals.
Bubble Matchups: Texas is clinging to tournament hopes and the Longhorns get their chance in this tournament. Their first-round game against Iowa State could be an elimination game for them. They desperately need a big win.
The Pick: Everyone is hoping for one last Kansas-Missouri classic. With the games being held in Kansas City, and with Missouri having to go through Iowa State, the Jayhawks are the pick. But they can’t afford to overlook their difficult semifinals matchup with either K-State or Baylor.
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