Conference Tournaments preview Part 2

By Joe Sullivan

Atlantic Coast Conference

March 7-11

At Greensboro, N.C.

Favorite: Virginia. This is not one of coach Tony Bennett’s best teams but you can rely on the Cavaliers for consistency and, over days of a tournament, that will be important.

Contenders: Pitt, Miami, NC State, Duke, North Carolina. Duke and UNC haven’t exactly earned this designation but one has to be realistic; Both could win this if they play up to potential.

Bid-Stealer: Virginia Tech. If the Gobblers get their three-point game clicking.

Prediction: Miami. This is the best advertising for NIL, maybe. As long as the well-compensated Hurricanes concentrate on basketball and not their bank accounts, they are a tough unit. I’m expecting Isaiah Wong to have a big tournament.

Atlantic 10 Conference

March 7-9, 11-12

At Brooklyn

Favorite: Virginia Commonwealth. The Rams would have a better overall record if point guard Ace Baldwin had been fully healthy, and yet they were still the best team in the regular season.

Contenders: Saint Louis, Dayton, Fordham. Dayton might have the most talent but injuries and inconsistent play have held the Flyers back. If they quickly solved the chemistry problem, they might win easily.

Bid-Stealer: George Washington. The Colonials are a veteran team with a tough guard in James Bishop.

Prediction: Saint Louis. The Billikens’ guard Javonte Perkins has not been the same player since returning from a knee injury, but he’s getting better. A fully healthy lineup could mean a championship.

Big West

March 7, 9-11

At Henderson, Nev.

Favorite: UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos are always near the top of this league with their emphasis on the defensive end where opponents always find it difficult to score.

Contenders: UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Hawaii. UC Irvine is always a threat because of its sticky defense, the Anteaters are ranked in the top 20 in field-goal percentage defense.

Bid-Stealer: UC Davis. Jim Les is an overlooked coach who is capable of pushing his team to this title.

Prediction: Hawaii. The Hawaiians have had a good season but need to overcome the history of not playing well on mainland. Dynamic point guard JoVon McClanahan can make a big difference.

MAAC

March 7-11

At Atlantic City, N.J.

Favorite: Iona. Rick Pitino, who really is trying to do two jobs, coach and league commissioner, doesn’t feel he’s established the Gaels are a great non-power league team but he’s getting there.

Contenders: Siena, Rider, Quinnipiac, Niagara. In case you lost track, former Duke guard and Syracuse QB, Greg Paulus, has done a nice job at Niagara.

Bid-Stealer: Fairfield. The Stags need as big three days from quality big man Supreme Cook.

Prediction: Iona. Two tremendous players, guard Walter Clayton and center Nelly Junior Joseph, will make sure the Gaels end up in the NCAAs.

Big 12 Conference

March 8-11

At Kansas City, Mo.

Favorite: Kansas. The Jayhawks actually lost three in a row at one point but the roster is balanced and full of high-level talent.

Contenders: Texas, Kansas State, Baylor. Based on the regular season, you could add more teams in what should be a rugged few days in K.C. One thing is certain, Texas has been resilient after losing coach Chris Beard because of a domestic abuse incident.

Bid-Stealer: TCU. The Horned Frogs have been slowed by injuries. If top-notch guard Mike Miles is playing as well as he can, they can win this.

Prediction: Kansas State has had an incredible season under first-year coach Jerome Tang. Point guard Markquis Nowell had improved from an ordinary player to a borderline All-American.

Big East Conference

March 8-11

At New York

Favorite: Marquette. Shaka Smart has pieced together a unit that plays together at both ends of the floor. Point guard Tyler Kolek makes it all work.

Contenders: Xavier, Providence, Creighton,.UConn

Ed Cooley has done an incredible job at Providence. He lost most of his roster but mined the transfer portal successfully again.

Bid-Stealer: Villanova. It’s been mostly a dismal season for first-year coach Kyle Neptune, but the Wildcats finished the regular season strongly.

Prediction: Xavier

Sean Miller’s return to X has been an unqualified success. His roster was boosted by one of the best transfers in the country in guard Souley Boum.

Big Ten Conference

March 8-12

At Chicago

Favorite: Purdue. The Boilermakers have somehow combined a pair of freshmen guards (Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer) and a top-notch big man (Zach Edey) into what could be a historic season.

Contenders: Indiana, Northwestern, Iowa, Michigan State, Illinois. Northwestern has a player, guard Boo Buie, who refuses to let the Wildcats lose.

Bid-Stealer: Nebraska. Can streaky shooter Keisei Tominaga catch fire and carry the Huskers all the way?

Prediction: Indiana. Two things have really improved the Hoosiers. 1. When coach Mike Woodson decided to give the ball as much as possible to big man Trayce Jackson-Davis and 2. The quick, late-season development of freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino.

Conference USA

March 8-11

At Frisco, Tex.

Favorite: Florida Atlantic. The Owls are an experienced team and coach Dusty Mays uses his entire roster (the team’s leading scorers come off the bench).

Contenders: North Texas, UAB, Middle Tennessee. Middle has a group of athletes that play excellent defense; the Blue Raiders need to be offensively efficient to win this.

Bid-Stealer: Western Kentucky. A huge defensive push led by 7-5, shot-blocking center Jamarion Sharp would have to be the reason.

Prediction: UAB. The Blazers have the most entertaining player in the country in guard Jordan “Jelly’’ Walker. He’s been slowed by injury, but should be getting close to full strength.

MEAC

March 8-11

At Norfolk, Va.

Favorite: Howard. Coach Kenny Blakeney, who played at Duke, has turned the Harvard of the HBCUs into a good basketball school.

Contenders: Maryland Eastern Shore, Norfolk State, Morgan State. Eastern Shore hasn’t had success in a long time but the Hawks are a strong defensive team with balanced scoring.

Bid-Stealer: North Carolina Central. Central has always been near the top of the league; it’s not impossible to imagine they could play well enough to win this.

Prediction: Howard. Here’s a winning connection, Blakeney played at DeMatha High School (which has a great tradition) and so did his two leading scorers, Elijah Hawkins and Steve Settle. Blakeney has used his entire roster trying to wear the opposition down.

Mountain West

March 8-11

At Las Vegas

Favorite: San Diego State. The consistency of the Aztecs is amazing; they’re always near the top of the standings with great defense, deliberate offense and a great homecourt advantage.

Contenders: Utah State, Boise State, Nevada, New Mexico. New Mexico is an entertaining offensive team with sons of two former NBA players, Jamal Mashburn and Jaden House.

Bid-Stealer: UNLV. Not only do the Rebels have a hometown advantage; they also have top-notch forward E.J. Harkness.

Prediction: Utah State. The Aggies are a dynamic offensive team, one of the best in the country in effective field goal percentage.

Pac 12

March 8-11

At Las Vegas

Favorite: UCLA. The Bruins have great balance, they can score in a variety of ways and they’re an excellent defensive team

Contenders: Arizona, Southern Cal. Boogie Ellis’ career hasn’t been great but the USC guard has had great moments. Maybe this could be another one.

Bid-Stealer: Colorado. The Buffaloes’ early-season victories over Tennessee and Texas A&M stand as an examples of what’s possible.

Prediction: Arizona. When Lute Olson was the Wildcats’ coach, this tournament was unimportant to him. I’m assuming Tommy Lloyd is different. The Wildcats can just bury teams with their height and muscle.

SEC

March 8-12

At Nashville, Tenn.

Favorite: Alabama. The Tide can overwhelm opponents with their offense, led by the nation’s top freshman, Brandon Miller, but they’re also an excellent defensive team.

Contenders: Tennessee, Texas A&M, Auburn, Kentucky. Tennessee wins with defense; sometimes its offense translates to losses. The Vols just have to score enough points.

Bid-Stealer: Arkansas. Injuries eroded what should have been a great season but the Hogs are still capable.

Prediction: Alabama. The Tide just have too many weapons. The only thing that could derail them is the fallout from the murder associated with the team. Police have said that Miller brought the gun to the murder scene.

SWAC

March 8-11

At Birmingham, Ala.

Favorite: Alcorn State. The Braves took a battering with a tough, early-season schedule, but since league play has begun, they’ve been solid.

Contenders: Grambling, Southern. A pair of transfers, Brion Whitley (Murray State) and Bryson Etienne (Texas Southern) are key for Southern.

Bid-Stealer: Texas Southern. The Tigers have won the last two tournaments and four of the last five. They’re always dangerous.

Prediction: Grambling. The Tigers have never won this but this season is a different one. They’ve beaten Colorado and Vanderbilt this season. Willis Reed would be happy.

American Athletic Conference

March 9-12

At Fort Worth, Tex.

Favorite: Houston. The Cougars are shown occasional vulnerability this season … but not much. For most part, they pounded teams, winning games by a wide margin.

Contenders: Memphis, Temple, Tulane. The Owls are the only ones who found a way to beat Houston

Bid-Stealer: South Florida. The Bulls played Houston to a six-point game and have a top-notch guard in 5-9 Tyler Harris.

Prediction: Houston. The Cougars lock teams down with their suffocating defense and that’s a winning formula in this tournament.

Mid-America Conference

March 9-11

At Cleveland

Favorite: Toledo is ranked in the top 10 in the country in scoring and field goal percentage. They could catch fire and just outscore everyone.

Contenders: Kent State, Akron, Ball State. Akron is led by guard Xavier Castaneda, a real volume scorer. He will put up some shots.

Bid-Stealer: Ohio. The Bobcats’ big man Dwight Wilson can take over games.

Prediction: Kent State. Let’s say this first: The MAC deserved two bids even thought it won’t happen. Kent State will be dangerous in the NCAAs because the Flashes are a veteran unit led by two savvy guards, Sincere Carey and Malique Jacobs.

Ivy League

March 11-12

At Princeton, N.J.

Favorite: Princeton. Things have changed in Central New Jersey. The Tigers score a lot more than they used to and are led by a big man, 6-8 Tosan Evbuomwan.

Contenders: Yale, Penn. The Quakers’ Jordan Dingle is one of the top scorers in the country, capable of carrying his team to two victories.

Prediction: Yale. The Bulldogs, as always underrated.