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HomesportMarch Madness: Rapid-fire guide to this week's major conference tournaments

March Madness: Rapid-fire guide to this week’s major conference tournaments


The hole while of convention competition play games in males’s school basketball delivered tense title games, record-setting scoring nights and SportsCenter-worthy buzzer-beaters.

Now right here come the big-budget leagues to peer if they are able to govern that.

Convention competition video games can be performed from early afternoon till deep into the night time over the nearest six days as groups attempt to fasten up a place within the NCAA competition or put together a overdue push to beef up their seeding. Underneath is a take a look at what’s at stake throughout this while’s 8 marquee tournaments, from projected champions, to bubble implications, to the potential of a bid thief.

Atlantic 10

Convention rank: eighth of 33

Supremacy seeds: 1. Richmond 2. Loyola (Chicago) 3. Dayton

When and the place: March 12-17 in Brooklyn (Bracket)

Favourite: Dayton could have completed a duel again of co-champs Richmond and Loyola (Chicago), however the Flyers stay the favorites to win the Atlantic 10 competition. They’re the A-10’s best group with a NET rating higher than Negative. 71 and the one group that may put together the NCAA competition with out securing the league’s auto bid. There’s additionally somewhat prime stakes for Dayton (24-6, 14-4) from a seeding viewpoint. A win or two in Brooklyn will have to retain Dayton out of a dreaded 8-9 first-round NCAA competition duel and place the Flyers higher for a possible second-weekend run.

Who else can win it? Get started with the 2 groups who improbably shared the league identify. A life in the past, Chris Mooney spent March on scientific release later present process middle surgical operation. This life, he and Richmond are celebrating a 23-win season. A life in the past, Drew Valentine used to be selecting himself off the mat later a last-place end in Loyola Chicago’s debut A-10 season. This life, he and the Ramblers input the postseason having gained 10 in their hour 11.

[Free bracket contests for men’s & women’s tourneys for shot at $25K]

Bubble implications: None. Dayton is a lock, possibly later it wins the A-10 competition. Nobody else has a viable at-large case.

Participant who may lift his group in March: DaRon Holmes, Dayton

Projected champ: Richmond

Projected NCAA bids: 2

Odds of manufacturing a bid thief: Bubble groups can be breaking out their foam arms and pom-poms when Dayton performs as a result of a championship run from the Flyers is the one method the A-10 turns into a one-bid league. If someone else — Richmond, Loyola (Chicago), UMass, and so on. — wins the A-10 competition, Dayton falls into the at-large lake and a place for a bubble group in an instant vanishes. Bart Torvik’s projections give Dayton a 36.2% probability of successful the A-10 competition. In alternative phrases, the grassland is a greater guess than the Flyers. Bubble groups beware!

Will we see another UNC vs. Duke showdown in the ACC tournament this weekend? (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)Will we see another UNC vs. Duke showdown in the ACC tournament this weekend? (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Do we see every other UNC vs. Duke showdown within the ACC competition this weekend? (Lend Halverson/Getty Photographs)

ACC

Convention rank: 4th of 33

Supremacy seeds: 1. North Carolina 2. Duke 3. Virginia

When and the place: March 12-16 in Washington D.C. (Bracket)

Favourite: The ACC competition favourite undeniably is North Carolina. The Tar Heels earned that situation final Saturday night time after they finished a season sweep of Duke in Durham to say the outright regular-season ACC identify. That victory strengthened North Carolina’s probabilities of securing the NCAA competition’s ultimate Negative. 1 seed. The Tar Heels are near at the back of SEC champion Tennessee coming into the beginning of convention competition play games.

Who else can win it? Duke has owned a govern in opposition to North Carolina for all of 16 seconds in two video games this season, however the Blue Devils stay the most important ultimatum to the Tar Heels’ hopes of sweeping the ACC steady season and competition titles. All Jon Scheyer will have to want to do to inspire his group is play games a clip of North Carolina avid gamers taunting the Duke scholar division later Saturday night time’s duel.

Bubble implications: The ACC’s probabilities of securing greater than 3 NCAA competition bids left-overs on Virginia notching no less than one win in Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh or Wake Jungle stringing in combination a couple of. Virginia could be guard with a quarterfinal win in opposition to both Clemson or the Miami-Boston Faculty winner. A possible quarterfinal between Pittsburgh and Wake Jungle is most likely a should–win for both of them.

Participant who may lift his group in March: R.J. Davis, North Carolina

Projected champ: North Carolina

Projected NCAA bids: 4

Odds of manufacturing a bid thief: In a league with best 3 NCAA competition locks, by no means say by no means. Wake Jungle or Pittsburgh are able to enjoying their method from the bubble to an auto bid if Hunter Sallis or Blake Hinson catch hearth. Syracuse has additionally proven a pulse overdue within the season. And don’t fail to remember that it used to be best two years in the past that Virginia Tech went via North Carolina and Duke to say an surprising NCAA bid.

Heavy East

Convention rank: fifth of 33

Supremacy seeds: 1. UConn 2. Creighton 3. Marquette

When and the place: March 13-16 in New York (Bracket)

Favourite: UConn misplaced 5 of its govern 8 avid gamers from final life’s nationwide identify group. In some way the Huskies have come again simply as excellent or higher. Dan Hurley’s group is the easiest mix of hungry novices and NCAA tournament-hardened veterans. Part of UConn’s 28 victories have come by way of 20 issues or extra. When at their preferrred, the Huskies are dominant.

Who else can win it? Creighton may well be the one viable ultimatum to UConn until Marquette megastar Tyler Kolek performs in the course of the late-season indirect trauma he suffered. The Bluejays input the Heavy East competition having reeled off 8 wins of their final 9 video games, together with a totally notable 85-66 devastate of UConn. Creighton’s deficit of intensity is usually a issue enjoying 3 duel in 3 days, however the Bluejays’ foundation 5 is one in every of school basketball’s preferrred.

Bubble implications: 4 Heavy East groups will set in in Unutilized York with various ranges of labor left to do to accumulation an NCAA bid. A Seton Corridor-St. John’s quarterfinal is usually a win-and-in duel for each groups, however the Pirates will have to really feel higher than the Johnnies about their probabilities with a loss. 6th-seeded Villanova must steer clear of a season-killing loss in opposition to DePaul and next speed struggle at Marquette. 7th-seeded Windfall must steer clear of getting Ed Cooley’d in opposition to Georgetown and next exit for needful in opposition to Creighton.

Participant who may lift his group in March: Trey Alexander, Creighton

Projected champ: UConn

Projected NCAA bids: 5

Odds of manufacturing a bid thief: Seven of the Heavy East’s 11 groups are NCAA competition contenders, however the league’s base tier is in sorry environment. Shock-plagued Xavier and fading Butler stumbled around the end layout. DePaul is set to complete some of the all-time worst seasons by way of a power-conference group, and Georgetown’s two Heavy East wins this season had been each in opposition to the Blue Demons. Bubble groups in alternative leagues simply want to fear about getting rid of Seton Corridor, St. John’s, Villanova and Windfall as temporarily as conceivable.

Heavy Ten

Convention rank: 2d of 33

Supremacy seeds: 1. Purdue 2. Illinois 3. Nebraska

When and the place: March 13-17 in Minneapolis (Bracket)

Favourite: Purdue is a sunlit favourite to comb the Heavy Ten steady season and competition titles, however the Boilermakers should seek dehydrated to search out motivation. They’ll be the Negative. 1 seed within the NCAA competition’s Midwest Patch it doesn’t matter what they do within the Heavy Ten competition. And not anything they accomplish this while will backup them let go their popularity as NCAA competition underachievers.

Who else can win it? If Purdue presentations up taking a look forward to nearest while, second-seeded Illinois may get up to profit maximum. The Illini have the Heavy Ten’s maximum explosive transition offense and get pleasure from being at the reverse aspect of the bracket from the Boilermakers. Alternative than Illinois, it’s tricky to get serious about someone else’s probabilities. Nebraska did its preferrred do business from home all season. Wisconsin final gained back-to-back video games in January. And sure, sure, January, February, Izzo, April, however my goodness is Michigan Situation underwhelming this life.

Bubble implications: Are we positive 13-loss Michigan Situation could be safely within the grassland if it drops its opening-round Heavy Ten competition duel in opposition to Minnesota? The Spartans stay darlings of the predictive metrics, however the left-overs in their resume seems very bubbly. The Heavy Ten’s alternative two bubble groups, Iowa and Ohio Situation, face off in a must-win 7-versus-10 opening-round duel on Thursday. The winner would wish no less than another marquee win, however the loser could be NIT-bound.

Participant who may lift his group in March: Zach Edey, Purdue

Projected champ: Illinois

Projected NCAA bids: 6

Odds of manufacturing a bid thief: Ohio Situation’s transformation underneath period in-between professor Jake Diebler offers the Buckeyes an outdoor shot. They’ve crushed Purdue, Michigan Situation and Nebraska since firing Chris Holtmann final week.

[Free bracket contests for men’s & women’s tourneys for shot at $25K]

Heavy 12

Convention rank: 1st of 33

Supremacy seeds: 1. Houston 2. Iowa Situation 3. Baylor

When and the place: March 12-16 in Kansas Town (Bracket)

Favourite: If this season has taught us anything else, it’s don’t guess in opposition to Kelvin Sampson’s Houston program. The Cougars have seamlessly jumped from dominating the mid-tier American Athletic Convention to dominating the mighty Heavy 12. They went nearly wire-to-wire because the Negative. 1 group in predictive metrics and clinched the outright Heavy 12 identify even prior to demolishing convention same old bearer Kansas by way of 30 issues on Saturday night time.

Who else can win it? There’s a reason why T-Cell Enviornment in Kansas Town is referred to as Hilton Coliseum South. Iowa Situation lovers regularly spillage it when the Cyclones play games there. Iowa Situation (24-7) is unbeaten at house this season with victories over Houston and the left-overs of the Heavy 12’s govern groups. The Cyclones can be a difficult out this while with the people fueling them.

Bubble implications: There may be nonetheless an extended strategy to exit for Kansas Situation, however the Wildcats no less than stayed at the fringes of the bubble image by way of provoking Iowa Situation on Saturday in New york. Now Kansas Situation’s consideration turns to the Heavy 12 competition, the place it, at minimal, wishes to overcome NCAA tournament-bound Texas and speed ailing Iowa Situation for the second one day in not up to a while.

Participant who may lift his group in March: Jamal Shead, Houston

Projected champ: Houston

Projected NCAA bids: 9

Odds of manufacturing a bid thief: Do you assume Kansas Situation, Cincinnati, UCF, Oklahoma Situation or West Virginia can win four-plus video games within the crowd’s hardest convention competition? Me neither. This isn’t the league that’s taking to put together a bid thief.

Mountain West

Convention rank: seventh of 33

Supremacy seeds: 1. Utah Situation 2. Nevada 3. Boise Situation

When and the place: March 13-16 in Las Vegas (Bracket)

Favourite: There’s negative true favourite on this deep, balanced convention, however Utah Situation and San Diego Situation come the nearest. The Aggies (26-5) gained the Mountain West outright regardless of returning 0 avid gamers who scored some extent the former season. The Aztecs (22-9) nonetheless have a couple of key items from the group that reached final life’s nationwide identify duel, maximum particularly breakout megastar Jaedon LeDee.

Who else can win it? The simpler query is who can’t win it. Bart Torvik’s Mountain West tournament simulator offers the league’s govern seven groups no less than a ten% probability however negative higher than an 18.6% probability to win the championship. Nevada, particularly, completed the steady season on a seven-game win streak, moment Boise Situation gained six of its ultimate seven punctuated by way of an time beyond regulation highway win at San Diego Situation.

Bubble implications: At minimal, the Mountain West is more likely to fit the conference-best 5 NCAA bids it earned in 2013. The query is whether or not the league can get a 6th group within the grassland. The league’s bubble group is Unutilized Mexico, which sits proper at the trim layout coming into the while. The Lobos at minimal want to steer clear of emergency in opposition to Breeze Pressure and next win a quarterfinal in opposition to Boise Situation to beef up their probabilities.

Participant who may lift his group in March: Jaedon LeDee, San Diego Situation

Projected champ: San Diego Situation

Projected NCAA bids: 6

Odds of manufacturing a bid thief: Be careful for fourth-seeded UNLV, which gained 10 of its ultimate 12 video games and performs the Mountain West competition on its house flooring. The Rebels (19-11, 12-6) are not going to land an at-large bid because of early season losses to the likes of Southern, Loyola Marymount and Breeze Pressure, however they’re enjoying NCAA tournament-caliber basketball of overdue. They’re able to a run, despite the fact that touchdown in the similar part of the draw as San Diego Situation and Utah Situation doesn’t backup.

Caleb Love has found a home at Arizona after transferring from North Carolina. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Caleb Love has found a home at Arizona after transferring from North Carolina. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Caleb Love has discovered a house at Arizona later moving from North Carolina. (Christian Petersen/Getty Photographs)

Pac-12

Convention rank: sixth of 33

Supremacy seeds: 1. Arizona 2. Washington Situation 3. Colorado

When and the place: March 13-16 in Las Vegas (Bracket)

Favourite: When centered and aspiring, Arizona is by way of a ways the Pac-12’s preferrred group. The Wildcats beat Duke, Alabama, Wisconsin and Michigan Situation in non-conference play games and clinched the outright Pac-12 identify prior to their ultimate regular-season duel. They’re now not simply the favourite to win the Pac-12 competition. They’re additionally an inexpensive guess in opposition to all the grassland.

Who else can win it? When sloppy or careless, Arizona has been prone to occasional head-scratching losses. That would observable the door for a Washington Situation group that swept the Wildcats this season. Or a Colorado group with a first-team all-conference secure and a projected lottery pick out in its foundation lineup. Or perhaps a handful of alternative groups who’ve the skill to thread in combination a couple of wins.

Bubble implications: No matter thin probability the Pac-12 had of sending each Colorado and Utah to the NCAA competition took a clash when the third-seeded Buffaloes and sixth-seeded Utes landed in the similar quarter of the bracket. Colorado wishes that win to really feel accumulation about its at-large probabilities. Utah may desire a run to the Pac-12 identify duel to have any practical hope.

Participant who may lift his group in March: Caleb Love, Arizona

Projected champ: Arizona

Projected NCAA bids: 3

Odds of manufacturing a bid thief: A bid thief from the Pac-12 is an actual risk taking into account that best Arizona, Washington Situation and Colorado are at-large-worthy a number of the league’s 12 groups. That leaves a few bad steady season underachievers who’re able to stringing in combination a couple of wins. Oregon is succesful. So is Utah and USC.

SEC

Convention rank: third of 33

Supremacy seeds: 1. Tennessee 2. Kentucky 3. Alabama

When and the place: March 13-17 in Nashville (Bracket)

Favourite: It’s both Tennessee, the outright regular-season champion, or Kentucky, the group that on Saturday took ailing the Vols on their house flooring. Tennessee is within the pole place to accumulation the NCAA competition’s fourth Negative. 1 seed and may all however clinch it by way of making the SEC identify duel. Kentucky has gained seven of its hour 8 video games and is a group that no one will wish to draw within the NCAA competition.

Who else can win it? Be careful for Auburn, a group that predictive metrics proceed to love a ways higher than resume-based ones do. The fourth-seeded Tigers are ranked fourth at KenPom regardless of an astonishingly beggarly 1-7 document in Quadrant 1 video games. Alabama is also a ultimatum, despite the fact that the Stream don’e have momentum heading into March. When Alabama’s perimeter shooters exit chilly, its protection is nowhere related excellent enough quantity to grind out a win.

Bubble implications: All Mississippi Situation more than likely has to do to wrap up an NCAA bid is steer clear of crashing out of the SEC competition in its opening-round duel in opposition to LSU. Mock brackets venture the Bulldogs as a ten seed coming into the while. The SEC group with extra paintings to do is Texas A&M, which most likely would now not be within the grassland of 68 coming into nowadays. The Aggies (18-13) have crushed the likes of Kentucky, Tennessee and Iowa Situation, however in addition they have 13 losses, together with 4 in Quadrant 3 video games. Texas A&M may want to win a quarterfinal in opposition to Kentucky to be ok with its probabilities.

Participant who may lift his group in March: Dalton Knecht, Tennessee

Projected champ: Kentucky

Projected NCAA bids: 7

Odds of manufacturing a bid thief: Don’t rely on an SEC bid thief. The govern of this league is a dozen higher than the base part. Ole Leave out has gained two video games since January. Arkansas hasn’t been ready to thread in combination constant performances all season. The true ultimatum to bubble groups is Texas A&M creating a run to the SEC semifinals or identify duel. In a different way bubble groups can breathe simple.





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