ACC: Duke
Surely the Blue Devils can’t lose to UNC for a third time, right? Kidding here, but I do like Duke’s path a lot more than UNC in a conference that is viewed as having a top two. The Blue Devils will play either Syracuse or NC State before likely either Virginia or Clemson while UNC might have a semifinal date with either Wake or Pitt.
American: Memphis
Getting Memphis as the five seed was definitely part of the reason I chose the Tigers, but they are also playing better basketball than they were a month ago despite the loss to FAU. Memphis will have to win four games in four days, but Penny Hardaway is typically excellent when it comes to getting his team ready for big games, and I trust him to have them prepared should they meet FAU again.
Atlantic 10: Dayton
I didn’t really feel anyone got a great draw in this league, but that’s expected with the balance and parity that the league has. Dayton certainly has a lot less pressure on them because they’re the only NCAA Tournament lock and getting the best team in the conference as the three seed certainly influenced my choice.
Big 12: Houston
As crazy as the Big 12 Tournament could get, I think this actually will end up being chalk. Houston is going to get a struggling Oklahoma or TCU in the quarterfinals and then you could argue that the next four best teams after them are all on the other side of the bracket. Kansas is thin and not healthy, Baylor and Iowa State could both go through wars and I just don’t think Texas Tech or BYU could take out the Coogs on a neutral floor.
Big East: UConn
I apologize for being boring here, but I am still trying to get the pick right in the end. UConn lost the one game to Creighton down the stretch of the season and has been invincible otherwise. Their fans will pack MSG and the Huskies still have much to play for as they push for the No. 1 overall seed.
Big Ten: Purdue
People have been in denial all year about how good Purdue actually is and that won’t change unless Purdue makes a deep NCAA tournament run. That could end up being a good thing for the Boilermakers as they will continue to play with a chip on their shoulder. There’s no reason to be worried about Purdue’s draw either as they’ll get either Minnesota or Michigan State in the quarters and then Wisconsin or an injured Northwestern team in the semis.
Big West: UC Riverside
I understand that the path is difficult, but Mike Magpayo is a great coach that has his team playing well right now. Winning four games in four days with double byes in play is very hard, but someone has to do it eventually, right? The Highlanders won 7/9 to end the regular season including a home win against top-seed UC Irvine and a road win over the two-seed UC Davis.
Conference USA: Louisiana Tech
Conference USA has taken a massive dip this year with a lot of the good teams moving to the American. Despite getting the two seed, I think Louisiana Tech with Daniel Batcho and Isaiah Crawford is the most talented team in the conference.
Ivy: Princeton
I’ve held firm all season that Princeton is the best team in the conference. The Tigers finished the regular season 24-3 and 12-2 in the league with the only losses coming at Yale and at Cornell. Outside of that tough road trip, Princeton has been essentially flawless and on a neutral floor, I think they’ll prove that they’ve been the best team in the conference.
MAAC: Rider
I’m really glad Sam and I are aligned on this one, but if you really want good reasoning I’d go to him. Rider was one of the preseason favorites in the MAAC and after a slow start has really come on late. Watch out for the talented Broncos and don’t be surprised if this tournament is utter chaos.
MAC: Akron
Akron blew the one seed late in the year to Toledo, but I still think John Groce has the better basketball team. Enrique Freeman and Ali Ali are nightmares to match up against in that league. Give me John Groce and his guys to get back to the tournament for the second time in three years.
MEAC: Norfolk State
Norfolk State has won the conference tournament two of the last three seasons and Robert Jones is constantly talked about as an up-and-coming coach. After a defeat against Howard last year, I expect the Spartans to reclaim the throne behind elite guard Jamarii Thomas.
Mountain West: San Diego State
The reigning national runner-up is flying a little under the radar at the moment. The Aztecs have a difficult road, opening Thursday with UNLV on the Rebels’ home floor, but I still believe that San Diego State has the championship pedigree that could give them the tournament crown. Jaedon LeDee has been excellent this year, but someone else will need to step up.
Pac 12: Arizona
The last hurrah for the Pac-12. Arizona played with fire at times, but ultimately won the regular season title despite getting swept by Washington State. This one could get really interesting if Arizona gets taken out early because there aren’t any at-large candidates on that side of the bracket. However, I think the Wildcats bounce back and take home the double crown in the final season for the “Conference of Champions”.
SEC: Auburn
Went very chalky on my other high major picks, but I am going with the four seed here. I don’t think Auburn’s draw is terrible with getting South Carolina in the quarters and we know this team could just get hot and win three straight. It’s a tough road, but Bruce Pearl’s team has done it before.
SWAC: Texas Southern
This league is very even outside of the bottom couple of teams (that didn’t make the tournament anyway). The highest-rated KenPom team is the four seed and the SWAC has multiple teams that have wins against an SEC team this year. Johnny Jones’ team has been playing well and has some really fun guards that could get hot and win the tournament for them.
WAC: UT Arlington
Full disclosure, little bit of a meme pick here. UT Arlington has had a great year and has been so close to beating the top teams. They lost four games to Grand Canyon and Tarleton State by an average of 4.25 points. However, the Mavs won their final six of the regular season and five of them were by double digits (including at Seattle and at Utah Valley). Watch out for K.T. Turner’s squad behind their backcourt to potentially win this one.