Welcome to Convention Championship Week, the place champions shall be topped, and NCAA Event bids shall be stolen.
Thirty-one conferences will decide a champion, however what tournaments should not you miss? Let’s have a look.
5. ACC
Normally a powerful basketball convention, the ACC has had a down yr with simply three groups (Duke, Clemson and Louisville) slated to make the NCAA Event. This version of the ACC Event in Charlotte shouldn’t have many surprising outcomes, with Duke most certainly dealing with both Clemson or Louisville within the ultimate.
Duke has blown via the remainder of the convention, besides for his or her loss at Clemson on Feb. 8. The Blue Devils received 10 ACC video games by 25+ factors this season and have received every of their final 4 video games by 30+ factors. Cooper Flagg and Co. present no indicators of slowing down anytime quickly. The Duke devoted will undoubtedly present up in Queen Metropolis to ship their Blue Devils to the dance as doubtlessly the No. 1 general seed.
Choose: Duke
4. Massive 12
Houston has been the usual within the Massive 12 for fairly a while now, and that can proceed to be evident subsequent week in Kansas Metropolis. Kelvin Sampson, ranked third in KenPom with a top-ten offensive ranking and an elite protection, is trying to lead the Cougars to their first Massive 12 event title.
Projected NCAA Event No. 2 seed Texas Tech and No. 3 seed Iowa State can maybe give Houston some bother, however Houston beat each groups in back-to-back video games over the past week of February.
Houston’s balanced assault, coupled with their jarringly gradual tempo of play, makes them a tricky out in any event they play in.
Choose: Houston
3. Massive East
Rick Pitino has electrified St. John’s and New York Metropolis together with his fiery model of teaching and a tough-minded roster. Madison Sq. Backyard needs to be a spectacle subsequent week because the Crimson Storm look to win the Massive East event for the primary time in 2000.
St. John’s could have the benefit of taking part in on their dwelling ground, however don’t anticipate it to be a cakewalk. The Massive East has loads of high quality groups who can win this event. Dan Hurley could have his Huskies able to repeat as event champions and steal an computerized qualifying spot. Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner is a mismatch in opposition to any opponent due to his measurement, and Marquette wouldn’t be a shock both.
In the end, one other Massive East group has but to match St. John’s toughness. The Johnnies’ defensive type of play will carry them to a Massive East event title.
Choose: St. John’s
2. Massive Ten
The Massive Ten will possible have double-digit illustration on this yr’s NCAA Event, so successful the convention title in Indianapolis shall be a tall process for any group.
Purdue shall be a tricky out led by Massive Ten Participant of the Yr candidate Braden Smith. The 2-headed monster of Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin have returned Michigan to the convention’s higher echelon and appear poised for a deep run in March. John Tonje and John Blackwell are main Wisconsin to a powerful season. And don’t overlook about Kevin Willard’s Maryland Terrapins, who’re well-coached and rank within the prime ten of KenPom’s adjusted defensive effectivity ranking.
However there’s one group peaking on the proper time: Michigan State. Tom Izzo at all times finds a solution to put together his groups for March, and this yr is not any completely different. The Spartans had been dealt a gauntlet of a late-season schedule. Nevertheless, they picked up assertion victories in opposition to Purdue and Wisconsin at dwelling and Illinois, Michigan, Maryland and Iowa on the highway. Regardless of missing in taking pictures, Michigan State’s protection ranks greatest within the Massive Ten, permitting them to hold round till the photographs begin falling.
Izzo could have his males able to go, and the Spartans’ balanced assault ought to assist them add a seventh Massive Ten event title to the trophy case in East Lansing.
Choose: Michigan State
1. SEC
This season, the Southeastern Convention was one of many hardest conferences in school basketball historical past, and subsequent week’s event in Nashville shall be no completely different. The convention boasts seven groups in KenPom’s prime 20 and can possible have 4 of the NCAA Event’s prime eight general seeds.
Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama are all bonafide nationwide championship contenders, however they may nonetheless be challenged by strong groups like Texas A&M, Missouri, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss within the battle for the SEC event crown.
Final week, Auburn fell to the Aggies in School Station, and Tennessee misplaced to Ole Miss in Oxford. Florida and Alabama duked it out in Tuscaloosa, with the Gators rising victorious 99-94.
Seven groups might win this event, however Florida’s mixture of deadly scoring, measurement down low, general toughness and clear execution permits them to match up in opposition to any group on this convention and the nation. The Gators have a number of the greatest wins in school basketball this season, with highway wins at No. 1 Auburn at No. 7 Alabama and a 30-point blowout victory in opposition to Tennessee once they had been ranked first within the nation.
Search for the Gators to be on the stage in Nashville for the primary time since 2014.
Choose: Florida
