This is March. College Basketball has taken over the main stage of American sports as the postseason has begun. In this article, I will preview the 5 major conference tournaments and reveal the implications they could have on the NCAA tournament. 

ACC – 

My Pick: Duke

Sleeper: UNC

Overview: In a down year in the ACC, they are only projected to get 3 teams into the NCAA Tournament. Duke is the #1 team in the country, getting hot at the right time. Clemson and Louisville have been blowing through the ACC, climbing the ranks in the AP Polls. UNC is on the bubble and would likely need to beat Duke in the semifinals to get into the tournament. The Tar Heels have the talent to go on a run, winning 6 of their last 7. Wake Forest and SMU played themselves off the bubble and will likely need to win the whole thing in order to get in. Overall, I think Duke will run through this tournament, and prove why they will be a 1 Seed on Sunday. 

SEC – 

My Pick: Auburn

Sleeper: Arkansas/Oklahoma

Overview: The SEC has been the best conference in the history of basketball this season. They could realistically get 14 teams into March Madness. Auburn has been the most dominant but they have dropped 2 of their last 3 games. Florida, Alabama and Tennessee are fighting for their right for a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Missouri, Kentucky, Georgia and Mississippi State are safely in. Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Texas and Oklahoma are on the bubble, winning their first game should be enough to feel safe about themselves. I think Arkansas can go on a run in the tournament, their athleticism and Calpari’s coaching experience will be helpful. Oklahoma has been playing a lot better recently and I think they could do some damage if Jeremiah Fears continues to play well. Overall, the SEC is stacked and I could see 6 different teams winning this tournament. I trust Auburn the most to play consistently well, with the SEC POY, Johni Broome on their team. I think the Tigers will win the championship and continue to add to their resume. 

I asked Jordan Tatum who he thought would win the SEC tournament.  He said, “The Florida Gators will win easily because they have the most depth, best player, best coach and the way we are playing right now I feel like we are unbeatable. 

Big 10 – 

My Pick: Wisconsin

Sleeper: Oregon

Overview: The Big 10 tournament takes place in Indianapolis this week from March 12-16. Nebraska, Penn State and Washington didn’t make the 15 team field. Rutgers has 2 Top 3 NBA Draft prospects but they’ve been terrible this year. Ohio State will need to win at least 2 games to feel good about their chances. Indiana will need to beat Oregon to pick up another good win. Michigan State has been on a tear throughout February and March. If they can win this tournament, they could sneak onto the 1 seed line in March Madness. Purdue has been on a skid recently and needs to use this tournament to get back on track. Oregon, Wisconsin, UCLA, Maryland, Illinois and Michigan are firmly into the tournament. I think Wisconsin will win the tournament as they’ve matched up well with Michigan State this year and have a prolific offense. Oregon could go on a run, as they’ve beaten a high quality of opponents this season and Jamal Shelstad is a really good guard. 

I asked Isaac Ericksen who he thought would win the tournament. He said “I think Michigan State will win because they are extremely well coached and have all the talent in the world.”

Big 12 – 

My Pick: Houston

Sleeper: Baylor

Overview: The Big 12 has sort of fallen off throughout this season with Kansas being a lot worse than expected. Make no mistake, this conference still has some elite teams. Houston will likely be a one seed in March. Texas Tech, BYU and Iowa State are also elite and will be top 5 seeds. West Virginia, Arizona and Baylor are going to be in the tournament also. I could see Baylor going on a run, as they have elite guard play and could get hot. I think Houston has pretty much separated themselves from the rest of the field and they will win this tournament. 

Big East – 

My Pick: UConn

Sleeper: Villanova

Overview: St John’s has easily been the best team this season with Rick Pitno’s transformation. Marquette, Creighton and UConn have been solid teams and will be in March Madness. Xavier is the only team that’s on the bubble and will need to beat Marquette in the Quarterfinals. Villanova has been very inconsistent this year but they have no doubt the talent to win this whole thing and earn an auto-qualifier in March. I think UConn will win this tournament, Dan Hurley has so much experience in coaching these big games. I expect Alex Karaban and Liam McNeeley to come up big for the Huskies.