Bracketology: Conference Tournament Previews – Round I
By Will
It’s that time of year again when the words “bracket”, “bubble”, “mid-major”, and “upset” all start to enter your vocabulary and it starts with conference tournaments. Here’s a quick primer on the 15 tournaments that start before Sunday, March 4.
America East
Where: Hartford, CT until championship game (highest seed plays at home arena)
When: March 1-4, March 10
Regular season champion: Stony Brook (20-8, 14-2, projected 16 seed)
2011 champion: Boston University (20-13, 16 seed, lost to Kansas in first round)
Other contenders: Vermont (20-11, 13-3) and Boston University (16-15, 12-4)
Bracket: http://www.americaeast.com/pdf8/828269.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=14000
Tournament described in one sentence: Frequently upset-filled, second place is no longer first loser: four of the last five tournaments were won by the 2 seed.
Atlantic Sun
Where: Macon, GA
When: February 29-March 3
Regular season champion: Belmont (24-7, 16-2, projected 14 seed)
2011 champion: Belmont (30-4, 13 seed, lost to Wisconsin in first round)
Other contenders: Mercer (21-10, 13-5) and USC Upstate (20-11, 13-5)
Bracket: http://www.atlanticsun.org/media/2011-12/pdf/MBB%20Bracket%20-%202012.pdf
Tournament described in one sentence: Belmont is the heavy favorite in their last go-around as an Atlantic Sun member, but the tournament is held at second-place Mercer’s home gym.
Big Sky
Where: Regular-season champion
When: March 3, March 6-7
Regular season champion: Montana (23-6, 15-1)
2011 champion: Northern Colorado (21-10, 15 seed, lost to San Diego State in first round)
Other contenders: Weber State (23-5, 14-2)
Bracket: http://www.bigskyconf.com/documents/2012/2/15/Bracket2012.pdf?id=211
Tournament described in one sentence: Weber State is the more dangerous of the two, but Montana’s stifling defense can cause problems for anyone.
Big South
Where: Campus sites, final held at highest remaining seed
When: February 27, March 1-3
Regular season champion: UNC-Asheville (21-9, 16-2, projected 16 seed)
2011 champion: UNC-Asheville (19-13, defeated Arkansas-Little Rock in First Four, lost to Pittsburgh in first round)
Other contenders: Coastal Carolina (19-10, 12-6), Charleston Southern (18-11, 11-7), Campbell (17-14, 11-7)
Bracket: http://www.bigsouthsports.com/pdf8/825497.pdf
Tournament described in one sentence: A tale of streaks, as after six straight years of the regular season champion winning the tournament, an upset winner has occurred in the last two.
Colonial
Where: Richmond, VA
When: March 2-5
Regular season champion: Drexel (25-5, 16-2, projected 14 seed)
2011 champion: Old Dominion (27-6, 9 seed, lost to Butler in first round)
Other contenders: Everyone from VCU (25-6, 15-3) to Georgia State (20-10, 11-7)
Bracket: http://www.caasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8500&ATCLID=742371
Tournament described in one sentence: Wide flipping open, but a VCU win creates a very interesting at-large conversation for the CAA and Drexel.
Horizon League
Where: Campus sites, championship at higher seed
When: February 28-29, March 5-6
Regular season champion: Valparaiso (21-10, 14-4, projected 16 seed)
2011 champion: Butler (23-9, 8 seed, def. Old Dominion in first round, def. Pittsburgh in second round, def. Wisconsin in Sweet 16, def. Florida in Elite 8, def. VCU in Final Four, lost to Connecticut in National Championship)
Other contenders: Everyone but Illinois-Chicago and Loyola (IL)
Bracket: http://www.horizonleague.org/mens-basketball/bracket
Tournament described in one sentence: Wide flipping open times 100.
Metro Atlantic
Where: Springfield, MA
When: March 2-5
Regular season champion: Iona (24-6, 15-3, projected 13 seed)
2011 champion: St. Peter’s (20-13, 14 seed, lost to Purdue in first round)
Other contenders: Loyola (MD) (21-8, 13-5), Manhattan (20-11, 12-6), Fairfield (17-13, 12-6)
Tournament described in one sentence: Iona plays the basketball version of the last lap of the Daytona 500, so you want them to win.
Missouri Valley
Where: St. Louis, MO
When: March 1-4
Regular season champion: Wichita State (26-4, 16-2, projected 3 seed)
2011 champion: Indiana State (20-13, 14 seed, lost to Syracuse in first round)
Other contenders: Creighton (25-5, 14-4, projected 5 seed), essentially anyone above .500
Bracket: http://www.mvc-sports.com/media/2011-12/mbasketball/MBB_Bracket.pdf
Tournament described in one sentence: Arch Madness is always mad and always a blast, as the favorite rarely wins (I’ll make 19-12 Northern Iowa my darkhorse pick).
Northeast
Where: Campus sites, championship at higher seed
When: March 1, 4, 7
Regular season champion: Long Island (22-8, 16-2, projected 15 seed)
2011 champion: Long Island (27-5, 15 seed, lost to North Carolina in first round)
Other contenders: Wagner (24-5, 15-3) and Robert Morris (22-9, 13-5)
Bracket: http://www.northeastconference.org/documents/2012/1/31/bracket.pdf?id=13371
Tournament described in one sentence: If Iona is Daytona, Long Island is the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Ohio Valley
Where: Nashville, TN
When: February 29-March 3
Regular season champion: Murray State (28-1, 15-1, projected 6 seed)
2011 champion: Morehead State (24-9, 13 seed, defeated Louisville in first round, lost to Richmond in second round)
Other contenders: None close to Murray
Bracket: http://ovcsports.com/pdf8/827995.pdf?SPSID=31039&SPID=2443&DB_OEM_ID=6200
Tournament described in one sentence: The four-day period where Murray State becomes every bubble team’s most rooted-for squad.
Patriot
Where: Campus sites, championship at higher seed
When: February 29, March 3, 7
Regular season champion: Bucknell (22-8, 12-2, projected 15 seed)
2011 champion: Bucknell (25-8, 14 seed, lost to Connecticut in first round)
Other contenders: Lehigh (23-7, 11-3), American (19-10, 10-4), Holy Cross (15-13, 9-5)
Tournament described in one sentence: See you on Selection Sunday, Bucknell – the last six tournaments have been won by the regular season champion.
Southern
Where: Asheville, NC
When: March 2-5
Regular season champion: Davidson (22-7, 16-2, projected 14 seed)
2011 champion: Wofford (21-12, 14 seed, lost to BYU in first round)
Other contenders: Wofford (19-12, 12-6)
Tournament described in one sentence: Davidson’s to lose, although Wofford or College of Charleston could pose a decent threat.
Summit League
Where: Sioux Falls, ND
When: March 3-6
Regular season champion: Oral Roberts (26-5, 17-1, projected 13 seed)
2011 champion: Oakland (25-9, 13 seed, lost to Texas in first round)
Other contenders: South Dakota State (24-7, 15-3)
Bracket: http://www.thesummitleague.org/fls/3900/PDF/12_Mens_Bracket.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=3900
Tournament described in one sentence: A fifth-grader’s dream, as either a team with “oral” in its name or the Jackrabbits will win the automatic bid.
Sun Belt
Where: Hot Springs, AR
When: March 3-6
Regular season champion: Middle Tennessee (25-5, 14-2, projected 13 seed)
2011 champion: Arkansas-Little Rock (19-16, projected 16 seed, lost to UNC-Asheville in First Four)
Other contenders: Denver (21-8, 11-5)
Bracket: http://www.sunbeltsports.org/fls/4100/mbball_stats/2012/mbb_bracket.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=4100
Tournament described in one sentence: Hot Springs: the most Sun Belt city ever.
West Coast
Where: Las Vegas, NV
When: February 29-March 5
Regular season champion: St. Mary’s (CA) (25-5, 14-2, projected 7 seed)
2011 champion: Gonzaga (24-9, 11 seed, def. St. John’s in first round, lost to BYU in second round)
Other contenders: Gonzaga (23-5, 13-3, projected 7 seed), BYU (24-7, 12-4, projected 11 seed), Loyola Marymount (19-11, 11-5)
Bracket: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/west/genrel/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/2012-wcc-champ-bracket.pdf
Tournament described in one sentence: Normally a Gonzaga/St. Mary’s only affair, this tournament feels a bit different with probable at-large BYU and darkhorse Loyola Marymount entering the fray.
Part 2 will come next Tuesday, featuring the remaining 15 tournaments and a small writeup on the Ivy League’s champion if that league race is decided by then.