College basketball is approaching its most exciting time of the year. Conference championships start the first week of March, which means that March Madness is right around the corner. Here is a rundown and a prediction of the upcoming conference championships, keying in on the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and the SEC.
ACC- The ACC has been pretty bland this year, as Duke has been running through just about everybody, being 15-1 in conference play. Another team that could make a run is Clemson, who is the one team in the ACC that beat Duke. Louisville is one of the hottest teams in this conference, but their path to the championship could be very difficult, as they could end up playing UNC and SMU in the tournament, which are teams that are fighting for a spot in the big dance. This is a conference that is pretty open, based on the fact that Duke is a very young team and there have been many instances in the past that a bottom or middle of the pack team has made a run in the tournament. NC State was 9-11 in conference play last year and ended up getting hot and winning the ACC. This gave them a March Madness berth and they went on to the Final Four. This goes to show that anyone can win this conference and the winner could go on to make some noise in march madness.
My Pick: Duke Blue Devils
Big 12- There are four powerhouse teams in the Big 12: Houston, Arizona, Iowa State, and Texas Tech. Two of these teams really stick out to me based on their reputation of being at the top of college basketball, which are Houston and Iowa State. Houston’s reputation of being one of the most tough, physical, and defensive minded teams in the country has been somewhat tweaked this year. They still have the same defensive mindset, but their offense has been improved, taking them to a 16-1 record in conference play. Iowa State on the other hand has been on a cold streak, dropping 5 of their last 9 games, 3 out of those 5 were losses to unranked Big 12 teams. In this conference, the future winner is going to have to watch out for the middle of the pack teams like Kansas, BYU, and West Virginia. The common factor for these three teams is experience and good coaching.
My Pick: Houston Cougars
Big East- This conference is between two teams in my opinion, the first team is the clear frontrunner, which is the Saint John’s Red Storm. This team has been so impressive all season long, going 17-0 at home and have a 24-4 overall record. Head coach Rick Pitino has really turned this program around in just his second season at the helm. The Red Storm consists of a combination of long, athletic, and smart players who can bully you inside. The other team that has a shot of winning the Big East is UCONN. They have had a down year, being 4th in the conference, considering that they have won march madness two years in a row. I believe that they have a better shot to take down St John’s compared to every other team in the conference because of their prior experience in the tournament and their excellent coaching. They are also a very talented team with some of the best recruits in the nation, so they can put it all together for a deep run in march.
My Pick: UCONN Huskies
Big 10- One team in this conference that has been very hot and playing their best basketball as of recent is Michigan State. They are one of the best coached teams in the nation and have been cruising past their conference opponents in the last couple of weeks. One team that has given them and the rest of the conference a lot of troubles is Maryland. The Terrapins are led by their terrific guard play along with an exciting and fast paced offense, having 5 players who are averaging over 10 ppg this season. A lower seeded team that I would watch out for in this tournament is Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have two of the most talented freshmen in the country in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. The two youngsters have dominated the collegiate level so far and can be a threat to anyone who comes against them. The Big 10 has many teams who can get hot and make a run in the tournament, so you can’t count anyone out, based on the fact that there hasn’t really been anyone that has run away with the conference. Don’t be surprised if a lower seed comes out and beats one of the top dogs in the tournament, punching their ticket to the big dance.
My Pick: Michigan State Spartans
SEC- The SEC is by far the best conference in college basketball. As of 3/3, there are 8 teams in the conference that are ranked in the top 25. Auburn holds sole possession of the number one seed, as they have been dominant with the combination of a superior inside presence and fantastic guard play. The Tigers are one of the oldest teams in college basketball, which means that they have plenty of experience entering the tournament. To me, I believe that the SEC champion will come from a top 4 seed in the conference. From what it is shaping up to be, the top 4 seeds are looking like Auburn, Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee. When it comes to conference championships, the hottest team wins. Besides Auburn, the hottest team in this top 4 is Tennessee. They have two top 25 wins in the last week, beating Alabama and Texas A&M. They have amazing guard play in Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier. I could see the Volunteers making a run in the SEC tournament and continuing that hot streak into the big dance. A team that could spoil some other teams season is the Arkansas Razorbacks. They have multiple 5 star recruits and a coach with a lot of SEC tournament success in John Callapari.
My Pick: Tennessee Volunteers
