As the March Madness Tournament ticks closer, the state of many teams lies on how the conference tournament ends up. Here are our picks for the big five conferences.
SEC: In the Southeastern conference, a lot of teams could make a run for the tournament bid, yet the two teams which have the best chances are Tennessee and Kentucky. Despite this, we think that Tennessee will win in the end. Although they were recently bested by Kentucky, they took down three ranked teams before that game, implying fatigue may have been in play. Furthermore, with the loss, Tennessee most likely aims to get revenge and redemption from a matchup against Kentucky.
Big 12: The Big 12 has had a huge season when it comes to basketball, and this tournament should be a fun one. With number one ranked Houston, as well as Iowa State and Baylor joining them. However, I just cannot see Houston losing this tournament, being 15-2 in their past 17 games and being on a 9 game run. Also, they have bested both Iowa State and Baylor in their past two meetings, and I don't think that pattern will shift.
Big East: One of the more packed conferences, the Big East tournament is not one to forget. With UConn and Creighton leading the pack, this tournament bid is bound to come down to those two as well as Marquette. Marquette has played very well all year, yet they have had their issues when playing both UConn and Creighton this year, so their chances are slim. However, I see Creighton taking this tournament, with their strong combination of height and speed and their recent upset of UConn, I think they have the upper-hand.
ACC: Probably the most prolific conference in basketball history, the ACC is full of blue bloods who seem to make a tournament run regardless of their regular season. While the tournament is stacked, I believe Duke will take this tournament bid. Although they were recently bested by the North Carolina Tarheels, that loss was due to a Cormac Ryan masterclass of 31 points. If Duke puts together the basketball everyone knows they can play, this tournament is theirs to lose.
Big Ten: The last tournament in this list does not make this the worst one, with the culture of these mid-west schools making the games some of the most entertaining on TV. However, with how they have played throughout the regular season, I believe Purdue will come out on top of the crowd in this tournament. With their loss to FDU last tournament, Zach Edey's boilermakers are foaming at the mouths for a chance at a national championship, and with how they have played this year, no team stands in their way in this tournament.
-Tyler Rath
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