Power conferences step forward
Previewing college basketball’s seven power conference tournaments:
American Athletic Conference
Site: XL Center (Hartford, Conn.) Dates: March 9-12 (ESPN2)
What to expect: Top-seeded SMU is one of the hottest teams in the country, riding a 13-game winning streak and beating its last opponent, Memphis, by 41 points to close the regular season. Tim Jankovich should be a finalist for national coach of the year honors, leading the program to 27 wins with seven scholarship players in the post-Larry Brown era. The only team that seems capable of beating an SMU squad that uses an unconventional five-guard set is Cincinnati, which dealt the Mustangs’ their last loss on Jan. 12. In February, the thennationally-ranked Bearcats were upset by Central Florida, a team that could be a dark horse. Another sleeper team is Houston, which fell off the NCAA tournament bubble but has a dynamic backcourt. Other than those four teams, it’s difficult to foresee even a middle-of-the-pack team such as Connecticut or Memphis staging a deep run in a pretty down year for this conference.
Top players: 1. Semi Ojeleye, SMU (18.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg); 2. Rob Gray, Houston (20.3 ppg, 3.0 apg); 3. Kyle Washington, Cincinnati (13.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg); 4. Shake Milton, SMU (13.3 ppg); 5. Sterling Brown, SMU (12.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg); 6. Damyean Dotson, Houston (17.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg); 7. Dedric Lawson, Memphis (19.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg); 8. Jalen Adams, UConn (14.1 ppg, 6.3 apg); 9. Shizz Alston Jr., Temple (14.0 ppg, 4.1 apg); 10. Jahmal McMurray, South Florida (20.3 ppg) Who wins? SMU Sleeper: UConn
Atlantic Coast Conference
Site: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Dates: March 7-11 (ESPN) What to expect: North Carolina is the top seed, but the ACC has been as sporadic as it gets, evidenced by the Tar Heels’ double-digit losses to Georgia Tech and Miami (Fla.) — two sleeper teams that could get hot in Brooklyn. UNC got the best of Duke in the season finale, but a rematch could take place in the semifinals if the Blue Devils can take care of business in their opener and then upend Louisville. Virginia drew the No. 6 seed but has as good a chance of winning the tourna- ment as anyone else based on the nation’s top defense that allows 55.7 points per game and held UNC to 43 points in a recent bounce-back win. Florida State and Notre Dame are the second and third seeds, respectively, but neither will have an easy path to the title game; the teams split in the regular season and could meet again. Among the many bubble teams scattered throughout this bracket, No. 8 seed Syracuse,
No. 10 seed Wake Forest, No. 11 seed Georgia Tech and No. 12 seed Clemson still have work to do. Expect their sense of urgency to be heightened.
Top players: 1. Justin Jackson, North Carolina (18.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg); 2. Luke Kennard, Duke (20.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg); 3. Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame (17.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg); 4. Dwayne Bacon, Florida State (16.9 ppg); 5. Donovan Mitchell, Louisville (15.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg); 6. Dennis Smith Jr., N.C. State (18.5 ppg, 6.3 apg); 7. John Collins, Wake Forest (19.1 ppg, 9.8 rpg); 8. Jaron Blossomgame, Clemson (17.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg); 9. London Perrantes, Virginia (12.8 ppg, 3.9 apg); 10. Zach LeDay, Virginia Tech (15.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg); 11. John Gillon, Syracuse (11.0 ppg, 5.5 apg); 12. Jayson Tatum, Duke (16.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg); 13. Joel Berry II, North Carolina (15.1 ppg, 3.7 apg); 14. Michael Young, Pittsburgh (19.9 ppg, 6.8
rpg); 15. Grayson Allen, Duke (14.5 ppg, 3.6 apg) Who wins? Virginia Sleeper: Notre Dame
Big East
Site: Madison Square Garden (New York) Dates: March 8-11 (Fox)
What to expect: Defending national champion Villanova handily won the Big East regularseason title to earn the top seed in this week’s tournament. But one thing that eluded the Wildcats all season was beating the No. 2 seed in the tourney, Butler. The Bulldogs got the best of the Wildcats twice but have a tough path to the title game on their side of the bracket that features Providence as a No. 3 seed and Creighton as a No. 6. Butler also could draw bubble team No. 7 Xavier in the quarterfinals, and the Musketeers aren’t an easy out. The most intriguing matchup is the No. 4No. 5 showdown between Marquette and Seton Hall, with the winner likely taking on ’Nova. Both teams have played themselves off the bubble and have the firepower to pull off an upset run to capture the automatic bid.
Top players: 1. Josh Hart, Villanova (18.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg); 2. Marcus Foster, Creighton (18.5 ppg); 3. Kelan Martin, Butler (16.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg); 4. Jalen Brunson, Villanova (14.8 ppg, 4.3 apg); 5. Trevon Bluiett, Xavier (18.0 ppg); 6. Khadeen Carrington, Seton Hall (17.0 ppg, 3.1 apg); 7. Rodney Bullock, Providence (16.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg); 8. Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s (17.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.1 apg); 9. Rodney Pryror, Georgetown (18.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg); 10. Markus Howard, Marquette (13.1 ppg)
Who wins? Villanova Sleeper: Marquette
Big Ten
Site: Verizon Center (Washington) Dates: March 8-12 (CBS)
What to expect: The talk for much of the season has been about how down a year it’s been for the Big Ten, with top-seeded Purdue the only team in contention for a top-four seed in the NCAA tournament. That said, there are a lot of dangerous teams in this conference that could do damage in March. An 8-9 seed clash between Michigan and Illinois has NCAA implications, although the Illini likely need a victory more. The winner of that game draws the Boilermakers. Minnesota’s eight-game winning streak ended in a road loss to Wisconsin, a team that was headed in the wrong direction before
that outcome. Another game with major bubble implications comes between No. 7 seed Iowa and No. 10 seed Indiana. Both teams need deep runs to have a chance at an at-large bid. The same goes for No. 11 seed Ohio State, which could face sixth-seeded Northwestern, a team that likely already has its ticket punched and should be playing looser because of it. No. 3 seed Maryland had been shaky — losing three in a row in February — but a recent win against the tournament’s No. 5 seed, Michigan State, has the Terrapins well positioned in this tournament.
Top players: 1. Caleb Swanigan, Purdue (18.7 ppg, 12.6 rpg); 2. Melo Trimble, Maryland (16.9 ppg, 3.7 apg); 3. Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin (14.2 ppg); 4. Peter Jok, Iowa (20.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg); 5. Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (13.9 ppg. 9.0 rpg); 6. Bryant McIntosh, Northwestern (14.6 ppg, 5.4 apg); 7. Nate Mason, Minnesota (15.5 ppg, 5.1 apg); 8. Malcolm Hill, Illinois (17.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.1 apg); 9. James Blackmon Jr., Indiana (17.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg); 10. Miles Bridges, Michigan State (16.6 ppg 8.3 rpg); 11. Derrick Walton Jr., Michigan (14.5 ppg, 4.5 apg); 12. Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin (13.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg); 13. Tai Webster, Nebraska (17.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.0 apg); 14. Jae’Sean Tate, Ohio State (14.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg); 15. Tony Carr, Penn State (12.3 ppg, 4.2 apg) Who wins? Purdue. Sleeper: Northwestern.
Big 12
Site: Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.) Dates: March 8-11 (ESPN)
What to expect: Another regular season, another Kansas title. But now it’s the postseason, where the Jayhawks don’t always dominate. Baylor hung tight with KU twice and enters as the No. 3 seed behind No. 2 West Virginia, one of two teams to beat the Jayhawks in the regular season. The other team to do so was Iowa State, a dark horse in this tourney and the NCAAs, for that matter, as the fourth-seeded Cyclones have won six of seven and got the Kansas win on the road. They face Oklahoma State in a 4-5 matchup that could be the best of the tournament. ISU and OSU went neck and neck last week and have the tools to take down the country’s best team. The bubble teams in this tournament, No. 6 seed Kansas State and No. 8 seed TCU, face tough odds, considering neither team has momentum or favorable matchups in the quarterfinals. KSU draws Baylor, and TCU, if it
gets past Oklahoma, would face Bill Self and Co.
Top players: 1. Frank Mason III, Kansas (20.5 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.2 rpg); 2. Josh Jackson, Kansas (16.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.1 apg); 3. Johnathan Motley, Baylor (17.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg); 4. Monte Morris, Iowa State (16.2 ppg, 6.2 apg); 5. Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State (18.7 ppg, 6.3 apg); 6. Jevon Carter, West Virginia (12.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.0 apg); 7. Manu Lecomte, Baylor (12.4 ppg, 4.0 apg); 8. Jordan Woodard, Oklahoma (14.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg); 9. Keenan Evans, Texas Tech (15.5 ppg, 3.1 apg); 10. Vladimir Brodziansky, TCU (13.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg) Who wins? Baylor Sleeper: Iowa State
Pac-12
Site: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas) Dates: March 8-11 (ESPN) What to expect: The Pac-12 was as top-heavy as any league this season, and it’s difficult to foresee it not playing out that way in Las Vegas. No. 1 seed Oregon, No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 3 seed UCLA are Final Four-caliber teams that could cut down the nets, and a likely semifinal showdown between the Bruins and the Wildcats — on a neutral floor — would be must-watch. Oregon has the cushier side of the bracket, facing No. 4 seed Utah, which has a bit of momentum to pull an upset, or No. 5 seed Cal, which needs a deep run to shift to the good side of the bubble. Southern California also is on the bubble, but it’s a bit safer. A No. 6 seed in the tournament, the Trojans need to flush out Washington in the first round to be safe. A quarterfinals loss to UCLA likely wouldn’t crush their tournament hopes.
Top players: 1. Lonzo Ball, UCLA (14.9 ppg, 7.8 apg, 6.2 rpg); 2. Dillon Brooks, Oregon (16.0 ppg); 3. Markelle Fultz, Washington (23.2 ppg, 5.9 apg, 5.7 rpg); 4. Lauri Markkanen, Arizona (15.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg); 5. Allonzo Trier, Arizona (16.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg); 6. Ivan Rabb, Cal (14.3 ppg, 10.6 rpg); 7. Chris Boucher, Oregon (12.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.6 bpg); 8. Kyle Kuzma, Utah (16.0 ppg, 9.6 rpg); 9. Bryce Alford, UCLA (16.5 ppg, 45% three); 10. Derrick White, Colorado (17.0 ppg, 4.3 apg); 11. Jordan McLaughlin, USC (13.0 ppg, 5.5 apg); 12. TJ Leaf, UCLA (16.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg); 13. Reid Travis, Stanford (17.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg); 14. Torian Graham, Arizona State (18.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg); 15. Josh Hawkinson, Washington State (15.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg) Who wins? UCLA Sleeper: Southern California
Southeastern Conference
Site: Bridgestone Arena (Nashville) Dates: March 8-12 (ESPN)
What to expect: No. 1 seed Kentucky and No. 2 Florida seem destined for the final, but that level of thinking leaves out room for upsets by bubble teams. No. 8 seed Georgia and No. 9 seed Tennessee square off. If the Bulldogs win, they’ll likely need a marquee win to get an at-large bid. And they’d have a genuine opportunity against Kentucky on a neutral court. In the bottom half of the bracket, No. 7 Vanderbilt — firmly on the bubble — got the best of Florida twice and, should it beat Texas A&M in the opening round, would face the Gators for a third time. Two potential bid thieves appear to be No. 5 seed Alabama and No. 6 seed Mississippi, both of which fell off the bubble but are capable of doing damage. No. 3 Arkansas has hit its stride lately, winning six of seven. South Carolina, loser of five of eight, is heading in the other direction.
Top players: 1. Malik Monk, Kentucky (21.2 ppg); 2. De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky (15.5 ppg, 5.0 apg); 3. Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina (21.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg); 4. KeVaughn Allen, Florida (13.9 ppg); 5. Sebastian Saiz, Mississippi (15.1 ppg, 10.9 rpg); 6. J.J. Frazier, Georgia (18.7 ppg, 4.2 apg); 7. Yante Maten, Georgia (18.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg); 8. Isaiah Briscoe, Kentucky (12.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg); 9. Antonio Blakeney, LSU (17.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg); 10. Quinndary Weatherspoon, Mississippi State (16.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg); 11. Luke Kornet, Vanderbilt (13.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg); 12. Dusty Hannahs, Arkansas (14.6 ppg); 13. Tyler Davis, Texas A&M (14.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg); 14. Robert Hubbs III, Tennessee (13.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg); 15. Braxton Key, Alabama (12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg) Who wins? Florida Sleeper: Georgia