powered by Google  
  Track your favorite teams and players.
Free membership, Register Now
Already a member, Log In
 

Conference tournaments snapshot - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Sports News
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Home   Fantasy     NFL  |  MLB  |  NBA  |  NHL  |  College FB  |  College BK  |  Golf  |  More CBS College | MaxPreps | Mobile | Shop  
Coll BK Home | Scoreboard | Standings | Schedules | Stats | Teams | Players | Polls | Video | Women
 

Conference tournaments snapshot

 

Conferences are listed alphabetically.
America East -- Dates/Venue: March 9-10, 15/Boston
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Boston U. The top-seeded Terriers paced the league from start to finish and have the home-court edge to boot. Northeastern. Talented guys like Jose Juan Barea and Sylbrin Robinson could help NU play spoiler in a potential Beantown semifinal battle with BU. Only Boston U. could realistically avoid a No. 16 seeding in the NCAAs. Dennis Wolff's team is seeking its second consecutive league crown. Vermont sophomore Taylor Coppenrath is one of the AE's top forwards. Too bad tag-team partner T.J. Sorrentine's wrists forced him to miss the season.
Complete Coverage
Atlantic Coast -- Dates/Venue: March 13-16/Greensboro, N.C.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Maryland. To be the champ, you have to beat the champs. They fizzled out in the semis last year, but know a little something about winning tournaments. N.C. State. The 'Pack reached last year's final and go into this one with something to prove. If Wake Forest or Maryland wins, they probably get a No. 2 seed. N.C. State likely solidifies its dance card with a first-round win. Duke's Shelden Williams. Despite a bushel of talented perimeter players, Coach K needs his freshman big man to be a big factor inside.
Complete Coverage
Atlantic Sun -- Dates/Venue: March 5-8/Atlanta, GA
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Mercer. The top seed was the nation's most improved team, winning 15 more in the regular season than they did a year ago. Georgia State. Lefty left, but his roster remains one of the league's most dangerous. Even as the No. 7 seed, the Panthers have the benefit of a decisive home-court edge. The Panthers are looking for their third consecutive berth in the league final; Troy State, Belmont and Jacksonville State seek their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Central Florida G Ray Abellard. His shooting touch is needed to complement the conference's best defense.
Complete Coverage
Atlantic 10 -- Dates/Venue: March 10, 13-15/Dayton, Ohio
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Dayton. Yes we're aware Xavier won this last year, is the A-10's best team and has beaten the Flyers twice. That said, keep in mind it took 37 ppg from David West to do so, and Dayton's home-court advantage is not to be taken lightly. Temple. The Owls are peaking right when they should be, and have typically owned this tournament. It would be foolish to count John Chaney out. The Muskies could be in line for a No. 2 seed if things fall into place. St. Joseph's and Dayton have their own seeds to worry about. St. Joe's Jameer Nelson may be the most important player to his team in the entire nation. With backcourt-mate Delonte West questionable, his value is even greater.
Complete Coverage
Big East -- Dates/Venue: March 12-15/New York
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
It's difficult to pick one, but if push comes to shove, Pittsburgh is the choice. The Panthers are strong, deep, mentally tough and have very few weaknesses. St. John's. What they did to Duke on March 2 is proof they have it in them. The Red Storm should be a tough out -- if their anemic offense doesn't foil them. Neither Syracuse, Pitt, UConn nor Notre Dame has been able to separate from the pack. Here's the opportunity. BC and Seton Hall lock up NCAA bids with one win. Georgetown PF Mike Sweetney. His appearance may be brief, as the Hoyas barely made the tournament, but there's no stronger inside force in the country.
Complete Coverage
Big Sky -- Dates/Venue: March 8, 11-12/Ogden, Utah
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Weber State. The Wildcats won all 14 conference games and boast the Big Sky's best inside/outside combo in Jermaine Boyette and Slobodan Ocokoljic. Northern Arizona. As UCLA can attest, if NAU is hitting its 3-pointers, you can be in a heap of trouble. Weber's wonderful season is on the line. Despite a win over BYU and a perfect league record, the Wildcats need the automatic bid or it's off to the NIT. Eastern Washington G Chris Hester hopes to lead the Eagles to their first NCAA Tournament before his stellar career ends. This is his final shot.
Complete Coverage
Big South -- Dates/Venue: March 4, 7-8/Lynchburg, Va.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Winthrop. The Eagles seek out their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. That's practically unheard of at this level. Charleston Southern. The streaky Bucs are clicking again, taking a two-game win streak into the tournament. They've won at least four in a row on two occasions already. Winthrop's Gregg Marshall has long been rumored on his way up. If he leads this current bunch back to the Big Dance, his phone should be ringing often this offseason. Coastal Carolina G E.J. Gallup is a devastating 3-point shooter. Three days worth of fire could extend the Chanticleers' season.
Complete Coverage
Big Ten -- Dates/Venue: March 13-16/Chicago
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Illinois. Bill Self's team has hovered near the top all season, and will have a heavy contingent of Orange and Blue on hand for these festivities. Brian Cook's play will be the key. Indiana. The Hoosiers have more tournament experience than anyone in the league, and will be playing with purpose as they look to cement an at-large bid. The Illini have an outside shot at a No. 2 seed if they can take it all. Michigan State, Minnesota, Indiana and Purdue can all use wins to boost their resumes. Wisconsin swingman Kirk Penney. The youth around him may be the most talented supporting cast he's had at UW, but they still look for him to lead.
Complete Coverage
Big 12 -- Dates/Venue: March 13-16/Dallas
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Texas. Sorry Jayhawks, you may be the league champs, but the Longhorns and Sooners are both better equipped for a tournament run. Missouri. With Arthur Johnson and Rickey Paulding announcing they're coming back as seniors, morale in Columbia is extremely high. If the finalists come out of the group of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, the Big 12 may get two No. 1 seeds. Colorado, one win you're in, two you're gravy. Texas Tech needs two just to be considered. Oklahoma's Hollis Price. The diminutive New Orleans native is his team's heart and has an amazing flair for the dramatic. In a league filled with stars, you can list about 10 names here without argument.
Complete Coverage
Big West -- Dates/Venue: March 13-15/Anaheim, Calif.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Santa Barbara. No one is playing better than the Gauchos at the moment, although the top seed's road won't be an easy one. Branduinn Fullove and Mark Hull can't afford to go cold in a league tourney as wide open as this one. Utah State. The preseason favorite has really fizzled down the stretch, losing several key games. It's up to Stew Morrill to get them focused for a three-game season. F Desmond Penigar is a strong go-to guy. The Aggies and UC Irvine can at least guarantee NIT appearances by faring well. Anyone can win this tournament, especially given the close proximity of most schools to the Anaheim Convention Center. UC Irvine 7-footer Adam Parada has a bright future, but he hasn't gotten to a level where he takes over games. This would be a great place to start.
Complete Coverage
Colonial -- Dates/Venue: March 7-10/Richmond, Va.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
UNC-Wilmington. The Seahawks have loads of postseason experience, not to mention the CAA's best player in G Brett Blizzard. George Mason. The Patriots are a senior-laden bunch coming off a huge road win over Drexel. Jim Larranaga's team has excellent balance. UNCW's NCAA hopes hinge on winning it all. They could be a major headache for a No. 4 seed if they reach the Dance. VCU's Jeff Capel gets his first postseason coaching test. It's worth it to get one last look at Blizzard, who has practically re-written the history books at UNCW and will leave as one of the CAA's all-time greats.
Complete Coverage
Conference USA -- Dates/Venue: March 12-15/Louisville, Ky.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Marquette. The Golden Eagles are playing superb ball and can look to Dwyane Wade to bail them out of rough spots. This is a team with few holes, and their recent win at Freedom Hall tells you they can deal with a hostile crowd. Louisville. Everyone has started counting out the Cards, but at home, with something to prove, it's probably not smart to overlook them. They have to learn to play without Ellis Myles, and there's no better opportunity for that then to make a deep run here. U of L's fading seed drops some more with an early exit. Marquette has an outside shot at a No. 1 seed if they win it all and have things fall their way in other tournaments. Cincinnati can use a win to feel better on Selection Sunday. Reece Gaines. Louisville's favorite son gets one last chance to star in front of the home folks. He's being counted on to help instill confidence in his teammates entering the NCAAs.
Complete Coverage
Horizon -- Dates/Venue: March 4, 7-8 and 11/Milwaukee, Wisc.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Panthers lost a heartbreaker at Hinkle to lose out on the regular-season title, but they won't be easily dethroned with an NCAA bid on the line. Detroit. Perry Watson's Titans haven't been heard from much this season, but enter this event playing very well. Wing Willie Green is a scoring machine. Neither Butler nor UWM are liable to get the nod from the committee, so they must play this tourney for keeps. The Bulldogs' slim at-large hopes go to waste if they falter before the final. Loyola's David Bailey has it in him to single-handedly author an upset or two. The 5-foot-8 playmaker will get his crack at Butler if the Ramblers can sneak past Detroit.
Complete Coverage
Metro Atlantic -- Dates/Venue: March 7-10/Trenton, N.J.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Manhattan. The Jaspers led the conference from start to finish and overcame some late stumbling to hold off the pack. In Luis Flores, they have one of the country's most dangerous scorers. Siena. Last year's surprise winner won 18 games this season and looks awfully strong, entering the MAAC Tourney with five consecutive wins. Prosper Karangwa is an able go-to guy. This could be Manhattan's last stand under Bobby Gonzalez, who will be a top candidate for a host of major openings. Fairfield's Deng Gai can change a game with his defense. The talented sophomore is averaging 4.0 blocks a game for the second straight year.
Complete Coverage
Mid-American -- Dates/Venue: March 10, 13-15/Cleveland
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Central Michigan. With double-double machine Chris Kaman holding the fort inside, the Chippewas have become the MAC's most consistent side after the collapse of Kent State. Northern Illinois. The Huskies turned their season around after a 4-8 start and will be a factor. At least juniors P.J. Smith and Marcus Smallwood can start setting a winning foundation for next year. It's the last chance for the Golden Flashes to snap out of their puzzling collapse. After a 17-2 start, the bottom simply fell out. Ohio's Brandon Hunter is the conference's best player not named Kaman. His presence in the post gives the Bobcats a legitimate shot at pulling four consecutive upsets.
Complete Coverage
Mid-Continent -- Dates/Venue: March 9-11/Kansas City, Mo.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Valparaiso. After a slow start, the Crusaders kicked off January with a narrow loss at Notre Dame and fed off of that, using the steady play of center Raitis Grafs as the crutch to build their offense around. Oral Roberts. The preseason favorite stumbled down the stretch, but sent a message to Valpo by blowing them out in the season finale. The rivals could meet in the semis. This was expected to be the year Valpo fell off, so for them to take the regular-season and tourney titles in convincing fashion would be both a credit to them and a deflating blow to the rest of the league. Oakland guard Mike Helms ranked among the nation's scoring leaders all season. He finished the regular season by hanging 42 on first-round foe Southern Utah.
Complete Coverage
Mid-Eastern Athletic -- Dates/Venue: March 10-15/Richmond, Va.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
South Carolina State. The Bulldogs took down Hampton on March 3 to finish off a season sweep of the reigning champs. Clemson transfer Dustin Braddick and Moses Malone Jr. are the team's top scorers. Delaware State enters the tournament as the league's hottest team and should be a dangerous No. 3 seed. Brothers Andre and Aaron Matthews take care of business inside. Hampton's run of superiority may have ended with Steve Merfeld's departure to Evansville. We'll find out here. Howard's Ron Williamson finished as the league's leading scorer. He figures to pad his points total in the first-round game against cellar-dweller North Carolina A&T.
Complete Coverage
Missouri Valley -- Dates/Venue: March 7-10/St. Louis
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Southern Illinois. Creighton is the ranked team, but keep in mind the Salukis fell behind 11-0 in their March 1 meeting and still came back to win convincingly. This is a very good team that doesn't get its due. Evansville. Don't count Merfeld's new club out. He has won his past two league tournaments (at Hampton) and won twice the number of conference games as predecessor Jim Crews did a year ago. Creighton is safe, but probably shouldn't tempt fate with an early loss. The Salukis, despite being conference champs, didn't play as tough a schedule and need to do as well as possible to ensure their much-deserved bid. Creighton's Kyle Korver was blanketed by the Salukis in their last outing and would love the opportunity for a rematch. The league's best player didn't have a particularly strong second half of the season.
Complete Coverage
Mountain West -- Dates/Venue: March 13-15/Las Vegas, NV
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Utah. Tough to go against a genius like Rick Majerus in a tournament setting, especially as the top seed. UNLV. The Rebels have gotten it done before on their home court, and have go-to guys Dalron Johnson and Marcus Banks to bank on. A top-four seed is there for the Utes to have with a tourney win. Wyoming needs at least one win and probably two to become the league's third NCAA entry. New Mexico G Ruben Douglas. He's capable of putting the entire team on his back, and often has to.
Complete Coverage
Northeast -- Dates/Venue: March 8-9, 12/Staten Island, NY
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Wagner. Rising coaching star Derek Whittenburg has quickly turned the Seahawks into winners, and now looks to get the school its first NCAA appearance. Quinnipiac. The Braves, who have never been to an NCAA Tournament either, won eight of their past 10 and field a strong backcourt in Kason Mims and Rob Monroe. Wagner can't afford to flame out like last season, when they squandered a No. 2 seed in the quarterfinals. Central Connecticut State PF Ron Robinson took over the go-to role from NBA draftee Corsley Edwards. His leadership is vital to the Blue Devils' chances of repeating.
Complete Coverage
Ohio Valley -- Dates/Venue: March 4-8/Nashville
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Austin Peay. The Govs won 12 of their final 13 games to catch Morehead State for a share of the league title. Sophomore Anthony Davis has blossomed into one of the league's top players. Murray State. Tevester Anderson's Racers had a subpar season, but the talent base is there for them to make a run and defend their tournament title. Peay's 20 wins likely slots them for the NIT should they stumble here, but there's no question which postseason tournament they would prefer to play in. Eastern Illinois' Henry Domercant needs 15 points to establish the OVC's all-time scoring record. 31 points will net him 2,600 career points, which would rank him 26th in NCAA history.
Complete Coverage
Pac-10 -- Dates/Venue: March 13-15/Los Angeles
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Arizona. The Wildcats hope to pick up this piece of tournament hardware before taking another shot at the big prize. They dominated last year's conference tournament. Oregon. The Ducks have the skills to play with anybody, but will have to be at their sharpest to get past Arizona State and Arizona in the first two rounds. The Sun Devils would be putting their NCAA bid in jeopardy with a first-round loss, especially if some of the stronger mid-majors go down in their tournaments. California forward Joe Shipp hasn't gotten much attention despite leading the Pac-10 in scoring. The senior will look to exit in style by making some noise.
Complete Coverage
Patriot League -- Dates/Venue: March 8-9, 15/Upper Marlboro, Md.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Holy Cross. The Crusaders are better than everyone else, and the difference isn't marginal. Credit Ralph Willard for building a mid-major power. American. No. 2 seeds typically aren't dark horses, but it's hard to imagine anyone else foiling the Crusaders. The Eagles handed Holy Cross its lone league loss and match up very well with them. Holy Cross is looking to extend its run of NCAA Tournaments to three. American is hoping to make the move from the Colonial pay off in the school's first-ever bid. Colgate's Mark Linebaugh has it in him to lead the Red Raiders past the Eagles, spoiling a winner-take-all rubber match in the final.
Complete Coverage
Southeastern -- Dates/Venue: March 13-16/New Orleans
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Kentucky. The Wildcats have become untouchable, bringing an enormous level of defensive intensity to every contest. No other team paralyzes opponents defensively the way UK has. Mississippi State. More was expected out of the Bulldogs, who need Derrick Zimmerman's defense and Mario Austin's post play to round into postseason form for them to make a run. Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Tennessee all look to notch a couple of wins and separate themselves in the eyes of the selection committee. Florida looks to make one last push for a No. 1 seed. Not only is Vols forward Ron Slay one of the most fun players to watch, he's also among the hungriest. An early exit means he'll miss the NCAAs in consecutive seasons, so expect him to put on a show or die trying.
Complete Coverage
Southern -- Dates/Venue: March 5-8/Charleston, S.C.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
College of Charleston. The tournament isn't being held in their home arena, but expect a lot of maroon in attendance. The Cougars would love to take the automatic bid, but have a strong enough resume to merit at-large consideration. Appalachian State. The nation's second-highest scoring team could make a run if it can maintain its up-tempo style throughout the tournament. The lone draw back is that it will be forced to win four games in four days. Charleston owns one of the strongest mid-major resumes in the country, but it can forget about anything other than the NIT if it goes down before the league final. Always dangerous Davidson seeks a repeat championship. Western Carolina sophomore Kevin Martin averaged over 22 points per game for the second consecutive season. If the Catamounts sneak past Georgia Southern in the first round, Martin could be a major headache for the Cougars.
Complete Coverage
Southland -- Dates/Venue: March 10, 12 and 14/Campus sites
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Sam Houston State. The Bearkats have been the league's top squad for most of the season, riding probable SLC player of the year Donald Cole to a 20-win season after missing out on last year's league tournament. Texas-Arlington. The Mavericks played the top-seeded Bearkats tightly in both their meetings this season and own a win over No. 2 Stephen F. Austin. They're as dangerous as anybody in the field. Top contenders Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin and Texas-Arlington are all in search of their first NCAA Tournament appearance. The rebounding prowess of Louisiana-Monroe senior Kirby Lemons could help the upset-minded Indians salvage valuable possessions.
Complete Coverage
Southwestern Athletic -- Dates/Venue: March 13-15/Birmingham, Ala.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Mississippi Valley State. The Delta Devils play an entertaining brand of up-tempo basketball, and feature enough quality bodies to excel in a tourney atmosphere, particularly one as wide-open as this promises to be. Grambling. A slow start forced the Tigers to play on their heels all season, but they, like MVSU, field a deep squad capable of burying teams with their collective athleticism. They've never made the NCAAs. A spot in the NCAA Tournament play-in game almost assuredly awaits this league's winner, be it the top seed or the No. 8 seed. Texas Southern's Ra'Kim Hollis is the league's most productive scorer, and is more than capable of shooting the Tigers past the opposition.
Complete Coverage
Sun Belt -- Dates/Venue: March 6-11/Bowling Green, Ky.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers have won 36 consecutive games at Diddle Arena, which happens to be where this particular tourney is being held. It also doesn't hurt that WKU is playing its best basketball of the season, having won nine consecutive games. New Mexico State. Lou Henson's team lost to the Hilltoppers on a buzzer-beater in last year's semis and features a strong frontcourt tandem in junior James Moore and senior Chris Jackson. It's very unlikely that Western Kentucky or Louisiana-Lafayette would get an at-large bid, so a potential league final will be for all the marbles. Ragin' Cajuns center Michael Southall was spectacular in last year's Sun Belt championship, dueling with Chris Marcus in an eventual loss. He'll have the spotlight to himself this year, but must avoid the foul trouble that has become his Achilles' heel.
Complete Coverage
West Coast -- Dates/Venue: March 7-10/San Diego
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Gonzaga. Despite puzzling losses to the league's worst two teams, the 'Zags answered the call in all their tough games and are the heavy favorite, even at No. 2 seed San Diego's house. Pepperdine. Paul Westphal's team was besieged by injuries early and never got it going until late, entering the conference tournament with wins in four of their past six. There's enough firepower left (barely) for one last shot. Gonzaga will have no problem earning an at-large bid, even if it loses its first game in the league semis. The Bulldogs are headed for their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament. San Francisco forward Darrell Tucker has been one of the WCC's best since stepping on campus. Unless he can help pull off the improbable, he'll leave without a postseason appearance.
Complete Coverage
Western Athletic -- Dates/Venue: March 11-15/Tulsa, Okla.
Favorite Dark horse At Stake Player to Watch
Tulsa. It's as if fate is pushing the Golden Hurricane to the promised land. It was already known they would be hosting the league tournament, but with Fresno State bowing out (academic irregularities), Tulsa becomes the favorite on the heels of a season that has fallen well below expectations. SMU. If talented freshman Bryan Hopkins can shoot well enough to keep defenses honest, he can create victories for his teammates. Senior Quinton Ross, among the nation's scoring leaders at one point this season, is option No. 1. The Mustangs come in playing their best ball of the season. Free bid! Fresno's self-imposed ban opens up an NCAA Tournament spot to the team that goes and gets it. With no one, not even Tulsa, harboring at-large hopes, winning the league tournament is the only way in. Hawaii's Carl English is definitely capable of carrying his team to victory, and has the experience of last year's NCAA Tournament run on his side. The Warriors aren't playing particularly well heading into this event, but they follow the lead of their Canadian sniper. If he's on, watch out.
Complete Coverage

 

 
 
 
 
Related Links
 
Headlines
 
 
 
CBS Sports Store
Champions Again Duke Blue Devils 1991 National Champions T-Shirt
Show Your Spirit
Get Your School Gear! Shop now
 
 
 
 
 
Fantasy Basketball at CBSSports.com