Conference Previews
By The Gold Sheet
CONFERENCE TOURNEY WEEK!
By the early '80s, conference tournaments were truly en vogue, and many credit them with hastening alignments that eventually made independent status practically obsolete. Remember, before the NCAA tourney expanded in 1975, it probably was preferable for the South Carolinas of the world to go independent, and not be inhibited by conference rules that allowed only one rep to go "dancing" in those years. Many schools were "indies" in those days, including almost all of the eastern universities save those in the Ivy League; most of the major, private Catholic schools of the midwest (Notre Dame, Marquette, DePaul, Loyola-Chicago, Detroit, Saint Louis, etc.), much of the lower midwest and mid-south (Louisville and Memphis State were both independents when they reached Final Fours in the early '70s); and one of the legendary teams of all-time, Guy Lewis' late '60s Houston Cougars, including the back-to-back Final Four squads featuring Elvin Hayes in 1967-68.
But the independent appeal had worn off by the late '70s, and with conference tourneys as a major draw, leagues such as the Metro Conference were eventually formed, enlisting many of those wayward independents, with a conference tourney one of the main enticements. The east also featured several different looks, with the Eastern Eight originally rivaling the Big East for primacy, and the Atlantic 10 (which once actually had ten teams!) another alternative for those long-time independents. Eventually, the Big East rose above all in the region, really catching lightning in a bottle in the early '80s, with its wild success fueled largely by its enormously-popular conference tournament right in the heart of Manhattan at Madison Square Garden. And it was that Garden venue for the conference tourney that many believe really established the Big East as the major brand name for college hoops in the region.
We've enjoyed these conference tournaments for years, many of them first-hand. The old PCAA (now the Big West) instituted the first conference tourney west of the Mississippi River in 1976, held at the old Stockton Civic Auditorium (an event won that year by San Diego State) before moving to the Anaheim Convention Center where we first watched action the following year. We saw many of those PCAA long-ago tourney games in person, with the games becoming quite memorable in the early '80s when the event moved to the Inglewood Forum, the former home of the L.A. Lakers, and the PCAA added Jerry Tarkanian's UNLV Runnin' Rebels, who staged a few memorable wars vs. Boyd Grant's Fresno State teams in the early '80s. The Forum conference tourney venue, along with UNLV's presence, allowed the PCAA/Big West to challenge and even exceed the more-established Pac-10 on the hardwood for a few years in the '80s. A couple of years ago, we decided to take a little tour of the country and watch more of these events in person, and took a wild three-day swing through the midwest (Big Ten in Indianapolis), south (SEC at Atlanta, dodging a tornado along the way) and back to the west (Big West at Anaheim), an adventure we will recall as a "Best of TGS" feature on our website this week.
After a handful of mid-major and lesser conferences whetted our appetites with their tourneys last week, the "big boys" are ready for center stage this week. Following are brief previews of those events, complete with dates, location, last year's NCAA, NIT, and CBI qualifiers, and a brief handicap of each remaining event.
ACC--Tourney March 11-14 at Greesnboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC. Last year...NCAA-7 (North Carolina-Champion, Duke-Sweet 16, Maryland-2nd round, Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Wake Forest); NIT-2 (Miami Florida-2nd round, Virginia Tech-2nd round). What to expect...Different than past years in that North Carolina is not expected to be much of a factor. Duke will be aiming for a Big Dance regional No. 1 seed if it can prevail, with Maryland looking to secure likely NCAA protected-seed (1 thru 4) status with a decent showing. Florida State and Clemson and probably Wake Forest, all merely positioning for better Big seeding prospects. But there's some real urgency for Georgia Tech, not yet guaranteed an NCAA at-large slot after late-season fades; Virginia Tech might feel the same after a couple of Selection Sunday slights in recent years, but we project the Hokies safely into the Big Dance field after their 10-6 ACC mark.
ATLANTIC TEN--Tourney first round March 9 at campus sites; quarters, semis, and final March 12-14 at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ. Last year...NCAA-3 (Xavier-Sweet 16, Dayton-2nd round, Temple); NIT-2 (Rhode Island-2nd round, Duquesne); CBI-1 (Richmond, semifinals). What to expect...With a few teams (Rhode Island, Dayton, and Charlotte) effectively playing their way off of the NCAA bubble in recent weeks, and Saint Louis desperately trying to get into the at-large mix, plenty of intrigue should be on tap once festivities move to Atlantic City after first-round action at campus sites earlier in the week. Temple, Xavier, and Richmond are all securely into the 65-team field, with the Owls (winners of this event the past two years) having a chance to secure a protected seed if they make it a hat trick by the shore.
BIG EAST--Tourney March 9-13 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY. Last year...NCAA-7 (UConn-Final Four, Villanova-Final Four, Louisville-Elite 8, Pittsburgh-Elite 8, Syracuse-Sweet 16, Marquette-2nd round, West Virginia); NIT-3 (Notre Dame-semifinals, Providence, Georgetown); CBI-1 (St. John's). What to expect...After Syracuse's 6-OT opening-round win over UConn last season, nothing will surprise us anymore in the Big Apple. Right now, we're projecting eight Big East entries into the Big Dance field (aforementioned Syracuse, plus West Virginia, Villanova, Pitt, Marquette, Louisville, Georgetown, and Notre Dame); of that group we think only the Fighting Irish ought to make sure they don't lose a first-round game. It's probably too late for the likes of South Florida, Seton Hall, or UConn to do enough to warrant an at-large NCAA look, especially since any of the three are going to have to play five days in a row to get to the tourney finale!
BIG TEN--Tourney March 11-14 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN. Last year...NCAA-7 (Michigan State-2nd place, Purdue-Sweet 16, Wisconsin-2nd round, Michigan-2nd round, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State); NIT-2 (Penn State-Champs, Northwestern). What to expect...The only NCAA "bubble" teams left in the Big Ten field are Illinois, which has some very good wins in its satchel (at Clemson and Wisconsin) but also too many losses (13, including 5 in its last 6 games), and perhaps Minnesota, which would probably have to make a deep run to the final on Sunday to get as much as a look from the Selection Committee. The conference might be far down from its 7 NCAA bids a year ago, as only four (Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State, and Wisconsin) look solid heading into Conseco Fieldhouse. Either the Buckeyes or Boilermakers (now proceeding minus injured star F Robbie Hummel) would be in the frame for a regional top seed by winning the event at Indianapolis. An intriguing darkhorse could be 11th-seed Penn State, playing some very good basketball in recent weeks and the most-likely of the Big Ten lower-seeds to post an upset or two in Indy.
BIG XII--Tourney March 10-13 at Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO. Last year...NCAA-6 (Missouri-Elite 8, Oklahoma-Elite 8, Kansas-Sweet 16, Oklahoma State-2nd round, Texas-2nd round, Texas A&M-2nd round); NIT-3 (Baylor-runner up, Kansas State-2nd round, Nebraska). What to expect...This might be a coronation for Kansas, which figures to proceed to an NCAA top regional seed and preferred sub-regional assignment at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City next week. Of more interest will be to see if Kansas State restores some of the confidence it seemed to lose last week after defeats vs. the Jayhawks and Iowa State and solidifies its protected seed status. Baylor and stretch-running Texas A&M can also make cases for protected seeds with strong showings in KC, while Oklahoma State, Missouri, and recently-fading Texas will be looking to tune up for the Big Dance. There are a couple of interesting longshots, not the least of which will be the aforementioned Cyclones, something of a disappointment this season but with a big-time go-to-threat in PF Craig Brackins and some momentum after that win at Kansas State, and perhaps no-nonsense Colorado. One team we're not expecting to do much is fading Texas Tech, which has been out of the NCAA at-large discussion for weeks and might have played itself out of NIT, CBI, and CIT consideration as well after a season-ending 7-game losing streak that has HC Pat Knight looking over his shoulder.
BIG WEST--Tourney March 10-13 at Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA. Last year...NCAA-1 (CS Northridge); CIT-1 (Pacific-semifinals). What to expect...Some spirited action should be on tap from this one-bid league in which none of the eight entries would appear to be without a realistic chance. Although Pacific and UCSB enter as co-favorites after sharing the loop's regular-season crown, sone regional observers believe a darkhorse could emerge; many are keeping an eye on UC Davis, with a couple of potentially dominating components in 6-10 sr. F Dominic Calegari (double-figure scoring in 11 straight games) and 6-7 hybrid PG Mark Payne, back in the lineup after being sidelined by injuries and illness earlier in the season.
CONFERENCE USA--Tourney March 10-13 at Bank of America Center, Tulsa, OK. Last year...NCAA-1 (Memphis-Sweet 16); NIT-2 (Tulsa-2nd round, UAB); CBI-2 (UTEP-2nd place, Houston). What to expect...C-USA appears to be at least a 2-bid league this year; the potential semifinal matchup that would feature surging Memphis and UAB shapes up as a possible NCAA at-large elimination game, although some projections have both the Tigers and Blazers, plus regular-season champ UTEP (which looks safely into the field of 65), all Big Dance-bound. Interesting contenders could be dangerous Marshall or host Tulsa, although either would have to win this event to reach the field of 65. Only UTEP, Memphis, and UAB remain in the at-large frame.
MAC--Tourney quarters, semis, and final March 11-13 at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH. Last year...NCAA-1 (Akron); NIT-1 (Bowling Green). What to expect...Kent State and Akron rate as the co-favorites in what still figures as a wide-open event in Cleveland. Sunday's first round matchups don't figure as a particular negative for the survivors of those games, given that the next games won't be until Thursday. Which is why regional observers are not overlooking senior-laden Buffalo, which eased past lowly Toledo in not much more than a high-profile first-round scrimmage on Sunday, and figures as a top challenger to the Golden Flahes and Zips at The Q. Others caution to keep an eye on Charlie Coles' tempo-conscious Miami-Ohio, which played Kentucky within 2 points back in November and had the benefit of some extra rest as the 4 seed, bypassing the Sunday first-round games.
MOUNTAIN WEST--Tourney March 10-13 at Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV. Last year...NCAA-2 (Utah, BYU); NIT-3 (San Diego State-semifinals, New Mexico-2nd round, UNLV); CBI-1 (Wyoming). What to expect...For the first time in many years, New Mexico enters the MWC Tourney assured on an NCAA bid; the Lobos might even have a protected seed already in their pocket, so the normal urgency isn't attached this week in Vegas. Nor is it for BYU, although the Cougs could be playing for an NCAA protected seed at the Thomas & Mack Center. More attention is being focused upon host UNLV, which has won this event two of the past three years and is looking good (but not yet certain) for an NCAA at-large, and San Diego State, one of the last teams knocked off the Big Dance bubble last season and by most accounts right on the cut line again starting this week. Note that should the host Rebels hook BYU in the semifinals, the Cougs have lost seven straight vs. UNLV on this floor. A possible longshot to watch in Utah, which beat first-round foe UNLV twice this season, although the Utes flattened out a bit in the last week, losing badly vs. BYU and lacking spark in a Saturday loss at Colorado State.
PAC 10--Tourney March 10-13 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA. Last year...NCAA-6 (Arizona-Sweet 16, Arizona State-2nd round, UCLA-2nd round, Southern Cal-2nd round, Washington-2nd round, Cal); NIT-1 (Washington State); CBI-2 (Oregon State-champs, Stanford-semifinals). What to expect...Anyone's guess, really. Cal enters on the heels of its first outright regular-season conference crown since 1960 (Pete Newell's last Golden Bears team), and events of the last few weeks suggest that Mike Montgomery's team is in very good shape for an NCAA at-large bid, regardless what happens at Staples Center. Whether the Bears win this event or not probably determines if the Pac-10 (in an admitted down year) becomes a 2-bid league, although Arizona State appears to have moved to the periphery of the bubble discussion heading into Los Angeles. Close observers aren't dismissing any of the entries, paying particular attention to Washington (which has finally started to win some road games in recent weeks) and perhaps Craig Robinson's Oregon State, which has White House support and flourished in tourney mode last March when winning the CBI postseason event.
SEC--Tourney March 11-14 at Bridgestone Arena (nee Sommet Center, home of NHL's Nashville Predators), Nashville, TN. Last year...NCAA-3 (LSU-2nd round, Mississippi State, Tennessee); NIT-4 (Auburn-quarterfnals, Florida-quarterfinals, Kentucky-quarterfinals, South Carolina). What to expect...Entering Nashville, only three entries (Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee) are set with their Big Dance bids, which means that "bubblers" Florida (on a 3-game losing streak), Ole Miss, and Mississippi State will likely be playing for their NCAA lives at Bridgestone Arena. An intriguing darkhorse could be South Carolina, a bit up and down the past month but good enough to deal UK one of its two regular-season defeats and also to beat Vandy across town at Memorial Gym last Saturday thanks in part to electric sr. G Devan Downey, perhaps the most explosive scorer in this event.
WAC--Tourney March 11-13 at Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV. Last year...NCAA-1 (Utah State); CBI-2 (Boise State, Nevada); CIT-1 (Idaho-2nd round). What to expect...Next year, this tourney moves to the Orleans Hotel Arena in Las Vegas, so Reno fans will have to enjoy this event while they can. Hot Utah State (on a 14-game win streak) has positioned itself as a potential NCAA at-large entry should it lose at the Lawlor Center, but we doubt Stew Morrill will want to take a chance with the bubble after being denied what seemed to be a likely at-large berth a few years ago while still campaigning in the Big West. A recent uprising by tourney host Nevada suggests the Wolf Pack (with arguably the league's top two players in F Luke Babbitt & G Armon Johnson) might be ready to pounce, although the Pack's lack of depth could prove a big negative in the bang-bang-bang conference tourney format. Others are keeping an eye on explosive New Mexico State, even though the Aggies just lost on the road last week to both the Utags and Wolf Pack.