Conference Tournament Previews

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Preview

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Missouri Valley Conference will have a different top seed for the fourth straight year, as the Northern Iowa Panthers claimed the No.1 spot by virtue of its tie-breaker with the Creighton Bluejays. Both the Panthers and Bluejays shared the regular season crown at 14-4 and each will begin play in the quarterfinal round on Friday.

The Illinois State Redbirds were defeated by both Northern Iowa and Creighton in their last two games, as the team had to settle for third seed with an 11-7 finish. The Bradley Braves went 10-8 during the season and they are the fourth and final team to post a winning league mark.

The Evansville Purple Aces, Wichita State Shockers and Southern Illinois Salukis all ended up with 8-10 marks and the tie-breaker rules were needed to separate the teams. After all was worked out, SIU landed the fifth spot followed by Evansville at six and WSU at seven. The Shockers really lost out on the deal, as they are now forced to play an opening round game. The Indiana State Sycamores and Drake Bulldogs had identical 7-11 league ledgers and will meet each other in an opening round game as well, while Missouri State rounds out the field with the 10th-seed.

The MVC Tournament gets underway on Thursday with ninth-seeded Indiana State taking on eighth-seeded Drake in the opening round. The Sycamores lost twice as many games as they won overall, but they came to life down the stretch, capturing victories in six of their final seven bouts after winning just four their first 23 contests. Indiana State is 17-26 all-time in this event and has won two titles, with the last coming in 2001. As for Drake, it was the darling of the MVC last season, winning both the regular season and tournament titles. The Bulldogs, though, struggled to find consistency this season and will now look for an unlikely run to salvage the campaign.

The opening round wraps up when the 10th-ranked Missouri State Bears lock up with seventh-seeded WSU. The Bears were clearly the league's worst team during the regular season, finishing with just three wins against 15 losses. Despite a 23-17 record in this tourney, Missouri State has won just one title and that came all the way back in 1992. Since that championship, the Bears have reached the finals five times, losing out on each occasion. WSU, on the other hand, is 2-1 all-time in title games in this tourney, but it hasn't brought home the hardware since 1987. The Shockers played well over the second half of the season, but their 2-12 mark away from home leaves a lot to be desired.

The top seeded Panthers await the winner of the Indiana State/Drake match in the first quarterfinal bout on Friday. UNI, which was tabbed sixth in the preseason poll, captured a share of their first-ever MVC regular-season title and went 20-10 overall. The Panthers highest finish prior to this season was a second place tie in 2004, the same year the program won their only title in this event. The top seed in this tourney has only won the title once since 1998, as Drake accomplished that feat last season.

The fifth-seeded Salukis and fourth-seeded Braves clash in the second quarterfinal round match on Friday. SIU had one of its most disappointing campaigns in some time, but it has enjoyed a lot of success in this tourney, going 31-24 all-time. The Salukis' five championships are second most among current members and they last took home the title with a victory over Bradley in the 2006 finals. Speaking f the Braves, they won four of their last five games down the stretch to finish in sole possession of fourth place. Bradley has captured two tourney crowns, most recently in 1988, and is 26-27 lifetime in this event.

The second-seeded Bluejays make their first appearance in the tourney against the winner of the Missouri State/Wichita State affair in the quarterfinals on Friday. With 10 straight wins down the stretch, Creighton earned a share of its 14th regular season title. The Bluejays are the most decorated team in the MVC and have won this tournament a record 10 times, with their last coming in 2007. At 25-6, Creighton owns the league's best overall mark, as it reached the 20-win plateau for the 11th consecutive season.

Quarterfinal round play will come to an end when the sixth-seeded Purple Aces duel with the third-seeded Redbirds. Evansville went from 3-15 in league play last season to 8-10 this year, a drastic improvement. The Purple Aces though, are the only current league member without a title in this event, where they have gone just 4-14. On the flip side, ISU has gone 32-23 all-time in the MVC Tournament and has captured four titles. The Redbirds opened the season with 14 straight wins, but went just 8-8 down the stretch and enter the postseason riding a three-game slide.

Sun Belt Tournament Preview

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The 33rd-annual Sun Belt Conference Tournament, which includes all 13 members, will begin at campus venues on Wednesday, before moving to Summit Arena for the final three rounds.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans won the East and West Divisions, respectively, with identical 15-3 records. The Hilltoppers though, swept the Trojans during the regular season and were awarded the top seed in the tournament. Troy finished slightly behind WKU and UALR at 14-4, so it received the No.3 seed. The top three seeds earn a bye in the first round, while the rest of the league must battle for the right to move on to Hot Springs for the quarterfinals.

The North Texas Mean Green claimed the fourth seed with an 11-7 finish and will host 13th-seeded Florida Atlantic, which went just 2-16 in league play. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and South Alabama Jaguars both had 10-8 league records and after the tie-breaker scenario was worked out, it was the Raiders who landed the fifth seed. MT will take on 12th-seeded Arkansas State, which finished 5-13, while the sixth-seeded Jaguars will entertain the 11th- seeded New Orleans Privateers after their 6-12 showing. The UL-Monroe Warhawks also recorded a 6-12 ledger, but owned the tie-breaker with New Orleans and were given the 10th seed. The Warhawks will clash with the Denver Pioneers, who earned the seventh seed with an even 9-9 performance. The UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns and Florida International Golden Panthers both ended with 7-11 records, but tie-breaker went to the Cajuns and they get to host the Panthers in the first round.

The ninth-seeded Panthers versus the eighth-seeded Cajuns are one of five first round games on tap for Wednesday. In league games, ULL went 6-3 at home compared to 1-8 on the road, so it was important that the Cajuns won the tie- breaker with FIU in order to host this bout. ULL has had great success in this event, going 24-12 all-time and capturing five titles. FIU, on the other hand, is just 5-9 lifetime in the tourney and is in search of its first championship.

The 13th-seeded Owls bring a five-game losing streak to Denton, where they will take on the fourth-seeded Mean Green in the first round. FAU is 0-17 on the road this season, while North Texas owns an 11-4 mark at home. The Mean Green won its lone title in this tourney in 2007, and the Owls have gone 2-2 in their only two appearances.

The fifth-seeded Blue Raiders welcome the 12th-seeded Red Wolves to Murfreesboro for a first-round match up on Wednesday. MT won the lone meeting with ASU during the season and has gone 6-3 in conference home games. The Blue Raiders have posted a 10-8 mark in this tourney, including a 67-57 loss to Western Kentucky in the finals last season. ASU won its lone title in 1999, but it enters the postseason riding a lengthy nine-game slide.

After earning the top seed last season, the Jaguars had to settle for the sixth spot and a first-round home game against 11th-seeded New Orleans this year. USA is one of the most decorated teams in the SBC, as it has won the tourney title on five occasions, most recently in 2006. The Privateers claimed their second championship in 1996, but they most likely won't get past the first round this season considering their 0-9 record on the road in league games.

The seventh-seeded Pioneers and 10th-seeded Warhawks will meet in Colorado in first-round action on Wednesday as well. Denver boasts an 11-3 home ledger, while ULM sports a poor 2-11 road mark. Neither team has won a title in this event, but the Pioneers did reach the finals in 2005, losing out to ULL.

Top-seeded WKU will start off quarterfinal round play on Sunday, as it awaits the winner of the ULL/FIU matchup. The Toppers defeated MT in their finale to wrap up the SBC regular-season title, the program's 41st league championship (regular season and tournament titles). WKU won its unprecedented sixth SBC Tournament title last season as a third seed and is 34-20 all-time in this event.

Muck like WKU, second-seed UALR will be awaiting the arrival of its quarterfinal round opponent at Summit Arena on Sunday. The Trojans will face off against the survivor of the ULM/Denver contest. UALR recorded a school- record 15 SBC wins this season on its way to the program's fourth West Division title in six years. The Trojans also reached the 20-win plateau for the second straight season, a feat they hadn't accomplished since the 1988-89 and 1989-90 campaigns. UALR though, is still looking for that elusive first title despite winning 15 games in this tourney.

The quarterfinal round will conclude with third-seeded Troy taking on either New Orleans or South Alabama on Sunday. The Trojans ripped off wins in 12 of their last 13 outings, although a heart-breaking, 87-86, loss to FIU on February 19th ultimately cost them a share of the league crown. Still, the run pushed Troy to 19-11 overall, marking its best record since the 2003-04 season.

Atlantic Sun Tournament Preview

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Atlantic Sun regular season title came down to the last day, as the Jacksonville Dolphins outlasted the Belmont Bruins, 84-82, in an overtime thriller to capture the top seed in the tournament for the first time in school history. With the setback, the Bruins dropped to the third seed, as they lost out on the tie-breaker with the East Tennessee State Buccaneers, who claimed the second spot. Lipscomb, the host of this tourney, will be the fourth seed, while the Stetson Hatters claimed the seventh and final spot. The Campbell Camels and Mercers Bears finished with the same league mark, but the Camels owned the tie-breaker and were awarded the fifth seed. Florida Gulf Coast, USC Upstate, North Florida and Kennesaw State are still in the reclassifying period and are not eligible to participate in this tourney.

The postseason kicks off on Wednesday, with seventh-seeded Stetson tangling with second-seeded ETSU. Stetson is the only team in the tourney with a losing conference mark at 9-11 and the Hatters stumble in having dropped four straight decisions. The Hatters and Bucs split a pair of meetings during the regular season, with two games being decided by a total of seven points. Winners of two straight, the Bucs ended the season with a 14-6 conference ledger and won league-high 20 overall games.

The quarterfinal round picks back up on Thursday, starting with the sixth- seeded Mercer Bears challenging third-seeded Belmont.The Bears lost their final two games and that was costly, as the team had to settle for the sixth spot at 11-9. Mercer is one of just two current members of the A-Sun that have won this tourney, last taking home the hardware in 1985. Belmont has captured the last three tourney titles and are 11-4 all-time in this event. The Bruins finished in a tie for second place in the league standings at 14-6 and they had 18 overall wins, the second most among conference members.

The final quarterfinals matchups pits fifth-seeded Campbell against fourth- seeded Lipscomb. The Camels finished 11-9 in the league standings along with Mercer, but they held the tie-breaker and were given the higher seed. Campbell has won four straight, including victories over ETSU and Jacksonville, with its last loss coming to Lipscomb. Speaking of the Bison, they come into the postseason on a tear, as they have won eight straight games. The run propelled Lipscomb into a fourth place finish at 12-8, and the team has the luxury of hosting this event at Allen Arena, where it has gone 11-3, including 8-2 in league play.

Jacksonville won its first A-Sun regular season crown with a dramatic win over Belmont on Saturday and with that the program landed the top seed and a bye directly into the semifinal round on Friday. The Dolphins, who finished 15-5 within the conference, await the winner of the Campbell versus Lipscomb matchup.

Due to the consistent losses and additions of teams to the A-Sun, there isn't much history in this event for the current members. Belmont has won the last three championships and Mercer has two titles to its credit and no other current member has a single claimed the hardware. Stetson, at 8-18, has by far played the most game without a championship and hasn't even reached the finals since 1994. Jacksonville (2008), ETSU (2007) and Lipscomb (2006) were the last three runner ups, all losing out to Belmont.

Patriot League Tournament Preview

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Last season, American University surprised many by winning the Patriot League Tournament and representing the group in the NCAA Tournament, but this time around the rest of the league is ready for the Eagles as the squad enters the 19th annual tourney as the favorite.

While the Eagles had a hard time negotiating their way through a non- conference slate that included opponents like Maryland, Georgetown and Oklahoma, beating up on the rest of the Patriot League was rather easy for the team as it finished an inspiring 13-1 (21-7 overall). The lone loss for the Eagles came against runner-up Holy Cross (16-13, 11-3), so for the most part the rest of the conference had to give way to American as it ran roughshod through the schedule.

And to the victors go the spoils as the Eagles suit up in the quarterfinals of this event against eight-seeded Lafayette on Wednesday night at home. The Leopards, who won back-to-back tournament titles in 1999 and 2000, have a pair of double-digit scorers that they rely upon in Andrew Brown (13.6 ppg) and Jeff Kari (10.6 ppg), who have helped the program rank second in the conference in scoring this season with 65.6 ppg. Unfortunately, Lafayette also has the distinction of having the weakest scoring defense in the Patriot as well, allowing 73.1 ppg.

In contrast to the Leopards, American has the best scoring defense among all the programs in the PL, permitting just 58.5 ppg, which has afforded the Eagles a scoring margin of +5.3 ppg, even after suffering blowout losses to the Sooners (29 points) and Hoyas (24 points). Garrison Carr, who was the MVP of last year's PL Tournament, finished second in the league this season with his 17.5 ppg and is supported by Brian Gilmore and Derrick Mercer who account for 11.8 and 11.5 ppg, respectively.

Second-seeded Holy Cross, a team that has played in five of the last seven title games in the tourney and owns a total of five crowns overall, not to mention a 24-13 record in the event, saddles up against seventh-seeded Bucknell (7-22, 4-10) which ended up with the worst overall mark among the eight teams in the league.

The Crusaders, winners of three of the last four games to close out the regular season, are under the control of Ralph Willard who is seeking to take the team to the postseason for the sixth time in his 10 years in Worcester. On a team that was third in the conference in scoring (64.6 ppg) and tops in rebounding defense (29.2 rpg), the Crusaders have leaned heavily on R.J. Evans and his 12.7 ppg in 2008-09. Although just a sophomore, Andrew Keister earned himself a spot in third place on the league's rebounding list with six and a half boards per contest.

In the case of the Bison, they have been learning how to play under first-year head coach Dave Paulsen who arrived from Williams where he led his alma mater to the NCAA Division III National Championship in 2002-03 with an incredible 31-1 record. Trying to fill the rather large shoes left by the legendary Pat Flannery who was the most successful leader in conference history, Paulsen's transition has been eased somewhat by Patrick Behan who not only averages 13.8 ppg, but sits second in the league in rebounding with 6.7 rpg.

As the third seed, the Navy Midshipmen (19-10, 8-6) pit their league-leading offense (71.4 ppg) against sixth-seeded Colgate (9-19, 5-9) which finished the regular season with the lowest average output at 56.9 ppg. The Raiders had a hard time fighting their way down the stretch in the last few weeks, losing five in a row to close out the regular season and it also didn't help to have Cal, TCU and Syracuse on the schedule early on either. Colgate head coach Emmett Davis was in this same situation just two years ago, sporting the same records heading into the tournament, but a year later he was in the title game versus American and lost by just six points, so perhaps there's some magic to be found yet for the Raiders.

Navy, which has three tournament titles in the books, even though the most recent was more than a decade ago and the team is just 13-14 in the event over the years, has generated more overall wins this season than it has in any one of the previous four headed by Billy Lange. The academy had a little trouble with consistency during the month of February, alternating wins and losses along the way, but Chris Harris (15.7 ppg) and Adam Teague (11.0 ppg) should help to bring that to an end shortly.

The final matchup of the quarterfinal round finds No. 5 seed Lehigh (15-13, 5-9) paying a visit to fourth-seeded Army (10-18, 6-8). As one can see from their record, the Black Knight had an awful non-conference run this season, and if it were not for a pair of wins against Dartmouth the ledger would have looked even worse for head coach Jim Crews and his troops from West Point. Coach Crews put more emphasis on defense for the academy this season and the result was an effort that allowed just 61.1 ppg (second-best in the PL). Unfortunately, Army is fighting not only the Mountain Hawks in the first round of action this week, but also history because the academy has a record of just 4-18 in the tournament and has never once made it to the title game.

Lehigh is in somewhat of a similar boat with just a 2004 championship, a two- point win over American, to show for its efforts in this event. Head coach Brett Reed, who is in just his second season as a head coach, had his squad in the middle of the pack for many a statistical category, but one area in which the program thrived was field goal percentage defense where the Mountain Hawks were number one in the Patriot, allowing opponents a mere 38.9 percent success over the course of 28 games. Defeating Army by 20 points earlier in the season and losing by just seven in their only overtime affair should go a long way in preparing the team for the impending meeting on Wednesday night.

Horizon League Tournament
By: Rocky Atkinson

The Horizon League tournament gets underway on Tuesday March 3rd. Butler has dominated this conference in recent years and is almost automatic to make the tournament this season with a 25-4 overall record and Top 25 ranking. Let’s take a look at my current Horizon League Conference Power Ratings heading into the Conference Tournament.

1. Butler 83.29
2. Wisconsin Green Bay 81.14
3. Cleveland State 80.78
4. Illinois Chicago 76.72
5. Wright State 74.27
6. Valparaiso 73.72
7. Wisconsin Milwaukee 73.24
8. Youngstown State 73.09
9. Loyola Chicago 71.69
10. Detroit 65.78

Unless somebody upsets Butler in the Conference Tournament, we probably will not see another one of these teams in the Big Dance. One team to look out for is Wisconsin Green Bay. Wisconsin Green Bay is 22-9 overall and 13-5 in conference play. Cleveland State has also played well this year and sports a 21-10 overall record and 12-6 conference record. I think those are the only three teams that have a chance of winning the tournament. The middle of the pack is Illinois Chicago, Wright State, Valpo and Wisconsin Milwaukee, all OK teams, but they don’t have enough to beat the Top 3. The Bottom feeders are Youngstown State, Loyola Chicago and Detroit and they will be ending their season soon.

MY PICK TO WIN: Butler
SLEEPER: Cleveland State
LONG SHOT: Illinois Chicago

SEC Tournament Prediction and Breakdown
By: Craig Trapp

Even though this conference is the weakest in recent memory they could change many peoples minds with a couple large upsets come the NCAA Tournament. Currently there is only one team that is a lock for the NCAA Tournament. SEC will get 4 teams in the big dance but there is 4 teams on the bubble fighting for three bids. Craig will predict which Bubble Teams get in and what they will do once they get there.

LSU: Winner of the SEC this year and even though the conference was down this year they only lost one game all year which included some tough road games. The conference tournament is pretty important for this team as NCAA seeding will be very important to them. Tigers are led by Thorton and Mitchell that both can score in bunches and average over 15 points apiece. Most likely will be a #4 seed if they can win out. One and out this year they will be beat in the second round and expose a team that has not beat a great team all year.

Tennessee: Big win this past weekend at Florida put this team in the big dance. Some still think they are on the bubble if they would lose in 1st Round of SEC tournament but Craig still thinks they are in. The best strenth of schedule and a top 25 RPI puts them solidly in the tournament. Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism lead this team and have a ton of big game experience. This team will only have 19 or 20 wins but will end up with a #8 seed. This team is trying to game from bubble team to sweet 16 team but Craig predicts they win one and lose a close one to the #1 seed in their bracket.

Florida: Bubble team for sure but Craig is one of the few that is predicting them to win a couple in a row and make the big dance. Would be hard to keep this team out with a total of 23 wins at end of year. Calathes is a huge difference maker and he can carry a team from the point guard position. Craig has Florid as a #10 seed and has them playing one of the middle teams from the ACC or Big East. No way this team upsets anyone this year, Billy D. goes two season with zero wins in the big dance.

Kentucky: Must have a big couple wins in the SEC tournament will come down to South Carolina or UK to make the big dance. UK's tough games out of conference is the difference and gets them in barely. Meeks and Patterson are a dangerous combination that might be able to pull a huge upset come March Madness. A #11 seed for a UK team that must be a misprint but it is not. Actually think UK can beat a six seed and heck if they get hot why not they could make a sweet 16 appearance. UK is last SEC school in but are only team from the SEC that makes the sweet 16.

South Carolina is left on the wrong side of the bubble and does not make it in this year. SEC weak strength overall has cost more selections this year but with the young talent from this league the future is bright. Even though this conference might not put many in the NCAA Tournament the last two weeks and SEC Tournament will be huge in deciding which SEC Bubble teams get in or are sent packing to the NIT.

PAC 10 Tournament Preview and Prediction
By: Craig Trapp

Right now the PAC 10 has a solid 5 teams in the big dance and no bubble teams. Any other team that wants to make the big dance from the PAC 10 will have to win the PAC 10 tournament. The bottom teams in this conference have been competitive but not good enough to get on the bubble. Lets take a preview of the PAC 10 teams and predict what will happen once March Madness begins.

Arizona State: Coach Sendek has his team playing great lately locking teams down with there match up zone and offensively being very efficient. Craig's top team from the Pac 10 in his Power Rankings are very tough team to prepare for with the match up zone. Holding teams to only 58 points per game will keep ASU in every game. Player of the year candidate James Hardin can do it all and when he is playing well could carry this team deep in the tournament. Most likely will get a #4 seed and will scare any #1 seed left in the sweet 16. For sure a sweet 16 team but will lose a close one in the sweet 16 game.

Washington: Another 20 win season for an underrated Washington program. No one has talked about them all year but don't look now they are leading the PAC 10 and has the talent to make some noise in the big dance. Very balanced team with 4 players averaging double digits led by guard Isiagh Thomas at 15 points per game. Jon Brockman is a tough inside presence that is a little unorthodox but very effective. Looks like this team is headed to #3 or #4 seed but they need to finish strong as there strength of schedule is not good. Don't see this team getting to past the second round will be ripe for upset in second round of the NCAA tournament.

UCLA: Just a couple weeks ago Craig had UCLA #10 in his power Rankings and heading for a #2 seed in the west. How things have changes since then the Bruins have lost three of four and have been giving up nearly 78 points a game in that stretch. Ben Howland is known for his lock down defense and lately it has been no where to be seen. UCLA has the best individual talent in the PAC 10 but putting it together has been a problem. Collison and Shipp have a ton of tournament experience so don't rule them out. UCLA is most likely a #5 seed but could improve greatly if they win the PAC 10 tournament. Most top teams are hoping that UCLA is not there 2nd round match up because they are very dangerous. Howland will put it together and once again will see UCLA in sweet 16.

California: Looks like 22 wins should get this team in the big dance but a costly seeding hit with a loss to Oregon State. Even scoring has been the key for a big improvement at Cal this year, led by guard Jerome Randle averaging over 17 points and 4 assists a game. Coach Montgomery has brought his success that he had at Stanford over to the Bears and has them playing much better than any expert predicted. A year ahead of time this team will make the big dance as most likely a #7 seed. Look for this team to get upset in the first round due to the lack of experience but remember bear fans this team will be great next year.

Arizona: Key wins over Gonzaga and UCLA will definitely put this team in the big dance. A bubble team 2 weeks ago that has put themselves solidly in the tournament winning 7 out of last 8 games. That included two upsets over Washington and UCLA. Budinger and Hill are great front court players that both can score and rebound very well. Arizona will be thrilled to be back in the tournament and welcome a #10 seed. Most likely a 1 game stay in the tournament but with the early departure of Lute Olson this season this still is a success for the program.

Currently only three PAC 10 teams are in the top 25 in the polls but don't be surprised if they have a little better showing than there rankings would indicate come NCAA tournament time. Two teams in the sweet 16 should be considered an over achievement.

Summit League Tournament Preview

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Summit League, formerly known as the Mid-Continent Conference, will hold its postseason tournament from March 7th through March 10th in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

There are 10 teams in the league, and eight have been invited to participate in the event. North Dakota State recently wrapped up the Summit League regular-season title and has to be considered the favorite to win this tourney and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Still, strong opposition is sure to come from Oral Roberts, the No. 2 seed. Last season, Oral Roberts beat IUPUI in the championship game to earn their third consecutive title and yet another trip to the "Big Dance". IUPUI is back this season as the fourth seed, and third-seeded Oakland is formidable as well. As for Southern Utah, IPFW, South Dakota State and Centenary, all four of those squads will be fortunate to escape the quarterfinal round.

First-round action begins on Saturday, March 7th, as North Dakota State takes on Centenary, the eighth seed. NDSU is the top scoring team in the league, as it is posting 81.3 ppg on 49.2 percent shooting from the field. The Bison are also tops in rebounding margin and turnover margin. Ben Woodside leads North Dakota State and the entire league in scoring with his 23.0 ppg and is second in assists with 6.4 apg. As for Centenary, it relies heavily on Nick Stallings (15.0 ppg) and Chase Adams (14.2 ppg) to be productive at the offensive end. Still, the Gentlemen are second to last in the Summit in scoring output and dead last in field goal percentage (.397).

Saturday's second matchup pits Oral Roberts against seventh-seeded South Dakota State, which figures to have a solid number of fans in the stands. The Golden Eagles lead the league in field goal percentage defense and offensive rebounding. Senior Robert Jarvis is scoring 17.4 ppg for ORU, and fellow senior Marcus Lewis provides 13.2 ppg and 7.0 rpg. SDSU is paced by Garrett Callahan and his 15.5 ppg. The Jackrabbits do not excel in any particular aspect of the game and are considerable underdogs against ORU, which won both regular-season meetings between the teams.

On Sunday, March 8th, IUPUI and Southern Utah will do battle in quarterfinal- round action. IUPUI won both meetings between the teams during the regular season and figures to enter this matchup with a mental edge over the Thunderbirds. The Jaguars lead the Summit League in scoring defense, as they are only allowing 63.7 ppg. They are second among the conference's 10 teams in both field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense. It is interesting to point out that while IUPUI is last in the league in free throw percentage (.654), Southern Utah is tops by a wide margin (.805). Still, the Thunderbirds are last in turnover margin and blocked shots.

Rounding out the quarterfinal round is a meeting between Oakland and sixth- seeded IPFW. Oakland boasts the league's second-leading scorer in senior Erik Kangas, who provides 18.9 ppg. As for Jonathon Jones, who brings 13.5 ppg to the floor for the Golden Grizzlies, he leads the league with 7.8 apg. Oakland tops the Summit in blocked shots and is second in assists. As for IPFW, it is shooting 41.1 percent from three-point range and will undoubtedly rely heavily on perimeter shooting against an Oakland team that blocks a high volume of shots. The Mastodons, who are last in the league in assists and offensive rebounds, are paced by David Carson's 14.9 ppg.

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament Preview

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Siena Saints, the top seed in the 28th annual Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament set to begin on Friday, are in the market to repeat as the event champion and make it back to the NCAA Tournament. However the Saints, who defeated Rider last season for the tourney title, will have more than a few schools trying to knock them off their perch.

Along with second-seeded Niagara (24-7, 14-4), Siena (23-7, 16-2) has earned a bye through the first round of the tournament so it will be well-rested once either Canisius or Loyola-Maryland comes calling on Saturday evening. The Saints finished the regular season as the top scoring team in the conference at 77.6 ppg, shooting an impressive 47.2 percent from the floor as Kenny Hasbrouck led the group with his 14.8 ppg, and Edwin Ubiles followed close behind with 14.7 ppg. Both players were named to the All-MAAC First Team for their efforts, while Alex Franklin (13.8 ppg) and Ronald Moore (8.9 ppg, 6.1 apg) made the cut on the Second Team.

Ninth-seeded Canisius (10-19, 4-14) had a bit of a positive spurt down the stretch in the last couple of weeks, winning three in a row, but the team lost both meetings with Siena, so even if the squad makes it through the first round of play there isn't much hope beyond that. The Golden Griffins, sporting a record of 20-18 all-time in this event and having won just a single title back in 1996, were ninth in the conference in scoring with 62.9 ppg, mainly because the squad was dead last in free-throw shooting at a miserable 61.3 percent. Frank Turner made the All-MAAC Third Team with his 15.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 4.0 apg, but that was about the extent of the strong play for the Griffs.

Checking in as the eighth seed are the Greyhounds (12-19, 7-11) who have to reach back even further than Canisius to find their one and only MAAC Tournament title (1994). Although only a sophomore, Jamal Barney was picked for the All-MAAC Second Team because of his 18.6 ppg and 5.5 rpg, the former stat leading the conference this season. Offense wasn't as much of an issue for Loyola-Maryland (67.1 ppg) as was the defense, ranking last in the league with 71.6 ppg allowed.

In the case of the Purple Eagles, winners of this tournament in both 2005 and 2007, they were another powerful offense this season with a hefty 76.2 ppg, providing the team with the best scoring margin in the MAAC at +8.9 ppg. The squad finished the regular season on a three-game win streak and claimed victory in 10 of the last 11 outings, with the lone setback being a 90-87 loss to Rider on the road in the middle of February. Bilal Benn (14.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.7 spg) and Tyrone Lewis (16.3 ppg, 2.7 spg) were among the five players selected to be part of the All-MAAC First Team this season, while Benson Egemonye (12.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg) found his spot on the Second Team.

Niagara will have to wait a day to find out which team it will be facing in the quarterfinals on Saturday, that being either 10th-seeded Marist or seventh-seeded Iona. The Red Foxes (9-22, 4-14) had a hard time getting it together for MAAC meetings this season, winning just twice since the middle of January. Marist had the worst scoring margin in the league at -4.9 ppg, yet the squad was first in the conference with 37 percent shooting behind the three-point line and was third in three-point field goal defense, allowing opponents to convert just 32.3 percent of those same opportunities. Ryan Schneider, an All-MAAC Second Team pick, is the go-to guy for the Red Foxes, placing fourth in the league in scoring with his 16.1 ppg.

The Gaels (12-18, 7-11), owners of the most MAAC Tournament championships with seven, the most recent of those coming in 2006, had the weakest rebounding offense in the MAAC with 32.9 per game, but the squad found an even balance by limiting opponents to just 32.6 rpg, which was the best effort in the league this season. Senior Gary Springer popped up on the All-MAAC Third Team after posting 12.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg for the group.

Already set for the quarterfinal round of play on Saturday are Fairfield vs. Manhattan and Saint Peter's lining up against Rider. Fifth-seeded Fairfield (16-14, 9-9), which has three tourney titles to its credit, but none since 1997, leaned heavily on Greg Nero this season as the All-MAAC Third Team pick placed 14th in the conference with his 12.9 ppg and was 10th in rebounding (6.6 rpg).

The fourth-seeded Jaspers (16-13, 9-9) dominated the conference just a few years ago, winning the title in both 2003 and 2004, but since then they have been unable to make it back to the championship game and now show a record of 17-24 in the tourney overall. Manhattan could boast of having the best rebounding differential in the league with an advantage of almost three per game, but falling to both Fairfield and Saint Peter's to close the regular season didn't help matters. A weak non-conference slate also kept the team from really being challenged in the early going to see what they were made of. Darryl Crawford, a 40-percent shooter behind the three-point line who averages 14.4 ppg, made it onto the All-MAAC Third Team.

The sixth-seeded Peacocks (11-18, 8-10) were paced by sophomore Wesley Jenkins, a Third Team All-MAAC pick who generated 15.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 2.1 spg for the group. Unfortunately, Saint Peter's couldn't find a way to get beyond scoring a mere 59.4 ppg this season, which was last in the conference. Add to that a defense that allowed a league-high 71.6 ppg and the wins were not always easy to come by for the group.

The Rider Broncs (18-11, 12-6), the competition for the Peacocks in the quarterfinals on Saturday, played for the title last season against Siena but were blown out of the water in a 74-53 final. This time around the third- seeded squad is having to make due with only one Thompson brother (Ryan) on the roster, which makes it that much more difficult to make it back to the final game. Nevertheless, Ryan Thompson is still one of the most dominating players in the conference with his 18.0 ppg and 6.4 rpg, all while shooting 52.6 percent from the field. For his efforts, Thompson was named to the 2008-09 All-MAAC First Team.

BIG TEN Conference Tournament Preview
By: Craig Trapp

Not a banner year for the BIG TEN Conference and with less than two weeks left several teams have work left to do. Can't remember a year when the Big Ten had so few Nationally ranked teams. Also most years this conference has a minimum of seven locks to get in to March Madness but this year there are only three teams that are an absolute lock. Lets look at Craig's predictions for the Big Ten and lets see who gets in and how they will do in the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan State: Spartans have flown under the radar all year but have compiled a really nice record and have won the Big Ten conference title. This Michigan St. team is very similar to past Spartan’s teams. They are solid on defense and a very hard nosed team. This team is led in scoring by Ramar Morgan who is averaging nearly 15 ppg. Kalin Lucas does a great job running the offense with nearly a 5-1 assist to turnover ratio while averaging 13 ppg. An almost lock for a #3 seed and an outside chance for a #2 seed. Izzo is always known for his tournament success like the Spartans to the sweet 16 but no further.

Purdue: Disappointing year for a team that was picked to win the Big Ten and be a favorite to contend for a National Title. Injuries this year has cost this team some losses but this team has started to play better as of late. Late season blow out win over Michigan State shows why this team was picked as a championship contender. Hummel will have to stay healthy for this team to have any chance to go far in the big dance. Seeding for this team could change but right now they are a #5 seed. Craig predicts that this team keep the disappointment up and loses in 2nd round.

Illinois: Best defensive team in the conference and a very dangerous young team that doesn't take a game off. The biggest surprise in the Big Ten this year could be a tough out if they can find consistent outside shooting. Definitely have a #5 seed and with a couple wins in the big ten tournament could see them as a #4 seed. Predicting this team has been tough all year but on the road or neutral floor have not really played great. Lack of outside shooting knocks this team out first game.

The Big Ten will get three other bubble teams in the NCAA Tournament: Ohio State (#9 Seed), Wisconsin (#9 seed), and Penn State (#10 seed). All of these teams will have disappointing showing in the big dance all three losing big. The BIG TEN will continue there disappointing season as a conference with only one team in the Sweet 16. Lucky for the Big Ten they play each other because if the last three teams in the tournament were in any other major conference they would be playing in the NIT.

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Preview

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament play gets underway Thursday night with a pair of first round games in St. Louis: Indiana State vs. Drake and Missouri State vs. Wichita State.

The MVC is an interesting mid-major league as it is currently being projected to have multiple births (N Iowa and Creighton) in the NCAA Tournament. For the 4th straight year, the tournament has a different #1 seed.

Onto tonight’s games. All four teams that will take the court in St. Louis must win this tournament to qualify for the Big Dance. Up first is 8-seed Drake vs. 9-seed Indiana State. Drake was a NCAA Tournament team last year, winning both the regular season and conference tournament titles, so it has been quite the tumble for the Bulldogs in 2008-09. They were one of the team’s most affected by the new three-point line. Despite back-to-back SU losses to end the season, they will be favored by 3.5 points in this first round contest. Off a road loss by three points or less, Drake is 10-1 ATS since 1997.

Indiana State is an interesting case study. Their 10-20 SU record is anything but impressive, but considering they started the year 4-19, it is clear that the Sycamores are playing their best basketball of the season right now. Larry Bird’s alma mater is 17-26 SU all-time in this event with two titles, the last coming in 2001.

These teams split the two regular season meetings with each winning by double-digits on their home floor and earning ATS wins in the process.

The nightcap features the MVC’s worst team, Missouri State, taking on the Shockers of Wichita State. The 10th seeded Bears have a history of success in this event with a 23-17 SU all-time record. However, they have won just one title and that came back in 1992. Since that time, they have lost in the tournament final five times. Simply put, they are not getting back to that point this season. They were 5-13 SU (4-12 ATS) in MVC play this year and are on a horrible 7-21 ATS underdog run dating back to last season. Surprisingly, they have opened as just two-point underdogs for this one.

7th seeded Wichita State played well down the stretch, but a 2-12 SU record away from home has to be cause for concern. The Shockers have won the MVC Tourney twice, but not since 1987. Overall, WSU went 6-3 SU to end the season, but are just 2-5 ATS L7.

These teams also split the two regular season meetings, with Missouri State covering both. However, they lost 62-61 in Wichita back on February 10th and are 0-6 ATS on the road playing with same season revenge.

Looking ahead to Friday’s quarterfinal action we have 4th seeded Bradley taking on 5th seeded Southern Illinois. Both have won this tournament before and will need to do so again if they want to get out their dancing shoes. SIU’s five all time tournament wins ranks them second among current MVC members while Bradley won four of its last five games to overtake the Salukis for fourth place in the conference standings.

Top seed Northern Iowa draws the winner of Indiana State and Drake and will be significantly favored. Although the Panthers are currently projected to be in the field of 65, we feel that they need to win this tournament in order to qualify.

Second-seeded Creighton has the best overall record among MVC teams and provided they make the finals should be in the Big Dance by virtue of their 25-6 SU record. No team has won this tournament more times than the Blue Jays (10). This year marked the 14th time they either won or shared the MVC regular season title and the 11th straight year they won at least 20 games. They draw the winner of Wichita State/Missouri State.

Finally, we have 3rd seeded Illinois State taking on 6th seeded Evansville, the only MVC team never to win this event (just 4-14 SU all-time). However, the Purple Aces did improve from 3-15 in league play last season to 8-10 this year. ISU started the year 14-0 SU, but went just 8-8 SU down the stretch, so they must win to get in. The Redbirds lost their final two games of the regular season, both to league co-champions Northern Iowa and Creighton.

West Coast Conference
By Lenny Del Genio

The West Coast Conference gets tournament play underway Friday night with a pair of first round games matching Loyola Marymount and San Diego as well as Pepperdine and San Francisco. The WCC has always held a special place in our heart as we have simply dominated this league with our premium selections, including our 2009 WCC Game of the Year on St. Mary’s, on the road, over San Diego by 23. Over the last two seasons, we are 7-2 ATS in WCC play.

Here is a complete breakdown of this year’s tournament:

Things get underway on Friday with a quartet of teams that have no chance of making the NCAA Tournament. San Diego won this thing last year, but that was because they got to play host and took advantage of what appeared to be a disinterested Gonzaga team in the Final. The Toreros parlayed the tourney win into a first-round upset of UConn in the Big Dance before eventually bowing out to Western Kentucky in a battle of double-digit seeds.

This season has been an absolute disaster for USD as they lost leading scorer Brandon Johnson in the non-conference slate and have suffered ever since. They actually finished with a losing record in WCC play this season after being pegged to challenge Gonzaga for the conference crown.

The good news for San Diego is that they draw a terrible Loyola Marymount team in the first round. The bad news is that they actually lost to Loyola by eight as a 13.5-point road favorite last month. However, we’ll point out that the Toreros are a perfect 7-0 ATS away from home over the last three seasons playing with revenge for a SU loss as a favorite. It was one of just three wins this season for LMU, who was 0-17 off-campus this year and hasn’t won this event since 1990, which was back in the days of Bo Kimble and the late great Hank Gathers.

The other first round Friday matchup pits the Dons of San Francisco against the Waves of Pepperdine. The Dons finished just 3-11 in league play, but played better down the stretch than did Pepperdine. USF won two of their last three, including a 70-62 win over this opponent. The Waves lost their last four games to finish 5-9 SU in WCC play. USF has covered five of the last six meetings and has opened as a 5.5-point favorite.

Looking ahead to Saturday, 4th seeded Santa Clara draws the winner of LMU/San Diego. The Broncos won eight of their final 11 games and has taken this tourney twice, but not since 1993 when G Steve Nash was on campus. They swept Loyola Marymount, including a 26-point home win. They split with San Diego with each team winning and covering on the other’s home floor.

3rd seeded Portland is probably a bit disappointed they were unable to take over second place and earn a bye into the semifinals. Losses in their final two regular season games cost them. Still, they finished 18-11 SU overall, the best finish in recent memory for this program. They draw the winner of USF/Pepperdine, both of whom they swept during the regular season, including three double-digit victories.

The WCC is like the Horizon League in that they reward their top two teams with an automatic “double-bye” into the semifinals. We like this idea as teams that had great regular seasons, particularly in mid-major conferences, should be rewarded handsomely.

#2 seed St. Mary’s is a team to watch. Despite missing leading scorer Patrick Mills for more than a month, they still finished second and 24-5 SU overall, the same record as league champ Gonzaga. Mills and his 18.7 PPG are now back. Despite that great record and a five-game win streak, the Gaels probably need to win the tournament to make the Big Dance. It will be interesting to see how Mills comes back from the broken right hand. They’ll probably draw Portland on Sunday, who they lost to in their first game without Mills, 84-66, on the road back on January 31st. They got revenge on 2/14, winning 77-65.

Top seed Gonzaga is already assured of an NCAA Tournament berth. If they win the WCC Tourney, then this is a one-bid league. The Bulldogs went 14-0 SU in league play during the regular season and most of the games weren’t even close. Only five games were decided by less than double-digits (two against St. Mary’s) and just two by five points or less. This was the third time they completed a perfect WCC regular season. They have won nine straight and 11 of the last 12 WCC titles. They have made the tournament finals 11 straight times, 13 of the last 14 years, and are 33-13 SU all-time in this event.