We have arrived at week two of conference championship week! Here are my picks: ACC: North Carolina
The Tar-Heels have proven over the course of the entire season that they are the premiere team in the ACC and they REALLY showed it in Saturday's win at #9 ranked Duke. I don't think any team has the capability to hang with UNC on the boards and they have a plethora of weapons on offense to go to. Don't want to overthink this one.
American Conference: Florida Atlantic
To put it best, Florida Atlantic is a consistently inconsistent basketball team. We all know that they have the talent to make a deep run with Johnell Davis, Alijah Martin, and Vlad Goldin, but the rest of the team has been much streakier. They have the capability to beat a top five team in the nation in Arizona, but can also lose to Bryant and Florida Gulf Coast. FAU is the highest ranked team in the conference on KenPom at 37 and I don't see South Florida's hot streak continuing all the way to the NCAA tournament
Atlantic 10: Dayton
Although, the Flyers finished third in the A10 standings this regular season, I am very confident in them to secure the automatic qualifying bid from the #ZeroBidLeague. All jokes aside, this Dayton team is incredibly talented. We all know about DaRon Holmes, but this team goes as far as Kobe Elvis can take them. Plus, they are the highest ranked KenPom team in the conference AND not a top two seed, which is a good value pick for points.
Big 12: Houston
Playing basketball against Houston is like trying to wrestle a grizzly bear. They will maul you in every single facet of the game. Nobody in the big twelve can hang with them physically. I like the Coogs to win the Big 12 double in their first season.
Big East: UConn
I have watched UConn more than any other team in the nation this year (besides the Temple Owls). Simply put: this team has no weaknesses. They can win, and have won, games in almost every way imaginable. When you add in to the mix that they are playing in Storrs South? I don't think anyone can run with the Huskies in the Big Apple.
Big Ten: Purdue
If this were the NCAA tournament, I would not be so quick to pick the Boilermakers. Very few teams in the country take care of conference opponents as well as Purdue does. It also helps that they have the best player in the nation in Zach Edey, who is surrounded by a more experienced roster than last season. Chalky? Sure. But, I cannot pick against Matt Painter in Big Ten play.
Big West: UC Davis
UC Davis is a tale of two sides of the court. Offensively, there is a lot to be desired. Defensively, there is only one team ahead of them: #1 seed UC Irvine. There is one massive bright spot to UC Davis' struggling offense: Elijah Pepper. When it comes to March, I am a firm believer that relying on a guard/guards to carry your offense is more sustainable than it is for a big man. Although, he has been streaky as of late, I trust that he can power a run for the Aggies to the big dance.
Conference USA: Louisiana Tech
The Bulldogs, to me, are the best team in this conference and the numbers back it up. Despite finishing second in conference play, the Bulldogs (ranked 90th on KenPom) are ranked 53 spots higher than first place finisher, Sam Houston state. On top of that, they boast the league's top offense and second ranked defense.
Ivy League: Cornell
The top three of the Ivy is a true pick your poison. That being said, I opted to go with the Cornell Big Red. After how I saw them compete at Princeton, I thought right then and there that they would win the Ivy League. I love the pace that Brian Earl has the Big Red operate in. In March, and in basketball in general, the team with the most possessions puts themselves in a better spot to win. When a team plays as fast as Cornell, they do exactly that.
Metro Atlantic: Fairfield
Fairfield has the MAAC's best offense by a wide margin, six points higher than the next closest team. The Stags three point shooting has been overwhelming the rest of the league for the entire season, shooting forty percent as a team. Their offense has carried them all season and will continue to carry them to the dance.
MAC: Toledo
In a league where offense is not a strong suit, Toledo stands stands out among the rest. The Rockets own the number one ranked offense in the MAC and the only top 100 offense in the league, standing at 65th in the nation. They rank second in pace in the league and top 100 in possession length. The quicker the game, the better chance Toledo has to advance to March.
MEAC: Norfolk State
It feels like every single year, Norfolk State finds themselves in the field of 68. I don't think this changes this year. The Spartans were the lone twenty win team in the league and won the league by two games. I don't see anyone dethroning the regular season champs.
Mountain West: San Diego State
The Mountain West is toughest league to pick in the country. You could pick any one of the league's top seven teams to win and there would be a convincing argument for them all. San Diego State is the five seed that nobody wants a part of. Plus, they are a GREAT value pick for points. Give me Brian Dutcher, Jaedon LeDee, and the Aztecs.
PAC-12 (RIP): Arizona
Arizona boasts the number one offense and defense in the league, each by sizable margins. They have the most talented roster in the league and are led by by the conference's best head coach in Tommy Lloyd. They've been the best team in the conference all year and it will not stop in the tournament.
Southeastern: Kentucky
I do this almost every single year with the Wildcats, but this year has started to feel different. We all know how good their offense is. The number one knock on Kentucky all the way up to the Auburn game was their defense. Since then, I have been very impressed with what I've seen on that end of the floor, while the offense continues to be elite.
SWAC: Texas Southern
I have not watched any games in this league. Here is what I do know: Texas Southern always sleepwalks through the regular season and somehow always finds themselves in the NCAA tournament. They are the second highest ranked team according to KenPom and they are worth 7 points. Feels like an easy pick.
WAC: Grand Canyon
As my picks show, I am not much of a risk taker. There are no risks to be taken in the WAC tournament. Grand Canyon is as safe of a pick to win their league as there is in college basketball.