Evaluating Conferences And Why They Might Win It All

The storylines surrounding March Madness are numerous. One is how well the various conferences will do in the NCAA Tournament. Last year the Pac-12 caught everyone off guard, going 9-1 in the first two rounds and putting three teams in the Elite Eight. The conference objectively had the best NCAA Tournament out of any conference, since no conference put more than one team in the Final Four and the Pac-12 was represented by UCLA. The Pac-12 had the best round-by-round performance of any league. One wonders which conference will celebrate a national title this April after Baylor won it all for the Big 12 last year by beating Gonzaga in the championship game.

SEC

The Southeastern Conference has one of the best opportunities to win the national title. The league has a top-four seed in each region: Kentucky a No. 2 seed in the East, Auburn a No. 2 seed in the Midwest, Tennessee a No. 3 seed in the South, and Arkansas a No. 4 seed in the West. Arkansas will have a tough time getting past Gonzaga in the Sweet 16, so the Hogs’ chances are lower, but Kentucky could be viewed as the favorite in the East with Baylor having so many injuries as the No. 1 seed in that region. Auburn as the 2 seed in the Midwest could easily win that region. Auburn has more athleticism and talent than Kansas and should do well if its guards can make better decisions. A Final Four run is certainly possible for coach Bruce Pearl’s team. Tennessee is playing great defense right now, and it already defeated Arizona earlier in the season. The Vols could get a rematch with the Wildcats in the Elite Eight. The SEC is likely to get multiple teams in the Sweet 16. Not every conference can say that.

Big 12

The conference which won the national title a year ago has two No. 1 seeds, Baylor and Kansas. Any conference with a pair of top seeds has a very realistic chance at winning the national championship. Baylor is certainly dealing with injuries, but the Bears fought through those injuries during the regular season to share the Big 12 title and earn a top seed in this NCAA Tournament. If Baylor can withstand four months of bumps and bruises, it can endure three weeks more and fight its way to a repeat championship. Kansas has some flaws, but the Jayhawks are a No. 1 seed with a manageable bracket path. They should get to the Elite Eight based on the opponents in their part of the draw. They could certainly get to the Final Four and make some noise. Don’t forget about Texas Tech. The Red Raiders beat Gonzaga in the Elite Eight to make the 2019 Final Four and come within an eyelash of the national title. They could do the same thing again this year.

WCC

The West Coast Conference has the Gonzaga Bulldogs, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. If a team is the top seed in the entire 68-team field, that pretty much says everything you need to know about that team. Gonzaga came one win away from giving the WCC a championship last year. The Zags could take the final elusive step this year.

Big East

The Big East has Villanova – which has won two of the past five national championships – as a No. 2 seed in the South Region. Providence, the regular-season conference champion, is a No. 4 seed. That’s two top-four seeds in a tournament where not all No. 1 seeds are expected to reach the Final Four. The Big East has a real shot at the big prize in New Orleans on April 4.