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As we prepare to fill out our brackets in a little more than a week, which teams could make you look really smart? Let’s look at some of the conference tournaments in progress.
Atlantic 10
1 day ago Plenty of favorites will win, but we’ve got some sleepers to consider that might be able to pull off a big upset on the way to the NCAA Tournament. Here’s the bracket for the SWAC Conference Tournament with TV listings, dates and times. One could argue that the conference tournament champion auto-bid into the NCAA tournament has hurt the mid majors success in the NCAA tournament. Nothing like a deserving (27-5) regular season conference champion losing to a (15-17) team that got hot for a few games. 1 day ago Picking a sleeper in your March Madness bracket is critical to success. There are always several teams like this that advance far into the NCAA tournament. We've got bracket tips from NCAA's.
The Atlantic 10 is usually one of the last conference tournaments to tip, but due to COVID-19 concerns, it began Wednesday. This conference title is up for grabs. Richmond generated most of the preseason talk, boasting experience all over the court and an impressive 24-7 campaign last season. But the Spiders stumbled a few times this season and were eliminated from the A-10 tournament by Duquesne on Thursday, opening the door for schools such as VCU, St. Bonaventure and Saint Louis.
The Atlantic 10 teams with the best at-large résumés are VCU and St. Bonaventure. With or without winning the conference tournament title, I see the Bonnies making the NCAAs as a 10th seed and the Rams as a 12th seed. With teams such as Michigan State and Duke on the cut line, these A-10 teams do not want to leave their fates in the committee’s hands. I believe VCU and St. Bonaventure could win a game or two in the NCAAs — if they get there.
Atlantic Sun
Some scorching flames are coming out of Lynchburg, Va., where Liberty is one of the hottest teams in the country. The Flames are 21-5 and have won 10 in a row after their victory over Kennesaw State on Thursday. If they can win the Atlantic Sun tournament, I have them in line for a No. 13 seed in the NCAA bracket.
This will be a team no power-conference school will want to play. The second-best team in the conference, Bellarmine, is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament because it is its first season in Division I.
If the Flames end up in the NCAAs, look for them to win a game or two. Coach Ritchie McKay’s teams are known for playing their best ball in March. They have won back-to-back conference tournaments and defeated Mississippi State in 2019 as a 12th seed.
Big South
Winthrop moved to 22-1 with an 82-61 victory over Longwood in Thursday night’s Big South semifinal. The Eagles have dominated the conference all season, losing only to UNC Asheville by two points. If Winthrop fails to win the Big South tournament, the NCAA selection committee will have to have a long discussion about the Eagles’ at-large résumé. Winthrop would like to avoid that discussion and just grab the automatic bid. I have Winthrop as a No. 13 NCAA seed. The Eagles will benefit enormously from the format of this year’s Big South tourney. All games will be on the campuses of the higher seeds, so Winthrop is playing for an NCAA bid on its home floor. If the Eagles can put together two more wins at home, look at this team very closely in your NCAA bracket.
Ohio Valley
Most of the talk in mid-major basketball this year has centered on Belmont. The Bruins were cruising, not having lost since early December — until last week, when they lost consecutive Ohio Valley games to Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State. The good news for Belmont is that those teams will be seeded second and third in the conference tournament this week in Evansville, Ind. That means the Bruins will have to play just one of them on their way to an automatic NCAA bid, which is the only path I see for Belmont to get into the NCAA Tournament.
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zzgobucky
Wisconsin Fan
Madison
Member since Sep 2016
1099 posts
Wisconsin Fan
Madison
Member since Sep 2016
1099 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by zzgobucky on 2/15/21 at 12:33 pm to Buckeye Backer
This is how I would rank them most likely to make a S16.
1. Saint Louis
2. San Diego St
3. Loyola Chi
4. Boise St
5. VCU
1. Saint Louis
2. San Diego St
3. Loyola Chi
4. Boise St
5. VCU
Replies (0)
I Bleed Garnet
South Carolina Fan
USA
Member since Jul 2011
48313 posts
South Carolina Fan
USA
Member since Jul 2011
48313 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by I Bleed Garnet on 2/15/21 at 12:36 pm to nerdmachine
quote:
have always believed that the regular season champion of a conference should get the autobid. That’s the most deserving team and they proved it all season long. I understand the conference tournament argument, it gives teams a reason to keep trying the entire season, but when one team gets hot and it causes the league’s team with an actual opportunity to win a an NCAA tournament game or two to miss out I think it basically degrades the meaning of the regular season
I get why they do the tourneys
Especially today
But maybe they should cap the tourneys, maybe the top 4 teams?
Top 5 so the regular season winner gets a bye?
Maybe 3 with the regular season winner already in the tittle?
Replies (0)
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by CelticDog on 2/15/21 at 1:07 pm to zzgobucky
Zags are mid major.
they look terrific.
a couple of first rounders.
Belmont has a very good coach and seniors. they can beat anyone but they only got by murray on the last shot by 1 point at murray and murray is so so this year. 3 good players. no bench.
from your list Belmont.
they look terrific.
a couple of first rounders.
Belmont has a very good coach and seniors. they can beat anyone but they only got by murray on the last shot by 1 point at murray and murray is so so this year. 3 good players. no bench.
from your list Belmont.
Magnus
Oregon State Fan
San Diego
Member since Sep 2019
277 posts
Oregon State Fan
San Diego
Member since Sep 2019
277 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by Magnus on 2/15/21 at 1:11 pm to Choot em Tiger
what's the lowdown on this team? pardon my ignorance but i have never heard of these guys
Choot em Tiger
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2012
6943 posts
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2012
6943 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by Choot em Tiger on 2/15/21 at 1:30 pm to Magnus
Small Private School in Louisville. They started out meh but have gotten hot-against mostly meh competition. Something to watch as they face Liberty in a couple of weeks for what could determine the conference.
Replies (0)
zzgobucky
Wisconsin Fan
Madison
Member since Sep 2016
1099 posts
Wisconsin Fan
Madison
Member since Sep 2016
1099 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by zzgobucky on 2/15/21 at 1:39 pm to CelticDog
quote:
Zags are mid major.
they look terrific.
a couple of first rounders.
Belmont has a very good coach and seniors. they can beat anyone but they only got by murray on the last shot by 1 point at murray and murray is so so this year. 3 good players. no bench.
from your list Belmont.
Few things, Murray is not that good at all this year, and Belmont actually lost to Samford not Murray. Also Gonzaga may play in a mid major conference but they are no means a mid major anymore
Replies (0)
I Bleed Garnet
South Carolina Fan
USA
Member since Jul 2011
48313 posts
South Carolina Fan
USA
Member since Jul 2011
48313 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by I Bleed Garnet on 2/15/21 at 1:50 pm to Choot em Tiger
quote:
Bellarmine
I believe they are Ineligible for the tourney
Replies (0)
bulldog95
LSU Fan
North Louisiana
Member since Jan 2011
18732 posts
LSU Fan
North Louisiana
Member since Jan 2011
18732 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by bulldog95 on 2/15/21 at 5:23 pm to Buckeye Backer
Replies (0)
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by dclt145 on 2/15/21 at 5:32 pm to Buckeye Backer
quote:
The NCAA just announced that they are leaving it up to the conferences whether or not the regular season champion or the conference tournament champion represents their conference in the NCAA? If that's the case, i would suspect that many of the mid majors will take their regular season champ. One could argue that the conference tournament champion auto-bid into the NCAA tournament has hurt the mid majors success in the NCAA tournament. Nothing like a deserving (27-5) regular season conference champion losing to a (15-17) team that got hot for a few games.
This is how it always should be. It makes me ill when some team dominates their league's regular season only to have some team that went 5-13 in league play with nothing to lose go scorching hot from 3 in a high pressure single elimination tournament and bounce the league favorite.
msutiger
Louisiana Tech Fan
Shreveport
Member since Jul 2008
66116 posts
Online
Louisiana Tech Fan
Shreveport
Member since Jul 2008
66116 posts
Online
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by msutiger on 2/15/21 at 5:35 pm to dclt145
quote:
This is how it always should be. It makes me ill when some team dominates their league's regular season only to have some team that went 5-13 in league play with nothing to lose go scorching hot from 3 in a high pressure single elimination tournament and bounce the league favorite.
Louisiana Tech won three straight conference championships and was ranked in the top 25 two of those years and didn’t make a single ncaa tournament because of BS like that.
If I remember correctly, Iona had something similar happen to them around the same time.
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stlslick
Missouri Fan
St.Louis,Mo
Member since Nov 2012
11321 posts
Missouri Fan
St.Louis,Mo
Member since Nov 2012
11321 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by stlslick on 2/15/21 at 5:37 pm to Buckeye Backer
Saint Louis would be a tough mid major, but they have been butt fricked by the Covid shite.
Playing a few games, then 1 month with no games, 2 games, no games for 2 weeks.,etc
No way you can get any kind of mojo going when your not playing against other teams in 2-3 weeks a pop
Playing a few games, then 1 month with no games, 2 games, no games for 2 weeks.,etc
No way you can get any kind of mojo going when your not playing against other teams in 2-3 weeks a pop
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by dclt145 on 2/15/21 at 6:18 pm to msutiger
quote:
If I remember correctly, Iona had something similar happen to them around the same time.
Iona has actually been the beneficiary. They are usually the team that didn't win the MAAC and bounces other teams that did.
I understand why these conferences do it though - if they have an at-large worthy candidate, then playing a conference tournament raises the leagues odds of getting two bids if the at large candidate loses in the conference tournament.
The problem is that most of the time, these teams don't lose in their conference tournament. And for many of these leagues, its very rare to have an at-large worthy team.
Buckeye Backer
Ohio State Fan
Columbus, Ohio
Member since Aug 2009
7212 posts
Ohio State Fan
Columbus, Ohio
Member since Aug 2009
7212 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by Buckeye Backer on 2/15/21 at 7:06 pm to dclt145
Gonzaga is NOT a mid major. They’re ranked #1 for god sake. They’ve been to a national title game, have multiple Final Fours and have made the tournament like 24 years in a row or something like that. Anybody know anything about Wright St? They’ve won like 10+ games in a row. Seems like a team I wouldn’t want to play. Of all years, I think you could see multiple mid majors make the Elite 8.
Elleshoe
LSU Fan
Rosy Finch Boyz
Member since Jun 2004
138690 posts
Online
LSU Fan
Rosy Finch Boyz
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138690 posts
Online
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by Elleshoe on 2/15/21 at 7:08 pm to Buckeye Backer
I Bleed Garnet
South Carolina Fan
USA
Member since Jul 2011
48313 posts
South Carolina Fan
USA
Member since Jul 2011
48313 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by I Bleed Garnet on 2/15/21 at 7:35 pm to Buckeye Backer
Replies (0)
blzr
US Space Force Fan
Bham
Member since Mar 2011
27714 posts
Online
US Space Force Fan
Bham
Member since Mar 2011
27714 posts
Online
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by blzr on 2/15/21 at 7:40 pm to Buckeye Backer
UAB not quite there yet, but will soon be dominating CUSA again.
stlslick
Missouri Fan
St.Louis,Mo
Member since Nov 2012
11321 posts
Missouri Fan
St.Louis,Mo
Member since Nov 2012
11321 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by stlslick on 2/15/21 at 7:41 pm to blzr
Gonzaga WAS a midmajor.
They are not a midmajor no more. They put $$ into their program to be a tier 1 program.
They are not a midmajor no more. They put $$ into their program to be a tier 1 program.
Replies (0)
McMillan
Missouri Fan
Member since Jul 2018
3014 posts
Missouri Fan
Member since Jul 2018
3014 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by McMillan on 2/15/21 at 9:19 pm to stlslick
They're slowly coming around. All they need to do is avoid another bad loss.
TomRollTideRitter
Alabama Fan
Member since Aug 2016
9819 posts
Online
Alabama Fan
Member since Aug 2016
9819 posts
Online
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by TomRollTideRitter on 2/15/21 at 9:29 pm to Buckeye Backer
quote:
conference tournament champion auto-bid
Easily one of the dumbest things in sports
Replies (0)
Sleepers To Win Ncaa Tournament 2021
Buckeye Backer
Ohio State Fan
Columbus, Ohio
Member since Aug 2009
7212 posts
Ohio State Fan
Columbus, Ohio
Member since Aug 2009
7212 posts
re: College Basketball Mid Major Sleepers?Posted by Buckeye Backer on 2/16/21 at 6:47 am to Elleshoe
quote:
Swing and a miss
Yup, you're correct, i was already assuming that they were going to make it this year to have 2 Final Fours. Got ahead of myself there lol. Gonzaga's NCAA resume over the last 22 years is impressive regardless.
22 NCAA Appearances in a Row (including this year)
10 Sweet Sixteen's
4 Elite Eight's
1 Final Four
1 National Championship Appearance
Page 123
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Sleepers To Win Ncaa Tournament 2020
Sleepers Ncaa Tournament
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