[Editor's Note: SportsJudge continues it's breakdown of all 30 conference tournaments leading up to March Madness with this evening's preview of the Atlantic Sun, Northeast, and Missouri Valley Conferences.]
Colonial Athletic (previewed by Brian Doyle)
The CAA tournament will be a fun tournament to watch. Unlike most smaller conferences where one or two teams are the clear favorite, there are easily four or five teams that have a legitimate chance of winning this tournament.
Virginia Commonwealth
The top seed is led by star Eric Maynor who averages 22 points per game. VCU has shown some flashes, but at the same time has shown some inconsistency over the course of the season. One thing to their advantage is that the entire tournament will take place in Richmond, giving them home court advantage. Despite those inconsistencies, VCU has shown that it can beat the other top teams in the CAA, with the exception of Northeastern, whom they lost to in Richmond in February. That said, VCU is still the odds on favorite given their top seed and home court advantage.
George Mason
GMU comes into the tournament having won their last four conference games, but they seem to struggle away from home. They played Dayton to a tough 4-point loss earlier this season but lack a go-to scorer if they fall behind in a game, despite three players averaging roughly 10 points per game. Their struggles away from home will likely be exacerbated over the course of the conference tournament.
Old Dominion
Over the course of the season Old Dominion has proven that it can beat any team in the conference and are led by Finnish center Gerald Lee (who doesn’t sound nearly as Finnish as his home town, Uusikaupunk). Lee is slowed by a sore foot though, and that could play a factor in the tournament. Old Dominion has won nine of their last ten and look to use that momentum when they likely face Hofstra in their first tournament game. If Lee can stay healthy, look for the Monarchs in the CAA championship game.
Northeastern
Northeastern started the season off strong, winning non-conference games at Providence and Indiana (I guess Indiana doesn’t count so much). They started conference play off even better with a 9-1 start but now find themselves hobbling into the CAA tournament after losing 5 of their last 8 games. If Northeastern is looking for something optimistic to turn to, it can be that they beat George Mason, Old Dominion, and VCU in succession earlier this season, two of those games were away, including the game at VCU, which is where this tournament is held. The Huskies will need Matt Janning to step up for them offensively. Defensively they led the CAA by allowing fewer than 60 points per game. If they can regain their intensity that they had mid-season when they beat the other top seeds in the tournament in succession, they’ll be in the championship game.
In the last game of the regular season Old Dominion beat Northeastern in overtime. Despite VCU’s home court advantage, look for a rematch in the championship game,. The Huskies are sound in two key areas, defense and free throws. This time Northeastern, the preseason favorite, may be able to hang on for the win.
West Coast Conference (previewed by Brian Doyle)
Virginia Commonwealth
The top seed is led by star Eric Maynor who averages 22 points per game. VCU has shown some flashes, but at the same time has shown some inconsistency over the course of the season. One thing to their advantage is that the entire tournament will take place in Richmond, giving them home court advantage. Despite those inconsistencies, VCU has shown that it can beat the other top teams in the CAA, with the exception of Northeastern, whom they lost to in Richmond in February. That said, VCU is still the odds on favorite given their top seed and home court advantage.
George Mason
GMU comes into the tournament having won their last four conference games, but they seem to struggle away from home. They played Dayton to a tough 4-point loss earlier this season but lack a go-to scorer if they fall behind in a game, despite three players averaging roughly 10 points per game. Their struggles away from home will likely be exacerbated over the course of the conference tournament.
Old Dominion
Over the course of the season Old Dominion has proven that it can beat any team in the conference and are led by Finnish center Gerald Lee (who doesn’t sound nearly as Finnish as his home town, Uusikaupunk). Lee is slowed by a sore foot though, and that could play a factor in the tournament. Old Dominion has won nine of their last ten and look to use that momentum when they likely face Hofstra in their first tournament game. If Lee can stay healthy, look for the Monarchs in the CAA championship game.
Northeastern
Northeastern started the season off strong, winning non-conference games at Providence and Indiana (I guess Indiana doesn’t count so much). They started conference play off even better with a 9-1 start but now find themselves hobbling into the CAA tournament after losing 5 of their last 8 games. If Northeastern is looking for something optimistic to turn to, it can be that they beat George Mason, Old Dominion, and VCU in succession earlier this season, two of those games were away, including the game at VCU, which is where this tournament is held. The Huskies will need Matt Janning to step up for them offensively. Defensively they led the CAA by allowing fewer than 60 points per game. If they can regain their intensity that they had mid-season when they beat the other top seeds in the tournament in succession, they’ll be in the championship game.
In the last game of the regular season Old Dominion beat Northeastern in overtime. Despite VCU’s home court advantage, look for a rematch in the championship game,. The Huskies are sound in two key areas, defense and free throws. This time Northeastern, the preseason favorite, may be able to hang on for the win.
Brian Doyle: Northeastern
Kevin Fenstermacher: Virginia Commonwealth
Mike Colligan: Old Dominion
West Coast Conference (previewed by Brian Doyle)
Gonzaga finished the conference season undefeated at 14-0 and seem well positioned to win the conference tournament with two byes that place them directly into the semi-finals. Joining them with two byes and a place in the opposite semi-final is St. Mary’s. This is likely to result in a Gonzaga – St. Mary’s final, due to both teams being fresh compared to their semi-final opposition, and due to both teams being more talented. St. Mary’s was well on their way to beating Gonzaga in the teams’ first meeting this season before Australian guard Patty Mills left the game with a broken hand. Gonzaga came back to win in the second half. St. Mary’s then lost four of five games. Since then the Gaels have won five in a row, with Diamon Simpson and Omar Samhan holding down the offense. In their second meeting with Gonzaga, St. Mary’s lose by just two points, even without Patty Mills.
Gonzaga is led by very good players from center Josh Heytvelt to guards Matt Bouldin and Jeremy Pargo. They’ve shown that they can play with the best, beating a whole slew of quality non-conference opponents, including Tennessee twice, Oklahoma St., and Maryland. They played an amazing game against UConn only to come up a little short, and the only game where they appeared to be clearly outplayed was when they hosted Memphis in early February. One thing is for sure, no matter what happens with their WCC tournament Gonzaga is certain to be in the NCAA tournament field.
In regards to the WCC championship game, it’s not certain that the top two teams will face each, despite both having byes to the semi-finals. Last year, for instance, San Diego ended up winning the tournament. The #3 seed, Nik Raivio-led Portland, could very well beat St. Mary’s, like they did earlier this season when St. Mary’s was without Mills. However, now with Mills cleared to play, even if he isn’t as effective as he was before the injury, him combined with his surrounding cast should be enough to put them past Portland (or whomever they end up playing in the semis) and Gonzaga.
America East (previewed by Brian Doyle)
Gonzaga is led by very good players from center Josh Heytvelt to guards Matt Bouldin and Jeremy Pargo. They’ve shown that they can play with the best, beating a whole slew of quality non-conference opponents, including Tennessee twice, Oklahoma St., and Maryland. They played an amazing game against UConn only to come up a little short, and the only game where they appeared to be clearly outplayed was when they hosted Memphis in early February. One thing is for sure, no matter what happens with their WCC tournament Gonzaga is certain to be in the NCAA tournament field.
In regards to the WCC championship game, it’s not certain that the top two teams will face each, despite both having byes to the semi-finals. Last year, for instance, San Diego ended up winning the tournament. The #3 seed, Nik Raivio-led Portland, could very well beat St. Mary’s, like they did earlier this season when St. Mary’s was without Mills. However, now with Mills cleared to play, even if he isn’t as effective as he was before the injury, him combined with his surrounding cast should be enough to put them past Portland (or whomever they end up playing in the semis) and Gonzaga.
Brian Doyle: St. Mary's
Kevin Fenstermacher: St. Mary's
Mike Colligan: Gonzaga
America East (previewed by Brian Doyle)
Vermont last made an impact four years ago, in ESPN analyst Tom Brennan’s last season at the helm, when they were led by star Taylor Coppenrath and point guard T.J. Sorrentine hitting three pointers from the DCU Center center court logo in their upset of #4 seed Syracuse. This season, Vermont is again at the top of the pack in the America East alongside Binghamton. Vermont is led in scoring by Mike Trimboli and Marquis Blakely and have won 15 of its last 16 games, the lone loss coming by 2 points to Binghamton where the Catamounts blew a 23 point halftime lead.
Binghamton, the top seed, rides an eight game winning streak into the conference tournament, and have a psychological edge over Vermont having beaten them in both meetings this season. Out of conference Binghamton beat Rutgers at the RAC. Their only other somewhat notable win would be a one point win at Tulane. Led by D.J. Rivera’s 20 points per game, Binghamton’s entire starting lineup averages in double digits.
The wildcard in all this is Boston University. BU is the #3 seed, which means they’ll likely have to go through Vermont to reach the finals. Vermont has handled BU with ease this season, winning by 14 and 28 points in their two meetings this season. BU is a threat to surprise the field, but with Vermont likely in the way their chances are limited.
The likely scenario is a Vermont-Binghamton final, which would be held at Binghamton. Both teams are at the top of their game, each bringing long winning streaks into the conference tournament. While Binghamton has won both meetings this year, the first, at Binghamton, took overtime and the second took a monumental second half comeback. Look for Vermont to get over the hump by defeating Binghamton in the finals where both teams should easily reach 80 points. I predict that the Catamounts will be representing America East in the tournament.
MAAC (previewed by Brian Doyle)
Binghamton, the top seed, rides an eight game winning streak into the conference tournament, and have a psychological edge over Vermont having beaten them in both meetings this season. Out of conference Binghamton beat Rutgers at the RAC. Their only other somewhat notable win would be a one point win at Tulane. Led by D.J. Rivera’s 20 points per game, Binghamton’s entire starting lineup averages in double digits.
The wildcard in all this is Boston University. BU is the #3 seed, which means they’ll likely have to go through Vermont to reach the finals. Vermont has handled BU with ease this season, winning by 14 and 28 points in their two meetings this season. BU is a threat to surprise the field, but with Vermont likely in the way their chances are limited.
The likely scenario is a Vermont-Binghamton final, which would be held at Binghamton. Both teams are at the top of their game, each bringing long winning streaks into the conference tournament. While Binghamton has won both meetings this year, the first, at Binghamton, took overtime and the second took a monumental second half comeback. Look for Vermont to get over the hump by defeating Binghamton in the finals where both teams should easily reach 80 points. I predict that the Catamounts will be representing America East in the tournament.
Brian Doyle: Vermont
Kevin Fenstermacher: Vermont
Mike Colligan: Binghamton
MAAC (previewed by Brian Doyle)
The MAAC is a very top-heavy league, with only 3 teams over .500 in conference play. The conference tournament will be held at the Albany Times Union center, home court of #1 seed Siena. Siena comes into the tournament with a first round bye, and an impressive non-conference schedule that includes the likes of Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Kansas and Oklahoma State and includes wins over St. Joseph’s, Ivy League champion Cornell, MVC leader Northern Iowa, and the WAC’s Boise State. Siena, who has three scorers, is led my Kenny Hasbrouck, who averages 15 points a game and is joined by Edwin Ubiles and Alex Franklin who both average 14 points a game.
The two main challengers to Siena are the other two top teams in the conference, Niagara and Rider. Niagara beat Siena, albeit at home, last week and are led by Tyrone Lewis’ 16.5 points per game, but also have three other players to complement him who average double digits in scoring. Their best non-conference win came against South Florida and are not nearly as tested as Siena. Meanwhile, #3 seed Rider also has four scorers that average 10 points or more a game, but Rider has been remarkably inconsistent this season (despite finishing the season on a 7-2 run), so don’t be surprised if they get bumped before the semi-finals.
I don’t see any of the lower teams in this league making a run. They lack the consistency and scoring ability to stay with the teams at the top of the league. Look for the top two seeds, Siena and Niagara, in the championship game. Last year Siena represented the conference as a #13 seed and beat up on Vanderbilt in the first round. Based on their non-conference resume, their home dominance in league play, and their seasoned postseason experience, look for them to beat Niagara in a hotly contested, high scoring championship game on Monday night. If they win, Siena is likely to improve on last year’s seeding, jumping up to a #12, or even a #11 seed.
Southern Conference (previewed by Mike Colligan)
"I can do all things." Davidson Junior guard Stephen Curry reportedly wrote this on his shoe before a recent game with Georgia Southern where Curry set the Davidson all-time scoring record. If you know one player from the Southern Conference, you probably know Davidson's Steph Curry. Curry led the Wildcats in on an incredible upset path last season over Gonzaga, Wisconsin, and Georgetown before falling to eventual champ Kansas. This year the cat is out of the bag and Curry has drawn 2, 3, and what seems like 4 defenders at a time on a nightly basis. Throw in the fact that Curry suffered a serious sprained ankle a few weeks ago and one would think the clock struck midnight on this Cinderella.
Think again. Curry is finally back to full health and I think Davidson will once again win the Southern Conference and head to the field of 65. College of Charleston is a solid team, especially on the road, that could make a serious run and come into the tournament winning seven of their last eight games. Unfortunately, one team that has their number is The Citadel. This is the team you need to watch out for as a sleeper. They are one of the hottest teams in the country, swept Charleston, beat Davidson, and has only lost one game since January. I think Davidson comes out on top but they will need a great game from Curry to hold off The Citadel in the finals.
Brian Doyle: Davidson
The two main challengers to Siena are the other two top teams in the conference, Niagara and Rider. Niagara beat Siena, albeit at home, last week and are led by Tyrone Lewis’ 16.5 points per game, but also have three other players to complement him who average double digits in scoring. Their best non-conference win came against South Florida and are not nearly as tested as Siena. Meanwhile, #3 seed Rider also has four scorers that average 10 points or more a game, but Rider has been remarkably inconsistent this season (despite finishing the season on a 7-2 run), so don’t be surprised if they get bumped before the semi-finals.
I don’t see any of the lower teams in this league making a run. They lack the consistency and scoring ability to stay with the teams at the top of the league. Look for the top two seeds, Siena and Niagara, in the championship game. Last year Siena represented the conference as a #13 seed and beat up on Vanderbilt in the first round. Based on their non-conference resume, their home dominance in league play, and their seasoned postseason experience, look for them to beat Niagara in a hotly contested, high scoring championship game on Monday night. If they win, Siena is likely to improve on last year’s seeding, jumping up to a #12, or even a #11 seed.
Brian Doyle: Siena
Kevin Fenstermacher: Siena
Mike Colligan: Siena
Southern Conference (previewed by Mike Colligan)
"I can do all things." Davidson Junior guard Stephen Curry reportedly wrote this on his shoe before a recent game with Georgia Southern where Curry set the Davidson all-time scoring record. If you know one player from the Southern Conference, you probably know Davidson's Steph Curry. Curry led the Wildcats in on an incredible upset path last season over Gonzaga, Wisconsin, and Georgetown before falling to eventual champ Kansas. This year the cat is out of the bag and Curry has drawn 2, 3, and what seems like 4 defenders at a time on a nightly basis. Throw in the fact that Curry suffered a serious sprained ankle a few weeks ago and one would think the clock struck midnight on this Cinderella.
Think again. Curry is finally back to full health and I think Davidson will once again win the Southern Conference and head to the field of 65. College of Charleston is a solid team, especially on the road, that could make a serious run and come into the tournament winning seven of their last eight games. Unfortunately, one team that has their number is The Citadel. This is the team you need to watch out for as a sleeper. They are one of the hottest teams in the country, swept Charleston, beat Davidson, and has only lost one game since January. I think Davidson comes out on top but they will need a great game from Curry to hold off The Citadel in the finals.
Brian Doyle: Davidson
Kevin Fenstermacher: Davidson
Mike Colligan: Davidson
*Stop back tomorrow when the SportsJudge team breaks down the Big Sky Conference and Summit League. You can also find all of the SportsJudge team's picks so far right here:
*Stop back tomorrow when the SportsJudge team breaks down the Big Sky Conference and Summit League. You can also find all of the SportsJudge team's picks so far right here:
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