Believe it or not, there are 31 basketball conferences across the land and every winner gets a berth in the NCAA Championships. It’s really the start of March Madness and savvy bettors can begin making their bets to get in shape for the Final Four at the Alamodome in San Antonio in April.
Following all 31 conferences is, of course, impossible, unless you have a fast computer and an in-depth knowledge of the game. So here are five conferences to watch with some sound advice with odds to be posted at the end of the regular season, which occurs in most cases this week.
The Big East
The big story this year in the Big East has been the revival of the St. John’s Red Storm behind legendary coach Rick Pitino. It’s a return to glory for a team that has been lost in the wilderness since the retirement of the equally legendary Lou Carnesecca. While today’s Big East isn’t the same conference as the days when Carnesecca was battling against John Thompson (Georgetown), Rollie Massimino (Villanova), and Ray Meyer (DePaul), it’s no slouch either. While St. John’s has the edge, Marquette, UConn, and Creighton could make a run, but all four should make the NCAAs. But with St. John’s the only conference member consistently in the Top 25 this year, it could be the Johnnies year.
Best Bet: St. John’s
Sneaky Bet: Creighton
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Mountain West
The Mountain West conference has been surprisingly good this year, especially with teams not always noted as “basketball schools.” New Mexico is leading the regular season by quite a bit and will undoubtedly claim in the conference championship. Coached by Rick Pitino’s son, Richard, who lost top scorer Jamal Mashburn Jr. and standout JT Toppin in the transfer portal last spring, the Lobos still managed to take the league, playing superior defense. But as mentioned, there are several good teams in the Mountain West, including Colorado State, Utah State, and Boise State. And an improving UNLV team could also be a spoiler.
Best Bet: New Mexico
Sneaky Bet: Utah State
Conference USA
It’s a three-team race for the Conference USA title. Sitting atop the standings is Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks are the league’s most balanced team coming in third in offensive efficiency and fourth in defensive efficiency. They won eight games straight from mid-January to mid-February. And Wichita State transfer Jaron Pierre Jr., with five 30-point efforts this season, could be the league’s player of the year. Middle Tennessee has been around the conference leadership all year, and the Blue Raiders will clearly play a role in the tournament. But the nod goes to Liberty, where coach Ritchie McKay is trying to make his run for the NCAA tournament. They have CUSA’s best defense and are on a hot streak.
Best Bet: Liberty
Sneaky Bet: Middle Tennessee
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Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
This little conference has some interesting teams. Merrimack is only in its second season to become eligible for the NCAA’s after its four-year transition from Division II. But the Warriors play stifling defense, the best in the MAAC. Joey Gallo’s team also has the league’s best player in Adam Clark who is averaging 20 points per game. But Quinnipiac is taking a back seat to no one, and also plays great defense, while being the most up-tempo team in the league, leaving Merrimack and Marist, also a contender, in the dust.
Best Bet: Merrimack
Sneaky Bet: Quinnipiac
Southeastern Conference
This football conference always shows up for basketball and this season is no different. One of the best players in the game, Auburn’s Johni Broome will compete with Duke’s Cooper Flagg for the John Wooden Award for MCBB’s best player. Maybe that’s why their two teams are favored so far to win the NCAA Tournament. But as for the SEC, Auburn has to get by Florida and Alabama. But Auburn hasn’t lost a game in three months, so it’s hard to bet against them. At the same time, only three teams who have won the national championship over the past decade have also won their conference tournament. So why might Florida challenge the mighty Tigers? They are the only SEC team to beat Auburn this year, so the Gators have a puncher’s chance.
Best Bet: Auburn
Sneaky Bet: Florida
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