Conference Tournament Previews
ACC
Championship Game: North Carolina vs. Virginia
My Projected Champ: Virginia 65-61
MVP: Malcom Brogdon
I'm going with the favorites to make the final in this one. Virginia will get the win in my opinion, as I really don't like UNC's team this year. Yeah, they are really good, but how can you expect to contend for a national title with almost no outside shooting. I think Virginia will cruise through their side of the bracket, and win a close one over the Heels. The Cavaliers should be able to play a very slow pace, which is definitely the pace they want to play. According to kenpom.com, they are the slowest paced team in the country, and are also the number one team on the site. I may be wrong, but I don't sense a good end to the season for the Tar Heels, although their one seed in this bracket should allow them to make the final.
Big 12
Championship Game: Kansas vs. Texas Tech
My Projected Champ: Kansas 77-74
MVP: Devonte' Graham
I did give a bold prediction last week saying that the Red Raiders would win the conference tournament, but with the way Kansas played this week, I had to give them the win in this finals match up. Kansas is really playing incredible right now, their combination of experience, athleticism, shooting and team chemistry is fantastic. I really like how Texas Tech is playing right now as well. The loss at West Virginia this week was particularly bad, but West Virginia is a really good team. Despite this loss, I think Texas Tech will come back and beat the Mountaineers in the NCAA tournament. West Virginia doesn't have the offensive firepower that other top teams do, and I think Texas Tech's balanced offense, and their hope for revenge will pull them through. The Red Raiders next game would come against either Iowa State or Oklahoma. Both of these teams have a lot of talent, especially offensively, but have come up short in many ways as of late. This could lead to another potential upset for the Red Raiders, putting them into the final. Kansas and Devonte' Graham's offensive diversity should be too much for TTU in the final.
Big 10
Championship Game: Michigan State vs. Indiana
My Projected Champ: Indiana 78-73
MVP: Yogi Ferrell
I was originally going to pick Michigan State, as I think the Spartans are arguably the best team in the country right now, but after watching Indiana's last few games, I think you could say the same for them. Right now, I think these two teams are playing like 2 of the top 3 in the country (along with the Kansas Jayhawks). I'll start with the Hoosiers. Indiana has won 20 of 23 games, which is absolutely outstanding in such a good conference. Yeah, they have been playing really well for a while, but these last few games have been particularly good, and here's why:
1. Any conference win on the road by 27 pts is just ridiculous. And this win didn't even come against Minnesota OR Rutgers.
2. Any win over a ranked team (and top 16!) on the road is even better!
3. Any win over a top 15 team by 18 pts is pretty impressive as well.
4. They passed the eye test in these victories, with good defense and offense, and also climbed to number 9 on kenpom.com. Like I said before, teams don't usually jump that much.
5. They did all of this without one of their top 4 players and top 2 defenders in guard Robert Johnson.
6. Yogi Ferrell. Maybe not the best player in the country, but definitely one of the couple most valuable.
Now here's a little analysis on MSU: The Spartans are going to have a huge NCAA tournament. I don't think a conference tourney let down will be too big of a deal for them, as they will bounce back, and in my opinion are the favorite to win the national title. Denzel Valentine is the BEST player in the country. He may not win the Wooden Award, but when he has played, Michigan State has been just unstoppable. If I had to pick a team to win the title right now, I would say the Spartans, hands down.
Big East:
Championship Game: Villanova vs. Seton Hall
My Projected Champ: Villanova
MVP: Josh Hart
Another great year for Villanova, yet they seem to be flying under the radar again. Maybe it's going to take a deep NCAA tournament run to change this, and it's all going to be on guard Josh Hart. He's not known as a star, but if you watch the team play, you will see how much he affects the game. When I watched 'Nova earlier this year, to be honest, I really wasn't all that impressed by their team. They were balanced, but only one guy really stood out. That guy was Josh Hart, who in my opinion is as unappreciated as anyone in the country. He is efficient offensively, shooting above 50% from the field, and although his three point percentage is down from last year, he is still a guy you can't leave alone. The most important parts to his game though are defense, rebounding and leadership. He is a great rebounder for a guard, averaging 7.2 per game (and gave 'Nova so many second chances in the game I watched), he is a lock down defender, and is a veteran team leader on a team that needed a guy to step up and take control. I know Seton Hall fans (if there are any Seton Hall fans) may be disappointed in me largely ignoring them in this paragraph, but they just don't have a Josh Hart on their team, so what do you expect? All jokes aside, the Pirates are a good team, but are really only in the final due to my dislike for other Big East teams (Yes, that is directed towards you Providence and Xavier!)
SEC:
Championship Game: Kentucky vs. LSU
My Projected Champ: Kentucky
MVP: Tyler Ulis
Oh, what a story this would be. This would bring bubble drama like no other. It would add a quality win over Texas A&M for Ben Simmons and LSU, but still probably wouldn't be enough for them to make the tournament. This would create quite the controversy, star Ben Simmons vs. The Committee, would the committee chose for the money that LSU would bring to the tournament, or would they look at it fairly. How would they look at LSU's big end to the year versus their poor start and weak non-conference schedule. Putting aside this juicy LSU resume, Kentucky is actually playing fantastic right now, and seem to be rounding into form as they almost always do. I couldn't stand another deep run from the Wildcats but I may just have to face the facts: John Calipari can coach pretty well too, he's not just a recruiter.
PAC-12
Championship Game: California vs. Arizona
My Projected Champ: California
MVP: Jaylen Brown
People just have to face the truth, Oregon is just not that good. They are not a two seed, they are definitely not a top 5 team, and in my opinion they have no shot at a Final Four. At this point, I think Cal and Arizona are a lot better. Cal is another team, just like MSU, IU and UK, that seems to be peaking at the right time. They have always had talent, but the team chemistry, and sharing the ball is finally coming along. They have won 8 of 9, with the only loss being at Arizona by 3 points. Speaking of Arizona, this is a down year for the Wildcats, despite the fact that they are still really good. The biggest thing this year's team lacks is an incredible defense similar to the ones that have dominated the PAC-12 recently. They have good scoring with Ryan Anderson, Gabe York and Allonzo Trier, but lack the stout interior defense. I think both of these teams are better than their PAC-12 competition though, and California's hot streak should carry them to a league win.
Championship Game: North Carolina vs. Virginia
My Projected Champ: Virginia 65-61
MVP: Malcom Brogdon
I'm going with the favorites to make the final in this one. Virginia will get the win in my opinion, as I really don't like UNC's team this year. Yeah, they are really good, but how can you expect to contend for a national title with almost no outside shooting. I think Virginia will cruise through their side of the bracket, and win a close one over the Heels. The Cavaliers should be able to play a very slow pace, which is definitely the pace they want to play. According to kenpom.com, they are the slowest paced team in the country, and are also the number one team on the site. I may be wrong, but I don't sense a good end to the season for the Tar Heels, although their one seed in this bracket should allow them to make the final.
Big 12
Championship Game: Kansas vs. Texas Tech
My Projected Champ: Kansas 77-74
MVP: Devonte' Graham
I did give a bold prediction last week saying that the Red Raiders would win the conference tournament, but with the way Kansas played this week, I had to give them the win in this finals match up. Kansas is really playing incredible right now, their combination of experience, athleticism, shooting and team chemistry is fantastic. I really like how Texas Tech is playing right now as well. The loss at West Virginia this week was particularly bad, but West Virginia is a really good team. Despite this loss, I think Texas Tech will come back and beat the Mountaineers in the NCAA tournament. West Virginia doesn't have the offensive firepower that other top teams do, and I think Texas Tech's balanced offense, and their hope for revenge will pull them through. The Red Raiders next game would come against either Iowa State or Oklahoma. Both of these teams have a lot of talent, especially offensively, but have come up short in many ways as of late. This could lead to another potential upset for the Red Raiders, putting them into the final. Kansas and Devonte' Graham's offensive diversity should be too much for TTU in the final.
Big 10
Championship Game: Michigan State vs. Indiana
My Projected Champ: Indiana 78-73
MVP: Yogi Ferrell
I was originally going to pick Michigan State, as I think the Spartans are arguably the best team in the country right now, but after watching Indiana's last few games, I think you could say the same for them. Right now, I think these two teams are playing like 2 of the top 3 in the country (along with the Kansas Jayhawks). I'll start with the Hoosiers. Indiana has won 20 of 23 games, which is absolutely outstanding in such a good conference. Yeah, they have been playing really well for a while, but these last few games have been particularly good, and here's why:
1. Any conference win on the road by 27 pts is just ridiculous. And this win didn't even come against Minnesota OR Rutgers.
2. Any win over a ranked team (and top 16!) on the road is even better!
3. Any win over a top 15 team by 18 pts is pretty impressive as well.
4. They passed the eye test in these victories, with good defense and offense, and also climbed to number 9 on kenpom.com. Like I said before, teams don't usually jump that much.
5. They did all of this without one of their top 4 players and top 2 defenders in guard Robert Johnson.
6. Yogi Ferrell. Maybe not the best player in the country, but definitely one of the couple most valuable.
Now here's a little analysis on MSU: The Spartans are going to have a huge NCAA tournament. I don't think a conference tourney let down will be too big of a deal for them, as they will bounce back, and in my opinion are the favorite to win the national title. Denzel Valentine is the BEST player in the country. He may not win the Wooden Award, but when he has played, Michigan State has been just unstoppable. If I had to pick a team to win the title right now, I would say the Spartans, hands down.
Big East:
Championship Game: Villanova vs. Seton Hall
My Projected Champ: Villanova
MVP: Josh Hart
Another great year for Villanova, yet they seem to be flying under the radar again. Maybe it's going to take a deep NCAA tournament run to change this, and it's all going to be on guard Josh Hart. He's not known as a star, but if you watch the team play, you will see how much he affects the game. When I watched 'Nova earlier this year, to be honest, I really wasn't all that impressed by their team. They were balanced, but only one guy really stood out. That guy was Josh Hart, who in my opinion is as unappreciated as anyone in the country. He is efficient offensively, shooting above 50% from the field, and although his three point percentage is down from last year, he is still a guy you can't leave alone. The most important parts to his game though are defense, rebounding and leadership. He is a great rebounder for a guard, averaging 7.2 per game (and gave 'Nova so many second chances in the game I watched), he is a lock down defender, and is a veteran team leader on a team that needed a guy to step up and take control. I know Seton Hall fans (if there are any Seton Hall fans) may be disappointed in me largely ignoring them in this paragraph, but they just don't have a Josh Hart on their team, so what do you expect? All jokes aside, the Pirates are a good team, but are really only in the final due to my dislike for other Big East teams (Yes, that is directed towards you Providence and Xavier!)
SEC:
Championship Game: Kentucky vs. LSU
My Projected Champ: Kentucky
MVP: Tyler Ulis
Oh, what a story this would be. This would bring bubble drama like no other. It would add a quality win over Texas A&M for Ben Simmons and LSU, but still probably wouldn't be enough for them to make the tournament. This would create quite the controversy, star Ben Simmons vs. The Committee, would the committee chose for the money that LSU would bring to the tournament, or would they look at it fairly. How would they look at LSU's big end to the year versus their poor start and weak non-conference schedule. Putting aside this juicy LSU resume, Kentucky is actually playing fantastic right now, and seem to be rounding into form as they almost always do. I couldn't stand another deep run from the Wildcats but I may just have to face the facts: John Calipari can coach pretty well too, he's not just a recruiter.
PAC-12
Championship Game: California vs. Arizona
My Projected Champ: California
MVP: Jaylen Brown
People just have to face the truth, Oregon is just not that good. They are not a two seed, they are definitely not a top 5 team, and in my opinion they have no shot at a Final Four. At this point, I think Cal and Arizona are a lot better. Cal is another team, just like MSU, IU and UK, that seems to be peaking at the right time. They have always had talent, but the team chemistry, and sharing the ball is finally coming along. They have won 8 of 9, with the only loss being at Arizona by 3 points. Speaking of Arizona, this is a down year for the Wildcats, despite the fact that they are still really good. The biggest thing this year's team lacks is an incredible defense similar to the ones that have dominated the PAC-12 recently. They have good scoring with Ryan Anderson, Gabe York and Allonzo Trier, but lack the stout interior defense. I think both of these teams are better than their PAC-12 competition though, and California's hot streak should carry them to a league win.
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