There are only two days left until we can flip the calendar to March, which means conference tournaments are on the horizon. The major tournaments are held during the second full week of March, but the others begin on March 4.
In this edition of Sam’s Section, we will look at the best mid-major conference tournaments featuring some of the best teams in college basketball.
West Coast Conference (March 7-9, Orleans Arena, Paradise, Nev., ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+)
The WCC normally includes Gonzaga as the top seed and a national championship contender. However, the Bulldogs have not been the best team in the conference. Saint Mary’s has already clinched the regular season title.
The Gaels are currently undefeated in conference play with two games to go. Led by guard Aidan Mahaney and center Mitchell Saxen, they are a top-15 team in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom, being one of the best teams at defending shots inside the arc. They have the nation’s longest active winning streak with 15 victories in a row. Saint Mary’s looks to be a No. 6 seed on Bracket Matrix.
The Zags are a bubble team for the first time since the 2015-16 season, projected as a No. 11 seed on Bracket Matrix. Without forward Drew Timme, who finished his college career last season as one of the greatest players in Gonzaga basketball history, head coach Mark Few turned his attention toward forwards Graham Ike and Anton Watson, who are a part of the WCC all-KenPom team as of writing. They have not yet clinched the No. 2 seed in the WCC Tournament, but that could be determined on Thursday as the Bulldogs face third-place San Francisco.
Mountain West (March 13-16, Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nev., CBS/CBS Sports Network/Stadium/MWN)
The Mountain West has been incredible to watch this season, with the potential to be a six-bid league.
San Diego State, projected as a No. 4 seed, won the tournament last season over Utah State and has made the championship game in the past six years. The defending national runners-up will look to come out on top again this year, with forward Jaedon LeDee leading the way as one of the best players in college basketball.
In four of the last five tournaments, Utah State has made the championship game, winning back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020. The Aggies, projected as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, recently swept Boise State to break the tie and claim first place. They’re one of the best teams at defending 3-point shots and have been strong in the paint thanks to all-Mountain West-caliber junior Great Osobor.
Isaiah Stevens is one of the best mid-major players as he leads Colorado State to what should be their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the past three seasons. Projected as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they have been bounced in the semifinal round and have not appeared in the championship since losing to Nevada in 2017. The Rams will look for their first tournament title since 2003.
Other contenders include Boise State, New Mexico and Nevada. All three teams are considered on the right side of the bubble, with Boise State projected as a No. 9 seed while the latter two are No. 10 seeds on Bracket Matrix.
Atlantic 10 (March 12-17, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y., CBS/CBS Sports Network/USA Network/ESPN+)
The Atlantic 10 has three NCAA Tournament-caliber teams, with a three-way race for the top seed in the conference tournament between Dayton, Loyola Chicago and Richmond.
Dayton is having the program’s best season since the 2019-2020 season. However, the Flyers won’t be one of the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament like many projected them to be before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 NCAA Tournament. They are led by forward DaRon Holmes II, one of the best players in college basketball. Despite the program’s success in the past decade, Dayton, projected to be a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, has not come out on top of the Atlantic 10 Tournament since 2003. There may be a chip on Holmes’s shoulder because while he received the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honor, his team lost to VCU by 12.
Richmond is on the outside looking in on Bracket Matrix, but ESPN and CBS Sports have considered the Spiders as a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Senior guard Jordan King leads the way as his team looks for the program’s second conference tournament title in the past three seasons. They sit in first place in the Atlantic 10 standings as of writing, defeating Loyola Chicago in January to break the tie.
Sister Jean hopes that her Ramblers can win their first Atlantic 10 championship. Loyola Chicago joined the Atlantic 10 last year after spending seven years in the Missouri Valley Conference. They currently have the nation’s sixth-longest active winning streak with seven in a row. According to KenPom, they have the best adjusted defensive efficiency in the conference. Head coach Drew Valentine looks to bring Loyola Chicago to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since being hired. However, they need to improve their resumé or win the Atlantic 10 Tournament to be included in the field of 68.