Four more conference champions have been crowned, including Northern Kentucky who won the Horizon League in their first year of being eligible to earn a bid to the NCAAS. Gonzaga blasted Saint Mary’s for the third time this season to win the West Coast Championship, Mount Saint Mary’s won the NEC, and South Dakota State repeated as champions after winning a thriller against Omaha. There was also action today in the MEAC, SWAC, Big Sky, and ACC. We review all of those, and preview a very busy day tomorrow as many of the power conferences get underway. And as always, we begin with our mailbag and end with an update of our Survival Board.
WEDNESDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK ACTION
PATRIOT LEAGUE
Format: Standard
Location: Campus Sites
Wednesday, March 8 – Championship
7:30 PM – (3) Lehigh at (1) Bucknell, CBS Sports Network
MEAC
Format: Standard
Location: Norfolk, VA
Wednesday, March 8 – Quarterfinals
6:00 PM – (1) North Carolina Central vs (9) Bethune-Cookman, espn3
8:30 PM – (2) Norfolk State vs (7) South Carolina State, espn3
ACC
Format: Ladder (top four seeds bye into quarterfinals)
Location: Brooklyn, NY
12:00 PM – (8) Syracuse vs (9) Miami, ESPN
2:30 PM – (5) Duke vs (12) Clemson, ESPN
7:00 PM – (7) Virginia Tech vs (10) Wake Forest, ESPN2
9:30 PM – (6) Virginia vs (14) Pittsburgh, ESPN2
BIG EAST
Format: Standard
Location: New York City
Wednesday, March 8 – First Round
7:00 PM – (8) St. John’s vs (9) Georgetown, FS1
9:30 PM – (7) Xavier vs (10) DePaul, FS1
BIG 12
Format: Standard
Location: Kansas City, MO
Wednesday, March 8 – First Round
7:00 PM – (8) TCU vs (9) Oklahoma, ESPNU
9:30 PM – (7) Texas Tech vs (10) Texas, ESPNU
PAC-12
Format: Standard
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Wednesday, March 8 – First Round
3:00 PM – (8) Arizona State vs (9) Stanford, Pac-12 Network
5:30 PM – (5) California vs (12) Oregon State, Pac-12 Network
9:00 PM – (7) Colorado vs (10) Washington State, Pac-12 Network
11:30 PM – (6) USC vs (11) Washington, Pac-12 Network
MOUNTAIN WEST
Format: Standard
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Wednesday, March 8 – First Round
2:00 PM – (8) Utah State vs (9) San Jose State, themw.com
4:30 PM – (7) Wyoming vs (10) Air Force, themw.com
7:00 PM – (6) San Diego State vs (11) UNLV, themw.com
CONFERENCE USA
Format: Standard
Location: Birmingham, AL
Note: Only the top 12 of Conference USA’s 14 teams qualify for the conference tournament.
Wednesday, March 9 – First Round
12:30 PM – (8) Western Kentucky vs (9) Texas-San Antonio, campusinsiders.com
3:00 PM – (5) Rice vs (12) Southern Mississippi, campusinsiders.com
6:30 PM – (7) UAB vs (10) Charlotte, campusinsiders.com
9:00 PM – (6) Marshall vs (11) Florida Atlantic, campusinsiders.com
SUN BELT
Format: Standard
Location: New Orleans, LA
Wednesday, March 8 – First Round
12:30 PM – (8) Coastal Carolina vs (9) South Alabama, espn3
3:00 PM – (5) Arkansas State vs (12) Louisiana-Monroe, espn3
6:00 PM – (7) Louisiana-Lafayette vs (10) Arkansas-Little Rock, espn3
8:30 PM – (6) Troy vs (11) Appalachian State, espn3
SOUTHLAND
Format: Ladder (top two seeds bye into semifinals)
Location: Katy, TX
Note: Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word are ineligible as transitional teams. The top 8 of the 11 eligible Southland Conference teams qualify for the conference tournament.
Wednesday, March 8 – First Round
6:00 PM – (5) Sam Houston State vs (8) Central Arkansas, espn3
8:30 PM – (6) Lamar vs (7) Southeastern Louisiana, espn3
BIG TEN
Format: Ladder (top four seeds bye into quarterfinals)
Location: Washington, DC
Wednesday, March 8 – First Round
4:30 PM – (12) Nebraska vs (13) Penn State, ESPN2
7:00 PM – (11) Ohio State vs (14) Rutgers, BTN
SEC
Format: Ladder (top four seeds bye into quarterfinals)
Location: Nashville, TN
Wednesday, March 8 – First Round
7:00 PM – (12) Mississippi State vs (13) LSU, SEC Network
9:30 PM – (11) Auburn vs (14) Missouri, SEC Network
ATLANTIC TEN
Format: Ladder (top four seeds bye into quarterfinals)
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Wednesday, March 8 – First Round
6:00 PM – (12) Massachusetts vs (13) St. Joseph’s, ASN
8:30 PM – (11) Saint Louis vs (14) Duquesne, ASN
And for all you radio lovers, below is an mp3 version of the show…