HoopsHD keeps celebrating the greatest time of the year with Part 3 of our 3-part preview of every single conference tourney in the nation. Jon Teitel continues our coverage with his predictions for the 15 conference tourneys getting underway this week. Tweet us if you have any comments, and if you missed his picks last week about the 16 other conference tourneys you can find them at:
https://hoopshd.com/2026/03/02/conference-tourney-previews-part-1-of-3-2
https://hoopshd.com/2026/03/05/conference-tourney-previews-part-2-of-3-2
American tourney predicted champ: Wichita State (#2 seed)
Dates: March 11-15
Location: Birmingham, AL
2025 tourney champ: Memphis (#1 seed)
Fun fact: only 2 champs still in this conference are Memphis/UAB
Seeding: 4 of past 5 champs were not #1 seed
Tulsa has the most overall wins of anyone in this league, but had a 3-game losing streak last month. South Florida has the most conference wins of anyone in this league, but this tourney does not like #1 seeds. Therefore, let’s see if the Shockers can shock the world! Coach Paul Mills has increased his win total during each of his 3 years in Wichita, and if you recall his Sweet 16 run with Oral Roberts in 2021 then you know that he knows how to win games as an underdog in March. He also knows how to beat South Florida, as he eked out a 1-PT OT win in Tampa last January. The star of the show is Kenyon Giles, whose 3PM/SPG/PPG have increased during each of his 4 years in college. If he is having a cold shooting night, the good news is that his team is #4 in the nation with 14.8 offensive RPG.
A-10 tourney predicted champ: St. Louis (#1 seed)
Dates: March 11-15
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
2025 tourney champ: VCU (#1 seed)
Fun fact: VCU has made title game 4 of past 5 years
Seeding: each of past 6 champs have alternated as #1 seed/#6 seed
For reasons I cannot explain, this tourney only likes #1 seeds and #6 seeds…and if you think I am picking Davidson then you must be related to the magnificent McKillop family. Coach Josh Schertz’s team is certainly not a slam dunk: they lost more games in the past 3 weeks (3) than they did during the 1st 3 months of the season (1). However, he won the 2024 MVC tourney with big man Robbie Avila, so there is no reason to think the duo cannot do it again 2 years later. There is no secret to their success: they are #11 in the nation with 87.8 PPG and #2 in the nation with 40.9 3P%. Lest you think they are only an offensive juggernaut, they are also #3 in the nation with 29.7 defensive RPG. For you name fans, there might not be a more appropriately named player in the country than “Trey” Green, whose 45.5 3P% is #5 in the nation.
ACC tourney predicted champ: Miami (#3 seed)
Dates: March 10-14
Location: Charlotte, NC
2025 tourney champ: Duke (#1 seed)
Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 5 tourneys
Seeding: 5 of past 6 champs were not top-2 seed
Coach Jai Lucas might be new to Miami but not to the ACC, as he spent the past 3 years in Durham working for Coach Jon Scheyer. He did not have to face his old boss this season (yet!), but beat almost everyone else en route to the #3 seed, which is great when you are in a tourney that does not like top-2 seeds. Even though the “U” has looked like a football school in 2026, the basketball team is not too shabby with wins over UNC/NC State/SMU. However, their 68.1 FT% is beyond shabby, and is a bit of a red flag considering that each of their previous 4 losses were by 1-3 PTS. Few teams have benefited more from power-conference transfers: Indiana transfer Malik Reneau/Michigan transfer Tre Donaldson/TCU transfer Ernest Udeh have combined for 43 PPG/20 RPG/9 APG/3 SPG.
Big 12 tourney predicted champ: Arizona (#1 seed)
Dates: March 10-14
Location: Kansas City, MO
2025 tourney champ: Houston (#1 seed)
Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 4 years
Seeding: each of past 4 champs were top-2 seed
My Wildcats have never won this tourney and are a top-2 seed so they fit the profile perfectly. Last March they made the title game and then went ice-cold from behind the arc in a loss to Houston. This year Coach Tommy Lloyd’s team is still not that great from long-range (35.3 3P%), but it certainly has not bitten them in the butt as they have only lost 2 games all year by a combined 7 PTS. Fortunately, Arizona is strong on defense (38.8 FG% allowed is #7 in the nation) and on the glass (43 RPG is #2 in the nation), so if you are missing shots and they are grabbing your misses then you are going to have a long day. The only opponent they have not beaten this year is Texas Tech, but with JT Toppin’s injury keeping him out of the postseason and Koa Peat’s injury healing nicely, it is hard not to be wild about the Cats!
Big East tourney predicted champ: Connecticut (#2 seed)
Dates: March 11-14
Location: New York, NY
2025 tourney champ: St. John’s (#1 seed)
Fun fact: 5 different champs in past 5 tourneys
Seeding: 7 of past 8 champs were top-2 seed
As always, if Georgetown wins this 1 then I might just have to hang up the old keyboard because it means I know absolutely nothing about this sport. I also know it is unwise to bet against Coach Dan Hurley in the postseason, and even after watching them limp to the finish line by losing 3 of their final 8 games, I simply cannot forget them grinding St. John’s into the ground during a 72-40 demolition in Hartford last month. This tourney loves its top seeds and there will be plenty of fans wearing blue at Madison Square Garden even if they are facing the Red Storm in the title game. The secret to their success has been defense, as they are top-40 in the nation in FG% allowed from both 2-PT land and 3-PT land. With 1 of the most balanced scoring offenses you will see all season (with all 5 starters scoring 11-14 PPG), it will not matter if 1 of them has a cold night because there are plenty of others to keep the fire burning.
Big 10 tourney predicted champ: Michigan State (#3 seed)
Dates: March 10-15
Location: Chicago, IL
2025 tourney champ: Michigan (#3 seed)
Fun fact: 5 different champs in past 6 tourneys
Seeding: 4 of past 5 champs were not #1 seed
Michigan is the defending tourney champ and 1 of the best teams in the country this year, but this tourney likes new blood and hates #1 seeds so beware of their in-state rival. Coach Tom Izzo knows how to succeed in March better than most, as his 27 consecutive NCAA tourneys (and counting) is the longest streak of tourney appearances ever by a coach at 1 school. The Spartans were toughened up during non-conference play with wins over Arkansas/Kentucky/North Carolina/Iowa, and it has carried over to conference play with wins over Illinois/UCLA/Ohio State/Purdue. In a conference full of prolific PGs, the best of all might be Jeremy Fears Jr., who is leading the team in scoring, leading the conference in FTM, and leading the nation in both APG/controversial plays. It also helps that they have the best dunker in America in the form of Coen Carr: not just in college, but in the entire sport at ANY level.
Big West tourney predicted champ: Hawaii (#2 seed)
Dates: March 11-14
Location: Henderson, NV
2025 tourney champ: UCSD (#1 seed)
Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 4 years
Seeding: 5 of past 6 champs were top-2 seed
I cannot just pick the #1 seed in every tourney so aloha! UC Irvine has won 22+ games for the 4th year in a row, which makes them a dangers top seed, but their 2 games with the Rainbow Warriors featured 1 game decided by 1 PT and another that went to OT so I fully expect the 3rd round of the trilogy to be a classic. Coach Eran Ganot had a losing record last year but has gotten Hawaii back on track thanks to a defense that is top-35 in the nation in shooting % allowed from each of 1-PT land/2-PT land/3-PT land. They have a 7’ center in Isaac Johnson to protect the paint, and 5 different guys around him who are scoring 9-14 PPG. Many teams these days bring in international players (as Hawaii did with Gytis Nemeiksa from Lithuania/Harry Rouhliadeff from Australia), but 3 of their other top-6 scorers are from the foreign land of Utah, so before your team starts spending its recruiting budget to fly around the world, tell them to check out the talent in the Beehive State!
C-USA tourney predicted champ: Liberty (#1 seed)
Dates: March 10-14
Location: Huntsville, AL
2025 tourney champ: : Liberty (#1 seed)
Fun fact: 8 different champs in past 8 tourneys
Seeding: each of past 6 champs were top-3 seed
I know this tourney does not like #1 seeds…but I kept finding reasons to not like anyone else so give me Liberty or give me…a good reason not to pick them. While the Flames are not exactly red-hot(!) after losing 3 of their final 5 regular season games, Coach Ritchie McKay did win a sensational 17 in a row from mid-December to mid-February to put the rest of the league on notice. As always, Liberty owns the 3-PT line (they were #6 in the nation last year and are #5 in the nation this year), but 1 of the most stunning stats is their 3P% defense. After allowing just 28.7 3P% last year (among the best in the country), they are allowing 38 3P% this year (among the worst in the country). This tourney has had 8 different champs in a row and I fear that 8 is indeed enough thanks to a 6’7” stat-sheet-stuffer named Zach Cleveland: 11.6 PPG/7.4 RPG/6.9 APG/1.3 SPG/1.3 BPG.
Ivy tourney predicted champ: Yale (#1 seed)
Dates: March 14-15
Location: Ithaca, NY
2025 tourney champ: Yale (#1 seed)
Fun fact: only 3 teams to ever win tourney are Penn/Princeton/Yale
Seeding: each of 7 all-time champs were top-2 seed
The only 3 teams to ever win this tourney are Penn/Princeton/Yale, and every single winner of this tourney has been a top-2 seed, so it sadly seems that I have to choose the defending champ. This looked like a slam dunk 2 weeks ago when the Bulldogs were 21-4, and I would ordinarily not put a lot of stock in a 3-PT loss at Cornell…but since these teams will meet again in the Ivy semifinals IN THAT SAME GYM this weekend it is a bit of a red flag. However, if there is any coach in this league who can handle the pressure it is James Jones, who has made the NCAA tourney 5 times in the past 10 years. As long as they keep knocking down shots from behind the arc (40 3P% is #3 in the nation), they are not only the favorite to win this tourney, but also a serious threat to pull off a 12-vs.-5 upset in the NCAA tourney the following weekend.
MAC tourney predicted champ: Miami OH (#1 seed)
Dates: March 12-14
Location: Cleveland, OH
2025 tourney champ: Akron (#1 seed)
Fun fact: Akron has won 3 of past 4 tourneys
Seeding: 5 of past 7 champs were top-2 seed
This tourney likes top-2 seeds so I am dying to pick Akron, who are 1 of the hottest teams in the country with 15 wins in their final 16 games. However, that still pales in comparison to THE hottest team in the country, so I am going with the other top-seed from Ohio who some call “Mother Miami”. The RedHawks got all they could handle from the Zips before winning by 3 PTS in early-January, but have remained perfect thanks to an awfully easy schedule and an offense that is #2 in the nation with 90.9 PPG. Coach Travis Steele had losing seasons during each of his 1st 2 years in Oxford, but was a revelation in year #3 with 25 wins before having a season for the ages in year #4. He only has 2 seniors among his top-14 scorers so I thought there might be a regression this year, but if they keep putting enough points on the board in Cleveland then they just might (as a mythical Cleveland sports figure once said) “win the whole f—ing thing”.
MEAC tourney predicted champ: Howard (#1 seed)
Dates: March 11-14
Location: Norfolk, VA
2025 tourney champ: Norfolk State (#1 seed)
Fun fact: only 3 champs since 2014 still in this conference are Howard/NC Central/Norfolk State
Seeding: 4 of past 5 champs were top-2 seed
To give you an idea of how far ahead of the field this 21-win Howard squad is, EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS LEAGUE HAS A LOSING RECORD! Coach Kenny Blakeney had some serious non-conference tests in November with losses to Missouri/Duke, and then got his signature win of the year on the road right before Christmas at UNCW. They had a slow start in conference play by losing 3 of their 1st 5, but bounced back in a big way by winning each of their final 9 league games to clinch the #1 seed. They have a 2-headed monster on offense as Bryce Harris/Cedric Taylor III are each scoring 17+ PPG, and on defense they are only allowing 5.6 3PM and 10.5 APG (both top-10 in the nation). The Bison made the NCAA tourney 2 years in a row in 2023/2024, so if they can make it 3 times in a 4-year span then we might just all have to admit that they are the best basketball team in DC…college OR pro!
MWC tourney predicted champ: Utah State (#1 seed)
Dates: March 11-14
Location: Las Vegas, NV
2025 tourney champ: Colorado State (#2 seed)
Fun fact: 5 different champs in past 6 years
Seeding: 6 of past 7 champs were top-2 seed
San Diego State has made this title game in 7 of the past 8 years so if you are choosing them to win it all then I cannot fault your logic, especially in light of their 17-PT win over the Aggies in late-February. However, it has been hard to love the Aztecs after watching them lose 4 of their final 6 games, so I am going with Utah State instead. This tourney likes top-2 seeds, and when you have already put together 3 separate winning streaks of 7+ games it is not asking that much for you to win 3 games in 3 days. All 6 of their losses this year are to teams who will NOT be a protected seed this month, so an upset is certainly not out of the question (especially if their 1st game in Vegas is against a UNLV squad who swept them this year by double-digits in each game), but you better guard them tough inside the arc because their 59.6 2P% is top-10 in the nation. Coach Jerrod Calhoun has now racked up back-to-back seasons of 25+ wins so he certainly seems to know what he is doing. He has 1 of the best backcourt duos in the western US as MJ Collins/Mason Falslev have combined for 34 PPG/8 RPG, and you better have some strong ball-handling because Utah State is forcing 14 TO/game (top-35 in the nation) thanks in large part to 2 SPG from Drake Allen: love the Drake!
SEC predicted champ: Florida (#1 seed)
Dates: March 11-15
Location: Nashville, TN
2025 tourney champ: Florida (#2 seed)
Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 4 tourneys
Seeding: 4 of past 5 champs were top-2 seed
Even though this tourney does not like repeat champs, it is hard to not like the defending champ. After having a losing record during his 1st year in Gainesville, Coach Todd Golden has been gaining respect from the entire league with 3 straight seasons of 24+ wins. It might not be “the best conference in the history of the sport” as it was last year, but even so the Gators have been chomping the life out of their opponents by scoring 87.7 PPG with a whopping 6 different guys averaging double-digits. Since losing back-to-back games against Duke/UConn to start off December, Florida has won 20 of 22 with just a pair of single-digit conference losses in January. The amazing part is that after losing 3 senior starters in their backcourt (Walter Clayton Jr./Alijah Martin/Will Richard), they have relied on 3 junior starters in their frontcourt (Thomas Haugh/Alex Condon/Rueben Chinyelu) who have combined for 43 PPG/25 RPG/3 BPG. Their 3-PT shooting still leaves a lot to be desired (31.3 3P%), but nobody is worried about missing a 3 when there are 3 tall guys waiting in the paint to put it back in.
SWAC predicted champ: Florida A&M (#2 seed)
Dates: March 9-14
Location: Atlanta, GA
2025 tourney champ: Alabama State (#5 seed)
Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 6 tourneys
Seeding: 4 of past 5 champs were not #1 seed
Texas Southern owned this tourney for more than a decade: during the 10 title games that took place from 2014-2024, they won 7 and lost 2. I thought that I was done picking anyone other than the Tigers to win this tourney…EVER…but some other teams have been able to elevate their programs over the past couple of years. 1 of those schools is Florida A&M: Coach Robert McCullum had back-to-back seasons with 22+ losses in 2023/2024, then Patrick Crarey won 14 games last year, and Coach Charlie Ward was able to snag the #2 seed this year in his debut season. Ward knows a lot about postseason success: he made the 2nd round in 1991, the Sweet 16 in 1992, and the Elite 8 in 1993 as a basketball player at Florida State. If that is not enough to impress you, consider that he won a bowl game with the Seminoles FOOTBALL team for 3 straight years as well! There might not be a streakier team in the country than the Rattlers: they have had 3 separate losing streaks of 4+ games but also 3 separate winning streaks of 3+ wins. You also have to love a team whose leading scorer’s last name is Shirley: Tyler you cannot be serious!
WAC predicted champ: Cal Baptist (#2 seed)
Dates: March 11-14
Location: Las Vegas, NV
2025 tourney champ: GCU (#2 seed)
Fun fact: each of the previous 41 champs now play in other conferences!
Seeding: 9 of past 11 champs were top-2 seed
Most of the drama in this tourney has occurred off the court (with Utah Valley and the WAC filing lawsuits against each other regarding conference realignment), but there is still enough talent atop the standings to think that we will see some drama on the court as well. 1 thing we will also see is a brand-new tourney champ, as not a single 1 of the 41 previous champs still belong to this league…which is just insane! 1 person who is not brand-new to this tourney is Coach Rick Croy, who is having his winningest season in any of his 8 years in this league. If the Lancers are to become Big Dancers(!) then they will do so with their perimeter defense, as their 29.4 3P% allowed is #6 in the nation. There might not be a more valuable offensive player in the nation than Dominique Daniels Jr.: he only stands 5’10” but his scoring is off the charts as he averages 22.6 PPG for a team that only averages 72.9 PPG.
