College Basketball Conference Tournament Preview- Part 1

I am The Rabbi, Video Editor of "On The Sportslines". Welcome everyone to the month of March! It has been a crazy ride to get to these last two weeks before March Madness. Conference tournaments begin this week, when the mid-majors kick their tournaments off. By this time next week, the tournament field will have at least 10 teams that have qualified with their automatic bids. This column is designed to give you a quick look at those conference tournaments.

Horizon Conference Tournament (At Home Sites, Now-March 8th)

#1 Seed: Milwaukee

Winners of 9 of their last 10, the Panthers have quietly made their way to the top of the Horizon Conference. With only 18 wins on the season, Milwaukee had to make a statement in conference play and they surely did that. Milwaukee has a season sweep of the #2 seed in the Horizon, Butler. The Butler Bulldogs have made a good run in the last few weeks. One win (which would get them to the finals in their conference tournament) COULD put the Dogs in the field of 68.

Surprise: Cleveland State

Three teams tied for the conference lead, but by virtue of tiebreakers, the Vikings will have to play a quarterfinal game on Friday to advance to Sunday's semifinals. That would put them into another matchup with Butler, who they lost to twice by double digits this season. Who knows what will happen if they play a third time, as the Bulldogs will not have played for a week.

Prediction: Milwaukee

I actually think the Horizon will be a 2-bid league, and one fringe bubble team from a big conference will be REALLY pissed when Butler loses to Milwaukee to the final.

Ohio Valley Conference Tournament (Now-March 5th)

#1 Seed: Murray State

Winners of 11 out of their last 12, the Racers go into the tournament on a hot streak. They have the experience as they have been in the tournament over the last few years, but #2 seed Morehead State and #3 seed Austin Peay have been in this tournament before too.

Surprise: Tennessee Tech

They could make their third tourney appearance if all breaks right. This team has won 5 in a row to end the regular season, and is seeded 4th in the conference tournament. They also have a regular season sweep of #3 seed Austin Peay on their resume.

Prediction: Morehead State

Winners of 9 out of their last 10 to end the season themselves, they'll avenge an 8 point loss back in late February to Murray State in the conference title game.

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament (St. Louis, MO, March 3rd-6th)

#1 Seed: Missouri State

The Bears have had a very good season so far, and have been consistent in conference play, winning 6 in a row. A win over #2 seed Wichita State this past Saturday gave the Bears the top seed. If it comes down to it, Missouri State has two close victories this year over the Shockers.

Surprise: Indiana State

In this one bid league, don't be shocked if the Sycamores, 12-6 in-conference this year, end up in the NCAA's. Indiana State has been the best of the middling bunch in the MVC and have a victory over Missouri State on their resume this year.

Prediction: Wichita State

I think it's hard to beat another team 3 times in one season. Here's a point where it bites the Bears in the butt.

West Coast Conference Tournament (Las Vegas, NV, March 4th-7th)

#1 Seed: St. Mary's

The Gaels faded late, losing twice at home (bracketbuster vs. Utah State and in the last week vs. Gonzaga), which forced them to share the conference title with the Zags. Gonzaga has the pedigree from years past, but remember the team who made the Sweet 16 last year was St. Mary's. If they face off in the final, a third matchup would be rather interesting site to see.

Surprise: Portland

Portland is a 20-win team, though most of their wins came in the first half of the season. They have a win over St. Mary's on their resume this year, so they can surprise in a possible semi-final matchup.

Prediction: Gonzaga

Been hotter than St. Mary's as of late, winning their last 7 in a row. The Bulldogs have zipped up from off the bubble to almost tournament lock in a quick amount of time, and I think that roll continues here.

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament (Bridgeport, CT, March 4th-7th)

#1 Seed: Fairfield

The Stags, who will play in their home arena for the MAAC Tourney, only lost 3 games in conference play. They have winning streaks of 7, 6, and 5 games this season, and have only lost 3 games since December. Despite losing the season finale to Iona, all the Stags have to do is defend home court and they'll go dancing.

Surprise: Rider

OK, semi-surprise. Rider tied for second in conference with Iona and is very dangerous. They are the only conference team to win in the Arena at Harbor Yard all year, so a final between the Rider Broncos and the Fairfield Stags could be very even.

Prediction: Fairfield

Sorry. Best team + Home Court = Too much for the MAAC challengers. This Connecticut team is going dancing.

Colonial Athletic Association Tournament (Richmond, VA, March 4th-7th)

#1 Seed: George Mason

The Patriots have now won 15 games in a row. GMU Guard Cam Long and the rest of the team have been playing their best ball of the year. While the Patriots will be the overwhelming favorite down in Virginia, GMU and #2 seed Old Dominion might save a little something for the NCAA tournament coming up. Both teams are locks for the tourney and may play at a different gear as opposed to some of the other CAA top seeds who'll need the tournament win in order to have a chance at the dance.

Surprise: Hofstra

Surprise! My alma mater could shock some people in Richmond. Despite the fact that star G Charles Jenkins has never won on the road against top seeds in this tournament (VCU, Old Dominion, and George Mason), I believe the Pride can at least make the finals, like they did 5 years ago. I think the Top 4 in the CAA is so much stronger than the rest of the league, only they are the ones who can hold up the tournament trophy on Monday.

Prediction: George Mason is taking this one. They have too much firepower right now. They'll run their winning streak to 18 heading into the NCAA's.

Sun Belt Conference Tournament (Hot Springs, AR, March 5th-8th)

Favorite: Florida Atlantic

Started conference play 8-0, and are the only 20-win team in the Sun Belt Conference. Led in scoring by Sophomore G Greg Gantt, the Owls are looking for only the second tournament appearance in their program's history.

Surprise: Louisiana Lafayette

The Ragin' Cajuns are on a roll, having not lost since January 19th. After starting the season 2-5, ULL has won 11 games in a row, 9 of the 11 by single digits, proving they can win the close games. This team has gone from a 3-14 team to a 14-14 team and one of the hottest teams in the country.

Prediction: Louisiana Lafayette

They've beaten the top 2 teams in the Eastern Division of the Sun Belt, and almost beat conference co-champ Middle Tennessee, losing in OT. The Ragin' Cajuns are one of the only teams with a double digit win streak, and momentum can get you to the middle of March.

Summit League (Sioux Falls, SD, March 5th-8th)

#1 Seed: Oakland

With one league loss all year, they are the standard bearer of the conference. The Golden Grizzlies have only lost once in 2011. This team has been absolutely dominant in-conference and actually has a non-conference victory over Tennessee. They will be tough to beat.

Surprise: IUPUI

But on February 5th, IUPUI did defeat Oakland. The Jaguars are Top 30 in the nation in Field Goal percentage, so when they get hot they can beat any team in conference.

Prediction: Oakland

You can't be this dominant in conference and end up folding now. This is surely not the time to slip up, when there is an NCAA tournament spot on the line.

That's a little look at the mid-major conference tournaments. We'll switch up our focus next week when we get to the big boys. Tune in Monday for a special look at the Greatest Week of the Year. Until then, I am The Rabbi and I'm out.