College basketball tiers: Big 12, Big Ten heading finest conference competitions

Welcome to Champ Week!

Several conference competitions got underway this week, with multiple-bid leagues beginning over the weekend and into next week.

For this week’s tiers, I’m looking at the most crucial and competitive conference competitions leading into the Big Dance.

Let’s get to it.

Tier 1: Top of the line

1. Big 12: Kansas is the preferred to win the Big 12 Tournament title. The winner will mostlikely make a No. 1 seed, presuming it’s Kansas, Baylor or Texas. There are likewise numerous groups from the conference on the bubble, consistingof West Virginia and Oklahoma State. Both the Mountaineers and Cowboys requirement to do well in this competition.

2. Big Ten: Purdue presently sits at 24-5 total and requires to cement a No. 1 seed. Multiple Big Ten groups, led by Indiana, might be in line for a top-four seed. Meanwhile, 3 groups from the conference — Wisconsin, Michigan and Penn State — requirement to get wins to get in the NCAA Tournament field.

3. SEC: Alabama is 26-4 general and contending for a No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, both Texas A&M and Tennessee are attempting to get on the 4 or 5-line. Kentucky is on the increase, and there are numerous bubble groups, like Auburn and Mississippi State, that can’t flop in the conference competition.

4. Big East: This year’s Big East routine season was wild. Expect the Big East Tournament to be the verysame with Marquette, Xavier, Creighton, Providence and UConn all having a shot to win. And puton’t dismiss rising Villanova.

[Marquette, UConn and Providence highlight big weekend on FOX]

Tier 2: Next up

1. ACC: Miami and Virginia stay the favorites to take house the competition title, however Pitt has had a development season. And neverever forget about Duke and North Carolina, particularly in Greensboro. Tracking their development throughout the conference competition will be must-see TELEVISION.

2. Pac-12: UCLA hasactually been one of the mostpopular groups in the nation and has a opportunity to protected a No. 1 seed. Arizona might still get on the 2-line or at least the 3-line. USC and Arizona State requirement to keep winning in order to safeandsecure a area in the tourney. Oh, and wear’t forget about Oregon, which is constantly a risk to win in Las Vegas.

3. MWC: San Diego State is the preferred to win the conference competition, however Nevada, Boise State, Utah State and New Mexico have all had their minutes, and all are practical winners. And wear’t dismiss San Jose State as a spoiler in the MWC.

4. American: Houston is the preferred and attempting to lock up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Memphis is directly on the bubble and requires to get to the champion videogame. Losing early might badly damage the Tigers’ competition hopes.

Tier 3: The sleepers

1. MVC: Bradley is the preferred to take house the competition crown after winning the regular-season title for the veryfirst time in 27 years. However, Drake, Indiana State, Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Belmont and Northern Iowa are more than capable of pulling off an distressed.

2. A10: The A10 is a one-bid league this season. VCU is the preferred to win the conference competition, however barely a lock. Dayton, Saint Louis and even Fordham might end up winning the title.

3. WCC: Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s are locks to make the NCAA Tournament. Both are competing for a area on the 4-5 line. Look out for LMU or Santa Clara as groups that might make the WCC a 3rd quote with a title.

4. CAA: Hofstra won the regular-season title, endingup 16-2 in conference play. But Charleston, Towson and UNC Wilmington are simply as feasible to win the competition champion and make an automated quote.

5. Conference USA: Florida Atlantic still requires to win the competition title in order to securely get a quote. The Owls will get a strong push from both North Texas and UAB.

Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball author, expert and host. He can be seen on the Big Ten Network, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast “March Madness 365.” Katz worked at ESPN for almost 2 years and, previous to that, in papers for 9 years.

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