Conference Tournament Previews (PAC12, SEC, Big East)

For this one we will break down the conference tournaments from the premier west coast conference, the PAC12, the top conference from the northeast in the Big East, plus arguably the best basketball conference in the country this year, the SEC.

These three conferences are stacked at the top and will undoubtedly bring at least a handful of teams to the NCAA Tournament later this month. The SEC might have the most teams representing any conference in the country. The Big East is led by three teams, UConn, Creighton, and Marquette who are all currently ranked in the top 10 in the country.

The PAC12 Tournament features one of the elite teams in college basketball, the Arizona Wildcats. This team has been dominant all year and currently is ranked 5th in the AP Poll Rankings. Look for them to be the team to beat in the PAC12 Tournament.

Another team that could make some noise is the Washington State Cougars. The Cougars are the only other ranked team from the PAC12. They also have beaten Arizona twice this year in both games against them. For Washington State, this would be a massive conference title that could catapult them into a top-4 seed come the NCAA Tournament.

Other teams to watch would be Oregon and Colorado, who have been up and down this year but have some of the best talent in the conference.

There are five teams currently inside the top 17 teams in the country from the SEC. This conference tournament could be any of these teams to take. While there are five ranked teams, there are also a remarkable 11 teams with winning records in the SEC. A conference title may not even come from one of the top teams in the conference as almost any team has what it takes to win it.

Tennessee is the favorite in the SEC though as they are ranked 4th in the nation. They also hold the top record in conference play. Look for them to have the edge but for South Carolina to be a challenge for them. South Carolina just played Tennessee tough and beat them earlier in the season as well.

The Big East has three teams in the top 10 of the AP Poll Rankings. These teams all should be seen as having a chance to take home a conference championship this season. UConn has been at the top of the rankings all year and currently are ranked second in the nation. They should be the clear favorite in the Big East Tournament.

Creighton has climbed up the rankings into the top 10 and is just one team from the Big East to beat UConn this season. Look for them to be a major roadblock for UConn taking home the Big East trophy this year. Marquette has also been a top 10 team this season and has played UConn well and also split wins with Creighton.