NCAA Basketball: 8 bold predictions for conference play in 2019

By Brian Rauf | Dec 30, 2018

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 08: Joey Hauser #22, Sam Hauser #10, and Markus Howard #0 of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts in overtime against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Fiserv Forum on December 08, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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DURHAM, NC – FEBRUARY 09: (L-R) Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils and head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels shake hands prior to their gaem at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 9, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

5) The ACC will get the most NCAA Tournament bids

Keeping with the ACC theme for now, the conference is set to get the most NCAA Tournament bids of anyone.

We’ve already touched on some problems for the Big East, Big 12, and Pac-12 and, while both the Big Ten and SEC will get a lot of teams in, they won’t quite meet the ACC.

Six teams from the conference are currently ranked – Duke, Virginia, Florida State, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, NC State – and all will make the Big Dance. Other teams like Clemson, Louisville, and Syracuse are not ranked but are also very good and should all be NCAA Tournament teams. That’s nine bids that all look to be pretty solid.

The Big Ten is also currently projected to get nine teams in the Big Dance but I think we’ll see at least one of the three worst teams (Maryland, Minnesota, Purdue) to fall out of the picture by March.

The SEC is currently projected to get seven, and I think that’s the max they’ll get.

Though the Big Ten has the ability to at least challenge the ACC in this regard, I don’t see the ACC getting more or less than nine, which should put them clearly in front of every other conference.

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