Big West Basketball Tournament: UC Irvine the heavy favorite in 2019

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SEATTLE, WA – MARCH 20: Luke Nelson #10 of the UC Irvine Anteaters dribbles against the Louisville Cardinals during the second round of the 2015 Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament at Key Arena on March 20, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

Will UC Irvine continue their dominance and win Big West Basketball’s lone NCAA Tournament bid? Or will another team make a surprising run?

Every year, the Big West Basketball Tournament is one of the most underrated events during Championship Week. With the top seed winning just three times since 2010, the tournament is home to many upsets, surprise runs, and excellent individual performances.

While UC Irvine has pretty much run through the conference, several teams still believe they have a shot to win the tournament. CSU Fullerton won last season and their returning players have the experience to win three straight games. UC Santa Barbara is filled with a ton of talented transfers, who all bring their own unique skill set to the table. Hawaii, Long Beach State, UC Davis and CSU Northridge all have unique strengths that could make them dangerous this week.

The top seeds do not get a bye in the first round, but the field is re-seeded for the Semifinals, ensuring the Anteaters would have the easiest route to the Big West Basketball Championship Game. This is not always a good thing, however, as some of the teams in the bottom half of the tournament field are getting hot at the right time.

This tournament is a must watch for fans of the drama brought by single-bid conference tournaments. There is plenty of talent to entertain almost every college basketball fan, and UC Irvine may be the best team in California outside of Saint Mary’s.

Will the Anteaters take home the hardware, or is another team capable of making a surprise run at the auto-bid? Let’s take a look at how the 2019 Big West Tournament could shake out.