NCAA Basketball: Predicting 2019-20 conference tournament winners
By Bryan Mauro
American: Wichita State Shockers
When the season started the American looked like it had the potential to be one of the better conferences in college basketball. It looked like they were going to get potentially five teams in with Memphis, Wichita State, Houston, Cincinnati and South Florida. What has happened during the season has been nothing short of a disappointment for the conference. The reality is that auto-bid may be the only bid the American gets. Houston will likely get a bid, but it is far from a lock.
Wichita State is the team that always plays well at the end of the year. Head coach Gregg Marshall always has his team playing its best basketball in late February and early March. This year things seem to be trending that direction as well with the potential to win 7 out of 8 games heading into the conference tournament. As the confidence rises so do the Shockers. Wichita State does have any stars they are just a solid team that plays good team basketball. That is all you need in a conference tournament.
Sleeper: Memphis Tigers
Memphis and Houston are the two teams who jump out at you as potential teams outside of the Shockers who can make a run in the tournament. The Tigers entered the year as one of the trendy teams in the country. Head coach Penny Hardaway built a great team with some of the country’s top recruits including number one player in the class James Wiseman. If James Wiseman would not have been suspended due to impermissible benefits bestowed on him by his coach, there is no reason to believe Memphis would not be one of the best teams in the country at this point.
If Memphis wins the tournament, they are going to be a bid stealer. They still have a talented roster, although it is young it is extremely talented. The Tigers are to try and prove they belong in the field by making a run in the conference tournament.
Atlantic 10: Dayton Flyers
Dayton is in the mix for a one seed in the NCAA tournament. They have work to do and will need some help to get there, but none the less they are in the mix for a one seed. The greatest Flyers team ever has flat-out dominated the conference this year. Many figured Dayton would be good, but I don’t think anyone thought they would be this good.
The Flyers have everything they have a National Player of the Year contender in Obi Toppin, who has already wrapped up Conference Player of the Year. They have shooting in Jalen Crutcher and have an experienced roster. Every year a team who runs through their conference gets upset in the conference tournament, Dayton isn’t that team. They are much too strong and the Flyers are going to be at their best, they know what is at stake. If they win the conference tournament, they could get the one seed in the East region. IF they don’t get that they could wrap up the number 2 seed in the Midwest region and get to play in front of their home crowd for virtually the entire tournament.
Sleeper: Saint Bonaventure Bonnies
The Bonnies are one of those teams who are coming together at the right time. They have lost one game in February and look ready to secure one of the top 4 spots in the tournament. Center Osun Osunniyi is a key piece for the Bonnies. In the games he has played they are 17-3 with him on the floor. They are 1-8 without him with the one win being a neutral site game over Rutgers. If Osunniyi stays healthy the Bonnies are very dangerous.