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SWAC Basketball: 2020 conference tournament preview and predictions

By Max Hastings

DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 19: Gary Blackston #3 of the Prairie View A&M Panthers is helped up by teammates during the second half against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights in the First Four of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 19, 2019 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 19: Gary Blackston #3 of the Prairie View A&M Panthers is helped up by teammates during the second half against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights in the First Four of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 19, 2019 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 20: Head coach Byron Smith of the Prairie View A&M Panthers (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 20: Head coach Byron Smith of the Prairie View A&M Panthers (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

Southwest Athletic Bracketology

When the best team in your conference is ranked 188th in the nation in RPI, the only way you’re going dancing is by winning your tournament. As I mentioned before, Texas Southern is the only team with a solid win in their 2OT victory of Northern Kentucky, but that makes them 1-11 against teams in the first 3 quadrants, so their bubble never even began to be blown.

In FanSided’s latest bracketology, Lukas Harkins has odds on favorite Prairie View in a 16 seed play-in game vs Siena, which seems about right based on the conferences overall RPI and SRS. This is actually a best-case scenario for a team in a conference like the SWAC, as tournament wins are few and far between and are only realistically had in play-in games.

Praire View had a chance to get their first-ever tournament victory last year in a 16 seed play-in game against  Farleigh Dickinson, but they blew a 13-point lead in the 2nd half. If they are fortunate to conquer the SWAC once again, you can bet Byron Smith and his squad will be praying for a shot at redemption.