NCAA Basketball: Predicting winners for all 2021 conference tournaments

Northeast

Champion: Bryant Bulldogs

Head Coach Jared Grasso is one of the hottest names in coaching circles right now and it is because of how fast he has turned the Bulldogs into a legitimate contender for the NEC crown. This season the Bulldogs are on another level on the offensive end. They average about 85 points per game which is good enough for fourth in the country and they have blown out a lot of their conference opponents.

Bryant has the best offense and the two best players in Peter Kiss and likely NEC player of the year in Michael Green, so the Bulldogs should win. This conference is crazy, and several teams have held the top spot overall. The top seed rarely wins this tournament and there are usually upsets galore.

Depending on the seeding, which Bryant will likely get a 16. If they happen to get anything better than that they are likely going to give the team they play a game and it will be high scoring. Bryant is fun to watch, and they love to run.

Sleeper: Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers

As mentioned above anything can happen in this tournament so any of the lower seeds can win this tournament, but for the purpose of the exercise to pick one sleeper, the Mountaineers have a stable of veterans and a star to cause some of the top teams to sweat. Damion Chong Qui leads the Mount and is the only player on the roster who averages double figures.

The Mountaineers have one of the worst offenses in the country averaging 62 per game. What makes them a sleeper is their smothering defense and their ability to protect the rim. They average four blocks per game in conference play and they only allow 62 points per game which is the 14th best scoring defense in the country. The Mount has a good chance as anyone to make the NCAA tournament. Likely whoever wins this tournament will receive a 16 seed.

Ohio Valley

Champion: Belmont Bruins

The most dominant team in the Ohio Valley since they joined in 2012, the Bruins have never finished below the top third of the Ohio Valley. They are a contender every year and this year they may be one of the best teams in the country. Belmont currently has the second-longest winning streak in the country at 21 games.

Belmont is blowing teams out as well. They average just a shade over 82 points per game as an offense and allow a shade over 67 points per game on defense. This Bruin team may be the best ever since the move to Division 1 was made. Big man Nick Muszynski and guard Luke Smith lead the way for the powerful Bruin offense. Belmont hasn’t lost yet in conference play and likely won’t lose in the conference all season. I know it’s the Ohio Valley.

However, that is the same Ohio Valley that produced Ja Morant, and currently has one of the nations leading scorers in Terry Taylor. Belmont likely is going to have to win the tournament to get into the NCAA tournament but no one has proven they can beat them yet.

Sleeper: Austin Peay Governors

It’s hard to not put the team with one of the best players in the entire country on this list. Terry Taylor when paired with sophomore Jordyn Adams was a huge reason why the Govs were a lot of people’s favorite to win the OVC. Austin Peay can make up for it with a deep run in the conference tournament with a chance to make the big dance.

The Governors have massively underachieved this year given what they had returned, and they were within minutes of playing for the OVC title a season ago. Head coach Matt Figger has his team playing well at the right time. Let’s see if they can find some magic to get them into the NCAA tournament. The fans deserve to see Taylor, he is that good.