NCAA Basketball: Predicting all 32 autobids for 2022 NCAA Tournament

MEAC

Winner: Howard Bison

This is the most competitive the MEAC has been in a long time as the top 4 teams all have a chance to finish with records above .500. Norfolk State secured the 1 seed in the tournament and they have the most experienced roster and won the league last year, but not this year. There is so much to like with the Bison. They are a great three-point shooting team, they have tons of size, and have two point guards who can play at the same time.

The Bison also have two of the top five scorers in the MEAC this year. Steve Settle Jr is one of the most athletic big men in the country. He can step out and shoot a ton of threes, guard all five positions, and run the break. Howard is going to be dangerous in this tournament. If they hit shots, they can open a game up quickly. The MEAC is still going to likely be relegated to a First 4 game.

Sleeper: Coppin State Eagles

Ignoring the record for the Eagles, Coppin State is a tough out and has more than enough to win this tournament. Head coach Juan Dixon finally has a team who has been able to climb up out of the MEAC cellar and give teams a game. The Eagles do have a problem defending athletic teams and that is the main reason why the record looks as lopsided as it is. Coppin State isn’t very efficient and they are one of the worst shooting teams in the country. They play with a ton of heart and they play really hard, they are experienced.

Coppin State is also starting to play their best basketball of the year. The Eagles have flaws, but they are never out of a game in the MEAC with the heart they play with. Tyree Corbett is an all-conference player and when he is paired with guard Nendah Tarke they are a handful.

MAC

Winner: Toledo Rockets

The Rockets have been good for a while now they could just never get over the hump. This season though, Toledo is playing their best against the league’s best teams. They have blown out the league favorite Ohio twice and have only lost to Kent State and Ball State in the league. Head coach Tod Kowalcyk has done a great job stockpiling talent. He is also very good at developing talent as well.

Sophomore guard Ryan Rollins is the likely MAC Player of the Year and leads Toledo in just about every offensive category. The Rockets score over 80 a game and are a top 15 offensive team in the country, scoring will play anywhere, and depending on the seeding Toledo is going to give someone a game. Toledo makes the tournament for the first time since the 1979-1980 season.

Sleeper: Akron Zips

The MAC is another conference that is hard to envision anyone other than the top 4 teams having a chance to win. For the exercise, I went with Akron because of their ability to shoot the ball from deep and they have kept games close with some of the best teams they have played. The Zips have not been able to make enough shots down the stretch of games to finish off any of their potential upset bids. Akron plays great defense, plays slow and has one of the best unknown players in the country in big man Enrique Freeman.