NCAA Basketball: Predicting all 32 autobids for 2022 NCAA Tournament
By Bryan Mauro
Missouri Valley
Winner: Northern Iowa Panthers
Arch Madness is always one of the best early tournaments in the country and this year it may be the best. The league has been extremely competitive this year and you can reasonably make an argument for any of the top four teams to win this league. Northern Iowa is the team I think is going to get it done and win the league. The Panthers have the best player in the league in AJ Green and he is fully healthy after missing nearly all of last season. Northern Iowa is a completely different team when Green is on the floor.
The Panthers have three guards who shoot the ball well from deep, and they are a great free throw shooting team. Head coach Ben Jacobson is going to let his guys play and shoot a ton of threes especially if they are hitting them early. Northern Iowa has the potential to blow out some opponents when they are hitting shots.
Sleeper: Bradley Braves
The Braves always do this, they play just good enough to obtain a middle seed in the MVC tournament and then they turn it on to make the NCAA tournament by winning the conference tournament. This year could be the same thing as Bradley has already beaten Loyola this year and has swept Drake. Those are wins that show that Bradley is just building confidence along the way to make their deep run. Head coach Brian Wardle is a good motivator and is going to get his team motivated and ready to play at Arch Madness.
The Valley tournament is always crazy and their upsets galore and Bradley seems like a team who is going to dish out a few of those upsets. Guard Terry Roberts is going to have a big tournament and hopefully lead his team to some victories. Bradley wins sloppily and if they do make the tournament won’t be that high of a seed.
Mountain West
Winner: Colorado State Rams
Colorado State has been the best team for most of the year in the Mountain West. The league is going to get 4 teams in the dance and the Rams have the best chance of all these teams to make the second weekend. Colorado State is an efficient offensive team that shoots high percentages from all over the floor. They are one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country and all while playing at one of the slower paces in the country.
The top of the Mountain West has all given each other a loss and the conference is competitive at the top so any of the top 5 teams could win this tournament. Colorado State has been the strongest team since the beginning of the year and are going to be extremely tough out. David Roddy is the best player in the Mountain West and one of the best wings in the country. He is going to do a lot of damage in March.
Sleeper: UNLV Rebels
Many of you who follow the Mountain West are expecting Fresno State to be here. The Bulldogs are a team who could rise and win this league, but UNLV has a ton of upside and they are a team I can guarantee makes a run in the league tournament. The Rebels have already swept Colorado State and outside of a few bad weeks right before Christmas, the conference would likely be getting five teams into the NCAA tournament.
The Rebels have an elite scorer in Bryce Hamilton and head coach Kevin Kruger has been able to surround his star with a bunch of quality transfers who turn Hamilton into one of the best players in all of college basketball. The Rebels are a matchup problem for most of the league and if they continue to play at the level they are now they will find themselves dancing.