NCAA Basketball: Predicting all 32 autobids for 2022 NCAA Tournament

Southern

Winner: Samford Bulldogs

Bucky ball is in full effect at Samford and the Bulldogs are rolling coming into the conference tournament. Head coach Bucky McMillian only knows one way to play and that is as fast as possible. Bucky Ball doesn’t need a shot clock and it works on going 5-out and taking a ton of threes. Samford is starting to play hard for their head coach, and it is paying off in wins.

The Bulldogs may not have the most talent in the league, but they do have a confident group of kids who play together and play for their coach. Florida transfer Ques Glover averages 20 a game and is likely going to play at an extremely high level in the conference tournament. No one wants to play Samford right now.

Sleeper: VMI Keydets

The Southern conference is fun basketball to watch considering that every team in this league loves to score and play as fast as possible. VMI is no exception, they take the second most three-point attempts in the country and they make the most of any team in the nation with about 13 makes per game. They also score 80 points a game. They do not play as fast as Samford does, but they do have one of the top five shooters in the country in Jake Stephens. Stephens leads the charge for VMI as they shoot 38% from deep as a team.

If VMI gets hot, which they can do quickly, they are going to light up a scoreboard. The ability to score early and often is what gives VMI the ultimate sleeper role in the Southern Conference tournament.

Southland

Winner: New Orleans Privateers

The Southland looks much different this year than it has in years past. The conference powerhouses in Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin are off to the WAC and that only leaves an 8-member conference. The winner is likely destined for one of the first four games and then off to play a top seed in the tournament.

The Privateers are the best team in the new Southland and for New Orleans, it all starts with their guards. Derek St. Hilare is a highlight reel dunk waiting to happen. He may be the best dunker in all the NCAA. St. Hilare averages 20 points per game and his backcourt mate Troy Green averages 15.

There is not a player in the league who can guard those two guys straight up and they are going to be the reason that New Orleans advances to the tournament as the representative from the Southland.

Sleeper: McNeese Cowboys

The Southland is going to be won by one of the top two teams in the league, those teams are just too strong but what gives McNeese the chance to play the role of spoiler is they play at one of the fastest paces in the country. They love to play track meets and if their opponent is not making shots or not up for running the Cowboys are going to have a distinct advantage in that game.

Brendan Medley-Bacon is a 7’1” athletic big man who can change a lot of games in the paint for McNeese. The Cowboys don’t have much of a chance to win this league, but anything can happen.