NCAA Basketball: Predicting all 32 autobids for 2022 NCAA Tournament
By Bryan Mauro
Sun Belt
Winner: Appalachian State Mountaineers
The Sun Belt is the hardest conference to figure out. This league tournament every single season is nuts and anyone in the field could win the league. That has happened before and is likely going to happen again. The Mountaineers were the recipient of the tournament’s good fortunes last year as they won the tournament and found themselves in the NCAA tournament.
The Mountaineers are one of the top seeds in the tournament, so they likely won’t win the league because that is how the Sun Belt Conference has played out the last few seasons. Appalachian State is a good defensive team, and they contest every shot. They make up for a lack of efficiency on offense by never turning the ball over and taking good shots. Adrian Delph leads the Mountaineers on both sides of the ball. Appalachian State is one of the oldest teams in the country.
Sleeper: Arkansas State Red Wolves
Way back in November, before the season started, I said that Arkansas State was the ultimate sleeper because many people didn’t know about the Red Wolves and they were good enough to sneak up on teams and win the league. They didn’t win the league, but they are still the ultimate sleeper to win this league and secure their second NCAA tournament bid in school history.
Arkansas State has the formula to win this tournament. Head coach Mike Balado has an experienced team, and that team is a confident team. The Red Wolves also have the likely Sun Belt player of the year in Norchad Omier. A great player surrounded by a lot of experienced players who understand their roles are dangerous.
It only takes one upset for the team to gain a lot of confidence and make a run. The Sun Belt is a conference tournament that one of the top teams is not likely to win.
SWAC
Winner: Southern Jaguars
This has not been a good year for the SWAC, the analytics and NET rankings show the members of the SWAC rank dead last as a conference. That undoubtedly means the conference winner is destined for one of the first four games and likely will be seeded team 68 in the field. Southern isn’t the top seed in the tournament but they are the best team in the league.
They are the highest-scoring team in the league and have two of the best shooters in the country in Brion Whitley and Tyrone Lyons. It has been a little while since Southern was the class of the SWAC, but the Jaguars are back and should be able to win this tournament. The gap between Southern and the teams ahead of them is extremely small.
Sleeper: Jackson State Tigers
What a difference a year makes for Jackson State. A season ago the Tigers were undefeated in the league and were one of the favorites to make the NCAA tournament. This year though Jackson State is a much different team they have a hard time scoring and they play extremely slow-paced.
They do have an X factor though and that is senior big man Jayveous McKinnis. McKinnis is a senior and is a skilled player. He can take over and could be the MVP of this tournament if Jackson State makes a run. The SWAC tournament has a chance to get crazy in the early rounds.
The Summit League
Winner: South Dakota State Jackrabbits
The Jackrabbits are a dangerous team, do not write them off on your brackets because they play in the Summit League. South Dakota State is second in the nation in points per game averaging just a shade under 90 points per game. The Jackrabbits lead the country in three-point percentage at 45% and they shoot over 50% from the floor. They have five starters who can all score a ton and every one of them shoots over 40% from deep, including leading scorer Baylor Schierman. They are explosive and they can get hot in a hurry.
The Jackrabbits are undefeated in the Summit League and have not been challenged much. South Dakota State entered Championship Week on a huge winning streak and would enter the NCAA tournament on a 20 plus game winning streak. Sleep on the Jackrabbits at your own peril.
Sleeper: Western Illinois Leathernecks
The Jackrabbits are very good, but Western Illinois has offensive firepower of their own. The Leathernecks score 80 points a game in their own right and have three very capable shooters who can change a game. Western Illinois has a ton of experience with a ton of Seniors and upperclassmen on the roster.
It is going to take a herculean effort to knock off South Dakota State but in the lower seeds in the tournament Western Illinois has the ability to score enough to make it a game for a while. Will Carious is a tough matchup for just about everyone he faces and could lead his team on a run in the Summit Conference tournament.