Big Sky Basketball: 2022 Conference Tournament preview

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 21: The NCAA March Madness logo is seen on the basket stanchion before the game between the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles and the Florida Gators in the second round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on March 21, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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Big Sky Basketball Montana Grizzlies guard Robby Beasley III Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /

Big Sky Bracketology

What kind of seed can the champ expect?

The Big Sky is one of those one-bid conferences that we have a good idea of which part of the region we can expect them, no matter who the champion is. Over the last 20 NCAA Tournaments, only twice has the Big Sky champ found themselves above the No. 13 seed line and that hasn’t happened since 2006. That means more likely than not the Big Sky champ will be a No. 14, 15, or 16 seed and cause more problems than that low of a seed usually does to a first-round opponent.

As is usually the case with the mid-tier one-bid conferences, where they ultimately fall within that range depends somewhat on what happens in the other one-bid conference tournaments. In terms of this season, Montana State has the best shot at getting the best seed, and if they are the champion, the ultimate ceiling for the Bobcats in my opinion would be the No. 14 seed line.

If someone other than the top-seeded Bobcats wins the tournament, they would likely find themselves on one of the bottom two seed lines and a date with a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. The Big Sky may be wide open when it comes to who can win the tournament, there won’t be much variance when it comes to seeding.

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