Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball: Picking winner of each conference tournament for 2022-23 season

By Bryan Mauro

Xavier Musketeers guard Souley Boum (0) and Xavier Musketeers guard Colby Jones (3) walk back to the bench during a timeout in the second half of a college basketball game between the Villanova Wildcats and the Xavier Musketeers, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, at Cintas Center in Cincinnati. The Villanova Wildcats won, 64-63.Villanova Wildcats At Xavier Musketeers Feb 21 0152
Xavier Musketeers guard Souley Boum (0) and Xavier Musketeers guard Colby Jones (3) walk back to the bench during a timeout in the second half of a college basketball game between the Villanova Wildcats and the Xavier Musketeers, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, at Cintas Center in Cincinnati. The Villanova Wildcats won, 64-63.Villanova Wildcats At Xavier Musketeers Feb 21 0152 /
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NCAA Basketball
NCAA Basketball Ryan Rollins #5 of the Toledo Rockets (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

MAC

Dates: March 9th-11th

Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse

Top Seed: Toledo Rockets

Winner: Toledo Rockets

The MAC tournament was pure chaos last season, and it was extremely competitive. There were three teams going into the week that I thought had a chance and a team I thought could push some teams, the Akron Zips, ended up winning the league and then almost beating UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Fast forward to this season and the same scenario presents itself three teams are at the top, and those three teams all have a chance to win the league. Toledo was the top seed a year ago as well before they were upset and had to settle for the NIT.

This season though Toledo is on a mission, they were on a long winning streak before the conference tournament started and they have scored almost 86 points per game. The Rockets have three players averaging over 15 points per game. They are near the tops in the NCAA in pace, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, assists per game, and points per game. Toledo is a dominant force in the MAC, and I do think they will win this league but the top 3 teams are all teams who can make a run to the NCAA tournament.

Sleeper: Ball State Cardinals

Ball State is not your ordinary sleeper because they are still likely headed for a postseason appearance. The Cardinals have exceeded the expectations they had this season, they are under the guidance of a new coach in Michael Lewis who has worked a ton of magic to turn Ball State into a real contender in the MAC. The Cardinals were able to keep most of their roster together and that has paid off in a huge way. Peyton Sparks is one the best big men in the country and their backcourt of Jaylin Sellers and Jarron Coleman are the two best shooters in the MAC.

Ball State could be the ultimate sleeper because it seems like people forget about them in the MAC. The Cardinals and head coach Lewis want it exactly that way. The less recognition they get the better off they will be. The Cardinals won’t be a surprise to anyone in the MAC but the rest of the world needs to pay attention.

Ivy

Dates: March 11th-12th

Jadwin Gym

Top Seed: Yale Bulldogs

Winner: Princeton Tigers

I need to say this every year but the Ivy League tournament is always going to be the last automatic bid given out because the tournament only has four teams. Yale Bulldogs, Princeton Tigers, Pennsylvania Quakers, and the Brown Bears will round out the final four teams. Again this is as of February 27th at the start of play. There is going to be a race for the top seed and the fourth seed as there are still games to play to decide the tournament.

Princeton is a lock for the tournament and they are playing the weekend in their home gym which is going to give them the advantage over every team in the field. No one in the Ivy is flashy every team just plays smart and solid basketball. The Tigers are the best rebounding team in the league and I am giving them the advantage because they are at home. The other reason is because of their dominant big man in Tosan Evbuonwam. The British big man is extremely athletic and poses a matchup problem for just about every other big man in the league. Princeton does enough to get past the defending champs Yale.

Sleeper: Brown Bears

Since there are only 4 teams in the tournament the options for the sleeper are somewhat limited and Brown is the team that has claimed the fourth spot in the tournament. It is the first time that Brown has qualified for the league tournament under the new rules. It has been 38 years since Brown made the NCAA tournament the last time and it is going to take a herculean effort for them to get back again this season.

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The Bears play at the fastest pace of any team in the Ivy League, they shoot threes well and that is where it ends. It has been a struggle all year on the defensive end for Brown and if they do not shore that up quickly they won’t be winning Ivy Madness either. Keep in mind as of February 27th the Brown Bears are in a position to make the tournament.

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