Bracketology 2023: 5 conferences with teams that can bust your bracket
![Florida Atlantic Owls guard Alijah Martin (15) does the Gator Chomp after in the second half after defeating the Gators. The Florida Gators menÕs basketball team hosted the Florida Atlantic Owls at Billy Donovan Court at Exactech Arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 14, 2022. Florida Atlantic defeated Florida 76-74. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]Gai Ufbasketballfau](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F93c246987712840be555b192871cc8313e82565e9149eb9239d56032b35c1134.jpg "Florida Atlantic Owls guard Alijah Martin (15) does the Gator Chomp after in the second half after defeating the Gators. The Florida Gators menÕs basketball team hosted the Florida Atlantic Owls at Billy Donovan Court at Exactech Arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 14, 2022. Florida Atlantic defeated Florida 76-74. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]Gai Ufbasketballfau")
Summit League – Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
There is one team that finished the regular season undefeated in conference play and now the Summit League champs Oral Roberts Golden Eagles are ready to go big game hunting in the NCAA tournament. If the name sounds familiar it should, just two years ago they were two points away from pulling off a Saint Peter’s, going to the elite eight as a No. 15 seed, knocking off Ohio State and Florida before falling to No. 3 Arkansas 72-70.
This year Paul Mills’ team enters the dance 30-4 after beating North Dakota State for the Summit League tourney title on Tuesday. Max Abmas is back and averaging 22 points per game for the team that averages 84, hasn’t tasted defeat since Jan. 9 when they were beaten by New Mexico. Their other three losses were to likely tournament teams Saint Mary’s, Houston, and Utah State.
While this year’s team doesn’t have a Kevin Obanor type that the Sweet Sixteen team had, but Connor Vanover who has had stops at Cal and Arkansas has been a nice complement. This team likes to run and with good reason, they rank 23rd in offensive efficiency and rank in the top 35 in effective field goal percentage, three-point percentage, two-point percentage, and free throw percentage.
But, one thing that makes this team that has suffered just quad 1 defeats so tough is the fact that they don’t turn the ball over, ranking No. 1 in the country in turnover percentage, committing just 9.4 per game. They are also 9th in steal percentage with six per game. These are just a few of the reasons the Golden Eagles will be seeded much higher than No. 15 on Sunday and on the prowl to bust some brackets.