In case I have not mentioned this before, Conference tournaments are in full swing and there have been some very interesting results in those games. In the Sun Belt Georgia Southern who previously had 8 wins on the season beat South Alabama. Louisiana beat Coastal Carolina, Marshall beat Georgia State, and Texas State looks like a team who may go on a little bit of a run as they beat Southern Mississippi who I like as a sleeper. My champion in the Horizon League is out. Cleveland State beat Youngstown State. Oakland beat Fort Wayne, Northern Kentucky beat Wright State, and Milwaukee beat Green Bay. In the Missouri Valley Missouri State blasted Murray State, Belmont beat Valpo, Evansville beat Illinois State, and Illinois Chicago beat Southern Illinois. The Patriot League went as expected with Colgate, Lehigh, Boston University, and Bucknell all advancing. The Ohio Valley saw Western Illinois beat Tennessee State and Morehead State beat SIU Edwardsville.
The first tournament final is set in the Atlantic Sun. Stetson needed a late run to beat Jacksonville and Austin Peay beat North Alabama. Stetson has never made the NCAA tournament. The result of the night was in the West Coast Conference tournament. Pepperdine beat Pacific by a final score of 102-43. No that is not a typo. Wisconsin got back to winning with a win over Rutgers at Kohl Center. Sam Houston won the Conference USA. Washington beat Washington State, Arizona beat UCLA, and Oregon State ended any chance of Utah making the tournament as an at large as they beat the Utes. USC beat Arizona State. Stanford beat California and Colorado stays alive with a win over Oregon. The Pac 12 will be very interesting next week in their conference tournament.
Yesterday I went 33-21 in my picks that gives me a 121 day total of 3,600-1,496 overall. There is some more day time basketball today and it will likely mean that there are going to be some more upsets and NCAA tournament dreams coming to an end. The Big South, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, and WCC resume today. The CAA, Summit League, and Southern all start today. There are very few games today outside of conference tournaments so enjoy those. Only three days left of the regular season. Picks for day 122 March 8, 2024 are below.
High Point over Radford
Indiana State over Missouri State
North Carolina A&T over William & Mary
Winthrop over Longwood
Northern Iowa over Belmont
Elon over Hampton
Mercer over The Citadel
UNC Asheville over Charleston Southern
Akron over Western Michigan
Dayton over VCU
Drake over Evansville
Miami Ohio over Ohio
Bowling Green over Ball State
Northern Illinois over Buffalo
Central Michigan over Eastern Michigan
ETSU over VMI
Little Rock over Western Illinois
Gardner-Webb over Presbyterian
Oral Roberts over South Dakota
Toledo over Kent State
Pepperdine over San Diego
Wichita State over Tulane
Bradley over Illinois-Chicago
San Diego State over Boise State
UT Martin over Morehead State
LMU over Portland
There is not much going on outside of conference tournaments. The Big South gets things started with the favorite and home team High Point taking on Radford. UNC Asheville also plays Charleston Southern in the Big South. Indiana State and Drake take the floor today in the Missouri Valley. Indiana State plays Missouri State and Drake plays Evansville.
The Ohio Valley will determine a final to be played tomorrow night. Little Rock and Western Illinois and Morehead State and UT Martin are the four teams battling it out for a chance at the NCAA tournament. San Diego State and Boise State is the best non-tournament game today.