The Big East got the most bids out of any conference with an NCAA Tournament record 11. And with Connecticut, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, the league also have the most teams capable of going far. But despite the conference’s gaudy numbers, there’s a good chance that the national champions will come from elsewhere. Duke (ACC), Ohio State (Big Ten) and Kansas (Big 12) are three of the most popular choices to win it all so far, and they come from around the country. Here’s a breakdown of who’s in the Big Dance from each conference and which teams have the best shot of winning it all.
ACC
Who’s in: Clemson, Duke, Florida State, North Carolina
Who’s in to stay: Duke and UNC will go the deepest. I think UNC is overrated, plus they have a lot of young players short on experience. Duke has a shot at winning it all, but it’s just so hard to repeat.
Big 12
Who’s in: Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M
Who’s in to stay: Kansas has the talent to win it all. Texas does too, but they flop too often in the Tournament. Will we see the Kansas State team that upset Kansas and ended the season on a high note, or the one that struggled out of the gate? If we see the latter, then the Wildcats may go deep.
Big East
Who’s in: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia
Who’s in to stay: UConn is the wild card. If they are not too tired from winning five games in five days, then they’re dangerous. Notre Dame is a team that has gotten better as the season has progressed and has a good chance at making the Final Four. Pitt has tailed off a little since their strong start. I don’t see the Panthers as major championship contenders. Syracuse is strong, but I don’t see them getting past Ohio State.
Big Ten
Who’s in: Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin
Who’s in to stay: Ohio State is the class of this league and the No. 1 overall seed. Purdue and Wisconsin are a little streaky but are capable of winning tough games.
Pac-10
Who’s in: Arizona, UCLA, USC, Washington
Who’s in to stay: This Arizona team is one of the best ones in recent memory. But the Wildcats are not that good. Washington and UCLA have a shot to make some noise, but I don’t see that happening either.
SEC
Who’s in: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Who’s in to stay: I think Florida is overrated as a two-seed. I think Kentucky is better, but no team from the SEC really stands out in my mind.
Most dangerous teams outside of the six major conferences:
Butler, BYU, George Mason, San Diego State, Temple, Xavier
Each of these teams has experience. Butler made it to the title game last year. George Mason’s Jim Larranaga has coached in a Final Four, and not too long ago Xavier made the Elite 8. But none are as good as San Diego State. They are a legitimate threat and a team that can shut down UConn in the Sweet 16. Jimmer Fredette, leader of the Mountain West’s other top team, can only take BYU so far. Remember Adam Morrison and J.J. Redick? Yeah, they couldn’t get their teams titles on scoring alone.
Which conference do you think the champ will come from?
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