Light On My Side as my Ego Becomes

This Tuesday, 3-11, conference tournament really kicks into gear. Let’s take a look at the mid-major portion. 

Guaranteed to turn it out as bad as Dolemite.

WAC- From Vegas, the WAC rolls the dice or something. Utah Valley went 15-1 in league play to win by 2 games over Grand Canyon. The Wolverines only loss was by 18 at Gramd Canyon last month. Utah Valley has to win to get in. No at-large here.

Grand Canyon is 24 spots better in KenPom than Utah Valley but also needs to win to get in. They lost their last regular season game at Abilene Christian. I’m taking them to win this but neither team strikes me as a threat to win a game in the dance.

SWAC - The SWAC is playing in Atlanta. The winner will be in the play-in game. Southern won the regular season title and is 229 in KenPom. Jackson State finished 2nd and is 256 in KenPom. Only 3 other teams are above 300 in KenPom.

Southern beat Jackson State in their only meeting by 2 in overtime at Southern. I’ll take Jackson State but my picks are flaming out HARD.

Conference USA- This is still a league, huh? Anyway, they’re playing this thing in Huntsville. Midnight Express legend, Bobby Eaton was from Huntsville. Who will survive this scaffold match-like tourney?

The league is actually 9th overall in KenPom. Liberty won the regular season title, doing some pool cleaning by finishing 13-5 and 62nd in KenPom.

Middle Tennessee and Jacksonville State finished a game back and are 115th and 118th in KenPom. JSU does have a win at home over Liberty.

Though I’m a dedicated LaTech fan and they can win this, Liberty is pretty good. They’re 6th and 11th in effective fg% on offense and defense, respectively. As a respected member of the college basketball community, it’s my duty to be fair and unbiased and pick Liberty, but won’t be mad to see them choke on some chlorine tablets.

MAAC - Playing in Atlantic City, the MAAC, who is considering a name change tips on Tuesday as well. Quinnipiac won the regular season title. They play fast and loose and wildly inefficiently. 

Merrimack finished 2nd as is the only league team inside the KenPom top-200 at 186. They split with Q this season. Manhattan is 228 in KenPom and finished T4. They’re also the pick because I like their name better for spelling purposes. That’s the hard hitting analysis devoted readers demand.