Well, the first three days are the calm before the storm.\u00a0 Everyone is just jockeying for position, but starting today\/tonight is when stuff really starts to move.\u00a0 This weekend is huge…and this week is only really the “preseason.”\u00a0 Nine conference tournaments either continue or start tonight, including 4 quarterfinals in the 3x Missouri Valley and 4 opening round games in the 3x Colonial and the 3x WCC.\u00a0 The 2x Horizon quarterfinals and the A-Sun semis are also tonight.\u00a0 Tonight could go a long way to see who gets a leg up heading into the big boys.<\/p>\n
MISSOURI VALLEY QUARTERFINALS:<\/u><\/strong> COLONIAL OPENING ROUND:<\/u><\/strong> WEST COAST CONFERENCE OPENING ROUND:<\/u><\/strong> ATLANTIC SUN SEMIFINALS:<\/u><\/strong> OHIO VALLEY SEMIFINALS:<\/u><\/strong> HORIZON QUARTERFINALS: <\/u><\/strong> SoCON OPENING ROUND:<\/u><\/strong> MAAC OPENING ROUND:<\/u><\/strong> AMERICA EAST OPENING ROUND:<\/u><\/strong> Well, the first three days are the calm before the storm.\u00a0 Everyone is just jockeying for position, but starting today\/tonight is when stuff really starts to move.\u00a0 This weekend is huge…and this week is only really the “preseason.”\u00a0 Nine conference … Continue reading
\nDay 2 in St. Louis for “Arch Madness” and we are ready to go with a quadruple-header.\u00a0 We will see the first appearances of everyone’s favorite, Creighton, and the actual favorite, N. Iowa.\u00a0 We will also see a couple good games with no teams that had to play in the opening round.<\/p>\n\n
\nOne of the jewels of this first week of conference tournaments, the Colonial Conference Tournament tips off tonight in Richmond, VA, with four opening round games.\u00a0 Interestingly, only Bry and Ina took the top seed, VCU to win this tournament.\u00a0 Three of us took #3 George Mason (Waters, Alexi, and J), and two took #4 Old Dominion (Doogan and Stri), and one even took #9 Delaware (Lynch–yes he is an alumnus).\u00a0 Alexi will try and defend his CAA title from a year ago, as he took 150 points out of this conference last year.\u00a0 Stri (132) was the only one even close.\u00a0 J (54) and Doogan (42) performed the worst in the CAA last year.<\/p>\n\n
\nIn the 3x conference of the WCC, this tournament should be very interesting.\u00a0 There are “bubble” eyes on this conference, not just CTC eyes.\u00a0 Gonzaga, probably a lock for the Big Dance, could steal a bid if they are to falter.\u00a0 St. Mary’s, the #2-seed,\u00a0is firmly on the bubble and probably needs to reach the finals to even have a shot at an at-large bid.\u00a0 For the first time in many years, this tournament has moved out of San Diego and into Las Vegas, so the Terreros will not have that home court advantage that vaulted them to the WCC title last year.\u00a0 The WCC gives double-byes to the top 2 seeds and single byes to the next two seeds, so the opening round is only 2 games between the bottom 4 qualifiers.\u00a0 Waters is trying to defend his CTC WCC championship this year.\u00a0 He had 60 points in the this conference last year.\u00a0 Ina, J, and Stri were right on his heels, with 56.\u00a0 Doogan really struggled–only scoring 36.<\/p>\n\n
\nAfter a 2-day, 3-game quarterfinal round, the A-Sun is ready to set up the two teams that will get some ESPN time tomorrow in the championship.\u00a0 No one has lost a finalist yet, except Stri (who has lost them both), so this could be a night with pretty big CTC implications.<\/p>\n\n
\nIn a tournament that started with 4 quarterfinal matchups on Day 1 of the CTC, the Ohio Valley moves to Nashville, TN, for the semifinals tonight, and the finals tomorrow.\u00a0 There are some pretty big CTC implications in these games tonight.\u00a0 Bry is trying to win another CTC OVC championship.\u00a0 He had 42 points here last year.\u00a0 Waters is trying to improve upon an 8-point performance in the OVC last year.<\/p>\n\n
\nIn another\u00a0tournament that hasn’t had action since opening\u00a0on Day 1, with 4 opening round games,\u00a0The\u00a0Horizon League\u00a0moves to the campus of #1-seed Butler for the quarters tonight and the semis tomorrow.\u00a0 #1 Butler and #2 UW-Green Bay get their second bye of the tournament into the semis and await the two winners tonight.\u00a0 Ina and Waters dominated the Horizon last\u00a0year–each scoring 104 points, or 28 more than anyone else.\u00a0 Stri has especially off in the Horizon, only registering 24 points.<\/p>\n\n
\nDavidson Conference teams actually beat Davidson twice this year.\u00a0 But, Stephen Curry is healthy and it is, after all, the Davidson Conference.\u00a0 Well, the top 4 seeds will get the day, as the bottom 8 will battle in Chattanooga tonight for 4 spots in the quarters.\u00a0 It will be interesting to see how this pans out because the one division, the South, was MUCH better than the North.\u00a0 Even with the unbalanced schedules, Wofford, who finished 4th in the South would have WON the North.\u00a0 Interestingly, both Stri and Lynch went against Davidson winning this tournament, as they took The Citadel and Chattanooga, respectively.\u00a0 Ina won a very close SoCon race last year in the CTC.\u00a0 She had 50 points, while Alexi had 48, Bry 46, and Doogan 44.\u00a0 Stri (8) and Waters (12) struggled here last year.<\/p>\n\n
\nThe MAAC also opens tonight, with two opening round games.\u00a0 Siena, who was supposed to be one of the best mid-major teams in the country, but they did not get any big wins in non-conference, and they probably cannot get an at-large bid.\u00a0 But, they are still favored to win the MAAC’s auto-bid, especially since it is in Albany.\u00a0 It won’t be easy, though, as Niagara and Rider both have solid, capable teams coming up to the Capitol.\u00a0 Bry, J, Alexi, and Waters all went with the favored Saints to win the tournament.\u00a0 Whereas, Lynch, Doogan, Stri, and Ina all went with #2 Niagara (who recently defeated Siena in their regular season finale).\u00a0 Last year, in the CTC, the MAAC was one of three conference that J won,\u00a0scoring 52 points.\u00a0 Waters was relatively close, with 46.\u00a0 Bry (16) and Alexi (12) performed the worst in this conference last year.<\/p>\n\n
\nAn interesting tournament in the America East kicks off tonight, capping off another good season for one of the lower-level conferences in the country.\u00a0 Binghamton and Vermont shared the regular season crown, while defending champ UMBC slipped to 6th.\u00a0 Tonight is only the one play-in game between the two worst teams in the conference.\u00a0 Alexi won the American East last year with 46 points.\u00a0 Stri was right behind with 44; Waters was 3rd with 42.\u00a0 Doogan (18) and J (24) finished at the bottom of this conference.<\/p>\n\n