BRACKETOLOGY: Conference Tournament Time

While many of us pay attention to major conferences, the Mid-Major conferences get going starting tomorrow. Today we'll preview the tournaments that start tomorrow, the Big South, Ohio Valley, and Horizon League.

Big South: There's not much to it here. Winthrop is the best team in this conference and it's a long way to second place. This team has beaten Mississippi St, Old Dominion, and Missouri St this year. If they don't win this tournament it'll be the biggest upset out of the 30 conference tournaments that will be played this year. It's just not happening.

Ohio Valley: Austin Peay has long had the top-seed in the conference tournament sewn up so they pretty much shut it down and lost 3 of its last 4. The Governors could very well turn it around and get the automatic bid, but they're being exposed a little bit down the stretch. They have a possible semi-final matchup against what is always the most dangerous team in this tournament, Murray St. I think that's win Austin Peay goes down. I believe Murray St will win this tournament...as it's accustomed to doing. Watch out for Tennessee Tech, they have some great athletes.

Horizon League: So all year, all we've all been hearing is Butler, Butler, Butler (I'm guilty of this as well). However, the Bulldogs finished tied for the league title with Wright St. Wright St won the tiebreaker which means if both teams make it to the championship game, it'll be on the Wright State's home court. When you have a team that KNOWS it's in and a team fighting with everything it has and that team is at home, what do you get? Two teams in the tournament out of the Horizon League. I'm going with Wright St.

More previews to come tomorrow.

On to the bracket:
This is good for games through SUNDAY February 25, 2007 (Emphasis on Sunday because Syracuse just beat Georgetown and I'm not happy about it).

Last Four In: Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, Missouri St, Purdue
Last Four Out: Appalachian St, Kansas St, Syracuse, San Diego St

East
1.North Carolina16.Delaware St Winston-Salem, NC
8.Stanford9.Indiana
5.Tennessee12.Texas Tech Spokane, WA
4.Nevada13.Vermont
6.BYU11.Georgia Tech Winston-Salem, NC
3.Georgetown14.Penn
7.USC10.Illinois Lexington, KY
2.Memphis15.Sam Houston St
West
1.UCLA16.Weber St Sacramento, CA
8.Xavier9.UNLV
5.Vanderbilt12.Villanova Spokane, WA
4.Virginia Tech13.Holy Cross
6.Michigan St11.Missouri St Buffalo, NY
3.Pittsburgh14.Marist
7.Butler10.Old Dominion New Orleans, LA
2.Texas A&M15.East Tennessee St
Midwest
1.Ohio St16. Central Connecticut/Mississippi Valley St Lexington, KY
8.Air Force9.Kentucky
5.Notre Dame12.Gonzaga Buffalo, NY
4.Duke13.Virginia Commonwealth
6.Oregon11.Purdue Columbus, OH
3.Southern Illinois14.Oral Roberts
7.Boston College10.West Virginia Chicago, IL
2.Kansas15.Long Beach St
South
1.Florida16.Austin Peay New Orleans, LA
8.Arizona9.Marquette
5.Maryland12.Winthrop Columbus, OH
4.Texas13.Davidson
6.Virginia11.Drexel Sacramento, CA
3.Washington St14.Toledo
7.Louisville10.Creighton Chicago, IL
2.Wisconsin15.South Alabama