Bracketology: Conference tournaments continued

Missouri Valley: For much of the season, it seemed that the MVC was a one-bid league barring an upset in the conference tournament. Well, look how quickly things can turn. This may be three-bid league even if at-large lock Drake wins the automatic bid. That being said, I expect a very intense semi-final on Saturday between Illinois St and Southern Illinois. I, for one, will be glued to the television. I expect Southern Illinois to beat the Redbirds for the first time this season and then go on to capture the championship.

Northeast: Even with this tournament being held at on-campus locations, I expect it to be very competitive. Robert Morris and Wagner are the class of the conference, but they're not unbeatable. RMU has lost at home to the worst team in the conference this year so that just illustrates how you shouldn't take anything for granted in the NEC. That being said, I believe RMU will be dancing.

Colonial: This is where it gets kind of tricky. You have Virginia Commonwealth, the team that won the regular season by three games and is the prohibited favorite. Then you have George Mason, a team that has beaten a healthy Dayton squad and Mike Beasley-led Kansas St Wildcats. Then, there's UNC-Wilmington, the team that has George Mason's number. Throw Old Dominion in that mix and now you have a awesome semi-final Sunday in Richmond. I see a VCU-George Mason final and the Patriots are dancing again.

Metro Atlantic: Honestly, taking a look at the standings, I'd be idiotic to try to make an informed opinion on the MAAC. The top six teams are separated by two games. That's way too much parity for me. I'm just going to root for Loyola and let the chips fall where they may.

Southern: Davidson went 20-0 to win the regular season in a rout. Only four of those games had a margin of victory in the single digits. There's a message here. Davidson is clearly head and shoulders above the rest. Add three more wins to the Wildcats total. Davidson continues its dominance.

West Coast: This is what Gonzaga does. They're here every year and it's no different this time around. They have company this year though. St. Mary's has joined the Bulldogs as at-large locks and conventional wisdom would tell you that this will be the final. However, there's a team that finished just one game behind St. Mary's and two games behind Gonzaga in the standings. That team just so happens to be the host for the tournament. That team is the worst nightmare for a bubble team because it is going to win this tournament. That team would be the University of San Diego.