As the NCAA conference basketball tournaments wrap up, the selection committee is starting to form final impressions for each team as Selection Sunday looms (you can see our assessment of many of the favorites and sleepers here).
But just how much bearing, if any, will the conference tournaments have on the final field of 68? Looking back on some recent historical precedents, here’s a look at how teams can help and hinder their March Madness seeding.
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Conference Tournament March Madness Implications on Selection Sunday
1. Teams with good tournaments can get seeded higher
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]With the conference tournaments ending so close to Selection Sunday, an improbable tournament run is fresher in the selection committee’s minds, which can be enough to offset a disappointing regular season.
The most famous example of this phenomenon is in 2011 with Connecticut. A horrendous 9-9 record in the Big East regular season had the Huskies in danger of a low seed in the tournament. However, a miraculous Kemba Walker-inspired run won the Huskies the conference title and earned them a No. 3 seed. The committee was justified in its seeding as UConn went on to win the national championship.
2. Teams that exited early might drop
A strong tournament can earn a school a higher seeding, but an early exit can just as easily cost it one. As far as seedings go, they don’t come much costlier than a precious No. 1 seed.
As we’ve covered, Villanova may have missed out on a No. 1 by crashing out of the Big East Tournament in the quarterfinals. A similar fate befell Duke last year, as an early loss to Maryland in the ACC tourney opened the door for Gonzaga to snag the final No. 1 seed.
3. Some teams’ bubbles will burst
The conference tournament is essentially the last chance saloon for teams on the bubble to prove their case to the selection committee. Fail to take advantage of the opportunity, and the bubble will quickly burst on a possible invite.
That’s exactly what happened to defending champions Kentucky last season. After going a disappointing 21-12 in the regular season, the Southeastern Conference No. 2 seed Wildcats fell to No. 10 Vanderbilt, causing them to miss the Big Dance altogether.
Get ready for Selection Sunday by printing Top Bet’s 2014 March Madness bracket, and bet on all the conference championships with Top Bet’s college basketball lines.
