Major Conference Tournament Preview: Part 2

ACC
Dates: Thursday to Sunday
Regular season champ(s): #1 North Carolina (11-5, 25-6, RPI 3), #2 Virginia (11-5, 20-9, 40)
NCAA locks: North Carolina, Virginia, #3 Virginia tech (10-6, 20-10, 27), #4 Boston College (10-6, 19-10, 30), #5 Maryland (10-6, 24-7, 12), #7 Duke (8-8, 22-9, 14)
NCAA bubble teams: #6 Georgia Tech (8-8, 20-10, 34), #8 Clemson (7-9, 21-9, 36) #9 Florida State (7-9, 19-11, 47)
Most likely early upset: #7 Duke over #2 Virginia, #6 Georgia Tech over #3 Virginia Tech
Best first round matchup: #8 Clemson vs. #9 Florida StateBest potential quarterfinal: #4 Boston College vs. #5 Maryland
Best potential semifinal: #1 North Carolina vs. #5 Maryland
Best potential final: #1 North Carolina vs. #7 Duke
Predictions: #6 Georgia Tech likely needs only a win over #11 Wake Forest to solidify its spot in the NCAA tournament. I think that not only will Georgia Tech win that game, but they will also upset #3 Virginia Tech in the semi-finals. Another early upset I see happening is #7 Duke over #2 Virginia in the semi-finals. That would set up an intriguing pair of semi-finals of Duke vs. Georgia Tech and #1 North Carolina vs. #5 Maryland. I think that UNC and Duke both win to set up a very interesting final. North Carolina gets revenge for Gerald Henderson's hit on Tyler Hansbrough and UNC wins the ACC tourney to clinch a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Big 12
Dates: Thursday to SundayRegular season champ(s): #1 Kansas (14-2, 27-4, 15)
NCAA locks: Kansas, #2 Texas A&M (13-3, 25-5, 16), #3 Texas (12-4, 22-8, 29)
NCAA bubble teams: #5 Texas Tech (9-7, 20-11, 44), #4 Kansas State (10-6, 21-10, 60), #7 Oklahoma State (6-10, 19-11, 58)
Most likely early upset: #10 Nebraska over #7 Oklahoma State
Best first round matchup: #7 Oklahoma State vs. #10 Nebraska
Best potential quarterfinal: #4 Kansas State vs. #5 Texas Tech
Best potential semifinal: #2 Texas A&M vs. #3 Texas
Best potential final: #1 Kansas vs. #2 Texas A&M
Predictions: This is probably the best conference tournament out of any of them because of how interesting a semi-final between #2 Texas A&M and #3 Texas and the final between of that game and #1 Kansas could be. Other than those games, the quarterfinal between #4 Kansas State and #5 Texas Tech is also a very good game. Neither team will be a lock for the NCAA tournament by that point, so both teams will have to treat it as a do-or-die game. I think that Texas Tech wins that game to clinch its NCAA status and sent the Wildcats to the NIT. I see Texas A&M winning the rematch with Texas in the semi-finals, and then Kansas taking them out in a close game in the final.

Big 10
Dates: Thursday to Sunday
Regular season champ(s): #1 Ohio State (15-1, 27-3, 2)
NCAA locks: Ohio State, #2 Wisconsin (13-3, 27-4, 4), #3 Indiana (10-6, 20-9, 24)
NCAA bubble teams: #7 Michigan State (8-8, 21-10, 22), #6 Illinois (9-7, 21-10, 35), #5 Purdue (9-7, 20-10, 46), #8 Michigan (8-8, 20-11, 52)
Most likely early upset: #7 Michigan State over #2 Wisconsin
Best first round matchup: #7 Michigan State vs. #10 Northwestern
Best potential quarterfinal: #2 Wisconsin vs. #7 Michigan State
Best potential semifinal: #2 Wisconsin vs. #3 Indiana
Best potential final: #1 Ohio State vs. #2 Wisconsin
Predictions: There will most likely be a few intriguing quarterfinal matchups in this conference. #8 Michigan's NCAA hopes will hinge on its game against #1 Ohio State. #3 Indiana and #6 Illinois face off for the 3rd time this season after the Eric Gordon recruiting saga. Illinois' hopes likely also hinge on this game. #7 Michigan State will most likely be a lock by the quarterfinals, but they have shown that they can play with #2 Wisconsin and it should be a great game between those two teams. I think that Ohio State, Indiana, and Wisconsin will win those games, and the seedings will hold true to form as Ohio States faces off against Wisconsin for the third time in the final. OSU pulls out another close game and makes its case for getting the #1 overall seed.