Conference Tournament Results: March 16th

It's over. The end finally came. I'm exhausted. The final 5 Conference Tournaments wrapped up on Sunday. The results have already been forgotten as the Official Bracket has been released and the nation has moved on to things like office pools and plotting how to skip work on Thursday. But these Conference Tournament results have not been lost on me. My ambitious project of filling out 30 Conference Tournament brackets has come to an end. What an experience it was. If any of you readers know of anyone else in the nation that did or has done what I did...please direct them my way because I'm going to need a support group. My Final Stats: I correctly predicted 12 of 30 Conference Champions (40%). Overall I got 174 of 265 games correct (65.7%). I don't know if that's good or bad. But I do know that it's over. CBS and ESPN...if you'd like me to do this for you next year...I'd more than welcome a personalized check and a chance to meet Bill Raftery (CBS) or Erin Andrews (ESPN).

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC):

• Actual Champion: North Carolina (40th NCAA appearance)
• My Predicted Champion: North Carolina
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 72.7% (8 of 11 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 68.6% (155 of 226 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 42.3% (11 of 26 correct)

Big 12 Conference:

• Actual Champion: Kansas (37th NCAA appearance)
• My Predicted Champion: Texas (lost in finals to Kansas)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 63.6% (7 of 11 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 68.4% (162 of 237 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 40.7% (11 of 27 correct)

Big 10 Conference:

• Actual Champion: Wisconsin (14th NCAA appearance)
• My Predicted Champion: Wisconsin
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 60% (6 of 10 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 68% (168 of 247 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 42.9% (12 of 28 correct)

Southeast Conference (SEC):

• Actual Champion: Georgia (10th NCAA appearance, first since 2002)
• My Predicted Champion: Tennessee (lost in semifinals to Arkansas)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 27.3% (3 of 11 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 66.3% (171 of 258 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 41.4% (12 of 29 correct)

Southland Conference:

• Actual Champion: Texas-Arlington (1st NCAA appearance)
• My Predicted Champion: Stephen F. Austin (lost in semifinals to Northwestern State)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 42.9% (3 of 7 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 65.7% (174 of 265 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 40% (12 of 30 correct)

Conference Tournament Results: March 15th

A whopping 11 Conference Tournaments concluded on Saturday. Exciting times for 11 college basketball programs, but not for me. After starting out so strong with these Conference Tournament picks, I have absolutely bottomed out. My winning percentages are going downhill faster than Steve Gutenberg's career. I had three of my predicted Conference Tournament champions lose in the finals of their respective tournaments today (BYU, Stanford, & Morgan State). That killed any chance I had of going 50% in picking Conference Tourney champs. I will continue moving forward though. The big Tournament starts next week, and that's all that matters.

PAC 10:

• Actual Champion: UCLA (42nd NCAA appearance)
• My Predicted Champion: Stanford (lost in finals to UCLA)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 77.8% (7 of 9 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 74% (91 of 123 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 46.7% (7 of 15 correct)

Conference USA:

• Actual Champion: Memphis (21st NCAA appearance)
• My Predicted Champion: Memphis
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 63.6% (7 of 11 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 73.1% (98 of 134 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 50% (8 of 16 correct)

Mideastern Athletic Conference (MEAC):

• Actual Champion: Coppin State (4th NCAA appearance, first since 1997)
• My Predicted Champion: Morgan State (lost in finals to Coppin State)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 70% (7 of 10 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 72.9 % (105 of 144 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 47% (8 of 17 correct)

Big East Conference:

• Actual Champion: Pittsburgh! (20th NCAA appearance, 7th in a row)
• My Predicted Champion: Louisville (lost in quarterfinals to Pittsburgh)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 63.6% (7 of 11 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 72.3% (112 of 155 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 44.4% (8 of 18 correct)

Atlantic 10:

• Actual Champion: Temple (26th NCAA appearance, first since 2001)
• My Predicted Champion: Massachusetts (lost in quarterfinals to Charlotte)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 45.5% (5 of 11 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 70.5% (117 of 166 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 42.1% (8 of 19 correct)

Mid-American Conference (MAC):

• Actual Champion: Kent State (5th NCAA appearance, first since 2006)
• My Predicted Champion: Kent State
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 81.8% (9 of 11 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 71.2% (126 of 177 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 45% (9 of 20 correct)

Mountain West Conference:

• Actual Champion: UNLV (16th NCAA appearance)
• My Predicted Champion: BYU (lost in finals to UNLV)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 37.5% (3 of 8 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 69.7% (129 of 185 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 42.9% (9 of 21 correct)

Big West Conference:

• Actual Champion: Cal St. Fullerton (2nd NCAA appearance, first since 1978)
• My Predicted Champion: UC Santa Barbara (lost in semifinals to UC Irvine)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 28.6% (2 of 7 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 68.2% (131 of 192 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 41% (9 of 22 correct)

Southwest Athletic Conference:

• Actual Champion: Mississippi Valley State (4th NCAA appearance, first since 1996)
• My Predicted Champion: Alabama State (lost in semifinals to Jackson State)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 42.9% (3 of 7 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 67.3% (134 of 199 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 39.1% (9 of 23 correct)

Western Athletic Conference:

• Actual Champion: Boise State (5th NCAA appearance, first since 1994)
• My Predicted Champion: Utah State (lost in semifinals to Boise State)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 62.5% (5 of 8 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 67.1% (139 of 207 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 37.5% (9 of 24 correct)

America East Conference:

• Actual Champion: UMBC (1st ever NCAA appearance)
• My Predicted Champion: UMBC
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 100% (8 of 8 games correct - second perfect bracket)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 68.4% (147 of 215 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 40% (10 of 25 correct)

What a terrible day for my Conference Tournament brackets. At least two of my Bracket Busters selections won their Tournaments (Kent State & UMBC). Five more Conference Tournaments tomorrow then the Selection Show at 6pm.

Conference Tournament Results: March 14th

I got a lot of columns and stats to crank out before the selection show. Let's get to it.

Patriot League:

• Actual Champion: American (1st ever NCAA appearance)
• My Predicted Champion: Navy (lost to Bucknell in the quarterfinals)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 42.9% (3 of 7 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 73.7% (84 of 114 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 50% (7 of 14 correct)

Conference Tournament Results: March 12th

Two more Conference Champions were crowned on Wednesday with Portland State winning the Big Sky and Mount Saint Marys' winning the Northeast Conference. Sadly, I was betrayed by Robert Morris University. The Colonials were the #1 seed in the Northeast Conference and went into the tournament riding a 13 game winning streak. They were on their way to the school's first NCAA Tournament since 1992. But alas, it just wasn't meant to be. At least I got the Portland State pick correct, so today wasn't a complete wash.

Northeast Conference:

• Actual Champion: Mount Saint Mary's (3rd NCAA appearance, first since 1999)
• My Predicted Champion: Robert Morris (lost in semifinals to Mount St. Mary's)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 57.1% (4 of 7 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 75.5% (77 of 102 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 50% (6 of 12 correct)

Big Sky Conference:

• Actual Champion: Portland State (1st ever NCAA appearance)
• My Predicted Champion: Portland State
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 80% (4 of 5 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 75.7% (81 of 107 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 53.8% (7 of 13 games correct)

Conference Tournament Results: March 11th

Back-to-back days of getting screwed in conference tournament championship games. I could have gone a respectable 2-of-3 today, except that IUPUI screwed me in the Summit Conference finals and lost it in the last five minutes to Oral Roberts (they're back in the blog!). I didn't even have a chance in the Sun Belt Conference finals because South Alabama went out of their way to screw me with my pants down by losing in the semifinals. Talk about a jinx, South Alabama lost the day after I named them as a Bracket Buster team. Hopefully they will still make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team. I did pick the correct champion in the Horizon League (Butler), which I'll get to in another post. In the end, I went a very depressing 1-of-3 on the day. Gotta move forward. Always gotta move forward.

Horizon League:

• Actual Champion: Butler (8th NCAA appearance, 2nd in a row)
• My Predicted Champion: Butler
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 77.8% (7 of 9 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 77.6% (59 of 76 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 66.7% (6 of 9 correct)

Sun Belt Conference:

• Actual Champion: Western Kentucky (20th NCAA appearance, first since 2003)
• My Predicted Champion: South Alabama (lost in semifinals to Middle Tenn. St.)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 66.7% (8 of 12 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 76.1% (67 of 88 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 60% (6 of 10 correct)

Summit League:

• Actual Champion: Oral Roberts (5th NCAA appearance, 3rd in a row)
• My Predicted Champion: IUPUI (lost in finals to Oral Roberts)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 85.7% (6 of 7 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 76.8% (73 of 95 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 54.5% (6 of 11 correct)

Conference Tournament Results: March 10th

What an absolute disaster of a day with regard to predicting Conference Tournament Champions. I went into the day with the possibility of going 3-for-4, and ended up going a measly 1-of-4. San Diego's upset victory over Gonzaga in the WCC final not only tarnished my predictions record, it messed up the chances of a lot of bubble teams out there as the WCC will now get three teams into the Big Dance with Gonzaga, San Diego, and Saint Mary's. I was doing so well with predicting Conference Champions. Today...I came back to earth. My instincts failed me. My research failed me. My obsession failed me. It's madness! But that's what happens in March.

West Coast Conference:

• Actual Champion: San Diego (4th NCAA appearance, first since 2003)
• My Predicted Champion: Gonzaga (lost in finals to San Diego)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 71.4% (5 of 7 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 83.8% (31 of 37 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 80% (4 of 5 correct)

Southern Conference:

• Actual Champion: Davidson (10th NCAA appearance, 3rd in a row)
• My Predicted Champion: Davidson
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 60% (6 of 10 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 78.7% (37 of 47 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 83.3% (5 of 6 correct)

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:

• Actual Champion: Siena (4th NCAA appearance, first since 2002)
• My Predicted Champion: Rider (lost in finals to Siena)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 77.8% (7 of 9 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 78.6% (44 of 56 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 71.4% (5 of 7 correct)

Colonial Athletic Association:

• Actual Champion: George Mason (5th NCAA appearance, first since 2006)
• My Predicted Champion: VCU (lost in semifinals to William & Mary)
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 72.7% (8 of 11 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 77.6% (52 of 67 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 62.5% (5 of 8 correct)

Conference Tournament Results: March 9th (aka: Drake or Drink, Drank, Drake)

The Drake is number one in all the land!!! Well...number one in all of the Missouri Valley. With a 79-49 drubbing of Illinois State, Drake asserted themselves as not just the best team in the MVC, but as a team that is destined to do some damage in the NCAA Tournament. The 30-point blowout was the largest margin of victory in the Tournament's 32 year history. More importantly, today's victory marked Drake's first Conference Title in the Tournament's 32 year history. This conference championship capped off (for now) what has been an absolutely improbable season for the Drake Bulldogs. Picked to finish NINTH in the 10 team conference, Drake wowed both the local and the national populous with a 25-4 record, including 15-3 during the MVC regular season. March Madness is about stories, and this story keeps getting better and better. Drake is led by Adam Emmenecker, a former walk-on with prior experience in bench-warming. Emmenecker had 16 points and 6 rebounds against Illinois St. and he was named the Conference Tournament MVP. This award will go nicely along-side the award he won this past week...when he was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the year (officially known as the Larry Bird award, honestly). Emmenecker averages about 8 points per game, and he was voted not just MVP of the team, but of the entire league. Dependable. Unselfish. Smart. This kid is a great story. #15 for Drake also was recently named the 2008 Academic All-American of Year by the College Sports Information Directors of America. The pride of Des Moines Iowa tonight...The Drake Bulldogs and Adam Emmenecker. Good job boys.

Drake is so much fun to watch. They aren't necessarily a very big or very fast team but they execute their sets to perfection. I was able to watch the MVC championship game today and had about as much fun watching basketball as I've had in a long time. Drake runs this modified spread offense which allows their smaller line-up to either drive the lane and dump it to the post for easy layups...OR...if a team is dumb enough to play zone against them, allows their skilled shooters to get wide open for three-point shots. Josh Young and Klayton Korver are outstanding shooters. And yes, Klayton Korver is the brother of Utah Jazz guard, Kyle Korver. Did I mention that starting forward Jonathan Cox is a former walk-on as well? The guy averages 11.3 points a game for Drake. I really like this team. My friend Rob was randomly in St. Louis over the weekend, and I casually mentioned to him last night that he should go over to the Scottrade Center and watch Drake in the MVC Championship game. Turns out he actually did, and I couldn't be more jealous.


Missouri Valley Conference:

• Actual Champion: Drake (4th NCAA appearance, first since 1971)
• My Predicted Champion: Drake
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 88.9% (8 of 9 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 86.7% (26 of 30 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 100% (4 of 4 correct)

Conference Tournament Results: March 8th

Three conference champions were crowned on Saturday, the first three automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament that were determined by Conference Tournaments. Cornell (automatic Ivy League birth) finally has some company. I figured that I'd run a quick column at the end of each conference tournament, not only to keep track of how I did in predicting them, but also to gloat. So far, so good on my part.

Big South Conference:

• Actual Champion: Winthrop (8th NCAA appearance, 4th in a row)
• My Predicted Champion: Winthrop
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 85.7% (6 of 7 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 85.7% (6 of 7 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 100% (1 of 1 correct)

Not a huge surprise here at all with the #2 seed, Winthrop, winning the league title. They've been there each of the past three years and know what it takes to win in March. The biggest loss of this Tournament came when UNC Asheville lost in the finals, therefore, denying the country the opportunity of hearing about mammoth, 7-foot-7, Asheville center, Kenny George for another two weeks. Winthrop upset Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year, another upset is not out of the question this year.

Atlantic Sun Conference:

• Actual Champion: Belmont (3rd NCAA appearance, 3rd in a row)
• My Predicted Champion: Belmont
• Bracket Winning Percentage: PERFECT! 100% (7 of 7 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 92.9% (13 of 14 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 100% (2 of 2 correct)

No surprise here either. Belmont was the #1 seed and took care of business. Their only difficulties came in a semifinal game against East Tennessee State, a game where they trailed most of the way and were aided by a controversial technical foul call against ETSU, on their way to a 69-65 win. Props to Ben right here, a friend that goes to Belmont. I called the Gardner-Webb upset over Stetson in the first round. The only reason this happened is because Gardner-Webb defeated Kentucky earlier in the year. I love how this information comes in handy later. I'd also like to point out that this was my first perfect Conference Tournament Bracket. How many more will I have?

Ohio Valley Conference:

• Actual Champion: Austin Peay (6th NCAA Tournament, first since 2003)
• My Predicted Champion: Austin Peay
• Bracket Winning Percentage: 71.4% (5 of 7 games correct)
• Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 85.7% (18 of 21 games correct)
• Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 100% (3 of 3 correct)

Nothing to say about this Tournament except that the #1 seed got it done. I will say that I'm very very thankful that no new Conference Tournaments begin until the 11th. But EIGHT of them begin on the 12th!!! Looks like I'm going to have to do some research ahead of time. Enjoy the games on Sunday...Go Pitt...Go Robert Morris...Go Drake...and Go Davidson!