Other Conference Tournament Betting
By Robert Ferringo
Long before college or professional basketball had earned the
national recognition and acclaim that it currently entertains,
there was the Illinois High School Boys' Basketball Tournament,
the other conference tournament betting was not allowed.
That event, which began as an invitation-only affair in 1908,
featured more than 900 teams by the 1930s and was the source of
a riotous, cultish following.
Henry V. Porter, an assistant executive secretary for the
Illinois High School Association, coined the term "March
Madness" in response to the hysterical fervor that washed over
the state during the tournament. The phrase first appeared in
the IHSA's magazine in 1939. It has since been absorbed into the
national lexicon to characterize the passion and fury
surrounding the NCAA basketball tournament.
I just happen to be one of those rabid, overzealous basketball
junkies that Porter was referring to. In my humble opinion, the
NCAA Tournament is by far, bar none, the greatest single event
on the sports calendar.
It's a four-week orgy of buzzer beaters, bracket busters, and
beastiality (OK, maybe that's just at my house). The annual
free-for-all represents All That Is Holy in the world of Sport,
and the excess of drinking and gambling that accompanies it is a
fantastic contradiction to the temperance preached by Christians
during Lent.
Here's how this is going to go: today I'm going to give you an
outline of the second-tier conference tournaments that will
kickoff Championship Week. By early next week I'll have previews
for each of the Big Six conference tourneys. Also, you'll get a
couple of bonus articles that contain alternate perspectives and
critical information that will help you wade through this miasma
of mayhem.
Good luck. Enjoy the Madness.
NCAA Basketball Tournament
Missouri Valley - March 2-5 in St. Louis
I'm deadly serious when I say that this conference has more
teams with NCAA Tournament resumes than the ACC or the Big 12.
The mutants from The Valley feature six clubs with more than 10
conference wins and all six are in the top 56 of the RPI.
Despite the statistical success, at this point I think that only
Wichita State and Creighton are locks. I believe Northern Iowa
is actually the best team in the league, but they've lost five
of their last eight and need a deep run in the conference
tourney to erase any doubt. Another loaded round in the chamber
is Missouri State, which actually has the best RPI (29) of the
group despite no marquee wins.
Colonial Athletic Association - March 3-6 in Richmond
Who would have thought that the CAA was going to be a two-bid
league? However if someone not named George Mason wins this
tournament that's what we're looking at.
The CAA has a ridiculous six teams with more than 10 league
wins. Old Dominion was the preseason favorite and has the most
talent. Hofstra is tough, but doesn't play well on the road.
Northeastern and Virginia Commonwealth are both feisty and could
trip someone up, but they don't have the depth to win it.
That leaves my pick to win the title, UNC Wilmington. Call it a
hunch, but I see the Seahawks beating the Monarchs in overtime
of the championship game.
Patriot League - March 3-10
This is another example of a league where if the No. 1 seed
loses, a bid will be pilfered from the Major Conferences.
Bucknell (23-4, 14-0) is already in, but Holy Cross and Lehigh
each finished 11-3 in conference play and could steal a bid by
upsetting the Bison.
That's a tall task given the Patriot League format. They play on
March 3, 5, and 10 instead of on back-to-back nights - giving
Bucknell a chance to rest. Also, the higher seed gets the
advantage of hosting the championship game.
Mountain West - March 7-11 in Denver
I think the Mountain West deserves two bids, but only the
automatic is guaranteed. San Diego State was the regular season
champ, and barring an upset on the way to the tourney finals the
Aztecs should be secure in their date to the Dance.
But I believe that Air Force will actually win this tournament.
They split in two meetings so far, but the Falcons run brilliant
offensive sets and are playing closer to home.
Atlantic 10 - March 8-11 in Cincinnati
So far George Washington has run the A-10 table at 14-0, but now
finds itself vulnerable after second-leading scorer Pops
Mensah-Bonsu went down with a severely twisted knee last week.
The Colonials' misfortune opens the door to several other
also-rans to slide into the automatic bid. Charlotte is tied for
second in the standings, St. Joe's has played well of late
(three straight wins), and Xavier has some talent. But the dark
horse is Temple. The Owls have beaten Alabama, Maryland, Miami
and South Carolina this season, and are led by scoring machine
Mardy Collins.
Big West - March 8-11 in Anaheim
This is pretty much the same situation as the Patriot League.
Pacific has flirted with the Top 25 all season and is generally
regarded as one of the best mid-majors in the country. However,
UC Irvine has some talent and already has claimed a win against
Pacific this year (70-61). I expect around an eight-point line
if these two meet, with Irvine covering in a nail-biter.
Conference USA - March 8-11 in Memphis
After last-year's gut-wrenching loss in the CUSA final (Darius
Washington's missed free throws), Memphis is ready to exercise
those demons and claim a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance.
The Tigers have dominated their backyard this year, and will
have the advantage of playing on their home turf. But Memphis
will be running up against the sheer desperation of teams vying
for their postseason lives. I believe UAB is already in, but
they don't want to leave it to chance. Houston and UTEP have
some work to do, and would like nothing more than to add an
upset of Memphis to their resume.
Western Athletic Conference - March 9-12 in Reno
Nevada is already in the Big Dance. They have won at least one
game in each of the last two tournaments and sport an impressive
9-3 record against the RPI Top 100 this season.
Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State are both plucky foes, but I
think if there's a sleeper that could unseat Nevada it's Utah
State. If the current seeds hold, those crazy Mormons would meet
the Wolfpack in the semifinals. The schools split in their
season series, with Utah State's Jan. 23 victory in Nevada
serving as the Wolfpack's last loss. Nevada demolished Utah
State last weekend to run their winning streak to nine, but the
Aggies will be tough if they can set up a rubber match.Get
Doc's Sports Picks here for all his
March
Madness Picks
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