For teams on the bubble, conference tournaments are their last chance to state their case on why they should be invited to the NCAA tournament. However, for Final Four contenders it's their time to show they aren't getting the respect they deserve. A lot can be said about a team that wins their conference tourney and the momentum that it provides into the national tournament. The 2011 Connecticut team is a prime example. They lost four of their last six to end the season then proceeded to win four games in four days for the Big East title. That led to a run for the national championship, thanks in large part to Kemba Walker. These teams need to show us what they got during Championship Week.
ACC
Miami FL
The Hurricanes won the ACC regular season title for the first time since joining the league in 2004. A month ago this team was ranked #2 in the nation and started 13-0 in the ACC with blowouts over Duke and North Carolina. However, they lost three (Wake Forest, Duke, Georgia Tech) of their last five games and some doubters are starting to creep up on The U. The biggest reason is all the love that Duke is getting since Ryan Kelly came back. All of a sudden people are forgetting the fact that Miami routed the Blue Devils 90-63 at home. Or that if Ryan Kelly didn't have the game of his life (36 pts, 7-9 3FG) Duke might not have got their 79-76 win at Cameron Indoor. Miami has quality players in Shane Larkin, Kenny Kadji, and Durand Scott but has some head scratching losses. However, when big games arrive Miami has came to play. Along with huge wins over Duke, UNC, and NC State, they've also taken down Michigan State 67-59. If they are able to win the ACC tournament and beat Duke again in the championship game, this team will be riding high into the big dance.
Big 12
Kansas State
Kansas State has always been the red-headed step child in the Big 12, mostly because of the dominance their rival Kansas has had over the league. Even though they won its first ever conference title this year (albeit shared with Kansas), again this team is forgotten. All the talk for the Big 12 making noise in the post season is for KU and Oklahoma State, nothing at all for the Wildcats. It shows in the picks made by ESPN's college basketball writers for the conference tournament champion. Baylor was even shown some love! K-State is the Big 12's second highest ranked team in the top 25 but there's no faith in them. It is understandable in the fact that they were only 2-5 against ranked teams. One player to watch for is Rodney McGruder. This is a guy that can carry a team in tournament play and will have to if the Wildcats want to succeed. If there's a team on this list similar to the 2011 UConn team, this is the one. A run in the Big 12 tournament with wins over Baylor/Oklahoma State and Kansas, anything is possible.
Big East
Marquette
Louisville and Georgetown shared a Big East title with another team can you guess who? Syracuse? No. Pittsburgh? No. Connecticut? No. It was Marquette, yes, Marquette. Their first title since a guy named Dwyane Wade won one in 2003 when they were still in Conference USA. This team probably doesn't have one player that will make the NBA but it epitomizes the word TEAM. How else can you beat the likes of Georgetown, Syracuse and Pittsburgh with inferior talent. Another component is their coach, Buzz Williams. I love coaches that are intense and this guy is crazy, but he knows how to get a team to play together. They've won low scoring games (49-48), high scoring games (89-78) and three games in overtime. With a share in the Big East and a 23-7 record, some how this team is still under the radar. The Big East tournament is always grueling for any team. If the Golden Eagles are able to make the championship game or better yet, win the title, the country will have no choice but to give them the respect they deserve.
Big Ten
Michigan
Oh Michigan. How you frustrate me. For the first time since the Fab Five in 1993, the Wolverines reached #1 in the country. But they inexcusably lost at Penn State (winless in the Big Ten), Wisconsin's Ben Brust will forever be remembered with Evan Turner for hitting a half court shot, and the Indiana game reminds us of the importance of free throws. The IU game not only lost Michigan a share of the Big Ten regular season title, but also dropped them to a fifth seed in the Big Ten tournament. That's not a good thing because that means no bye and having to go through three of the top four teams instead of two. The one thing Michigan has though is Trey Burke. The B1G player of the year and currently still the front runner for national POY. With a guy like him on your team you are never out of it. The Wolverines are one of the best offensive teams in the country with four guys that can go off for 20+ on any given night. Their problem is defense. With no real lockdown defender on the perimeter or in the post, their best bet it to outscore the other team. They have the talent to beat any team in the country, especially if they are hitting their 3's. A Big Ten tournament title could lead to another trip to the Final Four, also a place the Wolverines haven't been since the Fab Five. Oh wait, that never happened, right?
Pac-12
Arizona
The Wildcats were ranked as high as #4 in the country with wins over Florida, Miami, and San Diego State to start the year. Now, they enter the Pac-12 tournament as the #4 seed behind UCLA, Cal, and Oregon. Even with that, they are still recognized as the favorite according to Las Vegas books. But, their national attention has slowly faded throughout the season. This team has solid players in Xavier transfer Mark Lyons, Solomon Hill, and Nick Johnson so they aren't short on talent. Last year the Pac-12 only had one team enter the NCAA tournament (Colorado because of an automatic bid) so the nation is still not too keen on these west coast teams. However, Arizona has shown us they can compete with high quality competition and win. So, this is not a team that should be taken lightly. The Wildcats lost to all of the top three teams during conference play For Arizona to be looked at as a Final Four contender they need to run through the Pac-12 tournament win a vengeance.
Mountain West
New Mexico
Originally, I was going to talk about the SEC but since the Mountain West will have more teams in the NCAA tournament and is a better league top to bottom, they get the mention. The MWC will likely get four, possibly five, teams in the big dance. The cream of the crop are the Lobos and Steve Alford's squad is currently ranked #2 in RPI. They won't beat you with any sort of flash, but will wear you down on defense and make you play at their pace. The biggest sore spot on their record was a 55-34 loss at San Diego State. To only score 34 points in a game is embarrassing, which is their problem. They only shoot 42% from the field, ranking 222nd nationally. However, Kendall Williams is a player that if he gets hot he's very difficult to stop. In a game at Colorado State, Williams scored 46 points on 10-13 from three in a 91-82 victory. As you can see New Mexico has the capability of putting up big numbers but they can also lay an egg. Taking home a regular season and tournament championship in very good Mountain West conference will tell us that the Lobos are no joke.
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