I am going to preview every single conference tournament one by one. Instead of what I initially started I am going to do them all on separate blog entries because I feel like this will give everyone a chance to discuss these conference tournaments. It will give them a home where everyone can join in and post their thoughts. Please comment.

First Round: March 6th
#4 Appalachian State vs. #5 Georgia Southern
#3 Charleson vs. #6 UNC-Greensboro
#4 Wofford vs. #5 Elon
#3 Samford vs. #6 Furman

Quarterfinals: March 7
#4/5 vs. #1 Davidson
#3/6 vs. #2 Western Carolina
#4/5 vs. #1 Chattanooga
#3/6 vs. #2 Citadel

Semifinals: March 8

Championship: March 9

Prediction: Just like Siena in the MAAC, Davidson is huge favorites in the Southern Conference Tournament. Stephen Curry can find his touch at any moment and light any of his opponents in this tournament up. Beware though, both the College of Charleson and The Citadel have wins over Davidson this year. Those two losses by the Wildcats prove that it can be done. I think Davidson knows how important this tournament is and gets the job done.

10 Thoughts From Saturday:

1) I'm tired of harping on this but I feel as if nobody is listening to me. Tennessee has been given the benefit of the doubt all season long. After their second loss to Kentucky on Saturday I think it's about time any recognition we were giving the Volunteers should be ended. At this point Tennessee is only the FOURTH best team in the SEC East and is struggling to win games against the easiest conference foes (Auburn, Mississippi). Joe Lunardi is one of big backers of Tennessee, keeping them as at least a 7 seed all season no matter how many losses they received. It will  be interesting to see where Lunardi has the Vols after another loss.

2) I began my "pre-Saturday thoughts blog" with a statement about bubble teams needing to show they really want to go to the NCAA Tournament. Maryland answered that call by knocking off North Carolina by coming from 16 down in the second half. The Tar Heels, as I've stated countless times, are the nation's best team in my opinion. Therefore beating North Carolina opens by eyes. Keep in mind that this is the same Maryland team that has lost to Clemson by 29, Duke by 41, Georgetown by 27, and Gonzaga by 22. That shows how crazy this world of college basketball is.

3) Blake Griffin left Saturday night's game with rival Texas just thirteen minutes into the game, leaving the Longhorns with the perfect oppurtunity to snatch a big win.  Beating Oklahoma without Griffin makes the win look less important on paper but it saved Texas' season. Griffin showed his important to the Sooners in this one, who lost their second game this year.

4) Bracketbuster Saturday taught us quite a few things. First of all Stephen Curry has struggled in big games this season (check my previous blog), probably due to the defensive attention focused on him and the lack of a secondary scorer. Saint Marys knocked off Utah State, another team that will likely need to win its conference tournament to get a NCAA Tournament bid. The Gaels may not be done with at large berth contention just yet, especially if Patty Mills comes back healthy. Creighton keeps winning its way towards a potential at large berth as well.

5) Virginia Tech has officially done everything possible to play itself out of a NCAA Tournament bid. On Saturday the Hokies lost their third straight ACC game, this one to ACC. Miami (FL) finally got a big win by knocking off Boston College. I think the Hurricanes can safely say they are back in serious discussion for an at large bid.

6) Everyone has been writing off UNLV & New Mexico but both won big games on Saturday. The Rebels knocked off BYU while the Lobos dominated San Diego State.

7) LSU keeps winning and dominating the SEC West. I've already harped on Tennessee's resume (see #1) but I think it's about time to recognize the Tigers a little bit more. Their SOS is absolutely terrible but wins are wins and at this point LSU is looking like the SEC's best team. Before the season I had them in my preseason bracketology and was laughed at on a LSU message board by a couple of fans that said it was ridiculous to think that their basketball team would even be decent this year. Guess who got the last laugh?

8) Congratulations to Oregon, which won its first Pac 10 game on Saturday by beating Stanford. Two other things stick out in the Pac 10 after Saturday. UCLA continues to struggle after losing to Washington State and Oregon State has now won seven conference games after going winless in Pac 10 play last season.

9) My new bracketology will be out either tomorrow afternoon or tomorrow night. I apologize for not getting it out after today's games but there's a lot of changes to be made.

10) A few other winners that deserve getting a shout out: Washington, Florida, Siena, and Gonzaga.

First of all I am one of Stephen Curry's biggest supporters. I'm not even a Davidson fan but his game is fun to watch and he's a great scorer. At points this season I've said that he should be player of the year (although now I am deciding between Oklahoma's Blake Griffin and North Carolina's Ty Lawson).

Davidson has went out and played big games this season. The Wildcats have played Oklahoma, West Virginia, North Carolina State, Purdue, Duke, and Butler. The Wildcats are only 2-4 in those games against quality competition. It's easy to figure out why. Curry, the guy who seemingly single handedly launched Davidson from an afterthought into a perennial Final Four team last season, has struggled in big games.

In those six games Curry is 57 of 160 (36%) from the field. From the three point line he is only 19 of 78 (24%) in those same games. It's incredible how a guy with as much talent as Curry can get shut down by a tremendous defensive effort.

Davidson is one of the better mid major teams in the country, but they probably need to win the Socon Tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament.

Curry in Davidson's BIG SIX Games:
Points Per Game: 29.5
Shots Per Game: 26.6
Field Goals: 57 of 160
Field Goal Percentage: 36%
Three Pointers: 19 of 78
Three Point Percentage: 24%

Curry almost took as many shots in each game as he scored points (29.5 to 26.6). If Davidson wants to make a long run in the NCAA Tournament this year then the Wildcats might want to get their star player going.

Well guys I've had a very long night. I won't jump into details but I was already pretty down and upset, and this tripled it by about 100. So what do I do when I'm upset and down in the dumps? Talk college basketball to ease my mind.

Here's some pre-Saturday thoughts:

1) I'm posing a question to all bubble teams and it goes something like this: What does making the NCAA Tournament mean to you? At this point we haven't really seen any heart from Florida, Virginia Tech, and UNLV. All three are bubble teams that keep killing their NCAA chances by losing to teams they shouldn't. On Saturday both the Hokies and Rebels have big games that could make or break their at large hopes. Florida has to avoid going to sleep against a Vanderbilt team they've already mopped the floor on once. Is there any way we can see some heart from some bubble teams for once? Anyone have an objection to that? I am still waiting for a bubble team not named Arizona to make a run to the Big Dance. Who wants it? Anyone? I feel like I am yelling out for an answer but all I get is an echo of my own voice. Maybe on Saturday a bubble team will make a big move.

2) Who's the bubble team with the best chance to make that big move? I think its Georgetown. The Hoyas play a Marquette team that really isn't as battle tested as the rest of the Big East powers. Georgetown is really due a big win, but they have to take advantage and win this one to have any at large hopes. The Hoyas are as talented as any NCAA Tournament team that will be that is seeded from 6-16 but they haven't won the games to get there. If they win tomorrow they will be 6-8 in Big East play and probably in most bracketologies (like mine).

3) Will the real Tennessee Volunteers please stand up? I'm ready to see Bruce Pearl's squad play like they actually need to win a game instead of playing like their games are meaningless. On Saturday they take on Kentucky, who is in need a serious morale boost that only a win like one over the Vols can supply. Last time Kentucky played Tennessee Jodie Meeks basically won the game by himself in Knoxville. The key words there are in Knoxville. That means this game is played in Lexington. I have the over/under for Meeks points set at 29.5. What does everyone think? I will go under. Tennessee won't let him beat them again.

4) Bracketbusters will be absolutely everywhere on Saturday. If you don't catch a bracketbuster game tomorrow then you might as well just not be a college basketball fan. Butler-Davidson is the key game but there are many more important ones. Kind of like Illinois State-Niagara and VCU-Nevada. Want to know how good I am at picking bracketbusters? Well I am 0-2 on them and in my picks challenge I lost 41 points tonight since I lost both. I learned a very valuable lesson. In bracketbusters (and in most college basketball) playing at home is key. I already knew that of course, but I must've temporarily forgot it about 3 CT today. Thanks a lot brain.

5) By the way how about the over/under for Stephen Curry's points at 18.5. Why so low? Mainly because we're not even sure how many minutes he is going to play coming off of his ankle injury.

6) Anyone got a big upset on the agenda for tomorrow? Like I stated earlier, I picked Georgetown to knock off Marquette but there's another upset I like that I didn't pick. I had to play this one on the safe side, but I do think Auburn can knock off LSU in Baton Rouge. Very quietly the Tigers (AU) have been sneaking themselves up the SEC West ladder. All of a sudden they are in second and in prime position to knock off very untested LSU.

7) New Mexico is another team getting absolutely zero respect. Sure, the Lobos aren't beating good teams but they are in the middle of the logjam that is known as the Mountain West conference. Their loss to BYU really hurt their at large chances, but winining out in the regular season may still be enough to get them into the field as an at large. Why do I say the Lobos are getting no respect? ESPN's weekly bubble watch was published today and New Mexico, widely known as a contender for an at large, was not even listed.

8) Who is the best team nobody knows about? At this point I'd have to say it's UAB. The Blazers are playing very good basketball right now with their depleted roster. More than likely UAB will have to knock off Memphis in a week to get into the NCAA Tournament. I'm not sure of the exact rules and procedures for selecting bracketbuster teams (although I should, shame on me) but I think it's very weird that the Blazers were not picked to play in one. Maybe Conference USA isn't considered a bracketbuster conference, but I'd think it would be. If UAB makes the Sweet Sixteen this year I doubt more than 5% of the country has that picked. I'd consider that a bracketbuster.

9) Blake Griffin and Oklahoma have not been tested on the road this season, which is something I continue to harp on. Is going to Austin the ultimate road test? Heck no, but at least it's something. I can't wait to see how the Sooners handle the pressure of playing their biggest rival on the national stage tomorrow night.

10) I don't think anyone caught my joke on Luke Harangody in Wednesday night's ten thoughts but I considered it funny anyways. If Harangody wants to play in the NCAA Tournament then the Irish have to start their climb right now. A loss tomorrow sends them to the Big East Tournament in serach of a Big East title, with anything less meaning a NIT bid.

Now I will get back to my bad night. Not only did what I mentioned earlier create a terrible night, but so did my -41 score in today's college basketball picks. I guess that's the great thing about life though isn't it? Wake up and try again tomorrow. I'm out guys.

-Daniel Evans
OnlineSportsFanatic.com

I realize Gary Parrish has already written an awesome article on this, but I started planning one out on Wednesday night as well after both Butler & Davidson lost. A few weeks ago this bracket buster game was basically a preview of things to come in the NCAA Tournament. Stephen Curry's star quality and Butler's young roster had energized the mid major world and were the talk of the little conferences out there.

But in college basketball everything can change in an instant.

Stephen Curry went down with an ankle sprain that could limit him in Saturday's showdown and Butler started looking younger than Curry's baby face. Now both have gone from locked in the field to in major bubble trouble. Here's their up to the second NCAA Tournament resumes:

Butler Bulldogs
Overall Record: 22-4
Conference Record: 13-3
RPI: 27
SOS: 103
Best Wins: Xavier, UAB, Northwestern
Bad Losses: UW-Milwaukee, Loyola, Wisc-GB
Notable Losses: Ohio State
Record vs. Top 50: 2-1
Dantheman's LIVE Bracket Projection: 10

Davidson Wildcats
Overall Record: 22-5
Conference Record: 15-2
RPI: 56
SOS: 145
Best Wins: NC State, West Virginia,
Bad Losses: College of Charleston, The Citadel
Notable Losses: Purdue, Oklahoma, Duke
Record vs. Top 50: 1-3
Dantheman's LIVE Bracket Projection: 11

By looking at the numbers it looks like Butler is in better shape than Davidson, and I have to agree they are. Still, both teams are in big bubble trouble. The only saving grace for both of these teams is that it is mid February and outside of Arizona there aren't any bubble teams really making a run towards the NCAA Tournament.

But my question to you guys is who have you got winning this game and what do you think of these teams NCAA Tournament chances? My bracketology will be updated later tonight and you can see a little more about where these teams are then. We will be picking this game, along with about 19 others on Saturday.

Doug Gottlieb and Andy Katz just referred to this year's mid major class as one of the weakest ever. I tend to agree. Right now there aren't many mid majors that are fighting for at large bids. Let's check out the ones that are. For this exercise Gonzaga, Memphis, and Xavier are not considered mid majors.

Utah State (23-1, 11-0): I tend to think its ridiculous at how little attention a 23-1 basketball program like Utah State is getting, although I understand why. The Aggies have played the 196th toughest schedule and it's killing any respect that might have earned at this point. At Large Bid Chances: 20%

BYU (17-5, 5-3): The Cougars were playing a lot better when their incredible 50 game home winning streak was still intact. Right now BYU has lost three of six games and is quickly fading in the Mountain West standings.If BYU wants to get into the Big Dance they need to start separating themselves from the rest of the Mountain West bubble teams. At Large Bid Chances: 30%

UNLV (17-6, 5-4): The Rebels have been the most disapointing mid major team this season. A NCAA Tournament bid is still not out of the question but it's going to be a lot harder than it first appeared. Out of conference wins over Arizona and Louisville look great right now, but bad losses to TCU, Colorado State, and New Mexico are killers. At Large Chances: 35%

San Diego State (17-5, 7-2): The Aztecs are one of the most surprising teams in the country right now. Don't get me wrong though, it's not like San Diego State wasn't expected to compete for a NCAA Tournament berth. I just didn't see them ever holding a two game leading over both BYU & UNLV in the Mountain West standings at any point this season. At Large Chances: 35%

Utah Utes (16-7, 7-2): The Utes began their season by losing to Southwest Baptist. That led me to say that this was going to be a very disappointing year for Utah's basketball program. I was wrong. The Utes have a win over Gonzaga and are tied for the Mountain West lead. They also have the #11 RPI and the #13 SOS. That means they are going to the tournament unless something changes. At Large Chances: 60%

Siena Saints (19-6, 13-1): The loss to Rider really hurt Siena's RPI rating but not much since its still the 29th best. The Saints missed out on a lot of chances for big wins early in the year and going almost unscathed in the MAAC does not make up for that, but it does help their push for an at large bid. At Large Chances: 15%

Creighton Bluejays (19-6, 9-4): The Missouri Valley is still looking like a one bid conference but Creighton is trying to change that. The Blue Jays have won four straight games, including a big win over Northern Iowa on Sunday. The computer numbers need to keep improving. At Large Chances: 20%

Northern Iowa Panthers (17-7, 11-2): Northern Iowa won eleven straight games before finally losing to Creighton on Sunday. The loss damages their at large bid hopes but they are still certainly in the running. Right now if they lost in the Missouri Valley Tournament Finals they would be one of the last eight teams on the board. At Large Chances: 10%

Butler Bulldogs (21-2, 12-1): Butler is.....hmmmmm how do I say this.....IN. No doubt about it. Relax Bulldogs fans because you are going to be in the NCAA Tournament unless you lose a LOT of games the rest of the way. Butler is just playing for seeding at this point. At Large Chances: 85%

St. Marys Gaels (19-4, 6-3): The loss of Patty Mills is killing the Gaels. It's possible that even if he returns it will be too late for St. Marys to find their rytyhm and make a run to the NCAA Tournament. That's sad because to me it's very clear that the Gaels are one of the best 34 at large teams available. At Large Chances: 15%

Dayton Flyers (21-3, 7-2): Dayton's loss to Charlotte wasn't very good for their NCAA Tournament chances. Even with the loss winning 21 of 24 games is not too shabby and has them on the good side of the bubble for now. A win over Xavier (two chances left, with one tomorrow) would go a LONG ways towards a possible at large. At Large Chances: 25%

Davidson Wildcats (20-4, 13-1): The Wildcats have last season's Elite Eight run to fall back on, along with one of the best players in the country in Stephen Curry. A lot of people didn't expect them to lose a Socon game this season, but it was coming sooner or later. More than likely Davidson is going to the tournament. At Large Chances: 65%

Others on the Bubble (I'm being EXTREMELY generous in some cases): Northeastern (16-7), VCU (17-7), George Mason (16-7), New Mexico (15-9), North Dakota State (18-5), Portland (15-8), Buffalo (16-5), UAB (16-8), Tulsa (17-7), VMI (20-4), Duquense (15-7)

On February 20-21 the seventh annual bracket buster games will take place on the ESPN family of networks. I have found the list and complied it so that everyone can check it out.

The top matchup has Butler traveling to Davidson in a game that will mean more for NCAA Tournament seeding than NCAA Tournament at large hops. Utah State at St. Marys is just as big, but the Gaels will probably still be without Patty Mills. The biggest potential at large berth games are Northern Iowa-Siena & George Mason-Creighton. The winner of those two games will make a push for an at large berth if they happen to lose in their conference tournaments.

Post what you think below.

Here's the complete list:

Butler (18-1) at Davidson (17-3)
Northern Iowa (15-6) at Siena (17-5)
George Mason (17-6) at Creighton (15-6)
Illinois State (18-4) at Niagara (16-6)
Boise State (14-6) at Portland State (12-7)
Miami OH (12-7) at Evansville (12-7)
Hofstra (13-8) at Fairfield (14-9)
Green Bay (16-5) at Long Beach State (11-9)
Liberty (12-7) at Old Dominion (13-8)
Utah State (20-1) at St Marys (16-3)
Buffalo (14-5) at Vermont (16-6)
Northeastern (15-6) at Wright State (13-9)
North Dakota State (16-5) at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (14-8)

-Daniel Evans
OnlineSportsFanatic.com

I asked my readers to ask questions for a mailbag segment I wanted to do and I received some great responses. If you have a question for next week's mailbag either send me a PM or email me at dantheman4250@aol.com .

I love this question Husky. First we have to determine the definition of a mid major. Most people don't say that Gonzaga, Memphis, and Xavier are mid majors, so for this exercise we will refrain them from being an answer to this question. If it matters all three are getting at large bids.

Butler and Davidson are getting into the field, even if they lose in their conference tournaments. The Wildcats would be closer to the cutline than the Bulldogs, but I think they'd both get in. St. Marys is another likely to get in, but it all depends on how they fare without Patty Mills. So far in they blew a halftime lead to Gonzaga without him and then lost to Portland without him.

Siena would be an interesting case with a RPI of 21 and a SOS of 39. If their RPI number stayed that high it would be almost impssoble for the Saints to be left out of the field. Dayton is in my field for now but their lack of marquee wins is going to hurt them. Utah State may be one of the more interesting bubble cases on Selection Sunday if they lose in the WAC Tournament. Right now their RPI (42) is impressive but their SOS would likely mean a NIT berth (202).

The Mountain West is considered a mid major league, although it has proven itself pretty good on both the football and basketball courts. It looks like at least two of five teams are going to get in; TCU, San Diego State, Utah, BYU, and UNLV. Right now Utah and UNLV lead the way. Chances are the regular season champion will be relatively safe going into the MWC Tournament.

The CAA also presents an interesting case. Northeastern, VCU, and George Mason are all in the 'discussion' for an large berth but I don't feel like any would be in without winning the CAA Tournament unless a LOT of chaos goes on before the final week of the season.

To clear up my answer I think Butler & Davidson are going to get in, even if it means stealing an at large berth. The same goes for Siena if their RPI stays like it is. The Mountain West is probably going to get two or three bids, and the CAA will probably get one unless something crazy takes place.

Hey dan where do you think Georgetown is gona end up in the tournament? As in what seed? They've played good at times and have beat high caliber teams, but have lost to them too. Anywhere from 5-7 maybe? And what about Arkansas? Are they in?

-Gtucker

Another great question. In my bracketology I have Georgetown out right now due to their 3-6 Big East record. I don't think that's going to last very long though. Being realistic at this point I don't see the Hoyas getting higher than a 6 seed in the Big Dance. If I had to guess right now (assuming they do indeed get in) I'd say they get in a scary 8-9 game. I'm sure the last thing a #1 seed wants to do is see Georgetown looking at them in round two, a team as talented as any in the entire country.

Before we can really discuss the Hoyas and the words 'NCAA Tournament' in the same sentence they have to prove they deserve to be in. Right now they don't.

Arkansas is done. They are 1-4 in SEC play and struggling. Their two wins over Texas & Oklahoma were nice, but they appear only to be a sign of the future in Fayetteville and not the present. I'm sure its sad for Razorbacks fans that weren't expecting much, and then raised their expectations after the two big wins. The SEC will be lucky to get five teams in, but without a Georgia-esque run for the SEC Tournament title Arkansas will be in the NIT or CBI.

Do you think that they still have a decent shot to get a #4 seed? They are probably going to run through the WCC now, with Mills hurt. Portland may be a contender, but I am not sure yet. I guess I wait on that for Thursday. Your thoughts on Zaga getting a 3-5 seed? And is it realistic?

-Gonzagafan62

Another great question. First off gonzagafan makes an excellent point. I mean no disrepect to the Zags at all when I say this, but I'm not sure Gonzaga would be the top team in the WCC without Patty Mills injury the other night. Gonzaga was down (but certainly not out) against the Gaels before Mills left the game.

But to the dismay of St. Marys fans the injury did take place and Gonzaga did win the game, proving once again they are the beasts of the WCC. Now onto the seeding scenarios for Gonzaga.......

If the Zags win out and win the WCC Tournament they can probably still get a 3 seed. A 2 isn't completely out of the picture but it would depend more on the other top teams faltering and nothing Gonzaga could control. Winning out would put Gonzaga on the top 4 seed lines for sure (at least that's the way the tournament appears to be shaping at this moment). When all is said and done I think Gonzaga ends up in the 3-7 range. Right now I have them as a 5 seed, and that should only improve from here on out.

This is a good potential sleeper team for the Final Four.

How many games do you think Wisconsin can lose and get into the NCAA's with their great rpi and sos?

-BadgerBoy1183

I actaully answered this one somewhat yesterday. I played out the Badgers season midday yesterday and had them finishing 18-12 with a 9-9 conference record. Is that good enough to get in? Honestly I'm not sure. Their computer numbers are going to help them a lot but a lot also depends on how the other bubble teams from the Big Ten and from around the rest of the country fare.

I cannot narrow it down to a specific number realistically but I can say this. Anything below .500 in the Big Ten probably isn't going to get it done, no matter how good your computer numbers are. Still a 37 RPI and a 3rd ranked SOS will get you a long way, even without a gaudy record overall.

Earlier today I made a post regarding Penn State's NCAA Tournament chances. Right now I think the Nittany Lions would be in, but I created a thread to ask you guys what you thought. Early on the lead answer to the question is that 'Yes, the Nittany Lions should be in the field', but I'd like everyone to keep voting. If you haven't voted or if you'd just like to review the poll here's the link .

-Daniel Evans
OnlineSportsFanatic.com