2018 Tourney Could Lead to New Mindset Going Forward

The 2018 NCAA Tournament has been historic thanks to the University of Maryland Baltimore County becoming the first 16 seed to beat a #1 seed, but not just any #1 seed the tournament’s top overall seed Virginia.  Not to be outdone Missouri Valley champ Loyola-Chicago has made a run to the Final Four as an 11 seed.  No matter what comes of the final three games in San Antonio the ramifications of this year’s tournament will be felt years into the future.

To be successful in March the age-old adages apply.  A team needs to have good guard play, veteran leadership (usually in the backcourt), a good defense and some teams go on a run with some hot shooting.  The 2018 tournament is no different.  The four teams that have reached San Antonio check all of those boxes for a deep tournament run.

All four teams have upperclassmen guards leading the way; Kansas has Devonte Graham, Villanova has Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, Michigan has Duncan Robinson and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Cinderella Loyola-Chicago has high school teammates Ben Richardson and Clayton Custer.

All four teams have shot at least 45% during the tournament while allowing opponents to shoot no more than 43%.

This tournament has been called historic, not only because of #16 UMBC’s historic upset of #1 Virginia but because Loyola, a true mid major seeded 11^th has reached the Final Four and their path to San Antonio is not one that would be typical for an 11 seed.  After beating #6 Miami by two points they beat SEC regular season champ Tennessee by a point to reach the Sweet 16.  Instead of having to face #2 Cincinnati in the regional semifinal they faced off against #7 Nevada where they again won by a single point, marking the first time in tournament history that a team had won its first three games by a total of four points or less.  As a result of UMBC’s historic first-time #16 over a #1 defeat of Virginia, Loyola got to face #9 Kansas State in the regional final with a trip to San Antonio on the line.  Unlike their previous three games however, this one, the most important one was never in doubt.  The Ramblers were in control from start to finish, defeating Kansas State 78-62.

Next year’s version of the tournament very well might revert to the less drama, big name teams reaching the Final Four type we have seen in the past.  However, never again will a #16 have to wonder if they can beat a #1 seed, it has been done and now every 16 can say why not us? Why can’t we do what UMBC did?  In the same vein now every mid major, double digit seed and at-large that barely made the field can say if Loyola can make the Final Four so can we.

How many times have we seen teams get close to an upset only to fade away in the last minutes?  This year’s tournament could also have a big psychological effect moving forward.  Every potential upset game that is close at the half opens up a new can of worms that the favorite and the underdog have never had to deal with.  Now both teams have historical context to draw upon and how teams react in these situations going forward will be fascinating.

Thank you to UMBC, Loyola-Chicago, the upsets, the exciting finishes and great performances that have made this tournament amazing, but also thank you for now making tournaments going forward even more fun to watch given the historic context we can now all look back on.

Grand Canyon Looking to Take a Big Leap

At first Grand Canyon University was one of those online schools you saw advertising on TV, and then they applied to be a part of division one athletics.  Usually when teams go through the reclassification process they struggle while adjusting to division 1 basketball.  The Antelopes have faced fewer growing pains than the fledgling division one programs under head coach Dan Majerle.

Despite being ineligible for the NCAA Tournament during the reclassification process, Grand Canyon has earned three bids to the CIT Tournament since 2014 and earned their first-ever postseason wins in 2016 beating South Carolina State and Jackson State before falling to Coastal Carolina by two in the semifinals.

In the four years prior to becoming eligible for the NCAA Tournament this year Majerle’s squad won 81 games and never finished below .500.  Over that time they also have wins over New Mexico, Houston, Marshall, Central Michigan and San Diego State twice.  That kind of success is rarely seen in transitioning teams.  The Antelopes never finished lower than third in the Western Athletic Conference over the last four seasons.

DeWayne Russell was the team’s leading scorer last season averaging over 21 points per game, but he has graduated and Antelopes must replace him.  Majerle does return seven of the remaining eight players that saw action in at least 20 games and over 14 minutes per game last season including the second leading scorer guard Joshua Braun who averaged over 17 points last season.  The roster also has its share of newcomers with five freshmen and Oregon transfer Casey Benson who has made an immediate impact with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists in a win over Robert Morris on Monday.

Defensively over the first two games GCU has given up just 56 points per game and forced a total of 41 turnovers.  This year’s schedule has the likes of St. John’s, Boise State, Louisville and Illinois on it.  Don’t be surprised if Majerle’s men are well on their way to another 20+ win season before beginning WAC play at Seattle on Jan. 6.  This year however the rest of the WAC will have to put up with the Antelopes in the WAC Tournament.  Grand Canyon has lofty expectations in their first year of NCAA Tournament eligibility and the means to get there.

South Dakota Becoming a Hoops Hotbed

Certain states are a hotbed for college basketball.  North Carolina has tobacco road with the likes of North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest.  Indiana has Indiana, Butler and Purdue among others and Kentucky has the Wildcats and Louisville.  Over the past two or three seasons South Dakota has become a quasi-hotbed for mid major hoops and is the state the Summit League title will run through again thanks to the intrastate rivalry that has developed between the South Dakota Coyotes and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.

In 2015 the Jackrabbits took down the Coyotes in the Summit League semifinals.  Last season South Dakota won its first league championship under the tutelage of head coach Craig Smith finishing 12-4 in conference and 22 wins overall, but again met up with their nemesis in the conference semifinals and again South Dakota State came out on top in an albeit closer game 74-71 on their way to the tournament title.  This season the two Mount Rushmore State squads are the consensus favorites again in the Summit League.

Coach Smith returns six of his top eight scorers including leading scorer, junior guard Matt Mooney who averaged over 19 points per game.  The Coyotes have to replace their leading rebounder and assist man from last season, Tyler Black and Trey Dickerson respectively but junior Trey Burch-Manning  averaged 6.6 rebounds and sophomore Triston Simpson 2.5 assists last season seem more than ready to step into those roles.  The Coyotes have a schedule that will test them before league play begins.  They have games at TCU, Duke and UCLA.

South Dakota State has been a bellwether program in the Summit league for the past six seasons with three regular season titles, four conference championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances since 2012.    The reigning two-time Summit Tournament champions return their two double digit scorers from last season Reed Tellinghuisen (11.7) and junior Mike Daum not only averaged 25.1 points and 8.1 rebounds last season but there is some talk that Daum could end up an All-American by the end of the season.  Like their rivals, Coach T.J. Otzelberger has a few tests in his non-conference schedule to get his team ready for Summit League play. The Jackrabbits play at Kansas and Wichita State as well as a match up with Missouri Valley favorite Missouri State.

They may not have the lineage, history or following of those teams in North Carolina, Indiana and Kentucky but for the middle of the country, mid majors and certainly the Summit League the state of South Dakota is becoming a hoops hotbed thanks to the Coyotes and Jackrabbits.

Jaylen is the Name for 2017

Some may remember from the 1980’s show Newhart, Larry with his brother Darryl and his other brother Darryl.  Well college basketball has its own version of that with Northwestern State’s Jalan West with his hoop brother Jaylen Adams of St. Bonaventure and his other brother Jalen Adams of Connecticut.  If you have a variation of the name Jaylen, chances are you will put up major numbers during this season.

Jalan West stepped foot on the Northwestern State campus in 2011 when he redshirted for the year.  Fast forward to 2017 and the same West has been granted a rare seventh year of eligibility after tearing his ACL during the first game of his senior year in 2015 and subsequently tearing the same ligament in July of 2016 and receiving back-to-back medical redshirts.  When he was on the floor, West was a star for the Demons and the Southland Conference in general.  After being named Freshman of the Year averaging 10 points and five assists.  As a sophomore he jumped up to over 19 points, six assists and four rebounds.  The second game of his sophomore he tallied 30 points, six assists and nine rebounds in a 19 point win over Auburn.  He was the only player in the country to average at least 19 points, four rebounds, six assists and 2.5 steals.  As a junior he jumped up to 20 points a game and 7.7 assists per contest, good enough to lead the nation. So entering his final season big things were expected of Adams and he was off to a good start with 25 points and six assists against Ole Miss before he suffered his injury which has led him to a long road back and his seventh year of eligibility.

Heading north from Louisiana to New York where St. Bonaventure is home to someone who is on a similar statistical path to West.   Senior guard Jaylen Adams averaged 10 points and 4.5 assists as a freshman and over 20 points and six assists last year.  Now entering his final season with the Bonnies he is one of the most dynamic guards in the country and has St. Bonaventure potentially on the cusp of their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012.   The Bonnies were picked to finish second in the Atlantic 10 (behind Rhode Island) and Adams was selected to the First Team All A-10.  Look for Adams’ numbers to increase yet again this season.

In Connecticut junior guard Jalen Adams gets the keys to a Huskies team that has been depleted by graduation and transfers.  Adams made a significant jump between his freshman and sophomore seasons.  In his first campaign he averaged 7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists and last season he nearly doubled each of those categories with 14.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists.  Adams really put himself on the map during the Maui Invitational where he averaged 28 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds over the three games in Hawaii.  Conference play will be an important indicator for Adams, last season his points per game dropped to 14 against American foes.

There are certainly more high-profile names elsewhere in the country but at least in Louisiana, New York and Connecticut this will be the year of Jalan, make that Jaylen, I mean Jalen.

Is this the Year for Texas-Arlington?

Over the past six seasons the Sun Belt Conference tournament has been hit or miss for the conference’s top teams.  While the top four seeds have reached the semifinals the last four years, the top seed has only been able to seal the deal twice.

This season a familiar face has been tabbed to be atop the conference.  Scott Cross’ UT-Arlington Mavericks have won 51 games over the last two years.  In that time they have victories over the likes of Saint Mary’s, BYU, Texas, Ohio State and Memphis.  The Mavericks’ season culminated in a trip to the NIT Quarterfinals after being upended in the Sun Belt semifinals.

After winning 27 games cross did lose three starters in Jalen Jones, Drew Charles and Jorge Bilbao, a trio that averaged over 29 points and 13 rebounds per contest.   While that trio was important to UT-Arlington’s success, they do return an equally important trio in seniors Kevin Hervey and Erick Neal who combined for nearly a triple double per game last season with 27.7 points, 12 rebounds and 8.7 assists. The third member of the trio is Coach Cross who interviewed for the opening at New Mexico but didn’t get it. The Mavericks have some replacing to do but have no shortage of candidates to fill those spots.

Senior Kaelon Wilson is someone who was a spot starter for the Mavs last year and seen on the same level as the departed Charles and Jones by Cross who hopes Wilson can step into a starting role and help continue the recent success the Mavericks have enjoyed.  Another addition who could pay big dividends is a JuCo transfer from Hill College (Tx) Davion Turner.  The 6-9 forward averaged 12.9 points and 7.3 rebounds last season while shooting 49% from the field and 35% from 3.  Another guy who could fill another wing position is red-shirt junior Mairega Clarke whose best asset is his ability to finish in transition.  Cross’ most promising freshman would be 6-5 David Azore who averaged 25 and 8 at Houston’s Clear Brook High School last year.  In the middle the Mavs hope to get some help from a pair of 7-footers, senior Link Kabadyundi who Coach Cross says has made the biggest jump from the end of last year till now in terms of development and Grad transfer Johnny Hamilton who played in just three games at Virginia Tech last season.

Looking at the schedule the big resume building chances early on for Texas-Arlington are a pair of games in the Barclay’s Center Classic against BYU and Alabama and a mid-December match up at Creighton.

After the last two seasons, this is the year that Cross and the Mavericks need to break through and reach the NCAA Tournament because Scott Cross is a growing hot commodity in the coaching ranks and there is no telling how much longer he will be at the helm in Arlington.

Key Stat for Every First Round Game

East

1. Villanova vs. 16. Mount St. Mary’s

Villanova is 7^th in fg percentage (49.7) and Mount St. Mary’s is 227^th in fg percentage defense (44.8)

8. Wisconsin vs. 9. Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech is 13^th in 3 point fg percentage (40.3) and Wisconsin is 307^th in 3 point fg percentage defense (37.7)

5. Virginia vs. 12. UNC-Wilmington

Virginia is 1^st in scoring defense (55.6) and UNC-Wilmington is 10^th in scoring offense (85.2)

4. Florida vs. East Tennessee State

Florida is 48^th in total free throws attempted (764) East Tennessee State in 313^th in fewest fouls (679)

3. Baylor vs. 14. New Mexico State

Baylor is 4^th in rebound margin (8.9) and New Mexico State is 16^th (6.9)

6. SMU vs. 11. USC

SMU is 3^rd in rebound margin (9.0) and USC is 184^th (0.4)

7. South Carolina vs. 10. Marquette

Marquette is 1^st in 3 point fg percentage (43.0) and South Carolina is 5^th in 3 point fg percentage defense (29.3)

2. Duke vs. 15. Troy

Duke is 33^rd in fg percentage (47.7) and Troy is 9^th in total rebounds (1,330)

Midwest

1. Kansas vs. 16. UC Davis

Kansas is 79^th in steals per game (6.9) and UC Davis is 275^th in turnovers per game (14.1)

8. Miami vs. 9. Michigan State

Michigan State is 57^th in fg percentage (46.8) and Miami is 55^th in fg percentage defense (41.4)

5. Iowa State vs. 12. Nevada

Iowa State is 14^th in 3 point fg percentage (40.2) and Nevada is 16^th in 3 point fg percentage defense (30.7)

4. Purdue vs. 13. Vermont

Purdue is 65^th in rebounds per game (37.94) and Vermont is 263^rd (34.24)

3. Oregon vs. 14. Iona

Oregon is 10^th in scoring margin (14.1) and Iona is 109^th (4.1)

6. Creighton vs. 11. Rhode Island

Creighton is 18^th in 3 point fg percentage (39.9) and Rhode Island is 3^rd in 3 point fg percentage defense (29.0)

7. Michigan vs. 10.Oklahoma State

Michigan is 1^st in turnovers per game (9.4) and Oklahoma State is 31^st in steals per game (7.8)

2. Louisville vs. 15. Jacksonville State

Louisville is 14^th in offensive rebounds per game (13.31) and Jacksonville State is 144^th in defensive rebounds per game (25.59)

West

1. Gonzaga vs. 16. South Dakota State

Gonzaga is 2^nd in fg percentage (51.8) and South Dakota State is 243^rd in fg percentage defense (45.2)

8. Northwestern vs. 9. Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt is 8^th in free throw percentage ( 77.6) and Northwestern is 185^th in fouls per game (19.0)

5. Notre Dame vs. 12. Princeton

Notre Dame is 2^nd in turnovers per game (9.4) and Princeton is 5^th (10.0)

4. West Virginia vs. 13. Bucknell

West Virginia is 5^th in offensive rebounds per game (14.32) and Bucknell is 299^th (8.62)

3. Florida State vs. 14. Florida Gulf Coast

Florida Gulf Coast is 5^th in fg percentage (50.2) and Florida State is 45^th in fg percentage defense (41.2)

6. Maryland vs. 11. Xavier

Maryland is 40^th in blocks per game (4.7) and Xavier is 261^st (2.7)

7. St. Mary’s vs. 10. VCU

St. Mary’s is 254^th in turnover margin (-1.2) and VCU is 24^th in total steals (256)

2. Arizona vs. 15. North Dakota

North Dakota is 19^th in fg percentage (48.3) and Arizona is 35^th (47.6)

South

1. North Carolina vs. 16. Texas Southern

North Carolina is 95^th in fouls per game (17.8) and Texas Southern is 2^nd in free throws made (643)

8. Arkansas vs. 9. Seton Hall

Arkansas is 42^nd in steals per game (7.5) and Seton Hall is 231^st in turnovers per game (13.6)

5. Minnesota vs. 12. Middle Tennessee State

Minnesota is 1^st in blocked shots per game (6.8) and Middle Tennessee State is 12^th in fg percentage (49.0)

4. Butler vs. 13. Winthrop

Winthrop is 90^th in rebounds per game (37.41) and Butler 325^th (32.03)

3. UCLA vs. 14. Kent State

UCLA is 6^th in defensive rebounds per game (29.45) and Kent State is 2^nd in offensive rebounds per game (14.97)

6. Cincinnati vs. 11. Kansas State

Cincinnati is 10^th in turnovers per game (10.0) and Kansas State is 28^th in steals per game (7.8)

7. Dayton vs. 10. Wichita State

Wichita State is 5^th in rebound margin (8.9) and Dayton is 192^nd (0.2)

2. Kentucky vs. 15. Northern Kentucky

Kentucky is 285^th in fewest fouls (656) and Northern Kentucky is 267^th in free throw percentage (67.6)

Key Stats for the First Four

First Four

 

16. Mount St. Mary’s vs. 16. New Orleans

Mount St. Mary’s is 182^nd in turnovers per game (13.1) and New Orleans is 14^th turnovers forced (16.29)

16. North Carolina Central vs. 16. UC Davis

North Carolina Central is 10^th in fg percentage defense (39.1) and UC Davis is 213^th in fg percentage (43.7)

11. Providence vs. 11. USC

USC is 23^rd in assist to turnover ratio (1.37) and Providence is 132^nd in turnovers per game (12.6)

11. Kansas State vs. 11. Wake Forest

Kansas State is 56^th in scoring defense and Wake Forest is 16^th in offense

3/12 Tournament Schedule

American

Championship

3/12

Game 10: No 1 SMU Mustangs vs. No 2 Cincinnati Bearcats, 3:15 p.m.

 

Atlantic 10

Championship

3/12

Game 13: No 4 Rhode Island Rams vs. No 2 VCU Rams, 12:30 p.m.

 

Big Ten Championship

3/12

Game 3: No 8 Michigan Wolverines vs. No 2 Wisconsin Badgers, 12 p.m.

 

Ivy League

Championship

3/12

Game 13: No 1 Princeton Tigers vs. No 3 Yale Bulldogs, 3 p.m.

 

 

SEC

Championship

3/12

Game 13: No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No 3 Arkansas Razorbacks, 1 p.m.

 

Sun Belt

Championship

3/12

Game 11: No 4 Texas State Bobcats vs. No 6 Troy Trojans, 2 p.m.

3/11 Tournament Schedule

America East
Championship
3/11
Game 7: No. 3 Albany at No. 1 Vermont, 11 a.m.

American
Semifinals
3/11
Game 8: No. 1 SMU Mustangs 4 vs. No 4 UCF Golden Knights, 3 p.m.
Game 9: No 2 Cincinnati Bearcats vs. No 6 UConn Huskies, approx. 5:30 p.m.

Atlantic 10
Semifinals
3/11
Game 11: No. 9 Davidson Wildcats vs. No. 4 Rhode Island Rams, 1 p.m.
Game 12: No 2 VCU Rams vs. No 3 Richmond Spiders approx. 3:30 p.m.

ACC
Championship
3/11
Game 14: No 5 Duke Blue Devils vs. No 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 9 p.m.

Big 12
Championship
3/11
Game 9: No. 4 Iowa State Cyclones vs. No 2 West Virginia Mountaineers, 6 p.m.
Big East
Championship
3/11
Game 9: No 1 Villanova Wildcats vs. No 6 Creighton Bluejays, 5:30 p.m.

Big Sky
Championship
3/11
Game 10: No 1 North Dakota Fighting Hawks vs. No 3 Weber State Wildcats, 8:30 p.m.

Big Ten
Semifinals
3/11
Game 11: No. 8 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 4 Minnesota Golden Gophers, 1 p.m.
Game 12: No 2 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No 6 Northwestern Wildcats, approx. 3:30 p.m.

Big West
Championship
3/11
Game 7: No 1 UC Irvine Anteaters vs. No 2 UC Davis, 11:30 p.m.

Conference USA
Championship
3/11
Game 11: No. 1 Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders vs. No. 6 Marshall Thundering Herd, 8 p.m.

Ivy
Semifinals
3/11
Game 1: No. 4 Penn Quakers vs. No. 1 Princeton Tigers, 1:30 p.m.
Game 2: No. 3 Yale Bulldogs vs. No. 2 Harvard Crimson, approx. 4 p.m.

Mid-American
Championship
3/11
Game 11: No 1 Akron Zips vs. No 6 Kent State Golden Flashes, 7:30 p.m.

MEAC
Championship
3/11
Game 22: No 1 North Carolina Central Eagles vs. No 2 Norfolk State Spartans, 1 p.m.

Mountain West
Championship
3/11
Game 10: No 1 Nevada Wolfpack vs No 2 Colorado State Rams, 6 p.m.

PAC 12
Championship
3/11
Game 11: No 1 Oregon Ducks vs. No 2 Arizona Wildcats, 11 p.m.

SEC
Semifinals
3/11
Game 11: No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No 5 Alabama Crimson Tide, 1 p.m.
Game 12: No 7 Vanderbilt Commodores vs. No 3 Arkansas Razorbacks, approx. 3:30 p.m.

Southland
Championship
3/11
Game 7: No. 1 New Orleans Privateers vs. No 2 Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders, 9:30 p.m.

SWAC
Championship
3/11
Game 7: No 1 Texas Southern Jaguars vs. No 2 Alcorn State Braves, 6:30 p.m.

Sun Belt
Semifinals
3/11
Game 9: No. 1 UT-Arlington Mavericks vs. No. 4 Texas State Bobcats, 12:30 p.m.
Game 10: No 2 Georgia State Panthers vs. No 6 Troy Trojans, approx. 3 p.m.

WAC
Championship
3/11
Game 6: No 1 Cal State Bakersfield vs. No 2New Mexico State Aggies, 11 p.m.

3/10 Tournament Schedule

American

Quarterfinals

3/10

Game 4: No. 9 East Carolina Pirates vs. No. 1 SMU Mustangs, 12 p.m.

Game 5: No. 5 Memphis Tigers vs. No. 4 UCF Knights , approx. 2:30 p.m.

Game 6: No. 7 Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. No. 2 Cincinnati Bearcats, 7 p.m.

Game 7: No. 6 UConn Huskies vs. No. 3 Houston Cougars, approx. 9:30 p.m.

 

Atlantic 10

Quarterfinals

3/10

Game 7: No. 9 Davidson Wildcats vs. No. 1 Dayton Flyers, 12 p.m.

Game 8: No. 5 St. Bonaventure Bonnies vs. No. 4 Rhode Island Rams, approx. 2:30 p.m.

Game 9: No. 7 George Mason Patriots vs. No. 2 VCU Rams, 6:30 p.m.

Game 10: No 6 George Washington Colonials vs. No. 3 Richmond Spiders, approx. 9 p.m.

 

ACC

Semifinals

3/10

Game 12: No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 5 Duke Blue Devils, 7 p.m.

Game 13: No. 2 Florida State Seminoles vs. No 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, approx. 9:30 p.m.

 

Big 12

Semifinals

3/10

Game 7: No. 4 Iowa State Cyclones vs. No. 8 TCU Horned Frogs 4, 7 p.m.

Game 8: No. 2 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. No. 6 Kansas State Wildcats, approx. 9:30 p.m.

 

Big East

Semifinals

3/10

Game 7: No. 1 Villanova Wildcats vs. No. 4 Marquette Golden Eagles, 6:30 p.m.

Game 8: No. 7 Xavier Muskateers vs. No 6 Creighton Bluejays, approx. 9 p.m.

 

Big Sky

Semifinals

3/10

Game 8: No. 1 North Dakota Fighting Hawks vs. No. 4 Idaho Vandals, 8:35 p.m.

Game 9: No. 2 Eastern Washington Eagles vs. No. 3 Weber State Wildcats, approx. 11:05 p.m.

 

Big Ten

Quarterfinals

3/10

Game 7: No. 8 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers, 12 p.m.

Game 8: No. 5 Michigan State Spartans vs. No. 4 Minnesota Golden Gophers, approx. 2:30 p.m.

Game 9: No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers vs. No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers, 6:30 p.m.

Game 10: No. 6 Northwestern Wildcats vs. No. 3 Maryland Terrapins, approx. 9 p.m.

 

Big West

Semifinals

3/10

Game 5: No. 2 UC Davis Aggies vs. No. 3 Cal State Fullerton Titans, 9:30 p.m.

Game 6: No 5 Long Beach 49ers vs. No. 2 UC Irvine Anteaers. 12 a.m.

 

Conference USA

Semifinals

3/10

Game 9: No. 1 Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders vs. No. 4 UTEP Miners, 12:30 p.m.

Game 10: No. 2 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. No. 6 Marshall Thundering Herd, approx. 3 p.m.

 

Mid-American

Semifinals

3/10

Game 9: No. 1 Akron Zips vs. No. 4 Ball State Cardinals, 5:30 p.m.

Game 10: No. 2 Ohio Bobcats vs. No. 6 Kent Golden Flashes, approx. 8 p.m.

 

MEAC

Semifinals

3/10

Game 20: No. 1 North Carolina Central Eagles vs. No. 5 Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks 17, 6 p.m.

Game 21: No. 2 Norfolk State Spartans vs. No. 11 Howard Bison, approx. 8:30 p.m.

 

Mountain West

Semifinals

3/10

Game 8: No. 1 Nevada Wolfpack vs. No. 4 Fresno State Bulldogs, 10 p.m.

Game 9: No. 2 Colorado State Rams vs. No 6 San Diego State Aztecs, approx. 12:30 a.m.

 

PAC-12

Semifinals

3/10

Game 9: No. 1 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 5 California Bears, 9 p.m.

Game 10: No. 2 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 3 UCLA Bruins, approx. 11:30 p.m.

 

SEC

Quarterfinals

3/10

Game 7: No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats, 1 p.m.

Game 8: No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 4 South Carolina Gamecocks, approx. 3:30 p.m.

Game 9: No. 7 Vanderbilt Commodores vs. No. 2 Florida Gators, 7 p.m.

Game 10: No. 6 Mississippi Rebels vs. #3 Arkansas Razorbacks, approx. 9:30

 

Southland

Semifinals

3/10

Game 5: No. 5 Sam Houston State Bearkats vs. No. 1 New Orleans Privateers, 6 p.m.

Game 6: No. 6 Lamar Cardinals vs. No. 2 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders, approx. 8:30 p.m.

 

SWAC

Semifinals

3/10

Game 5: No. 5 Grambling State Tigers vs. No. 1 Texas Southern Tigers, 3:30 p.m.

Game 6: No. 3 Southern Jaguars vs. No. 2 Alcorn State Braves, 9:30 p.m.

 

Sun Belt

Quarterfinals

3/10

Game 5: No. 8 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs. No. 1 UT Arlington Mavericks, 12:30 p.m.

Game 6: No. 12 Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks vs. No. 4 Texas State Bobcats, approx. 3 p.m.

Game 7: No. 7 Louisiana Ragin Cajuns vs. No. 2 Georgia State Panthers, 6 p.m.

Game 8: No 6 Troy Trojans  vs. No. 3 Georgia Southern Eagles, approx. 8:30 p.m.

 

WAC

Semifinals

3/10

Game 4: No. 4 Utah Valley Wolverines vs. No. 1 Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners, 9 p.m.

Game 5: No. 2 New Mexico State Aggies vs. No. 3 UMKC Kangaroos, approx. 11:30 p.m.