ACC, Big East highlight “Championship Week
Wednesday marks the beginning of the NCAA's “Championship Week”, which is a prelude to the “Big Dance”, as known as the NCAA Tournament. Here is a preview of the six major tournaments taking place this weekend.
ACC
North Carolina has the inside track in the ACC after beating Duke on the road last weekend. These two national powerhouses should meet again in the conference final, as Clemson and Virginia Tech do not have enough depth to trouble Carolina or Duke. The Tar Heels should come away with the ACC title and the No.1 seed in the East region.
Big East
This is the deepest team in the nation, with seven 20-win teams and two more sitting on 19 victories. Georgetown and Louisville are at the top of the conference, but Notre Dame and Connecticut are not far behind and have been playing some of the best basketball in the country. Look for the Cardinals to avenge their loss at Georgetown in the season finale to claim the Big East crown.
Big Ten
Wisconsin came away with the regular-season title, as the consistent Badgers did not lose back-to-back games once this season. But they will face stiff competition from Purdue, who beat the Badgers twice this season, as well as Michigan State and Indiana. The verdict is still out on Wisconsin, so do not be surprised by a Michigan State victory, as they have the best coach in the Big Ten in Tom Izzo.
Big 12
Kansas and Texas look to fight it out in this tournament, as the two shared the regular-season title. Kansas State, Oklahoma and Baylor make up the next tier in the Big 12, but these three cannot compete with the Jayhawks and Longhorns. In what could be a classic clash, Kansas should avenge their loss to Texas earlier in the season
Pac-10
UCLA survived a couple of late-season scares to take the conference regular-season title, and they are a legitimate Final Four team as long as Kevin Love stays in school. Stanford has the size to compete with the Bruins, and will be boosted by taking UCLA to overtime on the road. Washington State has the best defense in the conference, but they are offensively inconsistent. USC may be the most talented team in the Pac-10, but they are still young and make a lot of mistakes. It is hard to see anyone other than UCLA in this tournament.
SEC
The SEC is wide open, as Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State all have a realistic shot at the crown. Tennessee has the most high-profile wins and were No.1 in the nation for a brief moment, and they seem to be battle-tested for the tournaments. These tough games should give Tennessee the edge, and they should be SEC champions by the end of the weekend.
Stan Simmons first tasted football through the college game, but his football handicapping has strictly focused on the professional sport. Not many people devote as much time to the NFL as Simmons. For six days a week he works, labors and handicaps the sport, and on the seventh he rests as the games play out. Thoughts or questions?
