March Madness: Tuesday’s conference tournament breakdown

To true college basketball aficionados, the real “March Madness” already has started. That’s because the “lesser” conference tournaments already have begun; those are the leagues in which you must win your conference tourney to even get into the Big Dance. The pressure is immense, and a marvelous regular season means nothing.

Here’s a look at the three tournaments that start Tuesday; two more start Wednesday. (Here’s a look at the complete conference tournament schedule.)

Atlantic Sun Conference

When: March 1, 3, 5, 8 (the schedule is here)
Where: Campus sites
TV for final: March 8, 5 p.m., ESPN2
Regular-season champ: Jacksonville State
Format: All 12 teams qualify.
Projected NCAA bids: 1.
The buzz: The conference has two divisions and seeds by division. But West winner Jacksonville State had the best regular-season record (13-3 to East winner Liberty’s 12-4). The teams met once, with Jacksonville State winning at Liberty. Jacksonville State and Liberty are heavily reliant on 3-pointers. Liberty has the best player in the league in 5-foot-9 G Darius McGhee, who averaged 33.6 points and 7.0 rebounds (again, he’s 5-9) in his final six regular-season games. He is the nation’s second-leading scorer (24.7 points per game), gold from the line (88 percent) and 118-of-309 (38.2 percent) from 3-point range. (There also are reports that he has a 48-inch vertical.) But Liberty can be sloppy with the ball at times, and the Flames don’t force many turnovers, either. Jacksonville State’s three league losses came to teams that were a combined eight games under .500 in conference play, so focus obviously can be an issue with the Gamecocks. Florida Gulf Coast, the equivalent of the fifth seed, comes in having won seven of eight; the Eagles split with Liberty and lost at Jacksonville State in the only meeting. Jacksonville and Bellarmine are the teams other than Liberty and Jacksonville State that received first-round byes.
The pick: Liberty

Horizon League

When: March 1, 3, 7-8 (the schedule is here)
Where: Campus sites, then Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis for semifinals and final
TV for final: March 8, 7 p.m., ESPN
Regular-season champ: Cleveland State
Format: All 12 teams qualify.
Projected NCAA bids: 1.
The buzz: Cleveland State faded down the stretch, losing its final two regular-season games and three of its final five, to drop into a tie with Purdue-Fort Wayne. But Cleveland State still is the No. 1 seed over Purdue-Fort Wayne by virtue of winning two of three over the Mastodons (a great nickname, for sure) in the regular season. PFW, which shoots (and makes) a ton of 3-pointers, comes in on a nine-game winning streak. PFW doesn’t play particularly stingy defense, but it does create turnovers. It’s also worth keeping an eye on fifth-seeded Oakland, who was in the hunt for the regular-season title until it lost three in a row (all at home) during a week late last month. Oakland swept Cleveland State and split with PFW. The Golden Grizzlies have the best coach in the league in Greg Kampe and a nice 1-2 punch in Jalen Moore and Jamal Cain, a Marquette transfer. Moore, though, is way too in love with 3-pointers: He is a hide-your-eyes-bad 36-of-154 from beyond the arc (23.4 percent).
The pick: Oakland

Patriot League

When: March 1, 3, 6, 9 (the schedule is here)
Where: Campus sites
TV for final: March 9, 7:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Regular-season champ: Colgate
Format: All 10 teams qualify.
Projected NCAA bids: 1.
The buzz: Colgate was dominant in the regular season, going 16-2, winning the title by four games and finishing on a 12-game winning streak. During that winning streak, the closest margin of victory was five and eight were by double digits. The Raiders, who hit 39.3 percent from 3-point range (sixth nationally), were unbeaten at home in conference play and play every tourney game on their home court. In short, they should earn the automatic bid and go to the NCAAs for the second season in a row and the third time in five seasons. Colgate is one of 11 teams nationally that has made at least 300 3-pointers. Third-seeded Boston U., an upperclassmen-laden team that handed Colgate one of its two league losses, is the other team to watch.
The pick: Colgate