Best NCAA basketball conference tournaments

With March officially on the calendar wall it’s basketball's time to shine as fans eagerly await both conference and NCAA tournaments. Here’s a list of what conference tournaments you should follow before making your bracket.

SEC

If this article was about the best conference for men’s basketball I do not think the SEC would be in nearly as much consideration. However, since this is simply each conference's tournament I think the SEC can’t be ignored. With their high viewership, large names, and internal upsets this is not a conference to look over here at the start of March.

One of the key factors in the SEC's rise is its incredible depth of talent throughout the conference. From year-by-year contenders like the University of Alabama, Auburn, and the University of Florida, to rising programs who continuously show glimpses for deep runs such as Ole Miss and Texas A&M, the SEC has no clear winner making it great competition.

Building off this, what makes the SEC so intriguing is its unpredictability. On any given day, an underdog like Arkansas or the University of Texas can knock off a powerhouse, keeping the madness of March alive.

Big Ten

Next up is the Big Ten. One of the biggest factors that make the Big Ten tournament so eye-catching is the high stakes involved. The conference features some of the top teams in the country, but beyond that, there are also several teams fighting for NCAA tournament seeding. For bubble teams like Michigan, Ohio State, and Nebraska, every game in the Big Ten tournament is crucial for their NCAA tournament hopes.

A recent example of this was the 2022-2023 season where Penn State managed to qualify for the Big Ten tournament with no hopes of an NCAA tournament Bid. That was until they made it to their conference championship and suffered a two-point 67-65 loss to No. 5 Purdue. From this deep run, they punched their ticket and made it to the second round of the tournament.

Unlike some conferences where a dominant team can run away with the tournament, the Big Ten often sees teams playing for their postseason lives.

Big East

Finally, not a conference you typically see when talking about postseason action, but one that undoubtedly receives a shoutout.

The Big East holds infamous Blue Blood basketball teams such as UConn, Xavier, and Villanova. Do you know UConn, the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Champion? A conference that holds many teams that will never make their debut, but that holds rich talent and history in those that make it through.

Right now is a specifically interesting time as none of those Blue Bloods lead the conference. Instead, it’s the 26-4 St John’s Red Storm.

This conference isn’t even expecting Xavier or Villanova to make it to the Top 64. Instead, it’s looking like it will be: St John’s, Marquette, UConn, and Creighton. This is what makes it so interesting though as one upset or deep run could flip this entire conference.

With the NCAA tournament just weeks away, these conferences are in for a whole lot of ball. Tune in as much as you can before making your bracket, and let the madness begin.

Bronwyn Liber is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email brl5354@psu.edu.