Championship Week TRULY BEGINS!!!!

                                          

The ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big XII as well as conferences like the WAC get underway today.  So, what are the storylines of these tournys???

WHAT'S UP WITH DUKE??  That's the main question heading into the ACC tournament.  Anything short of a ACC title will put much of Duke Nation in a bit of concern.  They come in riding a two game losing streak and JJ Redick has shot poorly over the past two weeks.  And the thing I pointed out earlier is that Coach K hasn't been getting Redick enough rest.  Problem is, how can he do any of that now??  Aside from the inevitable blowout of someone in the 1st round of the NCAA tournament....there may not be another chance.

FLORIDA STATE, INDIANA, MICHIGAN, TEXAS A&M AND KENTUCKY:  All five of these schools are on a bit of pins and needles heading into this thing.  Whereas I think Kentucky, Michigan and Indiana are still in even with an opening round loss....they still don't want to risk it.  Texas A&M may have it the toughest, since they get [probably] fellow bubbler Colorado in their first game.  That's tough, since the Buffs are having to win to get in.  The conventional wisdom about all of these teams is that if they win one game....they have a punched ticket to the dance.

OHIO STATE TRYING TO BE #1:  Think about it.  Ohio State won the regular season Big Ten crown.  If they win the Big Ten tournament...then they won both high honors in the top rated conference in the RPI.  If Memphis slips up...do the Buckeyes jump to that top spot??  Either way, an Ohio State title here will, at worst, give them the last #1 or the first #2.  Pretty much the same thing.

TEXAS MAY BE WANTING THE SAME THING:  Texas, to me, is the class of the Big XII.  In the past two weeks, they completely dismantled both Kansas and Oklahoma....the two reasonable challengers in this tourny.  Of course, they also were tripped up by A&M on a buzzer beater.  If the Horns can win this tournament....Memphis and Ohio State stutter....and the committee slights Gonzaga....can the Horns acsend to the top???  I still think they are trying for a #2. 

WHO REALLY IS THE BEST IN THE SEC??  The SEC still goes by the divisional format for hoops [the ACC, Big XII and Conference USA ditch it] so it's tough to crown a true regular season champion.  So the postseason will feature SEC powers Tennessee, Florida and LSU trying to get the best spot in the NCAAs from the SEC.  The thing is that there are landmines called Alabama, Arkansas and, yes, Kentucky that can win this thing. 

HOW HOT IS NORTH CAROLINA??  Since the Duke game after the Super Bowl, Carolina hasn't lost.  And they've blown out Maryland and NC State....and slightly dominated Duke in Durham.  These Heels finished 7-1 in the ACC away from the Dean Dome.  So could they be a favorite??  Well, a matchup against Boston College [who beat UNC in Chapel Hill] is probably before the rubber match with Duke is possible.  But the way these kids are playing right now....who really knows their ceiling??

MARYLAND AND COLORADO'S LAST CHANCE:  Of these conferences, these two teams are the most "Syracuse-y" in the fact that despite being outsiders now they can still play their way into the dance without winning the conference tournament.  The Terps get a fiesty G-Tech off the bat....then maybe a stretch of Boston College and North Carolina.  Tough, but doable.  Colorado gets a bit of a break by facing Baylor [who, due to punishment, only played a Big XII schedule this year] and then Texas A&M...who's trying to get in themselves.  Wins there and a good showing against Texas in the semis would put good thoughts in the committee's mind. 

HOME SWEET HOME:  There is a bit of home cookin' in these tournaments.  The ACC will be in Greensboro....which is right down I-40 from Duke, UNC, NC State andWake Forest.  The Big XII tourny is in Dallas....where there are four Texas teams and two Oklahoma teams nearby.  The Big Ten is in Indianapolis, so maybe this is the break the Hoosiers need to play their way into the dance.  And the SEC is in Nashville...which is doable for Tennessee [who wants good seeding], Kentucky [who's fighting to stay in] and Vanderbilt [at home with a shot to make a run].