College Basketball: Conference Tournament Previews

It's coming down to the wire. Now that the Gators have been snapped out of March Madness, it's time to find out the new contenders for the championship.

The Big East is making noise, while a tornado is putting things on hold in the SEC. The ACC is looking like another showdown between Duke and Carolina while the Pac 10 is keeping things exciting out on the West Coast. Let's take a look at some games that will leave us speechless.

Big East Championship: Georgetown vs. Pittsburgh

The ultimate underdogs take on the ultimate opportunists once more. Now that it's official that Florida will not be in this year's tournament, Georgetown is making enough noise to warrant a few battle cries from the peanut gallery.

But Pittsburgh has been on fire and aren't looking to stop short of the Big East Crown. Pitt has two big victories over powerhouses Marquette and UConn, and that just might be enough to catapult them into the Big Dance.

Unfortunately, Georgetown is ready for the world right now, and they ain't stopping until they claim the Big East as well as the NCAA Championship. So for this game, I will say that the Hoyas win this one by 10 simply because they will have the firepower to handle Pitt's zone defense. Pitt may have enough talent to hang with G'Town, but they can't handle the physical play that Georgetown has been displaying throughout the entire tournament. So that's my take. Got something better?

Final Score: Hoyas 80, Panthers 67

ACC Tournament: Semifinals

While many are predicting the rubber match against UNC and Duke, Clemson and Virginia Tech are showing signs of life at the right time. The Hokies have to deal with the Tar Heels in tonight's first semifinal game while Clemson has to find a way to handle a Duke team that is finding its groove in this year's tournament.

So for the interest of argument, I say that UNC keeps its momentum going and beats Va Tech, while Clemson dispatches Duke. But then again, I am a little crazy. I mean, I live in Colorado if that makes any sense. I say one guarantee though: one of these games will go down to the wire. Which one is all on them.

Final Pairing: North Carolina vs. Clemson

SEC Tournament: Semifinals

Tennessee survived yesterday while Arkansas took out Vandy. Now the stage is set for a pretty good ball game against each other. On the other side of the field, Mississippi State edged Alabama in overtime while Georgia picked up the pieces from Tornado Hotlanta and took out Kentucky earlier today.

So this sets the stage for a possible SEC Cinderella story. While on the upper bracket the Hogs and Vols will surely duke it out and enjoy a good slugfest in the process. So for the sake of SEC shockers, I say that Arkansas faces Mississippi State in the finals tomorrow. Expect fireworks—and hopefully a tornado won't come and mess this up.

Final Pairing: Arkansas vs. Mississippi State

Pac-10 Championship: UCLA vs. Stanford

It's the Cardinals versus the luckiest team in the country. Despite some controversial victories, the Bruins are one win away from winning the Pac 10 title. UCLA will be in the tournament, but the only thing that is working in their favor is that Florida will not be there this time around.

As for Stanford, this is payback time for them. After getting screwed by poor officiating, the Cardinals are looking to pull a shocker once again. I say that this is the time to do it. For all the animosity I have for this team, I will say that Stanford gets revenge today. As for UCLA, they're in, but for how long, I wouldn't care.

Final Score: Stanford 70, UCLA 68

To be continued...