Early Predictions for the Champions of Every 2025 CBB Conference Tournament
With just a few days until the beginning of March and only a handful of regular-season games left across the men's college basketball landscape, conference tournament time is right around the corner.
The NCAA tournament's 68-team field is made up of 31 automatic bids and 37 at-large selections, and those first 31 slots will be decided by the winners of each conference tournament.
The Atlantic Sun will be the first conference tournament to tip off on March 2, kicking off two weeks of action across college basketball that concludes on Selection Sunday when the AAC, A-10, Big Ten, Ivy League and SEC will all play their title games in the afternoon.
There is still a lot to be decided in the coming days, but for now, here's an early look at predictions for each conference tournament champion heading into March.
Note: All records and NET rankings accurate through Tuesday's games.
Mid-Majors, Part 1
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AAC: Memphis Tigers (22-5, 12-2 in AAC, NET: 48)
The AAC has never been a one-bid league since its inception during the 2013-14 season, but unless the Tigers are upset in the conference tournament, that streak will likely come to an end. North Texas (NET: 59) is the only other team ranked inside the NET Top 100, and the Tigers beat the Mean Green by four points in their head-to-head matchup on Jan. 5.
America East: Vermont Catamounts (17-11, 10-3 in AEC, NET: 231)
The Catamounts have won six in a row, including a 59-55 victory over conference leader Bryant on Feb. 20 to split the season series. Head coach John Becker has taken them to the NCAA tournament in each of the past three seasons, and while this team is not as good as the one that snagged a No. 13 seed last year, that experience could be a factor in the AEC tournament.
Atlantic 10: VCU Rams (23-5, 13-2 in A-10, NET: 29)
Since opening A-10 play with a loss to St. Bonaventure, the Rams have ripped off a 13-1 record over their last 14 games. A road win over Dayton (NET: 75) on Feb. 7 and a convincing 70-54 victory over George Mason (NET: 65) on Feb. 22 has made them the clear top team in the conference. They would still have an outside shot at an at-large bid if they were to reach the A-10 championship game and lose.
Atlantic Sun: Lipscomb Bisons (21-9, 13-4 in ASUN, NET: 87)
The Bison have already secured a third straight 20-win season, and they are the only ASUN team with a NET ranking in the Top 100. North Alabama (NET: 119) is their biggest competition, and after losing to them on Jan. 23, they evened the season series with a 75-63 victory at home on Feb. 20.
Big Sky: Montana Grizzlies (20-8, 13-2 in Big Sky, NET: 153)
The Grizzlies have not lost a game since Jan. 18, winning nine in a row and picking up a big road win over Northern Colorado (NET: 128) on Feb. 6 to avenge a 24-point loss in January. They shoot 50.0 percent from the floor as a team, good for third in the nation, and have a well-balanced offense with six players averaging at least eight points per game.
Mid-Majors, Part II
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Big South: High Point Panthers (25-5, 13-2 in Big South, NET: 86)
The Panthers are one of the better mid-major teams in the country this year, and their resume includes a Quad 2 win over a good North Texas team. They rank No. 25 in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency and average 82.2 points per game, and that offense has been the driving force behind their current 10-game winning streak.
Big West: UC San Diego Tritons (24-4, 14-2 in Big West, NET: 37)
The Tritons have the highest NET ranking of any mid-major team aside from Gonzaga (8), Saint Mary's (16), VCU (29), and Utah State (33), and they rank highly in KenPom's offensive (No. 51) and defensive (No. 41) efficiency metrics. This is just their fifth season at the D-I level, but they are a Cinderella team to watch if they can punch their ticket to this year's NCAA tournament.
Coastal: Towson Tigers (19-10, 14-2 in CAA, NET: 146)
Road losses to College of Charleston (NET: 150) and Elon (NET: 162)—two of the better teams in the CAA—are the only missteps for the Tigers since the start of conference play, and they are 13-1 overall in their last 14 games. They have a two-game lead over UNC-Wilmington in the CAA standings with two games remaining on the regular-season schedule.
Conference USA: Jacksonville State Gamecocks (19-9 11-4 in CUSA, NET: 114)
The Liberty Flames (NET: 70) are the best team in Conference USA on paper, but they suffered a 72-61 loss to Jacksonville State on Feb. 1, and the Gamecocks are capable of running the table in the conference tournament. Senior guard Jaron Pierre Jr. is a bona fide star, averaging 22.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 41.1 percent from three-point range.
Horizon: Robert Morris Colonials (22-8, 14-5 in Horizon, NET: 157)
The Horizon League is wide open, with five teams within 1.5 games of each other atop the conference standings. The Colonials have momentum on their side with a six-game winning streak heading into Thursday's regular-season finale against IU Indy on Thursday night, and that's enough to give them the edge to claim the automatic bid.
Mid-Majors, Part III
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Ivy League: Yale Bulldogs (18-6, 11-0 in Ivy League, NET: 68)
The Bulldogs are undefeated in conference play and have the nation's longest active winning streak at 12 in a row. They rank No. 45 in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency, and they have a trio of stars in John Poulakidas (19.5 PPG, 67 threes), Nick Townsend (15.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG) and Bez Mbeng (12.8 PPG, 5.8 APG).
MAAC: Marist Red Foxes (20-5, 13-3 in MAAC, NET: 209)
Marist and Quinnipiac (NET: 181) are tied atop the MAAC standings with a 13-3 record in conference play, while Merrimack (NET: 190) are also worth keeping an eye on with a defense that ranks No. 80 in KenPom's adjusted efficiency metric. Sophomore Josh Pascarelli is averaging 16.6 points and shooting a blistering 43.1 percent from beyond the arc with 69 made threes.
MAC: Akron Zips (22-6, 14-1 in MAC, NET: 98)
The Zips were a No. 14-seed in last year's NCAA tournament and have recorded four straight 20-win seasons under head coach John Groce. Their only misstep in conference play came on the road against Ohio (NET: 166) last weekend, and a big matchup against the No. 2 team in the conference Kent State (NET: 115) awaits on Friday. They beat the Golden Flashes by 14 points on the road the first time they faced off on Jan. 31.
MEAC: Norfolk State Spartans (20-8, 10-1 in MEAC, NET: 176)
The Spartans played a tough non-conference schedule with games against Tennessee, Baylor and Stanford, and they also picked up a Quad 2 win over a good High Point team. That has seemingly prepared them well for the MEAC schedule, and they have just one loss and an eight-game winning streak heading into their final three games of the regular season.
Missouri Valley: Drake Bulldogs (25-3, 15-3 in MVC, NET: 57)
The Bulldogs beat Vanderbilt and Kansas State during non-conference play and have a 5-1 record overall in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games, giving them a resume that stacks up to almost any mid-major team in the country. The biggest hurdle will be a third matchup against Bradley (NET: 84), who they lost to at home by two points on Feb. 16, but beat by seven points on the road on Jan. 8.
Mid-Majors, Part IV
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Northeast: Central Connecticut Blue Devils (21-6, 12-2 in NEC, NET: 154)
The Blue Devils have won 10 in a row thanks to a stingy defense that allows 63.1 points per game and ranks No. 84 in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency. After 12 straight losing seasons, they have posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns and are a program on the rise under head coach Patrick Sellers.
Ohio Valley: SE Missouri State Redhawks (19-10, 14-4 in OVC, NET: 183)
The OVC race has opened up since Belmont and Murray State moved to the Missouri Valley for the 2022-23 season, and the Redhawks are the class of the conference this season. They have five players averaging at least nine points on the offensive side of things, and they do a great job defensively guarding the perimeter, allowing only 5.2 made threes per game (1st in NCAA) and 28.5 percent shooting from distance (5th in NCAA).
Patriot: Bucknell Bison (15-14, 11-5 in Patriot, NET: 219)
The Bison lost eight in a row earlier this year as part of a tough non-conference schedule that included games against Gonzaga, Kentucky and Maryland. However, they are 11-4 in their last 15 games, which includes a lopsided 71-49 victory over American University who sat one game up on them in the Patriot League standings heading into Wednesday's action.
Southern: Chattanooga Mocs (21-8, 13-3 in SoCon, NET: 129)
There are six SoCon teams slotted between No. 105 and No. 152 in the NET rankings, and any of those teams could put together a run in the SoCon tournament to claim the automatic bid. The Mocs are the pick thanks to a nine-game winning streak and a well-balanced offense that ranks No. 55 in KenPom's efficiency metric and 12th in the nation with 17.3 assists per game.
Southland: McNeese State Cowboys (23-6, 17-1 in Southland, NET: 63)
The Cowboys won 30 games and landed a No. 12 seed in last year's NCAA tournament in former LSU coach Will Wade's first season at the helm, and they are once again head and shoulders above the rest of the Southland field. Nichols State (NET: 174) handed them their only conference loss on Feb. 1, and they have the best chance of pulling off what would be a major upset.
Mid-Majors, Part V
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SWAC: Southern Jaguars (18-9, 13-1 in SWAC, NET: 211)
The Jaguars are the only SWAC team ranked inside the Top 250 in NET ranking, and their only loss in conference play came by one point on the road against Alabama State. They faced Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Nebraska, USC and Iowa in non-conference play, so they entered conference play more battle-tested than much of their SWAC competition.
Summit: South Dakota State Jackrabbits (19-10, 10-4 in Summit, NET: 109)
The Jackrabbits are 1.5 games behind Omaha (NET: 195) in the Summit League standings, but they avenged an earlier loss to the Mavericks with a 98-85 victory on Feb. 13. There's a good chance we will see a third matchup between those two teams in the conference championship game. It's worth mentioning that St. Thomas (20-9, 10-4 in Summit) is not eligible for the NCAA tournament, as it's in the fourth and final year of its provisional period after making the jump from D-III to D-I.
Sun Belt: Arkansas State Red Wolves (20-9, 11-5 in Sun Belt, NET: 94)
There are five teams separated by two games atop the Sun Belt standings, but none has a more impressive win on its resume than the 85-72 victory the Red Wolves recorded against Memphis in December. They are just 2-4 in their last six games after rattling off a seven-game winning streak, but there is still an easy case to be made that they are the most talented team in the conference.
WAC: Grand Canyon Antelopes (20-6, 10-2 in WAC, NET: 97)
Utah Valley (20-7, 12-1) and Grand Canyon (20-6, 10-2) are the class of the WAC this season, and both teams won their home game in the two regular-season matchups, so this one is a toss-up. The Antelopes had the more recent and more lopsided victory with a 75-57 win on Feb. 1, so they get the slight edge, but both teams could be in the mix for a No. 13 or No. 14 seed if they snag the automatic bid.
WCC: Saint Mary's Gaels (25-4, 15-1 in WCC, NET: 16)
It is once again Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary's for WCC supremacy, though the field is stronger than in years past with Santa Clara (NET: 54), San Francisco (NET: 62) and Oregon State (NET: 79). The Gaels won both regular-season matchups, including a 74-67 victory on the road last Saturday, so they get the nod. The 2007-08 season is the last time someone other than Gonzaga or Saint Mary's won the conference tournament, but this could be the year.
ACC: Duke Blue Devils
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Record: 25-3, 16-1 in ACC, NET: 1
The 1999-2000 season is the last time the ACC put fewer than four teams in the NCAA tournament, but that appears to be the direction things are headed this year with only Duke, Clemson and Louisville safely in the projected field.
Wake Forest, SMU and North Carolina are all part of the current bubble conversation, and they could each improve their chances greatly with a deep run in the conference tournament, but it's clear the Blue Devils are the team to beat.
Their only loss since the start of conference play came on the road against Clemson, and the Tigers will again be their biggest hurdle in the ACC tournament.
Big 12: Houston Cougars
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Record: 24-4, 16-1 in Big 12, NET: 3
The Houston Cougars were the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 tournament last season, but they were dismantled by the Iowa State Cyclones in a 69-41 blowout in the championship game.
Those two were clearly the best teams in the conference a year ago, and while they are part of that conversation once again, it's a much deeper top tier with Arizona, Texas Tech and BYU all currently ranked in the AP poll and a still-dangerous Kansas team looking to make a statement for the selection committee.
The Cougars are one of only three teams in the country that rank inside the Top 10 in KenPom's offensive and defensive efficiency metrics, along with Duke and Florida, and it's hard to bet against the balance they have on both ends of the court.
Big East: St. John's Red Storm
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Record: 24-4, 15-2 in Big East, NET: 18
While a high-powered offense can have an off night shooting the basketball, a stingy defense rarely has a bad night, as it's more about getting players to buy into a team philosophy than anything else.
The St. John's Red Storm has not been to the NCAA tournament since the 2018-19 season, but the program has returned to national relevance in its second year under head coach Rick Pitino and a defense that ranks No. 2 in KenPom's adjusted efficiency is the biggest reason for their newfound success.
They allow just 65.7 points per game and hold the opposition to 4.1 percent shooting, which is the eighth-lowest mark in the nation. Marquette, Creighton and UConn will have something to say about it, but St. John's is clearly the team to beat in the Big East.
Big Ten: Michigan State Spartans
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Record: 22-5, 13-3 in Big Ten, NET: 15
There are currently 10 Big Ten teams projected for a spot in the NCAA tournament field with another just on the wrong side of the bubble, according to the latest Bracket Matrix update, but they might not put a team on the top two seed lines.
It's a deep conference without an obvious front-runner, but the team playing the best basketball from that group right now is the Michigan State Spartans.
The Spartans have won three in a row, and those victories have come on the road against Illinois, at home against Purdue and on the road against Michigan, good for three Quad 1 wins to bring their record to 8-4 in those top-tier games.
Mountain West: Colorado State
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Record: 19-9, 13-4 in Mountain West, NET: 61
The Mountain West has put at least four teams in the NCAA tournament field in each of the past three seasons, including a conference record six teams a year ago, so while they are not generally considered a major conference team they have earned their own slide in this discussion.
Utah State (No. 8 seed), New Mexico (No. 9 seed) and San Diego State (No. 10 seed) are the three teams currently projected for a spot in the field, according to the latest Bracket Matrix, while Boise State is squarely on the bubble.
However, don't sleep on a Colorado State team that has won four in a row and nine of its last 11 games. They have a legitimate star in Nique Clifford (17.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 4.2 APG) and a head coach in Niko Medved who has taken them to the NCAA tournament twice in the last three years.
SEC: Auburn Tigers
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Record: 25-2, 13-1 in SEC, NET: 2
The SEC has been the best conference in college basketball this season by a sizable margin, and the latest Bracket Matrix has a staggering 13 teams in the projected NCAA tournament field, including three of the four No. 1 seeds.
That makes the fact that Auburn is 13-1 in conference play all the more impressive, and is a clear indication they have the best resume in college basketball here in the regular season's final weeks.
They did lose to Florida at home, and their victories over Alabama and Tennessee came by a combined 11 points, so this is not quite the runaway juggernaut that the UConn Huskies were at this time a year ago. Still, they are the team to beat in the SEC and arguably in all of college basketball as the calendar gets set to flip to March.
