Previewing the major conference tournaments in college basketball

Scott Gleeson | USA TODAY Sports

A look at the major conference tournaments heading into Selection Sunday.

American Athletic

Site: Hartford.

Dates: Thursday-Sunday.

What to expect: Coach Larry Brown guided SMU to its first league championship in 22 years, an even more impressive feat considering the program's offseason and early-season turmoil. The Mustangs will have the top seed in the league tournament, but there are a handful of teams that could win the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Cincinnati and Temple are bubble teams that are safe assuming no bad losses. Second-seeded Tulsa will have the most to prove as one of the most debated bubble teams, and the Golden Hurricane looked to be the best team in this league for much of the season. Two teams to keep an eye on are Memphis and Connecticut, underachievers that have rosters capable of stealing a bid from a bubble team. The tournament's home-court advantage could be just what the defending national champion Huskies need to stage a surprise run.

Who wins: Connecticut.

Top 10 players in the conference: Nic Moore, SMU; Ryan Boatright, Connecticut; James Woodard, Tulsa; Austin Nichols, Memphis; Octavius Ellis, Cincinnati; Will Cummings, Temple; Shaquille Harrison, Tulsa; Markus Kennedy, SMU; Jherrod Stiggers, Houston; Louis Dabney, Tulane.

Atlantic Coast

Dates: Tuesday-Saturday

Site: Greensboro, N.C.

What to expect: Virginia, the regular-season ACC champ, is the top seed in the tournament, but it's safe to say Duke is the favorite. The Cavaliers are coming off a loss to Louisville and waiting for the return of leading scorer Justin Anderson. Duke beat Virginia on Jan.31, which started its active 11-game winning streak. How both teams fare will play a big part in determining the NCAA tournament's No. 1 seeds, with their profiles looking the part among six worthy teams vying for top seeds. Third-seeded Notre Dame has been strong all season and has the offensive firepower to win the whole thing. Bubble teams North Carolina State and Miami (Fla.) jump out as sleepers, as both have beaten the conference's elite and have much more to play for. They're also on the same side of the bracket. Florida State freshman Xavier Rathan-Mayes scored 30 points in less than five minutes in a Feb.25 loss to Miami, and a similar outburst could spearhead a deep run.

Who wins: Duke.

Top 10 players in the conference: Jahlil Okafor, Duke; Jerian Grant, Notre Dame; Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia; Montrezl Harrell, Louisville; Terry Rozier, Louisville; Quinn Cook, Duke; Marcus Paige, North Carolina; Trevor Lacey, North Carolina State; Olivier Hanlan, Boston College; Tyus Jones, Duke.

Big East

Dates: Wednesday-Saturday.

Site: New York.

What to expect: Villanova will be the clear-cut favorite after dominating the regular season. The Wildcats will need to win the tournament title to secure a No.1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but there will be plenty of challengers — five other teams are locks to reach the NCAAs. Second-seeded Georgetown beat Villanova on Jan.19 and will have a strong chance to make noise, while No.3 Butler, No.4 Providence and No.5 St. John's are capable of staging a surprise run as well. A dark-horse team could be sixth-seeded Xavier. The Musketeers haven't been very consistent but have the pieces to upset Butler in the quarterfinals and perhaps go further.

Who wins: Villanova.

Top 10 players in the conference: Darrun Hilliard II, Villanova; D'Angelo Harrison, St. John's; LaDontae Henton, Providence; D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Georgetown; Matt Stainbrook, Xavier; Kellen Dunham, Butler; Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova; JayVaughn Pinkston, Villanova; Sterling Gibbs, Seton Hall; Matt Carlino, Marquette.

Big Ten

Dates: Wednesday-Sunday.

Site: Chicago.

What to expect: The Big Ten hasn't been the Big Ten this season, with Wisconsin being the only elite team and Maryland the only other team positioned to lock up a top-five seed in the NCAA tournament. The league should send the most teams to the NCAA tournament, but the quality hasn't measured up to the quantity this season. The Badgers are playing like a Final Four team and will be vying for a No.1 NCAA seed. It could take a dominant run in this tournament to do so. The Terrapins, Michigan State and Iowa are playing their best basketball and are championship-caliber teams. Purdue, Indiana and Illinois are bubble teams that will be playing with a sense of urgency and are dark horses to win it all.

Who wins: Wisconsin.

Top 10 players in the conference: Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin; D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State; Sam Dekker, Wisconsin; Melo Trimble, Maryland; Aaron White, Iowa; Terran Petteway, Nebraska; D.J. Newbill, Penn State; Rayvonte Rice, Illinois; Yogi Ferrell, Indiana; Travis Trice, Michigan State.

Big 12

Dates: Wednesday-Saturday.

Site: Kansas City.

What to expect: Kansas, the 11-time reigning regular-season champion, will be the front-runner, but there are seven other teams legitimately capable of winning the tournament. That's what kind of season it has been in the Big 12 — one of parity, with elite teams beating up on each other. Second-seeded Iowa State and third-seeded Oklahoma have taken down the Jayhawks and have strong chances to cut down the nets. An intriguing matchup in the quarterfinals will be No.4 Baylor vs. No.5 West Virginia. Whichever team wins that clash could have momentum to go far. Oklahoma State and Texas aren't particularly hot but have the pieces to beat every other team in the tournament, as does giant slayer Kansas State. The Wildcats beat Iowa State and Kansas and will be a top bid thief candidate after playing off the NCAA tournament bubble.

Who wins: Iowa State.

Top 10 players in the conference: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma; Juwan Staten, West Virginia; Georges Niang, Iowa State; Perry Ellis, Kansas; Isaiah Taylor, Texas; Rico Gathers, Baylor; Taurean Prince, Baylor; Le'Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State; Marcus Foster, Kansas State; Frank Mason III, Kansas.

Pac-12

Dates: Wednesday-Saturday.

Site: Las Vegas.

What to expect: Arizona has the look of an NCAA tournament No.1 seed but will have to take care of business here to have a shot. Utah, the top challenger for most of the season, is reeling — losing three of its last five, including a résumé-staining setback to Washington in the regular-season finale. The Utes' struggles paved the way for Oregon to secure the No.2 seed in this tournament. The Ducks have comfortably played themselves off the bubble with five consecutive victories. No.5 Arizona State and No.7 Oregon State beat Arizona in the regular season and will be threats to make runs on their respective sides of the bracket. Among the teams that have the most to play for, UCLA and Stanford are trying to inch in on the right side of the bubble. The fourth-seeded Bruins have the best shot to make noise with a team that has shown flashes of taking the next step.

Who wins: Arizona.

Top 10 players in the conference: Delon Wright, Utah; T.J. McConnell, Arizona; Joseph Young, Oregon; Stanley Johnson, Arizona; Brandon Ashley, Arizona; Chasson Randle, Stanford; Norman Powell, UCLA; Nigel Williams-Goss, Washington; Gary Payton II, Oregon State; Tyrone Wallace, California.

Southeastern

Dates: Wednesday-Sunday.

Site: Nashville.

What to expect: Kentucky's quest for a perfect season intensifies in a tournament with five other NCAA tournament teams looking to enhance their credentials. The Wildcats have been vulnerable in overtime wins against Mississippi and Texas A&M as well as narrow victories against LSU, Georgia and Florida. Arkansas separated itself as the second-best team in the league but has lost two of three. Third-seeded Georgia stands out as a team that could turn it on, featuring a balanced offense with five players averaging double figures. No.4 seed LSU is relatively safe on the NCAA tournament bubble. But Mississippi and Texas A&M need wins to boost their profiles, so they'll be playing with a hunger factor that could provide an edge. Underachieving teams Vanderbilt, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee have shown potential throughout the season, and now's the perfect time to ignite.

Who wins: Kentucky.

Top 10 players in the conference:

Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky; Karl Anthony-Towns, Kentucky; Bobby Portis, Arkansas; Stefan Moody, Mississippi; Jordan Mickey, LSU; Devin Booker, Kentucky; Aaron Harrison, Kentucky; Danuel House, Texas A&M; Josh Richardson, Tennessee; Levi Randolph, Alabama.