Championship Week starts today. It’s that time of year, when teams from the lower and middle conferences begin a Cinderella run through their conference tournaments. Sub -.500 teams upset the top seeds on their way to an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament, while the regular-season champs try to pull off the championship sweep. In my opinion, March Madness has officially begun.
Breakdown of the ACC & SEC
ACC (6): North Carolina, Duke, Clemson, Miami (Fl.), Maryland, Virginia Tech
SEC (4): Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Arkansas
Last Four In: Southern Illinois, Virginia Tech, Villanova, Maryland
Last Four Out: New Mexico, Saint Joseph’s, Syracuse, Kentucky
Next Four Out: Mississippi, Florida, Ohio State, Dayton
Keys to Games this Week
Wake Forest at Virginia Tech (Tuesday): The past couple of weeks, Wake Forest was the ACC team du jour; this week, it’s Tech and its 8-6 conf. record.
Arkansas at Mississippi (Tuesday): Look who’s back in the at-large mix? Despite a 5-9 SEC record, the Rebels could make a move with a win here.
Mississippi State at Vanderbilt (Wednesday): Two of the best teams in the SEC will go at it. Jamont Gordon and Shan Foster are both all-conference players.
Tennessee at Florida (Wednesday): Can the Gators salvage their fading at-large hopes with a win over the Vols? Tennessee is still fighting for a No. 1 seed.
