We’re well into the second week of “March Madness” already, and two more conference tournaments start Thursday, in the AAC and MAC. That leaves just one to go (the Ivy, which is a two-day affair Saturday and Sunday). Here’s a preview of the AAC and MAC tourneys. (And here’s a look at the <a href="https://www.on3.com/news/2021-22-college-basketball-conference-tournament-schedule/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">complete conference tournament schedule</a>. All hail March Madness.)



<h2 id="h-american-athletic-conference">American Athletic Conference</h2>



When: Today-Sunday (the schedule is <a href="http://theamerican.org/documents/2022/1/3//MBB_11_team.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>) Where: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas TV for final: Sunday, 3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN Regular-season champ: Houston Format: All 11 teams qualify. Top five seeds get byes to quarterfinals. Projected NCAA bids: 1-3. The buzz: Houston is an NCAA lock, while second-seeded Memphis and third-seeded SMU are trying to cement a spot in the field. Memphis has a better spot on the bubble than SMU, and it’s not a given that both get in (though losses Wednesday by Xavier and Wake Forest was welcome news). Plus, they potentially could meet in a semifinal. In the regular season, Memphis swept Houston, SMU swept Memphis and Houston and SMU split, with each winning at home. Houston is looking to improve its NCAA seeding; the Cougars are a tough, defense-minded team, but their 3-point shooting is spotty and their work at the free-throw line downright bad (66.3 percent as team, 325th nationally). Memphis struggled for the first two-thirds of the season, then readjusted; the Tigers come in having won 10 of their past 11. They’re good offensively, but are extremely turnover-prone and can be lax defensively on the perimeter. SMU plays a lot of small ball and is good defensively, especially on the perimeter. In senior PG <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/kendric-davis-72880/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kendric Davis</a>, the Mustangs — who’ll be playing about a 45-minute drive from their campus in Dallas — have a guy who can take over a game. Davis was the conference’s player of the year. If any team outside the top three wins this tourney, it would be a stunner. The pick: Houston.



<h2 id="h-mid-american-conference">Mid-American Conference</h2>



When: Today-Saturday (the schedule is <a href="https://getsomemaction.com/documents/2022/3/4//MBBBracket22.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>) Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland TV for final: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 Regular-season champ: Toledo Format: Top 8 teams qualify, with no byes. Projected NCAA bids: 1. The buzz: Toledo won the regular-season title by a game over Kent State, which enters the tourney on a 12-game winning streak. That winning streak includes a 13-point win at Toledo on February 15. Indeed, Kent State swept Toledo this season. Per <a href="https://kenpom.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kenpom.com metrics</a>, Toledo has by far the best offense in the conference, while Kent State is the league’s best defensive team. Toledo averages 81.5 points per game, sixth nationally. The Rockets have the conference’s best player in sophomore G <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/ryan-rollins-103663/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ryan Rollins</a> (19.2 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, 1.8 steals per game); he scored 24 points total in the two losses to Kent State. Kent State’s key offensive player is senior G <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/sincere-carry-107536/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sincere Carry</a>, a Duquesne transfer. He was especially prolific late in the season, averaging 23.2 points and 5.0 assists in the past six games. And keep an eye on fourth-seeded Akron, which has won five in a row. The pick: Toledo.

On3 Basketball

March Madness: Thursday’s conference tournament breakdown

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March Madness: Thursday’s conference tournament breakdown

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