NCAA basketball: Predicting who wins every major conference tournament

MADISON, WISCONSIN - MARCH 06: Johnny Davis #1 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts after hitting the first shot of the game during the first half of the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kohl Center on March 06, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /

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BOISE, ID – MARCH 1: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. #10 of the Boise State Broncos shots for two points during first-half action against the Nevada Wolf Pack at ExtraMile Arena on March 1, 2022, in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images) /

Mountain West Conference Tournament predictions

Dates: March 9-12
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Venue: Thomas & Mack Center
TV: Mountain West Network (1st Round), CBS Sports Network (QF/SF), CBS (Final)
Top Seed: Boise State
Bracket

Most people haven’t paid a ton of attention to the Mountain West but it has quietly become one of the nation’s most interesting conferences. After a few down years, the Mountain West is poised to send four teams to the NCAA Tournament with all of them capable of reaching at least the Sweet 16.

The closest team to the bubble is Wyoming, which has a tricky quarterfinal matchup against UNLV, which is playing a de facto home game at the Thomas & Mack Center. A loss there could cost the Cowboys a trip to the tournament but a win would likely ensure a bid since a loss to top seed Boise State isn’t damaging.

While the Broncos are the favorite, they were not ranked once this season while No. 2 seed Colorado State was after a long unbeaten streak to start the season. The Rams are a dangerous team that will likely be drawn into a rock fight by No. 3 seed San Diego State in the semifinals.

The tricky thing about the Mountain West is that there are more than four teams capable of winning the conference tournament while upsets could abound. The Broncos have never won the Mountain West Tournament before but that drought should end this year.

Prediction: Boise State