Predictions for every 2023 college basketball conference tournament champion

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F Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana Hoosiers. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Big South Champions – UNC Asheville Bulldogs

The regular season champion Bulldogs also took care of business in the conference tournament by topping Campbell 77-73 in the championship game on Sunday. A 16-seed appears to be the most likely outcome for UNC Asheville on Selection Sunday.

Big Ten Champions – Indiana Hoosiers

This felt like the Purdue invitational for a long time but the Boilermakers’ struggles down the stretch don’t instill a ton of confidence that they will find a way to win the conference tournament. Indiana has gotten hot and has already swept Purdue, giving them the confidence they can do it again in Chicago.

Big West Champions – UC Irvine Anteaters

Getting the tiebreaker over UC Santa Barbara for the top seed in the Big West conference tournament was huge for the Anteaters, who are playing their best basketball right now. UC Irvine takes the easier path to an NCAA Tournament bid.

CAA Champions – Hofstra Pride

The College of Charleston drew national headlines when they were ranked but Hofstra is simply the better basketball team. The Pride are a strong defensive team and have already beaten Charleston once this season, a feat they may need to duplicate this week.

Conference USA Champions – North Texas Mean Green

This would qualify as a bid theft since Florida Atlantic, who won the C-USA regular season crown, is safely in the field in most brackets. North Texas only lost by four on the road to the Owls in their lone regular-season meeting and have the defense necessary to slow down FAU and advance to the dance for the first time since 2021, when they upset No. 4 seeded Purdue in the first round.

Horizon League Champions – Youngstown State Penguins

The Penguins won their first Horizon League regular season title this year and showed they were capable of beating the league’s best this season. Securing the conference tournament crown would give Youngstown State its first-ever trip to March Madness.

Ivy League Champions – Yale Bulldogs

Sweeping Princeton is a big reason to favor Yale, which has won nine of its last ten games with the lone defeat coming by 2 at Penn. The Bulldogs are also a well-oiled offensive machine that can win a high-scoring game if necessary.

MAAC Champions – Iona Gaels

Unlike last season, when Rick Pitino’s team was slumping down the stretch, the Gaels have caught fire to end the regular season on an 11-game winning streak. Iona’s three-headed monster of Walter Clayton, Nelly Junior Joseph and Daniss Jenkins will propel them into March Madness as a squad capable of pulling an upset in the Round of 64.