Predictions for every 2023 college basketball conference tournament champion

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F Jaime Jaquez Jr, UCLA Bruins. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /

MAC Champions – Kent State Golden Flashes

The Golden Flashes are battle tested, having played tight games in losses to Gonzaga, Houston and Charleston earlier this season. That experience pays dividends as Kent State knocks off Toledo to surge into the field.

MEAC Champions – Howard Bison

The MEAC Tournament should be highly entertaining as Howard outlasts a tight top four to grab an auto-bid to the dance. The only question remaining is whether the Bison can avoid the First Four or get a straight 16-seed.

Missouri Valley Champions – Drake Bulldogs

This title game took place on Sunday and Drake blitzed regular-season champion Bradley to punch their ticket to March Madness. The Bulldogs are an experienced bunch that could be a very dangerous 12-seed on Selection Sunday.

Mountain West Champions – Boise State Broncos

The Mountain West as a whole is stacked, which makes it hard to see a clean path to the title for San Diego State. Boise State has been underrated all year long and get itself out of the bubble mess by snagging the conference’s auto bid.

NEC Champions – Fairleigh Dickinson Knights

The NEC title game is scheduled for tomorrow but the auto bid is locked up already since Merrimack, who won the regular season title, remains ineligible for the NCAA Tournament as they complete their four-year transition to Division I. The Warriors’ presence in the NEC title game allows Fairleigh Dickinson to claim the crown even if they lose, which should lead to a discussion about revamping this outdated rule.

Ohio Valley Champions – Southeast Missouri State Redhawks

One of the early highlights of Champ Week came over the weekend as Southeast Missouri State won a thriller over Tennessee Tech to clinch their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2000. Leading scorer Philip Russell, who averages 18.1 points per game, will be a player to watch for whichever team draws them in the first round.

Pac-12 Champions – UCLA Bruins

The Bruins did themselves a tremendous service by winning the Pac-12 regular season crown, which got them a much easier path to the final than Arizona or USC. The easier road will be enough to help UCLA sweep the crowns and make a strong case for a spot on the top line.

Patriot League Champions – Colgate Raiders

The Raiders have become NCAA Tournament regulars and even scored a win over Syracuse in non-conference play. The lightning-fast pace that Colgate plays at is still too much for the rest of the Patriot League to stop.