March Madness Bracketology: What Duke, UConn and more have on the line in title games

It’s conference tournament championship Saturday with several conference tournament championship games on the docket for Saturday, including the ACC title game, Big East title and a few more. Duke survived Florida State on Friday night and earned a shot to defend its regular-season title against Virginia, the No. 2 seed in the conference. There’s not really much else Duke needs to prove, but it does have a lot to lose if it falls to Virginia on Saturday night. 

Same for UConn, who needs to beat St. John’s to win the Big East title on Saturday. The Huskies are on the cusp of getting the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. A win would seal that, and a loss would probably bump them to a No. 2 seed, depending on how things shake in the Big Ten and SEC Tournaments. 

Why Duke can’t afford another ACC Tournament scare in title game

Duke was inches away from losing to No. 8 seed Florida State in the ACC Tournament on Friday night. It was a humbling game the Blue Devils needed as they look to return to the Final Four for the second straight season. If they play like they did Friday night, it will give them a sour taste going into the NCAA Tournament. It may not seem like a lot, but getting the No. 1 seed is a whole lot better than getting a No. 2 seed. 

The Blue Devils have been on the losing end of the dreaded No. 15 vs. No. 2 seed upset in the NCAA Tournament. In a season where Duke has looked like the best team in college basketball, it would be a waste to not go on a tournament run. Cameron Boozer has been one of the best freshmen this season and after leading Duke to a win over Michigan this year, it’s clear the Blue Devils will be a force over the next few weeks. 

Why put that in jeopardy by possibly falling to the No. 2 seed with a loss. Because the Blue Devils are already projected to be a No. 1 seed thanks to NCAA Tournament projections guru, Joe Lunardi, they’d need UConn to lose and possibly even Florida. The Blue Devils have a lot more hype going into the NCAA Tournament than not, the only thing that could ruin that is a loss on Saturday. 

UConn needs to win Big East title to force a move into the No. 1 seed projection

The Huskies dominated college basketball for two years straight, but struggled last season after a mass NBA Draft exodus. Now they’re back atop college basketball’s mountain. Entering Saturday, they were a projected No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, per ESPN’s Lunardi. Florida’s lopsided loss to Vanderbilt in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament opened up a chance for them to get the No. 1 seed. They’d need to beat St. John’s to get it. 

I think UConn will be a dangerous team regardless if they’re a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the tournament, but why leave it to chance. If you’re this close, the goal should be to get the No. 1 seed. St. John’s is a projected No. 5 seed so there’s not much they’ll gain. That’s also why UConn has to pull out the win over the Red Storm. 

A loss in the Big East title game hurts them more than not and getting a hit on the NCAA Tournament resume this last in the season just isn’t worth it. The Huskies might not be the most dangerous team in a crowded field, but they’ll certainly want to prove they’re one of the best. The best way to do that is by getting the No. 1 seed. 

Houston could steal the No. 1 seed from Arizona with a Big 12 conference title

Jaden Bradley hit a game-winner at the buzzer to give Arizona the win over Iowa State on Friday night. With the win, the Wildcats’ hopes of getting the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament stayed alive. But Houston, a projected No. 2 seed, could steal that with a win in the Big 12 championship game. That’s the exciting thing about this time of the year; this game will determine who gets the No. 1 seed most likely. 

Houston has been one of the most consistent programs in college basketball over the last several seasons. Arizona has been just as dominant. This season, they’ve proven just how good they are, already beating Houston. This game has the chance to be just as good as the semifinal game. With Florida losing, that opens up another No. 1 seed as well. If Arizona does lose, they could still land a No. 1 seed if UConn loses to St. John’s. 

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