A loaded Saturday of conference tournament action saw several more NCAA Tournament bids secured just one day before the 68-team field is revealed in the Selection Show on CBS.
Western Kentucky made a quick turnaround under Steve Lutz, reaching its first NCAA Tournament since 2013 in his first season as coach. The No. 3 seed Hilltoppers downed No. 5 seed UTEP 78-71 in the Conference USA title game and are a deep group of contributors.
Long Beach State and coach Dan Monson announced on Monday their intention to “mutually part ways” at season’s end. On Saturday, he coached his team to a 74-70 victory over No. 2 seed UC Davis in the Big West Tournament title game. The Beach had lost five straight to close the regular season, making the run all the more surprising.
Grambling is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in its 47-year Division I history after the Tigers beat Texas Southern 75-66 in the SWAC Tournament title game. The program has consistently been among the SWAC’s most competitive in Donte Jackson’s seven seasons as coach and now gets to represent the league on the national stage.
Saint Peter’s is returning to the NCAA Tournament two years after its historic run to the Elite Eight. The Peacocks won the MAAC Tournament as the No. 5 seed, edging No. 2 seed Fairfield 68-63 to cap a dramatic three-day run marked by a series of close wins. Only a couple of players from the 2022 team remain, and the coach has changed. But the Peacocks are strutting to the Big Dance again.
Akron earned the MAC’s automatic bid by knocking off No. 8 seed Kent State 62-61 after Greg Tribble hit a pair of free throws with four seconds remaining. It marks the second appearance in the past three seasons for coach John Groce’s team. The Zips are one of the nation’s oldest teams, which could make them a tough draw in the NCAA Tournament.
Vermont secured its third straight NCAA Tournament bid with a 66-61 win over UMass Lowell in the America East title game to begin Saturday’s action. The Catamounts are projected as a No. 13 seed for the Big Dance in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology as they take a 28-6 record into Selection Sunday. Coach John Becker’s squad boasts no singular star but is deep and has veterans who have been dancing before.
Howard emerged with the MEAC’s automatic bid after a winning the league tournament as the No. 4 seed with a 70-67 victory over Delaware State in the title game. It will be the second straight NCAA Tournament appearance for the Bison under coach Kenneth Blakeney. Prior to last season, Howard hadn’t been dancing since 1992.
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The last automatic bids to the 2024 NCAA Tournament will be secured Sunday in the final hours leading up to the Selection Show on CBS at 6 p.m. Eastern. Among the six conferences that will crown tournament winners are leagues like the AAC, Ivy League and Atlantic 10, all of which could produce surprise representatives for the Big Dance.
No. 4 seed Brown upset No. 1 seed Princeton in the Ivy League semifinals on Saturday and will take on No. 2 seed Yale for the title. In the A-10, No. 5 seed VCU is taking on No. 6 seed Duquesne to cap what’s been a bracket of chaos.
The AAC Tournament’s title game is perhaps the most unlikely of all, however. No. 11 seed Temple, which started 1-11 in league play, will take on No. 4 seed UAB for a spot in the Big Dance. The Owls, who are led by first-year c coach Adam Fisher, have also reportedly been under scrutiny for unusual betting activity surrounding their games.
As automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament are secured, we’ll be noting each of them here.
Saturday’s conference tournament scoreboard
America East: Championship
(1) Vermont 66, (2) UMass Lowell 61 | Recap
MEAC: Championship
(4) Howard 70, (6) Delaware State 67 | Recap
Big 12: Championship LIVE updates
(2) Iowa State 69, (1) Houston 41
Mountain West: Championship LIVE updates
(6) New Mexico 68, (5) San Diego State 61
Big East: Championship LIVE updates
(1) UConn 73, (3) Marquette 57
MAC: Championship
(2) Akron 62, (8) Kent State 61
MAAC:Championship
(5) St. Peter’s 68, (2) Fairfield 63
ACC: Championship LIVE updates
(10) NC State 84, (1) North Carolina 76
Conference USA: Championship
(3) Western Kentucky 78, (5) UTEP 71
Pac-12: Championship LIVE updates
(4) Oregon 75, (3) Colorado 68
Big West: Championship
(4) Long Beach State 74, (2) UC Davis 70
SWAC: Championship
(1) Grambling 75, (3) Texas Southern 66
WAC: Championship
(1) Grand Canyon 89, (3) UT Arlington 74
OTHER CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS IN ACTION
AAC: SemifinalsAtlantic 10: SemifinalsBig Ten: Semifinals LIVE updates Ivy League: SemifinalsSEC: Semifinals LIVE updates
2024 conference tournament schedules, champions
All times ET
Conference City Dates Final (TV) / Champion ACCWashington D.C.March 12-16NC State (22-14) America EastCampus SitesMarch 9, 12, 16Vermont (28-6) AmericanFort Worth, TexasMarch 13-17Sunday, March 17
3:15 p.m. (ESPN) ASUNCampus SitesMarch 4-5, 7, 10 Stetson (22-12) Atlantic 10BrooklynMarch 12-14, 16-17Sunday, March 17
1 p.m. (CBS) Big 12Kansas CityMarch 12-16Iowa State (27-7) Big EastNew York CityMarch 13-16UConn (31-3) Big SkyBoise, IdahoMarch 9, 10-13Montana State (17-17) Big SouthHigh Point, North CarolinaMarch 6, 8-10 Longwood (21-13) Big TenMinneapolisMarch 13-17Sunday, March 17
3:30 p.m. (CBS) Big WestHenderson, NevadaMarch 13-16Long Beach State (20-14) Coastal AthleticWashington, D.C.March 8-12Charleston (27-7) Conference USAHuntsville, AlabamaMarch 12-16Western Kentucky (21-11) Horizon LeagueCampus sites | IndianapolisMarch 5, 7, 11-12Oakland (23-11) IvyNew York CityMarch 16-17Sunday, March 17
12 p.m. (ESPN2) MAACAtlantic City, New JerseyMarch 12-16Saint Peter’s (19-13) MACClevelandMarch 14-16Akron (23-10) MEACNorfolk, VirginiaMarch 13-16Howard (18-16) Missouri ValleySt. LouisMarch 7-10 Drake (28-6) Mountain WestLas VegasMarch 13-16New Mexico (26-9) NortheastCampus SitesMarch 6, 9, 12Wagner (16-15) Ohio ValleyEvansville, IndianaMarch 6-9 Morehead State (26-8) Pac-12Las VegasMarch 13-16Oregon (75-68) PatriotCampus SitesMarch 5, 7, 10, 13Colgate (25-9) SECNashvilleMarch 13-17Sunday, March 17
1 p.m. (ESPN) SouthernAsheville, North CarolinaMarch 8-11 Samford (29-5) SouthlandLake Charles, LouisianaMarch 10-13McNeese (30-3) SummitSioux Falls, South DakotaMarch 8-12South Dakota State (22-12) Sun BeltPensacola, FloridaMarch 5, 7, 9, 10-11 James Madison (31-3) SWACBirmingham, AlabamaMarch 13-16Grambling (19-14) WACLas VegasMarch 13-16Grand Canyon (29-4) WCCLas VegasMarch 7-9, 11-12Saint Mary’s (26-7)
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