363 Madness

America East Tournament Preview and Predictions Favorite Vermont Vermont used to be one of the most disappointing mid-majors in the country after starting non-conference play 2-7. They played some rough competition, and it’s very possible that the combination of these rough opponents paired with a team full of transfers could have led to their rough start. Despite that, Vermont looked like a new team in their last noncon game of the year against a very good Colgate team, picking up that win heading into conference play. And, despite a relatively deep AmEast this year, Vermont went 14-2 and has won their last 10 games. They’re led by Bellarmine transfer Dylan Penn, who carried them through non-conference play and continues to be one of the best players on their team. However, their recent success is due to new talent around Penn, as Finn Sullivan, Aaron Deloney, and Matt Veretto have emerged to complement Penn with their high shooting efficiency.  Sleeper Bryant Bryant looked like by fa

Summit League Tournament Preview and Predictions Favorite Oral Roberts As the only team in the country undefeated in conference  play, picking Oral Roberts to win the Summit League championship is the most obvious and easy choice to make out of any prediction you could possibly make about a conference tournament.  Not only does Oral Roberts have the best record since conference play began, they are also creeping into the top-25, as they received 40 votes in the last AP Poll. However, they have a flaw, that flaw being their non-conference resume. Outside of a win over Liberty, the Golden Eagles lost to every decent team they played.  This could be due to early-season jitters, as their leading scorer Max Abmas didn’t shoot with the best efficiency against currently ranked teams. They also shot well against Saint Mary’s and Utah State, but lost due to their defense in close games.  So, though I think they’ll win the Summit League tournament and be one of the most dangerous mid-majors in M

SoCon Championship Preview and Predictions Favorite Furman This story will be hard for me to go over as a Furman fan, but it’s necessary. In last season’s SoCon championship game, Furman faced Chattanooga.  It was back-and forth all game, but near the end, Furman was down. Mike Bothwell of Furman took over, scoring in multiple consecutive possessions, and with the ball down two, Bothwell hit a 3 with under 10 second left. Here’s where it all fell apart. Chattanooga’s David Jean-Baptiste dribbled the ball down, and in an half court prayer, he made it, and as the buzzer sounded, Chattanooga was SoCon champs and would be moving onto the NCAA Tournament. Furman was supposed to win that game. They were supposed to be the ones moving on. But, due to a half court buzzer beater, they weren’t. Despite that, Furman returned most of their best players including Jalen Slawson (who was just crowned SoCon player of the year) and, of course, Mike Bothwell.  With a really good young core coming back,

CAA Championship Preview and Predictions Favorites Charleston Charleston, who surprised the entire country with a 21-1 start with wins over Virginia Tech and Kent State, is one of the best mid-majors in the country. At the peak of their 21-1 start, they were ranked in the top 20 in the country and had a good shot at an at-large bid.  They then lost two straight, and though they currently sit at Joe Lunardi’s “Next Four Out”, they still have a good shot at making the tournament even if they don’t win the CAA championship. Charleston has the best coach in the conference, a very experienced starting 5 with a deep bench, and pride themselves on their defense and 3 point shooting.  They lost their 2 conference games when shooting 16% and 21% from 3, but were otherwise playing very well. The CAA championship takes place in Washington, so we’ll have to see how they shoot and play when the tournament starts. Hofstra Hofstra delivered a ranked loss to Charleston, and has remained at the top of