A “bid thief” emerged on Saturday as No. 2 seed Colorado State topped No. 5 seed Boise State to win the Mountain West Tournament. With the victory, the Rams clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after they entered the day on the wrong side of the bubble in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology.
It’s possible Colorado State may have stolen a bid from a member of its own league as MWC bubble teams Boise State and San Diego State will be sweating leading up to Sunday’s Selection Show on CBS. New Mexico and Utah State are regarded as safely in the Big Dance field by Palm.
With Colorado State punching its ticket, the league is on track to get a minimum of three teams in the field. But that number could rise to five if both Boise State and San Diego State make the cut. Palm projected after the Mountain West Tournament title game that the Broncos will remain in the field as the last team in and that San Diego State will make it as well.
The Mountain West Tournament title game was just one of several in the works on Saturday during a loaded slate of conference tournament action.
No. 1 seed Akron rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to edge No. 2 seed Miami (Ohio) 76-74 in a MAC Tournament final that featured a dramatic ending. Nate Johnson clinched it for the Zips with a transition lay-up with 2.3 seconds remaining before a desperation heave from the Redhawks that was off the mark. It was a bittersweet win for Zips coach John Groce, who took down his brother, Travis Steele, on the opposing sideline as their mother watched on.
South Carolina State suffered a brutal beat Saturday in the finals of the MEAC Tournament as top-seeded Norfolk State escaped with a 66-65 win under bizarre circumstances. South Carolina State got a game-tying bucket from Caleb McCarty with 10 seconds left, but apparently he remained under the impression that his team was trailing.
McCarty quickly fouled Norfolk State’s Christian Ings, who went to the free-throw line and put Norfolk State ahead by a point, which proved to be the difference. South Carolina State got one last attempt at a potential game-winning shot. But it missed, which allowed Norfolk State to secure a bid to the Big Dance.
Bracketology: North Carolina, Texas see NCAA Tournament hopes come crashing down after brutal losses
Jerry Palm
The hours leading up to Sunday’s NCAA Tournament selection show on CBS are going to be packed with drama and intrigue as the final conference tournament champions are crowned in the build-up to the 68-team bracket reveal. Bubble teams across college basketball will be rooting for No. 1 seed Memphis to beat No. 3 seed UAB in the AAC Tournament final so that the Blazers don’t become a bid thief. If the Tigers win, the AAC will be a one-bid league, but a UAB victory would double that number and knock an at-large candidate out of the field.
VCU could have a case for NCAA Tournament inclusion even if the top-seeded Rams lose to No. 2 seed George Mason in the A10 Tournament title game. But VCU can take matters into its own hands with a conference tournament crown. In the Ivy League, No. 1 seed Yale will play No. 2 seed Cornell as the Bulldogs seek their third victory over the Big Red.
A couple of high-major conferences will also be in action as the Big Ten and SEC crown champions. No. 2 seed Florida and No. 4 seed Tennessee will tangle in the SEC Tournament title game, and No. 2 seed Maryland will take on No. 3 seed Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament championship.
SportsLine conference tournament odds, picks: Proven experts share best bets for every tourney
Saturday’s conference tournament scores
2025 conference tournaments/champions
| ACC | Charlotte, North Carolina | March 11-15 | Duke (31-3) |
| America East | Campus sites | March 8,11,15 | Bryant (23-11) |
| American | Fort Worth, Texas | March 12-16 | Sun., Mar. 16, 3:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| ASUN | Campus sites | March 2,3,6,9 | Lipscomb (25-9) |
| Atlantic 10 | Washington D.C. | March 12-16 | Sun., Mar. 16, 1 p.m. | CBS |
| Big 12 | Kansas City | March 11-15 | Houston (30-4) |
| Big East | New York City | March 12-15 | St. John’s (30-4) |
| Big Sky | Boise, Idaho | March 8-12 | Montana (25-9) |
| Big South | Johnson City, Tennessee | March 5,7-9 | High Point (29-5) |
| Big Ten | Indianapolis | March 12-16 | Sun., Mar. 16, 3:30 p.m. | CBS |
| Big West | Henderson, Nevada | March 12-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 9:40 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Coastal Athletic | Washington D.C. | March 7-11 | UNCW (27-7) |
| Conference USA | Huntsville, Alabama | March 11-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 8:30 p.m. | CBSSN |
| Horizon League | Campus sites | March 4,6,10,11 | Robert Morris (25-8) |
| Ivy | Providence, Rhode Island | March 15-16 | Sun., Mar. 16, 12 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| MAAC | Atlantic City, New Jersey | March 11-15 | Mount St. Mary’s (22-12) |
| MAC | Cleveland | March 13-15 | Akron (28-6) |
| MEAC | Norfolk, Virginia | March 12-15 | Norfolk State (24-10) |
| Missouri Valley | St. Louis | March 6-9 | Drake (30-3) |
| Mountain West | Las Vegas | March 12-15 | Colorado State (25-9) |
| Northeast | Campus sites | March 5,8.11 | Saint Francis (15-17) |
| Ohio Valley | Evansville, Indiana | March 5-8 | SIUE (22-11) |
| Patriot | Campus sites | March 4,6,9,12 | American (22-12) |
| SEC | Nashville | March 12-16 | Sun., Mar. 16, 1 p.m. | ESPN |
| Southern | Asheville, North Carolina | March 7-10 | Wofford (19-15) |
| Southland | Lake Charles, Louisiana | March 9-12 | McNeese (27-6) |
| Summit | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | March 5-9 | Omaha (22-12) |
| Sun Belt | Pensacola, Florida | March 4-10 | Troy (23-10) |
| SWAC | Atlanta | March 11-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 9:30 p.m. | ESPNU |
| WAC | St. George, Utah / Las Vegas | March 11-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 11:40 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| WCC | Las Vegas | March 6-11 | Gonzaga (25-8) |