After a very long wait, it is just about NCAA tournament time. But who will be dancing and who will be left out? The conference tournaments could make or break a team's résumé.
Our experts -- Joe Fortenbaugh and Dalen Cuff -- are here to help, giving their best bets for Champ Week.
If you're looking for more analysis, be sure to check out PickCenter, which has projections for every game.
Note: Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Tournament:
ACC | Big 12 | Big East
| Pac-12 | Atlantic 10
ACC
North Carolina Tar Heels to win ACC (+550)
Cuff: This is not an overreaction to the Tar Heels' win at Cameron. Their form has been good (five straight wins), but it's really all about their path as the No. 3 seed. UNC gets a double bye as a top-4 seed and its quarterfinal game is likely against UVA, a team it demolished in league play. It's a bad matchup for the Cavs, given the Heels' inside presence, ability to play out of those post-doubles, make 3-pointers at a high clip and attack closeouts. In another semifinal, I could easily see Virginia Tech upsetting No. 2 seed Notre Dame. That would set up a matchup against a Hokies team that has lost twice to the Heels already.
On the other half of the bracket, Duke is the favorite at -125. First off, I'm so intrigued to see how the young Duke team bounces back from that painful and historic loss in Coach K's finale at Cameron. But more importantly, the Blue Devils have FSU (albeit with injuries) and Miami, which both beat them, and a Wake team that gave them everything they could handle in Cameron all on their side of the bracket. If they get through, I like rolling the dice in a rubber match with the Heels at +550 in a neutral venue.
Big 12
Texas Tech Red Raiders to win Big 12 (+340)
Fortenbaugh: The top of the food chain in the Big 12 is vulnerable, with Kansas ranking 32nd in defensive efficiency and Baylor battling injuries. Enter Texas Tech, the top-ranked team in the nation in terms of defensive efficiency. The Red Raiders boast wins over defending champion Baylor (twice), Texas (twice), Kansas and Tennessee, but enter tournament play off a lose to Oklahoma State, which should light a fire under the team's collective rear ends.
Big East
UConn Huskies to win Big East (4-1)
Fortenbaugh: The Huskies rank in the top 35 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, own a marquee win over tournament favorite Villanova and enter the postseason having won six of their last seven games. Further, Connecticut can knock down both the 3-pointer and their free throws, something I prize greatly the second the calendar flips to March.
Pac-12
Arizona Wildcats to win Pac-12 (-120)
Cuff: I know, and I don't like the juice either with a futures play, but Arizona has separated itself from the pack in the Pac-12 (sorry, i hate puns). I've been beating the drum for this team to win it all at since they were 15-1 back in January (now 7-1), so it's no surprise I'm on them here. The Wildcats were 18-2 in Pac-12 play, with 16 of those wins coming by double digits. They are elite offensively, play at tempo, can hurt you in multiple ways and defensively have length, versatility, athleticism and rim protection. All that translates to top 15 rankings in both offensive and defensive adjusted efficiency. There good is just way better than anyone else's good in this conference, and I think even at average they still can beat anyone on a neutral court.
Fortenbaugh: The "Conference of Champions" is a two-horse race between the Wildcats and Bruins, the former of which is one of only three teams in the country to rank in the top 14 in both offensive and defensive efficiency (along with Gonzaga and Houston). I love Arizona's path because its toughest challenge prior to the final is a Colorado squad that won't have the benefit of high-altitude home-court advantage.
Atlantic 10
VCU Rams to win Atlantic 10 (4-1)
Cuff: Along with the Mountain West, I think the A10 is the most open and consequential tourney in the country. Only Davidson has a solid at-large resume, while everyone else probably needs the title to get in. I like the No. 3 seed and third-favorite Rams to cut down the nets in Washington D.C., where you'll see a lot of Rams fans in the stands. The Rams are fourth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency. It's cliché, but that defense will travel to the nation's capital. They've won eight of nine, are finally fully healthy and their offense has been better of late, as they've hit at least 74 points in seven of those eight wins. They're veteran and have an outstanding point guard in Adrian Baldwin Jr. and a stat-stuffing, playmaking Swiss army knife in Vince Williams Jr. They split the season series with favorite Dayton and No. 1 seed Davidson, winning both road games. Dayton is the least experienced team in the nation and Davidson is prolific offensively, but I'm wary of their 3-pointers hitting in three straight days in D.C. I'll take the veteran, defensive-led Rams to cut down the nets and punch their ticket to the dance.