Updated Championship Week Predictions

Yesterday was another great day of basketball, as 12 more automatic berths were clinched and Duke lost:  

• In the America East, Vermont came into Stony Brook to take the crown from the Seawolves.
• Memphis destroyed Marshall for the Conference USA title.
• Norfolk State outlasted Bethune-Cookman, 73-70, to claim the MEAC championship and the school's first ever NCAA tournament berth.
• IU grad Pat Knight coached the Lamar Cardinals to the Southland title in his first season as head coach, a few weeks after calling out his seniors at a press conference.  They haven't lost since then.
• Missouri spanked Baylor for the Big 12 crown.
• Colorado won the Pac-12 title, beating Arizona 53-51, to earn its first trip to the dance since 2003.  The Pac-12 may now get two teams into the tournament.  Bravo.
• IU grad Steve Alford coached the New Mexico Lobos to the Mountain West title with a big win over San Diego State.
• THE Ohio University knocked off top seed Akron to claim the MAC crown.
• The Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley State held off a furious rally by Texas Southern to take the SWAC championship.
• Louisville beat Cincinnati for the Big East title.
• Long Beach State manhandled the Banana Slugs of UC Santa Barbara to win the Big West.
• In the wiggity wiggity WAC, New Mexico State became the second team from the Alien State (I assume that's New Mexico's slogan) to clinch an automatic berth with a drubbing of Louisiana Tech.
• Thus far, 16 conference championships out of 26 have been won by teams that were not the #1 seed, and today's A-10 championship ensures that there will be at least a 17th.

Well folks, it's Selection Sunday.  Tune into CBS at 6 p.m. Eastern for the announcement of the brackets.  Before that, the last 4 automatic berths will be claimed:
-ACC:  North Carolina vs. Florida State 1 p.m. ESPN
-Atlantic 10:  Xavier vs. St. Bonaventure 1 p.m. CBS
-SEC:  Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt 1 p.m. ABC
-Big Ten:  Michigan State vs. Ohio State 3:30 p.m. CBS


Here is who has already clinched an automatic berth, as well as my predictions for the remaining conference tournaments with TV listings, so that you have no excuse not to watch every single televised game.  The * after a team means I correctly predicted they would win their conference titles in my original Championship Week Predictions.  Thus far I got 15 correct.  Call me Nostradamus.  Please.

Already clinched automatic berths (with the number of NCAA tournament appearances, including 2012):

America East - Vermont (5)
Atlantic Sun - Belmont* (5)
Big East - Louisville (38)
Big Sky - Montana* (9)
Big South - UNC-Asheville* (3)
Big 12 - Missouri* (25)
Big West - Long Beach State* (6)
Colonial - VCU (11)
Conference USA - Memphis* (20)
Horizon - Detroit (6)
Ivy - Harvard* (2)
MAC - Ohio (13)
MAAC - Loyola (Md.) (2)
MEAC - Norfolk State* (1)
Missouri Valley - Creighton (18)
Mountain West - New Mexico (13)
Northeast - LIU* (5)
Ohio Valley - Murray State* (15)
Pac-12 - Colorado (11)
Patriot - Lehigh* (5)
Southern - Davidson* (11)
Southland - Lamar* (6)
Summit - South Dakota State* (1)
Sun Belt - Western Kentucky (22)
SWAC - Mississippi Valley State (5)
WAC - New Mexico State (16)
West Coast - St. Mary's* (7)

Remaining Tournaments (all times are Eastern)

ACC (Atlanta; March 8-11)

Championship - 3/11 1 p.m. (ESPN)
(1) North Carolina vs. (3) Florida State.  Winner:  North Carolina

Atlantic 10 (Atlantic City, NJ and campus sites; March 6, 9-11)

Championship - 3/11 1 p.m. (CBS)
(3) Xavier vs. (4) St. Bonaventure.  Winner:  Xavier

Big Ten (Indianapolis; March 8-11)

Championship - 3/11 3:30 p.m. (CBS)
(1) Michigan State vs. (3) Ohio State.  Winner: Michigan State

SEC (New Orleans; March 8-11)

Championship - 3/11 1 p.m. (ABC)
(1) Kentucky vs. (3) Vanderbilt.  Winner: Kentucky