NCAA College Basketball Conference Preview

With college basketball getting into conference play, let's take a look at each conference, and who we might see getting that automatic bid come tournament time. Here's who I predict will win each conference.

America East: Vermont Catamounts (13-5, 4-0) - The Catamounts have impressive victories over Rutgers and Boston U, and have played 14 of their 18 games on the road. Senior F Marqus Blakely leads the team in scoring as they head into America East conference play.

ACC: Clemson Tigers (15-3, 3-1) - Clemson has played well in conference play, beating UNC by a good margin, and a good victory over Butler. They play a tough ACC schedule, but I think they will pull out over Duke and UNC.

Atlantic Sun: Campbell Fighting Camels (11-5, 6-1) - Campbell does not have many impressive wins, but in a struggling A-Sun conference, they should be able to win the conference.

A-10: Xavier Musketeers (12-5, 4-0) - The Musketeers have played a strong schedule, with wins over Cincinnati and a controversial one-point loss to Butler. The Musketeers are definitely a team to watch down the stretch.

Big East: Syracuse Orange (17-1, 4-1) - The Orange have played a great schedule, defeating Cal, UNC, Florida, and West Virginia. The Orange will play a tough Big East schedule, playing Georgetown and UCONN. The Orange are definitely a force.

Big Sky: Northern Colorado Bears (16-4, 5-2) - The Bears have topped TCU, Hawaii, and Air Force, as well as playing Oklahoma very tough. They also beat Weber State, who will likely be their only competition out of the Big Sky.

Big South: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (17-3, 7-1) - The Chanticleers have played well this season, their biggest loss came against Duke, but they should be able beat out their competition.

Big 10: Michigan State Spartans (15-3, 5-0) - The Spartans are experienced after their run to the championship game last season. Wins over Wisconsin and Northwestern top their list of victories, and Big 10 play will always be difficult, but the Spartans seem to have the edge.

Big 12: Kansas Jayhawks (16-1, 2-0) - The Jayhawks have one loss to Tennessee, but they have played well against every single opponent besides the loss. Texas has a tough game coming up against UCONN, and if both teams remain undefeated through conference play, the February 8th matchup between the two will likely decide the winner.

Big West: Pacific Tigers (10-6, 3-1) - Pacific had a tough loss to UCSB, one of their main competitors, but good wins over Fresno State and San Diego St. give them the advantage.

Colonial Athletic: Old Dominion Monarchs (14-5, 6-1) - Good wins over Drexel and Georgetown give ODU a great edge over other strong teams in the competitive CAA.

C-USA: UAB Blazers (15-2, 3-0) - The Blazers have always been the #2 team in CUSA behind Memphis, but with the Tigers having a down year, look for UAB to win the conference.

Horizon League: Butler Bulldogs (14-4, 7-0) - The Bulldogs played a vicious non-conference schedule, managin wins against Ohio State and Xavier. The Horizon League looks to be theirs to lose.

Ivy League: Cornell Big Red (15-3, 1-0) - Cornell is having a great season, with a win over Alabama, as well as playing Kansas as tough as anyone in the country. They will face tough competition from a stout Harvard team, but should take the title in the Ivy League.

Metro-Atlantic: Siena Saints (14-4, 7-0) - Siena was a tournament team last year, and many think they will be one of the top mid-majors in the tourney again this year. They should win this conference easily.

MAC: Akron Zips (12-5, 2-1) - Akron has some great games against bad teams, but against good teams they have struggled. They are very talented, and have a good chance of winning, but could struggle down the stretch.

Mid-Eastern: Morgan State Golden Bears (11-7, 4-0) - The Golden Bears played Louisville hard, and have had many other wins. They won't face much competition in the Mid-Eastern this season.

Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa Panthers (16-1, 7-0) - Northern Iowa is the best team in the MVC, and could be one of the top mid-majors in the country. They should win the MVC handily.

Mountain West: BYU Cougars (18-1, 3-0) - BYU is having a great season, despite a disappointing loss to Utah State, but they have some solid games including wins over Arizona State, Fresno State, and UNLV. BYU should win the MWC.

Northeast: Quinnipiac Bobcats (11-6, 5-1) - Quinnipiac will face a tough competitor in Robert Morris, but is easily the best team in the conference.

Ohio Valley: Murray State Racers (16-3, 8-0) - Murray State is the best team in the OVC, and should not face any trouble from any teams in their conference.

Pac-10: California Golden Bears (11-6, 3-2) - Cal had a tough non-conference schedule, but in a down Pac-10, their talent should put them over the top.

Patriot League: Army Golden Knights (11-6, 1-2) - Army has played a great season, beating Harvard and shocking most of basketball by starting the year well. They should be able to win the Patriot League.

SEC: Kentucky Wildcats (18-0, 3-0) - Kentucky is lead by great PG play from John Wall, and is one of the top teams in the country. They should compete for the national title this season.

Southern: Western Carolina Catamounts (14-3, 4-1) - A good win over Louisville highlights Western's schedule, and they should be able to take this conference easily.

Southland: Sam Houston State Bearkats (10-5, 2-0) - The Bearkats played Kentucky tough, and should be a top team in the Southland, but UTSA could present some challenges.

SWAC: Texas Southern Tigers (7-9, 3-1) - The SWAC is one of the worst conferences in college basketball, and Texas Southern is probably the best team in a very weak conference.

Summit: Oakland (Mich.) Grizzlies (13-7, 7-0) - Oakland had a tough December, but roared back to win 7 straight in January. The Grizzles should win the Summit league this season.

Sun Belt: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (11-5, 4-1) - The Hilltoppers have been a strong tournament team in recent years, and should make it again this season. The Hilltoppers will face competition from South Alabama, another strong team.

West Coast: Gonzaga Bulldogs (14-3, 3-0) - Gonzaga is consistently a top team, and with Patty Mills gone from St. Mary's, no team in this league can compete with them.

WAC: Louisiana Tech (17-2, 5-0) - Louisiana Tech is having a great year, with their only losses coming against solid teams in New Mexico and Arizona. They should beat out New Mexico State for the conference title.

This year of college basketball looks to be a good one, and with conference play coming up, rivalries and great match ups will come up every week.