1. Vermont (USA East)
Congratulations to Bryant on the regular season title, but America East is still passing through Vermont. Catamounts has won five of the last six, a total of three straight conference tournament titles since 2003. Ah, they enter the postseason with a nine-game winning streak that beat Bryant.
2. Texas Southern (SWAC)
Don't even pay attention to where they were sown. it doesn't matter. Despite losing to Grambling in last year's tournament championship game, Texas Southern claimed a whopping seven of the seven autobids out of the league's final 10 cars. Two years ago, they were the lowest seeded team in the eight-man field, upsetting top seed Alcorn status in the quarterfinals, blowing up Alabama A&M in the semifinals, shocking second seed Gramble in the championship game.
The Tigers are currently sitting in fourth in the SWAC rankings.
3. Iona (Big City Atlantic Athletic)
The same transaction is here too. The Gaels have won six of their last eight MAAC tournament championships and have done it from a variety of starting positions. They start in the middle of the Atlantic City pack next week, but it shouldn't shock anyone if they get hot and turn the tournament to their heads.
4. Little Rock (Ohio Valley)
They are four seeded in this tournament and will start playing in the quarterfinals, but Little Rock is undoubtedly the best defensive team in the OVC. They knocked out southeastern Missouri on the road in January.
5. South Dakota (Summit League)
It's jarring to not consider Jack Rabbits as one of his favorites to win a Summit League car. They have been to the NCAA tournament seven times since 2012 and have earned at least nine shares of the league's regular season title since 2013.
They are the third seed of this year's tournament, but there are only a few who believe they should still be considered a team. The rabbit is 10-3 from mid-January and has perhaps the league's best overall player for the senior Big Man Oscar tribe.
6. Samford (South)
Two words: Buckyball.
After last year's controversial loss to Kansas at the NCAA Tournament, it didn't die, it was just waiting.
7. Charleston (Coastal Athletic Association)
Pat Kelsey is currently in Louisville, but the Cougars are the CAA's dominant marching force until it proves that they are not yet. Anti Blousovich is a baller who can play a postseason hero, and Charleston's new head coach, ironically former Louisville head coach Chris Mack, is the man who showed his ability to get the job done in March.
8. San Francisco (West Coast)
Like the past few years, Don is an NCAA tournament. Gonzaga isn't an ideal matchup for them, as evidenced by the results of two regular season meetings, but don't be shocked to play on their heads and ruin the final showdown between Zags and St. Mary in semis.
9. Colgate (Patriot League)
Metric loves Bucknell and regular season records loves Americans, but I love this guy.
The magic of the beard is real and don't let anyone say it differently.
The Raiders have also dominated the event for much of the last decade.
10. Princeton (Ivy League)
I just said it's been a long time since the Ivy League regular season champion won the Ivy League tournament. Princeton will first need to participate in a four-team tournament (currently fourth in two games), but if that happens, Xaivian Lee can play March Hero and ruin Yale's season.
