What do we know?

I'm a sportswriter. I know more about sports than most and probably more than many people who get paid to do what I do pro bono. (For now anyways, lol.) The thing is, as the years go by I am reminded that I really don't know much. Prime example: Take a look at my Conference Tournament previews. Genius.

Campus Connection

All the hype this week will be about the conference tournaments and the automatic bids that come along with winning them. Here's a look at each major conference and my favorite to punch their respective tickets to the big dance.

ACC - North Carolina

The senior leadership of Tyler Hansborough and Danny Green coupled with the stellar play of Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington make this team very hard to beat. I think this tournament and the National Title is theirs to lose. They really present alot for teams to match up with.

Wake Forest and Florida State could challenge but I'd be shocked if the Tar Heels didn't win easily.

Big Ten - Michigan State

That Spartans are the class of this conference. Coach Tom Izzo has perfected the "dominate in conference then win nationally" mantra and it should show this week. They are finally healthy and eager to prove that they belong among the nation's elite. I see them as too physical and too talented to lose here.

If Purdue is healthy they can challenge on a neutral site but Michigan State should prevail.

Big East - Pittsburgh

I'm going to go with the most confident team and the one with a true point guard here. Pitt has a lot of momentum after handling UConn last week. They are a complete basketball team. This may be a shocker to some seeing as Louisville won the regular season title but their lead guard situation really bothers me.

I'm probably splitting hairs with this pick because the reality is that any of the top four teams in the conference could easily win the tournament.

Big Twelve - Kansas

I want badly to pick Oklahoma here but Kansas won't let me. The Sooners haven't been the same dominant team that we saw in the begining of the year. Bill Self has some answers to the Blake Griffin equation and it starts with the front line depth he has on his roster. Even though they split in the regular season, I think Kansas showed more in thier win.

Watch out for Missouri as well. The pressing style they employ can cause problems for teams in a tournament setting.

Pac 10 - Washington

Lorenzo Romar's work this season is nothing short of incredible. UCLA seems to be the favorite every year, most notably after the last couple of Final Four appearances. The Bruins just don't seem thier usual defensively capable selves. As such, I think that is the year of the Huskie. Washington's combination of experience and youth, size upfront and versatility in the backcourt should translate into win here.

I really like Arizona State as well. James Harden is the best player in the conference and I feel that gives them a chance.