USATSI
All the major conferences will be playing again on Thursday, but the stakes are highest elsewhere as the fight for automatic NCAA Tournament bids continues. The MAC is among the likely one-bid leagues in action Thursday as postseason action rolls on during a loaded day of games. No. 1 seed Toledo is taking on No. 8 seed Kent State in the MAC Tournament opener, but the league was a battle all year and several schools have eyes on the prize.
More NCAA Tournament bids were secured on Wednesday as conference tournament action rolled on around college basketball. While all of the major conferences were in action, the stakes were highest in places like the Southland Conference and Patriot League.
McNeese punched a ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002 as the No. 1 seed Cowboys edged No. 3 seed Nicholls 92-76 in the Southland final. First-year coach Will Wade’s club will enter the Big Dance with a record of 30-3 after 11 consecutive losing seasons before his arrival.
Colgate is headed to its fifth straight NCAA Tournament after beating No. 6 seed Lehigh 74-55 in the Patriot League final. The program had only made two NCAA Tournament appearances in its history before this incredible streak of league dominance began under coach Matt Langel.
Those teams joined the ranks of teams like James Madison, Samford and Charleston among the ranks of potential Cinderella teams who are guaranteed to hear their names called Sunday during the March Madness Selection Show on CBS.
As automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament are secured, we’ll be noting each of them here.
TOURNAMENTS IN ACTION
2024 conference tournament schedules, champions
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