Get ready for Champ Week

In case you spent yesterday asleep or too hungover to function, Caitlin Clark officially passed Pete Maravich’s NCAA career scoring record. No, it’s not close to what Pistol did in three seasons, but her production is a remarkable accomplishment, and deserving of all the accolades. Next up: Pearl Moore’s 3,884 record for all levels of hoops. She’ll pass that mark during the NCAA Tournament.

Onto the rest of Sunday’s news.

1. A conference tournament primer

Championship Week technically starts today with two games in the Atlantic Sun Tournament, but things really get hopping later in the week on Thursday.

So you have time to prepare your family, friends and co-workers for all the college hoops you’re going to watch over the next two weeks.

Here’s a helpful guide.

There are nine conference tournaments that tip off before Friday. Here’s a quick primer on each one, including favorites and brackets.

Atlantic Sun

Dates: March 4-10
Site: Campus sites
Bracket: Link

The skinny: Eastern Kentucky (17-13, 12-4) won the regular-season crown (its first since 1979) and is a solid favorite to win the auto bid. Does it matter that likely semifinal opponent Austin Peay (17-14, 10-6) just beat the Colonels last week? Watch for Lipscomb (20-11, 11-5), which has won four straight.

Big South

Dates: March 8-10
Site: Quebin Center (High Point, N.C.)
Bracket: Link

The skinny: Regular-season champ High Point (24-7, 13-3) gets to play at home, but reigning tourney champ UNC Asheville (20-11, 12-4) actually has favorable odds to win it all. That’s partly because the Panthers will likely play the toughest semifinal matchup vs. Winthrop (17-14, 8-8).

Horizon League

Dates: March 5, 7, 11-12
Site: Indiana Farmers Coliseum (Indianapolis)
Bracket: Link

The skinny: One of the more unpredictable tourneys. The best team has won the title only three of the last 10 years. This season, that puts a target on Youngstown State (22-9, 14-6), even though Oakland (20-11, 15-5) won the regular-season title. Wright State (18-13, 13-7) also has good odds, though I’m rooting for Green Bay (18-13, 13-7) and its remarkable turnaround.

Missouri Valley

Dates: March 7-10
Site: Enterprise Center (St. Louis)
Bracket: Not out yet

The skinny: Arch Madness always features a few upsets, but the best team has won this event three straight years. Is the best team always the regular-season champ? No. Maybe that’s specious logic for why I’m leaning toward Drake (25-6, 16-4) to claim the automatic bid (sue me). Their offense isn’t as reliant on perimeter shots as regular-season champ Indiana State (26-5, 17-3), but the Sycamores should still earn an at-large berth. Also, watch out for Bradley (21-10, 13-7), which was in last year’s championship and features the league’s best defense.

Northeast Conference

Dates: March 6, 9 and 12
Site: Campus sites
Bracket: Link

The skinny: Merrimack won the tournament last season, but was ineligible for the automatic bid (Purdue is still mad about it). The Warriors (19-11, 13-3) can claim the title this season, but Central Connecticut State (19-10, 13-3) has slightly better odds. Is it wrong I kinda like Sacred Heart here?

Ohio Valley

Dates: March 6-March 9
Site: Ford Center (Evansville, Ind.)
Bracket: Link

The skinny: This tournament isn’t for the faint of heart. Little Rock (20-11, 14-4) is the top seed, but viewed as the second-most likely champ behind Morehead State (23-8, 14-4), which is trying for its first bid since 2021 despite having the best team last season.

Patriot League

Dates: March 5, 7, 10, 13
Site: Campus sites
Bracket: Link

The skinny: Can Colgate (22-9, 16-2) make it four straight titles? Any other team earning the auto bid would be a massive upset.

Sun Belt

Dates: March 5-March 11
Site: Pensacola Bay Center (Pensacola, Fla.)
Bracket: Link

The skinny: If this doesn’t feature a title game between Appalachian State (26-5, 16-2) and James Madison (28-3, 15-3), it’ll be a big surprise. Troy (20-11, 13-5) could make things interesting, but this is a two-team race. Can the Mountaineers beat the Dukes for the third time?

West Coast Conference

Dates: March 7-9, 11-12
Site: Orleans Arena (Las Vegas)
Bracket: Link

The skinny: Like the Sun Belt, this should be a two-team race. Unlike the Sun Belt, Saint Mary’s (24-7, 15-1) and Gonzaga (24-6, 14-2) split the season series. The Zags have won this thing four straight times, and 10 out of the last 11. I wouldn’t pick against Mark Few, no matter what the projections say.

2. The numbers behind UConn’s Big East title

You almost feel bad for Seton Hall. All the Pirates did was beat UConn back in December.

Sunday, it sure seemed like the No. 3 Huskies wanted revenge in the worst way.

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