More teams clinched spots in the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday as championship week action continued heating up. McNeese is headed to the Big Dance for a second consecutive season after the No. 1 seed Cowboys beat No. 2 seed Lamar 63-54 in the Southland Conference title game.
Prior to the arrival of coach Will Wade before the 2023-24 season, McNeese had been dancing just twice before and not since 2002. But the former LSU coach has the Cowboys projected as a No. 12 seed in Jerry Palm’s latest Bracketology.
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American will represent the Patriot League in the NCAA Tournament after the No. 2 seed Eagles toppled No. 5 seed Navy 74-52 in the conference tournament final. It will be American’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014 and first trip under second-year coach Duane Simpkins. Matt Rogers led the Eagles with 28 points in the victory.
Conference tournament action continues Thursday, as more of the nation’s top dogs enter the postseason fray. It will also be a consequential day for teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble, including North Carolina. The No. 5 seed Tar Heels will take on No. 4 seed Wake Forest in an ACC Tournament quarterfinal battle between two teams desperately seeking March momentum.
Top-ranked Duke will also begin its postseason journey as the No. 1 seed Blue Devils take on No. 8 seed Georgia Tech. If Duke and North Carolina each win, they would meet each other in a semifinal game on Friday. Elsewhere, the Big East Tournament will ramp up with the top four seeds beginning play, including St. John’s. The top-seeded Red Storm are seeking to add a conference tournament title to their regular season crown under second-year coach Rick Pitino.
SportsLine conference tournament odds, picks: Proven experts share best bets for every tourney
Wednesday’s conference tournament scores
2025 conference tournaments/champions
| Conference | Location | Dates | Championship game / Tournament champion |
| ACC | Charlotte, North Carolina | March 11-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| America East | Campus sites | March 8,11,15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 11 a.m. | ESPN2 |
| American | Fort Worth, Texas | March 12-16 | Sun., Mar. 16, 3:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| ASUN | Campus sites | March 2,3,6,9 | Lipscomb (25-9) |
| Atlantic 10 | Washington D.C. | March 12-16 | Sun., Mar. 16, 1 p.m. | CBS |
| Big 12 | Kansas City | March 11-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| Big East | New York City | March 12-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 6:30 p.m. | Fox |
| Big Sky | Boise, Idaho | March 8-12 | Montana (25-9) |
| Big South | Johnson City, Tennessee | March 5,7-9 | High Point (29-5) |
| Big Ten | Indianapolis | March 12-16 | Sun., Mar. 16, 3:30 p.m. | CBS |
| Big West | Henderson, Nevada | March 12-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 9:40 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Coastal Athletic | Washington D.C. | March 7-11 | UNCW (27-7) |
| Conference USA | Huntsville, Alabama | March 11-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 8:30 p.m. | CBSSN |
| Horizon League | Campus sites | March 4,6,10,11 | Robert Morris (25-8) |
| Ivy | Providence, Rhode Island | March 15-16 | Sun., Mar. 16, 12 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| MAAC | Atlantic City, New Jersey | March 11-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU |
| MAC | Cleveland | March 13-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 7:40 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| MEAC | Norfolk, Virginia | March 12-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 1 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Missouri Valley | St. Louis | March 6-9 | Drake (30-3) |
| Mountain West | Las Vegas | March 12-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 6 p.m. | CBS |
| Northeast | Campus sites | March 5,8.11 | Saint Francis (15-17) |
| Ohio Valley | Evansville, Indiana | March 5-8 | SIUE (22-11) |
| Patriot | Campus sites | March 4,6,9,12 | American (22-12) |
| SEC | Nashville | March 12-16 | Sun., Mar. 16, 1 p.m. | ESPN |
| Southern | Asheville, North Carolina | March 7-10 | Wofford (19-15) |
| Southland | Lake Charles, Louisiana | March 9-12 | McNeese (27-6) |
| Summit | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | March 5-9 | Omaha (22-12) |
| Sun Belt | Pensacola, Florida | March 4-10 | Troy (23-10) |
| SWAC | Atlanta | March 11-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 9:30 p.m. | ESPNU |
| WAC | St. George, Utah / Las Vegas | March 11-15 | Sat., Mar. 15, 11:40 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| WCC | Las Vegas | March 6-11 | Gonzaga (25-8) |
