2013 College Basketball Picks: SWAC Conference Tournamant Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – SWAC Tournament Schedule and Tournament Bracket: The race for the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season crown was hotly contested with three teams finishing within a game of one another. Unfortunately, the SWAC Tournament may not live up to the same standards because Texas Southern and Arkansas-Pine Bluff are both ineligible for postseason play. Texas Southern actually won the SWAC regular season title, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff was one of the two teams just a game back. After the three-horse race at the top of the conference, the fourth-place finisher was a distant seven games back of the top spot. Needless to say the list of contenders for the SWAC Tournament is not as long as it would be if all the teams were able to participate.
2013 SWAC Tournament Odds, Free Picks and Predictions
The Contenders
Of the three big dogs at the top of the standings, the Southern University Jaguars (21-9, 15-3 SWAC) are the lone team eligible to compete for the conference tournament title. Of course, the Jaguars would have been a formidable opponent regardless of the rest of the field. They own the SWAC’s second-best scoring attack, and their defense is the best in the conference by a wide margin. Southern is allowing just 57.4 points per game this season to go along with more than eight steals per game. On the offensive end, the Jaguars experienced backcourt of Malcolm Miller and Derick Beltran are probably the best duo in the SWAC. The two are averaging 31.9 points per game combined on the year and have tallied 152 makes from 3-point range. They are by far the most balanced team in the tournament field.
They aren’t a pretty team on the offensive end, but the Prairie View A&M Panthers (13-18, 8-10 SWAC) do take care of business on the glass and on the defensive end. The Panthers own the SWAC’s third-best scoring defense, and they actually rank sixth in the country in rebounding. A big tournament from guard Jourdan DeMuynck would go a long way to helping Prairie View’s chances. He is the only player averaging in double figures on the year, and while the Panthers’ defense is solid, they will need someone to shoulder the load on the offensive end in order to win.
There was a giant gap between the top three teams in the SWAC and the rest of the pack, but the Jackson State Tigers (10-17, 9-9 SWAC) managed to be the best of the rest. While the Tigers aren’t particularly strong on defense or efficient on offense, they do have three solid scoring options. Kelsey Howard, Dundrecous Nelson and Christian Williams are all averaging more than 13 points per game, and if the trio happens to be clicking on all cylinders, Jackson State’s offense has enough potential firepower to make a run in the SWAC Tournament.
Bottom Line
The fact that two of the SWAC’s best teams are ineligible for the conference tournament does open the door for some unexpected teams to make a run, but it also clears the path for Southern University. The Jaguars have the two best individual players among the remaining teams, and they also have the best balance on both ends of the court by a wide margin. There is a reason that Southern was six games ahead in the conference standings of the next closest team they could possibly face during the SWAC Tournament. The talent gap is simply too great for the Jaguars to blow this opportunity. Southern will take advantage of the weakened field to take the conference tournament crown.
Prediction: Southern University Jaguars Win the SWAC Tournament
2013 SWAC Conference Tournament Schedule
March 13/14 – Quarterfinals
Wednesday, March 13, 9:00 p.m.: No. 6 Alabama A&M vs. No. 7 Grambling State (Game 1)
Thursday, March 14, 1:30 p.m.: No. 2 Jackson State vs. No. 5 Alabama State (Game 3)
Thursday, March 14, 9 p.m.: No. 3 Alcorn State vs. No. 4 Prairie View A&M (Game 2)
Friday, March 15 – Semifinals
3:30 p.m.: Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner
9:00 p.m.: Southern vs. Game 1 Winner
Saturday, March 16 – Championship
4:30 p.m.: Semifinals Winners, ESPN2
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