It’s conference tournament week in college basketball. Every year there are unexpected teams who get hot and cut down the nets. Here are underdogs to win each conference tournament; odds via BetMGM.
Dark Horses To Win Each Conference Tournament
ACC: Wake Forest (+1200)
A few weeks ago, Wake Forest was on top of the world after beating Duke. But, they have slipped the last few games with head-scratching losses to Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. In the bracket, Wake would actually have to face one of Notre Dame or Georgia Tech in its first game. After that, they would play Pitt which could give them some momentum before having to likely face UNC in the semifinals. With a potent offense and an elite combo of Hunter Sallis and Kevin Miller, Wake Forest is certainly a dark horse to win the ACC.
Big East: Seton Hall (+4000)
Seton Hall has had a very good season this year and is the five seed in the Big East tournament. They play St. John’s in the first round, which is a very winnable game. The main issue for the Pirates is that they would likely face UConn in the quarterfinal matchup. However, if they can get a few strong performances from all-conference selection Kadary Richmond, then they can take it all in Madison Square Garden.
Big Ten: Ohio State (+3500)
In a season where your head coach gets fired, winning the conference tournament seems like a long shot. However, the Buckeyes have been playing excellent basketball since interim coach Jake Diebler took over last month. They are 5-1 and have a win over Purdue in that stretch. Due to their poor performance early in the season, Ohio State is the ten seed in the tournament. This actually helps the Buckeyes because it means they avoid Purdue until the final. If they can capitalize on their talent-laden roster and good form, the Buckeyes will be a dark horse to win the Big Ten conference tournament.
Big 12: Texas (+2500)
Texas is the seven-seed in the Big 12 tournament, but they underachieved a bit this season. According to Kenpom, they are the fourth-best team in the conference. They have the 20th-best offense in the country and the 55th-best defense, which highlights how balanced the team is. But, the X-factor for a possible run is Max Abmas. He has had a great season in Austin and is the type of player that can take over a game.
The Longhorns are also on the opposite side of the bracket to Houston, who is the favorite. Instead, they are on the side with Iowa State, Kansas, and Baylor. All three are good teams but Kansas has played poorly down the stretch, Baylor has been inconsistent at times this year, and Iowa State plays a slow defense-first style which can be prone to upsets.
SEC: Florida (+1400)
It is hard to say a dark horse is a team that was ranked in the AP Poll just last week, but the SEC is just that deep this season. The Gators beat Alabama to end the season and have had other great wins against Auburn and Kentucky. As the six seed, the Gators avoid playing Tennessee until the tournament final. However that likely means they would have to play both Alabama and Kentucky en route to a championship. But both of those teams have been beaten by Florida this year so don’t be surprised to see the Gators make a run in the conference tournament this week.
PAC 12: Utah (+1400)
Utah has had a rocky season. There were stretches of greatness and stretches of some of the most confusing basketball you have ever seen. Despite this, there is reason to believe Utah may be able to be a dark horse in the Pac-12 conference tournament. First, they have an easy path to the championship. The Utes avoid Arizona until the championship (if they make it) and get to play Colorado in the second round. Second, Utah’s talent is better than its record. The Utes are the fourth-best team in the conference according to Kenpom, but has just been unlucky this season.
