"The Stack" 3-5-17
Jacksonville State won the Ohio Valley Conference championship Saturday and punched their ticket to the Big Dance for the first time in school history.
The Stack is back on this Sunday and congratulations is in order to Jacksonville State from the Ohio Valley Conference who not only punched the first ticket to the Big Dance this year, but also is making it to the tournament for the first time ever after knocking of UT-Martin 66-55 in the OVC championship. The Gamecocks were the four seed. Who else will be dancing after today? Find out as we make our picks for three championship games today in “the stack” for today, Sunday, March 5th:
Big South championship game
#7 Campbell vs. #1 Winthrop 1 PM ET ESPN
If I’m Winthrop and I have to face one of the hottest players in the country right now, I’m nervous. Chris Clemens of Campbell has lit it up in the Big South tournament helping lead the Camels on an unexpected run to the championship game. He’s scored 84 points in the last two games. After Winthrop had to hang on and beat Gardner-Webb in overtime, the confidence you should have in this team has dropped slightly, but I think they find some way to get a win today and punch their ticket. Key word is think. Not very confident in this pick.
Pick: Winthrop
Missouri Valley Conference championship game
#2 Wichita State vs. #1 Illinois State 2 PM ET CBS
What a fascinating matchup. Some people seem to think that Wichita State is in regardless and that Illinois State needs to win the game to guarantee themselves of being in the tournament. Others feel opposite. A blowout helps no one and Illinois State lost by 40 plus points the last time these two teams met in Wichita. I would think that is still fresh in their minds. At the end of the day with the bubble as weak as it is I think they both get in, but today only Wichita State will be feeling comfortable.
Pick: Wichita State
Atlantic Sun Conference championship game
#3 North Florida vs. #1 Florida Gulf Coast 3 PM ET ESPN
These are the last two teams to have won the Atlantic Sun Conference championship. North Florida got here by upsetting Lipscomb in the semi-finals. I think FGCU is too much to handle and they will play their best game of the conference tournament today.
Pick: FGCU
Coming up Monday: Reaction to top stories in sports plus more conference tournament previews and predictions.
