Some Conferences are Better than Others
In NCAA Basketball, there are six major conferences. These conferences are ranked from first through sixth. There are also mid-Major conferences, which are highly competitive, and then various other leagues.
In college basketball, there are a total of 33 such conferences. Conference rankings vary from year-to-year and can even change during the season. What makes one conference better than another? Here are a few aspects to consider.
How Many Clubs Are Competitive?
In some of the six major conferences, which are the Big East. Big 12, SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Pac-10, every club or almost every one is competitive. Those are often considered to be the best of the best. As of late, the Big East and Big 12 have met those criteria. The Big Ten has also been very balanced.
How Many Teams Make it to the Big Dance?
The more teams from a conference that get an invite to March Madness, the more prestigious the conference is considered to be. Some of the best leagues will have up to 50% or sometimes even more of their teams invited to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. They are the best of the best.
How Many Teams go deep into the Big Dance?
The other aspect of the tournament that influences a conference’s ranking has to do with how many teams from a specific conference make it to the Sweet 16 and then the Elite Eight. Teams that do well on the national level improve the reputation of the league in which they play.
How Strong and Deep is the Talent Pool?
Does the league have talented players on each team? Along with having top starters do they also possess solid benches? This is partly about talent, but it is also about size, skill development and the potential for NBA play.
How do the Clubs Handle Teams from other Majors?
This is a big factor when it comes to nonconference and NCAA Basketball Tournament play. If Syracuse blows out Ohio State, that certainly helps to push the Big East past the Big Ten.
Are Rankings Important?
NCAA Basketball conference rankings tell you which leagues have the best teams and are the most competitive. In a few conferences, every team is competitive, which often makes handicapping difficult. In others, there are major disparities, which can actually be useful to bettors looking for good games on which to bet.
Additionally, less important conferences aren’t usually as heavily bet and that means there’s less time spent by bookmakers handicapping their games. You can find some real deals every week in these leagues. If you can find odds on games that aren’t hallmark contests consider them carefully. They may be worth betting.