With conference tournament season underway, the topic of bid-stealers emerges, which occurs when teams win their conference tournaments that wouldn’t otherwise qualify for the NCAA Tournaments and take spots from probable at-large teams. Often, exciting moments arise when a typical one-bid league gets a second team in due to an upset.

Mountain West

The league boasts four teams in the current bracket, notably Boise State and San Diego State among the last four teams included. The most likely team to upset is Colorado State, which is second in the standings after winning six straight games.

West Coast

Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s seem secure in the tournament, raising the possibility of additional teams stealing bids. San Francisco and Santa Clara are the likely candidates to upset the balance of bids available.

Atlantic 10

VCU, while leading the conference, does not boast the quality of wins typical for at-large hopefuls, lacking in significant victories and suffering a Quad 4 loss to Seton Hall, complicating their case for an at-large bid.

Big West

UC San Diego is a feel-good story leading their conference in their first NCAA Tournament eligibility season but faces challenges with their current ranking and competition.

Missouri Valley

Drake, the top-seeded team, has a solid record but faces an uphill battle for at-large candidacy due to losses that might endanger their tournament hopes.

For updates and more detailed analysis, check Palm’s full bracket at the Bracketology hub.