Welcome to March, the Madness has begun
ZWF #4: Sunday, March 06, 2022
Welcome to March everyone! Every year, the flip of the calendar to the month of March means college basketball is entering its final days of the season. This is always of the most exciting times of the year. There is a reason March Madness is a thing. March begins with each collegiate athletic conference hosting their own tournament, to determine who will be declared champion of the conference and receive an automatic bid into the big tournament. Some of those began play last week, but the power conferences in collegiate athletics begin their conference tournaments this week.
This week on Zander’s Weekend Facts, we’ll take a look at the conference tournaments happening this week across the country. Plus, some of the latest updates on Ukraine, and some facts you need to know about a wide variety of topics.
By the way, if you haven’t listened to Episode 55 of the Zander’s Facts Podcast, you should do so immediately. This past week, Zander’s Facts NBA Analyst Hill Billy joined the pod to lay out his top contenders this season in the association. Plus, a new guest joined the pod, Dr. Bobby, Director of the Russian Program at Virginia Tech, to break down everything going on regarding the situation in Ukraine. You will learn a lot by listening to this edition of the Zander’s Facts Podcast, so go listen right now!
The goal of Zander’s Weekend Facts is to give you the facts about anything going on in the world around us. You’ll just have to read these facts, instead of listening to them on the Zander’s Facts Podcast.
Without further ado, here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, March 06, 2022:
It’s time for Conference Tournaments
We’ve made it through another regular season of college basketball. The final regular season games will be played today. That means that it is time for one of the most anticipated weeks of the year, champ week. Each collegiate athletic conference in Division 1 of the NCAA that sponsors college basketball will host their conference tournament this week. The champion of each tournament is automatically qualified for the NCAA Tournament, whose field of 68 teams will be revealed one week from today.
There are a total of 32 conference tournaments, with 32 spots in the tournament up for grabs. One of those spots has already been claimed at the time of publication. The championship game of the Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament took place Saturday night, with Murray State defeating Morehead State 71-67 to become the first team in 2022 to punch their ticket to the big dance.
The other 31 conference tournaments are either currently underway or will begin this week. Here is a quick breakdown of the conference tournaments that are in action right now:
Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) (March 1-8)
Site: Campus Sites
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Liberty
Current Round: Final on Tuesday (Jacksonville vs Bellarmine.) Bellarmine is not eligible for the NCAA Tournament. If Jacksonville loses, regular season champion Jacksonville State will claim the ASUN automatic bid.
Big South Conference (March 2-6)
Site: Charlotte, NC
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Winthrop
Current Round: Final on Sunday (Winthrop vs Longwood.)
Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) (March 5-8)
Site: Washington, DC
TV: Semifinal and Final: CBS
Defending Champion: Drexel
Current Round: Quarterfinals on Sunday (Charleston, Delaware, Drexel, Elon, Hofstra, Northeastern, Towson, UNC Wilmington remain.)
Horizon League (March 1-March 8)
Site: Early rounds: Campus Sites; Semifinal and Final: Indianapolis, IN
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Cleveland State
Current Round: Semifinals on Monday (Wright State vs Cleveland State and Northern Kentucky vs Purdue Fort Wayne.)
Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) (March 3-6)
Site: St. Louis, MO
TV: Early rounds: ESPN; Semifinal and Final: CBS
Defending Champion: Loyola Chicago
Current Round: Final on Sunday (Loyola Chicago vs Drake.)
Northeast Conference (NEC) (February 28-March 8)
Site: Campus Sites
TV: Semifinal and Final: ESPN
Defending Champion: Mount St. Mary’s
Current Round: Final on Tuesday (Wagner vs Bryant.)
Patriot League (March 1-9)
Site: Campus Sites
TV: Early rounds: ESPN; Semifinal and Final: CBS
Defending Champion: Colgate
Current Round: Semifinals on Sunday (Lehigh vs Colgate and Boston University vs Navy.)
Southern Conference (SoCon) (March 4-7)
Site: Asheville, NC
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: UNC Greensboro
Current Round: Semifinals on Sunday (Wofford vs Chattanooga and Samford vs Furman.)
Summit League (March 5-8)
Site: Sioux Falls, SD
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Oral Roberts
Current Round: Semifinals on Sunday (South Dakota vs Kansas City and Western Illinois vs Oral Roberts.)
Sun Belt Conference (March 3-7)
Site: Pensacola, FL
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Appalachian State
Current Round: Semifinals on Sunday (Louisiana vs Troy and Georgia State vs Appalachian State.)
West Coast Conference (WCC) (March 3-8)
Site: Las Vegas, NV
TV: Semifinal and Final: ESPN
Defending Champion: Gonzaga
Current Round: Semifinals on Monday (San Francisco vs Gonzaga and Santa Clara vs Saint Mary’s.)
The remaining 20 conferences begin tournament play this week. Here are those conference tournaments that have yet to begin:
America East Conference (March 6-12)
Site: Campus Sites
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Hartford
American Athletic Conference (March 10-13)
Site: Fort Worth, TX
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Houston
Atlantic 10 Conference (March 9-13)
Site: Washington, DC
TV: First Round: ESPN; Second Round & Quarterfinals: USA Network; Semifinals and Final: CBS
Defending Champion: St. Bonaventure
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) (March 8-12)
Site: Brooklyn, NY
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Georgia Tech
Big 12 Conference (March 9-12)
Site: Kansas City, MO
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Texas
Big East Conference (March 9-12)
Site: New York, NY
TV: Fox Sports
Defending Champion: Georgetown
Big Sky Conference (March 9-12)
Site: Boise, ID
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Eastern Washington
Big Ten Conference (March 9-13)
Site: Indianapolis, IN
TV: First Round through Quarterfinals: Big Ten Network; Semifinals and Final: CBS
Defending Champion: Illinois
Big West Conference (March 8-12)
Site: Henderson, NV
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: UC Santa Barbara
Conference USA (March 8-12)
Site: Frisco, TX
TV: First and Second Rounds: ESPN; Quarterfinals: Stadium; Semifinals and Final: CBS
Defending Champion: North Texas
Ivy League (March 12-13)
Site: Boston, MA
TV: ESPN
No Tournament in 2021
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) (March 8-12)
Site: Atlantic City, NJ
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Iona
Mid-American Conference (MAC) (March 10-12)
Site: Cleveland, OH
TV: Semifinals: CBS; Quarterfinals and Final: ESPN
Defending Champion: Ohio
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) (March 9-12)
Site: Norfolk, VA
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Norfolk State
Mountain West Conference (March 9-12)
Site: Las Vegas, NV
TV: Quarterfinals through Final: CBS
Defending Champion: San Diego State
Pac-12 Conference (March 9-12)
Site: Las Vegas, NV
TV: First Round through Semifinals: Pac-12 Network; Quarterfinals through Final: Fox Sports
Defending Champion: Oregon State
Southeastern Conference (SEC) (March 9-13)
Site: Tampa, Florida
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Alabama
Southland Conference (March 9-12)
Site: Katy, TX
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Abilene Christian
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) (March 9-12)
Site: Birmingham, AL
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Texas Southern
Western Athletic Conference (WAC) (March 8-12)
Site: Las Vegas, NV
TV: ESPN
Defending Champion: Grand Canyon
Included in those conferences that begin tournament play are the power six conferences of college basketball. Among the teams in those leagues are several squads that currently sit on the bubble, meaning their tournament fate is relatively unknown at the moment. What follows is a compilation of the squads vying to be a part of the madness from the six major conferences. Teams that have the LOCK designation appear almost certain to make the tournament, while teams with the BUBBLE designation are on the bubble at the moment and have their final chance to impress at this week’s tournaments.
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
LOCK: #7 Duke (26-5, 16-4 ACC) (#1 seed in ACC tournament)
BUBBLE: Miami (22-9, 14-6 ACC)
NET ranking: 59
Last week: Win at Boston College, Win at Syracuse
This week: ACC tournament (#4 seed)
ESPN Projection: In the tournament
BUBBLE: North Carolina (23-8, 15-5 ACC)
NET ranking: 32
Last week: Win vs Syracuse, Win at #4 Duke
This week: ACC tournament (#3 seed)
ESPN Projection: In the tournament
BUBBLE: Notre Dame (22-9, 15-5 ACC)
NET ranking: 49
Last week: Loss at Florida State, Win vs Pittsburgh
This week: ACC tournament (#2 seed)
ESPN Projection: Last Four Byes
BUBBLE: Virginia Tech (19-12, 11-9 ACC)
NET ranking: 36
Last week: Win vs Louisville, Loss at Clemson
This week: ACC tournament (#7 seed)
ESPN Projection: First Four Out
BUBBLE: Wake Forest (23-8, 13-7 ACC)
NET ranking: 38
Last week: Won vs NC State
This week: ACC tournament (#5 seed)
ESPN Projection: In the tournament
Big 12 Conference
LOCK: #3 Baylor (26-5, 14-4 Big 12) (#2 seed in Big 12 tournament)
LOCK: #6 Kansas (25-6, 14-4 Big 12) (#1 seed in Big 12 tournament)
LOCK: #12 Texas Tech (23-8, 12-6 Big 12) (#3 seed in Big 12 tournament)
LOCK: #21 Texas (21-10, 10-8 Big 12) (#4 seed in Big 12 tournament)
LOCK: Iowa State (20-11, 7-11 Big 12) (#6 seed in Big 12 tournament)
BUBBLE: Oklahoma (17-14, 7-11 Big 12)
NET ranking: 42
Last week: Win vs West Virginia, Win at Kansas State
This week: Big 12 tournament (#7 seed)
ESPN Projection: Out of the tournament
BUBBLE: TCU (19-11, 8-10 Big 12)
NET ranking: 46
Last week: Win vs #6 Kansas, Loss at #6 Kansas, Loss at West Virginia
This week: Big 12 tournament (#5 seed)
ESPN Projection: In the tournament
Big East Conference
LOCK: #9 Providence (24-4, 14-3 Big East) (#1 seed in Big East tournament)
LOCK: Seton Hall (20-9, 11-8 Big East) (#6 seed in Big East tournament)
LOCK: #18 UConn (23-7, 13-6 Big East) (#3 seed in Big East tournament)
LOCK: #11 Villanova (23-7, 16-4 Big East) (#2 seed in Big East tournament)
BUBBLE: Creighton (20-10, 12-7 Big East)
NET ranking: 65
Last week: Win vs #18 UConn, Loss vs Seton Hall
This week: Big East tournament (#4 seed)
ESPN Projection: Last Four Byes
BUBBLE: Marquette (19-11, 11-8 Big East)
NET ranking: 37
Last week: Loss at DePaul, Win vs St. John’s
This week: Big East tournament (#5 seed)
ESPN Projection: In the tournament
BUBBLE: Xavier (18-12, 8-11 Big East)
NET ranking: 35
Last week: Loss at St. John’s, Win vs Georgetown
This week: Big East tournament (#8 seed)
ESPN Projection: Last Four Byes
Big Ten Conference
LOCK: #20 Illinois (21-8, 14-5 Big Ten)
LOCK: #24 Iowa (22-8, 12-7 Big Ten)
LOCK: #23 Ohio State (19-9, 12-7 Big Ten)
LOCK: #8 Purdue (25-6, 14-6 Big Ten)
LOCK: #10 Wisconsin (24-5, 15-4 Big Ten)
BUBBLE: Indiana (18-12, 9-11 Big Ten)
NET ranking: 43
Last week: Loss at Minnesota, Win vs Rutgers, Loss at #8 Purdue
This week: Big Ten tournament
ESPN Projection: Last Four In
BUBBLE: Michigan (16-13, 10-9 Big Ten)
NET ranking: 34
Last week: Loss vs #20 Illinois, Win vs Michigan State, Loss vs #24 Iowa
This week: Sunday at #23 Ohio State, Big Ten tournament
ESPN Projection: Last Four In
BUBBLE: Michigan State (19-11, 10-9 Big Ten)
NET ranking: 39
Last week: Loss at Michigan, Loss at #23 Ohio State
This week: Sunday vs Maryland, Big Ten tournament
ESPN Projection: In the tournament
BUBBLE: Rutgers (17-12, 11-8 Big Ten)
NET ranking: 76
Last week: Win at Indiana
This week: Sunday vs Penn State, Big Ten tournament
ESPN Projection: Last Four In
Pac-12 Conference
LOCK: #2 Arizona (28-3, 18-2 Pac-12) (#1 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament)
LOCK: #16 UCLA (23-6, 15-5 Pac-12) (#2 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament)
LOCK: #17 USC (25-6, 14-6 Pac-12) (#3 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament)
Southeastern Conference (SEC)
LOCK: #25 Alabama (19-12, 9-9 SEC) (#6 seed in SEC tournament)
LOCK: #14 Arkansas (24-7, 13-5 SEC) (#4 seed in SEC tournament)
LOCK: #5 Auburn (27-4, 15-3 SEC) (#1 seed in SEC tournament)
LOCK: #7 Kentucky (25-6, 14-4 SEC) (#3 seed in SEC tournament)
LOCK: LSU (21-10, 9-9 SEC) (#5 seed in SEC tournament)
LOCK: #13 Tennessee (23-7, 14-4 SEC) (#2 seed in SEC tournament)
BUBBLE: Florida (19-12, 9-9 SEC)
NET ranking: 53
Last week: Win at Vanderbilt, Loss vs #7 Kentucky
This week: SEC tournament (#9 seed)
ESPN Projection: Next Four Out
BUBBLE: Texas A&M (20-11, 9-9 SEC)
NET ranking: 56
Last week: Win at #25 Alabama, Win vs Mississippi State
This week: SEC tournament (#8 seed)
ESPN Projection: Not in the tournament
For a more in-depth look at the power six conference tournaments, tune in to this Wednesday’s brand new episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast!
The latest updates from Ukraine
One more time, please listen to Episode 55 of the Zander’s Facts Podcast. Dr. Bobby does a tremendous job explaining how the situation in Ukraine came to be . Dr. Bobby will return to the podcast this Wednesday to discuss the latest updates, so make sure to tune in to Episode 56! Right now, here are a couple of the latest stories regarding the conflict you should know about:
Russia passed a bill this week that would sentence anyone to 15 years in prison if they spread information that goes against the position of the Russian government on the war in Ukraine. The move has caused multiple western media outlets to suspend operations in the country. Britain’s BBC, the U.S.’ ABC News, Bloomberg News, CBS News, CNN, and Canada’s CBC have all ceased operations in Russia. The country also blocked those in Russia from accessing Facebook and has shut down all independent news organizations in the country.
Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire last week that would allow citizens to evacuate from the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha. However, the ceasefire failed after only hours as Russian shelling of Mariupol continued. New ceasefire talks have emerged, however, it is unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will be cooperative or stick to his word.
Over the last few days, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded with members of NATO to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine. A no-fly zone over Ukraine would mean NATO forces removing Russian aircraft from the skies over Ukraine, which many argue would trigger World War III. Many NATO nations, including the U.S. and U.K., along with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have vehemently argued against a no-fly zone.
The United States is currently weighing whether to ban Russian oil imports from the country. Russian oil represents a small portion of the U.S. oil market, but energy prices could rise higher if European countries follow suit in a ban. The Biden administration says they are taking a look at a ban, while a bipartisan group of 18 Senators introduced legislation in the Senate to ban Russian oil imports.
The United States is currently discussing with NATO-ally Poland the possibility of sending Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine to assist the Ukrainian military. The deal would have Poland donating old Russian MiG fighters to Ukraine, with the U.S. giving Poland American F-16 jets as replacements.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the latest headlines you may have missed from around the world of sports:
Duke men’s head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski coached his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday night. Krzyzewski announced before this season began that he would retire at the end of the season. 96 of Krzyzewski’s former players attended the game and held a pregame ceremony in honor of Coach K. Unfortunately for Duke, they ended up losing to North Carolina 94-81. After the game, another ceremony for Coach K was held where Duke University honored the longtime coach with a bench and a scholarship. While this was Duke’s final home game of the season, they will play in the ACC Tournament this week and most likely in the NCAA Tournament beginning next week.
Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich on Wednesday confirmed rumors that he would be selling the club. Abramovich has come under fire in recent weeks due to his Russian oligarch status and his previous relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Abramovich is seeking a price tag north of $2.5 billion, which he says will be donated to help the victims of the war in Ukraine. Many groups have reportedly shown interest in purchasing the London-based club, including a group featuring Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers part-owner Todd Boehly.
Saturday night was a historic one for Major League Soccer. Charlotte FC hosted their first home match at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, also home to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Before the match, 74,479 tickets were sold, an MLS record. The match was also the second-most attended soccer match in the world this year, with last Sunday’s Chelsea-Liverpool Carabao Cup final in London taking first place. Despite the record-setting audience, Charlotte FC fell to LA Galaxy 1-0, with Charlotte now dropping their first two MLS matches.
As of publication, Major League Baseball is still under a lockout. The league has been under a lockout since December 1, when MLB owners and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) could not come to an agreement over a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). On Tuesday, MLB owners announced that for the first time in 27 years, they would be canceling regular season games over a self-inflicted lockout. This CNN article has everything you need to know about why the lockout is happening and when baseball might return.
One of the fiercest rivalries in sports will be reignited this morning when Manchester City and Manchester United meet in the Manchester Derby. In their first meeting of the season on November 6, Manchester City was victorious 2-0 at Old Trafford. Manchester City will host this match, set for 11:30 am eastern time, available to watch in the U.S. on USA network. Manchester City is currently at the top of the table in the Premier League with 66 points, while Manchester United sits in fourth with 47 points.
Rapid-fire Facts
With the news focusing on Ukraine, there have been some interesting topics you may have missed. Here are a couple of storylines from the past week you’ll want to know about:
President Joe Biden held his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night at the U.S. Capitol. Biden began the speech by showing support for Ukraine in their fight against Russia, which gained bipartisan applause. Biden also hit on inflation, covid, and several other topics during the 61 minute speech. Here are a couple of takeaways from Biden’s speech:
On Thursday, the Supreme Court reimposed the death penalty on one of the bombers of the 2013 Boston marathon, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The Court ruled 6-3, in agreement with the Justice Department, that a lower Appeals court was wrong to throw out the death sentence that a jury had imposed. The six conservatives on the court ruled in the majority, while the three liberal justices dissented. The Justice Department temporarily halted all executions last summer, under a new Biden administration policy.
Amid a push in the Republican Party for parental rights regarding schools, Florida’s state house has passed a controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The bill is designed to restrict conversations in the classroom about the LGBTQ community, by allowing parents to sue school districts if they are uncomfortable with discussions regarding the LGBTQ community that occur in the classroom. On Thursday, students from across the state walked out of school to protest the bill.
Texas held their primary elections for the 2022 midterms on Tuesday, becoming the first state in the country to hold primaries this year. In the Governor’s race, Republican incumbent Greg Abbott easily won his primary, while Democracy Beto O’Rourke did the same, setting up a showdown between the two in November. The Republican race for Attorney General will be heading to a runoff in May, with incumbent Ken Paxton, who is currently under FBI investigation, facing off against current Land Commissioner George P. Bush, son of Jeb Bush.
Wrapping Up
Before this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast. Download and listen to Episode 55 wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Zander’s Facts’ Linktree page for more information: Zander's Facts on Linktree
A brand new edition of the Zander’s Facts Podcast drops this Wednesday! On Episode 56, Zander breaks down this week’s conference tournaments for the power six conferences, giving you everything you need to watch some hoops this week! Plus, Dr. Bobby returns to the podcast to provide some additional expertise on the war in Ukraine!
Do remember to check out the next edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts next Sunday! If you haven’t already, make sure to sign up with the link below to get Zander’s Weekend Facts in your inbox every Sunday so you don’t miss anything!
That’s a wrap on this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, March 13, 2022.
