Before the chaos of March Madness ensues on March 13, teams will make a final bid for a chance at glory. Over the next week, conference tournaments will be played all over the nation, showcasing possible Cinderella stories and proven juggernauts. While some tourneys are predictable, certain conferences will pit highly-competitive teams against one another, producing must-see matchups.

ACC:
As usual, the ACC is stacked. The bracket features three of the nation’s top 25 teams: No. 1 Virginia, No. 5 Duke and No. 9 North Carolina. The clear favorite to win the conference is Virginia, a complete team who has stayed healthy and consistent all year. However, no one can sleep on Duke, led by star power forward Marvin Bagley III. The Blue Devils are determined to dethrone their arch rival, North Carolina, as national champions. Speaking of UNC, they will undoubtedly play their hearts out to prove that last-second loss to unranked Miami last Tuesday was just a fluke.

Big East:
Consistency is key in this elite conference because teams such as Xavier, Villanova and Butler have stayed competitive for years. Xavier and Villanova are the favorites to battle for the conference crown, but Butler and Providence will try to make some noise as lower seeds. Keep an eye out for Villanova, because they have had slip-ups in the Big East tournament in previous years.

American:
Although this conference does not have the big-name teams, there are some sneaky contenders. Wichita State recently made a name for itself as a serious competitor, and with forward Markis McDuffie riding a hot streak into conference play, they have high hopes for March. Cincinnati, a historically elite defensive team, is up to its old tricks by playing the most consistent game-to-game defense in the league. Could this be the birthplace of a possible March miracle?

Before college basketball fans can celebrate the buzzer-beaters, vicious crossovers and net-cutting of March, they can settle for conference tournaments. Get ready for the next two weeks, because respected programs will fight for seeding, and bubble teams will vie for a chance at The Big Dance.