Conference tournament brackets: Four teams in, 64 to go for 2019 NCAA Tournament

Auto bid season has officially arrived!

The weekend wraps with four auto bids officially handed out, meaning there are 64 spots still to be determined for the 2019 NCAA Tournament.  Be sure to bookmark/favorite this page, as it is where you’ll want to frequently check in to get the fastest and latest updates on who is heading to the Dance. 

ATLANTIC SUN

The Liberty Flames are on their way to the fourth Big Dance in school history. Liberty won at top-seeded Lipscomb for the second time this season, doing so in a game that featured 23 lead changes. A 74-68 final means the 2018-19 Flames squad joins the 1993-94, 2003-04 and 2012-13 teams to break on through to the big bracket. A 13 seed is likely for the 28-6 Flames.

Liberty won in spite of what was unequivocally the most hilarious and egregious flop in college basketball this season. 

BIG SOUTH

On Sunday afternoon, Gardner-Webb defeated second-seeded Radford — the reigning Big South tourney champs — to make its first NCAA Tournament in program history. The Runnin’ Bulldogs earned it: prior to beating Radford, Gardner-Webb upended top-seeded Campbell on its home floor in the Big South semis. The tourney newcomers figure to land as a 16 seed on Selection Sunday.

MISSOURI VALLEY

In the Missouri Valley tournament, Bradley made history: the Braves scored just 15 points by halftime against Northern Iowa, then roared back from an 18-point deficit to pull off the biggest comeback victory in MVC title game history. The final: 57-54. The Braves will be in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 13 years. Back in 2006, Bradley was in via an at-large; Sunday’s victory is the first conference tournament championship for the school since 1988. Bradley will either be a 15 or 16 seed depending on how the low-major conference tournaments unfold in the coming week. 

OHIO VALLEY

On Saturday night, the Ohio Valley Conference tourney handed out the first of 68 bids to the 2019 NCAAs. Murray State played a strong game and won 77-65 over top-seeded Belmont, creating an interesting bubble debate in the process. Murray State’s win means Ja Morant, a potential top-five pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, will be back in the NCAAs for a second consecutive season. 

The Racers, who figure to be a 13 seed, will be must-watch no matter what team they wind up against in the first round. With Morant’s talent, this squad is obviously a prime candidate for one a first-weekend Cinderella story. At 27-4, Matt McMahon’s team poses a real threat to just about anyone it will see in the NCAA Tournament. The Racers will have the longest official wait of any team until Selection Sunday: eight days.