March Madness is upon us once again, and the round of 64 heats up this weekend. This year’s bracket is as deep and tough to figure out as ever. Last year, we saw many small schools make noise in the tournament with teams like Wichita State, Harvard and Florida Gulf Coast. Their efforts have many feeling good about picking smaller schools to pull off upsets again this year. FGC didn’t make the dance this year, but Harvard and Wichita State are back — but can they duplicate their success from a year ago? How far can Creighton go led by the best player in the nation? Which of the elite power house schools is most at risk for an early exit? This year’s tournament has so many questions. 
The question I want to focus on is which conference is the strongest in the tournament. Which conference will send the most teams to the Sweet 16 and ultimately has the best odds to bring a national title to their conference? 
One could make a case for the Big 12. It sent the most teams to the dance with seven, and if Joel Embiid can get healthy, Kansas might have the most talented team on paper. However, despite having the most teams, the Big 12 lacks enough teams that have a legitimate shot to go deep. Of their seven teams, only Kansas and Iowa State have top-four seeds. The Big 12 will need to pull off some upsets to have any more than two of their teams get to the Sweet 16, and I don’t like their chances. 
What about the ACC? It has been one of the top basketball conferences for years led by powerhouses Duke and North Carolina, and this year a new dominant team has emerged in Virginia which has a No. 1 seed. Thanks to the dismantlement of the Big East, the ACC even has Syracuse in the conference now too. However, I believe Syracuse and Duke are both poised for upsets, and Virginia lacks the pedigree to count on the Cavs to win their region, although I do anticipate they make the Sweet 16. There’s nothing to talk about with North Carolina State and Pittsburgh, and despite the Tar Heels’ excellent point guard, they don’t play any defense. It’s very possible the ACC could send at least three teams to the Sweet 16, but in my bracket I only have Virginia going, and I have them losing that round. 
How about the Pac-12? Not a bad choice either. It too has a No. 1 seed in Arizona who has been one of the best teams all year and boasts the best defense in the nation. UCLA is also pretty good, and Oregon has talent and quality front line play, but Arizona State, Colorado and Stanford could all get bounced in their first game. At best Pac-12 gets three teams to the Sweet 16, and the safe bet would be two teams. 
The conference to really watch for in this tournament is none of those nor the SEC, AAC, Big East or Atlantic 10. The conference that will have the most teams in the Sweet 16, including the team that cuts down the nets, will be the Big Ten. 
Six schools represent the Big Ten conference in the tournament, and of those six I have four making the Sweet 16. Iowa and Nebraska are not threats to do anything, but every other team is a legitimate contender. 
I have Michigan State, Wisconsin and Michigan all going to the Sweet 16, and you could see as many as three Big Ten schools in the Elite 8. Combine that with the fact I believe Michigan State will win the National Championship, and you have no choice but to feel like the Big Ten has the strongest presence in this year’s tournament.