College Hoops Today: Conference Tourney Time

This week, Jeremy Fears is starting to get a reputation for kicking players in the balls; longtime NBA player Damon Stoudamire couldn’t stick as a coach, fired by Georgia Tech after three seasons; and in its first year of eligibility, Queens won the Atlantic Sun conference tourney to punch a ticket for March Madness. Other college basketball stories we’re following include…

Vermont Gunning to Return to the Dance

We’ve reached the most magical time of the year for college basketball. Conference tournaments are already underway (get your brackets here), and over in the American East, the quarterfinals were held on Saturday and so far, everything has gone according to plan with the top four teams advancing.

The Vermont Catamounts, the No. 2 seed, are trying to get back to the NCAA Tourney for the fourth time in five years after regressing last season. Vermont enjoyed a slightly better campaign in 2025-26, going 21-11, and should be able to take out NJIT in the semi-finals on Tuesday after bitch-slapping Bryant by 20 points in the quarterfinals.

Senior guard TJ Hurley was the hero on Saturday, piling up 29 points on 9-of-12 shooting (5-for-7 from downtown) with four boards, two assists and a steal (he was tied for the team lead in SPG this season). Had he not left four points at the free throw line, he likely would have enjoyed his second 30-point effort of the season.

Hurley has struggled to consistently produce offense this season (although he’s been better since league play began) and saw his touches decline with newcomer Gus Yalden as the top option for the Catamounts. Still, all was not lost for Hurley as he enjoyed the finest shooting and rebounding of his career, culminating in being named American East Player of the Year.

Mostly a deep threat, this Canadian will need to: (a) develop more of a mid-range game; and (b) improve defensively to become an NBA prospect. Perhaps he can land a pro contract overseas, but his inability to run an offense shuts the door on him becoming a combo guard, so his game is a bit one dimensional.

Meechie’s Triumphant Return

On Wednesday the SEC tourney kicks off, and that should be fun given the level of competition. For the South Carolina Gamecocks, it’s been a season of modest improvement, but this is a squad that remains a bit overwhelmed by its conference rivals (4-14 within SEC play, although they did beat Ole Miss in the regular season finale).

As the 14th seed in the SEC tourney, the Gamecocks take on No. 11 Oklahoma, but oddsmakers don’t love their chances (as per FanDuel, they currently 6.5 underdogs in this one). South Carolina is one of the top free throw shooting teams in the country, but really struggles to sink its three-pointers.

Senior guard Meechie Johnson has far and away been the most dangerous player for the Gamecocks, pacing the squad in points, assists and steals. On Saturday, he wasn’t at his best, but shot well (5-for-11, including 3-for-7 from downtown) and pitched in with four boards while nailing the game-winning trey at the buzzer.

Johnson had been red hot previously, scoring 18 or more points in six straight, and his return to SC as a sixth year senior has resulted in a career best performance. He began his career with two seasons at OSU, transferred to South Carolina for the next two, and then back to OSU last season before finishing up with yet another campaign as a Gamecock.

Johnson has missed plenty of time over his collegiate career with injuries and personal issues, but was able to handle more PT this season, resulting in more buckets than ever. Honestly, we’re not sure South Carolina wins as many SEC games as it did without him.

A Seth Curry type, Johnson is capable of scoring and distributing, and while he’s explored the NBA draft a couple of times, he’s always returned to school. At this point, he’s not a 2026 draft prospect, but a huge run in the SEC tourney would help get him the exposure needed to get a Summer League invite.

RotoRob Tune of the Day

Brazilian singer Djavan was born Djavan Caetano Viana. In 1998, he released Bicho Solto O XIII, which included the track “Atitude.”