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Picking the 'Conference of Champions' 

October, 29, 2012
10/29/12
12:49
PM ET

As we begin the 2012-13 campaign it's clear to me that the gigantic, super-cranial neuroplasticity of The Bilastrator's mind could be of great assistance in gauging how the season's conference title races will play out. Rather than simply providing a road map for the selection committee regarding the nation's true 68 top teams, as the Bilas Index will do later this fall, we're starting with the teams I believe will claim the regular-season championship. Consider it an amuse-bouche prior to the intellectual feast provided for you in the season ahead.

I realize this exercise in clairvoyance could rob some of the joy from the season, making games anticlimactic given that these teams are now preordained for glory. However, it is The Bilastrator's solemn duty.

We (and by that we mean the Royal "We") do not condone using this distinctive and matchless service for gambling purposes, but if it is used in such a way, you're welcome for putting you on Easy Street and into the One Percent.

Without further ado, the Bilastrator gives you the ultimate Conference of Champions -- my projected regular-season champ for all of the nation's conferences.

America East: Stony Brook
The Seawolves won 22 games in 2012 and return a younger squad. The safer pick in some circles is Vermont, but the winning pick is Stony Brook because it rebounds and defends, and the Seawolves possess depth and athleticism, along with the stellar defense of Tommy Brenton. Don't overlook the Brook.

Atlantic Coast Conference: North Carolina State
The Wolfpack are new to this whole bull's-eye and expectations thing, I know. But N.C. State has the most talent (Lorenzo Brown and C.J. Leslie are two of the best in the nation at their positions) and an outstanding coaching staff. Duke and North Carolina are both good enough to win the league, and I expect N.C. State to have some struggles. But The Bilastrator knows talent, and N.C. State has talent. Plus, don't sell short the knowledge gained by Mark Gottfried in sitting next to The Bilastrator after leaving Alabama. You're welcome, Mark.

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To read Jay Bilas' predictions for every conference champion, you must be an ESPN Insider.

Jay Bilas

College Basketball analyst
  • College basketball analyst for ESPN and ESPN Insider
  • Played and coached at Duke
  • Practicing attorney
Tags:

Insider, Insider NCB, NCB, Mercer Bears, Stony Brook Seawolves, North Carolina State Wolfpack, Saint Joseph's Hawks, Louisville Cardinals, Montana Grizzlies, Charleston Southern Buccaneers, Indiana Hoosiers, Kansas Jayhawks, Long Beach State 49ers, Delaware Fightin Blue Hens, Memphis Tigers, Valparaiso Crusaders, Princeton Tigers, Loyola (MD) Greyhounds, Ohio Bobcats, Delaware State Hornets, Creighton Bluejays, UNLV Rebels, LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds, Long Island Blackbirds, Murray State Racers, Arizona Wildcats, Lehigh Mountain Hawks, Kentucky Wildcats, Davidson Wildcats, Oral Roberts Golden Eagles, Texas Southern Tigers, South Dakota State Jackrabbits, North Texas Mean Green, Gonzaga Bulldogs, New Mexico State Aggies

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Jay Bilas
Jay Bilas

Jay Bilas provides expert color commentary from courtside on college basketball games and serves as a studio analyst and as the co-host of ESPN's popular studio shows "College GameDay" and "College Gamenight." He also writes for ESPN.com and contributes numerous reports for "SportsCenter." Since 2003, Bilas has provided in-depth player scouting and analysis for ESPN's coverage of the NBA draft.

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