Four more leagues begin conference tourney play tonight

MURRAY STATE has won 24 in a row, but the Racers came into the week with an RPI in the mid-60s. Probably wouldn't be an at-large team if they fail to win the Ohio Valley Tournament, but there are a dozen bubble teams out there that would rather not find that out.

Here's a look at the four leagues starting their conference tournaments tonight:

At Campus Sites

FIRST ROUND/Today

8-Maine at 1-Albany, 7

7-UMBC at 2-Vermont, 7

6-Binghamton at 3-Stony Brook, 7

5-Hartford vs. 4-New Hampshire, 7

SEMIFINALS/Sunday

Times TBA

CHAMPIONSHIP/Saturday, March 14

Semifinal winners, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)

NCAA Tourney prospects: This is a one-bid league.

Fun facts: Albany won the regular-season crown for the first time since 2006, though the Great Danes won the conference tournament in 2006, 2007 and 2013 . . . Albany's best player is Australian Sam Rowley, a senior. "I've never wrestled a crocodile," Rowley told the Albany Times-Union last season. "The only time I've seen one is in the zoo." . . . Albany's Dallas Ennema gets the award for the most unfortunate surname.

At Conway, S.C.

FIRST ROUND/Today

8-Presbyterian vs. 9-Longwood, 12

7-Gardner-Webb vs. 10-Campbell, 2:30

6-UNC Asheville vs. 11-Liberty, 6

QUARTERFINALS/Friday

1-Chas. Southern vs. Presby./Longwood, 12

4-Radford vs. Winthrop, 2:30

2-High Point vs. Gardner-Webb-Campbell, 6

7-Coastal Carolina vs. UNC Ash./Liberty, 8:30

SEMIFINALS/Saturday, March 7

Times: 12 & 2:30 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP/Sunday, March 8

Semifinal winners, 12:30 (ESPN2)

NCAA Tourney prospects: This is a one-bid league.

Fun facts: Saah Nimley is the first Charleston Southern Conference player of the year since T.L. Latson in 1995-96. The Buccaneers haven't been to the NCAAs since 1997 . . . High Point's John Brown had 24 points in a December win over James Madison 2 days after his mother died. The Panthers (22-8) tied the program record for wins and are looking to make it to the NCAAs for the first time ever. . . . Winthrop and Gardner-Webb each beat Clemson.

At Campus Sites

FIRST ROUND/Today

8-Long Island Brooklyn at 1-St. Francis (N.Y.), 7

7-Wagner at 2-Robert Morris, 7

6-Sacred Heart at 3-Bryant, 7

5-St. Francis (Pa.) at 4-Mount St. Mary's, 7

SEMIFINALS/Saturday

Times: 12 & 2 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP/Tuesday, March 10

Semifinal winners, 7 (ESPN2)

NCAA Tourney prospects: This is a one-bid league.

Fun facts: Top-seeded St. Francis (N.Y.) is one of five schools that have been in Division I since 1948 that have never played in the NCAA Tournament. Army, Citadel, Northwestern and William & Mary are the others . . . St. Fran's (N.Y.) senior forward Jalen Cannon is the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

At Nashville, Tenn.

FIRST ROUND/Today

5-Morehead St. vs. 8-Southeast Missouri, 7

6-Eastern Illinois vs. 7-SIU Edwardsville, 9:30

SECOND ROUND/Tomorrow

4-UT Martin vs. Morehead St./S.E. Missouri, 7

3-Belmont vs. E. Illinois/SIU Edwards., 9:30

SEMIFINALS/Friday

1-Murray State vs. Thursday early winner, 7:30

2-E. Kentucky vs. Thursday late winner, 10

CHAMPIONSHIP/Saturday

Semifinal winners, 7 (ESPN2)

NCAA Tourney prospects: This is a one-bid league.

Fun facts: Murray State has won 24 in a row, the second-longest streak in the nation behind Kentucky's 29. None of the teams the Racers beat in this stretch is expected to make the NCAA Tournament, however . . . Four players for Tennessee-Martin were named league's newcomer of the week during the season. None of them is a freshman, which is whom the award should go to . . . Eastern Kentucky owns a win over Miami. The Colonels won this tournament last year as a 3-seed. They were a 15-seed in the NCAAs and hung with Kansas before losing by 11.