Local college teams competing to be among top seeds in conference tournaments

=College basketball teams are in the final leg of the regular season ahead of their conference tournaments.

Here’s a look at where the six college teams in Madison County are relative to their conference standings and potential seeding for their respective tournaments.

Jackson State

The Lady Green Jays are seeded sixth as of Feb. 13. With four games remaining against Volunteer State, Roane State, Southwest State and Walters State, they’re trying to move up the standings.

Roane is the only team in that group ahead of Jackson State in the standings at No. 4, but they’re 3.5 games ahead, so Jackson State needs help to move ahead of them.

Jackson State is a half-game behind Dyersburg State, so a jump to fifth is plausible.

The men’s team has won one game this year at 1-13 and are in last place in the conference.

Lane

The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament is an eight-day affair in which all teams in the conference automatically qualify.

With the conference split into two divisions, the Lane men’s team has a chance to get a bye in the tournament with the hot streak the Dragons have been on for the past month.

Their current conference record is 12-7, which puts them at fourth in the division, but they’re just 1.5 games out of first place.

They have one regular season game remaining at division leader Miles College (Feb 20), so a jump in the standings and better seeding is possible.

The Lady Dragons are also fourth in West Division, but Tuskegee has already clinched the top seed. They did compete well with Tuskegee at Lane on Feb. 4, falling to them by four points.

With only one game remaining, moving up one or two spots is possible but difficult as Kentucky State and Miles both have two more wins.

Union

Only the top eight teams in the standings go to the Gulf South Conference tournament.

The Union men’s team is currently seeded sixth with four games remaining.

The good news is the Bulldogs are all but a lock to be in the tournament as the current No. 9 team, West Florida, is four games behind the Bulldogs.

With four games remaining at home vs. No. 2 Alabama-Huntsville (Feb. 16), No. 1 West Alabama (Feb. 18), at No. 4. Lee (Feb. 23) and at Shorter (Feb. 25).

The good thing for the Bulldogs is they’ve beaten all three of the teams seeded ahead of them because the top teams in the conference are that competitive. So a top-four seeding and a home game in the quarterfinals on Feb. 28 is possible.

The Lady Bulldogs have clinched a top-four seeding and will play at home on Feb. 28. Where they will be seeded is still to be determined as they’re a game behind Lee with a trip to Cleveland still on the schedule. They’re also a game ahead of both Valdosta State and West Florida.

Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news