For scores and scores of programs and their fans, championship week is not an appetizer. It's the entree and the soup and the bread and the olive oil.
In power-conference corridors, this week is also critically important, even if not in the be-all, end-all kind of way. Teams at all levels of the standings jockey for Big Dance seed position or a chance to steal an automatic bid with an improbable run of the table.
When five, six or even more teams in your conference have a shot at the dance, performance at all rounds of the conference tournament is paramount.