The first thing that probably comes to mind when you think of a conference is its top teams—Duke and Virginia in the ACC, the Michigan schools in the Big Ten, and so on. Having those kinds of elite teams is important, as it brings a league valuable attention nationally and serves as a built-in résumé-building opportunity for the rest of the conference. But an underrated contributor to conference reputation is its depth. Playing in a league that has dangerous teams from top to bottom can make a world of difference come March, not just for NCAA tournament seeding but also for teams that enter March Madness battle-tested from a schedule that did not allow for nights off.
Ranking the Major College Hoops Conferences by Their 2018–19 Depth
