History:
The Northeast Conference and #16 seeds go hand-in-hand. That isn’t always bad, as Fairleigh Dickinson pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history when they knocked off #1 Purdue in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. My favorite fun fact from that season is that FDU didn’t even win the conference tournament. That honor went to Merrimack, who was ineligible for the NCAA Tournament.
In 2010, Robert Morris took Villanova to overtime in a 15-vs-2 matchup. The Colonials have the most league titles (9) but are no longer members.
Returning Champion:
Wagner pulled off the upset as a #6 seed, knocking off the #3, #2, and #1 seeds to take it home. They defeated Howard in a battle of #16 seeds but couldn’t replicate what FDU pulled off. They lost to North Carolina, 90-62.
Format:
Eight of the nine league members make the field. Mercyhurst (9-7) is ineligible for the conference tournament as they transition from Division II. However, Le Moyne (9-22, 4-12) and Stonehill (15-16, 7-9) are eligible despite not being eligible for the NCAA Tournament. The reason? The NEC has a new rule where you must be in your third year of transitioning to make the field. Le Moyne and Stonehill were “grandfathered” in under the old rules.
Teams are re-seeded after the first round.
Contenders:
Central Connecticut dominated regular-season play, going 14-2. In the non-conference, they pulled off a Quad 2 win over Saint Joseph’s and lost to Providence by four. Providence isn’t great, but a NEC team getting that close to a Big East squad is noteworthy. The Blue Devils are a Top 100 defense in the NET and enter this tournament on a 12-game winning streak, the top current streak in the nation. Additionally, they are the only squad in the conference with a winning record against Division I opponents (Long Island is 16-15, but two of those wins are outside Division I).
Speaking of Long Island, they enter the tournament on a 6-game winning streak Like Central Connecticut, they play decent defense. However, their offense is one of the worst in the country. The Sharks are one of the two teams that beat Central Connecticut in conference play (Wagner was the other).
Sleeper:
Can Wagner rise from the #6 seed to win the tournament again? In the NEC, anything can (and does) happen. I don’t see lightning striking again, but the win over Central Connecticut should give them confidence.
How it should play out:
Let’s be realistic: Only one team is in the NET 200 (Central Connecticut is 157th). Only one other team is in the NET 300 (Long Island is 276th). Everyone else is battling it out with the worst teams in the country. It’s hard to see any team avoiding a #16 seed, but maybe Central Connecticut can avoid a “First Four” contest.
Winner:
Central Connecticut deserves it.