Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Preview
The Sports Network
FACTS & STATS: Site: Richmond Coliseum (11,200) -- Richmond, Virginia. Dates:
Friday, March 7th through Monday, March 10th. Television: CN8 (Quarterfinals,
Semifinals), ESPN (Championship Game). Defending Champion: Virginia
Commonwealth.
OUTLOOK: The pairings are set for the 2008 Colonial Athletic Association Men's
Basketball Tournament. All of the action will take place at Richmond Coliseum,
beginning on Friday and winding up with the championship game on Monday night.
The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The defending
champion Virginia Commonwealth Rams are once again the favorite, having drawn
the top seed. In 10 of the last 13 years, the top seed has gone on to win the
tourney, including each of the last six years. VCU upset Duke in the opening
round of last year's NCAA Tournament. The UNC-Wilmington Seahawks, who have
racked up a league-best 30 tournament wins and four titles, including one in
2006, have drawn the two seed. The George Mason Patriots, who became the first
CAA team to reach the Final Four two years ago and the first mid-major to do so
since 1979, is the three seed. Old Dominion has drawn the four seed, and the
Monarchs will be in search of a fifth tournament title, with their most recent
one coming in 2005. All four of those squads receive a first-round bye.
The opening game pits eighth-seeded Hofstra against ninth-seeded Towson Friday
at noon. These teams split their regular-season meetings, with each notching a
victory at home. Hofstra won the most recent meeting, 81-67 on February 20th.
Hofstra boasts a powerful one-two punch in Antoine Agudio and Charles Jenkins.
Agudio is the school's all-time leading scorer, and he is averaging a league-
best 22.5 ppg this season, while Jenkins is netting 15 ppg in his freshman
season. Hofstra closed out the campaign by winning four of its final five
games. The Tigers, on the other hand, split their final four games. They are
led by Junior Hairston, who averages 12 points and nine rebounds per game. The
Pride have the size advantage, as they lead the league in blocked shots (5.55
per game) and defensive rebounds (25.07 per game). The Tigers lead the CAA in
assist/turnover ratio (1.25) and turnover margin (plus-2.03). The winner moves
on to face top-seeded VCU Saturday at noon.
William & Mary picked up the fifth seed and will take on 12th-seeded Georgia
State on Friday, with the winner advancing to face fourth-seeded ODU the
following afternoon. William & Mary rallied from a 16-point deficit to notch a
60-58 win over the Panthers when the teams met on January 12th. But the Tribe
limp into this tournament, having lost six of their last seven. They are led by
David Schneider (10.9 ppg), the league's second-best free-throw shooter at 85.5
percent, while two other players are scoring 10 ppg. Despite a subpar season
that saw the Panthers go 9-20 in league play, they enter this tilt with wins in
two of their last three games. Still, they finished second-to-last in the CAA
in scoring margin. Leonard Mendez, a 41 percent shooter from three-point land,
paces the squad with 16.1 ppg.
Seventh-seeded Delaware takes on 10th-seeded Drexel Friday evening, with the
winner drawing the honor of tangling with second-seeded UNCW on Saturday night.
In their two meetings this season, each team picked up a win in the opposing
arena. The Blue Hens' 9-9 CAA record was their second-best league mark in the
seven years they've been a member of the conference. They are headlined by Marc
Egerson, who is averaging 13.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Drexel ranks
at the bottom of the league in scoring, averaging just 59.8 ppg. The Dragons
are also last in scoring margin. They lost three of four to close out the
season. Frank Elegar leads the way with 13.9 points and 8.2 boards per game,
while Tramayne Hawthorne is the outside threat (80-of-225 from three-point
range), averaging 11.4 ppg.
In the final first-round matchup, sixth-seeded Northeastern takes on 11th-
seeded James Madison. The winner draws third-seeded George Mason on Saturday
night. These teams met back on December 1st, with JMU claiming a 68-65 win at
Northeastern. The Huskies followed up a season-best five-game win streak by
losing four in a row down the back stretch of the schedule, though they atoned
for it by notching an 11-point victory over George Mason in the season finale.
Sophomore captain Matt Janning leads the way with 16.4 ppg, while two other
Huskies are scoring 10 ppg. JMU possesses the league's worst scoring defense
(74 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (.480). However, the Dukes won two
of three to wrap up their regular-season schedule, with both wins coming by
double digits. Abdulai Jalloh paces the squad with 15.7 ppg, while Terrance
Carter and Juwann James are each tallying 13 points and six rebounds per game.
Barring a Cinderella-like run from one of the first-rounders, the top four
seeds will likely be on a collision course to Monday's final. Combined, they
have 14 tournament titles among them. UNCW always seems to fair well in the CAA
tourney, and the Seahawks are no doubt the favorite to square off with VCU in
the championship game. In the end, however, it doesn't seem likely that anyone
will have what it takes to stop the Rams.
Sports Network Predicted Champion: Virginia Commonwealth
Horizon League Tournament Preview
The Sports Network
FACTS & STATS: Site: Campus Sites (first round); Hinkle Fieldhouse - Butler,
Indiana (second round and semifinals); Championship Game at Highest Remaining
Seed. Dates: Tuesday, March 4th through Tuesday, March 11th. Television:
ESPNU (Semifinals), ESPN (Championship Game). Annual 29th. Defending Champion:Wright State.
OUTLOOK: The Horizon League Tournament is set to get underway at campus sites
on Tuesday, with the second round and semifinals to take place at Hinkle
Fieldhouse and the championship game at the highest remaining seed. Hinkle
Fieldhouse may very well be the venue for the title game, as that is Butler's
homecourt and the Bulldogs are the top seed after clinching the program's first
outright regular-season championship since 2002-03. As the top seed, Butler
earned a bye straight through to the semifinals, as did second seeded Cleveland
State . The Vikings finished in a second place tie with the Wright State
Raiders, but they earned the higher seed due to the tie-breaker scenario. Four
teams ended up tied for fourth place in the league standings at an even 9-9,
with Illinois-Chicago earning the highest seed of the group. Wisconsin-
Milwaukee took the fifth spot, while Valparaiso and Wisconsin-Green Bay claimed
the sixth and seventh seeds, respectively. Loyola-Chicago (eighth seed),
Youngstown State (ninth) and Detroit (10th) round out the rest of the field.
The winner of this tournament will earn an automatic invite to the Big Dance.
The tournament will get underway on Tuesday, when defending champion and third-
seeded Wright State host the 10th-seeded Detroit Titans. The Raiders won their
first-ever HL Tournament championship as the top seed last season, but this
year's run will surely be more challenging. Wright State needed just one win in
its final two games to wrap up the second seed and a bye to semifinals, but
they were unable to get the job done and instead must play the first two
stages. As for Detroit, it was clearly the worst team in the conference
finishing just 3-15 during the regular season. The Titans lost the league's
top scorer, Jon Goode, for the season due to injury in late February and they
haven't won since.
In another first round game, the sixth-seeded Valparaiso Crusaders will
entertain the seventh-seeded UW-Green Bay Phoenix. In their first year in the
HL, Valpo showed it belonged by going an even 9-9. The Crusaders, who won eight
Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Championships prior to joining the HL, are
one victory short of reaching the 20-win plateau. Much like Valpo, UW-Green Bay
finished 9-9 in conference play and it is in search of its first title in this
event since 1995. The Phoenix, who are 13-12 all in this tourney, split a pair
of meetings with Valpo this season.
The fourth-seeded Illinois-Chicago Flames will try to avoid an upset at the
hands of the ninth-seeded Youngstown State Penguins in the first round. The
Flames have won this event on two prior occasions, with their most recent
title coming in 2004. Illinois-Chicago split a pair of meetings with Youngstown
State and it owns an 11-2 mark at home. On the flip side, the Penguins won just
once on the road in HL play and they have dropped five of their last six
outings. Youngstown State has gone just 2-6 in this event and is still in
search of its first championship.
The last of the first round games features the fifth-seeded UW-Milwaukee
Panthers against the eighth-seeded Loyola-Chicago Ramblers. The Panthers
struggled down the stretch, but they had enough to finish an even 9-9. UW-
Milwaukee made four straight appearances in the title game of this event from
2003-2006, taking home the championship three times during that stretch. As
for Loyola-Chicago, it has won the HL Tournament just once and that came all
the way back in 1985. The Ramblers' 27 losses in this event are the most by
any active member.
The second-seeded Cleveland State Vikings won three of their last four HL tilts
to earn a bye into the semifinals. The Vikings had a tremendous turnaround, as
they won 20 games for the first since 1992-93, after losing 21 outings a season
ago. Cleveland State will now hope it can carry its success over into this
event, where it has gone just 3-12, with no titles.
The top-seeded Butler Bulldogs won their last 11 games versus HL competitors
to notch their seventh regular season title in the past 12 years. The
Bulldogs' 16 league wins and 27 overall victories represent the highest marks
in league history during the regular season. Butler will have the luxury of
playing this entire tournament on its home floor, where it went 9-0 versus
conference foes this season. The Bulldogs have won this event four times, but
hasn't captured the title since 2001 under former head coach Thad Matta.
Butler reached the finals of the tournament in 2003, 2007 and 2008, but lost
each time on its opponents home floor.
Butler is clearly the cream of the crop and it will have the luxury of playing
on its home floor, making it that much tougher for the rest of the group.
Cleveland State and Wright State were the only two teams to defeat the Bulldogs
during the regular season, so if Butler is to go down, it will most likely be
to one of them. The Bulldogs though, are just too talented and experienced to
be upset this year, and expect them to take home the hardware this time around.
Sports Network Predicted Champion: Butler
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament Preview
The Sports Network
FACTS & STATS: Site: Times Union Center (17,500) -- Albany, New York. Dates:
Friday, March 7th through Monday, March 10th. Television: MSG, ESPN2
(Championship Game). Annual: 27th. Defending Champion: Niagara
OUTLOOK: With as many as six teams in the hunt for the top spot in the league
standings down the stretch, the 27th annual Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
appears to be setting up for some exciting finishes.
Rider (21-9, 13-5) and Siena (19-10, 13-5) ended up tied for first place as far
as their records were concerned, but upon closer review it was the Saints who
earned the top seed in the tournament and the Broncs who were bumped to number
two. Regardless, both teams, catch a break because of their regular-season
prowess and get a bye through the first round of play in the tournament.
The Saints, who will play the winner of the Manhattan/Saint Peter's matchup
from Friday night the following day at the Times Union Center, were second in
the league this season with 77.7 ppg. However, one concern for the program has
to be how easily it is for opponents to work the glass against them, resulting
in 38.7 rpg for the opposition, the worst mark in the MAAC. Guard Kenny
Hasbrouck and forward Edwin Ubiles were voted All-MAAC First Teamers, the
former posting 15.7 ppg and leading the league in steals with 2.34 per game,
the latter following up his MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year campaign by ranking
fourth in the league in scoring at 17.7 ppg.
As for the Broncs, who are waiting for the winner of the Canisius/Iona bout for
their quarterfinal-round clash, they had one of the most dominating all-around
players in the league on their side this season in All-MAAC First Team
selection Jason Thompson. Second in the conference in scoring with 20.2 ppg and
first in both rebounding (11.8 rpg) and blocked shots (2.8 bpg), Thompson makes
his second appearance on the all-conference first team, with brother Ryan
Thompson carving out a spot on the second team with his 14.8 ppg and 6.1 rpg
for a Rider program that led the MAAC in scoring with 78 ppg, even as it placed
last in the league with a mere 64.2 percent effort at the free-throw line.
First-round games for the tournament begin on Friday night, the very first game
pitting ninth-seeded Saint Peter's (6-23, 3-15) against eight-seeded Manhattan
(11-18, 5-13). The Peacocks, who played in the title game just two seasons ago,
have not won the championship since 1995 and are an even 25-25 in the event
all-time. Wesley Jenkins may lead the team in scoring with 13.0 ppg, but
clearly the true leader of this group is Todd Sowell who averaged a double-
double with 12.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game and had exactly half the
unit's 130 blocked shots in his name.
A powerhouse in the MAAC just a few years ago, the Jaspers have been in
rebuilding mode since former head coach Bobby Gonzalez left for the lifestyle
afforded him as the head man at a Big East school. Manhattan's defense has been
somewhat suspect this season, placing last in the MAAC in field goal percentage
allowed (.479) as well as three-point shooting defense (.390), and considering
the team beefed up its early schedule with weak non-conference opponents, the
group's overall record may be somewhat deceiving.
Next out of the gate on Friday night is the game between 10th-seeded Canisius
(5-24, 2-16) and seventh-seeded Iona (12-19, 8-10). The Golden Griffins had
very little to cheer about this season, placing last in the conference in
scoring with a mere 61.7 ppg and also coming up 10th in as many teams with a
scoring defense that is allowing 73.6 ppg. The only squad in the MAAC to shoot
under 40 percent from the field this season, Canisius was blessed with just one
double-digit scorer in the form of Frank Turner, who turned in not only 12.7
ppg but also found a way to get his teammates involved with 130 assists, which
was three times as many dishes as any one else on the roster.
The Gaels, credited with winning this tournament a record seven times with the
most recent crown coming in 2006 over Saint Peter's, they have the best
pedigree of any team in the conference, but history is never enough to help out
in the present. Iona is not a wild scoring program, instead it finished second-
to-last in the league with an average of 65.8 ppg, but by allowing 69.2 ppg the
team tended to make things quite interesting. Although he is not much for
passing the ball with just 14 assists this season, Gary Springer's 11.0 points
and 7.7 rebounds per game are crucial to the squad's success, however long that
may last.
Jumping to the quarterfinal round on Saturday, fifth-seeded Fairfield is slated
to saddle up against fourth-seeded Loyola-Maryland early in the afternoon. The
Stags (14-15, 11-7) may have lost the final game of the regular season on
Sunday versus Rider by 28 points, but the ride there was still rather exciting
with seven straight wins preceding the letdown. Fairfield is another team that
doesn't have an explosive offense (66.0 ppg), but at least the defense can
defuse many opponents and limit them to an average of 69.1 ppg. Tied with
Manhattan for the second-most conference tournament titles with three,
Fairfield shoots for a fourth on the back of Jonathan Han and his 11.7 ppg and
178 assists this season.
Loyola-Maryland (18-13, 12-6) has been as steady as they come in the MAAC these
days, going without back-to-back losses since the first week of January. One of
the things that has kept the Greyhounds alive is the top free-throw shooting in
the conference at an incredible 77.4 percent clip. A two-time All-MAAC First
Team selection, Gerald Brown has put up 18.8 ppg and 5.0 rpg and although his
physical play has resulted in his earning five personal fouls on seven
different occasions, those disqualifications are easily balanced out by his
182-of-230 shooting at the free-throw line.
Perhaps the most intriguing matchup in the quarterfinals is that of sixth-
seeded Marist versus third-seeded Niagara. The defending champion Purple Eagles
(19-9, 12-6) certainly have something to prove this season and will likely ask
Charron Fisher to do most of the talking for them. The two-time All-MAAC First
Team choice came into this week leading the nation in scoring with a lofty 27.8
ppg and is no slouch on the glass with 9.3 rpg, even though he checks in at
just 6-4. Lending a hand in the offensive attack for Niagara are Tyrone Lewis
and Stanley Hodge, a couple of all-conference choices who are averaging 15.9
and 13.5 ppg, respectively, for a team that is free to fire at will.
The Red Foxes (17-13, 11-7) closed out the regular season with back-to-back
wins, but that was only after the group fell in six of the previous seven
bouts. The squad trotted out the best scoring defense in the MAAC, holding
opponents to a mere 68.7 ppg, but with the Foxes making just 64.3 percent at
the free-throw line, it didn't make much of a difference. A member of the All-
MAAC Second Team in the preseason, Louie McCroskey (12.2 ppg) missed several
games due to injury, but the Syracuse transfer is not ready to have his season
come to an end just yet.
As exciting as Fisher and the Purple Eagles can be from time to time, it is the
sustained play of the Thompson brothers in the paint for Rider that should have
the Broncs galloping into the real postseason in the NCAA Tournament.
Sports Network Predicted Champion: Rider
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
The Sports Network
FACTS & STATS: Site: Scottrade Center (22,612) -- St. Louis, Missouri. Dates:
Thursday, March 6th through Sunday, March 9th. Television: FSN Midwest, Comcast
SportsNet Chicago, CBS (Championship Game). Annual: 32nd. Defending Champion:Creighton.
OUTLOOK: Under first-year head coach Keno Davis, the 20th-ranked Drake Bulldogs
came out of nowhere to claim their first conference title since 1971 and the
top seed in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Earning the top seed in
this event isn't necessarily a good thing, as the No.1 seed has not won the MVC
tourney since the Illinois State Redbirds back in 1998. Speaking of Illinois
State, it also had a big turnaround from last season and it earned the second
seed with a 13-5 league mark. Last year's top seed, Southern Illinois, overcame
a slow start to snare the third spot with an 11-7 finish. The Creighton
Bluejays, who upended Southern Illinois in the finals last season, check in as
the fourth seed courtesy of a 10-8 conference mark. The Bradley Braves and
Northern Iowa Panthers tied for fifth place at an even 9-9, but the Braves were
given the higher seed after the tie-breaker scenario was worked out. The
Missouri State Bears and Indiana State Sycamores landed the seventh and eight
seeds, respectively, with identical finishes and they will play opening round
games against ninth-seeded Wichita State and 10th-seeded Evansville. The winner
of this tourney will earn the right to represent the conference in the NCAA
Tournament.
The MVC Tournament fires up with the eighth-seeded Indiana State Sycamores
taking on the ninth-seeded Wichita State Shockers. The two programs split a
pair of meetings during the regular season, but the Sycamores' eight conference
wins were double that of the Shockers. Indiana State won its second title in
this event in 2001, but has gone just 16-25 all-time in the tourney. Wichita
State hasn't won the championship since 1987 and it hasn't even made a title
game appearance since.
The only other opening round game features the seventh-seeded Missouri State
Bears and the 10th-seeded Evansville Purple Aces. The Bears won their last
three games of the regular season, including an upset of Drake, and they are
looking for their first title since 1992. Missouri State has reached the finals
of this event five times since 1997, losing out on each occasion. Evansville is
one of two teams to have never won this tourney and after a last place finish
(3-15), it doesn't appear that will change this time around.
The top-seeded Drake Bulldogs will kick off the quarterfinals against either
Wichita State or Indiana State on Friday. The Bulldogs have never won this
event and they own just an 11-29 all-time mark in this tourney. Drake opened
MVC play with 13 straight wins and it used that start en route to its highest
seed ever in this event. Drake hasn't been to the postseason since appearing in
the NIT in 1986 and it hasn't reached the NCAA Tournament since 1971. The
Bulldogs' postseason drought is the longest among any of the current MVC
members.
The second quarterfinal round matchup pits the fourth-seeded Creighton Bluejays
against the fifth-seeded Bradley Braves. These two programs split a pair of
meetings, with the Bluejays capturing a wild 111-110 double-overtime thriller
in the regular season finale. With that triumph, Creighton reached the 20-win
plateau for the 10th consecutive season. As the second seed last season, the
Bluejays defeated Southern Illinois (67-61) for their MVC record 10th title.
Creighton has won this tourney twice in the past three years and six times in
the last nine seasons. Bradley hasn't captured this event since 1988, but it
was the runner up in 2006. The Braves overcame a sluggish start to MVC by
winning nine of their final 13 outings.
The second-seeded Illinois State Redbirds will tangle with either Evansville or
Missouri State in their quarterfinal round bout. The Redbirds' 22 overall wins
and 13 in conference play are their most since the 1997-78 campaign, when they
won this event as the top seed. Illinois State has posted four titles in this
event, but it has been out of the picture since capturing back-to-back crowns
between 1997-98.
The quarterfinal round wraps up with the third-seeded Southern Illinois Salukis
battling the sixth-seeded Northern Iowa Panthers. The Salukis opened the season
in the Top-25, but they struggled with consistency for most of the campaign
before going 5-1 down the stretch. Southern Illinois has reached the NCAA
Tournament six straight seasons, but it will most likely need to win this event
in order to keep that streak alive. The Salukis have reached the finals of this
tourney the last two seasons, winning it all in 2006 and losing out to
Creighton last season. Overall, Southern Illinois has five titles to its credit
and it has made it to the championship game four times in the past six seasons.
Northern Iowa earned its first title in 2004 and it split a pair of meetings
with Southern Illinois during the regular season.
The MVC Tournament has been controlled by Creighton and Southern Illinois the
past several seasons and both teams figure to play a part in this year's
outcome as well. Drake though, is the team to beat, but will have a target on
its back. Illinois State is another team capable of making a run in a field
that is deep and talented. When all is said and done, expect the Bulldogs to
slip past the field and capture their first-ever title in this tourney.
Sports Network Predicted Champion: Drake
Northeast Conference Tournament Preview
The Sports Network
FACTS & STATS: Site: Campus Sites (All Rounds). Dates: Thursday, March 6th
through Wednesday, March 12th. Television: MSG Network (One Semifinal game);
ESPN2 (Championship). Annual: 27th. Defending Champion: Central Connecticut
State.
OUTLOOK: The 27th-annual Northeast Conference Tournament is set to begin on
March 6th with the champion of the three-round event being crowned six days
later on national television. All rounds will be played at the home gym of the
higher seed. After the opening round, a reseeding will take place to assure the
highest remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed in the semifinals. The
champion of the tournament will earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament
and a chance to knock off some of the nation's elite programs. The hottest team
in the NEC also happens to be the number one seed, as Robert Morris has rattled
off 13-straight conference wins to finish the regular season as top dog. It was
the Colonials' first NEC title since the 1991-92 campaign. Wagner comes in as
the number two seed with a terrific 15-3 conference record, while Sacred Heart
used a 13-4 mark in league play to cement itself into the three-seed. Mount St.
Mary's and Quinnipiac each recorded 11 conference wins, but Mount St. Mary's
will host the head-to-head bout as a result of winning the fifth possible
tiebreaker. The conference is quite top-heavy as any of the top three teams
could walk away with the trip to the Big Dance. Robert Morris has the homecourt
advantage, but its only two losses in NEC play came at the Wellness Center.
Robert Morris will begin its quest for an NEC title when it hosts the Monmouth
Hawks in one of the quarterfinal rounds. Monmouth can thank Fairleigh
Dickinson's Manny Ubilla for clinching the Hawks' spot in the tournament this
season. Ubilla's three-pointer at the buzzer this past weekend defeated Saint
Francis (PA), 72-70. The decision brought the bottom four teams in the
conference at 4-14 in conference play, and Monmouth won the bid for the final
spot after winning the convoluted tiebreaking system. The Hawks have their work
cut out for them though, as Robert Morris is the hottest team in the
conference, and, quit frankly, one of the hottest teams in the nation, as its
current 13-game surge is the third-longest current winning streak in the
country. The Colonials even picked up the NEC's third-ever victory over an ACC
opponent when they defeated Boston College, 57-51 back in the beginning of
January. Tony Lee is the heart and soul of the squad, recording 13.8 points,
6.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists per contest. The Colonials took both meetings
against the Hawks this season, but Monmouth missed a game-winning shot at the
buzzer the last time the two got together, so this one could be relatively
competitive.
Wagner broke a school record with 22 wins this season and hopes to keep the
good times rolling when seven-seed Long Island rolls into town for a
quarterfinal matchup. Wagner is the best rebounding team in the conference, as
Durell Vinson in pulling down four more boards per game (11.3 rpg) than anyone
else in the NEC. With his help, the Seahawks posted a 12-2 home record and are
poised for a run at the title. Standing in their way is Long Island, who
actually handled Wagner, 85-65 in mid-January. The 'Hawks exacted revenge in
the rematch, but it was a much closer 68-65 contest. The Blackbirds can score
with anyone in the league, putting up almost 73 points per outing, led by
Jaytornah Wisseh's 15.6 ppg. Long Island's 7-11 conference mark is a little
misleading, as the squad dropped six contests by four points or less. This
matchup could certainly be the most entertaining of all the quarterfinal
showdowns.
Defending champion Central Connecticut State is relegated to the sixth seed
this year, as the Blue Devils travel to Sacred Heart in a rematch of last
year's NEC Championship game. The Devils came away with the victory a year ago,
but must knock off three teams on their home court to duplicate the feat.
Tristan Blackwood knocked down a conference-leading 99 three-pointers this
season, and if the Devils can get him going they will be a tough out. Sacred
Heart ripped off eight straight victories earlier in its campaign, but
unfortunately comes into the tournament having lost three of its last five
games. The defense has let up 94 ppg in the three setbacks and needs a quick
fix if the Pioneers expect to play deep into March. The last game of the
conference's schedule featured this same matchup, as CCSU put together quite an
offensive showcase in pounding Sacred Heart, 100-87 in Fairfield.
The Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers and Quinnipiac Bobcats bring identical 11-7
conference records into their quarterfinal bout. Mount St. Mary's reeled off
victories in five of its final six games to steal the final home spot of the
tournament from its first round foe. Defense has been the key to the
Mountaineers' success, as the squad is letting up a conference-low 66.8 ppg.
Quinnipiac, meanwhile, features the top scoring player in the league in DeMario
Anderson (21.7 ppg). He, along with Justin Rutty's .592 field goal percentage,
has spearheaded the Bobcats to average 74.3 ppg, good for second best in the
conference. The 'Cats roll into the tournament on an inconsistent note however,
having exchanged wins and losses in each of their past seven battles. The two
teams split the season home-and-home by winning on their respective home
courts.
For as streaky as Robert Morris has been the past few months, the Colonials are
still susceptible to being knocked off by one of the remaining top three seeds.
Though they have the homecourt advantage the entire tournament, Sacred Heart
has proven the Colonials aren't unbeatable at the Wellness Center. There will
likely be only one NEC team in the NCAA Tournament, so expect all-out
performances from the conference's top clubs.
Sports Network Predicted Champion: Wagner
Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Preview
The Sports Network
FACTS & STATS: Site: Campus Sites (Quarterfinals); Municipal Auditorium
(9,654) -- Nashville, Tennessee (Semifinals and Championship). Dates:
Tuesday, March 4th through Saturday, March 8th. Television:
OVCSports TV (Quarterfinals); ESPNU (Semifinals); ESPN2 (Championship).
Defending Champion: Eastern Kentucky.
OUTLOOK: The Ohio Valley Conference Tournament will begin on March 4th, as
eight of the league's 11 teams will battle for a chance to take part in
the NCAA Tournament. The quarterfinal matchups will take place at the home
courts of the higher-seeded teams, but the semifinals and the championship
contest will take place at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. For the
second consecutive season the Governors of Austin Peay will pose as the top
seed. However, the team is looking for much different results then last year,
when the squad fell in the title game. Murray State, Morehead State and UT
Martin round out the top four seeds and will each have the luxury of opening
the tournament on their respective home floors. The Governors were by far the
best team in the conference, and are the only team with 20 or more wins on the
season (21-10). Unfortunately all that means nothing if Austin Peay can not
close the deal this season, and there are seven other teams looking to make
sure the Governors stumble again.
The highlight matchup of the quarterfinals will be a rematch of last season's
Championship game between Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky. However, last
season the Colonels were the second seed in the conference, while this year
the team is the eighth seed. As mentioned earlier the Govs enter this 45th
installment of the OVC tourney as the top seed for the second year in a row.
Austin Peay storms into the postseason with three straight victories and eight
wins in its last nine matchups. One of the eight wins came against EKU, as the
Govs defeated the Colonels twice this season, but by only a combined 12
points. As for the defending OVC champs, they took a step backwards this
season, finishing just 10-10 in league play. The Colonels stumble into this
matchup, as the team closed out its regular season with five losses in its
last six games. This is not a normal one versus eight setup, however, as the
Colonels always play the Governors close, and will likely give Austin Peay
tough battle in the opening round.
The matchup between the second-seeded Murray State Racers and the seventh-
seeded Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles might not have the amount of history as
the meeting between Austin Peay and EKU, but these two teams will undoubtedly
put on a show in this contest. Murray State has been solid at both ends of the
floor this season, and comes into this tourney on a positive note, as the squad
pounded Tennessee-Martin, 98-59, in its season-finale. However, it was just
third win in the last seven games for Murray State. One of the setbacks during
the final stretch for Murray State came against Tennessee Tech, as the Golden
Eagles defeated the Racers, 71-66. That win over Murray State came in the
regular-season finale for TTU, and it brought the team's three-game losing
skid to a halt. Although the Golden Eagles had a bit of trouble near the end
of the campaign, a recent victory over Murray State will surely give the team
some confidence heading into this battle.
Third-seeded Morehead State is set to tangle with sixth-seeded Tennessee State
this Tuesday. The two teams split the regular season series, but the Eagles
won the more recent matchup, defeating the Tigers, 84-76 on February 28th. It
was just the third win, however, in the final seven contests for Morehead
State, which closed out its regular season with a 72-56 setback to Austin
Peay. As for the Tigers, they finished as the third best scoring team in the
OVC with 75.5 ppg, and that is mainly due to the play of the backcourt tandem
of Bruce Price (17.8 ppg) and Gerald Robinson (15.6 ppg). Tennessee State won
three of its last four contests, including a strong, 73-69 victory over the
top-seeded Austin Peay Governors. The Tigers ferocious offensive play will
make them extremely dangerous, but they need to overcome their road woes, as
the squad finished with a 6-9 mark on the road this year.
The fourth-seeded UT Martin Skyhawks will unleash Lester Hudson and the OVC's
top ranked offense (76.8 ppg) this Tuesday when they host the fifth-seeded
Samford Bulldogs. Hudson has been unstoppable throughout the season and is
currently fourth in the nation with 25.4 ppg. Hudson's play was a big reason
for the Skyhawks rise in the OVC, as the team finished 11-9 in league action.
UTM won six games, before closing out its regular-season with a 98-59 loss to
Murray State. While the Skyhawks are the top offensive team in the OVC,
Samford was the top defensive squad in the conference, surrendering a mere
60.4 ppg. However, the team is not overly impressive offensively and that
showed in Samford's season-finale loss to Eastern Illinois (64-61). The
setback snapped a three-game winning streak for the Bulldogs, who finished an
even 10-10 in OVC action. The Bulldogs will need to play their usual hard-nosed
defense if they plan on winning, but more importantly the team must forget
about the two embarrassing setbacks to Skyhawks during the regular-season.
Last year the Governors were the favorites to win the tournament and fell just
short. This season the team will try again, and will have a shot to get rid of
EKU in the first round. However, teams such as Murray State and UT Martin will
be lurking in the following rounds. It will not be an easy road for Austin
Peay, but expect the Governors to capture their first OVC Tournament title
since 2003.
Sports Network Predicted Champion: Austin Peay
Patriot League Tournament Preview
The Sports Network
FACTS & STATS: Site: Campus arenas. Dates: Wednesday, March 5th through Friday,
March 14th. Television: ESPN2 (Championship Game). Annual: 18th. Defending
Champion: Holy Cross.
OUTLOOK: In yet another example of how the so-called experts can't seem to get
it right, the American University Eagles went from a preseason ranking of fifth
in the Patriot League to first in the final regular-season standings and will
now be one of the team's to beat as the 18th Annual Patriot League Tournament
tips off at school sites beginning March 5th.
The Eagles (18-11, 10-4), who will take on last-place Holy Cross (15-13, 5-9)
in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, closed out the regular season on
Saturday with an 84-72 victory against Lafayette, marking the team's seventh
win in eight tries down the stretch. American, which defeated local nemesis
Maryland a few days before Christmas for just the second time in history and
the first time ever in College Park, is paced by Garrison Carr with his 18.1
ppg on 44.7 percent shooting behind the three-point line.
Ironically the Crusaders, who won the tournament crown a season ago with a
75-66 decision against Bucknell and have played in the title game in six of the
last seven years, were an overwhelming favorite to take the regular-season
title this season and appeared to be well on their way to said championship
with six straight wins to open 2007-08, but then things began to fall apart.
The squad closed out the campaign with a 65-58 loss at Lehigh on Friday night,
giving the team back-to-back defeats and three setbacks in the last four games.
Picked as the preseason favorite to be named player of the year, Tim Clifford
has not disappointed by leading the squad in scoring in each of the last 14
games and averaging 17.8 ppg for the defensive-minded group.
Predicted to give Holy Cross a run for its money at the top of the Patriot
League standings coming into the season, Bucknell (11-18, 6-8) finds itself
with the seventh seed in the tournament and will have to travel to second seed
Navy (16-13, 9-5). The Bison were beaten and bruised in the final months of the
season, losing three in a row and eight of the last 10. The two victories
during that stretch were both in overtime versus the likes of Colgate and
Lafayette. Bucknell, which has played for the tournament title in each of the
last three seasons and won in both 2005 and 2006, split the two meetings with
the Middies this season, with each squad winning on its home floor.
As for Navy, which was expected to finish at or near the bottom of the
standings, it had won six in a row heading into the regular-season finale on
Saturday, but the streak was snapped by Colgate in a 73-62 setback. The academy
opened up the offense this season and led the league in scoring with better
than 76 ppg, which is rather unusual given how much the Patriot League focuses
on defense. Greg Sprink shot just 36.3 percent from the field for Navy, but
still he led the program in both scoring (21.1 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg) to
close out a great career in Annapolis.
The other academy in the Patriot, Army (13-15, 6-8) tied for its best-ever
finish in the regular season with six wins in 14 tries versus the rest of the
league, which was good enough to earn the squad a fifth-place finish. The Black
Knights closed out the campaign on Saturday with a 54-51 win over Bucknell in
West Point, the team's second straight victory down the stretch. Joining
American as the only teams in the Patriot without a conference tournament
title, Army has won just three of its 20 tourney games over the years, but is
hoping that Jarell Brown and his team-best 18.5 ppg will get them beyond the
quarterfinals this season.
The fourth-seeded Lehigh Mountain Hawks (14-14, 7-7) closed out the regular
season in fine fashion by winning back-to-back games in the final week for the
first time since the 1990-91 campaign. While that's certainly something to be
proud of, turning the trick against Bucknell and Holy Cross makes it that much
more special. The 2004 tournament champions, Lehigh had a mere three road wins
this season as it struggled to come up with significant scoring (63.9 ppg)
effort on a regular basis.
The other matchup in the quarterfinal round has sixth-seeded Lafayette (15-14,
6-8) paying a visit to third-seeded Colgate (16-13, 7-7). The Leopards, who had
to endure a nine-game road trip and at one point played 11 of 12 games away
from home during the campaign, struggled down the stretch with just a single
win since the start of February. Lafayette closed out the regular season with
an 84-72 loss to American in the nation's capital this past Saturday.
As for the Raiders, who won the tournament title in back-to-back years in 1995
and 1996, they closed out the season strong with four straight wins, including
a 73-62 triumph over Navy at home on Saturday afternoon. Scoring about 66 ppg
this season, Colgate has a pair of reliable double-digit scorers in Kyle Roemer
and Kendall Chones, with the duo also combining for about 10 rebounds per game
as well.
With the final standings coming down to the last moments of the final day of
the regular season, it is clear that anything is possible in the Patriot League
this year. Does that mean that American or Navy could end up with the automatic
bid to the NCAA Tournament? Perhaps. However, counting out the experience of
both Bucknell and Holy Cross simply because of where they are seeded in this
tournament might not be the best idea.
Sports Network Predicted Champion: Navy
Southern Conference Tournament Preview
The Sports Network
FACTS & STATS: Site: North Charleston Coliseum (13,600) -- Charleston, South
Carolina. Dates: Friday, March 7th through Monday, March 10th. Television:
SportSouth (Semifinals), ESPN2 (Championship Game). Defending Champion:
Davidson.
OUTLOOK: Davidson will get a chance to grab its third consecutive Southern
Conference Tournament title when the Wildcats head to the North Charleston
Coliseum, along with 10 other teams in hopes of collecting that coveted at-
large bid for the NCAA Tournament. During Davidson's reign of terror in the
SoCon, the Wildcats have posted a remarkable 47-6 league ledger. This year
Davidson was flawless against Southern Conference foes, collecting a perfect
20-0 league record en route to the obvious top seed. Davidson is clearly the
top team in the tournament, but teams such as Chattanooga and Georgia Southern,
and even Appalachian State have a chance to walk away with the championship in
the 87th installment of this postseason tournament. However, Davidson will have
an easy road, especially with a first road bye. Going undefeated throughout
conference action was truly an amazing display, but that will all mean nothing
if the Wildcats do not claim their 10th overall Southern Conference title.
First round action kicks off Friday afternoon when the Western Carolina
Catamounts collide with the Wofford Terriers. The Catamounts never really got
anything going this season, posting just 10 wins on the year, while finishing
with a 6-14 league mark, which landed the team the ninth seed. WCU dropped
eight of its last 11 games, but one of those victories came against Wofford,
62-57. As for the Terriers, they were able to grab a win against Western
Carolina, posting an 83-73 win back in January. Unfortunately the team did not
enjoy much more success in league play, finishing with an 8-12 mark against
Southern Conference foes. Wofford has never won the tournament, and playing as
the eighth seed, it is unlikely the team will go much further than the first
round.
The next first round contest with pit the lowly 10th-seeded Furman Paladins
against the seventh-seeded Elon Phoenix. The Paladins finished last in the
Southern Conference with a pathetic 62.1 ppg, and the poor offensive play left
the team with a terrible 6-14 record in conference action. The Phoenix also
finished the regular season with a league mark below .500, but in the team's
9-11 SoCon record, Elon defeated Furman twice. However, the team won both
matchups by a combined seven points. The Phoenix did not enter this tournament
on a high note, losing three of their last four games, but the team will have a
strong chance of finding its way back into the win column.
The final first round matchup on Friday is a bit of a mismatch, as the sixth-
seeded College of Charleston Cougars will enjoy a slight homecourt advantage
against the 11th-seeded Citadel Bulldogs. It is hard to imagine a team with 23
losses earning a spot in the postseason, but in the Southern Conference, the
Bulldogs have a chance to pull off the improbable. The Citadel went through an
entire SoCon schedule and grabbed just one victory in 20 tries and
unfortunately that did not come against Charleston. As for the Cougars, they
won their last two contests of the regular season to finish with a mere 9-11
conference mark. The main issue that will hurt the Cougars is their struggles
defensively, as the team is currently ninth in the league, allowing 73.1 ppg.
What does work in the favor for the Cougars is that they defeated The Citadel
twice this season by double figures, and barring a major surprise, Charleston
should slip past the Bulldogs for a third time this year.
While the top three teams will enjoy a bye into the quarterfinal round,
Appalachian State and UNC Greensboro will have to battle as the fourth and
fifth seed in the tournament. The Mountaineers finished with 18 wins on the
season and posted a 13-7 ledger in SoCon play, but the team went just 4-5 in
its last nine games, striking some concern as the team enters the tournament.
As for the Spartans, they were at their best in the final stretch of the
season, winning their last four games. UNCG finished with a solid 12-8 ledger
in conference play, and that includes one victory and one loss against
Appalachian State. The Spartans have done an incredible job defensively,
limiting teams to just 66.7 ppg, and if the team continues its strong defensive
play UNCG could move into the next round.
Davidson will have the luxury of resting and preparing for a quarterfinal
matchup. The two-time defending champs won all 20 conference matchups this
season, and finished with 23 overall victories. Led by Southern Conference
Player of the Year, Stephen Curry, the Wildcats scored a league best 78.9 ppg,
while at the same time, holding the opposition to 64.2 ppg, which was also tops
in the conference. After starting the year with a 4-6 ledger, the Wildcats
reeled off 19 consecutive wins and head into this tournament as the clear
favorite to represent the SoCon in the NCAA Tournament.
The Mocs are the only team that has enjoyed as much success as Davidson, as
Chattanooga has collected nine league titles, tying the Wildcats. As the second
seed Chattanooga has the best chance to take the title away from Davidson.
Along with their experience, the Mocs are currently second in the SoCon with
and impressive 76.2 ppg. However, where the team has struggled is defensively,
as the team is surrendering 73.3 ppg. Chattanooga closed out its season with
three wins in its last four games, and should continue that success all the way
to the title matchup where the Mocs will undoubtedly face Davidson.
The third seed belongs to the high flying Eagles of Georgia Southern. While
the Eagles posted a 13-7 ledger in league action, the team heads into this
postseason matchup on a down note, losing its last three games. Georgia
Southern rode the success of its offensive play, as the team finished behind
Davidson and Chattanooga with an impressive 75.1 ppg. Georgia Southern has
never won this tournament and has a mere 12-14 ledger in postseason action.
Anything is possible in sports. The underdog will come out of the wood-work
from time to time to shock the world, but in the Southern Conference, Davidson
is as close to a sure thing as possible. The Wildcats breezed through their
conference schedule and three of the team's losses came against national
powerhouses North Carolina, Duke and UCLA. Chattanooga and Georgia Southern are
very talented teams, but they do not possess the depth of the Wildcats, plus no
other team has the services of Curry in the backcourt.
Sports Network Predicted Champion: Davidson
Summit League Tournament Preview
The Sports Network
FACTS & STATS: Site: John Q. Hammons Arena at the UMAC (5,662) -- Tulsa,
Oklahoma. Dates: Saturday, March 8th through Tuesday, Match 11th. Television:
Summit League TV (Semifinals). Annual: 24th. Defending Champion: Oral Roberts
OUTLOOK: The 24th annual Summit League Tournament will begin on Saturday, March
8th in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament is on the
line. Known as the Mid-Continent Conference prior to this season, the Summit
League gets little national media attention during the regular season, and the
idea of a team from the conference receiving an at-large bid to the tournament
is extremely remote, therefore adding to the intensity of this tournament.
Eight teams will compete in this event, and both North Dakota State and South
Dakota State are ineligible until 2009 because of an NCAA reclassifying period.
Of the eight teams in this year's field, Oral Roberts is the only team to have
won this conference tournament more than once after capturing its second title
last season.
Oral Roberts is the top seed in the tournament, and it will do battle with
eighth-seeded Centenary in the quarterfinal round on Saturday. The Golden
Eagles were 16-2 against Summit foes during the regular season, although they
are coming off a 13-point loss to North Dakota State in the finale. They did
beat Centenary twice during the regular season, although one of the wins did
come in overtime. Speaking of the Gentlemen, or Gents, they finished the
regular season with a 10-20 record, including four wins in 18 conference games.
They did carry a 10-game losing skid into the regular season finale against
South Dakota State, but that clash ended in a much-needed victory. Oral Roberts
is tops in the league in scoring defense (62.2 ppg), while Centenary is dead
last (77.0 ppg).
The other quarterfinal matchup on Saturday pits the second-seeded IUPUI Jaguars
against the UMKC Kangaroos. IUPUI is 11-6 all-time in this tournament and won
the title in 2003. The Jaguars finished the regular season 24-6 overall and
15-3 in conference, just one game back of Oral Roberts, and they beat UMKC
twice, including a 20-point thrashing in the most recent meeting. IUPUI leads
the conference in scoring margin by a wide margin, as its +12.2 ppg is 5.2 ppg
better than the next closest team. The Kangaroos are eighth in scoring offense
and ninth in scoring defense, and the result is a scoring margin of -5.9 ppg.
Although UMKC won only six of 18 games against Summit foes, three of the last
five did result in victory.
On Sunday, the fourth-seeded Southern Utah Thunderbirds will battle fifth-
seeded IPFW Mastodons in what promises to be an entertaining bout. The two
teams squared off in the league opener way back in early December, a game won
by IPFW. They finally met again in the regular season finale, and Southern Utah
got its revenge in a classic overtime battle. IPFW has never won this
tournament, while Southern Utah captured its lone title in 2001. The
Thunderbirds are last in the conference in blocked shots but first in assists.
Meanwhile, the Mastodons are ninth in both rebounding margin and steals. Both
finished 9-9 against Summit foes during the regular season and are clearly
evenly matched.
The third-seeded Oakland Golden Grizzlies will tangle with the sixth-seeded
Western Illinois Leathernecks in the final quarterfinal game. Oakland won this
tournament back in 2005, while Western Illinois captured its lone crown way
back in 1984 and is 11-21 in games played at this event. Oakland finished 16-13
during the regular season, including 11-7 in league action. The Golden
Grizzlies, who are second in the conference in both scoring offense and
rebounding margin, beat the Leathernecks in both meetings thus far, so expect
confidence levels to be high. As for Western Illinois, it is ninth in the
league in scoring offense and field goal percentage. The Leathernecks closed
out the regular season with losses in three straight games and six of seven.
Oral Roberts and IUPUI appear to be superior to the rest of the competition,
and it would be hard to imagine a scenario that didn't pit those two squads
against one another in the title game. George Hill of the Jaguars leads the
league in scoring with 21.2 ppg, and his individual brilliance may be the
difference in the championship matchup.
Sports Network Predicted Champion: IUPUI
Sun Belt Conference Tournament Preview
The Sports Network
FACTS & STATS: Site: Campus Sites (first round); The Mitchell Center (10,000)
-- Mobile, Alabama. Dates: Wednesday, March 5th through Tuesday, March 11th.
Television: ESPN Plus (Semifinals), ESPN2 (Championship Game). Annual 32nd.
Defending Champion: North Texas.
OUTLOOK: The Sun Belt Conference Tournament includes all 13 members of the
league, with each divisional winner and the team with the next best conference
record receiving a bye into the quarterfinals. The South Alabama Jaguars and
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers shared the East Division crown at 16-2, but the
Jaguars swept the Toppers during the regular season and were awarded the top
seed. The Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans captured the West Division title and
were given the second seed at 11-7, while Western Kentucky landed the third
spot, despite having a much better record than the Trojans. The Middle
Tennessee Blue Raiders and UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns finished with the same
record at 11-7, but the Raiders snatched the fifth seed due to the tie-breaker
rules. North Texas, the defending champion, was the final team to post a
winning record in conference play a 10-8 and it landed the sixth seed. The
winner of this event will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
The SBC Tournament kicks off with a pair of local rivals hooking up, as the
seventh-seeded Florida Atlantic Owls host the 10th-seeded Florida International
Golden Panthers on Wednesday. Both teams played out of the East Division, with
FAU finishing 8-10 and FIU 6-12. The Panthers, though, swept a pair of meetings
from the Owls during the regular season.
The eighth-seeded New Orleans Privateers will try to make it three wins over
the ninth-seeded Denver Pioneers, when the two teams clash on Wednesday. The
Privateers are paced by the conference's top scorer in Bo McCalebb (23.2 ppg)
and they are in search of their first title in this event since 1996. The
Pioneers have never won this tourney and they dropped their last six games of
the regular season.
In a rematch of last year's title game, the sixth-seeded North Texas Mean Green
entertain the 11th-seeded Arkansas State Indians. As the fifth seed last
season, the Mean Green triumphed over the second-seeded Indians, 83-75, to
claim its first title in this even. Arkansas State won its lone championship in
1999 and has gone just 10-15 all-time in this tourney.
The fourth-seeded Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders host the 13th-seeded UL-Monroe
Warhawks in another first round contest. The Raiders' 11-7 league record was
tied for third best in the conference, but since they played in the East
Division with South Alabama and Western Kentucky, the team had to settle for
the fourth seed. Middle Tennessee has never won this event, going an even 7-7
all-time. UL-Monroe received the last seed after a 4-14 finish, but the team
did beat the Raiders during the regular season.
The first round of the tourney will wrap up with the fifth-seeded UL-Lafayette
Ragin' Cajuns battling the 12th-seeded Troy Trojans. The Cajuns won five of
their last six games during the regular season to earn a share of the West
Division crown with Arkansas-Little Rock at 11-7. ULL, though, was swept by
Arkansas-Little Rock and therefor had to settle for the fifth seed. The Cajuns
won back-to-back titles in 2004-05 and they have five championships to their
credit. Troy is fairly new to the league and it has gone just 1-2 in this
event. The Trojans finished in a last place tie with UL-Monroe at 4-14 and it
was defeated by ULL in the only meeting this season between the programs.
The top-seeded South Alabama Jaguars have the luxury of hosting this tournament
and that is big considering they are a perfect 16-0 at the Mitchell Center this
season. The Jaguars have claimed at least a share of the last three East
Division titles and they are in search of their sixth tournament title and
second in three years. South Alabama, which has tied a school-record with 25
overall wins, will take on either Denver or New Orleans in the first
quarterfinal game on Sunday.
The second-seeded Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans won their last four games of the
regular season and that run helped them earn a share of the West Division crow
with UL-Lafayette at 11-7. The Trojans took a pair of meetings from the Cajuns
and were awarded the higher seed and more importantly a first round bye. The
Trojans have won 14 games in this event, but they are still in search of their
first title. The team will meet up with the winner of the Florida
Atlantic/Florida International matchup in the third quarterfinal game on
Sunday.
The third-seeded Western Kentucky Hilltoppers lost only two games in conference
play, unfortunately, both came to South Alabama. The Toppers and Jaguars earned
a share of the East Division title with the best record in the conference at
16-2, but South Alabama received the top seed with the regular season sweep of
Western Kentucky. The Toppers won this event five times and three times in a
row from 2001-03, and they own the best mark of any program at 31-20. The
Arkansas State/North Texas survivor will get the chance to take on Western
Kentucky in the last quarterfinal round bout on Sunday.
South Alabama and Western Kentucky really separated themselves from the pack
and there is more than a good chance these two programs will meet in the
finals. There seems to be a big drop off after these squads and it doesn't
appear the Jaguars or Toppers will be really tested. South Alabama has the
luxury of hosting this tournament and that will play a big part in it capturing
the championship.
Sports Network Predicted Champion: South Alabama
West Coast Conference Tournament Preview
The Sports Network
FACTS & STATS: Jenny Craig Pavilion (5,100) -- San Diego, California.
Dates: Friday, March 7th through Monday, March 10th. Television: ESPN2
(Semifinals), ESPN (Championship Game). Annual 22nd. Defending Champion:
Gonzaga.
OUTLOOK: The Jenny Craig Pavilion will serve host to the 22nd annual West
Coast Conference Tournament, which features all eight teams in the league. The
top two seeds receive a bye directly into the semifinals, while the third and
fourth spots begin play in the quarterfinals. To no surprise, the 22nd-ranked
Gonzaga Bulldogs enter the tournament as the top seed, as they won their
eighth consecutive WCC regular season title with a 13-1 finish. The Bulldogs
topped Saint Mary's-CA in a first place battle on March 1st and because of
that loss the Gaels had to settle for the second seed with a 12-2 ledger. The
host of this tourney, San Diego, finished one step behind at 11-3 and that was
plenty for the third spot. With just a 6-8 finish, the Santa Clara Broncos
earned the fourth seed and the last first round bye. San Francisco,
Pepperdine, the University of Portland and Loyola Marymount round out the
field and they will be required to play a first round game. To the victor the
of this tournament goes an automatic berth into the Big Dance.
The WCC Tournament will begin when the fifth-seeded San Francisco Dons tangle
with the eighth-seeded Loyola Marymount Lions on Friday. The Dons, under the
guidance of legendary head coach Eddie Sutton, won three of their last four
games to finish 5-9 in conference play. San Francisco won its lone title in
this tourney in 1998 and it hasn't even made it back to the finals since that
appearance. The Lions have captured this event three times, with the most
recent of their championships coming in 1990. Loyola won just two conference
games during the regular season, but one of those victories did come against
San Francisco.
The first round will wrap up with the sixth-seeded Pepperdine Waves doing
battle with the seventh-seeded University of Portland Pilots. The Waves logged
a 4-10 record in conference action this season and they are gunning for their
fourth crown in this event and their first since 1994. The Pilots finished
one game behind Pepperdine in the league standings at 3-11 and they are in
search of their first championship since 1996. Portland has the fewest wins in
this tournament of any active member, with just seven.
On Saturday, the quarterfinal round will get started with the fourth-seeded
Santa Clara Broncos challenging the winner of the Loyola Marymount/San
Francisco matchup. As the second seed last season, the Broncos reached the
finals of this event before bowing out to top-seeded Gonzaga by a 77-68 score.
Santa Clara owns a solid 22-19 all-time mark in the tourney, but it hasn't
taken home the hardware since 1993.
The second quarterfinal matchup pits the third-seeded San Diego Toreros
against the survivor of the Portland/Pepperdine bout. The Toreros have the
luxury of hosting this tournament and that is good news when considering they
went 6-1 against WCC foes at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. San Diego won its lone
title in 2003, becoming the first host team in the league to capture the
championship.
The top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs won their 10th regular season title in the
last 11 seasons and they will begin defense of their crown in the semifinal
round on Sunday. The Bulldogs are under the guidance of Mark Few, who earned a
share of his seventh WCC Coach of the Year award, and they are led by the
league's Player of the Year in Jeremy Pargo (11.8 ppg, 6.2 apg). Gonzaga has
won a record nine championships in this event, including four straight and
eight in the past nine years. Overall, Gonzaga has appeared in each of the
last 10 finals of this tourney.
The second-seeded Saint Mary's-CA Gaels will make their first appearance in
this event in the semifinals on Sunday. The Gaels were the only WCC team to
defeat Gonzaga, although their loss to the Bulldogs on March 1st cost them the
league title. Still, Saint Mary's-CA has nothing to be ashamed about, as it
earned a Top-25 ranking for the first time since the 1988-89 season. The Gaels
have even matched a school record with 25 overall wins, helping Randy Bennett
earn a share of the WCC Coach of the Year honors. In 1997 is when Saint Mary's-
CA won its lone title in this event, and it reach of the finals in both
2004-05.
Gonzaga is clearly the team to beat in a conference that is pretty top-heavy
between the Bulldogs, Gaels and Toreros. Saint Mary's-CA has had a great
season and showed it can knock off Gonzaga, so that makes it a threat. San
Diego, though, has a big advantage playing this tourney at home and that could
help it immensely. Still, when push comes to shove, the Bulldogs are the bully
of this conference and they will show that by claiming yet another title.
Sports Network Predicted Champion: Gonzaga
Sun Belt Conference Tourney Preview
by: Brian Gabrielle
The South Alabama Jaguars and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers shared the East Division crown at 16-2, but the Jaguars grab the top seed in this event by virtue of their season sweep over the Toppers during the regular season. Add that to the fact that the Jag's will host this Tournament at the Mitchell Center after the completion of the opening rounds at that really has to tilt the scales in favor of South Alabama to capture the Conference's Automatic bid. Remember, the Jag's were a startling 16-0 at The Mitchell Center this season.
The Tournament kicks off with a pair of local rivals hooking up, as the Florida Atlantic Owls will host Florida International Wednesday evening. The visiting Panthers swept the season series with the Owls but the playoff pressure and the home court should keep Florida Atlantic as a small favorite in this affair. In fact, the BGS Power Ratings show the Owls as a basket better here at home.
Also Wednesday night, the New Orleans Privateers will try to make it three wins this season over the Denver Pioneers. New Orleans boasts the Conference leading scorer in Bo McCalebb, who should be the difference maker tonight in a game I am calling by 6 points or better for New Orleans. Denver has never won this tournament and they limp in here on a season ending six game losing skid.
The North Texas Mean Green will host the Arkansas State Indians in a rematch of last year's title game. North Texas fans were in this same boat a season ago as the Mean Green were not pegged to do much out of the 5-hole, but proceeded to run the table, win the Tournament and go to the Dance. That remains to be seen in 2008, but the BGS Power Ratings do favor the Green to start things off right with a double digit win in this game.
Middle Tennessee will host the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe UL-Monroe in another first round contest. Once again, the BGS Power Ratings favor the home team, showing MTS as -8 point chalk BUT the Warhawks did beat the Raiders during the regular season.
The first round of the tourney will wrap up with the UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns hosting the Troy Trojans. The Cajuns enter the event red hot, having won five of their final six games and should take this game easily against the last place Men of Troy. The Cajuns won the only regular season meeting and the BGS Power Ratings suggest they will win here as well by close to double digits.
South Alabama has the luxury of hosting this tournament and that is big considering they are a perfect 16-0 at the Mitchell Center this season. The Jaguars are in search of their sixth tournament title and second in three years. The Jag's tied a school-record with 25 overall wins, and should chalk up another facing either Denver or New Orleans in the first quarterfinal game on Sunday.
The Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans won their last four games of the regular season and should keep it rolling when they face the winner of the Florida Atlantic/Florida International matchup in the third quarterfinal game on Sunday. The Trojans have never won this event.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers won this event five times and they own the best mark of any program at 31-20 in the event. The Toppers lost only two games in conference play, but both came to South Alabama and that's not likely to improve here at the Mitchell Center, however, they will get a chance to flex their muscle against the survivor of the Arkansas State/North Texas game in the last quarterfinal round bout on Sunday.
This Conference really is a two dog race between South Alabama and Western Kentucky and there is more than a good chance these two programs will meet in the finals, however, South Alabama has the luxury of hosting this tournament and should be considered a heavy favorite to capture the championship.
Patriot League Tourney Preview
by: Brian Gabrielle
This is one of those Conference's where the Tournament games are scheduled on the home court of the highest seed so it's no small wonder that the top seed has won this Tournament in 11 of the last 14 seasons.
This season the top seed is the American University Eagles, who dominated down the stretch, winning seven of it's final eight games. However, it seems the Eagles have drawn a bitter-sweet reward for their efforts, earning themselves a first round matchup with the defending champion and pre-season favorite Holy Cross Crusaders. The BGS Power Ratings have these teams nearly dead even with home court being the only real difference and giving the Eagles a small -4 point edge. The Crusaiders will be a tough out however, having played in the title game 6 of the last 7 years and picked by many *still* as the best team in the Conference despite it's last place record.
Also under-achieving is Bucknell, which finds itself in the 7-hole and will have to travel to 2nd seed Navy. The Bison lost three in a row and eight of their last 10 and the outlook isn't sunny in this series, which was dominated in the regular season by the home team. Navy is the flip side of the coin, winning six of it's final seven and leading the Conference in scoring this season, averaging 76 ppg.
Army finished the regular season with a 54-51 win over Bucknell at West Point. However, they have a spotty history in this event with a record of just 3-17 over the years and will face a Lehigh team who was decidedly better at home than on the road this season. The BGS Power Ratings give Lehigh a distinct 6 point advantage in the opening game.
The final matchup in the quarterfinal round has Lafayette paying a visit to Colgate. The Leopards struggled down the stretch with just a single win since the start of February and closed out the regular season with a double digit loss to American University. Meanwhile, the Raiders closed out the season strong with four straight wins, including a double digit home win over Navy. However, this one has upset written all over it, as Lafayette, for my money, ranks in the top 3 teams in this conference.
Certainly it would seem that the Patriot League's Automatic bid is up for grabs this season, but don't discount home court advantage, which has delivered the prize to the #1 seed in 11 of the previous 14 seasons.
Northeast Conference Tourney Preview
by: Brian Gabrielle
This is one of those Conference's where the Tournament games are scheduled on the home court of the highest seed so top seeds get a big advantage, as was the case a season ago when top-seeded Central Connecticut State defeated second-seeded Sacred Heart, 74-70, to capture their third NEC Tournament title. This season, the Robert Morris Colonials are the top seed and truly in a league of their own atop this division, with the BGS Power Ratings giving them a minimum -9 point edge (at home) on the next best teams in this Conference. Then again, the two Conference losses the Colonials have suffered have both come at home.
Robert Morris isn't just the best team in this Conference, but also the hottest, closing the season with 13-straight conference wins. That win streak also ranks currently as third best in the Nation. The team has substance as well, not just dominating this Conference, but the team has beat the likes of Boston College this season and ranks in the top 82 teams in the nation, making them a legitimate upset threat in the Big Dance later this month. Indeed, their first round quarter-final against the Monmouth Hawks is nothiong more than a formailty. Colonials should win this game by 3 TD's!
Second seed Wagner broke a school record with 22 wins this season and would appear poised to keep it going in their opening round matchup against Long Island. As mentioned above, this Conference runs it's tourney on the home court of the higher seed, and Wagner has been especially tough at home, posting a 12-2 record this season. However, it is worth noting that Long Island posted a 20 point win over the Blackbirds in the first meeting between the two and Wagner squeeked out a single basket win in the rematch in February. Another interesting side-bar here is that Long Island suffered 6 of it's 11 conference losses by 2 baskets or less. In other words, if your getting local action on this game - take the points. Home court should still make the ultimate difference however. Wagner in a squeeker.
The defending champion Central Connecticut State Blue Devils open their title defense on the road to 3rd seed Sacred Heart, a team that reeled off eight straight victories at one point during their season. However, Sacred Heart has cooled off, limping into the Tourney losing three of its last five and allowing 94 ppg in the three setbacks. If you are looking for a first round upset, look no further.
The final quarterfinal matchup pits a pair of 11-7 teams against each other with the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers hosting the Quinnipiac Bobcats. Mount St. Mary's won five of its final six games to seal home court advantage in this matchup - no small thing in a series where the home team has dominated. A clash of styles here as well as the Mountaineers boast the Conference's best defense, holding teams to less than 67 ppg. A stark contrast to the offensive minded Bobcats who average over 74 ppg and boast the Conference's top scorer in DeMario Anderson. In this matchup I like defense and the home court advantage.
In the final analysis Robert Morris is head and shoulders above any team in this Conference and will enjoy the home court advantage all the way through, making them as close to a lock as it gets to earning the prized Automatic bid.
Big South Conference Tourney Update
by: Brian Gabrielle
This is a two dog fight at the top but I still like Winthrop when it matters. Last season Winthrop edged VMI, 84-81, capturing their third straight title and seventh in the last nine years. The Eagles went on to beat Notre Dame, 74-64, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to become the first Big South team ever to advance to the second round.
This season the tourney starts off a little different, as the Eagles enter the event off a critical double digit loss to UNC Asheville to close the season and in doing so, lost the #1 seeding. However, none of that will mattered in the opening round against Radford when the Eagles soared to a 31 point first round win. Things will get a little tougher today against High Point, but the BGS Power Ratings do show Winthrop as a clear -7 point favorite on a neutral court, as is the case here at Justice Center.
Likewisde, UNC Asheville has to be considered a TD favorite in it's semifinal matchup against Liberty. The Bulldogs certainly have momentum, riding 4 straight wins into this game, being the Tournament's top seed and playing in front of the home crowd here in Asheville. Their solid season includes a season sweep of the defending champion Eagles. The Bulldogs are the #1 team in the conference shooting from the field at almost 49%. The Flames are no slouch shooting the rock either, second in the conference from the stripe and behind the arch and third from the field at almost 47%. Offence may be the name of the game, especially considering the Flames 103 point performance in their opening round win over VMI. However, Asheville's defense is a clear step up in class and has to get the nod in this venue.
When the dust clears on Thursday I anticipate nothing less than a Winthrop vs Asheville final. Asheville will have home court PLUS they did sweep the season series, but Winthrop just seems to own this conference and plays big in big games. Should be a good final.