The NEC conference tournament takes place on the 1st of March and we have a very exciting bracket. There is no clear-cut favorite and any one of these teams could win the NEC conference tournament. Last year’s winner switched to the American East conference. We will get a new winner this season and a new team to represent the NEC in the NCAA tournament.
The Bracket
Betting Odds
Merrimack -120
Fairleigh Dickinson +270
St. Francis PA +700
Sacred Heart +1200
Wagner +1200
Central Connecticut State +3000
Saint Francis Brooklyn +7500
LIU +30000
Which Team To Avoid
I am staying away from the St Francis (PA) team. They have the third best odds, but they are a team to avoid in this tournament. The Red Flash is led by junior Josh Cohen who averages 22 points per game to go along with 8.1 RPG. They are set to take on a Central Connecticut State team in the first round who they split the season series with. I think that the Red Flash are not going far in this tournament so stay away from them.
Merrimack or Fairleigh Dickinson?
These are the top two seeds in the tournament, and this is what I see will be the NEC Conference tournament final. I have to dive into it more to really find out who I think is going to win this tournament.
Merrimack
The Warriors are in year four of their transition to Division I and already had two regular season NEC titles under their belt. This is also the first time that they are allowed to play in the NEC conference tournament. Merrimack is led by senior forward Jordan Minor who averages 17.4 points per game to go along with 9.5 rebounds per game (19th in the nation). They go eight deep in the bench and the Warriors are going to be locked in to try and win their first ever NEC Conference tournament title.
Fairleigh Dickinson
The Knights have four players that average double figures this season. They are led by Demetre Roberts a senior guard who is averaging 16.8 points per game. Fairleigh Dickinson ranks 46th in the nation in points per game (78.3). The Knights also give up 76 points per game as well. Fairleigh Dickinson also has the advantage as they swept the season series with Merrimack. If they can play the way they’ve been playing all season long, they will be a tough out.
The Don’s Pick
My official NEC conference winner pick is Fairleigh Dickinson +270. The Knights have the advantage and I don’t think any team in the NEC is going to be able to beat the Knights. They have a good chance to go to the NCAA tournament because even if Merrimack wins, they can’t go due to this being their final year of their probation period from moving from Division II. Fairleigh Dickinson should make their seventh NCAA tournament appearance ever.
The Don’s Game By Game Predictions
Quarterfinals
1 Merrimack over 8 LIU
5 Wagner over 4 Sacred Heart
6 Central Connecticut State over 3 St Francis (PA)
2 Fairleigh Dickinson over 7 St Francis (BKN)
Semifinals
1 Merrimack over 5 Wagner
2 Fairleigh Dickinson over 6 Central Connecticut State
Finals
2 Fairleigh Dickinson over 1 Merrimack
