The Patriot League regular season title was Colgate’s from start to finish. They lost one game in conference and it was by one point to American. Other than that they finished six games ahead of any other team in the Patriot League. Will this be a chalk tournament? Can someone besides Colgate win the Patriot League title? Let’s discuss how the Patriot League conference tournament plays out.
The Bracket
Betting Odds
Colgate -220
Navy +270
Army +1100
Lehigh +1600
Boston University +3100
Lafayette +4000
American +8000
Loyola (MD) +20000
Bucknell +25000
Holy Cross +30000
Colgate’s To Lose?
The Colgate Raiders have won three out of the last four Patriot League conference tournaments. They have also made the finals in the last four Patriot League conference tournaments as well. Colgate is well-balanced and they have five guys that average double figures for them. The scoring is led by senior trio Tucker Richardson, Keegan Records and Oliver Daniels-Lynch. Richardson averages 14.1 points per game, to go along with 4.9 rebounds per game and 5.2 assists per game. Records averages 12.5 points per game to go along with 6.1 rebounds per game. Daniels-Lynch averages 11.8 points per game to go along with a 51/50/86 shooting split.
One thing that Colgate has gotten this season is help from an underclassman. Freshman guard Braeden Smith averages 11.6 points per game to go along with a 49/37/83 shooting split. The Raiders have been strong since playing in conference and they are going to be a tough team to play for any of the Patriot League teams.
Who Can Beat Colgate?
Who is going to be the team to knock Colgate off the Patriot League pedestal? The only team to beat them this season was American. American has to play a first-round matchup before even potentially entertaining the possibility of playing Colgate. What about the Midshipmen? They just went toe to toe with Colgate last Saturday. Could they get it done? Navy has a two-headed monster in Daniel Deaver and Tyler Nelson. The Navy only goes seven deep, so they will need to be prepared and well rested to make a run at Colgate.
What about the Black Knights from West Point? They lost both matchups to Colgate this season. However, they looked good in those games against the Raiders. Army has four guys averaging double figures including junior guard Jalen Rucker (15.8 points per game). They could make a little run with the group they got, but they aren’t deep enough to be a threat against Colgate.
Who’s Winning?
Let’s be honest here, it is Colgate’s tournament to lose. The Raiders are so talented, but I see some value in the Navy Midshipmen +270. For a value pick I am going to take the Midshipmen, but I solely expect Colgate to run train throughout this field.
The Don’s Game By Game Predictions
First Round
7 American over 10 Bucknell
9 Holy Cross over 8 Loyola Maryland
Quarterfinals
1 Colgate over 9 Holy Cross
2 Navy over 7 American
6 Lafayette over 3 Lehigh
4 Army over 5 Boston University
Semifinals
1 Colgate over 4 Army
2 Navy over 6 Lafayette
Finals
1 Colgate over 2 Navy