Conference Tournament Primer: Northeast Conference
Posted by Adam Stillman on March 5th, 2014It’s day three of Championship Fortnight and with three more conferences tipping off today, what better way to get you through the next two weeks of games than to break down each of the Other 26′s conference tournaments. Today, the Big South, NEC and OVC get started.
Dates: March 5, 8, 11
Site: Campus sites (higher-seeded team hosts)
What to expect: Robert Morris was in this position a season ago. The Colonials won the regular season title before falling to Mount St. Mary’s in the conference tournament. Will this year be any different? Robert Morris won the league with a 14-2 mark this year, besting second-place Wagner by two games. Wagner, however, beat Robert Morris in the last game of the season on Saturday and has won eight straight contests. It should come down to these two program. Any other winner would be a major shock.
Favorite: Robert Morris. The Colonials split the season series with second-seeded Wagner, winning at home and losing on the road. Robert Morris has the home court advantage, but a potential title game between the two could be a doozy.
Darkhorse: Bryant. This is a long shot at best, but third-seeded Bryant could spoil the party. The Bulldogs rank 14th in the nation in hitting 54.1 percent of their two-point field goals. They haven’t beaten either of the top two this season, but never say never.
Who wins: Robert Morris. After being upset in the semifinals of last year’s tournament, the Colonials won’t be taking any opponents lightly this time around. It says here that a determined Robert Morris squad takes care of business and adds a conference tournament championship to its regular season title.
Player to watch: Karvel Anderson. The senior guard can flat-out shoot it. Anderson averages 19.5 PPG while shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 46.4 percent from three-point range. He’s capable of carrying Robert Morris to the NCAA Tournament.
Bubble Implications: None.
