Warning:\u00a0 I think I write the following two sentences every year at this time.)\u00a0 I love the NEC.\u00a0 I’m not sure why, but I do.\u00a0 And, now we get a pretty decent 8-team tournament from a 12-team regular season.\u00a0 And, it is usually a pretty intriguing tournament.\u00a0 And, this year is EASILY the most intriguing of all.\u00a0 This field is completely wide open and it wouldn’t be shocking to see all hell break loose, especially on the heels of one of the more bizarre days in any conference all year occurring on the NEC’s final regular season day.\u00a0 The top 4 teams – who had seemed to separate themselves a little from the rest of the league – all lost…convincingly.\u00a0 First-place LIU lost by 28 to 6th-place Monmouth.\u00a0 Second-place Wagner lost by 17 to 7th-place CCSU.\u00a0 At least 3rd-place Robert Morris had a close one on the road to a decent team (Quinnipiac).\u00a0 While 4th-place St. Francis (NY) lost to a Farleigh Dickinson team that didn’t even qualify for the NEC tournament after a 3-26 season.\u00a0 This bizarre ending to the regular season adds even more intrigue to pretty wide open field of really good teams.\u00a0 And, with Stri and his recent domination of this conference out this year, this title is wide open for the taking.<\/p>\n
Championship Picks Biggest Upset Previous CTC Titles<\/em> #1 Long Island vs. #8 Sacred Heart<\/em> #2 Wagner vs. #7 C. Connecticut St.<\/em> #3 Robert Morris vs. #6 Monmouth<\/em> #4 St. Francis (NY) vs. #5 Quinnipiac<\/em> Warning:\u00a0 I think I write the following two sentences every year at this time.)\u00a0 I love the NEC.\u00a0 I’m not sure why, but I do.\u00a0 And, now we get a pretty decent 8-team tournament from a 12-team regular season.\u00a0 And, … Continue reading
\n<\/em>10 for #1 Long Island
\n7 for #2 Wagner (Alexi, Dave, Gross, Lohse, Lynch, RSmith, Scoot)
\n1 for #3 Robert Morris (RDoc)<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>QF – #8 Sacred Heart (Gross)
\nSF – #6 Monmouth (J)<\/p>\n
\n2011 – Scoot\/Stri
\n2010 – Lil Lohse
\n2009 – Bry*\/Stri*
\n2008 – Stri<\/p>\n
\nThe Blackbirds have dominated this conference recently and did it again this year, though they did lose a game this time around (after going 21-0 including the conference tournament last year).\u00a0\u00a0In their regular season finale against Monmouth they were absolutely plastered by 28 points.\u00a0 So, with that taste still left in their mouth, they have to take on a pretty hot Sacred Heart team in the quarters.\u00a0 Gross went for the long ball here, picking Sacred Heart in what would be a massive upset.\u00a0 Most of the field has LIU winning this tournament.<\/p>\n
\nThe last team Danny Hurley and company wanted to see end up as the 7-seed was CCSU.\u00a0 Not only did the Blue Devils hammer Hurley’s team on Saturday by 17, but they are one of the more talented teams in the conference that just fell on some hard times in the middle of the season and ended up 7th.\u00a0 This incredible turnaround that Hurley has brought to Staten Island could hit a bit of a snag if they don’t come to play tonight.\u00a0 J and Teddy went for the big upset here with CCSU.\u00a0 Neither of them have the Blue Devils going to the finals.\u00a0 Just about everyone that doesn’t have LIU winning the tournament has Wagner.<\/p>\n
\nLost in the great seasons that LIU and Wagner have put in is the fact that Robert Morris won another 22 games this year, including wins over James Madison, LaSalle, and Duquesne (a few of the only teams that will play the Colonials).\u00a0 Monmouth, who was absolutely dreadful for the first half of the year, enters this game red-hot, including back-to-back wins over #4 St. Francis and #1 LIU, the latter by a shocking 28-point margin.\u00a0 Monmouth seems to be a live ‘dog here, as 7 people (Doogan, Gersh, J, Lohse, Lynch, RSmith, Teddy) went with Hawks here in an upset.\u00a0 RDoc is the biggest RMC fan, as he is the only one that has them winning this tournament.\u00a0 Lil Lohse, Mac, Primm, and Rikey all have the Colonials making the finals.<\/p>\n
\nIn a crazy NEC season, it is quite clear what the most surprising development has\u00a0been – the St. Francis Terriers.\u00a0 A team that is always on the brink of even making the NEC tournament, the Terriers were picked for 10th-place this year in the preseason (one spot ahead of Monmouth, actually).\u00a0 And, they looked the part in the non-conference, as they entered conference play at 3-8 against some bad competition.\u00a0 But, they started hot and rode that streak to a 12-6 conference record and a first-round home game.\u00a0 Their reward is a date with #5 Quinnipiac, who is one of the more talented teams in the conference, who is also playing some of their best ball of the season right now.\u00a0 Speaking of live ‘dogs, Quinnipiac might be the livest we have seen thus far in the CTC.\u00a0 Only 4 people have picked the favored Terriers here (Gross, RDoc, RSmith, Stri).\u00a0 Everyone else has QU in the upset.\u00a0 Teddy and Dave have the Bobcats making the finals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"