2020 NEC Tournament Opening Odds
- The NEC Tournament begins play on March 4th, with semifinals on March 7th and the championship game on March 10th
- Merrimack won the regular-season title, but is ineligible for the postseason in their transition to full Division 1 status
- See the odds for the tournament and the best bet below
The Northeast Conference Tournament will feature the oddity of the regular-season champion neither being the top seed nor the favorite.
Merrimack finished atop the standings with a 14-4 mark in its first year at the Division I level. However, NCAA rules prohibits programs to compete in its tournament for four years after making the transition to D-1.
Thus, Robert Morris is the top seed despite finishing tied for second place with St. Francis, Pa. at 13-5. The Colonials split the season series with the Red Flash, but won the tiebreaker as they attempt to win their first NEC title since 2015.
The top eight finishers are in the tournament field and all games will be played on the home floor of the higher-seed team.
Odds to Win 2020 NEC Tournament
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Robert Morris | +160 |
| Saint Francis | +160 |
| Sacred Heart | +300 |
| Bryant | +1200 |
| Long Island | +2800 |
| Mt. St. Mary’s | +3000 |
| Fairleigh Dickson | +5000 |
| St. Francis, N.Y. | +6000 |
Odds taken March 2
NEC Tournament Bracket
Quarterfinals Begin Wednesday
The tournament begins Wednesday (March 4) with four first-round games.
Robert Morris (17-14 overall, 9-3 home) hosts eighth-seeded St. Francis, N.Y. (13-17 overall, 4-12 road) and No. 2 seed St. Francis, Pa. (20-9 overall, 11-2 home) plays at home against No. 7 seed Bryant (15-16 overall, 6-11 road).
Also, No. 3 seed Sacred Heart (19-12 overall, 8-4 home) hosts No. 6 seed Mount St. Mary’s (11-20 overall, 3-14 road) and No. 4 seed Long Island (14-17 overall, 7-6 home) is at home against No. 5 seed Fairleigh Dickinson (11-18 overall, 4-13 road).
Here are the probabilities for the CAA tournament, where top-seeded Hofstra is the favorite. (At Washington, DC. March 7-10). #log5 pic.twitter.com/ITnuflyXyJ
— Ken Pomeroy (@kenpomeroy) March 2, 2020
The teams will be reseeded for the semifinals, which will be played Saturday (March 7).
The championship game is set for March 10.
Robert Morris Not Dominant
While Robert Morris is the No. 1 seed, it doesn’t necessarily look like a team ready to blitz the field. The Colonials had lost three of their previous four games before beating St. Francis, Pa., 78-68 at home on Saturday (Feb. 29) the regular season finale.
With the #1 seed at stake, Josh Williams elevated his game for @RMUMBasketball, registering 23p, 7r, 3a, 2b & 1s in its win over SFU. RMU earns the @necbbt top seed for the 1st time since 2013-14 & will host SFBK in the 1st #NECMBB postseason game at @UPMCEventsCenter on Wed. pic.twitter.com/nLN4PI49HH
— Ron Ratner (@NECHoopsRon) February 29, 2020
However, Robert Morris has not dominated the NEC. KenPom.com has it third in the conference in efficiency margin and fourth in both adjusted offense and adjusted defense.
The Colonials also lack star power. Senior guard Josh Williams (13.5 PPG) and junior swingman AJ Bramah (13.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG) are the only players with scoring averages in double figures.
Red Flash Has Dynamic Duo
Meanwhile, Saint Francis was on an eight-game winning streak before falling at Robert Morris. The Red Flash’s 106.9 offensive efficiency is 83rd in the nation and they are the only NEC team in the top 150.
St. Francis also has two of the conference’s top players in senior guards Isaiah Blackmon (19.5 PPG) and Keith Braxton (17.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG). Braxton is the first player in the NEC’s 39-year history to have 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his career.
https://twitter.com/RedFlashMBB/status/1234220470146228224
Being unable to keep opponents from scoring could be Saint Francis’ downfall, though, as it ranks eighth among the 11th NEC teams in defensive efficiency.
Sacred Heart, Bryant Present Challenges
Sacred Heart has won five of its last six games and looms as a threat because of junior guard/forward E.J. Anosike, who is averaging a double-double with 15.9 points and 11.6 rebounds a game.
The Pioneers aren’t a one-man show, either, as five players are scoring in double figures.
Though Bryant is faced with the daunting task of almost certainly having to win all three games on the road to capture the tourney, the Bulldogs shouldn’t be totally counted out as they lead the conference in defensive efficiency.
However, until stubbing its toe at Robert Morris as a one-point underdog, St. Francis, Pa., had also covered in six of its seven previous. Look for the Red Flash to get their mojo back.
The pick: Saint Francis +160
SBD’s NCAA Conference Tournament Coverage:
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
