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2024 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament
(all games played at home of higher seeded team)
Quarterfinals
Wednesday, March 6
#8 Saint Francis U at #1 CCSU, 7 pm - WATCH | LIVE STATS
#7 LIU at #2 Merrimack, 7 pm - WATCH | LIVE STATS
#6 Wagner at #3 Sacred Heart, 7 pm - WATCH | LIVE STATS
#5 FDU at #4 Le Moyne, 7 pm - WATCH | LIVE STATS
Watch Live: All games to air on NEC Front Row
Semifinals
Saturday, March 9
Lowest Remaining Seed at Highest Remaining Seed, 12 or 2 pm
3rd Highest Remaining Seed at 2nd Highest Remaining Seed, 12 or 2 pm
Watch Live: ESPN+, YES, NESN+, NEC Front Row
Watch on Delay: SportsNet Pittsburgh at 8 & 10 pm
Championship
Tuesday, March 12
Watch Live: 7:00 pm on ESPN2, ESPN+
Northeast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
Things You Really Need To Know...81 Of 'Em!
1. The Northeast Conference will employ a campus site playoff format for the 20th year in a row after an eight-year absence that saw the league’s annual postseason tournament contested at one campus site (1999), at a municipal arena (2000-01) and at a single campus site for the quarterfinals and semifinals, followed by the highest remaining seed hosting the championship game (1998, 2002-04). The conference had previously employed a high-seed hosting format from 1991-97, though teams were not reseeded after the quarterfinals as the tournament is currently constructed.
2. Last spring, the NEC Presidents’ Council unanimously voted to eliminate access restrictions to NEC championships during an institution’s transition to DI. As a result, current reclassifying institutions Le Moyne and Stonehill were eligible to compete in the NEC postseason this year.
3. If a reclassifying institution wins the NEC Tournament championship, the tournament runner-up will advance to the NCAA Tournament as the NEC’s automatic qualifier as per current policy. In instances where two reclassifying members reach an NEC final, the NEC will stage an “AQ Qualifier” game between the two non-advancing semifinal teams. This will serve as a decisive game to determine the team that will secure the NEC’s spot in the NCAA Tournament.
4. FDU and LIU have each won six NEC titles, tied for the most among current conference members.
5. The longest current qualification streak belongs to Sacred Heart at six in a row. The longest streak in league history belongs to FDU, which made 18 straight appearances from 1984-01.
6. Le Moyne and Sacred Heart are shooting for their first-ever NEC Tournament crowns.
7. Charter NEC members have appeared in 14 of the last 15 NEC finals.
8. Home teams have posted a 46-10 (.821) record in the NEC quarterfinals over the last 15 years (QF were not contested in 2021) and a 55-13 (.809) mark since the switch to campus sites in 2005.
9. In 2016, FDU became the first school to win the NEC crown after failing to qualify for the tourney the previous year (when eligible).
10. Since the league scrapped a divisional format in 1984, #1 seeds are 39-1 in their opening game of the NEC Tournament with the only loss incurred by Wagner in the 2021 NEC semifinals. The #1 seed has never lost in the quarterfinals.
11. Merrimack won the NEC title last March in its initial foray into the postseason. Rider is the only other NEC team to do this, winning it all in 1993 after migrating from the defunct ECC. Le Moyne hopes to join them this season.
12. CCSU has claimed the top seed for the first time since 2007.
13. CCSU has won three NEC titles, all when seeded first in the field (2000, 2002 and 2007).
14. CCSU is a perfect 9-0 as the #1 seed in the NEC Tournament.
15. In three of the last four NEC Tournaments, the #1 seed has emerged victorious, marking a notable shift from the trend where a team other than the top seed claimed the title in six of the previous seven seasons.
16. The #1 seed has fallen on its home court in the NEC title game five times since 2014. However, the top-seeded team has emerged victorious in the last three tournament finals it hosted.
17. The road team has won the NEC final in six of the last ten years.
18. Head coaches seeking their first-ever NEC Tournament wins: FDU’s Jack Castleberry, Le Moyne’s Nate Champion, LIU’s Rod Strickland, and Wagner’s Donald Copeland. CCSU’s Pat Sellers (2000 and 2002 at CCSU, and 2019 at FDU) and Gallo (2015 at RMU) have won NEC titles as assistant coaches, while Copeland (2016 and 2018 at Wagner) has reached the NEC Tournament game twice and Castleberry (2023 at FDU) once as assistants.
19. Though seeded sixth this season, Wagner has been seeded third or better in seven of its last 12 tourney appearances.
20. No NEC team has ever won three straight games on the road to win the league title.
21. Teams that have won NEC title games on the road (not including neutral sites): FDU (1985, 1998, 2016 & 2019), LIU (2018), Mount St. Mary’s (1995, 2008, 2014 and 2021), Robert Morris (1983, 2010 and 2015) and Monmouth (2006).
22. Only four teams in NEC history have claimed the league championship after winning on the road in both the semifinals and title contest. Mount St. Mary’s did it three times, including in 2021 when the Mount won at Wagner in the semis and at Bryant in the final. The Mount also turned the trick in 2014 with victories over Wagner in the semis and Robert Morris in the title tilt, and in 2008, downing Robert Morris in the semis and Sacred Heart for the championship. Monmouth did it in 2006, beating CCSU in the semis and FDU in the final.
23. Mount St. Mary’s became the lowest seeded team (#6) to win the NEC Tournament back in 1999. In 2008, 2014 and 2021, the Mount became the second lowest seeded team (#4) to win it all. LIU did the same as a #4 seed in 2018.
24. There hasn’t been an upset in the NEC quarterfinals since the 2019 tournament. Higher seeded teams boast a perfect in 12-0 in quarterfinal play since that time.
25. The average margin of victory in the quarterfinals the last two years is 16.1 ppg. Only two of the eight games have been decided by single digits.
26. The average margin of victory in the #2 vs. #7 game over the last four NEC Tournaments is 25.3 ppg.
27. Robert Morris holds the NEC record with nine tournament titles.
28. There have been six back-to-back NEC Tournament winners. Robert Morris turned the trick three times (1982-83, 1989-90 and 2009-10), along with Marist (1986-87), Rider (1993-94) and LIU (2011-12-13).
29. LIU is the only NEC school to win three straight NEC Tournament championships (2011 to 13).
30. Since moving to an eight-team tourney format in 1998 (though seven qualified in 2001, four in 2021 and nine in 2022), Wagner qualified for the NEC Tournament 23 times, followed by 22 for St. Francis Brooklyn, 21 for CCSU, LIU and Robert Morris, 19 for FDU and Mount St. Mary’s, 17 for Saint Francis U, 15 for Sacred Heart (first eligible in 2002), two for Merrimack (first eligible in 2023) and one for Le Moyne (first eligible in 2024).
31. Robert Morris owns the most home NEC Tournament wins in league history with 28. LIU is second with 24, followed by 18 for Wagner’s and 17 for FDU.
32. Merrimack is a perfect 3-0 in NEC postseason play. Among schools with at least 10 playoff games, LIU has recorded the fourth best winning percentage in NEC Tournament history and best among current conference programs. The Sharks are 37-28 (.569), trailing only Rider (11-3, .786), Robert Morris (45-27, .625) and Mount St. Mary’s (30-19, .612).
33. FDU has posted a 19-11 (.633) NEC Tournament record vs. this year’s field, the best mark in the league by a wide margin among longtime conference members.
34. CCSU is looking to win its first NEC Tournament game since beating St. Francis Brooklyn, 64-62, to reach the 2011 semis.
35. This year’s quarterfinal round features three rematches from last season. A year ago, #1 Merrimack posted a 91-76 win over #8 LIU, #3 Saint Francis U stopped #6 CCSU, 83-69, and #3 Sacred Heart recorded a 67-55 triumph against #6 Wagner.
36. Last year’s quarterfinal round clashes between Merrimack and LIU, and Saint Francis U and CCSU were the first-ever NEC Tournament meetings between the programs.
37. Prior to Sacred Heart’s win over Wagner in the 2003 quarterfinals, the two programs previously squared off in NEC Tournament play back in the 2007 quarters and 2008 semis with the Pioneers winning on both occasions. SHU dropped 100 points against the Seahawks in its 2007 quarterfinal win, one of just seven 100-point games in tournament history.
38. CCSU, Merrimack and Sacred Heart all swept their quarterfinal opponents. FDU and Le Moyne split, with each winning on the other’s home court.
39. Merrimack posted the best record against fellow top-four seeds with a 4-2 mark during the regular season. CCSU and Sacred Heart went 3-3 and Le Moyne was 2-4. Le Moyne’s two wins came in a sweep of CCSU, it’s potential semifinal opponent.
40. Top-seeded CCSU and second-seeded Merrimack split their two regular season games in a pair of close games. The Blue Devils won by five in New Britain before the Warriors turned the tables with a thee-point victory in North Andover.
41. The four quarterfinal hosts combined to post a 26-6 (.813) home record in league play: CCSU (7-1), Merrimack (7-1), Sacred Heart (7-1) and Le Moyne (5-3).
42. A #8 seed has never reached the semifinals of the NEC Tournament.
43. The #1 seed has reached the NEC title game nine of the last ten years, winning it all four times, including the last two years.
44. If the seeds hold through the quarterfinals, it sets up a mouthwatering semifinals rematch between Merrimack and Sacred Heart, just one week after the Pios snapped the Warriors’ 10-game win streak on Saturday in a wild game at the Pitt Center. Merrimack took down SHU, 71-60, in last year’s semis.
45. In 2021, Wagner became the first #1 seed in the history of the tournament to lose its initial game in the tournament, but that’s a deceiving stat. The NEC Tournament included just four teams that season, so the Green & White’s setback to Mount St. Mary’s came in the semifinal round.
46. The NEC Tournament’s top seed is 39-0 in first round/quarterfinal games over the history of the event.
47. It has been some time since a #8 seed has threatened to pull off the first-ever upset of a #1 seed in NEC quarterfinal round play. In 2005, Monmouth’s Marques Alston hit a layup at the buzzer to give the Hawks a 54-53 win over #8 CCSU. In 2006, FDU’s Gordon Klaiber hit a bucket with ten seconds left on the clock as the Knights avoided the upset with a 66-65 triumph over #8 Quinnipiac.
48. After 12 straight years of the #2 seed advancing to the NEC semifinals, Robert Morris pulled off the quarterfinal upset as the #7 seed in 2017 and 2018. The Colonials edged LIU, 69-68, in 2017 and Mount St. Mary’s, 60-56, in 2018. The #3 seed has gone down in three times since 2016 with #6 LIU downing #3 Sacred Heart in both 2016 (84-76) and 2019 (71-62), and #6 FDU ousting #3 Saint Francis U, 84-75, in 2018.
49. Sacred Heart broke an 11-year drought between NEC Tournament wins, clipping Mount St. Mary’s, 61-59, in the 2020 NEC quarterfinals. Prior to that, the Pioneers last beat CCSU to reach the 2009 semis.
50. After going 18 years without an NEC Tournament win, Saint Francis U reached the NEC semifinals in 2014 and 2015, and the NEC title game in 2017, 2019 and 2020.
51. Only seven #7 seeds have ousted a #2 seed in the NEC Tournament, with four of these upsets coming in a five-year stretch from 2000-04. In 2004, CCSU knocked out St. Francis Brooklyn (81-68) a year after FDU defeated Monmouth (63-61) in 2003. Quinnipiac topped Wagner (87-78) in 2002 and Mount St. Mary’s booted FDU (73-68) in 2000. Robert Morris ousted LIU (69-68) in 2017 and Mount St. Mary’s (60-56) in 2018, and Marist beat Monmouth (75-60) in 1992.
52. Only five NEC Tournaments - in 1987, 1991, 1994, 2020 and 2023 - have gone exactly according to seeding.
53. There have been three NEC championship games that have gone to overtime, the most recent being LIU’s 85-82 win over Robert Morris in the 2011 title tilt. Also going past regulation were FDU’s 63-59 win over Loyola (MD) in 1985 and Marist’s 57-56 triumph over FDU in 1986.
54. Current conference teams have posted a 86-32 record (.729) when hosting NEC Tournament games throughout the league’s history.
55. These players competing in this year’s tournament possess an NEC Championship ring: Merrimack’s Elliott Black, Jordan Derkack, Bryan Etumnu, Ryan Isaacson, Thomas Hall, Jordan McKoy, Devon Savage and Jaylen Stinson.
56. LIU has a 16-2 record when playing as the top seed and won four of its six NEC titles when seeded first.
57. Monmouth’s rally from a 20-point second half deficit to win the 2001 NEC crown marked the biggest championship game comeback in league history.
58. FDU holds the league record for consecutive NEC semifinal appearances with nine in a row from 1983-91. Robert Morris (2008-15) reached the semis eight consecutive years, and St. Francis Brooklyn (1999-03) and Rider (1993-97) on five straight occasions.
59. LIU’s Julian Boyd (2012), Robert Morris’ Jeremy Chappell (2009), CCSU’s Javier Mojica (2007), Wagner’s Jermaine Hall (2003), Monmouth’s Rahsaan Johnson (2001), CCSU’s Rick Mickens (2000), LIU’s Charles Jones (1997), Rider’s Darrick Suber (1993), Robert Morris’ Myron Walker (1992), Saint Francis U’s Mike Iuzzolino (1991), Robert Morris’ Vaughn Luton (1989) and LIU’s Carey Scurry (1984) all were named NEC regular season and tournament Most Valuable Player. Incidentally, three of these players (Jones, Iuzzolino and Scurry) were named to the NEC’s 10-man 25th Anniversary team in January, 2006. Iuzzolino, Walker and Hall are NEC Hall of Famers.
60. In what will forever be known as “The Shot,” Rider’s Darrick Suber earned a place in NEC annals and ESPN Championship Week history in 1993. The Broncs and Seahawks battled tooth-and-nail for 39-plus minutes as Suber and Wagner’s Bobby Hopson waged their own individual dual. With the Broncs trailing by a point in the game’s waning seconds, Suber went coast-to-coast and hit an off-balance leaner just inside the free-throw line as time expired. The victory sent the Broncs Zoo into a frenzy and for a short time, brought the NEC into the forefront of the college basketball world.
61. The longest win streak in NEC Tournament history is nine, set by LIU from 2011-13. Robert Morris (1982-84 and 2009-11) and Rider (1993-95) each won eight straight.
62. Seven NEC title games have been decided by exactly one point, the latest being Merrimack’s 67-66 win over FDU in 2023. A total of 18 have been decided by five points or less and 29 by ten or fewer points.
63. The 2011 NEC Tournament semifinals and championship games were decided by a combined total of seven points. The only tournament more closely contested was the 1996 event, in which six points separated the winners and losers.
64. The 2009 NEC title game between Robert Morris and Mount St. Mary’s was the lowest scoring finale in league history. The two teams combined for 94 points as the Colonials won 48-46, on a last second shot by RMU folk hero Dallas Green.
65. The 33 points scored by Bryant’s Charles Pride in the 2021 title game were the most in a final since FDU’s Rahshon Turner scored 37 in the 1998 title tilt.
66. LIU’s Jason Brickman holds the NEC Tournament single-game mark with 13 assists in the quarterfinals against Sacred Heart on March 1, 2012. His 29 assists in the 2012 tourney is also a league record.
67. Saint Francis U’s Ronnie Drinnon set a new NEC Tournament single-game rebounding standard when he hauled in 22 in a quarterfinal setback to FDU on March 2, 2016. It was matched on March 3, 2018 by FDU’s Kaleb Bishop in a semifinal loss to LIU.
68. While a member of the league, Robert Morris qualified for 36 of the league’s 39 postseason tournaments - the most in league history - since the inception of the conference in 1982. FDU is second with 35 appearances. The Colonials missed out on the festivities in 1991, 2001 and 2003, while the Knights failed to qualify in 2002, 2008, 2009, 2011-13, 2015 and 2021.
69. NEC Hall of Fame coaches Tom Green (FDU) and Howie Dickenman (CCSU) rank first and third in most NEC Tournament wins. Green won 26 from 1983-09 and Dickenman won 15 from 1997-2016. RMU’s Andy Toole won 16 from 2010-20.
70. Saint Francis U’s Rob Krimmel (nine wins), Merrimack’s Joe Gallo (three), Sacred Heart’s Anthony Latina (two) and CCSU’s Pat Sellers (one) are the lone current head coaches with NEC Tournament wins on their resume.
71. Mount St. Mary’s (1999) is the lone NEC school to win the conference title without having both a winning overall and conference record prior to entering the tournament.
72. Monmouth’s Alex Blackwell (1990), Rider’s Charles Smith (1994) and Robert Morris’ Karon Abraham (2010) are the only three players to win both NEC Rookie of the Year and NEC Tournament MVP in the same season.
73. St. Francis Brooklyn played the most games in NEC Tournament history (45) without winning a championship.
74. LIU’s Derek Kellogg and Jack Perri, FDU’s Tom Green and Marist’s Dave Magarity are the only head coaches in league history to capture the NEC Tournament in the first season with their clubs.
75. The largest margin of victory in an NEC Tournament game is 38 points. That came on March 6, 2019 when FDU defeated Wagner, 84-46.
76. Robert Morris set a new NEC Tournament record on March 6, 2004, holding St. Francis U to just 43 points in a quarterfinal victory. That total was matched by Bryant in the 2022 NEC title game vs. Wagner.
77. LIU holds the NEC mark for points in a NEC Tournament with a 108-79 win over Monmouth on February 26, 1998.
78. Monmouth’s Rahsaan Johnson set the NEC Tournament single-game scoring mark with 40 points in an 86-70 loss to St. Francis Brooklyn on March 3, 2000.
79. The most points scored over an entire NEC Tournament is 86, set by RMU’s Chipper Harris during the 1983 event. LIU’s C.J. Garner came within two points of matching the record during the 2013 tourney.
80. LIU’s Carey Scurry once blocked 14 (!) shots in an NEC Tournament game against Baltimore on February 28, 1983.
81. This year’s event marks the 43rd NEC Tournament. The first was won by Robert Morris, which beat LIU, 85-84, on a Phil Coles buzzer beater.
Team-By-Team Capsules
#1 CCSU (19-10, 13-3 NEC)
• CCSU clinched the top seed and a share of the regular season championship on Saturday. It marked the fourth regular season crown for the Blue Devils (1999-00, 2001-02 and 2006-07) and first under Pat Sellers.
• Sellers brings CCSU to the postseason for the third time in his three years as head coach.
• CCSU’s #1 seed marks the program’s highest tournament position since clinching the top spot en route to capturing the NEC Tournament title in 2007.
• CCSU has compiled a perfect 9-0 record and won all three of its NEC titles as the #1 seed in the NEC Tournament. The Blue Devils raised the trophy in 2000, 2002 and 2007.
• CCSU’s opening round victory over FDU in 2022 was the first NEC Tournament win for the program since winning in the 2011 NEC quarterfinals against SFBK.
• CCSU’s 2022 opening round win at FDU was also the first true road victory in the NEC Tournament for the Blue Devils. They entered 0-10 as the road team in conference tournament action.
• CCSU qualified for 16 straight NEC Tournaments from 1999 to 2014, but then missed out on the festivities in six of the next seven seasons.
• CCSU is 16-15 (.516) all-time in NEC Tournament play.
• The Blue Devils are 1-0 in NEC opening round games, 7-12 in quarterfinal games, 5-2 in semifinal games and 3-2 in the finals.
• CCSU fell to Saint Francis U in the 2023 quarterfinals in the lone postseason meeting between the two programs. The Blue Devils swept the Red Flash this season.
• Sellers won a pair of NEC championship rings during his time as a CCSU assistant in 2000 and 2002. He also earned a ring as an assistant at FDU in 2019.
• CCSU’s 13 conference wins this season were the most for the program since going 16-2 in 2006-07.
• The Blue Devils enter the postseason on a four-game win streak.
#2 Merrimack (19-11, 13-3 NEC)
• Merrimack has now won or shared the NEC regular season title in three of its first five years as a member of the conference. The Warriors went 14-4 in their inaugural NEC campaign back in 2019-20, 12-4 in 2022-23 and 13-3 this season.
• Merrimack made history in its first-ever NEC Tournament appearance last season, defeating FDU in the final, 67-66, held at Lawler Arena.
• The Warriors were ineligible for the NEC postseason in their first three years in the conference before making a splash last season.
• Merrimack is NCAA Tournament eligible this season for the first time.
• This marks Merrimack’s first NEC Tournament appearance as the #2 seed.
• The Warriors have won 10 of their last 11 games entering the postseason.
• Merrimack has posted a 16-0 record in the month of February dating back to 2022.
• The Warriors are 11-1 at home this season, including a 7-1 record in NEC play.
• Merrimack has amassed an NEC-best 58-28 (.674) mark in conference play over the past five seasons.
• Head coach Joe Gallo came to Merrimack with previous NEC Tournament experience from his time as an assistant at Robert Morris from 2012-16. He won his first championship ring during RMU’s run to the 2015 title.
• Merrimack and LIU will meet for the second consecutive year in the postseason. The Warriors ousted the Sharks in the 2023 quarterfinals.
• Merrimack swept LIU in their two regular season meetings.
#3 Sacred Heart (16-15, 10-6 NEC)
• Sacred Heart has qualified for the NEC Tournament six straight years and nine of the last ten seasons.
• The Pioneers secured a home game and #3 seed with its win at Stonehill last Thursday.
• SHU is 4-5 as the #3 seed, highlighted by its run to the 2008 title game. The Pios were previously seeded third in 2008, 2009, 2016, 2019 and 2020.
• The Pioneers will be making their 15th NEC Tournament appearance and are 7-14 all-time in the postseason.
• In 2020, SHU won its first postseason game since 2009 with a quarterfinal win over Mount St. Mary’s at the Pitt Center.
• SHU hosted NEC quarterfinal games in 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2023, and three straight seasons from 2007-09.
• SHU reached the NEC title game as the #2 seed in 2007 (falling at CCSU) and #3 seed in 2008 (losing at home to Mount St. Mary’s).
• The Pioneers are 5-8 in the NEC quarterfinals.
• SHU has compiled a 6-3 home record and 1-11 away mark in NEC tourney play.
• SHU is 1-11 all-time in the NEC Tournament against higher seeded teams with the one win coming over Wagner in the 2008 semifinals.
• SHU is 3-0 all-time against Wagner in the postseason, winning in the 2007 quarterfinals, the aforementioned 2008 semis and the 2023 quarterfinals.
• SHU won both games against Wagner during the regular season.
#4 Le Moyne (14-16, 9-7 NEC)
• The NEC Presidents’ Council unanimously voted last spring to eliminate access restrictions to NEC championships during an institution’s transition to DI. As a result, Le Moyne is immediately eligible to compete in the NEC postseason. The Dolphins will become NCAA Tournament eligible in 2027-28 at the completion of their mandatory four-year reclassification period.
• Le Moyne joined Merrimack (14-4 in 2019-20) and Stonehill (10-6 in 2022-23) as teams to finish with winning conference records and in the top-four of the NEC standings in their inaugural DI season.
• Le Moyne will try to become the second team to win the NEC Tournament in its first season after joining the conference. Rider won it all in its initial season back in 1993. Merrimack was not eligible to compete in the NEC playoffs in its first three years, but did capture the tourney crown in its first season of postseason eligibility last March.
• Le Moyne has amassed a 9-3 record in the friendly confines of Ted Grant Court.
• Le Moyne and FDU split their two regular season meetings with each winning on the other’s court.
• The Dolphins lead the NEC and rank 16th nationally in made three-pointers with 9.87 per game.
#5 FDU (15-16, 9-7 NEC)
• FDU is back in the postseason for the eighth time in nine years and first under Jack Castleberry.
• FDU clinched the #5 seed on Saturday with its win at Wagner.
• The Knights have now qualified for 35 of the 43 NEC Tournaments. FDU has made 21 semifinal appearances and 12 championship game appearances.
• FDU won NEC Tournaments in 1985, 1988, 1998, 2005, 2016 and 2019.
• FDU is 36-28 all-time in the NEC Tournament and has reached the finals 12 times (6-6). In their most recent finals appearance, the Knights suffered a narrow 67-66 defeat against Merrimack in 2023, but secured the NEC’s bid to the NCAA Tournament where they made history with a win over No. 1 Purdue.
• FDU is 3-6 all-time as the #5 seed in the NEC Tournament.
• The Knights split its two games with Le Moyne this season with each team winning on the road.
• FDU is 18-12 all-time in NEC quarterfinal/first round games, 12-9 in the semifinals, 6-6 in championship games and 0-1 in outbracket games.
• FDU’s six NEC Tournament championships is tied with LIU for second all-time behind RMU’s nine titles.
• FDU has won its last four NEC titles and five of its six championships as the #2 seed. The Knights are 23-7 all-time as a #2 seed and 13-21 when seeded other than second.
• The Knights are 17-6 at home in the NEC Tournament.
• FDU qualified for a league record 18 straight NEC Tournaments from 1984-01. The Knights also hold the NEC mark with nine consecutive semifinal appearances from 1983-91.
#6 Wagner (13-15, 7-9 NEC)
• Wagner is back in the NEC Tournament for the 13th time in 14 years.
• Since 2012, Wagner has been seeded first three times (2016, 2018 & 2021), second four times (2012, 2013, 2014 & 2022), third (2017), fifth (2023), sixth (2024) and seventh (2015 & 2019).
• Wagner is 5-9 in the NEC Tournament as the #6 seed.
• The Seahawks have earned a #3 or higher seed in seven of the last 12 years and have advanced to the semis in eight of the last 12 seasons.
• Wagner is 7-3 in its last ten NEC quarterfinal appearances.
• When playing in Staten Island, the Seahawks are 18-13 in NEC Tournament play, including going 14-11 in the Spiro Sports Center (opened February, 1999). Wagner is 7-21 in the postseason in road and neutral sites.
• The Seahawks are 17-15 all-time in NEC quarterfinal games.
• Wagner’s has been ousted from the NEC Tournament at home in seven of its last 11 NEC appearances, with five setbacks coming in the semis and two in the 2016 and 2018 title games.
• The Seahawks won their lone NEC championship in 2003, and reached the NEC final in 1993 (losing to Rider), 2005 (losing to FDU), 2016 (losing to FDU), 2018 (losing to LIU) and 2022 (losing to Bryant).
• Wagner will get a rematch with Sacred Heart in the quarterfinals. The Seahawks have posted an 0-3 postseason mark against the Pioneers, with setbacks in the 2007 quarterfinals and 2008 semifinals.
• Wagner has compiled an all-time NEC Tournament record of 25-34 in 33 trips.
• While this is Donald Copeland’s second NEC postseason appearance as a head coach, he took part in six conference tournaments as an assistant coach at Wagner from 2015-21.
#7 LIU (7-21, 6-10 NEC)
• LIU is back in the postseason for the ninth time in ten years. The Sharks have now qualified for 15 of the last 17 tourneys.
• LIU is the only team in league history to win three straight NEC Tournament titles. The Sharks’ three-year run came from 2011-13.
• LIU has won six NEC championships in 1984, 1997, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2018. The six titles are tied for the most among current league programs.
• In 2018, LIU became the fourth team in NEC history to win the tournament championship as a #4 or lower seed.
• LIU has posted a 1-2 record as the #7 seed, with the win coming against Robert Morris in a 1995 opening round game.
• The Sharks are 37-28 all-time in NEC play. LIU is 16-2 as the #1 seed, and 21-26 when entering as a lower seed.
• LIU is 17-14 in NEC quarterfinal games.
• LIU’s nine straight playoff wins from 2011-13 is the longest streak in league history.
• LIU dropped a 91-76 decision at Merrimack in the 2023 quarterfinal round. It marked the lone postseason meeting between the two programs.
• The Sharks are 24-5 (.828) all-time at home in the NEC Tournament. The 24 wins are the second-most in league history.
#8 Saint Francis U (8-21, 3-13 NEC)
• Saint Francis U returns to the NEC playoffs for the ninth time in ten seasons.
• SFU has qualified for the NEC Tournament in 10 of the last 11 years. The seven straight appearances from 2014-20 marked the first seven-year postseason stretch for the Red Flash since making the NEC postseason ten straight times from 1989-98.
• SFU is the #8 seed for the fifth time in its history. Previously, the Red Flash won opening round games at the #8 seed in 1992, 1994 and 1995 to advance to the quarterfinals. SFU was also the #8 seed in 2011, where it fell to LIU. Overall, the Red Flash are 3-4 when seeded eighth.
• SFU last secured quarterfinal home games from 2017-20. That came after a stretch of playing 15 consecutive NEC playoff games on the road or neutral sites.
• The Red Flash have reached the NEC semifinals five times in the last decade.
• SFU’s championship game appearances in 2017, 2019 and 2020 were the first for the program since winning its lone NEC title in 1991.
• SFU is 0-9 all-time against the #1 seed in the NEC Tournament.
• Prior to a victory in the 2014 quarterfinals, SFU had not won an NEC Tournament game since 1995.
• This year marks the second meeting between SFU and CCSU in the NEC playoffs. It is a rematch from last season when the Red Flash posted an 83-69 win in Loretto.
• Rob Krimmel is 5-4 in quarterfinal appearances and 8-9 overall in NEC Tournament play as SFU’s head coach.
• This is Rob Krimmel’s 18th NEC Tournament as a player or coach.
• The Red Flash are 15-28 all-time in NEC Tournament play, including a 11-4 record at home, 4-19 record on the road and 0-5 at neutral sites.
NEC TOURNAMENT TITLES AND RECORDS
SCHOOL TITLES LAST TOURNEY RECORD
LIU 6 2018 37-28
FDU 6 2019 36-28
Central Connecticut 3 2007 16-16
Merrimack 1 2023 3-0
Wagner 1 2003 25-34
Saint Francis U 1 1991 15-28
Sacred Heart 0 7-14
PAST NEC TOURNAMENT WINNERS AND MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS
2023 -- #1 Merrimack def. #2 FDU, 67-66 (Ziggy Reid, MC)
2022 -- #1 Bryant def. #2 Wagner, 70-43 (Peter Kiss, BRY)
2021 -- #4 Mount St. Mary’s def. #2 Bryant, 73-68 (Nana Opoku, MSM)
2020 -- #1 Robert Morris def. #1 Saint Francis U, 77-67 (Dante Treacy, RMU)
2019 -- #2 Fairleigh Dickinson def. #1 Saint Francis U, 85-76 (Darnell Edge, FDU)
2018 -- #4 LIU def. #1 Wagner, 71-61 (Joel Hernandez, LIU)
2017 -- #1 Mount St. Mary's def. #4 Saint Francis U, 71-61 (Elijah Long, MSM)
2016 -- #2 Fairleigh Dickinson def. #1 Wagner, 87-79 (Earl Potts Jr., FDU)
2015 -- #2 Robert Morris def. #1 St. Francis Brooklyn, 66-63 (Rodney Pryor, RMU)
2014 -- #4 Mount St. Mary’s def. #1 Robert Morris, 88-71 (Rashad Whack, MSM)
2013 -- #3 LIU def. #5 Mount St. Mary’s, 91-70 (C.J. Garner, LIU)
2012 -- #1 LIU def. #3 Robert Morris, 90-73 (Julian Boyd, LIU)
2011 -- #1 LIU def. #3 Robert Morris, 85-82 (OT) (Jamal Olasewere, LIU)
2010 -- #2 Robert Morris def. #1 Quinnipiac, 52-50 (Karon Abraham, RMU)
2009 -- #1 Robert Morris def. #2 Mount St. Mary’s, 48-46 (Jeremy Chappell, RMU)
2008 -- #4 Mount St. Mary’s def. #3 Sacred Heart, 68-55 (Jean Cajou, MSM)
2007 -- #1 Central Connecticut def. #2 Sacred Heart, 74-70 (Javier Mojica, CCSU)
2006 -- #3 Monmouth def. #1 Fairleigh Dickinson, 49-48 (Marques Alston, MU)
2005 -- #2 Fairleigh Dickinson def. #6 Wagner, 58-52 (Tamien Trent, FDU)
2004 -- #1 Monmouth def. #7 Central Connecticut State, 67-55 (Blake Hamilton, MU)
2003 -- #1 Wagner def. #6 St. Francis Brooklyn, 78-61 (Jermaine Hall, WC)
2002 -- #1 Central Connecticut def. #7 Quinnipiac, 78-71 (Damian Battles, CCSU)
2001 -- #2 Monmouth def. #1 St. Francis Brooklyn, 67-64 (Rahsaan Johnson, MU)
2000 -- #1 Central Connecticut def. #3 Robert Morris, 63-46 (Rick Mickens, CCSU)
1999 -- #6 Mount St. Mary’s def. #4 Central Connecticut , 72-56 (Gregory Harris, MSM)
1998 -- #2 Fairleigh Dickinson def. #1 LIU, 105-91 (Rahshon Turner, FDU)
1997 -- #1 LIU def. #3 Monmouth, 72-67 (Charles Jones, LIU)
1996 -- #3 Monmouth def. #4 Rider, 60-59 (Corey Albano, MU)
1995 -- #2 Mount St. Mary’s def. #1 Rider, 69-62 (Silas Cheung, MSM)
1994 -- #1 Rider def. #2 Monmouth, 62-56 (Charles Smith, RID)
1993 -- #1 Rider def. #2 Wagner, 65-64 (Darrick Suber, RID)
1992 -- #1 Robert Morris def. #7 Marist, 85-81 (Myron Walker, RMU)
1991 -- #1 St. Francis U def. #2 Fairleigh Dickinson, 97-82 (Mike Iuzzolino, SFPA)
1990 -- #1 Robert Morris def. #2 Monmouth, 71-66 (Alex Blackwell, MU)
1989 -- #1 Robert Morris def. #2 Fairleigh Dickinson, 67-66 (Vaughn Luton, RMU)
1988 -- #1 Fairleigh Dickinson def. #2 Monmouth, 90-75 (Jaime Latney, FDU)
1987 -- #1 Marist def. #2 Fairleigh Dickinson, 64-55 (OT) (Drafton Davis, MAR)
1986 -- #2 Marist def. #1 Fairleigh Dickinson, 57-56 (OT) (Rik Smits, MAR)
1985 -- #2 Fairleigh Dickinson def. #4 Loyola (MD), 63-59 (Larry Hampton, FDU)
1984 -- #1 LIU def. #2 Robert Morris, 87-81 (Carey Scurry, LIU)
1983 -- #1S Robert Morris def. #1N LIU, 79-67 (Chipper Harris, RMU)
1982 -- #1S Robert Morris def. #2N LIU, 85-84 (Tom Parks, RMU)