2021 Northeast Conference Tournament Info, Facts, & Preview Links

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Semifinals (at higher seeds-campus sites)

Game 1: (3) Sacred Heart (9-8 overall; 9-7 conf) at (2) Bryant (14-5 overall; 10-4 conf) at noon p.m. ET (SNY; NEC FR; ESPN3)

Game 2: (4) Mount St. Mary’s (10-10 overall; 9-7 conf) at (1) Wagner (13-6 overall; 13-5 conf) at 2 p.m. ET (MASN; NEC FR; ESPN3)

Championship Game (at highest remaining seed-campus site)

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Game 3: Championship Game (Auto Bid) at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Tournament Winners (last 10 years):

2020: (1) Robert Morris (20-14 overall; 13-5 conf)

2019: (2) Fairleigh Dickinson (21-14 overall; 12-6 conf)

2018: (4) LIU Brooklyn (18-17 overall; 10-8 conf)

2017: (1) Mount St. Mary’s (20-16 overall; 14-4 conf)

2016: (2) Fairleigh Dickinson (18-15 overall; 11-7 conf)

2015: (2) Robert Morris (20-15 overall; 12-6 conf)

2014: (4) Mount St. Mary’s (16-17 overall; 9-7 conf)

2013: (3) LIU (20-14 overall; 12-6 conf)

2012: (1) LIU (25-9 overall; 16-2 conf)

2011: (1) LIU (27-6 overall; 16-2 conf)

NET ratings through games of 3/5/21 (347 teams)

Bryant-130

Wagner-153

Mount St. Mary’s-174

LIU-214 (did not qualify for the conference tournament)

Merrimack-218 (did not qualify for the conference tournament)

St. Francis (NY)-236 (did not qualify for the conference tournament)

Fairleigh Dickinson-241 (did not qualify for the conference tournament)

Sacred Heart-246

St. Francis (Pa.)-262 (did not qualify for the conference tournament)

C. Conn. St.-302 (did not qualify for the conference tournament)

Kenpom ratings as of 3/5/21

Bryant-184

Wagner-208

Mount St. Mary’s-237

LIU-268 (did not qualify for the conference tournament)

Merrimack-282 (did not qualify for the conference tournament)

St. Francis (NY)-294 (did not qualify for the conference tournament)

Fairleigh Dickinson-296 (did not qualify for the conference tournament)

St. Francis (Pa.)-306 (did not qualify for the conference tournament)

Sacred Heart-311

C. Conn. St.-343 (did not qualify for the conference tournament)

Here are some links for previews of the 2021 Northeast Conference tournament and the official tournament championship page (in no particular order):

Official Northeast Conference Tournament page: https://northeastconference.org/tournaments/?id=209

FanSided/Busting Brackets preview link: https://bustingbrackets.com/2021/03/05/nec-basketball-2021-conference-tournament-preview-and-predictions/

The Game Haus preview link: https://thegamehaus.com/college-basketball/northeast-conference-tournament-bracket-breakdown/2021/03/06/

Three Man Weave preview link: https://www.three-man-weave.com/3mw/nec-tournament-preview-2021

My brief take on the NEC tournament: So the NEC opted to shorten its tournament in the COVID era to four teams. As a result, only Mount St. Mary's, the 4 seed, has been to the Big Dance in the last 10 years, so there is a strong chance we will get some fresh blood in the field from the NEC. The 1 or 2 seed has won the tournament 7 of the last 10 years, and that's when more teams got to participate. My guess is that Wagner wins this thing because they would get to host both games (barring a semifinal loss, of course). The metrics like Bryant, so that is entirely possible too. Ha ha. Enjoy!