NEC

 

Conference Rank: 27th

CHN's 31 conference ranking, including 10 year historical averages based on average RPI finish. For more information on historical RPI averages, check out the Conference Data Page. Links lead to league preview pages.

 

CCSU

Mount Saint Mary's

Robert Morris

Sacred Heart

Other (LIU, Quinnipiac, etc)

In recent weeks, the Rise & Fall series has chronicled the progress (or regress) of college basketball's major conference teams. But if I equated each team to a civilization, I was mistaken. It is really the NCAA conference that equates to a burgeoning civilization or nation, each with its sometimes stable and sometimes rotating member states. Like civilizations, the prestige and power of conferences wax and wane..

 

Robert Morris the favorite to win automatic bid
By Raphielle Johnson

No one follows the team in the NYC Metropolitan area more than Raphielle Johnson. He previews the 19 local teams and ranks them throughout the season.

 

Click each link for a full preview.

 

In the era of the "superconference", more leagues are tipping off conference games in the month of December. Tonight, the MAAC, NEC, Ohio Valley and Horizon all had at least one conference game on tap. And with this being a blog on the northeast, I'll focus on the MAAC and NEC openers.

Niagara 89, Rider 77

Central Connecticut State (22-12, 16-2)

Mount St. Mary's (11-20, 9-9)

Robert Morris (17-11, 9-9)

Sacred Heart (18-14, 12-6)

Other (Wagner, FSU, Monmouth)

In tonight’s Northeast Conference championship game, Central Connecticut State and Sacred Heart will get together to determine who will represent the league in the NCAA Tournament. While the regular season champion Blue Devils have been in the position before, having won two of their previous four (2000, 2002) championship games, this is all new to the Pioneers. While Sacred Heart, led for the past 29 years by Dave Bike, has made thirteen appearances in the Division II NCAA Tournament, the two wins in