A tournament vying for a team to contend in the play-in. Last season, it was Fairleigh Dickinson who punched a ticket and left a mark on the NCAA Tournament. The stakes have never been higher for these teams. Here are my Northeast Conference Tournament preview, picks, and best bets!
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2024 Northeast Conference Tournament Preview and Best Bets
This is an old-school tournament. The seeds are re-seeded every round, so the highest remaining would play the lowest remaining. All games are on campus, with some nuances within the conference itself.
Stonehill did not make the conference tournament, as only eight of the nine teams qualified. This was Stonehill’s first season in Division 1.
Le Moyne is ineligible for the NCAA tournament; therefore, the runner-up would qualify if Le Moyne were to win. The conference will be adding Chicago State starting next season, and the program on the rise will be a team to keep an eye on.
Conference Tournament Champion Odds Via DraftKings Sportsbook
Central Connecticut State (+120)
Merrimack (+120)
Sacred Heart (+850)
Le Moyne (+1400)
Fairleigh Dickinson (+4500)
Wagner (+2800)
Long Island University Sharks (+25000)
Saint Francis (PA) (+30000)
Best Bet – Merrimack +120
Merrimack and Central Connecticut State share the odds as favorites pre-tournament. Merrimack is my personal favorite of the two to win this one.
They have two of the top three best players in the conference in Jordan Derkack and Adam Clark. The Warriors went 13-3 in conference during the regular season, with two of those three losses coming on the road.
Merrimack boosts an 11-1 home record with every game being played on campus.
Second Favorite – Sacred Heart +850
When there are co-favorites, then the second choice is typically the ‘other team,’ right? There’s a ton of volatility in these conference tournaments with the lesser teams. This is the weakest conference in the nation, and it isn’t close.
My second choice is going to be Sacred Heart. They start with Wagner, who they’ve beaten twice this season.
Sacred Heart can create enough chaos defensively to overtake a game. They rank first in the conference in block shots percentage, led by Alex Sobel, and second in steal percentage. Defense carries into tournament formats.
To complement their defense is the conference’s best three-point percentage attack and an offense that takes care of the ball the best.
Dark Horse Pick – Fairleigh Dickinson +4500
The College Basketball Experience guys will tell you it’s the Long Island Sharks. But the bloggers are taking a shot at Fairleigh Dickinson as the dark horse. When you think of fast offenses, then you would rightfully consider Alabama, Kentucky, Memphis, and Arizona.
Fairleigh Dickinson ranks with those teams in Adjusted Tempo per KenPom. They’re led by junior Ansley Almonor, who carries the burden on the offense.
The forward leads the team in just about every shooting category, highlighted by his three-point production. The team will need him to be a force in order to win the Northeast Conference Tournament!
Even More College Basketball Content
SGPN has you covered with all the best college basketball content. Our team of degens, experts, and handicappers have been diving deep to know all the teams in advance of March Madness.
So, who are you going to roll with as we get into the Conference and NCAA Tournaments? Some Johnny-Come-Lately Corporate Gambling Shill, or the Degens, are LIVE every night at midnight Eastern, breaking down EVERY SINGLE GAME. Ride with Degen Nation, and SGPN will not let you down.
