CBB Review prepares you for every conference tournament leading up to Selection Sunday on Mar. 16. Up next: The NEC Tournament.
Unlike most conferences, there is one clear team to beat in the NEC Tournament – Central Connecticut State.
The Blue Devils enter tournament play 23-6 and 14-2 in NEC play. Their two losses came back-to-back to Wagner and LIU by just a combined seven points. Since then, people around the country have bought in on Patrick Sellers’ squad. They have won 12 straight games – the longest streak in the nation.
Still, it’s called March Madness for a reason. In 2024, 6-seed Wagner took down 2-seed Merrimack to win the automatic bid. However, the 1 seed has won the NEC Tournament four times since 2017.
While CCSU is the team to beat, LIU went 12-4 in NEC play and can’t be ignored. Stonehill and Le Moyne can’t play in the NCAA Tournament even if they were to win the NEC Tournament, due to NCAA D-I transition rules. So for them, this is their national championship.
2025 NEC Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Terrence Brown, FDU
Freshman of the Year: Juan Cranford, St. Francis-PA
Transfer of the Year: Malachi Davis, LIU
Coach of the Year: Patrick Sellers, CCSU
First Team:
- G: Jordan Jones, CCSU (14.4 PPG, 3.6 APG, 3.3 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 36.0 3P%)
- G: Malachi Davis, LIU (17.1 PPG, 3.2 APG, 2.9 RPG, 1.9 SPG)
- G: Terrence Brown, FDU (20.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.1 SPG)
- G: Riley Parker, St. Francis-PA (13.6 PPG, 3.5 APG, 3.5 RPG, 39.4 3P%)
- G: Devin Haid, CCSU (13.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.5 SPG)
Second Team:
- G: Terell Strickland, LIU (9.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 35.0 3P%)
- G: AJ Dancler, Le Moyne (15.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 41.6 3P%)
- G: Aidan Reichert, Mercyhurst (13.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 38.1 3P%)
- G: Jeff Planutis, Mercyhurst (15.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 41.2 3P%)
- F: Jamal Fuller, LIU (12.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 36.7 3P%)
2025 NEC Tournament Simulation
Quarterfinals – Wed., Mar. 5
8. Le Moyne (9-22, 4-12) at 1. CCSU (23-6, 14-2) – 7 p.m. EST on NEC Front Row
The Dolphins only fell to CCSU by 9 the last time they played and the Blue Devils will have to be on guard with how well Le Moyne can score the ball. With that being said, CCSU’s experienced guards should control this game and move on with little to worry about.
Mat’s pick: 1. CCSU
5. Stonehill (15-16, 7-9) at 4. FDU (12-19, 8-8) – 7 p.m. EST on NEC Front Row
FDU swept Stonehill in the regular season and while it’s tough to beat a team three teams in one year, it’s also tough to stop Terrance Brown. FDU’s star player averaged 24 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 3 SPG in those two contests. If they haven’t proven they can handle him yet, I’m not about to think otherwise.
Mat’s pick: 4. FDU
6. Wagner (14-15, 6-10) at 3. Saint Francis-PA (13-17, 8-8) – 7 p.m. EST on NEC Front Row
If you want to watch a great game Wednesday night, tune into this one. Wagner won both, by two points each, with the first one going to double overtime. However, be prepared to watch some – we’ll call it ‘defensive’ basketball. The Seahawks took the 2OT game 70-68 and both teams shot well under 40% from the field. Game two was better offense as each team shot just under 50%. However, you have to look at a Wagner team allowing just 60.7 PPG on the season. That’s the fourth-best in the country, so while their scoring isn’t peak performance, they won’t allow other teams to score on them.
Mat’s pick: 6. Wagner
7. Chicago State (4-27, 4-12) at 2. LIU (16-15, 12-4) – 7 p.m. EST on NEC Front Row
Believe it or not, Chicago State won a game against LIU this season. They also lost won on the road and were held to 37 points. I would guess that is what we will see out of the team that ranked last in the conference in points per game and second to last in points allowed.
Mat’s pick: 2. LIU
Semifinals – Sat., Mar. 8
6. Wagner at 1. CCSU – TBD on TBD
Teams are re-seeded after the quarterfinals in the NEC Tournament, so in my prediction, Wagner would play at CCSU. That may not be something the Blue Devils would like. They fell the first matchup, 62-57 and won just four days back on Mar. 1, 55-48. Wagner has held CCSU to two of their lowest-scoring games of the season. But this isn’t last year’s Wagner team with Melvin Council Jr. They don’t necessarily have that one game changer and CCSU is built for games like this. If one guy struggles, someone else can step up. It’ll be close, but I’m not calling an upset.
Mat’s pick: 1. CCSU
4. FDU at 2. LIU – TBD on TBD
LIU really had FDU’s number, taking them down twice in the last three weeks, with Mar. 1’s result being decided by 19 points. And given FDU’s defensive struggles, I’m not sure if they will break the trend. They’ve given up 76 PPG across their last three, which isn’t great against an LIU team that can struggle at times to put the ball in the basket. I like Rod Strickland’s squad to move on.
Mat’s pick: 2. LIU
Championship – Tues., Mar. 11
2. LIU at 1. CCSU – 7 p.m. on ESPN2
This would be the NEC Tournament finals most would be hoping for. While there is no chance of a bid stealer, these teams are far and away the top two in the conference. But is there any reason to doubt the hottest team in the nation? Even if they did fall to LIU back on Jan. 12 – that was their last loss this season. It’s a CCSU team that has caught fire, beating teams by an average of 15 points during the streak. I like them to move on to March Madness.
Mat’s pick: 1. CCSU