2012 Northeast Conference Tournament Odds and Predictions to Win 2012 NEC Tournament – 2012 NEC Tournament Favorites, Sleepers, Schedule and TV Listings plus Expert Picks: The Northeast Conference is only going to put a single team into the NCAA tournament, but as a whole, the NEC has an interesting mix of teams. From high-scoring teams to defensive-minded teams and everything in between, there are multiple strategies at work within the NEC. In the end, the team that emerges from the conference tournament is going to have to defeat a variety of opponents.
The Favorite – 2012 Northeast Conference Tournament Odds, Predictions and Expert Picks
Although they didn’t win the NEC regular season title, the Wagner Seahawks (24-5) were the most balanced team in the conference. The Seahawks are scoring more than 73 points per game and are allowing less than 64 points per game to opponents. They also won nine of their final 10 regular season games and picked up an impressive out-of-conference win on the road against Pittsburgh. Wagner has three players averaging in double figures, and 10 players see significant playing time. The team’s depth and balance should help them in the tournament setting, allowing the Seahawks to keep their top players fresh despite playing several games in several days.
The Dark Horses – 2012 Northeast Conference Tournament Odds, Predictions and Expert Picks
The LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds (22-8) actually won the NEC regular season title, and they did it with their explosive offense. The Blackbirds rank fourth in the country in scoring, averaging 81.8 points per game. They also rank in the top 30 nationally in rebounding and field goal percentage, with big men Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere combining for 34.3 points 17.3 rebounds. Despite the dominating offense, the Blackbirds are almost equally terrible on defense, allowing 77.9 points per game. LIU Brooklyn also gave up 106 points in a loss in the regular season finale. With a porous defense, the Blackbirds’ can’t afford an off night.
Defense can overcome a lot of issues, and the Robert Morris Colonials (22-9) are proof of that. Despite being a mediocre team on the offensive end of the court, the Colonials finished third on in the NEC thanks to the conference’s best scoring defense. The defense was on full display when Robert Morris upset regular season champ LIU Brooklyn, holding the high-scoring Blackbirds to just 66 points. The Colonials are firing on all cylinders entering the conference tournament, winning six of their last seven games. During the stretch, Robert Morris has held five teams to 62 points or less.
Sleeper Special – 2012 Northeast Conference Tournament Odds, Predictions and Expert Picks
There are a lot of things that the Quinnipiac Bobcats (17-12) don’t do well, but they do rebound the basketball as well as any team in the country. The Bobcats are the second-best rebounding team in the nation, and there is something to be said about limiting opponents to only one shot per possession. Quinnipiac struggled to find consistency throughout the year, but the Bobcats lost by just four points to conference champ LIU Brooklyn and lost by just one point to conference runner-up Wagner. Being able to dominate the glass allows the Bobcats to hang close to teams that have better athletes and more offensive firepower. Quinnipiac may be undermanned, but the Bobcats won’t go down without a fight.
2012 Northeast Conference Tournament Predictions from NSAwins.com: Wagner to WIN over Long Island
2012 Northeast Conference Tournament Odds
Wagner -115
Long Island +155
Robert Morris +475
Quinnipiac +1200
St. Francis NY +2800
Central Connecticut State +6500
Sacred Heart +10000
Monmouth +15000
2012 Northeast Conference Tournament Men’s Basketball Championship Schedule:
Quarterfinals – Thursday, March 1 (all times TBA)
No. 8 Sacred Heart at No. 1 Long Island
No. 7 Central Connecticut at No. 2 Wagner
No. 6 Robert Morris at No. 3 Monmouth
No. 5 Quinnipiac at No. 4 St. Francis (NY)
Semifinals – Sunday, March 4
Lowest remaining seed at highest remaining seed, 12 p.m. or 6 p.m.
Third-highest remaining seed at second-highest remaining seed, 12 p.m. or 6 p.m.
Championship – Wednesday, March 7
Lower seed at higher seed, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
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