Busting Brackets
Fansided

2017 NEC Tournament: Mount St Mary’s is dancing after winning league title

By Doug Winkey

Nov 26, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers guard Elijah Long (55) dribbles against the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers guard Elijah Long (55) dribbles against the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

St Francis (PA) challenged Mount St Mary’s in the 2017 NEC Tournament championship for a spot in the Big Dance.

Top seed Mount St Mary’s fought off a determined St Francis (PA) program in the NEC Tournament title game. The Red Flash actually led by eight at halftime, but the Mountaineers stormed back in the second half to reach their fifth D1 NCAA Tournament. The Mountaineers out of Emmitsburg, MD will carry the NEC banner this year.

Related Story: Wagner stuns UConn

The Mount is actually the worst overall program in the Big Dance thus far, but have an average 141st adjusted defense. For reference, that puts them just a hair below NCAA contenders Oklahoma State and Arkansas. MSM is also 44th in luck, which is an interesting measurement to consider during March Madness. The school also played the 6th hardest non-conference schedule that included road contests against WVU, Iowa State, Minnesota, and Michigan. This team is battle-tested to the max.

Sophomore guard Elijah Long leads Mount St Mary’s in every major category with 15.2 points, 5.3 boards, 4.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He is priority number one for any potential opponent drawn on Selection Sunday. Junior Robinson (13.8 points) and Miles Watson (11.2 points) also score at respectable clips. Don’t sleep on the interior duo of Chris Wray and Mawdo Sallah either as the two grab a combined 11 rebounds and swat nearly three shots per game. Overall, the Mountaineers go about six deep and have combined shooting splits of 45/36/67.

Next: Five teams that could win the Big East Tournament

This season marks the program’s first NCAA Tournament birth since 2014. Coach Jamion Christian has guided a group picked fourth in the NEC’s preseason poll. This is Christian’s second NCAA Tournament bid in five years as a head coach, so one wonders if a power school might snipe him this offseason. Mount St Mary’s won’t make a lot of upset lists, but hats off to the Mountaineers.