Busting Brackets
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Northeast Basketball: Sacred Heart, St. Francis (PA) tournament favorites

By Jason Burgess

DAYTON, OH - MARCH 13: Donald Hicks #5 of the Radford Highlanders defends against Raiquan Clark #23 of the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds during the game at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH - MARCH 13: Donald Hicks #5 of the Radford Highlanders defends against Raiquan Clark #23 of the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds during the game at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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DAYTON, OH – MARCH 15: Marc Eddy Norelia #25 of the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles and Dondre Rhoden #20 of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights look on during a free throw in the first half during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 15, 2016 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH – MARCH 15: Marc Eddy Norelia #25 of the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles and Dondre Rhoden #20 of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights look on during a free throw in the first half during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 15, 2016 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

What kind of seed can the NEC champ expect?

The Northeast Conference is a one-bid league with just the champion of the conference tournament earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament. A lot can change depending on what happens in other tournaments, but as of now, it looks as though a No. 16 seed is the ceiling for the NEC champ, with a floor and most likely outcome of being a 16-seed sent to Dayton to play in the First Four.

After looking at numerous bracketologists, including the latest machination of our own Busting Brackets field of 68, the current top seed is shown in all of them to be headed to Dayton. Even if the top seed in wins the tournament, the best they could hope for would be one of the No. 16 seeds that doesn’t go to Dayton, but it looks as if that would only happen if some of the low-major conferences have surprise winners.

Saint Francis (PA), Fairleigh Dickinson, and Robert Morris are the only teams in the conference to finish the regular season above .500, and no team was able to run away with the conference title as the top four teams were separated by just one game. No matter who wins the NEC, expect to see them with a No. 16 next to their name come Selection Sunday.