The reigning conference champions have jumped ship to a new conference – so how will NEC Basketball stack up in 2020-21?
The Northeast Conference was one of the few Div. I conferences to finish their postseason tournament before the universal cancellations due to COVID-19, coming down to an all-Pennsylvania championship game between Robert Morris and Saint Francis for the NEC Basketball title.
The Colonials came away with a 10-point victory over the Red Flash, claiming their final NEC championship before making the transition to the Horizon League over the summer. Now, the NEC – which has had a different champion for the past four years – will crown a new victor in 2020-21.
Compared to other mid-major conferences, the NEC has not boasted many conference champs that have gone on to make noise in the NCAA Tournament. Mount St. Mary’s and Fairleigh Dickinson both picked up First Four victories in recent years. The Mount pushed around Villanova in the opening round in 2017, and Robert Morris – in 2010 – took Villanova to overtime, falling by three.
Despite the lack of historical postseason success, the NEC has claimed some upsets during the regular season, as well. In 2016, Wagner knocked off 18th-ranked UConn on the road, and this past season saw conference newcomer Merrimack – just two days after losing to Maine by 20 points – win at Northwestern in their first victory as a Div. I institution.
This year is a changing of the guard, of sorts. In addition to Robert Morris leaving, the top five scorers in the conference have all graduated. Thankfully, the NEC does return loads of talent – the league’s preseason All-NEC Team is comprised of four players who earned postseason honors last year.
Those four choices were unanimous, and all belong to different programs. With as many different conference champs in the past four seasons, the NEC looks to be completely wide open this year, with at least half of the teams maintaining the talent needed to claim a title.
This will be an exciting season for the NEC, and it all begins incredibly soon. In preparation until then, here is an outlook – and a predicted order – of how the Northeast Conference will play out in 2020-21.