Northeast Conference Basketball: 2022 conference tournament preview

Dec 8, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Wagner Seahawks guard Zaire Williams (12) looks to shoot the ball as Penn State Nittany Lions forward Seth Lundy (1) defends during the second half at Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State defeated Wagner 74-54. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports /

1 of 6

Northeast Conference Javier Ezquerra #1 of the Wagner Seahawks (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

The Northeast Conference may not be the glamour league in college basketball, but it is the first league to launch its conference tournament in 2022. Therefore, it should briefly command all eyes from college basketball fans.

The conference tournament is the only one to kick off in February, starting on the last day of the month. One of the first teams to officially clinch a March Madness bid will come from the NEC.

Which team will seize the automatic bid, though? Entering the conference tournament, two teams stand above the rest: the Wagner Seahawks and Bryant Bulldogs. The two programs have stood well above the rest of the conference this season, entering the final week of league play with a combined three losses.

Still, this is a relatively competitive conference. Not much separates the teams in the middle of the pack, any of who could make a run to the championship game, where all bets are off. The conference also boasts one of the best scorers in all of college basketball – more on him later.

The conference tournament begins on February 28, with the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds facing off against one another. From there, competition days will take place on March 2, March 5, and March 8, with all games taking place at the site of the higher seed.

For those doing the math, that does mean one team in the NEC will be left out of the tournament and it’s not going to be Fairleigh Dickinson; the Merrimack Warriors are still ineligible for postseason play. They won’t be eligible next year, either, so the fourth-best team in the conference will remain on the sidelines.

So who will win the NEC Tournament? Let’s take a look at the competition, starting with some key players.