With the non-conference schedules for all ten NEC programs complete, we sifted through everyone’s slate to determine the top out-of-conference showdowns. With only a 16 game conference regular season in place, each NEC team has been afforded an opportunity to square off against two more non-conference teams. Some head coaches strongly disagree with the format, yet the NEC is hopeful the extra out-of-conference games will improve the conference’s RPI, and subsequently improve their champion’s seed in the NCAA tournament.
Let’s first look at all of the tournaments the NEC will be a part of:
Bryant in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden, December 21 - Tim O’Shea put together a masterpiece of a schedule, which includes a trip to the world’s greatest arena in MSG. After extremely challenging contests versus Ohio State, Notre Dame, and North Dakota St., the Bulldogs will conclude the Gotham Classic with a MSG showdown versus CAA foe Delaware.
St. Francis Brooklyn in the EA Sports Maui Invitation Mainland Bracket, November 23-24 - It’s a bummer Glenn Braica’s crew doesn’t get a trip to Maui out of this, but it should be a fun experience nonetheless. Matchups against Coastal Carolina, and either a veteran Oakland or Louisiana-Lafayette await the Terriers after traveling to Dayton and Syracuse in the weeks prior.
LIU Brooklyn in the 2K Sports Classic at UC Irvine, November 22-24 - The most intriguing game for the Julian Boyd-less Blackbirds will be against Patriot League favorite Boston University. The battle at the point deserves your focus with Jason Brickman, the nation’s reigning assist leader, squaring off against America East first teamer D.J. Irving. The California trip also includes games versus Big Sky member Eastern Washington and Big West participant UC Irvine, who finished last season with 21 victories.
Sacred Heart in the Las Vegas Classic, December 22-23 - Sacred Heart players enjoyed a trip to Montreal this offseason and now they’ll get to head west in December as well. The trip begins with two very difficult road games in Santa Clara – who routed Wagner last season – and UNLV. A few days later, the Pioneers open up the Las Vegas bracket against Radford, with Florida Gulf Coast and Florida A&M in the other semi. A Sacred Heart/Dunk City matchup would tremendous, especially with two old-school, pass first point guards doing battle in Brett Comer and Phil Gaetano.
Robert Morris in the Keightley Classic - Andy Toole has been a fan of enrolling his Colonials for non-conference tournaments, and this season is no exception. For this adventure, Robert Morris plays two challenging mid-major road games (Cleveland State, Eastern Michigan), a home game (Texas Arlington), and a familiar opponent on the road. More on this later…
Fairleigh Dickinson in the NIT Preseason Tournament, November 18-19 - The Knights get some much-needed national exposure with a first round matchup against Arizona. The second game, should they lose, has unfortunately little upside with Division II stalwart Metro State potentially looming. Metro State was a Division II finalist last season, so it’s entirely possible they could upend the inexperienced Knights on a neutral floor.
Wagner at the Gulf Coast Showcase, November 25-27 - This is a fun mid-major tournament (well if you consider St. Bonaventure a mid-major) featuring Wagner and 27 win Louisana Tech. The Seahawks are guarenteed three games in as many days and will square off against Stetson in round one, with the potential to play either St. Bonavetnure or Southern Illinois the next day.
In addition, here are my top individual games for the NEC:
Robert Morris at Kentucky, November 17th - This Keightley Classic showdown likely won’t go well for the Colonials, but it’s a must watch nonetheless, especially after Robert Morris’ colassial upset over John Calipari’s Wildcats last March. In the improbable NIT victory, the Colonials were more physical and determined than their bigger opponents, but I wouldn’t expect the same outcome this November. Revenge will be on Kentucky’s mind and with a wonderful freshmen class that features five (yes five) five-star recruits in Lexington, expect the home team to win this one handedly. Robert Morris has lost three integral starters and Lijah Thompson, and will thereby rely on six newcomers that have practiced together for two months. It could take a while for Andy Toole to figure out his rotation, so perhaps the Colonials’ road matchup at Oklahoma State and All-American candidate Marcus Smart will be more competitive in late December.
Bryant at Harvard, November 24th - A quick disclaimer: I absolutely love Bryant’s schedule. Pick a game, really, because it’s the type of non conference slate that every NEC should strive toward. One of the games I’m most interested in is their local showdown versus Harvard. Can the Bulldogs compete against one of the best Ivy League teams ever assembled? While Harvard’s rising sophomore Siyami Chambers will likely exploit an obvious mismatch at the point, Alex Francis and Dyami Starks should hold their own against a Harvard club that upended the #3 seeded New Mexico Aggies in the 2013 NCAA tournament. A strong showing against Harvard would be a nice early statement, but it won’t be easy, especially with four former All-Ivy League first or second team selections – Chambers, Wesley Saunders, Kyle Casey, and Brandyn Curry – on the opponent’s roster.
Mount St. Mary’s at Texas Tech, December 30th - If one game smells like an NEC road upset special, this is it. Texas Tech is coming off a dismal three season stretch which involved as many head coaches (Pat Knight, Billy Gillispie, Chrs Walker) combining for a putrid 32-62 record. Tubby Smith has since taken over the mess in Lubbock, but make no mistake, this will be a serious rebuild for the once respected Big 12 program. With the senior rich Mount program employing a fiesty Mayhem attack and bombing away from the perimeter, this one could go down to the wire. If you’re skeptical, just ask George Washington about their non-conference loss versus the Mount last season. An impressive senior trio of Julian Norfleet, Rashad Whack, and Sam Prescott won’t go down without a fight.
Vermont at Wagner, November 21 - Quality non-conference home games are awfully difficult to schedule for the NEC, yet this early America East litmus test certainly deserves your attention. John Becker’s Vermont squad returns virtually all of their talent, including slick point guard Sandro Carissimo, power forwards Clancy Rugg and Luke Apfeld, and do-everything swingman Brian Voelkel. In particular, the versatile Voelkel is a unique talent, as he averaged 8.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest last season. You can expect Bashir Mason’s squad to harass Voelkel everytime he touches the ball on the court. Also worth mentioning: Vermont held conference opponents to only 92.1 points per possession last season, thanks to their excellent perimeter defense. Will their stout defense prevail over the sharpshooting likes of Latif Rivers and Jay Harris?
Wagner at St. John’s, November 15 - Finally, I highlighted the best local matchup of the non-conference season with Steve Lavin’s Johnnies hosting Wagner. As the mild favorite of the NEC this preseason, it isn’t a stretch to think Wagner can give its bigger NYC competitor a run for its money. Wagner is a deep and athletic team, and since Dan Hurley took over the struggling program three seasons ago, the Seahawks have been impressive in non-conference games.
Nelson Castillo of Blackbird Hoops Journal recently rated each NEC team’s non-conference schedule.
You can follow Ryan on Twitter @pioneer_pride