Some crazy upsets highlighted a week that overall will show that very little has changed since last week! Never fear, McCaffrey’s Musings is here to sort out the week that was and look ahead.
Men’s Musings’ Eight (Overall Record/Last Week’s movement)
1) Bridgeport (21-3) LOCK: UB was shocked Saturday thanks to an inspired Molloy effort, but it’s not nearly enough to knock the Purple Knights off the one line. A big event Wednesday in Bridgeport when St. Thomas Aquinas comes to town. A loss to the Spartans could complicate matters in terms of the race to host but a win could nearly clinch the one-seed. This Week: vs. STAC, Wed.; vs. Mercy, Sat.
2) Jefferson (24-2) LOCK: The regional committee and I have a minor disagreement here, but this slot will play itself out over the next few days. If the Spartans lose Wednesday, it should all but solidify Jefferson in the two. Oddly, A STAC win could help or hurt. It would most certainly move the Spartans to two but it would also help Jefferson’s chance to host if UB were to get clipped in its first game of the ECC tournament. Very tricky affair Wednesday against the Lightning. This Week: @ Goldey-Beacom, Wed.; vs Holy Family, Sat.
3) St. Thomas Aquinas (22-4) LOCK: The Spartans are by no means out of the running to become the one seed, but it would have to begin Wednesday in a conquest of the Purple Knights. The Musings will be in the house for what could be the first meeting of three in the next three weeks between these two clubs. If STAC were to win this week and upend UB again in the ECC title tilt, the Spartans could get the nod for the one-line. At last check, STAC has not put in to host, so that would mean the two-line would end up being the host. A lot can happen at the top of the bracket. This Week: @ UB, Wed.; vs. UDC, Sat.
4) Le Moyne (19-7) LOCK: A convincing win over AIC moves the Dolphins to cherished LOCK status. They can party in Syracuse, as the Dolphins will be dancing. Tough game this week as the Pace Setters come to town. The Dolphins are on an island at four. This Week: vs. Pace, Tues.; NE10 Quarterfinal vs. TBD, Sun.
5) St. Anselm (17-8) LOCK-ish: A great win over Franklin Pierce highlighted a week that vaults the Hawks into LOCK-ville, but not the territory itself. It’s highly unlikely, but if St. A’s was to lose its last two at Bentley and then an NE10 quarterfinal, and couple that with a Stonehill run to the NE10 title game and you combine that with teams outside the top eight winning all three league tournaments, it’s possible the Hawks don’t dance. It’s also possible to win the lottery and odds of the Hawks absent from the field are about as likely as you becoming a millionaire playing penny slots. A win Tuesday clinches a bid! This Week: vs. Bentley, Tues.; NE10 Quarterfinal vs. TBD, Sun.
6) Stonehill (17-10): The Skyhawks are in a great position but still need to keep a close eye on other leagues over the next two weeks. This Week: NE10 Quarterfinal vs. TBD, Sun.
7) Daemen (22-6): The Wildcats survived against a UDC group that is always upset-minded but has had a hard time closing the deal. The practices in Buffalo just became a lot more intense after the Wildcats saw Molloy beat the #1 team in the region. Barring a loss, this is where Daemen will stay heading into ECC tourney action. This Week: @Molloy, Fri.; @ NYIT, Sun.
8) Dominican (20-6): A stunning home loss to Bloomfield muddied the CACC North, but make no mistake, the Chargers can’t see #9 in their rear-view mirror with binoculars. The nine might as well be Texas A&M because neither will be garnering an at-large invite to this regional. I don’t see DC losing this week, especially because it gets a chance to avenge the stunning loss to Concordia in Bronxville earlier this season. This Week: vs. Concordia, Wed.; Nyack, Sat.
Folks, this is it. Those are the only teams that can get an at-large. Obviously, DC could get bumped if it or Jefferson doesn’t win the CACC title or if there are upsets in other leagues.
MUSINGS GAME OF THE WEEK
Wednesday, February 26
#3 STAC @ #1 UB: Round one went to the Purple Knights on a tip-in at the horn. It’s hard to imagine that great game could be topped, but who knows!
The women’s regional rankings were released last week and they were eyebrow raising. The Musings isn’t changing the bottom of the rankings. If the regional committee does, they may be hinting that they erred last week in the initial placement of certain teams. We’ll explain as we go.
Women’s Musings' Neat-O Nine
1) Adelphi (25-2) LOCK: A home loss to Stonehill in the NE10 title game is the only thing standing in the way of an opportunity to host. If the Panthers lose, it could present the committee a difficult decision. Considering where the Skyhawks were in last week’s regional rankings, if the committee were to use the same logic, it would stand to reason a road triumph over Adelphi would clinch the home court for Stonehill. Interestingly, if Adelphi were to lose in the semi-finals, it may actually increase its chances to host as opposed to losing in the Championship game to Stonehill. This Week: vs. SCSU, Tues.; NE10 Quarterfinal vs. TBD, Sun.
2) Stonehill (19-5) ⬆️1 LOCK: I said two weeks ago that the two line and Stonehill were inevitable and the strength of a nine-game NE10 winning streak frankly is a lot greater than the Sciences 18-game overall winning streak (17 CACC + STAC). This Week: NE10 Quarterfinal vs. TBD, Sun.
3) USciences (24-3) ⬇️1 LOCK: The Devils are a lock, yet they are virtually assured to be playing on the road as the NCAA’s are concerned. This Week: @ Chestnut Hill, Sat.
4) Bentley (19-7): It’s still a remote possibility that the Falcons don’t dance if they lost their final two games. The squad opens with a tough trip to Manchester, and if things were to break wrong in game one, they would be on the road for the NE10 quarterfinals. That might be a trip to Upstate New York against Le Moyne. The dreaded three-seed in the NE10’s could spell doom once again as a bye in the first game to a road playoff game has in the past and likely will again harm a team’s chances of making the NCAA tournament. This Week: @ St. A’s, Tues.; NE10 Quarterfinal vs./@ TBD, Sun.
5) St. Anselm (18-6): This is where the Hawks belong but I don’t expect the committee to change its mind because the Musings says it’s so! If they don’t prevail over the Falcons on Tuesday they are in danger of missing the field if it’s coupled with a loss in the conference tourney quarterfinals. They are another team that could perish if they fall in Syracuse come Sunday as the NE10 NE Division three-seed. This Week: vs. Bentley, Tues.;NE10 Quarterfinal vs./@ TBD, Sun.
6) Daemen (21-3): The Wildcats deserve to make the NCAA field - at the moment. You can debate where they should be but there should be ZERO discussion about a field without Daemen. The Wildcats could be a lock come next week with two good road wins. One hand-raise and one defeat should be good enough to drop to no worse than seven, but if the Wildcats don’t scratch out a W they will be in deep trouble. This Week: @ Molloy, Fri.; @ NYIT, Sun.
7) Le Moyne (17-8): Some Dolphin fans weren’t happy that I had the squad at seven last week, so it would stand to reason they would have a bigger problem with the regional committee than with me considering they were they were slotted on the eight-line by the regional committee. If Le Moyne doesn’t move up a line I would be very surprised, which would be right where they should be. Needle-moving game for this group as they can beat a hungry Pace contingent and get a quality win and sweep the season series, which would virtually eliminate the Setters from at-large discussion. This Week: vs. Pace, Tues.; NE10 Quarterfinal vs./@ TBD, Sun.
8) St. Thomas Aquinas (19-6): A home loss to NYIT shouldn’t move STAC two places down the regional ranking but the reality is this is where the Spartans should be. They have Pace virtually iced out thanks an early-season triumph in Westchester. Hard to imagine the Spartans falling this week. How the committee will delineate the bottom two teams will be interesting This Week: @ UB, Wed.; vs. UDC, Sat.
9) Pace (19-8): Pace nearly stunned Adelphi in Garden City, but an OT loss means a win over Le Moyne is crucial. They would likely need to pair that victory with an NE10 quarterfinal win and hope the Dolphins lose their first NE10 playoff contest. There is essentially no shot, barring a STAC stunning defeat this week, in which Pace could leapfrog the Spartans. This Week: @ Le Moyne, Tues.; NE10 Quarterfinal vs./@ TBD, Sun.
Molloy is 18-7 and still would have an outside chance if things went sideways for teams above in the immediate vicinity. The Lions are also iced out by STAC, as the group that calls Rockville Centre home was swept in the regular-season series. They would need a Pace win at Le Moyne coupled with both of those teams losing in their initial NE10 playoff game. Pair that with a defeat of Daemen and Roberts this week to go along with two ECC tourney wins and 22-8 might be enough thanks to a tremendous SOS. If you think Molloy’s path to the dance floor is tricky, well, get a load of NYIT’s road. Remember everything you just read and the Bears would need to win out to the title game which would include two wins over Daemen and need a Molloy slip along the way. These two are tied in the ECC and one loss for either the Lions or the Bears should eliminate them from at-large bids. Oh, MY!!
TMAC Deep Thoughts:
I love the idea of going green and reducing waste, but it would be nice if there were programs. This past week I broadcast a game in Springfield at AIC and not only no programs, but no game notes or paper box scores. We were told to access everything online. Even if it’s a page or two, I love it when SID’s have a fascinating nugget or two on each player. Seems like we’ve thrown the baby out with the bathwater.
I must credit AIC for having the proper teams on the banners (No Merrimack!!)
Time for some predictions since by week’s end it will be NE10 tourney time! On the women’s side, I like Adelphi to cut down the nets. The men’s tourney is wide open. I could see nearly every team make a run. This league is so even, it would be appropriate for the five-seed to win out of the Northeast or Southwest Divisions. I’ve decided to pick out of a hat….. The winner is Southern New Hampshire. Wouldn’t that be something??
See a mistake, disagree with an opinion or if you want to give me a thumbs up? Contact me at tpmccaffrey@gmail.com. Until next time, Happy Hooping.