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All 11 members of the MAAC will be competing in the conference tournament at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey this week. This is definitely a one-bid league as the winner of the MAAC tournament may fill one of the 16 seeds during the NCAA Tournament. The event will get started on Monday, March 8th and roll through Saturday, March 13th.
We’ll be taking a look at some of the best teams in each conference, and providing picks and predictions for each conference tournament. Plenty of favorites will win, but we’ve got some sleepers to consider that might be able to pull off a big upset on the way to the NCAA Tournament.
Here’s the bracket for the MAAC Conference Tournament with TV listings, dates and times.
Favorite: Siena Saints
As the top-seeded team in the MAAC, Siena (12-4, 12-4 MAAC) should be the team to beat in this tournament. They are led by 6-foot-7 senior guard Manny Camper, who averages a triple double with 14.6 and 10 rebounds per game to go along with 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals. One key item to note is senior guard Nick Hopkins has missed each of the last five games and is being listed as questionable for the Saints’ first MAAC tournament game. Getting him back would be a huge boost to the conference’s No. 1 seed.
Sleeper: Marist Red Foxes
Maris (12-8, 13-10 MAAC) will enter the MAAC tournament as the conference’s No. 4 seed, and there’s a lot to like about their chances to make a run. The Red Foxes have won each of their last three games and have done a good job away from home at 6-5, which is crucial in these neutral site tournaments. They play very well on the defensive end of the floor with a balanced attack on offense. The Red Foxes lost two important pieces with Michael Cubbage and Victor Enoh out for the rest of the season, but they have played well without them.
Dark Horse: Canisius Golden Griffins
Canisius (7-5, 7-5 MAAC) is the No. 6 seed of this tournament despite having the fourth best winning percentage in the MAAC. Canisius saw a number of their games postponed or canceled this season and were able to compete in just 12 matchups. The Golden Griffins won their last game against Siena, proving they can compete with the top teams in the conference. Junior forward Malek Green is averaging 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds, both of which are team highs this year. Sophomore forward Jacco Fritz is an important piece on this team, but he missed the last two games with upper body injury and is questionable for the first game of the tournament.