2017-18 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournament

[deiscanton]

As a service, I am giving the 2017-18 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournament its own topic, just in case there is some interest from fans of the participating teams.

To start, the ECAC is a field of 15, selected from declared ECAC members who finish .500 or better and do not make the NCAA tournament.  1 team gets the overall #1 seed and will host the final 8 teams Friday March 2 to Sunday March 4.

The reigning champion, Stockton, decided not to go for a repeat title this year.

First round games are Wednesday, Feb. 28.

List of declared ECAC teams, by state:

Maine--(1 team)-- Husson
Massachusetts--(1 team) Springfield
New York  State-- (10 teams)-- Baruch, Hunter, NYU, Alfred State, Alfred, RPI, Medaille, Mt St Mary, US Merchant Marine Academy, New Rochelle

New Jersey (4 teams)-- William Paterson, Rutgers-Newark, Drew, NJCU
Pennsylvania (15 teams)-- Juniata, Penn State Altoona, Penn State-Behrend, Wilkes, Misericordia, DeSales, Swarthmore, Wilson, Westminster, Arcadia, Albright, Widener, Alvernia, Neumann, Grove City

West Virginia (1 team)-- Bethany
North Carolina (1 team)-- Pfeiffer

Records under .500, not eligible for ECAC consideration:  Rutgers-Newark, Hunter, NYU, Alvernia, US Merchant Marine Academy

Eligible for ECAC consideration with a .500 record:  Mt St Mary (13-13)

NCAA AQs, automatically withdrawn from ECAC consideration:  Misericordia (MAC-Freedom AQ)

Selected as Pool C teams by NCAA, automatically withdrawn from ECAC consideration: Swarthmore, NJCU, Albright, Springfield

23 ECAC candidates vying for 15 spots

Update-- Juniata is overall #1 seed.

However, Wilkes University is hosting the ECAC quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship game.

[deiscanton]

ECAC press release:

www.ECACsports.com/news/2018/2/26/general-juniata-claims-overall-no-1-seed-in-2018-ecac-mens-basketball-tournament.aspx?path=

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I think you are the only poster who cares.

[deiscanton]

I think you are the only poster who cares.

Yeah, d-mac, apparently I am.☺

I am covering the ECAC Women's Tournament on the UAA women's forum, in case anyone cares. ☺

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I was going to care, but Husson isn't in, so Raheem Anderson won't be moving up the career scoring ladder anymore.

[hopefan]

I care!!!! 

When did the tourney start matching up all regions to crown a champ??  I though it was always just 4 regional champs.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I care!!!! 

When did the tourney start matching up all regions to crown a champ??  I though it was always just 4 regional champs.

A couple years ago they had so few teams signed up they were forced to combine them.  Maybe 3 years?  I think they only had 12 total teams willing/eligible to be in it across four regions.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I care!!!! 

When did the tourney start matching up all regions to crown a champ??  I though it was always just 4 regional champs.

A couple years ago they had so few teams signed up they were forced to combine them.  Maybe 3 years?  I think they only had 12 total teams willing/eligible to be in it across four regions.

No, I believe last year was the first year. They asked the NCAA for an exemption to carry it out over several weeks and were denied.

[deiscanton]

Schedule of ECAC First round games-- Wednesday, February 28, 2018

All tip times Eastern

Game #1-- Arcadia at Juniata-- 7 PM
Game #2-- Neumann at Drew-- 7 PM
Game #3-- Penn State Altoona at Bethany (WV)-- 7 PM
Game #4-- Medaille at Westminster (PA)-- 7 PM
Game #5-- Alfred at Penn State Behrend-- 7 PM
Game #6-- Wilson at Widener-- 8 PM
Game #7-- Baruch at William Paterson-- 7:30 PM

All winners tonight will travel to Wilkes-Barre(PA).  Wilkes University is the host school for the remaining ECAC games.

[deiscanton]

All Wednesday ECAC First Round games are now final.

Game #1-- Juniata 71, Arcadia 68
Game #2-- Neumann 114, Drew 110 (OT)
Game #3-- Bethany 71, Penn State Altoona 66
Game #4-- Medaille 74, Westminster (PA) 72
Game #5-- Penn State Behrend 78, Alfred 57
Game #6-- Widener 92, Wilson 65
Game #7-- Baruch 68, William Paterson 57

Note: In game #7, Baruch's Chimaechi Ekekeugbor became the first Baruch men's basketball player and the 2nd men's basketball player in CUNYAC history to reach the 2,000 point club. He needed 37 points and got exactly that.  His 37 pts came on a 17-30 from the field, 2 of 9 from 3 pt range, 1 of 2 from the charity stripe.

Friday, March 2-- Quarterfinals at Wilkes University-- Wilkes Barre, PA

All tip times Eastern

QF #1-- Juniata v Neumann-- 11 AM
QF #2-- Bethany v Medaille-- 2 PM
QF #3-- Penn State Behrend v Wilkes-- 5 PM
QF #4-- Baruch v Widener-- 8 PM

ECAC Men's Basketball First Round Wrapup-- Press release

[deiscanton]

Halftime of ECAC QF 1 from Wilkes--

Neumann 24, Juniata 23

[deiscanton]

ECAC Quarterfinals-- Final scores-- Friday, March 2

All games played at Wilkes University-- Wilkes-Barre, PA

QF #1-- Neumann 65, Juniata 59 (Neumann wins pod 1)
QF #2-- Medaille 101, Bethany 87 (Medaille wins pod 4)
QF #3-- Wilkes 77, Penn State Behrend 62 (Wilkes wins pod 3)
QF #4-- Widener v Baruch-- cancelled due to weather and road conditions; Baruch did not arrive at game site.  Widener automatically advances to ECAC semifinals per ECAC rules.

Semifinals

Saturday, March 3, 2018

SF #1-- Neumann 89, Medaille 85
SF #2-- Widener 87, Wilkes 65

Championship-- Sunday, March 4

Widener 82, Neumann 75

[deiscanton]

ECAC semifinal recap and title game preview:

www.ECACsports.com/news/2018/3/3/widener-takes-on-neumann-in-ecac-diii-mens-basketball-championship.aspx?path=

[deiscanton]

Some comments on the storm--

1.). You have to feel for the Baruch men's basketball team.  When they started their bus travel on Thursday from New York to Wilkes-Barre, PA, they didn't know how dangerous the weather was going to be.  Apparently, the same storm that devastated the Massachusetts coastline and cut power and cable TV to at least 400,000 people in Massachusetts at the height of the storm on Friday caused a traffic pileup on I-80 that stranded the Baruch men's basketball team on I-80 for over 24 hours.

At this point, a basketball game is the least of your concerns.  I am just glad that the Baruch men's basketball team is back in New York City safe and sound.

(On a personal note, I lost power during the storm for 11 hours on Friday and I am glad that it wasn't any worse.  There are still at least 400 homes in my town still without power as the winds and heavy rain took down a lot of trees and power lines not only in Canton, MA, but also around the state and the entire southern New England region.  I am still without cable TV service....)

Update-- I found out the problem on Monday afternoon.  When I unplugged my surge protector, and put it into a different plug, the TV and cable converter came back on.

[deiscanton]

ECAC Men's Basketball Championship game

Widener 82, Neumann 75

Widener is your 2017-18 ECAC DIII Men's Basketball Champion.