For New England, only one NCAA lock
The wait is almost over, college hoops fans.
March Madness is quickly approaching, and there are plenty of local teams capable of qualifying. Here’s a rundown of New England squads in the for the NCAA Tournament.
Lock
UConn: The defending national champion Huskies are 24-2 (14-1 Big East, first place), have won 14 straight, and have a strong chance to repeat. The top-ranked Huskies lost talent from last year, but they quickly retooled with a blend of returning players and newcomers. Cam Spencer (15.2 points per game), Tristen Newton (15 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists), and Southborough’s Alex Karaban (14.6 points) are catalysts on a balanced and loaded roster.
Conference leaders
Vermont: The Catamounts (21-6, 11-1 America East, first place) are one of the more consistent mid-majors in the nation. They have made the tournament the past two seasons and four of the last seven. Seven players average between 7 and 12 points.
Merrimack: The Warriors (17-10, 11-2 NEC, first place) won their conference tournament last season but had to watch as 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson stunned 1-seed Purdue in the first round while still postseason ineligible. Despite losing several top players to the transfer portal, the Warriors have a prime opportunity to win the conference tourney again, and sophomore Jordan Derkack (17.3 points, 6.1, rebounds, 3.6 assists) is a major reason.
Yale: Winning the Ivy League is always a grueling endeavor, but the Bulldogs (17-7, 8-1, second place) are the frontrunners despite Saturday’s loss to Princeton. Danny Wolf (14.7 points, 9.8 rebounds) is a catalyst, and the defense has the league’s best opponent field goal percentage at 41.4 percent.
Quinnipiac: The Bobcats (19-6, 11-3 MAAC) have improved their win total each of the last three seasons and have a shot at their first NCAA bid. Matt Balanc (18.5 points) and Savion Lewis (7.3 assists) drive the offense.
On the bubble
Providence: The Friars (17-9, 8-7 Big East, fifth place) control their own destiny, with opportunities against No. 4 Marquette and No. 1 UConn before the Big East tournament. The conference is particularly loaded this season, but with Devin Carter (19.2 points, 8.2 rebounds) getting buckets, there’s no team they can’t beat.
In the mix
Bryant, UMass Lowell, and New Hampshire: The Bulldogs (17-10, 9-3), River Hawks (17-7, 8-3), and Wildcats (14-10, 6-5) sit second, third, and fourth in America East, respectively. Vermont
is the clear favorite, but all three have a legitimate shot to dethrone the Catamounts. One game late in the regular season to keep an eye on is Vermont vs. UMass Lowell on March 2.
Central Connecticut: The Blue Devils (15-10, 9-3 NEC) are 1½ games behind Merrimack for first place and two games up on FDU for second. Interior defense is a strength, as they lead the conference with 4.96 blocks per game.
Fairfield: The Stags (16-10, 10-5 MAAC, second place) are chasing Quinnipiac and have won four of five. New Bedford’s Brycen Goodine, who has past stops at Syracuse and Providence, is shooting 46.7 percent from 3-point range and dropped 40 in a win over Siena in January.
Steep climb, but possible
Harvard: The Crimson (13-9, 4-5 Ivy, fourth place) are fueled by freshman phenom Malik Mack, who is averaging 18.5 points and 4.7 assists, and vying for a spot in the four-team conference playoff.
UMass: The up-and-down Minutemen (16-9, 7-6 Atlantic 10, sixth place), with senior
Matt Cross (15.4 points, 8.3 rebounds) of Beverly wreaking havoc, recently earned a statement win over Richmond before losing to La Salle. It’ll almost certainly take a conference championship run for them to dance.
Boston College: With Quinten Post (16.4 points, 7.7 rebounds) at the crux of the operation, the Eagles (15-10, 6-8 ACC, 11th place) have won four of six. Mason Madsen, who erupted for 25 points on seven 3-pointers in Saturday’s win over Miami, has thrived in an expanded role. With a perfect or near-perfect finish to the regular season followed by a run in the ACC tournament, the Eagles will have an outside shot at an at-large bid.
Sacred Heart: The Pioneers (13-14, 7-5 NEC, fourth place) are 9-3 at home.
Long shots
Northeastern: The Huskies are 10-17 overall and 5-9 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Brown: A 2-8 start left the Bears (7-17, 3-6 Ivy) in a deep hole.
Boston University: The Terriers (11-16, 6-8 Patriot) have work to do, but they’re trending in the right direction as winners of four of their last seven.
Holy Cross: Don’t be shocked if the Crusaders (8-19, 5-9 Patriot) make a little noise in their league tournament.
Rhode Island: The Rams (1114, 5-7 Atlantic 10) are 9-5 at home and have wins over fellow New England teams Yale, Northeastern, and UMass.
Maine: After an 8-4 start, a 311 stretch followed and the Black Bears (11-15, 3-8) are searching for their mojo.