Neumann’s growth ‘validated’ in hosting NCAA tourney games
Among the goals Neumann set before the season was to win the Colonial States Athletic Conference regular-season, win the conference tournament at the Mirenda Center for the first time and host at least one game in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Head coach Jim Rullo wondered privately if the Knights had set their sights a little high. The latter two of those goals had never been done before, but as Rullo said, this team has proven him wrong has proven him wrong several times before.
The Knights (25-2) accomplished the first two goals and saw No. 3 come to fruition when the NCAA named Neumann as one of the 16 host schools for the first and second rounds of the tournament this weekend.
Neumann takes on Commonwealth Coast Conference champion Nichols College (23-5) in the second game of a doubleheader Friday night. The Bison enter the tournament on an 11-game winning streak. Salisbury (20-7), an atlarge team out of the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) faces Endicott (22-6), the runnerup in the Commonwealth Coast Conference, in the opener at 5:30.
“It validates what you’ve done for four years and it’s a great opportunity for your fans and their family and friends to come out and see a pretty good basketball team,” Rullo said about the home appointment. “It also tells the national audience that Neumann has proven itself.”
The same can be said for the CSAC. Cabrini made the tournament as one of the 21 at-large teams. The Cavaliers (19-7) take on MAC Commonwealth champ Lycoming (23-4) in the Middlebury regional Friday night at 5:30. The winner of the Cabrini-Lycoming game takes on the winner of the game between host Middlebury (24-3) and Farmingdale State (20-7) in the second round Saturday (7 p.m.).
Williamson also is headed to a national tournament. The Mechanics (24-5) are the No. 3 seed in the USCAA Division II Tournament, which is being held at Penn StateLafayette. Williamson faces sixthseeded Penn State-York at noon Thursday.
The Penn State-Brandywine women’s team also will be in Uniontown. The Lions (21-7) are the No. 3 seed in the women’s USCAA Division III tourney. PSU-Brandywine takes on Villa Maria College (17-8) in the quarterfinals.
The Cabrini and Neumann women did not receive at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament, but both teams were selected to place in the ECAC Tournament. Neumann (18-8) visits Brooklyn College in Wednesday’s first round. The winner takes on top-seeded CarnegieMellon in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Cabrini (16-12) visits Stevenson (17-9) Wednesday.