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2026 NEC Men's Basketball Tournament Preview

Things You Really Need To Know...96 Of 'Em!

3/2/2026

 

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659612026 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament
(all games played at home of higher seeded team)
    
Quarterfinals
Wednesday, March 4
    
#8 Chicago State at #1 LIU, 7 pm - WATCH | LIVE STATS
#7 Wagner at #2 Central Connecticut, 7 pm - WATCH | LIVE STATS
#6 FDU at #3 Mercyhurst, 7 pm - WATCH | LIVE STATS
#5 Stonehill at #4 Le Moyne, 7 pm - WATCH | LIVE STATS

Watch Live: All games to air on NEC Front Row

Semifinals
Saturday, March 7
    
Lowest Remaining Seed at Highest Remaining Seed, 12 or 2 pm
3rd Highest Remaining Seed at 2nd Highest Remaining Seed, 12 or 2 pm

Watch Live: ESPN+, YES, NESN Nation
    
Championship
Tuesday, March 10
    
Watch Live: 7:00 pm on ESPN2, ESPN+
   
Northeast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament

Things You Really Need To Know...96 Of 'Em!

1. The NEC will employ a campus site playoff format for the 22nd year in a row after an eight-year absence that saw the league’s annual postseason tournament contested at one campus site (1999), at a municipal arena (2000-01) and at a single campus site for the quarterfinals and semifinals, followed by the highest remaining seed hosting the championship game (1998, 2002-04). The conference had previously employed a high-seed hosting format from 1991-97, though teams were not reseeded after the quarterfinals as the tournament is currently constructed.

2. If a reclassifying institution wins the NEC Tournament championship, the tournament runner-up will advance to the NCAA Tournament as the NEC’s automatic qualifier as per current policy. In instances where two reclassifying members reach an NEC final, the NEC will stage an “AQ Qualifier” game between the two non-advancing semifinal teams. This will serve as a decisive game to determine the team that will secure the NEC’s spot in the NCAA Tournament.

3. Stonehill will be eligible for the NEC’s AQ to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the Skyhawks joined the league for the 2022-23 campaign.

4. Of this year’s eight-team field, Wagner was the last to hoist the NEC Tournament trophy when it went all the way in 2024.

5. FDU and LIU have each won six NEC titles, tied for the most among current conference members and second all-time.

6. The longest current qualification streak belongs to Wagner at six in a row. The longest streak in league history belongs to FDU, which made 18 straight appearances from 1984-01.

7. Mercyhurst is making its NEC Tournament debut in 2026, while Chicago State and Stonehill will be making their second appearances. 

8. Exactly half of the eight-team NEC Tournament field are on the quest for their first title. 

9. Charter NEC members have appeared in 16 of the last 17 NEC finals.

10. Home teams have posted a 53-11 (.828) record in the NEC quarterfinals over the last 17 years (QF were not contested in 2021) and a 62-14 (.816) mark since the switch to campus sites in 2005.

11. In 2016, FDU became the first school to win the NEC crown after failing to qualify for the tourney the previous year (while eligible).

12. Since the league scrapped a divisional format in 1984, #1 seeds are 41-1 in their opening game of the NEC Tournament with the only loss incurred by Wagner in the 2021 NEC semifinals. 

13. The #1 seed has never lost in the quarterfinals.

14. Rider (1993) and Merrimack (2023) are the lone programs to win the NEC title in their first NEC Tournament appearance. Mercyhurst hopes to join them this season.

15. LIU has secured the top seed for the first time since 2012.

16. LIU has won six NEC titles, four of which when seeded first in the field (1984, 1997, 2011 and 2012). The program’s other two titles came in 2013 and 2018 when they were seeded #3 and #4, respectively.

17. LIU has posted a 16-2 record as the #1 seed in the NEC Tournament. Each of their setbacks came to FDU in the 1983 and 1998 semifinals.

18. The Sharks look to become the 25th #1 seed — and the first since Merrimack in 2023 — to win it all.

19. For the first time since 2014, the defending NEC Tournament champion has not qualified for the postseason as Saint Francis U missed the cut this season. LIU, which claimed the tournament title in in 2013, finished ninth the following season and was omitted from the eight-team field. 

20. Running the gauntlet of top seeds, sixth-seeded Wagner did the unthinkable and made history in 2025, becoming the first team in NEC history to go on the road three times and bring home the conference crown. The Seahawks also matched the 1999 Mount St. Mary’s squad as the lowest seeded team to win the tourney title. 

21. A team other than the top seed has won the NEC Tournament in nine of the last 13 years and 13 of the last 21 seasons.

22. The road team has won the NEC final in eight of the last 12 years.

23. The #1 seed has fallen on its home court in the NEC title game six times since 2014. However, the #1-seeded team has won three of the last four tournament finals it hosted.

24. Head coaches seeking their first-ever NEC Tournament wins: Chicago State’s Landon Bussie, Mercyhurst’s Gary Manchel, Stonehill’s Chris Kraus and Wagner’s Dwan McMillan.

25. No current NEC head coach has led his respective team to an NEC title.

26. Central Connecticut’s Pat Sellers (2000 and 2002 at CCSU, and 2019 at FDU) won three NEC championships as an assistant coach. 

27. FDU’s Jack Castleberry reached the NEC final (2023 at FDU) once as an assistant.

28. Teams that have won NEC title games on the road (not including neutral sites): FDU (1985, 1998, 2016 & 2019), LIU (2018), Wagner (2024), Monmouth (2006), Mount St. Mary’s (1995, 2008, 2014 and 2021), Robert Morris (1983, 2010 and 2015) and Saint Francis U (2025).

29. Saint Francis posted the smallest margin of victory in NEC Tournament history in 2025, winning its three games by a combined nine points with a 71-68 quarterfinal win over Wagner, a 71-68 semifinal victory at LIU and a 46-43 win over top-seeded Central Connecticut in the title game.

30. Only six teams in NEC history have claimed the league championship after winning on the road in both the semifinals and title contest, including each of the past two tournament champs: Wagner (2024) and Saint Francis U (2025). The Seahawks ousted Central Connecticut in the 2024 semis and Merrimack in the championship before the Saint Francis U did it with wins at LIU in the semis and Central Connecticut in the title game. Mount St. Mary’s did it three times, including in 2021 when the Mount won at Wagner in the semis and Bryant in the final. The Mount also turned the trick in 2014 with victories over Wagner in the semis and Robert Morris in the title tilt, and in 2008, downing Robert Morris in the semis and Sacred Heart for the championship. Monmouth accomplished it in 2006, beating CCSU in the semis and FDU for the championship.

31. As the #6 seed, Wagner (2024) and Mount St. Mary’s (1999) hold the distinction of being the lowest-seeded teams to win the NEC Tournament. The Mount also claimed the title as a #4 seed in 2008, 2014 and 2021, making them the second-lowest seed to win it all, an achievement LIU matched in 2018.

32. Since the 2019 NEC Tournament, only one quarterfinal upset has occurred. In 2024, #6 Wagner took down #3 Sacred Heart. Higher-seeded teams have dominated, boasting a 19-1 record in quarterfinal play over that stretch.

33. The average margin of victory in the quarterfinals the last four years is 14.1 ppg. Only six of the 16 games have been decided by single digits. In 2025, the long single-digit decision came in Saint Francis U’s 58-55 win over Wagner.

34. The average margin of victory in the #4 vs. #5 game over the last four NEC Tournaments is 19.5 points.

35. Central Connecticut’s 29-point win over Le Moyne (85-57) in the quarterfinals of the 2025 NEC Tournament marked the program’s largest margin of victory in the postseason. It was also the largest margin of victory of all seven tournament games that season, and the biggest point differential in an NEC postseason game since Mount St. Mary’s defeated St. Francis Brooklyn by 30 (78-48) in the quarters of the 2022 tournament.

36. Central Connecticut head coach Pat Sellers’ four postseason wins, eight total NEC Tournament games and five postseason appearances are the most among all current league head coaches.
37. The Blue Devils look to become the first #2 seed to win it all since FDU did so in 2019.

38. Robert Morris holds the NEC record with nine tournament titles.

39. There have been six back-to-back NEC Tournament winners. Robert Morris turned the trick three times (1982-83, 1989-90 and 2009-10), along with LIU (2011-12-13), Marist (1986-87) and Rider (1993-94).

40. LIU is the only NEC school to win three straight NEC Tournament championships (2011 to 13).

41. Since moving to an eight-team tourney format in 1998 (though seven qualified in 2001, four in 2021 and nine in 2022), Wagner has qualified for the NEC Tournament 25 times, followed by 23 for CCSU and LIU, 22 for Robert Morris and St. Francis Brooklyn, 21 for FDU, 20 for Mount St. Mary’s, 18 for Saint Francis U, 16 for Sacred Heart (first eligible in 2002), three for Le Moyne, two for Merrimack (first eligible in 2023), Stonehill (first eligible in 2024) and Chicago State (first eligible in 2025), and one for Mercyhurst (first eligible in 2026).

42. Robert Morris holds the record for the most home NEC Tournament wins in league history with 28. LIU ranks second with 25, followed by 18 for Wagner and 17 for FDU.

43. LIU has recorded the fourth-best winning percentage in NEC Tournament history and the highest among current conference programs (10 games or more). The Sharks are 38-30 (.559), trailing only Rider (11-3, .786), Robert Morris (45-27, .625) and Mount St. Mary’s (30-19, .612).

44. FDU has posted a 20-12 (.625) NEC Tournament record against current conference programs, the best mark in the league by a wide margin.

45. Central Connecticut won its first NEC Tournament game in 13 years in the 2024 quarterfinals. 

46. This year’s quarterfinal round features two first-time matchups with Mercyhurst hosting FDU and Le Moyne hosting Stonehill.

47. Le Moyne and Stonehill do have postseason history during their Division II tenures as members of Northeast 10 Conference. Formerly conference mates from 1996 to 2022, the two squads squared off in the NE10 Tournament four times. Le Moyne won the first three meetings in 2007 (first round), 2009 (quarterfinals) and 2018 (quarterfinals), but Stonehill took the most recent clash, a first round game in 2022.

48. Central Connecticut and Wagner’s five previous postseason meetings are the most among this year’s quarterfinal matchups. The Seahawks have dominated the Blue Devils in the NEC Tournament with a 5-0 record, including a 4-0 mark in the quarterfinals. The two teams last met in the 2024 semis, with the Seahawks claiming a 66-56 win in Detrick Gym on their way to winning the program’s second NEC crown.

49. LIU posted the best record against fellow top-four seeds during the regular season, finishing with a 4-2 mark. Central Connecticut and Mercyhurst each finished with a 3-3 record while Le Moyne went 2-4 against top-four opponents.

50. There were no regular season splits during the regular season between quarterfinal opponents. Top-seeded LIU took both regular-season contests from #8 Chicago State, #2 Central Connecticut went 2-0 against #7 Wagner, #6 FDU won each of its NEC contests against quarterfinal foe Mercyhurst, the third seed, and #5 Stonehill swept a pair from #4 Le Moyne in the 2026 league slate.

51. LIU and Chicago State will meet for the second straight season in the quarterfinals. The second-seeded Sharks posted a 68-57 win over the seventh-seeded Cougars last March.

52. If you’re eyeing a potential first-round upset, the 3-6 matchup between Mercyhurst and FDU is one to watch. The sixth-seeded Knights swept the season series, taking a 74-67 decision in Erie on the opening day of the league slate (Jan. 2) before scoring a 55-52 win in Hackensack the following month (Feb. 7).

53. Likewise, #5 Stonehill posted a pair of wins over #4 Le Moyne. The Skyhawks took a 65-54 decision in Syracuse (Jan. 31) and then completed the sweep with a 77-68 triumph in Easton (Feb. 21).

54. The four quarterfinal hosts combined to post a whopping 29-7 (.806) home record in league play: LIU (9-0), CCSU (7-2), Mercyhurst (6-3) and Le Moyne (7-2).

55. LIU has won 10 in a row at home, with its lone blemish in Brooklyn coming in a last-second defeat to Winthrop in non-conference play on Dec. 2. Their current home rally is the 17th longest among all Division I squads.

56. The #1 seed has reached the NEC title game in 10 of the last 12 years, winning it all four times.

57. For the first time in six years, the NEC final did not feature the #2 seed in 2025. Second-seeded LIU bowed out of the tournament with a semifinal defeat to eventual champion and third-seeded Saint Francis U. 

58. The 2025 semifinals bucked a recent trend of double-digit wins that was experienced in 2023 and 2024. Both semifinal contests were decided by single digits with Central Connecticut’s 76-72 overtime win vs. FDU and Saint Francis U’s 71-68 win at LIU. The combined six-point margin of victory marked the smallest in the NEC semifinals since 2011, when LIU defeated Central Connecticut by two points (69-67) and Robert Morris scored a two-point win over Quinnipiac (64-62).

59. If the seeds hold up and LIU and Central Connecticut meet in the final, it would set the stage for an analytics showdown between the conference’s top two teams in scoring offense, field goal percentage, three-point percentage and effective field goal percentage.

60. In 2021, Wagner became the first #1 seed in NEC Tournament history to lose its opening game. However, this stat is a bit misleading, as the tournament only featured four teams during the COVID-impacted season. The Green & White’s loss to Mount St. Mary’s occurred in the semifinal round.

61. It has been some time since a #8 seed has threatened to pull off the first-ever upset of a #1 seed in NEC quarterfinal round play. In 2005, Monmouth’s Marques Alston sank a layup at the buzzer to give the Hawks a 54-53 win over #8 CCSU. In 2006, FDU’s Gordon Klaiber hit a bucket with 10 seconds left as the Knights avoided the upset with a 66-65 triumph over #8 Quinnipiac.

62. After 12 straight years of the #2 seed advancing to the NEC semifinals, Robert Morris pulled off the quarterfinal upset as the #7 seed in 2017 and 2018. The Colonials edged LIU, 69-68, in 2017 and Mount St. Mary’s, 60-56, in 2018. The #3 seed has fallen to the #6 seed four times since 2016. Most recently, #6 Wagner defeated Sacred Heart 60-57 in 2024, while LIU took down #3 Sacred Heart in both 2016 (84-76) and 2019 (71-62). Additionally, #6 FDU ousted #3 Saint Francis U in 2018 with an 84-75 victory.

63. After going 18 years without an NEC Tournament win, Saint Francis U reached the NEC semifinals in 2014 and 2015, and the NEC title game in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2025.

64. Only seven #7 seeds have ousted a #2 seed in the NEC Tournament, with four of these upsets coming in a five-year stretch from 2000-04. In 2004, CCSU knocked out St. Francis Brooklyn (81-68) a year after FDU defeated Monmouth (63-61) in 2003. Quinnipiac topped Wagner (87-78) in 2002 and Mount St. Mary’s booted FDU (73-68) in 2000. Robert Morris ousted LIU (69-68) in 2017 and Mount St. Mary’s (60-56) in 2018, and Marist beat Monmouth (75-60) in 1992.

65. Only six NEC Tournaments - in 1987, 1991, 1994, 2020, 2022 and 2023 - have gone exactly according to seeding.

66. There have been three NEC championship games that have gone to overtime, the most recent being LIU’s 85-82 win over Robert Morris in the 2011 title tilt. Also going past regulation were FDU’s 63-59 win over Loyola (MD) in 1985 and Marist’s 57-56 triumph over FDU in 1986.

67. Current conference teams have posted an 84-32 record (.724) when hosting NEC Tournament games throughout the league’s history.

68. Not a single player in this year’s tournament possesses an NEC Championship ring.

69. Monmouth’s rally from a 20-point second half deficit to win the 2001 NEC crown marked the biggest championship game comeback in league history.

70. FDU holds the league record for consecutive NEC semifinal appearances with nine in a row from 1983-91. Robert Morris (2008-15) reached the semis in eight consecutive years, and St. Francis Brooklyn (1999-03) and Rider (1993-97) on five straight occasions.

71. LIU’s Julian Boyd (2012), Robert Morris’ Jeremy Chappell (2009), CCSU’s Javier Mojica (2007), Wagner’s Jermaine Hall (2003), Monmouth’s Rahsaan Johnson (2001), CCSU’s Rick Mickens (2000), LIU’s Charles Jones (1997), Rider’s Darrick Suber (1993), Robert Morris’ Myron Walker (1992), Saint Francis U’s Mike Iuzzolino (1991), Robert Morris’ Vaughn Luton (1989) and LIU’s Carey Scurry (1984) all were named NEC regular season and tournament Most Valuable Player. Incidentally, three of these players (Jones, Iuzzolino and Scurry) were named to the NEC’s 10-man 25th Anniversary team in January, 2006. Iuzzolino, Walker and Hall are NEC Hall of Famers.

72. In what will forever be known as “The Shot,” Rider’s Darrick Suber earned a place in NEC annals and ESPN Championship Week history in 1993. The Broncs and Seahawks battled tooth-and-nail for 39-plus minutes as Suber and Wagner’s Bobby Hopson waged their own individual dual. With the Broncs trailing by a point in the game’s waning seconds, Suber went coast-to-coast and hit an off-balance leaner just inside the free-throw line as time expired. The victory sent the Broncs Zoo into a frenzy and for a short time, brought the NEC into the forefront of the college basketball world.

73. The longest win streak in NEC Tournament history is nine, set by LIU from 2011-13. Robert Morris (1982-84 and 2009-11) and Rider (1993-95) each won eight straight.

74. Seven NEC title games have been decided by exactly one point, the latest being Merrimack’s 67-66 win over FDU in 2023. 

75. A total of 19 NEC title games have been decided by five points or fewer, including Saint Francis U’s 46-43 win over Central Connecticut last season, while 31 have been settled by 10 points or less.

76. The 2011 NEC Tournament semifinals and championship games were decided by a combined total of seven points. The only tournament more closely contested was the 1996 event, in which six points separated the winners and losers.

77. Saint Francis U matched the NEC Tournament record last season after holding Central Connecticut to just 43 points in the title game victory. Robert Morris first set the mark when it held the Red Flash to 43 points in a quarterfinal victory on March 6, 2004, while Bryant also matched that total in the 2022 NEC title game vs. Wagner.

78. The 2025 NEC title game between Central Connecticut and Saint Francis U featured the lowest scoring final in league history. The two teams combined for 89 points as the Red Flash won by a 46-43 final. 

79. Saint Francis U set a new NEC watermark for fewest points scored in an NEC Tournament title game by a winning team in 2025 after edging Central Connecticut by a 46-43 final.

80. The 33 points scored by Bryant’s Charles Pride in the 2021 title game was the most in a final since FDU’s Rahshon Turner scored 37 in the 1998 title tilt.

81. LIU’s Jason Brickman holds the NEC Tournament single-game mark with 13 assists in the quarterfinals against Sacred Heart on March 1, 2012. His 29 assists in the 2012 tourney is also a league record.

82. Saint Francis U’s Ronnie Drinnon set a new NEC Tournament single-game rebounding standard when he hauled in 22 in a quarterfinal setback to FDU on March 2, 2016. It was matched on March 3, 2018 by FDU’s Kaleb Bishop in a semifinal loss to LIU.

83. FDU passes Robert Morris for the most NEC Tournament appearances this season with 37. 

84. While a member of the league, Robert Morris qualified for 36 of the league’s 39 postseason tournaments. The Colonials missed out on the festivities in 1991, 2001 and 2003, while the Knights failed to qualify in 2002, 2008, 2009, 2011-13, 2015 and 2021.

85. NEC Hall of Fame coaches Tom Green (FDU) and Howie Dickenman (CCSU) rank first and third in most NEC Tournament wins. Green won 26 from 1983-09 and Dickenman won 15 from 1997-2016. RMU’s Andy Toole won 16 from 2010-20.

86. CCSU’s Pat Sellers (four), FDU’s Jack Castleberry (one), LIU’s Rod Strickland (one) and Le Moyne’s Nate Champion (one) are the current head coaches with NEC Tournament wins on their resume.

87. Last year, Saint Francis U joined Wagner (2024) and Mount St. Mary’s (1999) as the lone NEC schools to win the conference title without having both a winning overall and conference record prior to entering the tournament. The Red Flash entered the postseason with a 13-17 record, including an 8-8 mark against league foes.

88. Monmouth’s Alex Blackwell (1990), Rider’s Charles Smith (1994) and Robert Morris’ Karon Abraham (2010) are the only three players to win both NEC Rookie of the Year and NEC Tournament MVP in the same season.

89. St. Francis Brooklyn played the most games in NEC Tournament history (45) without winning a championship.

90. LIU’s Derek Kellogg and Jack Perri, FDU’s Tom Green and Marist’s Dave Magarity are the only head coaches in league history to capture the NEC Tournament in the first season with their clubs.

91. The largest margin of victory in an NEC Tournament game is 38 points. That came on March 6, 2019, when FDU defeated Wagner, 84-46.

92. LIU holds the NEC record for most points in a NEC Tournament game, defeating Monmouth 108-79 on February 26, 1998.

93. Monmouth’s Rahsaan Johnson set the NEC Tournament single-game scoring mark with 40 points in an 86-70 loss to St. Francis Brooklyn on March 3, 2000.

94. The most points scored over an entire NEC Tournament is 86, set by RMU’s Chipper Harris during the 1983 event. LIU’s C.J. Garner came within two points of matching the record during the 2013 tourney.

95. LIU’s Carey Scurry once blocked 14 (!) shots in an NEC Tournament game against Baltimore on February 28, 1983.

96. This year’s event marks the 45th NEC Tournament. The first was won by Robert Morris, which beat LIU, 85-84, on a Phil Coles buzzer beater.
   


Team-By-Team Capsules

#1 LIU (21-10, 15-3 NEC)

  • LIU is back in the postseason for the 11th time in 12 years in 2025-26. The lone exception of that stretch came when the conference did not sponsor a full tournament field in 2020-21 due to COVID-19. 
  • The Sharks have now qualified for 17 of the last 19 NEC Tournaments.
  • LIU is the only team in league history to win three straight NEC Tournament titles. That three-year title spree stretched from 2011-13.
  • LIU’s six titles are tied for the most among current league programs while ranking second overall. The program’s six titles came in 1984, 1997, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2018.
  • The Sharks boast a 38-30 all-time NEC Tournament record, the most victories among active NEC programs.
  • LIU has claimed the #1 seed for the seventh time in program history, and the first time in 14 years (2026, 2012, 2011, 1998, 1997, 1984, 1983).
  • As the #1 seed, LIU is 16-2, and 22-28 when entering as a lower seed.
  • The Sharks look to become the 25th #1 seed — and the first since Merrimack in 2023 — to win it all.
  • Against the #8 seed, LIU owns a perfect 4-0 record.
  • With last season’s quarterfinal victory over Chicago State, LIU improved to 18-15 in that round.
  • LIU rattled off nine-straight playoff wins from 2011-13, marking the longest streak in league annals.
  • LIU is one just six teams in NEC history to capture the tournament title as a No. 4 or lower seed, pulling it off as the fourth-seeded squad in 2018.
  • The Sharks have been dominant at home in the NEC Tournament, registering a 25-6 (.806) record in Brooklyn. The 25 home triumphs are the second-most in conference history.
  • Fourth-year head coach Rod Strickland piloted LIU to the semifinals of the NEC Tournament for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign following last season’s quarterfinal win over Chicago State. 
  • The Sharks look to advance to the semifinals of the NEC Tournament for the 21st time in program history. That mark is one off of FDU, which leads all current conference members with 22 semifinal appearances.
  • The Sharks will square off with quarterfinal opponent Chicago State for the second-straight year following a 68-57 win over the Cougars in the 2025 quarterfinal round.
  • LIU swept Chicago State and posted an average margin of victory of 18.0 ppg in the wins.
  • The Sharks’ current 10-game home win streak is the 17th-longest rally in the nation.


#2 Central Connecticut (18-11, 12-6 NEC)

  • Pat Sellers has guided Central Connecticut to the postseason in each of his five seasons as head coach.
  • Central Connecticut has finished in the top-two in the NEC standings in each of the last three years.
  • The Blue Devils are the #2 seed for just the second time in program history. Seeded second in 2006, they went 1-1 with a quarterfinal win over Sacred Heart and a semifinal defeat to eventual champion Monmouth.
  • The Blue Devils’ 39-11 (.780) regular season mark over the last three years is the seventh-best three-year stretch in NEC annals. 
  • Central Connecticut has its sights set on the program’s third consecutive 20-win season, a feat that has not been accomplished by an NEC team since Robert Morris turned the trick in four-straight campaigns: 2011-12 (26-11), 2012-13 (24-11), 2013-14 (22-14) & 2014-15 (20-15).
  • The Blue Devils are 19-18 (.514) all-time in NEC Tournament play with a 1-0 record in NEC opening round games, a 9-12 mark in quarterfinal games, a 6-3 record in semifinal games and a 3-3 mark in the finals.
  • Sellers is 4-4 in the NEC Tournament as the Blue Devils’ head coach. His four wins, eight postseason games and five appearances are the most among all current league head coaches.
  • Sellers is one of three current head coaches to have made an NCAA Tournament appearance as a member of a coaching staff. Earning a pair of NEC championship rings during his time as a Central Connecticut assistant in 2000 & 2002, he also snagged a ring as an assistant at FDU in 2019.
  • After qualifying for 16 straight NEC Tournaments from 1999-2014, Central Connecticut missed out six of the next seven postseasons before reestablishing itself as a contender.
  • Each of the Blue Devils’ three titles in 2000, 2002 and 2007 came when they were the top-seeded team in the NEC Tournament. As the #1 seed, Central Connecticut holds a 12-2 record.
  • Central Connecticut’s 29-point win over Le Moyne (86-57) in the quarterfinals of the 2025 NEC Tournament marked the program’s largest margin of victory in the postseason. It also marked the largest margin of victory of all seven tournament games that season, and the biggest point differential in an NEC postseason game since Mount St. Mary’s defeated St. Francis Brooklyn by 30 (78-48) in the quarterfinals of the 2022 tournament.
  • The Blue Devils’ quarterfinal win over Saint Francis in 2024 marked their first non-opening round NEC Tournament triumph since defeating St. Francis Brooklyn in the 2011 quarterfinals.
  • Central Connecticut’s 2022 opening round win at FDU was its first true road victory in the NEC Tournament. The Blue Devils entered the matchup with an 0-10 record as the road team in conference tournament action.
  • The Blue Devils swept quarterfinal opponent Wagner during the regular season.
  • Central Connecticut has never defeated Wagner in the postseason, as the Seahawks have taken all five meetings, including a 66-56 decision in the semifinals of the 2024 Tournament. 
  • Central Connecticut and Wagner squared off in three-straight quarterfinal matchups in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The Blue Devils were the #7 seed in each of those matchups.
  • All but one of the Blue Devils’ postseason meetings with the Seahawks have been in the quarterfinals.


#3 Mercyhurst (15-16, 10-8 NEC)

  • Mercyhust has qualified for the NEC Tournament in its first season of postseason eligibility.
  • Mercyhurst secured the #3 seed with a comeback overtime win at Stonehill to wrap up the regular season.
  • The Lakers are currently ineligible for the NCAA Tournament until they complete their mandatory reclassification period.
  • Mercyhurst became the fourth NEC program to finish with a winning conference record and place in the top-four of the NEC standings in their inaugural Division I season after going 9-7 in 2024-25. The Lakers joined Merrimack (14-4 in 2019-20), Stonehill (10-6 in 2022-23) and Le Moyne (9-7 in 2023-24).
  • Under head coach Gary Manchel, Mercyhurst will try to become the third team to win the NEC Tournament in its first season of postseason eligibility. Rider won it all in its NEC debut back in 1993 while Merrimack, which made its NEC Tournament debut in 2023, also claimed the title that season. 
  • Manchel is one of three head coaches set to make their NEC Tournament coaching debut in 2026.
  • The Lakers will also look to become just the third team to win the NEC Tournament in its initial appearance. In addition to Rider, Merrimack, which was not eligible to compete in the NEC playoffs in its first three years as a league member, captured the tourney crown in its first season of postseason eligibility in 2024.
  • The Lakers will look to become the fifth NEC member to come out with a win in their conference postseason debut. Le Moyne (2024), Merrimack (2023), UMBC (1999) and Rider (1993) have also turned the trick with wins in their first-ever NEC Tournament game. 
  • Mercyhurst closed out its tenure as a Division II member by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in four of its final five seasons. Under Manchel, the Lakers made a run to the Elite Eight in 2018-19.
  • The Lakers will look to avenge a pair of regular season defeats to quarterfinal opponent FDU. Each of those meetings were single-digit decisions, with the Knights coming out on top by 74-67 (Jan. 2) and 55-52 (Feb. 7) finals.
  • Mercyhurst closed out its home slate by winning five of six games vs. NEC opponents.


#4 Le Moyne (15-16, 10-8 NEC)

  • Becoming eligible for NEC Tournament play three years ago in 2023-24, Le Moyne will be making its third consecutive postseason appearance in 2026.
  • The Dolphins are 1-2 all-time in the conference tournament.
  • Locking up a postseason spot on Feb. 21, Le Moyne solidified the #4 seed with Thursday’s 76-59 win over FDU.
  • Le Moyne bowed out to top-seeded Central Connecticut as the #8 seed last year in 2025.
  • Le Moyne made a run to the NEC semifinals in its first season of postseason eligibility and first as a conference member in 2023-24. That year, the fourth-seeded Dolphins took down #5 FDU, 82-61, at Ted Grant Court before they fell at top-seeded Merrimack.
  • Also posting a top-four finish in the league standings in their first-ever NEC season in 2023-24, the Dolphins are hosting an NEC quarterfinal game for the second time in three seasons.
  • With its quarterfinal win over #5 FDU in its first-ever NEC Tournament game in 2024, Le Moyne joined Rider (1993), UMBC (1999) and Merrimack (2023) as the only teams to come out on top in their NEC postseason debut.
  • Posting a 9-7 record and a fourth-place finish in its first-ever NEC campaign in 2023-24, Le Moyne joined Merrimack (14-4 in 2019-20) and Stonehill (10-6 in 2022-23) as teams to finish with winning conference records and place in the top four of the NEC standings in their first season at the DI level in 2023-24. Mercyhurst also joined the list last season in 2024-25, finishing at 9-7.
  • Like Mercyhurst, Le Moyne is ineligible for the NEC’s AQ to the NCAA Tournament due to its current status as a reclassifying institution.
  • The Dolphins dropped two games to the Skyhawks during the 2025-26 regular season.
  • This will be the first-ever meeting between Le Moyne and Stonehill in the NEC Tournament.
  • The two squads were conference mates members of the Northeast-10 from 1996-2022. During that stretch, they met four times in the conference’s postseason tournament. Le Moyne won the first three meetings in 2007 (First Round), 2009 (Quarterfinals) and 2018 (Quarterfinals) but Stonehill won the most recent matchup - a First Round game in 2022.


#5 Stonehill (11-20, 8-10 NEC)

  • Stonehill makes its second NEC Tournament appearance in its third season of postseason eligibility.
  • Last season, #5 Stonehill made its NEC Tournament debut but came up short to FDU in the quarterfinals.
  • The Skyhawks impressed in their inaugural NEC campaign (2022-23), finishing 10-6 and tying for second place, though they were ineligible for the conference tournament.
  • Stonehill joined Merrimack (14-4 in 2019-20) as teams to finish with winning conference records and place in the top four of the NEC standings in their first season at the DI level in 2023-24. Le Moyne (9-7 in 2023-24) and Mercyhurst (9-7 in 2024-25) also joined the list with respective fourth-place finishes in their inaugural NEC campaigns.
  • The Skyhawks completed the NCAA’s Division I reclassification process prior to the start of the 2025-26 campaign and for the first time in program history, they are eligible to earn the NEC’s AQ to the NCAA Tournament.
  • Stonehill swept Le Moyne in the regular season, highlighted by a 65-54 win in Syracuse on January 31.
  • The Skyhawks secured the program’s second postseason bid with last month’s 72-62 home win over the Dolphins (Feb. 21).
  • As former Northeast-10 members from 1996-2002, Stonehill faced off against Le Moyne four times in the postseason. The Skyhawks’ lone win came in the most recent meeting in 2022 in the league tournament’s First Round.


#6 FDU (11-20, 8-10 NEC)

  • FDU is back in the postseason for the 10th time in 11 years.
  • This season’s appearance marks the Knights’ third under head coach Jack Castleberry.
  • Castleberry joins Central Connecticut’ Pat Sellers and Saint Francis U’s Luke McConnell as the only current head coaches to have experience coaching in the NCAA Tournament as a member of an NEC staff, as he was an assistant on the Knights’ 2023 squad that earned a First Four win over Texas Southern and a First Round win over top-seeded Purdue. 
  • FDU has qualified for 37 of the 45 NEC Tournaments, advancing to 22 semifinals and 12 championship games.
  • FDU won NEC Tournaments in 1985, 1988, 1998, 2005, 2016 and 2019, tied with LIU for second-most all-time behind Robert Morris’ nine.
  • The Knights are 37-30 all-time in the NEC Tournament, including a 6-6 mark in championship games. In their most recent finals appearance, the Knights suffered a narrow 67-66 defeat against Merrimack in 2023, but secured the NEC’s bid to the NCAA Tournament where they made history by stunning No. 1 Purdue.
  • FDU is 19-13 all-time in NEC quarterfinal/first round games, 12-10 in the semifinals, 6-6 in championship games and 0-1 in outbracket games.
  • FDU won its last four titles — and five of its six championships — as the #2 seed. FDU is 23-7 all-time as a #2 seed and 14-23 when seeded other than second.
  • FDU is 18-6 at home in the NEC Tournament.
  • FDU qualified for a league-record 18-straight NEC Tournaments from 1984-01. The Knights also hold the NEC mark with nine consecutive semifinal appearances from 1983-91.
  • The Knights have been seeded sixth three times. Falling to Quinnipiac (2007) and Wagner (2016) in quarterfinal matchups as the #6 seed, FDU earned its lone win as the #6 seed with an 84-75 upset of #3 Saint Francis in the 2018 NEC Tournament quarterfinals.
  • The Knights, who secured their spot in the NEC Tournament with a win at Chicago State on Feb. 19, swept a pair of games from Mercyhurst this season. 


#7 Wagner (13-16, 8-10 NEC)

  • Wagner returns to the NEC Tournament for the 15th time in the past 16 years. The only time the Seahawks missed the postseason in that stretch was in 2020.
  • This will be Wagner’s sixth-straight NEC postseason appearance, a rally that leads all current NEC members.
  • The Skyhawks are 0-7 as the #7 seed in the NEC Tournament.
  • Wagner made history in 2024 as the first team in NEC annals to win three road games en route to the NEC title. As the #6 seed, the Seahawks also matched the 1999 Mount St. Mary’s squad as the lowestseeded squad to capture the crown.
  • The Seahawks have claimed two NEC championships after defeating St. Francis Brooklyn in 2003 and Merrimack in 2024.
  • Wagner has made seven title game appearances: 1993 (lost to Rider), 2003 (win vs. St. Francis Brooklyn), 2005 (lost to FDU), 2016 (lost to FDU), 2018 (lost to LIU), 2022 (lost to Bryant) and 2024 (win vs. Merrimack).
  • In its last 12 quarterfinal appearances, Wagner holds an 8-4 record, while all time in the NEC quarterfinals, the Seahawks are 18-16.
  • In 36 postseason trips, the Seahawks have complied an all-time NEC Tournament record of 28-35.
  • While this is Dwan McMillan’s first NEC postseason appearance as a head coach (interim), he has been on the sidelines twice during the NEC Tournament. Coaching the Seahawks during last season’s quarterfinal game, he was a graduate manager for Wagner in 2014-15, a year that saw the Staten Island squad earn a quarterfinal appearance. 
  • Since 2012, Wagner has been seeded first in 2016, 2018 & 2021, second in 2012, 2014 & 2022, third in 2017, fifth in 2023, sixth in 2024 & 2025 and seventh in 2015 & 2019.
  • Wagner has been a top-three seed in seven of the last 14 years and has advanced to the semifinals nine times in that span.
  • The Seahawks hold an 18-13 NEC Tournament record when playing at home, including a 14-11 mark at the Spiro Sports Center (opened in 1999). The Green & White are 10-22 in road and neutral-site postseason games.
  • Wagner has been ousted from the NEC Tournament at home in seven of its last 12 appearances, with five setbacks coming in the semis and two in the 2016 and 2018 title games.
  • The Seahawks enter the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the NEC, winning three-in-a-row and five of their last six.
  • Wagner has had Central Connecticut’s number in the NEC Tournament with a perfect 5-0 record, including a semifinal upset over the top-seeded Blue Devils as the #6 seed in 2024.


#8 Chicago State (7-24, 5-13 NEC)

  • Chicago State has qualified for the NEC Tournament in each of its first two seasons as an NEC member. In their inaugural campaign in the conference, the Cougars earned the #7 seed.
  • Chicago State earned its second NEC Tournament berth on the final day of the regular season.
  • The Cougars seek their first conference tournament victory since 2013, when they defeated Houston Baptist, 75-60, in the title game of the Great West Tournament. 
  • Chicago State is 1-3 all-time against quarterfinal opponent LIU. The program’s lone defeat of the Sharks came by way of a 73-67 overtime decision on Feb. 1 in Chicago. 
  • The Cougars have had their share of struggles against NEC opponents away from the Windy City as they went 1-8 on the road in conference play. 
  • Landon Bussie is one of three league skippers that will be making their NEC Tournament head coaching debut in 2026.
  • Prior to becoming a Division I Independent in 2022-23 and 2023-24, Chicago State spent nine years as a member of the WAC from 2013-22. The Cougars qualified for seven of eight postseason tournaments during their tenure in the WAC but fell in first-round action each year.
  • In its four-year stint with the Great Western Conference, Chicago State qualified for the postseason tournament three times and combined for a 1-3 record.


 
NEC TOURNAMENT TITLES AND RECORDS
 
SCHOOL                     TITLES    LAST    TOURNEY RECORD
LIU                          6       2018        38-30
FDU                          6       2019        37-30
Central Connecticut          3       2007        19-18
Wagner                       2       2024        28-35
Saint Francis U              2       2025        18-29
Le Moyne                     0                   1-2
Chicago State                0                   0-1
Stonehill                    0                   0-1
 
PAST NEC TOURNAMENT WINNERS AND MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS

2025 -- #3 Saint Francis def. #1 CCSU, 46-43 (Juan Cranford Jr., SFU)
2024 -- #6 Wagner def. #2 Merrimack, 54-47 (Tahron Allen, WC)
2023 -- #1 Merrimack def. #2 FDU, 67-66 (Ziggy Reid, MC)
2022 -- #1 Bryant def. #2 Wagner, 70-43 (Peter Kiss, BRY)
2021 -- #4 Mount St. Mary’s def. #2 Bryant, 73-68 (Nana Opoku, MSM)
2020 -- #1 Robert Morris def. #1 Saint Francis U, 77-67 (Dante Treacy, RMU)
2019 -- #2 Fairleigh Dickinson def. #1 Saint Francis U, 85-76 (Darnell Edge, FDU)
2018 -- #4 LIU def. #1 Wagner, 71-61 (Joel Hernandez, LIU)
2017 -- #1 Mount St. Mary's def. #4 Saint Francis U, 71-61 (Elijah Long, MSM)
2016 -- #2 Fairleigh Dickinson def. #1 Wagner, 87-79 (Earl Potts Jr., FDU)
2015 -- #2 Robert Morris def. #1 St. Francis Brooklyn, 66-63 (Rodney Pryor, RMU)
2014 -- #4 Mount St. Mary’s def. #1 Robert Morris, 88-71 (Rashad Whack, MSM)
2013 -- #3 LIU def. #5 Mount St. Mary’s, 91-70 (C.J. Garner, LIU)
2012 -- #1 LIU def. #3 Robert Morris, 90-73 (Julian Boyd, LIU)
2011 -- #1 LIU def. #3 Robert Morris, 85-82 (OT) (Jamal Olasewere, LIU)
2010 -- #2 Robert Morris def. #1 Quinnipiac, 52-50 (Karon Abraham, RMU)
2009 -- #1 Robert Morris def. #2 Mount St. Mary’s, 48-46 (Jeremy Chappell, RMU)
2008 -- #4 Mount St. Mary’s def. #3 Sacred Heart, 68-55 (Jean Cajou, MSM)
2007 -- #1 Central Connecticut def. #2 Sacred Heart, 74-70 (Javier Mojica, CCSU)
2006 -- #3 Monmouth def. #1 Fairleigh Dickinson, 49-48 (Marques Alston, MU)
2005 -- #2 Fairleigh Dickinson def. #6 Wagner, 58-52 (Tamien Trent, FDU)
2004 -- #1 Monmouth def. #7 Central Connecticut State, 67-55 (Blake Hamilton, MU)
2003 -- #1 Wagner def. #6 St. Francis Brooklyn, 78-61 (Jermaine Hall, WC)
2002 -- #1 Central Connecticut def. #7 Quinnipiac, 78-71 (Damian Battles, CCSU)
2001 -- #2 Monmouth def. #1 St. Francis Brooklyn, 67-64 (Rahsaan Johnson, MU)
2000 -- #1 Central Connecticut def. #3 Robert Morris, 63-46 (Rick Mickens, CCSU)
1999 -- #6 Mount St. Mary’s def. #4 Central Connecticut , 72-56 (Gregory Harris, MSM)
1998 -- #2 Fairleigh Dickinson def. #1 LIU, 105-91 (Rahshon Turner, FDU)
1997 -- #1 LIU def. #3 Monmouth, 72-67 (Charles Jones, LIU)
1996 -- #3 Monmouth def. #4 Rider, 60-59 (Corey Albano, MU)
1995 -- #2 Mount St. Mary’s def. #1 Rider, 69-62 (Silas Cheung, MSM)
1994 -- #1 Rider def. #2 Monmouth, 62-56 (Charles Smith, RID)
1993 -- #1 Rider def. #2 Wagner, 65-64 (Darrick Suber, RID)
1992 -- #1 Robert Morris def. #7 Marist, 85-81 (Myron Walker, RMU)
1991 -- #1 St. Francis U def. #2 Fairleigh Dickinson, 97-82 (Mike Iuzzolino, SFPA)
1990 -- #1 Robert Morris def. #2 Monmouth, 71-66 (Alex Blackwell, MU)
1989 -- #1 Robert Morris def. #2 Fairleigh Dickinson, 67-66 (Vaughn Luton, RMU)
1988 -- #1 Fairleigh Dickinson def. #2 Monmouth, 90-75 (Jaime Latney, FDU)
1987 -- #1 Marist def. #2 Fairleigh Dickinson, 64-55 (OT) (Drafton Davis, MAR)
1986 -- #2 Marist def. #1 Fairleigh Dickinson, 57-56 (OT) (Rik Smits, MAR)
1985 -- #2 Fairleigh Dickinson def. #4 Loyola (MD), 63-59 (Larry Hampton, FDU)
1984 -- #1 LIU  def. #2 Robert Morris, 87-81 (Carey Scurry, LIU)
1983 -- #1S Robert Morris def. #1N LIU, 79-67 (Chipper Harris, RMU)
1982 -- #1S Robert Morris def. #2N LIU, 85-84 (Tom Parks, RMU)