By Joe Budzelek
College basketball fans of Connecticut: rejoice!
Considering that only ten of the MAAC’s thirteen teams and just half of the Ivy League’s teams make their respective conference tournaments, there’s a reason to feel spoiled that not only are all of Connecticut’s men’s college basketball teams are playing this week, but there is a realistic chance that the NCAA Tournament can feature four teams from Connecticut in the men’s tournament and three teams in the women’s tournament.
This series will feature a preview for each of the three mid-major tournaments starring Connecticut's college basketball teams.
MAAC Tournament
In part, thanks to Quinnipiac resting three of their starters in Fairfield’s “win and they’re in” home matchup against the Bobcats, all three Connecticut teams will partake in the MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship, which starts Tuesday evening with an 8:30 intra-town matchup with 7-seed Sacred Heart playing 10-seed Fairfield.
Fairfield entered the season with an undefeated record against Sacred Heart, but the much improved Pioneers swept the Stags in both of their regular season matchups. Per KenPom, Sacred Heart finished the regular season with the MAAC’s second most efficient offense that tops the league w/ a 46.9% 3PA/FGA ratio and a 64.5% A/FGM ratio, two stats that point to the Pioneers free-flowing offense led by the mature, selfless play of freshman point guard Mekhi Conner (8.6 ppg, 7.8 apg) who is easily Sacred Heart’s best passer since Cameron Parker. His vision and composure in pace helps double-digit scorers Tanner Thomas, Anquan Hill, Amiri Stewart and Bryce Johnson find excellent looks in transition, both on the perimeter and inside.
At times this year, Sacred Heart head coach Anthony Latina has not been thrilled with the Pioneers’ inconsistency on defense, on the boards and with hustle plays, so an honest, hard-nosed effort for 40 minutes will be expected against the Stags.
After a rough start to conference play, Fairfield won three of their final five games, anchored by the star performance of junior guard Prophet Johnson, who has averaged 23.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.3 apg and 2.7 spg over Fairfield’s final six games. It would be wise to expect Johnson to need another star-caliber night in order for the Stags to advance to a quarterfinal matchup against 2-seed Merrimack.
Quinnipiac enters the MAAC Tournament as the top-seed for the second consecutive season and they will face the winner of Tuesday night’s matchup against 8-seed Rider and 9-seed Siena. Last year, the Bobcats lost to 5-seed, and eventual tournament champs, Saint Peter’s in the semifinals, but this year’s group is stronger defensively and are one of the better-jelled teams in the nation, returning 61% of their minutes continuity from last year, which ranks for 21st in the nation.
According to KenPom, Quinnipac finished conference play with the second-most efficient defense and fifth-most efficient offense in the conference, making the Bobcats the only team in the MAAC with top-5 ranks in both categories.
That analytical balance, along with their well-balanced roster with strong guards, forwards, starters and bench pieces, makes the Bobcats a clear favorite in this year’s tournament. Quinnipiac is led by Amarri Monroe – who averaged 19.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game in conference play - a 6’7 matchup nightmare who pairs with fifth-year center Paul Otieno – 13.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.5 blocks per game in conference play – to make up the most potent frontcourt in the conference. Underclassmen guards Jaden Zimmerman and Khaden Bennett both average double-digits in scoring and are consistent perimeter threats while fifth-year guard Savion Lewis – 6.9 assists per game in conference play – is the most experienced pure point guard in the conference.
Should Quinnipiac win their opening round matchup, their semi-finals opponent, be it Iona or Manhattan, will be one of the hottest teams in the conference, with both teams riding winning streaks of three-games or longer.
On the women’s side of the MAAC bracket, Sacred Heart did not qualify, but top-seed Fairfield and 2-seed Quinnipiac are not only both the undisputed favorites to represent their conference in the NCAA Tournament, but are also two of the best mid-majors in women’s basketball.
After finishing last season as both the regular season and tournament champions, the 25-4 Fairfield Stags entered this season with a juiced-up non-conference schedule and have adjusted nicely following a heartbreaking early-season ACL tear to their star fifth-year point guard Janelle Brown.
In Brown’s place, a cavalcade of guards who stepped up to help the Stags enter this year’s tournament with the deepest backcourt in the conference. Sophomore combo guard Katy L'Amoreaux – 12.9 ppg, 4.2 apg, 2.0 spg – has grown into Fairfield’s two-way backcourt star while returning seniors Izabella Nicoletti Leite and Kendall McGruder – who combine to average 7.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game – bring stability, poise and veteran leadership while transfers Sydni Scott (36.1 3P%) and Jillian Huerter (37.7 3P%) provide spacing off the bench.
On the flipside, Quinnipiac’s backcourt might not possess the same level of depth as Fairfield, but they possess more top-end talent, led by freshman sensation Gal Raviv, who averages 18.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 4.7 apg in conference play. Gaviv is flanked in the backcourt with Jackie Grisdale and Karson Martin, who are both double-digit scorers and capable spacers that help provide Raviv the space inside to make plays inside and out.
Led by sophomore Meghan Andersen, Fairfield’s flock of roadrunners makes up four of the Stags’ top-five scorers. Andersen, along with senior Emina Selimovic (10.7 ppg, 32.0 3P%) and grad transfer Raiana Brown pack inside-out versatility on offense while freshman Cyanne Coe and senior Lauren Beach provide steady, two-way post depth, which make for a potent assignment against Quinnipiac’s talented 6’3 sophomore Anna Foley (11.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.0 bpg).
In the regular season finale, the stars were aligned for Quinnipiac as they defeated Fairfield 72-to-65. A scoreless Kaety L'Amoreaux had an uncharacteristically difficult evening while each of the Bobcats’ top scorers reached double-digits. Both teams split the regular season series and it would only be fitting if the conference’s cream of the crop will meet again in the final.
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