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2020 America East Men’s Basketball Playoffs Basics

Dates

Saturday, March 7th (quarterfinals); Tuesday, March 10th (semifinals); Saturday, March 14th (championship)

Format

Bracket with reseeding

Site(s)

Higher seeds host on campus

TV/Streaming Info

ESPN2 has the final one week from Saturday in its traditional 11 a.m. Eastern tip time. ESPN+ will stream both the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.

Participants

Of the America East’s nine teams, eight will participate. The exception is the ninth-place Binghamton Bearcats (10-19, 4-12).

Downloadable Bracket

The America East doesn’t provide a downloadable bracket, probably because of the whole reseeding thing.

Schedule

Quarterfinals (Sat., March 7)

ESPN+ ($) will stream all four games.

Game 1: No. 5 New Hampshire Wildcats (15-15, 8-8) 67, No. 4 UMBC 73
The season series was a home split.

Game 2: No. 6 UMass Lowell River Hawks (13-19, 7-9) 75, No. 3 Hartford 89
The season series was a road split.

Game 3: No. 7 Albany Great Danes (14-18, 7-9) 73, No. 2 Stony Brook 76
The Seawolves swept the season series.

Game 4: No. 8 Maine Black Bears (9-22, 5-11) 50, No. 1 Vermont 61
The Catamounts swept the season series.

Semifinals (Tue., March 10)

ESPN+ ($) will stream both games.

Teams are reseeded.

Game 5: No. 4 UMBC Retrievers (16-17, 8-8) 74, No. 1 Vermont 81
The season series was a road split.

Game 6: No. 3 Hartford 64 at No. 2 Stony Brook Seawolves (20-13, 10-6) 58
The Hawks swept the season series.

Championship (Sat., March 14)

Game 7: No. 3 Hartford Hawks (18-15, 9-7) at No. 1 Vermont Catamounts (26-7, 14-2), 11 a.m. (ESPN2)
The Catamounts swept the season series.

10-Year Mayhem Potential

Data from Bob Vetrone Jr. on Twitter.

Over the past 10 seasons, one of the America East’s top two seeds has won the automatic bid eight times, with the No. 1 and No. 2 teams each winning four times. However, four of the last five titles have gone to the top seed. The exception, UMBC in 2018.

• 1 seed (4): 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
• 2 seed (4): 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018
• 4 seed (2): 2013, 2014

10-Year NCAA Seeding Record

Years with an NCAA win are in bold.

• 16 seed (5): 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018
• 13 seed (3): 2016, 2017, 2019
• 14 seed (1): 2015
• 15 seed (1): 2013

While the America East has three wins as a 16 seed in the past decade, only UMBC’s historic win over the Virginia Cavaliers came in the main draw. Vermont is likely to earn a 13 seed, with an outside shot at a 12. Any other champ is likely to be a 14 or worse.

Last NCAA Tournament Appearances

Vermont: 2019 (13 seed, 1st Round)
UMBC: 2018 (16 seed, 2nd Round)
Stony Brook: 2016 (13 seed, 1st Round)
Albany: 2015 (14 seed, Round of 64)

Hartford, Maine, New Hampshire, and UMass Lowell have never qualified for the NCAAs. Binghamton (2009, 15 seed) will be unable to return until next season.

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