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2022 America East Conference Men’s Basketball Playoffs Basics

Dates

Sunday, March 6 (quarterfinals); Wednesday, March 9 (semifinals); Saturday, March 12 (championship)

Format

Bracket with reseeding

Site

Higher seeds host on campus

TV/Streaming Info

ESPN2 has the final in its traditional Selection Eve 11 a.m. Eastern tip time. ESPN+ will stream both the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.

Participants

Of the America East’s 10 teams, eight will participate. Usually, the bottom two teams would be left out. However, the conference elected to ban Stony Brook (18-13, 10-8, t-3rd) from earning postseason titles due to the Seawolves’ impending move to the Colonial Athletic Association. So, only one exclusion was based on this year’s standings: Maine (6-23, 3-15, 10th).

Downloadable Bracket

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

Schedule

Quarterfinals (Sun., March 6)

Game 1: (8) NJIT (11-18, 6-12) 59, (1) Vermont 98
Game 2: (7) UMass Lowell (15-16, 7-11) 85, (2) UMBC 93 (OT)
Game 3: (6) Binghamton 72, (3) New Hampshire (15-13, 10-8) 69
Game 4: (5) Albany (13-18, 9-9) 49, (4) Hartford 61

Semifinals (Wed., March 9)

Game 5: (6) Binghamton (12-17, 8-10) 42, (1) Vermont 74
Game 6: (4) Hartford (12-20, 9-9) 60, (2) UMBC 80

Championship (Sat., March 12)

Game 7: (2) UMBC (18-14, 11-7) 43, (1) VERMONT (28-5, 17-1) 82

Mayhem Potential

Data originally posted by Bob Vetrone Jr. on Twitter in 2020 with my own additions for 2021 and 2022.

Since 2011, 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 six titles have gone to the top seed. The exceptions, UMBC in 2018 and Hartford last year. The Hawks were a No. 4 seed, the third most successful of the bunch, with 3s being shut out.

• 1 seed (4): 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
• 2 seed (4): 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018
• 4 seed (3): 2013, 2014, 2021

NCAA Seeding Record Since 2011

Years with an NCAA win are in bold.

• 13 seed (3): 2016, 2017, 2019
• 14 seed (1): 2015
• 15 seed (1): 2013
• 16 seed (5): 2011, 2012 (First Four), 2014 (First Four), 2018, 2021

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. Note that the two of the three No. 4 seeds who won the auto bid ended up as 16 seeds, with only 2021 Hartford avoiding the First Four.

Last NCAA Tournament Appearances

Hartford: 2021 (16 seed, 1st Round)
Vermont: 2019 (13 seed, 1st Round)
UMBC: 2018 (16 seed, 2nd Round)
Albany: 2015 (14 seed, Round of 64)
Binghamton: 2009 (15 seed, Round of 64)

Maine, New Hampshire, NJIT, and UMass Lowell have never qualified for the NCAAs, and the Black Bears will have to wait until 2022. Stony Brook (2013, 13 seed, 1st Round) will not get another chance it joins the CAA next season.