Towson's playoff picture
With a 5-7 overall record, the Tigers won’t get an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. But Towson still has a shot for the automatic qualifier that comes with winning the Colonial Athletic Association tournament, which begins April 29.
The CAA isn’t willing to speculate on which schools will earn a berth in the four-team tournament, but here’s what we know:
* With a 5-0 record in the conference, No. 6 Hofstra has locked up the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the tourney. Hofstra is undefeated at home (4-0) and owns a seven-game winning streak. (The Pride’s last setback was a 12-7 loss to No. 10 Johns Hopkins on March 7.)
* With a 3-2 league record, the Tigers are second. A win against Delaware Saturday cements the No. 2 seed, but I think Towson has already earned a spot in the tournament. Villanova and Delaware are tied for third with identical 2-2 conference marks, while Drexel, Robert Morris and Sacred Heart are all 1-3. Assuming that the first tiebreaker is head-to-head results, the Tigers would beat out Drexel, Robert Morris and Sacred Heart because Towson has defeated those three teams.
* Villanova and Delaware have two league contests remaining on their schedules. (The Wildcats host Robert Morris before traveling to Hofstra, while the Blue Hens welcome Towson before playing Drexel on the road.) If Villanova and Delaware win out, the Wildcats would get the No. 2 seed (courtesy of a 5-4 win against the Blue Hens on March 21), Delaware would be No. 3, and the Tigers would be No. 4. So if Towson wants to avoid a semifinal matchup with the Pride, the Tigers need a victory over the Blue Hens this Saturday.
Comments
I like Towson's chances...as a young team they've surprised some people.
The future is bright, including the CAA tourney this year.
Posted by: tulaxfan | April 16, 2009 3:27 PM
The Tigers could play Hofstra in the CAA finals, but this is clearly the Pride's tourney to lose. Hofstra has no excuses for not getting the AQ. But they could still be in line for an at-large. Give Towson another year, but the NCAAs won't happen this season.
Posted by: Eric | April 17, 2009 1:40 PM