Let the Madness begin.
Navy?s game at 7 tonight against Bucknell in the Patriot League quarterfinals marks the first contest in what could be an historic two weeks for Baltimore area college basketball. Navy, along with Morgan State, UMBC and Loyola, all have a legitimate chance of winning their conference tournaments and automatically qualifying for the 65-team NCAA Tournament. No Baltimore program has made the tournament since Navy in 1998 and there hasn?t been two local schools qualify since Loyola and Navy accomplished the feat in 1994.
Navy coach Billy Lange said he is trying to make sure his team just has fun tonight after the Midshipmen finished the regular season 16-13 and in second place in the Patriot League. The success follows seven straight losing seasons and after Navy was predicted to finish seventh in the Patriot League in the preseason.
“Anything we have done in the past record-wise doesn?t matter now because any one of the eight teams in our league has a chance of winning this tournament,” Lange said. “Still, whatever happens Wednesday or the rest of the season, I feel like our program is better for the long term for the pressure this team handled to get to this point.”
UMBC has a little more time as it prepares for the America East Tournament with hopes of making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the school?s 40-year history. The Retrievers (21-8) are the top seed in their tournament and have secured at least a berth in the National Invitational Tournament. They will play the winner of Stony Brook and Maine at noon Saturday at Binghamton?s Events Center in Vestal, N.Y.
UMBC lost 58-57 Sunday at Hartford in the regular season finale, but aren?t dwelling on the defeat. The week between games will be especially beneficial to senior guard Brian Hodges (15 ppg), who missed five games with a sprained ankle.
“I?ve been through three straight losing seasons here before this, so this season has been even more special for me,” Hodges said.
Loyola (18-13) is also trying to bounce back from a loss after Marist handed the Greyhounds an 82-64 setback Sunday. That defeat sent Loyola from first to fourth place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. That league?s tournament runs from Friday through Monday at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. Loyola will face fifth-seeded Fairfield (14-15) at 2:15 p.m. Saturday.
Among the remaining area programs, Towson (12-17) is the ninth seed in the 12-team Colonial Athletic Association and will play Hofstra at noon Friday at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Va. Morgan State (19-9) has clinched the top seed in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Tournament, but still must close out the regular season Thursday at Coppin State (12-19).
“It?s weird,” Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos said. “You have to win each game but you have to plan for the weekend. Half of you wants to win the game and move on, but 25 percent has to say, ?How do you win all three??”
