3MW’s All Conference Team:
Player of the Year: Jordan Burns, Sr., Colgate
Coach of the Year: Ed DeChellis, Navy
Newcomer of the Year: Gerrale Gates, Jr., Holy Cross
Freshman of the Year: Johnny O’Neil, American
Season Storylines:
Of all the COVID-related scheduling changes and protocol implementations, no league was more cautious or more prudent than the Patriot League - well, save the Ivy, the Patriot’s quasi cousin.
The league adopted a regional 3-pod format (Central, North and South divisions) in which teams faced each other as many as five times over the course of two months, creating a fun back-and-forth chess match between coaches in each group. Surely these teams are sick of each other by now…
Thankfully, the tournament serves as a liberator from these silos. Tonight, Boston University and Lehigh will face off for the first time this season. It’s a mystery how both teams slipped into play-in game oblivion, particularly BU, the reigning Patriot League champs. As punishment, the winner will enter the Quarterfinals ring with juggernaut Colgate, who boasts a battalion of prolific scorers and shot makers.
While the analytics imply Colgate is the best the Patriot has to offer, Navy seized claim of the number #1 overall seed in this year’s bracket. Along with military rival Army, the Midshipmen were in prime form by the time conference play commenced, having already shaken off any offseason rust in their condensed non-conference slates. In fact, the Ground Troops are responsible for the the lone blemish on Colgate’s resume.
Lafayette, a seasoned group of deadeye marksmen, picked up right where they left off last season. Led by Justin Jaworski and EJ Stephens, the Leopards’ surgical offensive execution proved to be a nightmare to defend for the second year in a row - a potential showdown between Lafayette and Colgate in the Semis would be must see TV for any basketball junkie.
Moving down the totem pole, Holy Cross was probably the league’s biggest surprise this year. The animated Brett Nelson is quickly reinvigorating hoops in Worcester but he’ll have to wait until next season to make a run at the Patriot League Championship crown. A positive COVID test in the final week of the season stopped the Crusaders’ season dead in its tracks, much to the pleasure of Loyola MD, who marches on to play Navy for a third consecutive time (the two played back-to-back last weekend). Santi Aldama is a unicorn by Patriot League standards, but he’ll need his supporting cast to step up if the Greyhounds wish to have a prayer at knocking off Navy this weekend.
For Bucknell and Lehigh, 2021 was a continuation of last year’s trials and tribulations. The Bison and Mountain Hawks have a steep hill to climb to get back to the top of the Patriot mountain but pockets of burgeoning young talent is reason to be optimistic about a return to glory for both programs. American is on that same trajectory, thanks to freshman sensation Johnny O’Neil.
Tournament Preview
Tournament Predictions
(7) Boston U over (10) Lehigh
(9) Loyola MD over (1) Navy
(4) Army over (5) American
(3) Lafayette over (6) Bucknell
(2) Colgate over (7) Boston U
(9) Loyola MD over (4) Army
(2) Colgate over (3) Lafayette
(2) Colgate over (9) Loyola MD