Preview of the Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Tournament
Mid-major Division I conference basketball teams appreciate the importance of their league championship. It is very rare that a team who cannot navigate their way through the season-ending tournament will warrant an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
That is the ominous scenario that will face 10 teams vying for the CAA basketball championship in North Charleston, South Carolina. Beginning on March 9, these Colonial Athletic Association schools will fight for what will most likely be the only invitation to the ultimate stage in college basketball.
Every college basketball tournament has the inherent excitement of, lose and you go home. For the major conferences, this doesn’t always mean an end to the season. The NCAA tournament committee will award at-large bids to teams who did not win their conference tournament.
However, that isn’t the case with mid-major conferences like the Colonial. Today, the 10 current CAA members play very good basketball, but in all likelihood the Colonial will only get one chance to make the dance. That level of pressure makes the CAA season-ending tournament in Charleston all the more intense.
This year’s field has one team that could realistically earn an at-large bid if they fall short of the CAA tournament title. Hofstra is not recognized as a perennial basketball force, so an early exit from the CAA tourney could end the Pride’s season.
The host school, the College of Charleston is 22-8 on the season, but six of those losses are in the conference. They are always a favorite to win the CAA tournament because of the benefit of playing in their hometown. However, this team is currently third in the league standings.
Northeastern is another very good basketball team. They are one game behind Hofstra for the number one seed. Sitting at 18-10 overall on the season, there is little chance Northeastern will warrant a second look from the NCAA if they do not win the Colonial tournament.
Only Delaware has a winning overall record out of the remaining teams in the CAA. The Hens are even at 8-8 in conference play. While they could make problems in the tournament, anything short of a championship will not be enough to punch a ticket to the big dance.
The CAA basketball championship will be held in South Carolina at the North Charleston Coliseum. Parking can be a challenge, let alone costly. However, there is a way to avoid the hassle of traffic and cost of parking. You can use the convenience of private North Charleston Coliseum car services to avoid both of these problems.
GCT has dedicated North Charleston Coliseum car services that will drop you off a few feet from your destination. You won’t have to worry about your own vehicle. Best of all, you won’t have to worry about parking anything, but yourself in your seat for all the big games at the 2019 Colonial Athletic Association Basketball Tournament.