Since last week’s post, most MAAC teams have played another game, giving some clarity to the conference standings:
| Team | Conf. Record | Ovr. Record | Still To Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit* | 4-1 | 5-8 | @Marist |
| Siena* | 4-1 | 10-3 | VMI, Albany (OOC) |
| Marist | 3-2 | 6-6 | @Holy Cross (OOC), Detroit |
| Jacksonville | 3-3 | 5-8 | Duke |
| Manhattan | 2-3 | 3-12 | Canisius |
| Canisius | 2-3 | 2-9 | @Manhattan |
| VMI-x | 0-5 | 2-10 | @ Siena |
Detroit and Siena have clinched playoff berths, with the Titans holding the tiebreaker over the Saints should they finish with the same record. VMI has been eliminated from the playoffs, and all the other teams are still alive. Here are some of the playoff implications of the final week of the regular season:
- Marist would clinch a playoff berth with a victory over Detroit.
- The loser of the Manhattan/Canisius game is still alive, while the loser is eliminated.
- Jacksonville is done with conference games.
If Marist beats Detroit, there are only 2 options: Canisius beats Manhattan and Jacksonville makes the playoffs, or Manhattan beats Canisius and punches its own playoff ticket.
If Marist loses to Detroit (Go Titans Go!), there will be a 3-way tie between the Red Foxes, Jacksonville, and the winner of the Manhattan/Canisius game. Per the tiebreaker procedures, if Manhattan wins, Marist has the tiebreaker over both them and Jacksonville, and makes the tournament as the 3-seed. Manhattan would earn the 4-seed over Jacksonville. If Canisius wins, the 3-way tie is a little tougher to sort out. The teams’ respective record against conference champion Detroit would come into play, which would give Jacksonville the 3-seed in the tournament. Canisius would then earn the 4-seed by virtue of their head-to-head win over Marist.
So, it’s still a little complicated. Marist is the only team that controls its own destiny at this point. Win and they’re in (as the 2-seed, knocking Detroit down to #3 assuming a Siena win over hapless VMI), lose and they need the other result to fall a particular way. It should be a thrilling finish in the MAAC.