On the Fourth Day of Conference Tourneys...

the Buffet gave to me:

A Debt Paid on the Northeastern ... A Crowded Waiting Line in the Colonial ... Annual visit to the MAAC ... Dixie fun in the SoCon ... And Will the Real West Coast Contenders Please Stand Up

*Quick moment to salute our dunce of the day*

Some quick math to Washington State guard Klay Thompson...

+ does not = Help my team get off the Waiting Line.

The first ever: DUNCE OF THE DAY!

It's the first weekend of the 12 Days of Conference Tourneys. We've reach the Buffet's favorite day of the year -- a breakfast of Colonial Hoops, the bleeds into a brunch of the CAA, MVC and the SoCon. Then Happy Hour brings us the Horizon, followed by an evening with the West Coast and a pair of semifinal showdowns in the Ohio Valley and Atlantic Sun.

We've seen some lights out performances: Senor Norris, Vaughn D, A pair of 30 point scorers from Binghamton (What are the chances that Mike Longeran begins his pregame speech with, (insert southern drawl) "Tonight, we play Binghamton. Tonight, we beat Binghamton!)? And then you've got Big Bad Vlad from American dropping 31 and 7. What will see next?

First, let's get caught up in the Northeastern Conference:

Blackbirds Singing in the Dead of March?

The good thing about postponing a preview when time is already limited is that you can shave down your preview to the teams left standing. The bad news is, you lose out on the opportunity to mention Lamar Trice (junior from Mt St Mary's), Tyler Murray (junior from Wagner), Ricky Cadell (senior G from St. Francis (NY)), Umar Shannon (sophomore who nearly doubled his scoring output in year 2, from St. Francis (PA)), and Latif Rivers (Wagner's freshman sensation) ... see what we just did there?

But, it gives us more time to discuss the scoreboard show that are the Long Island University Blackbirds. Fifth in the nation in scoring (82.7 ppg), 15th in assists (they like to share), 4th in FTA/FGA (50.5%), this is a team likes to put up points, likes to be aggressive, and likes for everyone to get a turn. Led by a double-digit scoring foursome, this teams scores 80+ points, but its leading scorer only averages 13.1, sharing IS caring, friends. Julian Boyd is the team's leading scorer and rebounder at the aforementioned 13.1 ppg and 9 rebounds, but his courageous battle to get back on the court is even more reason to root for, Boyd sat out what was originally to be his sophomore season after being diagnosed with noncompaction cardiomyopathy (part of his heart was enlarged) the fish out of water from San Antonio playing in Brooklyn got cleared last July, and after an 8 point outing in frustrating loss to St. Francis (PA) and an up and down season back, Boyd has put the Blackbirds on his shoulders, putting up 34 points and 16 rebounds in the very next game (a win at FDU) and led them to a 11 game win streak, averaging 17.7 points and 11 rebounds along the way, and within 2 games of the school's first NCAA tourney berth in 14 years. Boyd is aided by another talented sophomore (future is bright in Brooklyn, and not just for sales of Smiroff vodka), Jamal Olasewere, the 6'7 sophomore F from Silver Spring averages 12.2 points and 6.5 rebounds, and talented front court underclassmen are guided by the veteran backcourt of David Hicks, a Sr guard averaging 11.5 points and 3.5 rebounds and Kyle Johnson, averaging 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds. The conference semis bring Central Connecticut State, whom the Blackbirds beat on the very same floor (Wellness Recreation and Athletic Center and its 2500 rabid fans) 86-72 just 6 days ago.

But, the first game was a different story, a bit of a war between the Blue Devils and Blackbirds in New Britain, that saw LIU turn a 59-53 deficit into an 11-0 run, a 64-59 lead and then a 72-67 victory. Before their quarterfinal win, CCSU was struggling down the stretch -- losing 3 of 4 and struggling to put up points. A team hungry to get back to the tournament that's eluded them for 3 years, they are steady at the line (76.8%) and known for a streakiness that can pay dividends in a tourney (streaks of 3, 5, and 7 this season). They already avenged on of their two late season losses (St. Francis (PA)) in the NEC tourney, and LIU gives them another chance to do just that. They are lead by another star who missed the 2010 season, Junior Ken Horton - out for the balance of the campaign because of a torn labrum in his left hip -- finished the season averaging 19.8 points, 9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks (he also shoots a stalwart 86.7% from the FT line). Other Devils to watch include junior guard, Robby Ptacek (14.9 points and 3.8 rebounds), and Senior guard Shemik Thompson, 12.4 pts, 5.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists. After an 11-7 NEC season (10-4 before their late season slide), CCSU is just underrated enough to pull a few and get themselves a bid.

The other semi is a couple of pieces of chalk -- the 2nd seeded Quinnipiac Bobcats would be the talk of the NEC town if they could just have eliminated January from the calendar. A 9-2 Dec/Nov that included wins over AmEast contender Boston U and erstwhile Waiting Liner Rhode Island was bookended by a 9-1 run from January 27-Feb 26 -- if only that 1-4 stretch in January could be eliminated. The Bobcats only got to face top seeded LIU once, losing by 10 in Brooklyn, but outside of the Blackbirds are the hottest team in the NEC. This team turns misses into 2nd chance opportunities (40% of their rebounds are offensive, 3rd highest in basketball), although this is partially explained by the fact that they miss a lot (46% FG and 61% FT), but they take care of the ball, an impressive 18% of their possession end in TO (50th best in the nation) and with a number of single digit wins, they've got the pressure moment experience that is key in a tournament. Led by junior G, James Johnson (16.2 pts, 3.7 assists, 4.2 rebs), Senior F Justin Rutty (14.5 pts, 9.1 rebounds) and senior G and Ball Strate transfer Deontay Twyman (12.3 pts, 3.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and a Buffet All-Name Team Nominee), they will undoubtedly be a tough out.

And, poised to make this tough out? Last year's conference champs and the team that put the scare of a lifetime into Villanova (a 73-70 OT loss in the first round) did not have the follow year they were expecting. It looked promising early, won 2 of 3 and lost @Kent St by only 3 - but then some crushing losses to major programs (21 @Pitt, 33 @W.Virginia, 26 @Arizona) and some of that confidence impairment seemed to spill over into the conference season. Although leading scorer Karon Abraham is back for his senior season (13.2 points but minimal contributor elsewhere) - the Colonials seemed to never find the chemistry after losing Rob Robinson, Mezie Nwigwe, and Dallas Green. Also back from that tournament team are Russell Johnson (10.5 points, 6.7 rebs) and Velton Jones (11.8 pts, 3.9 assists, 3 rebounds). Lijah Thompson, a sophomore F, has tried to filled the void, and after a bit of midseason struggle (and perhaps a bit of exhaustion after having his minutes extended so dramatically from 2010), he has bounced back to average 11 points over his last 9 (above his season long average of 8.2 points).

Who Will Win: This will likely come down to a pair of super hot teams - LIU and Quinnipiac. We'll take the home court advantage, the Julian Boyd story that everyone can get behind, and their ridiculous ability to put up points: Long Island will be the NEC Champs.