Site -- Agganis Arena, Boston
When -- Today through March 10
Web site -- americaeast.com
TV -- Title game on ESPN2 (March 10, noon)
Favorite -- No. 1 seed Vermont (23-6, 15-1)
State entry -- No. 5 seed UMBC (11-18, 7-9)
Outlook -- Teams angling to knock off top seed Vermont had best do so early. Through the semifinals, America East gives most teams a neutral court (No. 3 seed Boston University being the exception). For the final, the league gives the top remaining seed home-court advantage. While the Catamounts aren't perfect at home (with losses to Maine, Harvard and Drexel), they would be on a 13-game winning streak. One team possibly in Vermont's path is UMBC, which has lost five of its past seven. But the Retrievers drew No. 4 Maine (12-17, 7-9), a team with its own struggles, including a loss in Catonsville last week.
Christian A. Ewell
Colonial Athletic
Site -- Richmond (Va.) Coliseum
When -- Today through Monday
Web site -- caasports.com
TV -- Title game on ESPN (Monday, 7 p.m.), earlier rounds online at www.cn8.tv
Favorite -- No. 2 seed Old Dominion (23-7, 15-3)
State entry -- No. 7 seed Towson (14-16, 8-10)
Outlook -- Expect the tournament to come down to four 20-win teams - Virginia Commonwealth, Old Dominion, Hofstra and Drexel - that have gone a combined 48-4 against the rest of the league. Despite VCU's standing as top seed (24-6, 16-2), it's ODU that performed best against the top four teams (4-2) and ended the regular season with an 11-game winning streak. George Mason (15-14, 9-9), everyone's sweetheart last year in a run to the Final Four, will need every bit of Cinderella mojo just to get to the CAA semifinals, let alone the NCAAs.
Christian A. Ewell
Metro Atlantic Athletic
Site -- Arena at Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, Conn.
When -- Today through Monday
Web site -- maacsports.com
TV -- All Loyola games on MASN; title game on ESPN2 (Monday, 9 p.m.)
Favorite -- No. 1 seed Marist (23-7, 14-4)
State entry -- No. 3 seed Loyola (17-12, 12-6)
Outlook -- Marist is the only team with a win over every other team in the MAAC. Tournament host and No. 6 seed Fairfield was the only team to sweep Loyola, and that's who the Greyhounds get in tomorrow's last quarterfinal at 10 p.m. A win would give Loyola its most since 1971 and put it in the semifinals for the first time since 1998. Starting from scratch two seasons ago, coach Jimmy Patsos has relied on transfers, none better than Gerald Brown, a junior guard from Douglass High who had a brief stay at Providence. Fairfield senior Michael Van Schaick is one of the best three-point shooters in the MAAC.
Paul McMullen