2025 NAC Men's Basketball Tournament Preview
WATERVILLE, Maine – SUNY Delhi and Husson University have claimed the top seeds in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Broncos, finishing with a 7-6 record in conference play, secured the No. 1 seed in the NAC West Division, while the Eagles dominated the NAC East Division with a stellar 12-1 mark. As top seeds, both teams will host NAC quarterfinal matchups on Friday, February 21, followed by their respective division championships on Saturday, February 22. COMPLETE BRACKET
The NAC Tournament features the top four teams from both the East and West Divisions. All quarterfinal and semifinal games are held at the home court of each division’s No. 1 seed. The opening round matchups pit the No. 1 seed against No. 4, while the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds battle for a spot in the semifinals.
At SUNY Delhi, the West Division quarterfinals will tip off with the top-seeded Broncos (7-6 NAC, 10-14 overall) taking on No. 4 Lesley University (3-10 NAC, 5-19) at 5:30 PM. Later that evening, No. 2 VTSU-Johnson (6-7 NAC, 9-16) squares off against No. 3 VTSU-Lyndon (4-9 NAC, 8-17) at 7:30 PM.
Meanwhile, over in Bangor, top-seeded Husson (12-1 NAC, 18-7) will host No. 4 Maine Maritime Academy (8-5 NAC, 13-10) in the first quarterfinal at 5:30 PM. The nightcap features No. 2 UMaine-Presque Isle (10-3 NAC, 20-5) taking on No. 3 UMaine-Farmington (9-4 NAC, 12-12) at 7:30 PM.
The winners of the SUNY Delhi/Lesley and VTSU-Johnson/VTSU-Lyndon matchups will clash for the NAC West Division title on Saturday at 2:00 PM. Likewise, the victors from the Husson/Maine Maritime and UMaine-Presque Isle/UMaine-Farmington contests will compete for the NAC East Division crown at 2:00 PM on Husson’s home court.
The two division champions will then meet for the 2025 NAC Championship on Saturday, March 1, at 1:00 PM, hosted by the East Division winner. The NAC Champion earns an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament, which tips off on Friday, March 7.
2025 NAC MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
East Quarterfinals – Friday, Feb. 21 – at Husson University (Bangor, Maine)
#1 Husson, 91 #4 Maine Maritime Academy, 71 - BOX
#2 UMaine-Presque Isle, 78 #3 UMaine-Farmington, 79 (2OT) - BOX
East Semifinal – Saturday, Feb. 22 – at Husson University (Bangor, Maine)
#1 Husson University, 77 #3 UMaine-Farmington, 64 - BOX
West Quarterfinals – Friday, Feb. 21 – at SUNY Delhi (Delhi, New York)
#1 SUNY Delhi, 75 #4 Lesley University, 59 - BOX
#2 VTSU Johnson, 95 #3 VTSU Lyndon, 72 - BOX
West Semifinal – Saturday, Feb. 22 – at SUNY Delhi (Delhi, New York)
#1 SUNY Delhi, 65 #2 VTSU Johnson, 68 - BOX
CHAMPIONSHIP - Saturday, March 1 - at Husson University (Bangor, Maine)
1:00 PM - #2 West VTSU-Johnson at #1 East Husson University
WEST DIVISION
#1 SUNY Delhi (7-6 NAC, 10-14 Overall)
Head Coach: Jonathan Annan (2nd Season, 24-27)
NAC Championships: (1) 2023
2024 NAC Tournament Results: Defeated SUNY Morrisville in NAC Quarterfinal, 71-63; Lost to SUNY Cobleskill in NAC West Division Championship, 84-82
Leaders:
Scoring: #0 Lester McCarthy (12.4 PPG)
Rebounding: #44 Warren Davis (7.3 RPG)
Assists: #2 Isiah Barnes (5.9 APG)
Steals: Barnes (2.1 SPG)
Blocks: #11 Brennan Heaven (0.7 BPG)
NOTES: Senior guard Isiah Barnes leads the NAC in assists (141, 8th in NCAA DIII), assists per game (5.9, 10th in NCAA DIII), steals (51), and steals per game (2.13 SPG)…Four Broncos are averaging at least 10.0 PPG…SUNY Delhi is 5-4 at home this winter.
#2 VTSU-Johnson (6-7 NAC, 9-16 Overall)
Head Coach: Alfred Johnson (4th Season, 35-64; 25th Overall, 298-344)
NAC Championships: None
2024 NAC Tournament Results: Did not qualify
Leaders:
Scoring: #1 Raymond Baka (19.9 PPG)
Rebounding: Baka (11.3 RPG)
Assists: #2 Lukas Sward (3.2 APG)
Steals: #12 Matthew Carter (1.4 SPG)
Blocks: #7 Jason Baker (2.2 BPG)
NOTES: The Badgers lead the conference in free throws made (15.7) and attempted (23.3) per game, rebound margin (5.2 RPG), offensive rebounding (13.28 RPG), and overall rebounding (41.24 RPG)…Senior forward Raymond Baka leads the NAC, and ranks third in the country, in field goals made (215)…He also leads the league in points (501).
#3 VTSU-Lyndon (4-9 NAC, 8-17 Overall)
Head Coach: David Pasiak (8th Season, 42-143; 26th Overall, 325-379)
NAC Championships: None (Runner-up 2011)
2024 NAC Tournament Results: Did not qualify
Leaders:
Scoring: #0 Gregory Gonyea, Jr. (21.5 PPG)
Rebounding: #8 Deshawn Ford (6.7 RPG)
Assists: Gonyea (3.8 APG)
Steals: Gonyea (1.4 SPG)
Blocks: Ford (0.8 BPG)
NOTES: Dealing with several late-season injuries, the Hornets headed into a must-win game at SUNY Cobleskill last Saturday having lost four straight conference contests…Deshawn Ford, Tyler Bergmans and Tyler Cooper combined to score 46 points in leading Lyndon to a 73-59 win over the Fighting Tigers and the #3 seed in the conference tourney.
#4 Lesley University (3-10 NAC, 5-19 Overall)
Head Coach: Devon Mayo (8th Season, 16-128)
NAC Championships: None (Runner-up 2008)
2024 NAC Tournament Results: Did not qualify
Leaders:
Scoring: #0 Malachi Howard (15.1 PPG)
Rebounding: Howard (7.2 RPG)
Assists: #3 Tarell Joseph (3.0 APG)
Steals: #33 Hezekiah Brown (1.6 SPG)
Blocks: Howard (0.9 BPG)
NOTES: The Lynx lead the conference in forced turnovers per game (15.38) and are tied for the NAC lead in steals per contest (9.4 SPG)…Four Lesley players are scoring at least 9.0 points per game, as Malachi Howard (15.1 PPG), Tavon Rhodes (12.9 PPG), CJ Leonard (9.8 PPG), and Tarell Joseph (9.3 PPG) lead a balanced attack.
EAST DIVISION
#1 Husson University (12-1 NAC, 18-7 Overall)
Head Coach: Warren Caruso (31st Season, 589-275)
NAC Championships: (9) 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024
2024 NAC Tournament Results: Defeated Maine Maritime in NAC Quarterfinal, 88-53; defeated UMaine-Farmington in NAC Semifinal, 74-68 (OT), defeated SUNY Cobleskill in NAC Championship, 80-70
Leaders:
Scoring: #3 Riles Neff (17.6 PPG)
Rebounding: #1 Jeremy Moronta (8.2 RPG)
Assists: Neff (3.5 APG)
Steals: Neff (1.9 SPG)
Blocks: #34 Scott Lewis (1.7 BPG)
NOTES: The Eagles enter the tournament riding a six-game winning streak…After a 2-7 start to the season, Husson rattled off 10-consecutive victories…Senior Riles Neff (17.6 PPG) and grad students Jeremy Moronta (14.0 PPG) and Scott Lewis (10.8 PPG) lead the Eagles’ on both ends of the court…Husson leads the conference in steals per game (9.4) and turnover margin (1.7).
#2 UMaine-Presque Isle (10-3 NAC, 20-5 Overall)
Head Coach: Dan Kane (8th Season, 100-89)
NAC Championships: None
2024 NAC Tournament Results: Lost to UMaine-Farmington in NAC Quarterfinal, 60-58
Leaders:
Scoring: #2 Akhe McMichael (17.2 PPG)
Rebounding: #1 Doug McCalla (7.4 RPG)
Assists: #8 Myles Jones (4.6 APG)
Steals: McMichael (1.9 SPG)
Blocks: #22 Saquan Carswell (0.5 BPG)
NOTES: With an 88-85 victory at Thomas College last Sunday, the Owls reached the 20-win plateau for the first time in program history…The win was also the 100th of Head Coach Dan Kane’s career…UMPI leads the conference in assists per game (18.2 APG), defensive FG% (40.2%), defensive 3FG% (26.0%, 2nd in NCAA DIII), defensive rebounds per game (31.72, 3rd in NCAA DIII), scoring margin (8.2 PPG), scoring offense (80.5 PPG), and winning percentage (.800).
#3 UMaine-Farmington (9-4 NAC, 12-12 Overall)
Head Coach: Quinn Newton (1st Season, 12-12)
NAC Championships: (1) 2010 (Runner-up 2006, 2014, 2020, 2023)
2024 NAC Tournament Results: Defeated UMaine-Presque Isle in NAC Quarterfinal, 60-58; lost to Husson University in NAC Semifinal, 74-68
Leaders:
Scoring: #30 Simon Chadbourne (16.3 PPG)
Rebounding: #41 Dylan Griffin (6.2 RPG)
Assists: Griffin (4.0 APG)
Steals: #45 Gabe Michaud (1.1 SPG)
Blocks: Griffin (1.0 BPG)
NOTES: The Beavers lead the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.38), FG% (46.8%), 3FG% (35.6%), 3FG per game (9.3), and fewest turnovers per game (12.5)…Senior Simon Chadbourne leads NCAA DIII in three-pointers made (97) and three-pointers per game (4.04).
#4 Maine Maritime Academy (8-5 NAC, 13-10 Overall)
Head Coach: Cedric Gillette (1st Season, 13-10)
NAC Championships: None
2024 NAC Tournament Results: Lost to Husson University in NAC Quarterfinal, 88-53
Leaders:
Scoring: #21 Curt Heinz (20.0 PPG)
Rebounding: Heinz (13.9 RPG)
Assists: Heinz (5.0 APG)
Steals: Heinz (1.3 SPG)
Blocks: Heinz (1.8 BPG)
NOTES: Senior Curt Heinz has had a historic season, as he leads the Mariners in basically every statistical category…He is one of two players in NCAA DIII to have recorded a pair of triple-doubles this winter and was named as the USBWA Player of the Week on January 14th…Maine Maritime leads the conference in fewest fouls per game (12.9, 3rd in NCAA DIII) and scoring defense (67.1 PPG).
NAC MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
| YEAR |
CHAMPION |
RUNNER-UP |
TOURNEY MVP |
| 2004 |
Lasell |
Castleton State |
|
| 2005 |
Elms |
Lasell |
|
| 2006 |
Elms |
UMaine-Farmington |
|
| 2007 |
Elms |
Husson |
|
| 2008 |
Elms |
Lesley |
Aswad Thomas, Elms |
| 2009 |
Husson |
Thomas |
Matt MacKenzie, Husson |
| 2010 |
Maine Farmington |
Castleton State |
Josh Tanguay, UMF |
| 2011 |
Husson |
Lyndon State |
Josh Jones, Husson |
| 2012 |
Castleton |
Colby-Sawyer |
Mark Comstock, Castleton |
| 2013 |
Husson |
Castleton |
Mark Zaharchuk, Husson |
| 2014 |
Husson |
UMaine-Farmington |
Trevon Butler, Husson |
| 2015 |
Colby-Sawyer |
Husson |
Wol Majong, Colby-Sawyer |
| 2016 |
Husson |
Colby-Sawyer |
Trevon Butler, Husson |
| 2017 |
Husson |
Thomas |
Raheem Anderson, Husson |
| 2018 |
New England College |
Colby-Sawyer |
Ricky Leonard, NEC |
| 2019 |
Husson |
Thomas |
Justin Martin, Husson |
| 2020 |
SUNY Canton |
UMaine-Farmington |
Joseph Werner, SUNY Canton |
| 2022 |
Husson |
SUNY Poly |
Justice Kendall, Husson |
| 2023 |
SUNY Delhi |
UMaine-Farmington |
Jacob Beach, SUNY Delhi |
| 2024 |
Husson |
SUNY Cobleskill |
Jeremy Moronta, Husson |