The calendar has turned to March, and that means tournament basketball across the country. Connecticut teams may be poised for one of their strongest postseason representations in years.
“Connecticut college basketball right now is at an all-time high,” said Connecticut Scoreboard Podcast host Jared Kotler. “With the UConn men’s and women’s team, you’ve got the Fairfield women’s team competing at a high level. Fairfield men, Quinnipiac men, Sacred Heart men [are] all in their conference tournaments that are happening this weekend.”
Kotler said the depth of competitive programs across the state — from Division I powerhouses to Division III contenders — has created unusual excitement heading into postseason play.
“So you look across the board here, and every college and university here in the state that plays basketball is just playing it at a very high level, which is really exciting for the fans here in the state,” he said.
UConn teams again leading the pack
Kotler said both UConn programs enter conference tournament play among the most dominant teams in the country.
“You look at the UConn women going on another undefeated season here,” he said. “They just completely dominated the Big East competition that they had and the competition in the non-conference schedule.”
The women’s team now heads to the Big East tournament at Mohegan Sun as the clear favorite.
“So, as they head over to Mohegan Sun this weekend to play in their conference tournament, you know, look for them to come out on top again,” Kotler said.
The UConn men’s team also enters the postseason with a strong record and a potential rivalry rematch looming.
“They've been a team that's competed at a truly high level this year, losing just three games this year,” Kotler said.
That could set the stage for a championship showdown.
“As you take a look at the conference tournament coming down the stretch here at Madison Square Garden next weekend, I think everyone's hoping that you get to see a rematch of UConn and St. John’s in the Big East tournament final there,” he said.
Other Connecticut programs gaining momentum
Kotler said several other teams around the state have also built strong résumés heading into their conference tournaments.
“The Yale men, they're going to be the one seed in the Ivy League Tournament,” he said. “So look to see if they can make it back to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row here.”
Fairfield’s women’s program has also emerged as a dominant force in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
“Carly Thibault-DuDonis is probably one of the best young coaches in the sport,” Kotler said. “She's taken this Fairfield program and made them truly a dominant mid-major.”
The team has posted strong results even against larger programs.
“They beat Villanova this year. They beat South Florida. They went on the road and played the Iowa women's basketball team really tough,” Kotler said.
Fairfield finished 19-1 in conference play, with its only loss coming against another Connecticut program.
“I'll note, the one loss they have in conference this year is to the Quinnipiac women's team,” Kotler said.
That result could set up a high-stakes rematch in the conference tournament.
“So take a look if we get a rematch there in the MAAC Tournament between them as the one and two seeds there to see who could come out on top and secure that NCAA tournament bid,” he said.
Meanwhile, Wesleyan’s men’s team is preparing for the Division III national tournament after posting a strong season.
“You mentioned Wesleyan,” Kotler said. “I mean, 21-6 [overall], 9-1 in their league.”
Multiple NCAA bids possible
Kotler said UConn’s teams appear safely positioned for the NCAA tournament, but several other Connecticut programs could also earn bids depending on conference tournament results.
“I think Yale is going to be able to take it home in the Ivy League tournament there,” he said.
On the men’s side, he said several teams in the MAAC could still emerge from the conference tournament.
“You've got Fairfield, Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart still in that tournament,” Kotler said. “It wouldn't surprise me if you saw one of those teams sneak in.”
On the women’s side, Kotler said Fairfield appears well-positioned to reach the NCAA field regardless of how the conference tournament plays out.
“I definitely look to see Fairfield there,” he said. “I think they've secured their spot, even if they were to lose the conference tournament.”
And if Quinnipiac were to win the conference title instead, Connecticut could see even more teams dancing in March.
“If they were to lose the conference tournament, [it] very well could be to Quinnipiac, which would get the state an extra bid there on the women's side,” Kotler said.
“It's always a crazy time of year here,” he added, “but I think Connecticut is going to be pretty well represented here in the NCAA Tournament.”
