Analyzing the ASUN-MAAC Dublin Challenge Field
The field may look weak at the surface, but there promises to be lots of excitement on the Emerald Isle.
Recently, the MAAC and ASUN announced participants for this year’s MAAC-ASUN Challenge in Dublin. On the surface, the field looks weak as none of the seven schools ended last season with a winning record. Below are the resumés of each team:
Marist: 14-16 overall, 9-11 in the MAAC, RPI: 207
Niagara: 14-16 overall, 9-11 in the MAAC, RPI: 187
Rider: 14-19 overall, 8-12 in the MAAC, RPI: 226
North Florida: 11-20 overall, 7-9 in the ASUN, RPI: 249
Stetson: 11-19 overall, 5-11 in the ASUN, RPI: 322
Central Arkansas: 11-20 overall, 7-9 in the ASUN, RPI: 275
Eastern Kentucky: 13-18 overall. 5-11 in the ASUN, RPI: 334
The field looks underwhelming, but some of the schools do have quality wins on their resumés from the previous season. Eastern Kentucky beat eventual ASUN champion, Bellarmine, by 14, while Marist beat CBI quarterfinalist, Boston University, by five. Niagara and Rider have arguably the best resumés, as Niagara beat eventual Patriot League champion, Colgate, by 11 and MAAC regular season champion, Iona, by nine. Rider also beat Iona, while also notching a nine-point victory over Elite Eight-participant St. Peter’s.
Additionally, Stetson is on the rise as they are only one year removed from their first Division I postseason appearance ever in the 2021 CBI. The Hatters made a run to the CBI Final Four and were an overtime loss to Bowling Green away from an appearance in the title game.
One must ask why the MAAC and ASUN did not send their best schools to this showcase on the Emerald Isle. Playing basketball on Ireland is cool and would have been a great boost to a young, emerging program like Bellarmine or a program fresh off an iconic run like St. Peter’s.
Sending a field like this to Dublin will likely make this event forgettable to anyone outside of the programs and players. This event has the chance to set itself apart from other early-season events with its location, but the MAAC and ASUN failed by not sending marquee teams.
Iona would have been a slam dunk for such a seminal event like this. However, it is understandable that the Gaels would search for stronger non-conference opponents considering they were in the conversation for an at-larger berth until late last season.
Furthermore, the MAAC has potential to be a multi-bid league as they sent two teams to the Dance in 2012 and had Monmouth in the first four out in 2016. Taking this all into account, playing in an event with this field would likely prevent the MAAC’s best teams from being in the conversation.
On the bright side, the games are likely to be competitive as most of the teams are similar in RPI. However, the games may have little influence on the race to even postseason tournaments such as the CBI and THE Basketball Classic given the low conference finishes of the teams.
Despite the lack of success of the teams in the field, the MAAC-ASUN Challenge should provide tons of memories for all the programs and may be the launchpad some of these schools need for the future.