MAAC tournament 2015: Bracket, schedule and results

This is Iona's tournament to lose ... or is it?

The 2015 MAAC tournament tips off on Thursday and runs through the weekend to determine who will grab the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The MAAC tourney takes place at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y.

In theory, this should be a one-team tournament. Iona has run roughshod over the conference for nearly the entire season, with by far the best offense in the league (79.6 points per game) and one of the stingiest defenses (allowing 61 points per game). David Laury and A.J. English are as fearsome a duo as any in the mid-major scene.

However, Iona's regular season ended on a sour note in a 68-60 loss to St. Peter's, snapping an 11-game winning streak. The Gaels suddenly couldn't buy a basket, shooting just 31.6 percent from the field. Their defense wasn't much better, allowing the Peacocks to drain 51 percent of their field goals.

That game may well prove to be a one-time fluke, but if Iona shows any further vulnerabilities, this tournament could get more interesting than expected. Keep an eye on Rider and Manhattan as potential party crashers.

The format

All 11 teams are eligible. The top five seeds get a bye into the quarterfinals, and the bottom six teams must play an extra game. The winners of the three first-round games will go on to face the top three seeds.

Most of the rounds will be streamed on ESPN3, and the championship game will be aired on ESPN2.

The teams

1. Iona Gaels


2. Rider Broncs


3. Manhattan Jaspers


4. Monmouth Hawks


5. Canisius Golden Griffins


6. Quinnipiac Bobcats


7. St. Peter's Peacocks


8. Siena Saints


9. Niagara Purple Eagles


10. Fairfield Stags


11. Marist Red Foxes

Bracket

The MAAC has a downloadable bracket available here.

Schedule and results (all times Eastern)

Thursday, March 5 (First round)

Game 1: No. 8 Siena vs. No. 9 Niagara, 5 p.m.

Game 2: No. 7 St. Peter's vs. No. 10 Fairfield, 7 p.m.

Game 3: No. 6 Quinnipiac vs. No. 11 Marist, 9 p.m.

Saturday, March 7 (Quarterfinals)

Game 4: No. 1 Iona vs. Game 1 winner, noon, ESPN3

Game 5: No. 4 Monmouth vs. No. 5 Canisius, 2:30 p.m., ESPN3

Game 6: No. 2 Rider vs. Game 2 winner, 5:30 p.m., ESPN3

Game 7: No. 3 Manhattan vs. Game 3 winner, 8 p.m., ESPN3

Sunday, March 8 (Semifinals)

Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 4:30 p.m., ESPN3

Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 7 p.m., ESPN3

Monday, March 9 (Championship)

Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 9 p.m., ESPN2

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