Terry Foy (@TerenceFoy)
Duke In my opinion, Lehigh, Denver and Georgetown are ineligible for this because the seeds don’t suggest a big enough upset. I’m so tempted to say Bryant vs. Virginia, a choice based on pedigree (remember Bryant’s win over ’Cuse in the Dome?) and the Bulldogs’ recent performance, but I think Virginia’s firepower is enough to dig them out of any hole, including being down four goals with 3:00 to play. I’m choosing the Blue Devils because I think it’s hard to get emotionally ready to play a team you beat 27-8. Keep in mind that the Panthers just inverted a 17-10 regular season loss to Richmond into an 11-8 SoCon final win. And don’t forget that Duke has a history of winning close in the first round, most recently escaping with a 12-11 win over the Spiders in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
Bryant does not lose in the NEC championship.
The Bulldogs are 6-for-6 in the title game after knocking off top-seeded Saint Joseph’s, 16-10, Saturday for the league’s AQ to the NCAA Tournament.
It came amid a year of adversity for the Bulldogs. Like most teams in the country, Bryant dealt with COVID protocols and restrictions and the struggles that go along with that. They also had three players go down with ACL tears, another player miss most of the season because of lingering COVID effects, and three separate pauses due to COVID protocols.
It didn’t matter. They’re champs again.