65 Teams in 65 Days: No. 58 Mount St. Mary's

Mount St. Mary's Guard Jeremy Goode

 

Location: Emmitsburg, Md.
Nickname: Mountaineers
Conference: Northeast
Last Year’s Record: 19-14

 

Why they’ll make it: The Mountaineers came within one basket of making a repeat appearance in the Big Dance last season, and the core of that team returns. Not many teams on their level can lay claim to one of the best backcourts in all of college basketball, but in Jean Cajou and Jeremy Goode, the Mountaineers can.

Those two played major roles on the NCAA tournament team two years ago, so they know how to win. Throw in Kelly Beidler and Shawn Atupem as double-digit scorers and you have the prototypical successful mid-major.

The talent doesn’t end there, though. The Mountaineers also have Croatian Kristijan Krajina coming in to bolster the frontcourt. This will be one of the best squads in the history of the Mountaineer program.

 

Why they won’t make it: Senior guards, Corey Hassan and Chauncey Hardy, are back for Sacred Heart and they’ll be ready to challenge for the NEC title. After finishing in a second-place tie with Mount St. Mary’s last season, Sacred Heart knows it can compete with the best the NEC has to offer.

Joey Henley is gone, but there's still enough talent there for the Pioneers to give the Mountaineers a run for their money. Don’t expect the NEC to be a Mountaineer runaway.