New York University Athletics

• Basketball
  • Men’s Team
  • Women’s Team
• Cross Country
  • Men’s Team
  • Women’s Team
• Fencing
  • Men’s Team
  • Women’s Team
• Golf
  • Men’s Team
• Soccer
  • Men’s Team
  • Women’s Team
• Swimming
  • Men’s Team
  • Women’s Team
• Tennis
  • Men’s Team
  • Women’s Team
• Track & Field
  • Men’s Team
  • Women’s Team
• Volleyball
  • Men’s Team
  • Women’s Team
• Wrestling
  • Men’s Team

Men's Basketball Earns #6 Seed in ECAC Tourney; Will Travel to St. Joseph's

03/03/08

The New York University men's basketball team will get to defend its Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Metropolitan Tournament championship.

After earning the #6 seed in the 2008 ECAC Metro bracket, the Violets will face #3 St. Joseph's College in a first-round game on Wednesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. in Patchogue, NY.

The winner will advance to the ECAC Division III Metropolitan Tournament semifinals on Saturday, March 8, against the winner of #2 York College-#7 New Jersey City University as a site to be determined. The championship game will be held Sunday, March 9.

This will be the fourth postseason appearance in five seasons for NYU (15-10), including the first-ever postseason championship in the program's storied history last season as the Violets defeated St. Joseph's, Rutgers University-Newark and Richard Stockton College last winter. Overall, 20th-year head coach Joe Nesci has guided NYU to 16 postseason invitations (7 NCAA, 9 ECAC).

The Violets tied for fifth in the University Athletic Association (UAA) standings, facing a rugged Association schedule that featured four NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship teams (Brandeis University, University of Chicago, University of Rochester, Washington University).

Despite having one of the youngest rosters in the UAA, NYU recorded a 92-85, double-overtime victory over Rochester on Feb. 17 after battling back from a 15-point deficit in the final 8:46 of regulation.

Junior center John Mish produced double-digit scoring games in 11 of his last 12 games, including a 22-point performance as the Violets dropped a 58-44 decision to #6 Brandeis on Saturday. Also contributing to NYU's balanced attack is the trio of sophomore forward Keith Jensen (11.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 39.2 3FG%, 74.5 FT%), senior guard Charlie Parker (10.4 ppg, 83.3 FT%) and freshman forward Richie Polan (9.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 47.4 FG%, 46.5 3FG%, 75.0 FT%).

St. Joseph's (21-6) finished as the Skyline Conference Tournament runner-up after enjoying its first-ever 20-win season as a Division III program. The Golden Eagles rank 12th nationally in scoring offense (83.8 ppg) thanks to the trio of David Acree (18.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.4 spg), Phil Lipari (16.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Brandon Freeman (14.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 58.6 FG%).

2008 ECAC DIVISION III METROPOLITAN REGION TOURNAMENT SEEDS

1. Stevens Institute of Technology
2. York College
3. St. Joseph's College-Long Island
4. Brooklyn College
5. Rutgers University-Newark
6. New York University
7. New Jersey City University
8. College of Staten Island