2008 Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament

Infobox NCAA Basketball Conference Tournament
Year = 2008
Conference = Patriot League
Gender = Men's


ImageSize =
Caption =
Teams = 8
Arena = campus sites
City =
Champions = American
TitleCount = 1st
Coach = Jeff Jones
CoachCount = 1st
MVP = Garrison Carr [ [http://aueagles.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/031408aac.html PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONS! Eagles Go Dancing with 52-46 Win Over Colgate in PL Title Game] ]
MVPTeam = American
Attendance =
OneTopScorer =
TwoTopScorers =
TopScorer =
TopScorerTeam =
TopScorer2 =
TopScorer2Team =
Points =

The 2008 Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament, a part of the 2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, took place on March 5, 2008 as a single-elimination tournament, with games being played at the higher seeds' home courts. The American University Eagles won the league's regular season, and received the number one seed in the tournament. They kept their home advantage throughout the tournament and defeated Colgate, 52–46, on March 14, 2008 to win the conference tournament and received the Patriot League's automatic bid for the 2008 NCAA Tournament. [cite news|url=http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=280740044|title=American tops Colgate, wins Patriot League title|publisher=ESPN|date=March 14, 2008|accessdate=2008-03-15]

Before the tournament

Prior to the season defending champion Holy Cross, [cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=270680107|title=Holy Cross tops Bucknell to win Patriot championship|date=March 9, 2007|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=2008-03-04] was predicted to finish first in the league once again, while Bucknell, a team who had won a game in both the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Tournaments, [cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=270680107|title=Bucknell clips Arkansas for second straight first-round win|date=March 17, 2006|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=2008-03-04] was predicted to finish second.cite news|url=http://patriotleague.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101807aac.html|title=2007-08 Patriot League Men's Basketball Preseason Poll and Award Winners Announced|date=October 18, 2007|publisher=Patriot League|accessdate=2008-03-04] However the league was unpredictable, [cite news|author=Forde, Pat|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3275815&sportCat=ncb|title=Here's to the league overachievers ... and the underachievers too|publisher=ESPN|date=March 4, 2008|accessdate=2008-03-04] as both teams ended their conference regular seasons with a losing record.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/conferences/standings?confID=22|title=Patriot League Standings 2007-2008|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=2008-03-04] Lafayette started off strong in league play, but quickly fell by the wayside. American and Navy, teams predicted to finish fifth and seventh respectively, ended their seasons in first and second in the league, with American gaining home court advantage throughout the tournament. [cite news|author=Whelliston, Kyle|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/champweek2008/columns/story?columnist=whelliston_kyle&id=3273763|title=Previewing the early Championship Week tournaments|date=March 3, 2008|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=2008-03-04]

tandings

Bracket

The Patriot League announced the bracket and seed on March 3, 2008. [cite news|url=http://patriotleague.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030308aan.html|title=Patriot League Men's Basketball Quarterfinal Release - 3.3.08|publisher=Patriot League|date=March 3, 2008|accessdate=2008-03-04]

8TeamBracket | RD1=First Round
March 5
RD2=Semifinals
March 9
RD3=Championship
March 14
group1=
group2=
RD1-seed1=1
RD1-team1=American
RD1-score1=62
RD1-seed2=8
RD1-team2=Holy Cross
RD1-score2=60
RD1-seed3=4
RD1-team3=Lehigh
RD1-score3=61*
RD1-seed4=5
RD1-team4=Army
RD1-score4=64*
RD1-seed5=3
RD1-team5=Colgate
RD1-score5=76
RD1-seed6=6
RD1-team6=Lafayette
RD1-score6=74
RD1-seed7=7
RD1-team7=Bucknell
RD1-score7=87***
RD1-seed8=2
RD1-team8=Navy
RD1-score8=86***
RD2-seed1=1
RD2-team1=American
RD2-score1=72
RD2-seed2=5
RD2-team2=Army
RD2-score2=60
RD2-seed3=3
RD2-team3=Colgate
RD2-score3=54
RD2-seed4=7
RD2-team4=Bucknell
RD2-score4=40
RD3-seed1=1
RD3-team1=American
RD3-score1=52
RD3-seed2=3
RD3-team2=Colgate
RD3-score2=46

* represents an overtime period

References

External links

* [http://patriotleague.cstv.com/ The Patriot League's Official Website]