All standings and stats are reflective of Saturday, Jan. 19

Only one team will be representing the Northeast Conference in the NCAA Tournament; which will be determined by who wins the conference tournament in February. But there is a common misconception that the only games that matter are therefore in early March. Regular season games build the foundation for teams to make a run at the coveted spot in March Madness.

Often known as one of the most wide-open conferences in the country, the NEC has been particularly unpredictable this season, with seven of 10 teams sitting within one game of each other, while there is only a three-game disparity between the top and the bottom.

Robert Morris is in sole possession of first place with a 4-1 record. It’s important to note that the Colonials were in this same spot last season, but finished the season 5-8, not even securing a home tournament game. But this year’s team leads the conference in scoring defense and three-point shooting and their one loss comes on the road against Saint Francis (BKN).

Despite losing playmaking guards JoJo Cooper and Blake Francis, Wagner has more than held their own early on. Guard Romone Saunders is second in the conference in scoring and one of the early favorites for Player of the Year. Last year’s team was unstoppable at home, going undefeated until their shocking loss in the conference finals to LIU Brooklyn. This year, the Seahawks have already lost two games at the Spire Center.

As for the defending champions LIU Brooklyn, they sit at 3-2 on the season. Guard Raiquan Clark leads the conference with over 21 points a game. Meanwhile, point guard Jashaun Agosto is second in the conference in assists.

But this is not the best duo in the conference, as Sacred Heart sports two preseason all-conference players in Jamaal King and Keith Braxton. Both players are in the top 10 in scoring, while Braxton is the league’s leading rebounder. The Red Flash were voted to win the conference in the preseason coaches’ poll but have already suffered two losses.

Sacred Heart, who missed the postseason entirely last season, sports a dangerous front-court duo in EJ Anosike and Jare’l Spellman, two of the top three rebounders in the country. This, in addition to outside scorer Sean Hoehn, gives the Pioneers a dangerous, inside-outside offense, the highest-scoring in the league.

The final team at 3-2 is Saint Francis (BKN). The only team to finish over .500 in non-conference play, the Terriers already boast impressive conference wins against Sacred Heart, Wagner and Saint Francis (PA).

Things got off to a tough start for Central Connecticut and Mount St. Mary’s, who started 0-2 and 0-4, respectively. But the Blue Devils won two in a row against Fairleigh Dickinson and the Mountaineers before falling at home to SFU.

As for the Mountaineers, it seemed that they were entrenched at the basement. But they stunned Wagner at home on Saturday, getting their first conference win and just their fourth on the season. They now sit tied with FDU just one game outside of a playoff spot.

As long as the teams continue to cannibalize themselves, it will surely be a wild, unpredictable month and a half to determine the conference champion.