Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
Record: 18-14 (11-7 NEC)
Head Coach: Greg Herenda (3rd season)
Season Recap: The Knights earned a berth in this year’s postseason by winning the NEC tournament championship, marking just the fifth NCAA tournament appearance in the school’s history. The Kights upset regular-season champion Wagner in the tournament final, giving Fairleigh Dickinson some positive momentum after losing six of its first nine games to begin the season.
The Knights lack any individual standouts, but instead tout a balanced offensive attack that includes five players averaging nine points per game or better. Offense is this team’s forte—Fairleigh Dickinson ranked first in its conference in shooting percentage, 3-point shooting percentage, scoring offense and assists per contest. The Knights' resume is less than impressive, as it lacks a win against any top-100 RPI team.
How they make a run: To advance past their play-in game against Florida Gulf Coast, the Knights continue their balanced scoring attack and step up their post defense against a daunting opposing center—Marc-Eddy Norelia—who averages 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
How they falter: The team struggles severely on defense, ranking in the bottom 15 percent of all Division I teams in scoring defense, rebound margin and fouls per game. The Eagles expose those issues and prevent Fairleigh Dickinson from having the chance to be the first No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament history.
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