What Is 2022 MAAC Men's Basketball Tournament

Overview

The 2022 MAAC Men's Basketball Tournament was the postseason championship for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I season. It featured a single-elimination format with all 11 conference teams competing for the title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Hosted at the Atlantic City Convention Center in New Jersey, the tournament marked the third consecutive year the venue hosted the event. The MAAC has used a consistent bracket structure since expanding to 11 teams, with seeding based on regular-season performance.

• March 9–12, 2022 were the official dates of the tournament, culminating in the final on March 12.
• Saint Peter's University emerged as champions, defeating Monmouth 60–54 in the title game.
• All 11 MAAC teams participated, with the bottom six seeds playing in the first round.
• Atlantic City Convention Center served as the host venue, continuing a three-year agreement starting in 2020.
• Top-seeded Monmouth entered as favorites but fell in the final despite a 23–7 regular-season record.

How It Works

The MAAC Tournament follows a structured format designed to reward regular-season performance while giving lower-seeded teams a path to the NCAA Tournament. The bracket is seeded 1 through 11, with first-round matchups involving the lowest seeds.

• First Round: Seeds 7 through 11 compete, with the winners advancing to face higher seeds in the quarterfinals.
• Quarterfinals: Four games are played on March 10, featuring first-round winners against seeds 3 through 6.
• Semifinals: Held on March 11, the four winning teams from the quarterfinals compete in two games.
• Championship Game: The final is played on March 12, with the winner receiving an automatic NCAA bid.
• Seeding Criteria: Based on regular-season conference records, with tiebreakers used if needed.
• NCAA Automatic Bid: The tournament winner earns the MAAC’s automatic qualification to the NCAA Tournament.

Comparison at a Glance

A comparison of the top five MAAC teams in the 2022 tournament based on seeding, record, and outcome:

The tournament highlighted the competitive balance within the MAAC, where even the second seed, Saint Peter's, entered with only a one-game deficit to Monmouth in conference play. Their championship run was historic, as they became the lowest-seeded MAAC team to win the title since 2015. The structure allowed mid-tier teams like Marist and Iona to remain competitive, though only Saint Peter's advanced beyond the semifinals.

Why It Matters

The 2022 MAAC Tournament had significant implications for both the conference and national college basketball landscape, particularly due to Saint Peter's historic NCAA Tournament run that followed.

• Saint Peter's earned a #15 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight, becoming the first #15 seed to do so.
• The MAAC gained national exposure as Saint Peter's improbable run drew widespread media attention.
• Automatic NCAA bids underscore the importance of conference tournaments for mid-major programs.
• Player development was highlighted, with key performers like Doug Edert gaining national recognition.
• Conference prestige improved, potentially boosting future MAAC recruiting and TV deals.
• Small-school success demonstrated that underdog teams can compete at the highest level with the right preparation.

The 2022 tournament will be remembered not just for the outcome, but for how it launched one of the most surprising Cinderella stories in NCAA Tournament history, elevating the profile of the MAAC on the national stage.