WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University men's basketball team will play in the postseason for the first time since 2011 this week, as the Judges have earned a berth in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Tournament. The Judges (14-11) earned a number one seed in their pod and will host John Jay College (16-11) for a first-round matchup on Wednesday, February 27, at 7 p.m. at Auerbach Arena.
The ECAC tournament, which was a regional affair the last time the Judges qualified, now covers the entire ECAC membership. The quarterfinals through the finals will be held at overall top-seed, Hood College (Frederick, MD), from March 1-3.
This is the Judges' seventh all-time trip to the ECAC tournament. They won the New England crown in their last appearance in 2011, with their first title coming in 1992. This season's Judges are 14-11, going 7-4 in non-conference action and 7-7 in the University Athletic Association.They doubled their win total from 2017-18 and posted their highest overall and conference win totals since 2012-13. The Judges have posted wins over three teams that have qualified for the NCAA tournament: Salem State, Emerson, and Rochester.
Brandeis is led in scoring by senior Corey Sherman (Penn Valley, Pa./Lower Merion), who averages 13.5 points per game, 10th-best in the UAA. Sophomore Chandler Jones (Springfield, Mass./Springfield Commonwealth Academy) and junior Eric D'Aguanno (Saunderstown, R.I./St. Andrews School) average 11.9 and 11.3 points per game, respectively. D'Aguanno is ranked 36th in Division III in 3-point percentage, hitting 43.2 percent from beyond the arc. The Judges are also a terrific defensive team, allowing just 66.0 points per game, 29th-lowest in Division III.
This will be the first-ever meeting between Brandeis and John Jay. The Bloodhounds finished the regular season in third place in the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC), and fell to the second seeded College of Staten Island in the CUNYAC semifinals. The Bloodhounds are led by senior Essien Epps and junior Doug Levy, who average 16.4 and 15.4 points per game, respectively.
Click here for full ECAC Tournament info and a tournament bracket.