The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference will be moving it’s Basketball Championships to the MassMutual Center in Springfield for three straight years, starting in 2012.

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, choosing a neutral site, will move their Conference Basketball Championships to the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA for three straight years.

The Times Union Center has hosted the tournament for the last two years and will this year. The Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton was scheduled to host the tournament in 2009 but requested the MAAC make alternate plans in July 2008 to move the Championships to Albany.

The last time the MAAC Tournament was hosted for 3 or more years before this was when the MAAC made a home in upstate New York: when they let Albany host seven straight MAAC Tournaments from 1990 to 1996.

The Conference’s 10 Presidents voted on a new facility, choosing the MassMutual Center over Bridgeport’s Arena at Harbor Yards and the Times Union Center. Newark’s Prudential Center withdrew their bid just under a week ago.

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference scheduled a press conference tomorrow morning to make the announcement in Springfield.

Springfield, the home to the National Basketball Hall of Fame, has distinguished itself as an ideal candidate to host the tournament and has an intimate setting of just over 6,000 seats. The MassMutual Center currently hosts the AHL’s Springfield Falcons and the NBA Development League’s Springfield Armor.

The MassMutual Center hosts various UMass Basketball games and is set to host the NCAA Division II Championships, the Elite Eight, in the next two years.

This will be the first time where the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference will give such a neutral feel since having the tournament held in the Meadowlands in the late 1980s.

Last year the MAAC set a record drawing 52,820 to the Times Union Center culminating in Siena’s second straight MAAC Championship.

This year’s MAAC Basketball Championships marks the 15th time the tournament will be hosted in Albany.

Not only does he threaten the opponent with a double-double each night, he brings a terrifc basketball IQ to the team behind the scenes, and it always shows on the floor. He denied a look inside on a possession early in the second half, gathered the loose ball and threw it out to Clarence Jackson, who tossed it to Edwin Ubiles for two fast break points. Again, not on the stat sheet, but Duelly noted Ryan.

He’s also extremely impressive with accepting the entry pass. Watching Ryan and Ronald Moore work together, a little R & R, it’s truly a privilege to watch. There are so many big men throughout college basketball who struggle with handling the ball and getting it up quickly and efficiently. In his first two games this season, Rossiter has 21 points and 21 rebounds to accompany his off the ball skills.

To watch a replay of Tuesday’s action click here »

Niagara, who depended on the three point ball to keep them tied with Siena at halftime by sinking 6 of 19, went 3 of 18 from behind the arc in the second half and could not cool down the Saints hot shooting. Kenny Hasbrouck scored 17 of his team high 19 points in the second half. Ryan Rossiter posted a double double with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Ronald Moore turned in a good performance even though he was given a disputed technical foul in the first half. Moore was barely short of a triple double with 7 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists.

Siena is now 4-3 in MAAC Championship games, 4-2 against Niagara in the tournament, 9-2 as the #1 seed in the MAAC Tournament and 8-2 under Fran McCaffery.

We will have updates throughout the week on not only the fallout of the MAACs, but Bracketology as well as the Saints go marching to their fifth Big Dance.

Niagara defended the three point line really well these past two days, letting their opponents only shoot 11 of 45 (24.4%) from behind the arc. Siena hasn’t thoroughly used the three but has done well the last two days going 14 of 38 (36.8%).

Kenny Hasbrouck‘s status is still a question to be answered before tipoff, I’m sure we will have more information as the story is ongoing. Edwin Ubiles has been in early foul trouble in each of the first two games and Siena will probably need Ubiles to keep his hot streak against Niagara. Ubiles, in his career, has put up games of at least 19 points per game in 5 of his 7 career games against the Purple Eagles.

One red flag that Siena fans worry about is Free Throw shooting. Before worrying about it too much, understand that Niagara left 16 points at the free throw line last night and shot 28 of 44 from the line.

Bracket Worries
If Siena can’t pull it off tonight, there is still an at-large chance. Siena will have to become fans of conference favorites such as Memphis, any of the Big East top 7, LSU-Tennessee-South Carolina in the SEC and BYU or Utah in the MWC to win their conference tournaments. They would probably have some help by wins by Butler and Gonzaga tonight. It’s that or have teams on the bubble play themselves out as Creighton likely did this past weekend.

Bracketology updates start today and go through the week every day on ESPN.com.