All year, there's a temptation to talk MAAC tournament seeding far before anything will be set in stone. Now, though, it's possible to talk specifics.

Siena can clinch then No. 1 seed, for instance, with a win tonight over Fairfield, while several other games will have major seeding implications.

Here are my top five games of the week, all of which will help determine how the teams stack up at the end of the month:

5. Saint Peter's at Loyola, Friday, 7 p.m.

With back-to-back wins at Rider and Manhattan, the 5-9 Hounds suddenly aren't a lock for the play-in round. With a healthy Brett Harvey being joined in the backcourt by Jamal Barney, it's conceivable Loyola could get hot down the stretch, jump a few teams, and finish in the top six. But if they're going to do that, beating the Peacocks at home is a must.

4. Siena at Canisius, Sunday, 2 p.m.

This game is intriguing primarily because of the bad blood that came out of the teams' first meeting, when the Golden Griffs' Robert Goldsberry took out the Saints' Alex Franklin and tempers flared.

Of equal importance, though, is that it's at least conceivable Canisius could get hot, feed off the home crowd and make this interesting. With Siena closing in on an undefeated regular season, any game that COULD be close deserves added attention.

3. Fairfield at Siena, tonight, 7 p.m. MAAC TV

The Stags, as they will be for the rest of the year, will be playing without Yorel Hawkins. But that didn't stop them from taking it to Saint Peter's in an impressive -- and much-needed -- win last Friday.

Fairfield has played well enough all year that it's not a lock for Siena, but you can expect the Times Union Center to be rockin' with a regular-season title within reach.

2. Siena at Niagara, Friday, 8 p.m., MAAC TV

Even given the Purple Eagles' struggles, this is a losable game for Siena if the Eagles get hot from 3. The Gallagher Center should be hoppin, and it's a big game for Niagara given the Eagles' undesirable position in the MAAC standings.

1. Niagara at Rider, tonight, 7 p.m.

This game has always loomed large on the calendar for both teams, but for reasons wholly different from the ones that matter tonight.

Instead of the teams jockeying for second place in the league and a potential NIT bid, they're battling to avoid the play-in round, with the teams part of a three-way tie with Canisius for fifth place.

The winner will have some breathing room, while the loser will have no margin for error down the stretch.