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Somerset, NJ -- With two preseason All-NEC honorees back in the fold, the Mount St. Mary’s men’s basketball team is prepared to unleash even more “Mayhem” on its Northeast Conference rivals this season.  Named the 2015-16 NEC favorite by league head coaches, the Mount hopes to secure its second NEC Tournament championship of the Jamion Christian era and fifth in program history come March.

The announcement of the annual preseason poll was made Tuesday morning during NEC Basketball “Social” Media Day at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.  Mount St. Mary’s claimed six first place votes to finish ahead of defending NEC champion Robert Morris, which earned three first place nods.

Bryant secured one first place vote and was chosen third in the poll.  LIU Brooklyn was picked fourth and 2015 NEC regular season champion St. Francis Brooklyn landed in the fifth spot.  Wagner was tabbed sixth, followed by Sacred Heart in seventh and Saint Francis U in the eighth position.  Fairleigh Dickinson and Central Connecticut rounded out the poll.

Conducted annually, NEC coaches have only managed to correctly forecast the eventual league champion two times in the last 16 years.  Over the last 28 years, the coaches have proven inaccurate on 24 occasions or 86 percent of the time.
 

015-16 NEC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll    1. Mount St. Mary’s (6)    2. Robert Morris (3)    3. Bryant (1)    4. LIU Brooklyn    5. St. Francis Brooklyn    6. Wagner    7. Sacred Heart    8. Saint Francis U    9. Fairleigh Dickinson    10. Central Connecticut    First place votes in parentheses

Mount St. Mary’s (15-15, 11-7 NEC - Reached NEC Quarterfinals)
Mount St. Mary’s basketball can be divided into three distinct eras during its 27 years in the NEC.  Under NEC Hall of Famer Jim Phelan, the Mount established itself as an NEC contender and claimed a pair of NEC titles. The Mountaineers would go onto enjoy a terrific run under defensive-minded Milan Brown that yielded another NEC crown in 2008.  When former Mount player Jamion Christian took over in 2012 as the nation’s third youngest head coach, he immediately dubbed his team’s brand of hoops as “Mount Mayhem,” a decision that has paid off both in a branding sense and by way of results on the court.  Mount St. Mary’s won its fourth NEC championship in Christian’s first year and reached the NEC title game in his second season.

Now entering his fourth year, Christian has assembled his biggest and deepest team yet, led by a pair of returning All-NEC players well versed in the “Mayhem” approach in junior guard BK Ashe (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate) and senior forward Gregory Graves (Sterling, VA/Potomac Falls). One of the league’s most versatile guards, Ashe can beat you in any number of ways.  He paced the Mount with 54 three-pointers a year ago, but also became a highlight reel staple with an assortment of high-flying slams.  Ashe’s 11.9 ppg led a balanced Mount scoring attack, followed by Graves, who supplied 10.1 ppg. An athletic, yet bruising power forward, Graves ranked seventh in the NEC with 7.4 rpg and tallied five double-doubles in 2014-15. Despite measuring just 5’5”, cat-quick point guard Junior Robinson (Mebane, NC/Eastern Alamance) immediately earned a starting spot as a freshman, contributing 8.2 ppg and 3.3 apg en-route to NEC All-Rookie plaudits.  Junior sharpshooter Will Miller (Dallas, TX/Highland Park) has made 103 three-pointers in his first two seasons and classmate Khalid Nwandu (York, PA/Northeastern) is one of the elite on-the-ball defenders in the NEC. In the pivot, Taylor Danaher (Fredericksburg, VA/Fredericksburg Christian School) returns for his senior year.  The league’s lone 7-footer, Danaher led the Mount with 38 blocks last season and has made 56.6 percent of his field goal attempts over the course of his career.

Robert Morris (20-15, 12-6 NEC - NEC Tournament Champion, Defeated North Florida in NCAA Opening Round)
In crafting the greatest postseason resume in the history of the Conference, there was just one small item missing on Andrew Toole’s burgeoning resume - an NEC Tournament title. He was able to check that off the list last March as the Colonials entered a packed, raucous Pope Center in Brooklyn and walked away with the program’s eighth NEC championship, three more than any other school.  This was only the start for Robert Morris, which won a postseason game for the fourth straight year by rallying to defeat North Florida, 81-77, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Colonials have posted a 183-96 (.656) record since the start of the 2007-08 season, a league record for wins over an eight-year span. During that time frame, RMU ranks ninth among mid-major programs for victories.  Likewise, the Colonials possess a 111-31 (.782) NEC mark over the last eight seasons, the best stretch in league history.

The most remarkable aspect of RMU’s run is the program’s ability replace key players and seamlessly integrate newcomers into the mix year after year.  With the loss of NEC Player of the Year Karvel Anderson to graduation, All-NEC second teamer Rodney Pryor (Evanston, IL/Notre Dame Prep (Cloud Community CC)) was the latest to make an immediate impact upon his arrival in Moon Township last season.  The sweet-shooting lefty swingman and preseason All-NEC pick not only led RMU and ranked sixth in the NEC with 15.6 ppg, but did so with great efficiency.  Pryor made 48.1 percent of his shots from the floor and finished second in the league in three-point accuracy, converting at a 42.9 percent rate.  Come the postseason, Pryor was tabbed NEC Tournament MVP and scored a game-high 23 points against Duke in the NCAA Tournament.  Kavon Stewart (Paterson, NJ/Hudson Catholic) enjoyed a terrific sophomore year, blossoming into one of the NEC’s top point guards by year’s end.  He supplied 6.1 ppg and ranked fourth on the circuit with 4.6 apg.  He was at his best in the Colonials’ NEC Tournament run where he averaged 13.3 ppg, 6.3 apg and 3.7 spg.  Another newcomer who gave RMU a lift was Elijah Minnie (Monessen, PA/Lincoln Park).  Minnie came on strong down the stretch of his freshman season, finishing with 14 points and nine boards in the NEC title win over St. Francis Brooklyn, and 12 points and 10 boards in his team’s victory over North Florida in the NCAA Tournament.  For the year, Minnie contributed 6.8 ppg and 4.9 rpg while making 54.7 percent of his field goal attempts.  Look for veteran forward Aaron Tate (Cove City, NC/West Craven (Dodge City CC)) (3.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg) to do all the dirty work in the paint for RMU in his senior campaign.  The Colonials, who lost All-NEC standouts Lucky Jones and Marcquise Reed, add eight newcomers to the roster this season.

Bryant (16-15, 12-6 NEC - Reached NEC Semifinals)
Bryant has come on strong the last three years, lodging itself near the top of the NEC standings each season and reaching the NEC semifinals last March.  Under the guidance of eighth year head coach Tim O’Shea, the Bulldogs in recent years have sported some of the most accomplished players and recognizable names in the conference in Alex Francis, Dyami Starks, Corey Maynard and Joe O’Shea.  With all four ex-NEC all-stars now playing professionally, Bryant has turned the page so to speak, with a new wave of talented players looking to lead the Bulldogs to their first NEC crown.

O’Shea’s cornerstone piece is junior forward Dan Garvin (Bethel, CT/Bethel), a preseason All-NEC selection. One of the league’s elite athletes and a shot-altering defensive presence in the paint, Garvin blossomed as a sophomore, when he ranked third in the NEC in blocked shots (1.6) and fourth in rebounding (7.9).  He was Bryant’s second leading scorer at 10.9 ppg, converted 52.5 percent from the field and posted six double-doubles. Senior guard Shane McLaughlin (Old Tappan, NJ/Old Tappan (Choate Rosemary Hall) will provide a veteran presence at the point.  McLaughlin nearly doubled his scoring and assist output last season, averaging 7.5 ppg and 4.8 apg, which ranked third on the circuit.  He also saved his best game for when it mattered most, finishing with a career-high 18 points, to go along with five rebounds and five assists in Bryant’s double overtime victory over Sacred Heart in the NEC quarterfinals.  Sophomore guard Hunter Ware (Powder Springs, GA/North Cobb Christian) comes off a solid freshman season that saw him chip in 5.6 ppg off the bench. The X-factor for Bryant may be the continued development of sophomore swingman Bosko Kostur (Melbourne, Australia/Hallam Senior College), who came out of nowhere midway through last season to average 12.4 points over his last 13 games.

LIU Brooklyn (12-18, 8-10 NEC - Reached NEC Quarterfinals)
LIU Brooklyn appears to be a team built for the long haul.  After doubling their NEC win total last season, the Blackbirds enter the 2015-16 campaign with a deep, versatile group that appears ready to take the leap without a single senior on the roster.  Now in his fourth year, head coach Jack Perri is hopeful his youthful squad is on the precipice of another run atop the conference standings similar to the one that brought three straight NEC championships to Brooklyn from 2011-13.

The future is bright when you boast a pair All-NEC rookies like the Blackbirds possess in Nura Zanna (Kaduna, Nigeria/Coral Springs Christian (FL)) and Martin Hermannsson (Reykjavik, Iceland/Reykjavík).  Zanna delivered as advertised last season, providing LIU with a sturdy low-post presence.  With a variety of moves on the block, the 6’7”, 240 lb. forward averaged 8.5 ppg and ranked in the NEC top-10 in both rebounding (6.2) and field goal percentage (.473). Hermannsson looked like anything but a rookie for the Blackbirds last season.  The Icelandic import ranked fourth among NEC freshman and finished second on the Blackbirds with 10.1 ppg, while also contributing 3.8 rpg and 3.3 apg.  Junior guards Joel Hernandez (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) and Iverson Fleming (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) were solid contributors last season and will play key roles in the upcoming campaign.  Hernandez, a rugged, versatile off-guard, averaged 8.0 ppg as a part-time starter, while Fleming came off the bench at the point to tally 4.7 ppg.  Look for bruising Florida International transfer Jerome Frink (Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony (Florida International)) to make an immediate impact at power forward.  Frink, a 6’7” junior, averaged 9.3 ppg and 5.3 ppg as a two-year starter at FIU.

St. Francis Brooklyn (23-12, 15-3 NEC - NEC Regular Season Champion, NEC Tournament Runner-Up)
One of the great stories in New York City hoops last year, St. Francis Brooklyn came within a whisker of claiming the program’s first NEC championship after capturing the NEC regular season title for the third time.  But the four points that separated the Terriers from hoisting the NEC trophy did little to diminish a season that ranked among the best in school history.  SFBK matched the program’s single-season record with 23 wins and reached the postseason for the first time in 52 years with an appearance in the Postseason NIT.  While sixth year head coach Glenn Braica will no longer have the services of NEC all-time rebound king Jalen Cannon and fellow NEC first teamer Brent Jones, there is plenty left in the cupboard for the Terriers to make another run at the elusive crown.

The Terriers bring back a strong nucleus, most notably in the frontcourt with NEC Defensive Player of the Year Amdy Fall (New York, NY/Wings Academy) and starting power forward Chris Hooper (Bronx, NY/Satellite Academy (Odessa CC)) manning the paint in this, their senior years.  Fall’s contributions as a rim protector cannot be underestimated as the high-flying 6’7” forward paced the NEC and ranked 16th nationally with 2.8 rejections per game.  Fall served as the backbone of a SFBK defense that allowed just 64.6 ppg last season and ranked first in the NEC in field goal percentage defense (.426).  Hooper’s (5.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg) footwork down on the block makes him a dangerous weapon as Richmond found out in the NIT when the Bronx native posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards.  Look for senior Tyreek Jewell (Bronx, NY/H.S. of Leadership & Public Service (Jamestown CC)) and sophomore Glenn Sanabria (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter’s) to take command of the backcourt this coming year.  One of the NEC’s elite perimeter defenders, Jewell averaged 9.3 ppg and had two of his best offensive games when it counted most, finishing with 19 points in the NEC final and 14 in the NIT.  In a freshman class that featured a host of terrific point guards, Sanabria was right there with the best of them.  The Staten Island native led the NEC in three-point accuracy at 44.9 percent and chipped in with 6.0 ppg off the bench.

Wagner (10-20, 8-10 NEC - Reached NEC Quarterfinals)
After three straight second place NEC finishes, Wagner’s seventh place showing last year may have surprised long time fans of the program, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the 2014-15 campaign was merely a transitional year for the Seahawks, with a quick turnaround in order.  Now in his fourth year at the helm of the program, Bashir Mason brings back a team with equal parts youth and experience, and one with the size, athleticism and depth needed to rejoin the NEC elite.

Mason will have to replace a prolific scorer with the graduation of All-NEC first teamer Marcus Burton, but there are plenty of options in what may be a balanced scoring backcourt for the Seahawks. Along with the return of redshirt junior guard Dwaun Anderson (Suttons Bay, MI/Suttons Bay (Michigan State)), who missed all of last season with a foot injury, a trio of sophomores who merited 57 starts as freshmen last season are back in the fold in JoJo Cooper (Wilmington, DE/Concord), Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, MD/DeMatha Catholic) and Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Potomac (Mt. Zion Prep)). Cooper (6.9 ppg, 4.0 apg) earned comparisons to former Wagner great Kenneth Ortiz with his gritty play and ability to run the point, while Henson earned the green light from distance, finishing with 41 three-pointers and 9.1 ppg on the year.  Playing bigger than his 6’3” listed height, Saunders contributed 7.9 ppg and 4.1 rpg.  Up front, Mason is hoping for a healthy Mike Aaman (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan (URI)), a URI transfer who was nothing short of sensational in NEC play, averaging a double-double with 11.7 ppg and 10.8 rpg versus league opposition.  The redshirt senior had one of the great games of the 2014-15 campaign when he recorded 20 points and an NEC single-game season-high 23 boards in a win over FDU in February.

Sacred Heart (15-15, 9-9 NEC - Reached NEC Quarterfinals)
Things are certainly on the upswing in Fairfield.  Anthony Latina’s charges finished tied for fifth in the NEC standings a year ago, the program’s best showing since the 2008-09 season, and nearly rode right into the NEC semifinals before a last second Bryant shot helped fell the Pioneers in one of the great conference tournament games of recent vintage.  Now in his third year, Latina lost a trio of seniors who helped rebuild the SHU program in All-NEC guard Evan Kelley, assist wizard Phil Gaetano and sharpshooter Steve Glowiak, but returns a number of players who stepped into key roles last season to help spark the team’s turnaround and lead the NEC’s most prolific scoring offense (73.8 ppg).

If Latina could place a franchise tag on one player, it would have to be sophomore guard Cane Broome (East Hartford, CT/ East Hartford (St. Thomas More)), the recipient of no less than five NEC Rookie of the Week honors and a spot on the NEC All-Rookie team at year’s end. Broome paced the Pioneers in scoring and ranked eighth in the league with 14.5 ppg.  Nearly impossible to guard off the dribble, he also drained 45 shots from long range and showed a penchant for taking games over late. Jordan Allen (Bayshore, NY/Long Island Lutheran (Hofstra)), a Hofstra transfer, provided the Pioneers with a much-needed inside presence last season.  The 6’6” forward was deadly accurate around the hoop, hitting a league-best 62.3 percent of his shots, and finished the year with 8.7 ppg and 4.2 rpg.  Senior forward Tevin Falzon (Newton, MA/Newton North (Winchendon School)) was once of the NEC’s most improved players in 2014-15.  He ranked second in the NEC in offensive rebounds and finished sixth in the league with 7.6 rpg to go along with 8.1 ppg.  De’von Barnett (Waldorf, MD/Riverdale Baptist School) seemed primed for a breakout junior season, but suffered an offseason shoulder injury making his availability questionable for the upcoming year.  The uber athletic small forward tossed in 10.8 ppg on a robust 57.1 percent shooting from the floor, and added 4.8 rpg for the Pioneers as a sophomore.

Saint Francis U (16-16, 9-9 NEC - Reached NEC Semifinals)
The last two years have brought a new level of excitement to the Saint Francis U faithful under the watchful eye of Rob Krimmel.  The former SFU player and fourth year head coach has guided the Red Flash to the NEC semifinals in each of the last two years and last March took the program to its first postseason game in 24 years when it faced Bowling Green in the CIT.  Emphasizing strong defense - SFU allowed a league-low 64.1 ppg - team ball and unselfish play, the Red Flash spent the last few seasons building team chemistry, but now must replace an all-time great in Earl Brown, who is currently playing professionally in Iceland.

Krimmel can lean on a trio of seniors and a key junior in his quest to keep elevating the SFU program to new levels.  Senior forward Ronnie Drinnon (Jamestown, OH/Greenview) emerged as one of the NEC’s top rebounders last season, hauling in 7.8 boards per contest to rank fifth in the conference.  Drinnon, who averaged 8.1 ppg, has a non-stop motor, and will be a prime target for junior guard Malik Harmon (Queens, NY/Christ the King) and senior guard Greg Brown (Odenton, MD/Archbishop Spalding).  Harmon, the 2013-14 NEC Rookie of the Year who plays with the poise of a veteran, comes off a strong sophomore campaign that saw him finish second on the Red Flash in scoring (9.7) and trifectas (43), while leading the team with 2.7 apg.  Brown is one of the NEC’s top glue guys, a player who contributes in ways not necessarily reflected in the scorebook.  Brown converted at a 50.5 percent clip from the floor and ended his junior year with 8.2 ppg and 2.4 apg.  Senior bomber Ben Millaud-Meunier (Montreal, Quebec/Vanier) came off the bench to make 36 shots from outside the arc last season and has drilled 131 in his three years.  Look for promising sophomore forward Basil Thompson (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) to help fill the void left by Earl Brown’s departure.

Fairleigh Dickinson (8-21, 3-15 NEC)
After a strong non-conference campaign that included notable victories over Saint Joseph’s, Princeton, Delaware and Towson, Fairleigh Dickinson won its first two NEC games and it appeared second year head coach Greg Herenda and the Knights were headed for big things.  But in sporting one of the nation’s younger rosters and without a true interior force, FDU found it difficult to close out games, dropping seven contests by five points or less.  Now in his third season, Herenda’s team will still be one of dominated by youth - 11 of the 13 players on the roster are underclassmen, including six freshmen - but one with burgeoning talents and long term potential.

Thrown into the fire as freshmen, Darian Anderson (Washington, D.C./St. John’s College) and Marques Townes (Edison, NJ/St. Joseph Metuchen) showed flashes of star potential and could be looking at a four-year run as cornerstones of Herenda’s backcourt.  Anderson ranked third among NEC freshman with 11.6 ppg and third overall in the conference with 1.8 spg.  He also supplied 3.0 apg and 3.5 rpg in an outstanding all-around campaign.  A strong, sturdy player who knows his way around the hoop, Townes led the Knights and ranked fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.527), while averaging 9.1 ppg.  Sophomore Earl Potts, Jr. (Severn, MD/Archbishop Spalding) (6.6 ppg) turned heads with his high-flying acrobatics and finished strong, averaging 12.3 ppg over his last eight outings.  A key piece for the Knights will be redshirt junior forward Tyrone O’Garro (Newark. NJ/Saint Peter’s Prep (Monmouth)).  The Monmouth transfer averaged 4.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg two years ago and will be expected to provide a veteran presence in the Knights’ young frontcourt.

Central Connecticut (5-26, 3-15 NEC)
Traditionally one of the stronger NEC programs, Central Connecticut will look to turn the corner following a challenging 2014-15 season.  The Blue Devils had their 16-year streak of reaching the NEC Tournament snapped, but saw the emergence of a trio of players that Howie Dickenman - the dean of NEC head coaches who enters his 21st year at his alma mater - will be relying upon to return CCSU to conference contender status.

With the graduation of Faronte Drakeford, Dickenman will turn to senior forward Brandon Peel (Forestville, MD/Riverdale Baptist) to lead a youthful front line.  Peel’s year-to-year improvement has left him on the verge of stardom.  An active presence on both ends of the floor, the Forestville, MD product ranked second in the NEC in both rebounding (8.8) and blocked shots (1.7), and averaged 9.1 ppg last season.  He entered the national spotlight in January when he drained a long three-point heave at the buzzer to beat Wagner and landed a spot in the SportsCenter Top-10.  Junior guard Khalen Cumberlander (Washington, D.C./Coolidge) was a steadying presence and consistent performer all year long for the Blue Devils.  Cumberlander finished the year averaging 9.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 2.2 apg.  Kevin Seymour (Bronx, NY/Blair Academy) assumed starting point guard duties as a freshman, a role he may not relinquish after ranking seventh in the NEC in assists (3.4) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.68).  Look for a host of first-year players to earn major minutes this season with Dickenman adding nine newcomers to the mix.

NEC Preseason Coaches Poll History (last 26 years)          
          
Year        Preseason Favorite                       NEC Tournament Champion
            (actual regular season finish)          (preseason selection)
 
2014-15     St. Francis Brooklyn (1st)               Robert Morris (3rd)
2013-14     Wagner (2nd)                             Mount St. Mary's (6th)
2012-13     LIU Brooklyn (3rd)                       LIU Brooklyn (1st)
2011-12     LIU Brooklyn (1st)                       LIU Brooklyn (1st)
2010-11     Quinnipiac (2nd)                         LIU Brooklyn (3rd)
2009-10     Mount St. Mary’s (3rd)                   Robert Morris (tie 3rd)
2008-09     Mount St. Mary’s (tie 2nd)               Robert Morris (3rd)
2007-08     Sacred Heart (3rd)                       Mount St. Mary’s (4th) 
2006-07     Monmouth (tie 8th)                       CCSU (tie 4th)
2005-06     Fairleigh Dickinson (1st)                Monmouth (2nd)
2004-05     Monmouth (1st)                           Fairleigh Dickinson (2nd)
2003-04     Quinnipiac (10th)                        Monmouth (3rd)
2002-03     CCSU (3rd)                               Wagner (2nd)
2001-02     Monmouth (4th)                           CCSU (4th)
2000-01     CCSU (tie 5th)                           Monmouth (3rd)
1999-00     Mount St. Mary’s (tie 7th)               CCSU (3rd)
1998-99     Mount St. Mary’s (tie 5th)               Mount St. Mary’s (1st)
1997-98     LIU Brooklyn (1st)                       Fairleigh Dickinson (2nd)
1996-97     Monmouth (3rd)                           LIU Brooklyn (4th)
1995-96     Monmouth/Rider (tie 2nd/4th)             Monmouth (tie 1st)
1994-95     Rider (1st)                              Mount St. Mary’s (3rd)
1993-94     Fairleigh Dickinson (tie 5th)            Rider (3rd)
1992-93     Wagner (2nd)                             Rider (3rd)
1991-92     Monmouth (tie 2nd)                       Robert Morris (2nd)
1990-91     Monmouth (4th)                           Saint Francis U (3rd)
1989-90     Fairleigh Dickinson (6th)                Robert Morris (3rd)
1988-89     Monmouth (3rd)                           Robert Morris (5th)
1987-88     *Marist (tie 1st)                        Fairleigh Dickinson (2nd)

* Marist was ineligible for the NEC Tournament in 1987-88

About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 35th year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#23), Baltimore (#27), and Hartford/New Haven (#30).  Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 22 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary’s, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Google+, all @NECsports.