PDF Release
NEC Player of the Week: Kavon Stewart, RMU
NEC Rookie of the Week: Ikenna Ndugba, BRY
Previous NEC Releases: December 19 | December 12 | December 5 | November 28 | November 21 | November 14 | Preseason Poll Release | Preseason All-NEC Release | NEC-TV Release

NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kavon Stewart, Robert Morris
6’0”, 190 lbs.
Sr, G, Paterson, NJ/Hudson Catholic
Stewart claims the first NEC Player of the Week award of his career after sparking the Colonials to a 74-71 win over defending MAC champion Buffalo at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday. He tallied 18 points, a game-high seven assists, three rebounds and a steal in 34 minutes in RMU’s non-conference finale. Stewart contributed 14 points and five assists in the second half as the Colonials rallied from a six-point deficit. The Paterson, NJ product hit two free throws and had two assists - the second coming on an Aaron Tate slam with 1:01 to play - to spark an 8-0 run that gave the Colonials a 68-62 edge. He hit three more from the stripe, including a pair with 19 seconds remaining to keep RMU’s advantage at three points. Stewart ranks fourth in the NEC with 3.8 apg and is the league’s active leader with 434 dimes. He is also second in the conference with 1.92 spg and is RMU’s second-leading point producer with 11.0 ppg. 

NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Ikenna Ndugba, Bryant
6’0”, 190 lbs.
Fr., G, Boston, MA/Brooks School
The third Bryant player to take home NEC Rookie of the Week honors this season, Ndugba established a new career-high with 18 points on 6-13 shooting from the floor in a six-point setback to Dartmouth on Thursday. He hit a pair of three-pointers, matched a career-best with a game-high seven assists and added six rebounds. His back-to-back three-pointers gave Bryant its final lead of the game with under seven minutes to play. Ndugba, a Boston native, leads the NEC with a 2.07 assist-to-turnover ratio and ranks second with 4.8 apg. He also contributed 5.8 ppg during Bryant’s non-conference slate. Sabastian Townes (Nov. 14) and Adam Grant (Dec. 12) previously won the weekly award for the Bulldogs.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS

Austin Nehls (CCSU, So, G)
The sharpshooting Nehls racked up a career-high 26 points, hitting 5-10 from long distance, in an ironman like 40-minute stint at Fordham on Wednesday. He also drained 5-5 from the line, and added two assists and two steals. Nehls surpassed 100 career three-pointers in the game (101) in just his 40th career outing. He leads the NEC with a 46.2 percent mark from outside the arc.

Junior Robinson (MSM, Jr, G)
Robinson averaged 17.5 points and 3.5 assists in a 1-1 week for the Mount. He opened the week with a 20-point effort at Bucknell on Monday before adding 15 points and five assists in an 87-49 win over Coppin State three days later. Robinson shot 55.6 from the field, 60.0 percent from distance and a perfect 9-9 from the line.

Joseph Lopez (SHU, Jr, F)
Red-hot from the field in recent weeks, Lopez drilled 10-14 from the floor en-route to a career-high 22-point performance against Holy Cross on Wednesday. He also snared 10 rebounds in his third double-double of the season.

Glenn Sanabria (SFBK, So, G)
Sanabria contributed 17.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 2.0 apg last week for the Terriers. He hit 7-17 shots (.412) from long range. Sanabria matched his career-high with 21 points in a tight setback to Saint Peter’s on Friday.

Connor Ferrell (WC, Fr, G)
Ferrell, whose father Duane was an 11-year NBA veteran from 1988-99, Ferrell exploded for a career-high 20 points in Wagner’s win over neighboring College of Staten Island on Thursday. He made 4-6 shots from three-point territory and also pulled down a personal-best nine rebounds, all in 23 minutes of play off the bench.

PRESS RESET, #NECTIPOFF HAS ARRIVED
    
After nearly two months of long road trips, games at power conferences foes and bouts against local rivals, everything starts from scratch this week. This new journey will last 69 days with the long and winding road leading to the crowning of the 36th NEC men’s basketball champion on March 7th.

And it all begins on Thursday with #NECTipoff.

As a refresher, here was the predicted order of finish revealed this past October at NEC Social Media Day in Brooklyn:

   1. Fairleigh Dickinson (6)
   2. Wagner (4)
   3. Bryant
   4. LIU Brooklyn
       Mount St. Mary’s
   6. Robert Morris
   7. St. Francis Brooklyn
   8. Sacred Heart
   9. Saint Francis U
  10. Central Connecticut

Based on previous predictions of NEC head coaches, these rankings may need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Conducted annually, NEC coaches have only managed to correctly forecast the eventual league champion two times in the last 15 years.  Over the last 29 years, the coaches have proven inaccurate on 24 occasions or 83 percent of the time.

Last season, eventual NEC champion Fairleigh Dickinson was predicted to finish ninth, while regular season champ Wagner was tabbed sixth in the preseason rankings.

In a year in which the conference is dominated by youth, experience could certainly play a role in who comes out on top. With that said, could preseason favorite Fairleigh Dickinson have the inside track with Greg Herenda returning all but one player from last year’s title run?

Possibly.

But that run in and of itself proved that inexperience is not necessarily a detrimental factor in achieving success. The Knights won it all in 2016 with 11 underclassmen and not a single senior on the roster.

So what will it take to nab the regular season crown? Will a 14-4 or 13-5 mark be enough to secure top seed in NEC Tournament?

If history has any say in the matter, there will be one or more teams that eventually separate from the pack. The eventual NEC regular season champion has won at least 14 games in 11 of the last 12 years. Only last season was the magic number less than 14 as Wagner claimed the top spot with 13 wins. Prior to that, you have to go all the way back to the 2003-04 season to find a year in which parity truly reigned in the NEC.  That season, St. Francis Brooklyn and Monmouth finished tied for first with 12-6 records and only four games separated the teams in first and eighth place.

If there’s one thing that parity brings, it’s competitive games night-in and night-out and a high level of intrigue as teams battle not only for the regular season crown, but also for one of the eight NEC Tournament spots and the right to host games in the postseason.

In fact, there is a general feeling among NEC fans and media that this year’s race is completely wide open. Longtime NEC blogger Nelson Castillo alluded to that fact last week.

Nelson Castillo @NelCastBHJ
Just one last OOC gm left tmrw (SFBK @ St. Peter’s) before #NECMBB play begins. For me, no clearer picture now then when season started.

Perhaps the most intriguing storyline on opening weekend is LIU Brooklyn’s homestand with projected NEC contenders Mount St. Mary’s and Bryant. The Blackbirds won an NEC-best seven non-conference games with wins over St. John’s and a red-hot Northeastern team that recently picked up a win at Michigan State. A 2-0 start for LIU could give the Blackbirds some much needed momentum heading into the following weekend’s western PA swing at Robert Morris and Saint Francis U.

Opening Weekend NEC Slate
Thur., Dec. 29    Robert Morris at Sacred Heart, 3:30 pm
                  Bryant at St. Francis Brooklyn, 4 pm
                  Mount St. Mary’s at LIU Brooklyn, 4:30 pm
                  CCSU at Wagner, 7 pm
                  Saint Francis U at Fairleigh Dickinson, 7:30 pm
Sat., Dec. 31     Wagner at Mount St. Mary’s, 2 pm
                  Robert Morris at Fairleigh Dickinson, 3 pm
                  Saint Francis U at Sacred Heart, 3:30 pm
                  CCSU at St. Francis Brooklyn, 4 pm
                  Bryant at LIU Brooklyn, 4:30 pm

All ten games this week can be viewed at no charge on NEC Front Row or via the NEC on the Run app (also free) for iOS devices.

So as the New Year approaches, we hit the game reset.

Everyone is 0-0.

Watch as the story unfolds.

NEC-TV PACKAGE TO DEBUT ON JANUARY 5
The NEC’s 33-game TV slate is set to open with a marquee matchup on January 5 when Fairleigh Dickinson visits Wagner in a rematch of the 2016 NEC title game.

The game, which will tipoff at 9:00 pm on CBS Sports Network, also pits the NEC’s two preseason favorites as the Knights were picked first and the Seahawks second in the annual coaches’ poll.

Dave Popkin (PxP), Joe DeSantis (color) and Paul Dottino (sideline) will have the call.

NEC HALL OF FAMER JIM PHELAN NAMED TO CANDIDATE LIST FOR NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME
The man behind the bow tie could be looking at the most prestigious honor of his legendary career as the Mount’s Jim Phelan has been named to the list of eligible candidates for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

A press conference announcing the Finalists from the North American and Women’s committee for the Class of 2017 will be held at NBA All-Star Weekend, which is scheduled for Saturday, February 18th in New Orleans. The entire Class of 2017, including those selected by the direct elect committees, will be unveiled on Monday, April 3rd at the Men’s NCAA Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona.

Phelan ended his 49-year coaching career at Mount St. Mary’s with a remarkable 830 wins. The 49 seasons set an NCAA Division I record for both most seasons coached at one school and most seasons coached overall. His 1,354 career games coached ranks second all-time to Mike Krzyzewski.

The Philadelphia native and former basketball star at LaSalle ranks seventh all-time in career wins (10 seasons at NCAA DI) behind Mike Krzyzewski, Bob Knight, Jim Boeheim, Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp and Jim Calhoun. The two-time National Coach of the Year led his team to the NCAA College Division championship in 1962 and guided the Mount to 19 seasons with at least 20 wins. After elevating to Division I, his teams won NEC titles and made NCAA Tournament appearances in 1995 and 1999 as well as an NIT berth in 1996.

Phelan was selected to the Mount St. Mary’s University Hall of Fame in 1988, the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Northeast Conference Hall of Fame in 2010.

SHU’S LOPEZ UPDATE
Sacred Heart junior forward Joseph Lopez (Miami, FL/South Miami Senior (Broward College)) has showed no signs of letting up his recent stretch white-hot shooting. In the Pioneers’ lone game against Holy Cross last week, Lopez finished with 22 points on 10-14 shooting and has now converted 44 of his last 62 shot attempts, a 71.0 percent conversion rate. The junior forward is averaging 15.1 ppg and 9.0 rpg over the last seven games and has shot 58.4 percent on the year to rank second in the NEC.

MOUNT SHOOTS LIGHTS OUT IN COPPIN WIN
Mount St. Mary’s gave its fans an early Christmas present last week with an extraordinary shooting display in a runaway 87-49 win over Coppin State.

The Mountaineers shot 68.1 percent from the floor while hitting 16-25 (.640) from three-point range in the victory.

It was the second-best shooting night for the Mount since the team elevated to NCAA Division I in 1988-89. The Mountaineers shot 68.6 percent set in a 104-83 win over Norfolk State on January 3, 2014.

The 68.1 percent mark from the field marked an NEC single-game season-high and was the most accurate shooting performance by a team in the conference since the aforementioned Mount win over Norfolk State back in 2014.

It was also the best shooting effort from long range (15+ makes) since...you guessed it, the Mountaineers in that same game vs. Norfolk. The Mount hit 18-25 (.720) from three-point territory that night.

Senior forward Will Miller (Dallas, TX/Highland Park) led the way with five trifectas in seven attempts in last Thursday’s victory.

NEC SMALL BALL
Of the NEC’s top-14 scorers, 13 are listed as guards. Only LIU Brooklyn senior forward Jerome Frink (Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony (FIU)) cracked the league leaders, ranking fourth with 16.9 ppg. Taking it even further, 17 of the top-20 point producers are guards, as well as 21 of the top-25.

NEC YOUTH MOVEMENT
Of the NEC’s top-10 scorers, seven are underclassmen. Likewise, 14 of the top-20 and 19 of the top-30 are freshman or sophomores.

FDU’S ANDERSON STUFFING STAT SHEET
Fairleigh Dickinson junior guard Darian Anderson (Washington, D.C./St. John’s College) currently ranks in the NEC top-5 in scoring (19.1 ppg, second), free throw percentage (.889, second), three-point percentage (.416, fifth), three-pointers made (2.91/game, second) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0, third). He is the lone player to appear in the top-5 in five categories.

ZANNA’S EMERGENCE
LIU Brooklyn junior forward Nura Zanna (Kaduna, Nigeria/Coral Springs Christian (FL)), who entered this 2016-17 season with one double-double in 61 career games - of which he started 60 - has become a night-in and night-out threat to reach the statistical gem. He leads the NEC with five double-doubles on the year, including three in his last four contests. In that span, he has averaged 12.8 ppg and 11.0 rpg. Zanna leads the NEC in field goal percentage (.592) and ranks fifth in rebounding (7.8).

NEHLS’ LONG DISTANCE FEATS
CCSU sophomore guard Austin Nehls (Tucson, AZ/Cheshire Academy) has made at least 50 percent of his shots from three-point range in 8-of-12 games this season. His 46.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc is the top mark on the circuit.

ZOUZOUA STAT
Bryant sophomore guard Nisre Zouzoua (Brockton, MA/Boston Trinity) not only leads the NEC in scoring at 20.7 ppg, but is also the NEC’s top three-point threat. Zouzoua, who leads the conference with 3.17 three-pointers per outing, has been remarkably consistent from distance, hitting at least three treys in 9-of-12 games. He has converted at a 38.0 percent clip from distance this season.

QUOTABLE
“I think we played a tough nonconference schedule and we had a lot of good moments in stretches, but not a complete 40 minutes,” said Bryant head coach Tim O’Shea. “It’s a young team and the biggest thing for us will be consistency and I think we’ll improve on that against the league. We’re certainly talented enough and have the pieces to compete with anyone in an NEC that is wide open right now.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? LIU BROOKLYN’S JAMAL OLASWEERE
He was one of the most dominant offensive forces in NEC history.

With a unique style that was half bull in a china shop, half track and field sprinter, LIU Brooklyn’s Jamal Olasewere terrorized defenses for four years to the tune of 1,871 points from 2009-13. In that span, he won three straight NEC Tournament titles from 2011-13 and was tabbed the 2012-13 NEC Player of the Year after averaging 18.9 ppg and 8.6 rpg while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor. Olasewere was a two-time All-NEC first teamer and was named the NEC Tournament MVP as a sophomore after finishing with 31 points, 11 rebounds and four steals in the championship game against Robert Morris.

2013 Google Hangout with Jamal Olasewere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnOJatdPT74

Jamal Olasewere Dunk (2012): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suddyhRteWk

Following graduation, he worked out for the Knicks and Nets, before embarking on his professional career. His first stop came in Belgium competing for VOO Wolves Verviers-Pepinster during the 2014-15 season. He averaged 11.1 ppg and 4.8 rpg in his rookie year.

Olasewere Verviers-Pepinster highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiILr0j6DEQ

The 6’7” forward moved on to play for Acea Virtus Roma in the Italian Seria A2 league for the 2015-16 season. His numbers ballooned to 14.2 ppg and a team-high 7.7 rpg on 55.9 percent shooting from the floor.

Olasewere Virtus Roma highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VztmLksBjKU

Playing for his third team in as many seasons, Olasewere signed on with Hapoel Ramat Gan Givataim in Israel for the 2016-17 campaign. The Silver Spring, MD native is putting up 15.7 ppg and a team-high 9.2 rpg.

Olasewere also earned a spot on the Nigerian National Team competing at Afrobasket in 2013 and 2015. Afrobasket is alternately known as the FIBA African Championship.

Olasewere Alley-Oop at 2015 Afrobasket: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AO6mFGsVIk

QUICK HITTERS
Mount St. Mary’s freshman guard Miles Wilson (Reisterstown, MD/Mount St. Joseph) averaged 12.5 ppg last week. He scored 14 points at Bucknell and followed with 11 points in the Mount’s victory over Coppin State. Wilson was 4-4 from the field, hitting all three of his three-point attempts, against the Eagles and shot 60.0 percent overall for the week.

Folllowing its 74-71 win over Buffalo last week, Robert Morris finished 2-0 in designated home games at the PPG Paints Arena, the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Robert Morris is 2-0 this season when visiting the chalk at least 30 times in a game and 22-9 (.710) in seven seasons under head coach Andrew Toole when turning the trick.

Wagner head coach Bashir Mason won his 75th career game last Thursday in a 94-42 win over neighboring Staten Island.

Wagner’s 52-point victory over CSI was the program’s second-highest margin of victory to date. The program record is 65, set during the 1957-58 campaign in a 109-44 win over Merchant Marine Academy.

Wagner’s bench accounted for 70 points in its 94-42 win over CSI.

Wagner sophomore guard Devin Liggeons (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) had a career night off the bench against CSI, tallying 17 points on 4-5 shooting in 18 minutes of action. He hit 3-4 shots from three-point range.

TWEET DECK

Donyell Marshall @Dmarsh42
Great day hanging out at the homeless shelter in Hartford playing Games and just talking. Great time making others smile. #itstime #ccsu

Nelson Castillo @NelCastBHJ
At this point, I think Mount’s Chris Wray might be the most athletic player in #NECMBB. Dude jumps out of the gym.

Angela Lento @collegeinsider
What a night for this guy and Robert Morris. Kavon Stewart had 18 points & 7 assists in a win over defending MAC champion Buffalo #HeCanPlay

Jonathan Reyes@werdynerdy
Connor Ferrell is going off. Another freshman guard on the rise for these Seahawks? Coach @BashirMason sure knows how to recruit players.

David Cordova @davidarsenio10
If you are playing against @CCSU_MBB this season, look out for Austin Nehls on the corner, he’s a sniper!

John Templon @nybuckets
St. Francis Brooklyn hosts Saint Peter’s tomorrow and that’s all she wrote for #NECMBB non-conference. Let the race (really) begin!