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NEC Player of the Week: Quincy McKnight, SHU
NEC Co-Rookies of the Week: Keith Braxton, SHU & Adam Grant, BRY
Previous NEC Releases: January 9 | January 2 | December 26 | 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
Quincy McKnight, Sacred Heart
6’3”, 180 lbs.
So, G, Bridgeport, CT/St. Joseph’s (Phelps)
McKnight takes home his league-best third NEC Player of the Week honor following one of the most prodigious offensive weeks in recent memory. McKnight averaged 35.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals and shot 53.3 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range. He opened his week with 26 points and four boards as Sacred Heart posted an 87-75 road win over St. Francis Brooklyn. But it was his performance two days later that will be remembered for years to come. McKnight finished with a career and NEC single-game season-high 44 points as the Pioneers outlasted Bryant, 112-110, in a three-overtime instant classic. The Bridgeport, CT native added nine rebounds, six assists and four steals, while hitting 16-26 shots, including 4-6 from outside the arc. McKnight scored 35 after halftime, and had 13 points and four assists in the OTs. His layup with 21 seconds to play sent the game to a third OT, and he assisted on Joseph Lopez’s game-winning layup with four seconds on the clock. The 44 points were the most by an NEC player since the Mount’s Sam Prescott dropped 44 versus Bryant on February 14, 2013 and tied for the eighth higest single-game total in NEC history. He ranks fourth on the NCAA single-game points list this season and he also became the nation’s lone player since 2010 to finish a game with at least 44 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals. McKnight ranks second in the NEC with 19.9 ppg and leads the circuit with 21.8 ppg in league play.
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL CO-ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
Keith Braxton, Saint Francis U
6’4”, 208 lbs.
Fr., G, Glassboro, NJ/The Lawrenceville School
Braxton claims his league-leading fourth NEC Rookie of the Week honor after posting outstanding all-around numbers in a split for the Red Flash. He averaged 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals and shot a scorching 70.8 percent from the field. Braxton tallied 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals as SFU knocked off in-state rival Robert Morris on Thursday by a 77-57 final score. Braxton did it all for the Red Flash on Saturday, finishing with a game-high 25 points on 11-16 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds and five assists in his fourth double-double effort of the year. Braxton, who hails from Glassboro, NJ, is averaging 12.7 ppg on the year and 17.0 ppg in league play. He leads all NEC freshmen in rebounding (8.4) and field goal percentage (.527).
Adam Grant, Bryant
6’1”, 170 lbs.
Fr, G, Franklin, VA/Norfolk Collegiate School
Grant’s second NEC Rookie of the Week honor comes as a direct result of one of the most memorable performances by a freshman in conference history. Grant, who averaged 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 4.0 steals on the week, netted a career-high 32 points on Saturday in a 112-110 triple overtime setback to Sacred Heart. Grant hit three trifectas in the last 26 seconds of regulation to help Bryant rally from a six-point deficit to force OT. He hit two more treys in OT and finished with nine for the game. The nine three-pointers set a new NEC freshman record, tied for sixth on the league’s single-game list and matched the eighth-most made in a DI game this season. Grant shot 50.0 percent from long range on the week. He leads all NEC freshmen and ranks fifth overall with 15.0 ppg on the year.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Iverson Fleming (LIU, Sr, G)
While Fleming contributed 17.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 2.5 apg in two LIU Brooklyn wins, his biggest impact came down the stretch in each game. With the Blackbirds leading by four over CCSU on Thursday, Fleming hit a three-pointer with 39 seconds to play. Two days later, his driving reverse with 30 seconds on the clock gave LIU a five-point cushion against St. Francis Brooklyn.
Jerome Frink (LIU, Sr, F)
Frink averaged 16.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg and 2.0 apg last week for the first place Blackbirds, who extended their win streak to five with a pair of home victories. Frink posted his eighth double-double of the season on Saturday with 15 points and 12 rebounds in a 63-58 win over St. Francis Brooklyn.
Elijah Long (MSM, So, G)
Long’s all-around game was on point in a pair of wins for the Mount. Long averaged 15.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 8.5 apg and 3.0 spg while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor. He finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, 12 assists and five steals in the Mount’s 77-70 win over previously unbeaten Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday.
Joseph Lopez (SHU, Jr, F)
Lopez was in fine form last week, averaging 22.5 ppg and 13.0 rpg while hitting 63.0 percent of his shot attempts in two SHU wins. The junior finished with two double-doubles, posting 21 points and 16 boards against St. Francis Brooklyn and 19 points and 10 rebounds in the Pioneers’ 112-110 triple overtime thriller vs. Bryant.
Rasheem Dunn (SFBK, Fr, G)
Dunn just keeps getting better and better and has developed into a go-to scorer for the Terriers. Last week he averaged 19.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 2.5 spg while sinking 50.0 percent of his shot attempts. He finished with 18 of his 21 points in the second half and added a career-best eight rebounds against LIU Brooklyn on Saturday.
Josh Nebo (SFU, So, F)
Nebo has emerged as the NEC’s premier rim protector. Last week he swatted 11 shots in two games, including a career and NEC single-game season-high seven rejections in SFU’s win at Robert Morris on Thursday. He compiled a personal-best 23 points and added eight rebounds in the victory and averaged 13.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg and 5.5 bpg on the week.
Michael Carey (WC, Sr, G)
Carey caught fire from the field last week for the Seahawks, converting 71.4 percent of his attempts while averaging 16.0 ppg and 12.5 rpg. He recorded his fifth and sixth double-doubles of the year with 20 points and a game-high 12 boards at Bryant and 12 points and 13 rebounds in a win over visiting Robert Morris.
GAME FOR THE AGES: SACRED HEART & BRYANT PLAY 3-OT THRILLER
Two years ago it was the infamous Joe O’Shea game.
Just when you thought nothing could top the drama of the 2015 NEC quarterfinal game between Bryant and Sacred Heart that saw the Bulldogs send the game to overtime on O’Shea’s improbable, off-balance three-pointer at the buzzer, the same two teams took the floor on the same Chace Center floor and made magic happen on Saturday.
This time it took three overtime periods to settle the score. And while nothing can take the memory away from that painful quarterfinal defeat, the Pioneers did extract a measure of revenge with a 112-110 victory in one of the wildest games in league history that featured a pair of individual performances for the ages.
Oddly enough, it looked all but over late in regulation with SHU holding a 77-71 lead and less than 30 seconds to play.
That’s when Bryant freshman guard and NEC Co-Rookie of the Week Adam Grant (Franklin, VA/Norfolk Collegiate School) took matters into his own hands.
Grant, who had already hit four trifectas on the afternoon, amazingly drilled three contested three-pointers in the span of 18 seconds, fhe final one coming with eight seconds on the clock to tie the game.
But the drama was just starting.
The Pioneers led 91-88 late in the first OT, when Bryant freshman guard Ikenna Ndugba (Boston, MA/Brooks School) found himself with a look from distance. Ndugba entered the game just 6-37 from outside the arc on the year, but calmly drained the shot to tie it up and extend the game another five minutes.
While Grant was having a day to remember from long range, Sacred Heart sophomore guard Quincy McKnight (Bridgeport, CT/St. Joseph’s (Phelps)) was scoring from anywhere and everywhere.
McKnight, who dropped 35 points after halftime, came up huge in the second overtime. The NEC Player of the Week and Lou Henson National Player of the Week hit a high degree of difficult fadeaway off glass to give SHU a 98-97 edge with 1:28 to play, then took on nearly the entire Bryant team for a layup that tied the game at 101 with 21 seconds to play.
McKnight did it all in the third overtime. He started with a three-pointer, hit two free throws. With the score tied at 110 and time winding down, he pulled down a rebound, drove the length of the floor and found Joseph Lopez (Miami, FL/South Miami Senior (Broward College)) for the game-winning layup with four seconds on the clock.
The list of facts, figures and superlatives - both team and individual in nature - in the wake of this instant classic is rather lengthy.
- The 112-110 final score made it the most combined points in an NEC game since St. Francis Brooklyn’s legendary 142-140 double overtime win over LIU Brooklyn back on February 22, 2003 in the highest scoring game in league history.
- It marked the first three overtime game since St. Francis Brooklyn downed LIU Brooklyn, 88-84, on February 6, 2010.
- The 112 points by Sacred Heart and 110 by Bryant were the most scored by an NEC team vs. a DI opponent since the aforementioned 142-140 game between LIU and SFBK.
- McKnight’s career-high 44 points were the most by an NEC player since the Mount’s Sam Prescott went for 44 against Bryant on February 14, 2013. It was also the best showing by a SHU player since Shane Gibson scored 41 vs. Mount St. Mary’s on January 8, 2012.
- The 44 points for McKnight tied for eighth on the NEC’s single-game scoring list.
- McKnight became the nation’s only player since 2010 to finish a game with at least 44 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals.
- McKnight’s 44-point explosion is the tied for the fourth most in the nation this season.
- Grant, who established a new career-high with 32 points, set a new NEC freshman record with nine three-pointers in the contest.
- Grant’s nine three-pointers were the most by an NEC player since Prescott hit 11 in his 44-point outing back in 2013. The nine trifectas also tied him for sixth on the NEC’s single-game list.
- Grant is tied for ninth in the nation this season for most 3P in a game.
Sacred Heart has now won three of its last four games following and 0-2 start and averaged 99.5 ppg in its two wins last week.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
If this was NBA Jam, Adam Grant would be completely engulfed in flames right now.
LONG COMES THROUGH FOR MOUNT, HAS HISTORICAL NIGHT
In one of the best games of the young NEC season on Thursday, one player in particular rose to the occasion.
In a battle of NEC early-season contenders, Mount St. Mary’s and Fairleigh Dickinson found themselves deadlocked at 70 apiece with just over a minute remaining after the Knights rallied from 17 down in the second half. Cue Mount sophomore guard Elijah Long (Mississauga, Ontario/John Carroll (MD)), who first drove coast-to-coast for a layup, then came up with a steal on the ensuing possession and fed Junior Robinson (Mebane, NC/Eastern Alamance) for the transition layup with 40 seconds on the clock. Long wasn’t done, drawing a charge on the following FDU possession. The Mountaineers went on to win, 77-70, and tag FDU with its first conference loss of the 2016-17 campaign.
Long finished the game with a remarkable all-around stat line of 14 points, a career-high 12 assists, seven rebounds and five steals in his first-ever double-double outing. Since 2010 there have been just four players in the country who have met or exceeded those numbers in each category and Long is the first to do it in nearly four years.
D.J. Cooper, Ohio U vs. St. Bonaventure 43 pts, 13 ast, 8 reb, 8 stl 12/18/10
Devin Gibson, UT-San Antonio vs. Samford 17 pts, 12 ast, 11 reb, 6 stl 12/20/10
DeAndre Kane, Marshall vs. East Carolina 20 pts, 12 ast., 7 reb, 5 stl 3/9/13
Elijah Long, Mount St. Mary’s vs. FDU 14 pts, 12 ast, 7 reb, 5 stl 1/12/17
Long currently leads the Mount with 14.2 ppg, 4.2 apg, 1.3 spg and ranks second with 5.1 rpg.
NEBO’S CAREER NIGHT IN PERSPECTIVE
It may be time to further revise the career trajectory of Saint Francis U sophomore forward Josh Nebo (Houston, TX/Cypress Lakes).
Following a promising freshman campaign that saw him average 4.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg and rank second in the NEC with 1.9 bpg, Nebo has made a star turn in his second season in Loretto, providing the Red Flash with a reliable interior scorer, an explosive finisher in transition, and most importantly, a shot altering presence in the paint.
On Thursday, Nebo established new career-highs with 23 points and an NEC single-game season-high seven blocks, while adding eight rebounds and shooting 83.3 percent from the floor (10-12). In doing so, he became just the first NEC player since at least the 1996-97 season and the fifth Division I player since 2010 to meet or exceed 23/7/8 and shoot at least 80 percent from the field in a game. Joining Nebo in that quintet is former UK star and current NBA All-Star Anthony Davis.
Keith Benson, Oakland vs. Centenary 28 pts, 9 reb, 7 blk, 81.8 FG% 12/28/10
Kenny Gabriel, Auburn vs. Bethune-Cookman 24 pts, 13 reb, 10 blk, 84.6 FG% 1/2/12
Anthony Davis, Kentucky vs. Arkansas 27 pts, 14 reb, 7 blk, 83.3 FG% 1/17/12
Jordan Bachynski, Arizona St. vs. Oregon 26 pts, 9 reb, 9 blk, 87.5 FG% 2/8/14
Josh Nebo, Saint Francis U vs. RMU 23 pts, 8 reb, 7 blk, 83.3 FG% 1/12/17
Nebo is currently averaging 11.2 ppg, ranks sixth in rebounding with 7.5 per outing and is the NEC blocked shots leader by a wide margin with 2.1 per game. He is also shooting 57.1 percent from the field to rank sixth in the conference.
DUNN DELIVERS FOR SFBK
From Ron Arnold to John Thomas to Greg Nunn to Bronski Dockery to Jamaal Womack to Ricky Cadell to Akeem Bennett to Brett Jones, the long line of local guards who have struck it big at St. Francis Brooklyn is impressive to say the least.
The latest addition to the list played his high school ball just six miles from the Pope Center.
Freshman Rasheem Dunn (Brooklyn, NY/Thomas Jefferson) has taken the league by storm this winter, and after just 19 career games, has already developed into a go-to scorer for head coach Glenn Braica.
Dunn’s talents were on full display last week when he averaged 19.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.5 spg and shot 50.0 percent from the field. He scored a game-high 21 in a tight loss at LIU Brooklyn with 18 of those points coming after intermission.
Dunn now leads St. Francis Brooklyn in scoring at 13.9 ppg and ranks ninth overall in the conference. He has scored in double digits in six straight games, averaging 17.8 ppg in that stretch.
LIU’S TRIPLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE
LIU Brooklyn’s work on the boards this season has been well documented with the Blackbirds posting a +13.2 rebound margin over their first six conference games.
In doing so, LIU has started to pile up double-doubles with 19 on the year already.
The usual suspects have been junior forward Nura Zanna (Kaduna, Nigeria/Coral Springs Christian (FL)), who leads the NEC and ranks 12th nationally with ten this season, and senior forward Jerome Frink (Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony (FIU)), who ranks second in the league with eight double-doubles.
In LIU’s 63-58 win over St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday, the Blackbirds went one better, finishing with three double-double performers. Zanna posted his fourth straight double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Frink tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds. They were joined by senior guard Iverson Fleming (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick), who finished with 16 points and a career-best 10 boards in his first career double-double effort.
CCSU-SFU TO SQUARE OFF ON NEC-TV
The NEC’s 33-game TV slate resumes on Saturday in Loretto, PA when Saint Francis U plays host to Central Connecticut in an ESPN3 doubleheader. The women’s game tips off at noon and the men at 3:00 pm.
Paul Dottino (PxP) and Joe DeSantis (color) have the call for both games.
FIRST PLACE TIDBITS
One note apiece from the three teams tied for first place with 5-1 marks...
The last time Fairleigh Dickinson opened a year 5-1 was in 2004-05. The Knights went on to win their fourth NEC title that season.
LIU Brooklyn is off to its best start since winning its first eight games of the 2011-12 season. That year the Blackbirds won their second of three straight NEC Tournament crowns.
Mount St. Mary’s has beaten both Fairleigh Dickinson and LIU Brooklyn, the two teams it shares first place with early on.
THROWBACK QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Following Fairleigh Dickinson’s 59-47 win over CCSU on Saturday, head coach Greg Herenda said, “That was an old-school Al LoBalbo kind of win. After Thursday, all we talked about was improving our defense and toughness and I think we did just that. Donyell has Central playing very hard but today we showed our depth.”
LoBalbo was the head coach at FDU from 1969-80 and a noted defensive guru who worked as an assistant under Bobby Knight at Army and Lou Carnesseca at St. John’s.
SCORING NOTE
Of the NEC’s top-five scorers in conference play, four are underclassmen (McKnight, Zouzoua, Dunn and Braxton).
REBOUNDING NOTE
Wagner ranks ninth nationally with 14.5 offensive rebounds per game with LIU Brooklyn right behind in 12th at 14.0 per game.
FDU FREE THROW UPDATE
Fairleigh Dickinson has won a series of close games in its 5-1 NEC start, due in part to the team’s success at the line.
FDU is shooting a league-leading 82.7 percent from the stripe after six league contests, and have hit at least 80 percent of its attempts in five of those outings.
Junior guard Stephan Jiggetts (Forestville, MD/Bishop McNamara) has converted 88.0 percent (22-25) of his attempts and junior guard Darian Anderson (Washington, D.C./St. John’s College) (22-27) has hit at an 81.5 percent rate against NEC rivals.
Including non-conference games, Knights are shooting an NEC-best 75.6 percent from the chalk on the year.
MOUNT’S MCGUTHRIE TO HAVE NUMBER RETIRED
A former NEC great will see his name up in the rafters when the Mount’s Chris McGuthrie has his number 50 retired on February 4 at Knott Arena.
McGuthrie was named the NEC Player of the Year in 1996 after leading the NEC with 22.3 ppg and 102 three-point field goals. He was a four-time All-NEC honoree and the 1993 NEC Rookie of the Year.
McGuthrie helped lead the Mountaineers to their first NEC title in 1995 and a Postseason NIT appearance in 1996.
He is the NEC’s third all-time leading scorer with 2,297 points and his 300 trifectas are also third-best on the league’s career list.
McGuthrie will be the fifth Mountaineer to have his number retired on the men’s side, joining legendary coach Jim Phelan, Jack Sullivan, Fred Carter and John O’Reilly. Phelan has the number 830, representing his career win total, retired in his honor while Sullivan’s 32, Carter’s 33 and O’Reilly’s 51 are the others.
Current Mount head coach Jamion Christian weighted in on the enormity of McGuthrie’s accomplishments.
“When you come in as a freshman, everyone is kind of shooting for [McGuthrie’s] numbers,” Christian said. “You look at the stats and say, ‘Man, this guy scored over 2,000 points.’ You look around and see his picture everywhere. He is a guy that you just respect what he was able to do. He gives you hope that in the future you can do the same thing.”
QUICK HITTERS
Bryant junior swingman Bosko Kostur (Melbourne, Australia/Hallam Senior College) has averaged 18.0 ppg on 53.5 percent shooting to boost his season scoring mark to 8.2 ppg. He has contributed 12.7 ppg in NEC play.
CCSU sophomore guard Austin Nehls (Tucson, AZ/Catalina Foothills (Cheshire Academy (CT))) drilled 5-10 from three-point range and is now shooting 40.6 percent from distance on the year to rank fifth in the league. He averaged 12.5 ppg on the week to lead the Blue Devils.
With a 59-47 win at CCSU on Saturday, Fairleigh Dickinson allowed its fewest points in a game since February 2, 2012 in a 45-44 conquest of St. Francis Brooklyn. The Knights trailed 28-23 at intermission, but yielded just 19 second half points, the lowest total by an opponent since Bryant managed just 18 on February 20, 2014.
LIU Brooklyn freshman guard Jashaun Agosto (Seattle, WA/Garfield) has made all 16 of his free throw attempts in NEC play.
Mount St. Mary’s junior guard Greg Alexander (Hampton, VA/Kecoughtan) comes off his best week of the season with 17.5 ppg on 50.0 percent shooting from the floor. He also hit nine shots from outside the arc, converting at a 42.9 percent clip. Alexander posted a career-high 19 points in the Mount’s victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday at Knott Arena.
Robert Morris sophomore guard Matty McConnell (Oakdale, PA/Chartiers Valley) had the finest week of his young career, pitching in with 13.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 3.5 spg. He set a new career-high with 15 points against Saint Francis U on Thursday and registered his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds at Wagner on Saturday. McConnell finished with eight three-pointers on the week.
Sacred Heart redshirt senior forward Matej Buovac (Zagreb, Croatia/La Lumiere School (New Mexico State)) has picked up his production of late to give the Pioneers a reliable scoring option off the bench. He averaged 17.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg last week. In SHU’s triple overtime win at Bryant, he matched his career-high with 18 points, hitting 4-8 from three-point territory.
With a 77-57 win in Moon Township on Thursday, Saint Francis U has now beaten Robert Morris three straight times. the Red Flash had dropped 15 of its last 16 to the Colonials.
NEC teams are shooting just 23.8 percent from three-point range against Robert Morris, making 25-105 over the first six games of conference competition.
Saint Francis U sophomore guard Jamaal King (Salisbury, MD/Bishop O’Connell) scored a career-high 23 points at Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday. He made 5-10 shots from long distance.
With 11 rejections last week, Saint Francis U sophomore forward Josh Nebo (Houston, TX/Cypress Lakes) boosted his career total to 95, just 11 shy of tying Earl Brown (2012-15) and Emmanuel Adekunle (1994-98) for third all-time at SFU.
TWEET DECK
Chris Cappella @C_Cappella
Josh Nebo... most underrated player in #NECMBB? Dude has ridiculous numbers. Would like Braden Burke to develop like him
Nelson Castillo @NelCastBHJ
So since 2010, of the current 10 #NECMBB teams, LIU Brooklyn has 3 instances of 3 players w/ dbl-dbls, Sacred Heart 1 and that’s it.
Ryan Raffensperger @TheMountFanBlog
What’s an #NECMBB without some late game drama?
Chris Cappella @C_Cappella
Josh Nebo... most underrated player in #NECMBB? Dude has ridiculous numbers. Would like Braden Burke to develop like him
Donyell Marshall @Dmarsh42
Family atmosphere is what we preach here at CCSU. You gotta fight for your brothers and your family. #TrustTheProcess