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NEC Player of the Week: Kavon Stewart, RMU
NEC Rookie of the Week: Ikenna Ndugba, BRY
Previous NEC Releases: 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
Darian Anderson, Fairleigh Dickinson
6’0”, 190 lbs.
Jr, G, Washington, D.C./St. John’s College
Anderson wins the first NEC Player of the Week honor of his career after leading the defending NEC champs to a pair of victories to open league play. He averaged 22.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals. Anderson finished with 18 points, five rebounds and three steals in Thursday’s 77-65 win over Saint Francis U and followed with a game-high 26 points and four steals as the Knights rallied from 11 down with six minutes remaining to post an 81-77 triumph over Robert Morris. He scored 11 points in the final 4:01, including the go-ahead trifecta from NBA range with 2:35 to play. Anderson hit four free throws in the final 27 seconds to seal the win. The Washington, D.C. native ranks second in the NEC with 19.5 ppg and an 88.9 percent conversion rate at the line.
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 posted terrific all-around numbers in earning his third NEC Rookie of the Week honor of the season. The Glassboro, NJ native contributed 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 56.5 percent from the floor (13-23), 57.1 percent from distance (4-7) and 92.3 percent from the line (12-13) in the Red Flash’s 1-1 week. He netted a career-high 27 points on 8-11 shooting from the field and 3-5 from outside the arc, and added 13 rebounds and four assists in an 87-67 road win at Sacred Heart on Saturday. It was Braxton’s third double-double of the year. Braxton is averaging 12.0 ppg and ranks third in the NEC with 8.5 rpg this season.
Rasheem Dunn, St. Francis Brooklyn
6’2”, 180 lbs.
Fr., G, Brooklyn, NY/Thomas Jefferson
Dunn collects his second NEC Rookie of the Week award following a pair of stellar efforts for the Terriers, who won each of their first two conference games in overtime. Dunn averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists on the week. He netted career-highs with 24 points and seven boards in Thursday’s 80-77 win over Bryant. The Brooklyn product scored nine of his points in OT. On Saturday, he scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and extra session as SFBK outlasted Central Connecticut, 86-77, at the Pope Center. Dunn ranks second among NEC freshman and is 12th overall with 13.3 ppg.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Nisre Zouzoua (BRY, So, G)
The NEC’s top point producer averaged a league-best 26.0 ppg over the first two games of the conference season last week. He dropped 29 at St. Francis Brooklyn on Thursday, going 12-12 from the chalk, and added 23 more at LIU Brooklyn on Saturday. For the week, he shot 50.0 percent from the field and made 17-19 FTs.
Elijah Long (MSM, So, G)
Long averaged 16.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg and 2.0 spg in leading the Mountaineers to a 2-0 start in NEC play. He opened the week with a team-high 21 points on just nine attempts from the field in the Mount’s 67-65 win at LIU Brooklyn on Thursday. He was 4-for-4 from three-point range. Long went on to hit the game-winning free throws with 28.6 seconds remaining in Saturday’s 57-56 victory over Wagner.
Chris Wray (MSM, So, F)
Despite modest numbers (7.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg), Wray could not have come up any bigger in the first two games of conference play. The sophomore forward went coast-to-coast in the final four seconds and hit a layup at the buzzer to beat LIU Brooklyn on Thursday, then blocked the potential game-winning layup at the horn two days later in a one-point win over Wagner.
Jerome Frink (LIU, Sr, F)
Frink put up 18.5 ppg,12.0 rpg and 2.5 bpg for the Blackbirds in a 1-1 week. On Saturday, he finished with 23 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks and a pair of steals in a 74-63 win over Bryant. It was his fifth double-double of the year.
Joseph Lopez (SHU, Jr, F)
Lopez shot 66.7 percent from the field over SHU’s first two NEC games and ranks third in the league in field goal accuracy at 59.5 percent. He finished with 23 points (10-13 FG) and 16 rebounds against RMU on Thursday and averaged 15.5 ppg and 10.5 rpg for the week.
Glenn Sanabria (SFBK, So, G)
Sanabria poured in 26 points on 7-11 shooting from three-point territory in Saturday’s 86-77 overtime win over CCSU. He added 13 points and a career-high seven dimes in Thursday’s OT victory over Bryant. The Staten Island native contributed 19.5 ppg, 5.0 apg and hit 10 trifectas in SFBK’s 2-0 start.
WRAY’S HEROICS HIGHLIGHT EXCITING #NECTIPOFF WEEK
If the first ten games of the conference season are any indication of what’s to come, NEC fans are in for one dramatic rollercoaster ride in 2017.
In a week that featured a pair of overtime games, a buzzer beating shot and win-preserving rejection at the horn, only three teams walked away unscathed with perfect 2-0 marks.
Defending NEC champion Fairleigh Dickinson, Mount St. Mary’s and St. Francis Brooklyn were all able finish off close games during #NECTipoff week and forge ahead into week two unbeaten.
Mount St. Mary’s, in particular, was involved in a pair of dramatic finishes last week with sophomore forward Chris Wray (Shelby, NC/Fishburne Military School (VA)) taking on the starring role.
With the score tied and four seconds on the clock in Thursday’s opener at LIU Brooklyn, Wray found himself 90 feet away from the hoop with the ball in his hands.
At 6’8”, Wray isn’t exactly who you would expect to go on a coast-to-coast for the Mount, but with long, gazelle-like strides, it took just six dribbles for the Shelby, NC native to get to the hoop and lay the ball in at the horn.
“If Junior [Robinson] and I weren’t on the floor, I’d be very confident in Chris to bring up the ball,” said Mount sophomore guard Elijah Long (Mississauga, Ontario/ John Carroll (MD)) about Wray’s mad dash.
Two days later, the Mountaineers found themselves in another slobber-knocker against Wagner. After the Seahawks rallied from 15 down in the second half to take a one point lead following two straight three pointers from freshman guard Blake Francis (Herndon, VA/Westfield), Long regained the lead for the Mount on two free throws with 28 ticks left on the clock.
Coming out of a time out with five seconds remaining, Wagner star guard Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, MD/DeMatha Catholic) drove the left hand side of the lane. Wray, who was pulled away from the hoop guarding Michael Carey (Nassau, Bahamas/Lamar Consolidated (San Jacinto CC)) in the right corner of Jim Phelan Court, saw Henson make his move and ran the entire baseline before swatting the ball away at the buzzer to preserve the victory.
“I saw on the clock what the time was and I thought when he shot it there wouldn’t be any time left, so it was a perfect time to contest it,” said Wray. “Winning is great.”
Despite Wray putting up modest numbers on the week (7.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg), Mount St. Mary’s head coach Jamion Christian is all in with his sophomore forward, who won a game for the Mount in early December on a drive and dunk with one second to play against George Mason.
“He is always a guy who I believe is going to make the right play at the right time,” Christian said. “I just have so much faith and confidence in him. I am just glad that the world is getting a chance to see it now.”
Picked seventh in the NEC preseason poll after losing a pair of All-NEC performers (Tyreek Jewell and Chris Hooper) to graduation, St. Francis Brooklyn struggled at times to put up points during its non-conference season, but everything clicked last week with a pair of young guards leading the Terriers to a pair of thrilling overtime wins over Bryant and CCSU.
Both games were back-and-forth affairs that featured late buckets to send the game into extra time.
On Thursday, Bryant freshman guard Adam Grant (Franklin, VA/Norfolk Collegiate School) tipped in a shot with 3.9 seconds remaining to send the game to OT, and two days later CCSU sophomore guard Eric Bowles (Fairfax, VA/WT Woodson) dropped in an off-balance, double-clutch three-pointer with 2.3 seconds on the clock to extend the game for the Blue Devils.
In both games, however, St. Francis Brooklyn freshman guard Rasheem Dunn (Brooklyn, NY/Thomas Jefferson) was there for his team, performing like a seasoned veteran rather than a player with just 15 games under his belt.
“He was great...he was tremendous, said SFBK head coach Glenn Braica about Dunn. “He really had a great game, and he did it defensively, offensively, on the glass...I don’t know what more he could’ve done. He did everything that we asked of him and more.”
On Thursday, Dunn poured in a game-high 24 points off the bench, and was unstoppable in OT, scoring nine of the Terriers’ 12 points as the Terriers defeated the Bulldogs, 80-77. Two days later, the NEC Co-Rookie of the Week scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and overtime period as SFBK defeated Central Connecticut, 86-77.
“Being a freshman, I had to show my coach that I’m mentally tough,” said Dunn. “When they put the ball in my hands they trust me to get a basket.”
That trust is something that is certainly starting to develop between the Brooklyn product and his head coach.
“He’s a tough kid,” said Braica. “He’s a good player, a really good player. He’s not a finished product, none of them are, but he’s going to be really really good. To do what he’s doing as a freshman, he’s coming on. He’s learned through some of these early season games.”
SFBK sophomore guard Glenn Sanabria (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter’s), who sat out 2015-16 with an injury, had himself quite the afternoon against CCSU, finishing 7-11 from three-point range in a 26-point effort.
Over in Hackensack, Fairleigh Dickinson began the defense of its league crown on Thursday by knocking off Saint Francis U, 77-65, behind 18 points from junior guard Darian Anderson (Washington, D.C./St. John’s College), but had its hands full and then some in a Saturday matinee against Robert Morris.
Down 11 with under six minutes to play, the Knights methodically worked their way back into the game, tying things up on a Darnell Edge (Saugerties, NY/Saugerties) four-point play with 3:31 on the clock.
Anderson, who has developed a well-earned reputation over his first two-plus years for delivering in the clutch, did not disappoint the FDU faithful, giving FDU the lead for good on an NBA-range three-pointer with 2:35 to play.
Anderson, the NEC Player of the Week, finished with a game-high 26 points and four steals for the Knights.
For FDU head coach Greg Herenda, the win over the Colonials gave him time to reflect on what was a landmark year for his program.
“I am sad that 2016 has to end,’ said Herenda. “It was an incredible year for our program. We were picked to be in 9th place and won the NEC title, went to the NCAA Tournament and had the highest GPA in our conference for the second straight year. I told our team to cherish 2016 and look forward to more success.”
“To finish the year by coming back from an 11-point lead against a very good Robert Morris team is the cherry on top of the cake. I am so proud of my team and their resilience – they just never give up and that’s what I love about these guys.”
NEC-TV PACKAGE TO DEBUT THURSDAY
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.
STREAK SNAPPED
Fairleigh Dickinson’s 81-77 comeback win over Robert Morris on Saturday snapped a 17-game losing streak to the Colonials dating back to 2007. RMU head coach Andrew Toole had posted a 12-0 record against the Knights heading into the game and the 17 consecutive wins represented the longest streak in Colonial history against an NEC rival.
SFU’S DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE
When Saint Francis U freshman guard Keith Braxton (Glassboro, NJ/The Lawrenceville School) and sophomore guard Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, NC/West Charlotte) both posted double-doubles on Saturday in a win over Sacred Heart, they became the first SFU teammates to accomplish the feat in the same game since Earl Brown (22 points, 12 rebounds) and Ronnie Drinnon (12 points, 10 rebounds) did so on February 14, 2015 against LIU Brooklyn. Braxton, the NEC Co-Rookie of the Week, finished with 27 points and 13 boards, in his third double-double effort of the season, while Blackmon collected his first career double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
The only other NEC pairs with same day double-doubles this season are LIU Brooklyn’s Jerome Frink (Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony (FIU)) (20 points, 12 rebounds) and Nura Zanna (Kaduna, Nigeria/Coral Springs Christian (FL)) (13 points, 11 rebounds) in a victory over St. John’s on December 11, and Fairleigh Dickinson’s Mike Holloway (Pittsgrove, NJ/Arthur P. Schalick) (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Malik Miller (Troy, NY/Catholic Central) (12 points, 10 rebounds) in the Knights’ win over Fordham on November 18.
Braxton and Blackmon also became the first SFU teammates with 20 points in the same game since Drinnon (23) and Ben Millaud-Meunier (27) hit the plateau against Central Connecticut State on February 6, 2016.
FRANCIS ON FIRE FOR WAGNER
With a southpaw release somewhat reminiscent of former NBA sniper Derek Fisher, Wagner freshman guard Blake Francis (Herndon, VA/Westfield) is off to a sizzling start from long range to begin his career on Grymes Hill.
After ten career games, Francis is shooting a scorching 52.4 percent from outside the arc to lead the NEC.
Last week, he converted 7-9 (.778) shots from long range and nearly willed the Seahawks to a comeback win at Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday with back-to-back three-pointers to give Wagner its first lead of the second half with 44 seconds to play.
Francis has now hit at a 50 percent clip from distance in five of his last six outings, shooting 14-21 (.667) over that stretch while averaging 9.7 ppg off the bench.
CAREER GAME FOR CCSU’S PIERRE
CCSU senior forward Tidell Pierre (Hempstead, NY/Garden City CC) collected his second double-double of the year with 15 points and 19 rebounds at St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday. The 19 boards matched the NEC single-game season-high set by Saint Francis U freshman guard Keith Braxton (Glassboro, NJ/The Lawrenceville School) against Stony Brook on December 17.
Pierre played a career-high 39 minutes and narrowly missed becoming the first Blue Devil with 20 rebounds since Obie Nwadike did so against the Terriers on February 2, 2006.
Pierre ranks eighth in the conference with 6.9 rpg.
NEC & WINGWARP PARTNER ON GROUNDBREAKING INSTANT REPLAY SYSTEM
The start of conference play saw the debut of the NEC’s latest tech innovation with the unveiling of its revolutionary new instant replay system.
The NEC partnered with WingWarp, a San Francisco-based technology company that leverages the latest advances in HD cameras, wireless communications and mobile devices, combined with its proprietary intelligent software, to offer a fully functional wireless instant replay service that is easy to set up, simple to run and affordable.
WingWarp’s cutting edge official instant replay system for basketball streams video from eight HD cameras, mounted semi-permanently or placed on a tripod for maximum flexibility, to a MacBook Pro through WingWarp’s cutting-edge wireless video system.
The instant replay app can remotely control camera settings, angles and optical zoom right from a MacBook. Referees can view multiple angles at once via a display monitor and can direct the official review technician to isolate a preferred angle, zoom in, and replay in slow motion.
The WingWarp official instant replay systems were installed at all ten NEC basketball venues in November and December and successfully tested in advance of their debut last week.
Down the line the NEC plans to incorporate the multiple camera feeds into NEC Front Row broadcasts.
The NEC plans to implement the WingWarp instant replay system for football for the 2017 season. WingWarp successfully tested official review for football at a pair of NEC games this past fall.
NEC MONTH-BY-MONTH LEADERS
With 2016 coming to a close, here are the leaders in various statistical categories on a month-by-month basis for the 2016-17 season.
(Minimums: FG - 3.0/game, FT - 2.0/game, 3PFG - 2.0/game).
November December
Scoring Nisre Zouzoua, BRY (22.9) Nisre Zouzoua, BRY (19.5)
Rebounding Aaron Tate, RMU (8.8) Jerome Frink, LIU (9.6)
Assists Stephan Jiggetts, FDU (4.8) Charles Tucker, SHU (4.9)
*FG% Josh Nebo, SFU (.750) Joseph Lopez, SHU (.671)
*3PFG% Austin Nehls, CCSU (.462) Blake Francis, WC (.632)
*FT% Raiquan Clark, LIU (.938) Jamaal King, SFU (1.000)
3PFG Nisre Zouzoua, BRY (3.0) Glenn Sanabria, SFBK (3.1)
Steals Kavon Stewart, RMU (2.0) Quincy McKnight, SHU (2.3)
Blocks Josh Nebo, SFU (1.7) Mawdo Sallah, MSM (1.7)
STEWART’S MILESTONE CHASE
Robert Morris senior guard Kavon Stewart (Paterson, NJ/Hudson Catholic) has a chance this season to join former RMU greats Forest Grant (1980-84) and Velton Jones (2008-13) as the only player in school history and seventh in NEC annals to eclipse career totals of 1,000 points, 500 assists and 200 steals. Stewart, who averaged 13.0 ppg, 3.0 apg and 2.5 spg in a pair of games last week, is RMU’s active leader in points (811), assists (440) and steals (174). He is the NEC’s active leader in assists and steals by a wide margin.
SHU’S LOPEZ UPDATE
Sacred Heart junior forward Joseph Lopez (Miami, FL/South Miami Senior (Broward College)) made 12 of his 18 shots last week and has now hit 56 of his last 80 attempts from the floor, a 70 percent conversion rate. In SHU’s conference lid-lifter on Thursday, he made 10-13 from the field in a career-high 23-point outing. He also pulled down a career-best 16 caroms in his fourth double-double of the season. The junior forward averages 12.9 ppg, and ranks second in the NEC with 8.6 rpg. He is also third in the conference in field goal accuracy at 59.5 percent.
ZANNA SOARING FOR LIU
LIU Brooklyn junior forward Nura Zanna (Kaduna, Nigeria/Coral Springs Christian (FL)) is another NEC big who has been red-hot from the field in recent weeks. Zanna has converted 70.6 of his shot attempts over his last four outings, making 24-of-34 from the floor. Zanna posted a pair of career-highs with 21 points and 17 rebounds in just 28 minutes against Mount St. Mary’s on Thursday. The Kaduna, Nigeria native leads the NEC in field goal accuracy (.609) and is fourth on the circuit in rebounding (8.1). Zanna has recorded double-doubles in four of his last six games and paces the conference with six on the year.
MORE NEC YOUTH FACTS
Of the ten individual stat categories, six are currently topped by underclassmen and freshmen rank first in three of them.
Scoring - Nisre Zouzoua, BRY - Sophomore - 21.4 ppg
Assists - Ikenna Ndugba, BRY - Freshman - 4.8 apg
3PFG% - Blake Francis, WC - Freshman - .524
3PFG Made - Nisre Zouzoua, BRY - Sophomore - 2.93/game
Blocked Shots - Josh Nebo, SFU - Sophomore - 1.5 bpg
A/TO Ratio - Ikenna Ndugba, BRY - Freshman - 1.97
QUICK HITTERS
CCSU collected a season-high 51 rebounds, including 23 offensive boards, in Saturday’s overtime setback to St. Francis Brooklyn. It was CCSU’s highest rebounding total since grabbing 51 against Brown on December 2, 2015. Central outrebounded SFBK by 14 in the game and had a 44-22 edge in scoring in the paint.
CCSU senior guard Khalen Cumberlander (Washington, DC/Coolidge) cracked 900 career points (904) after posting a team-high 18 at St. Francis Brooklyn. Cumberlander, who is the NEC’s second-leading active scorer with 904 points, tallied 14 points after halftime in his ninth double-digit scoring game of the year.
LIU Brooklyn freshman guard Jashaun Agosto (Seattle, WA/Garfield) finished with 17 points and nine assists in LIU’s victory over Bryant on Saturday. He shot 8-8 from the line, added four rebounds and did not commit a turnover in 35 minutes of action.
Robert Morris sophomore guard Isaiah Still (Rahway, NJ/Union Catholic) led the Colonials with 16.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg last week. Still paced RMU in its win over Sacred Heart with 22 points, the fourth time this season he’s eclipsed the 20-point plateau and the sixth time in his career. He ranks fifth in the NEC with 15.4 ppg.
Robert Morris allowed its two opponents last week to shoot just 20.5 percent (8-39) from beyond the arc. The Colonials have held five of their last six opponents to below 30 percent shooting from deep and have turned the trick 10 times overall in 2016-17. RMU ranks first in the NEC and 16th nationally in 3PFG defense at 28.9 percent.
With an 87-67 win at Sacred Heart on Saturday, Saint Francis U posted its biggest margin of victory in a league game since a 71-49 victory over Monmouth on December 1, 2011. It also marked the program’s biggest NEC road win since a 60-34 triumph at Bryant on February 11, 2010.
TWEET DECK
Jamion Christian @JamionChristian
Proud of our team & the 1707 that showed up to support our team today. Tops in the league. Thx u! Our community is the best! #NECMBB @MSMU
John Templon @nybuckets
Chris Wray definitely the first weekend hero!
Craig D’Amico @CraigCD13
A rare #NECMBB tweet from me, what an unbelievable job by Wray to go the length of the floor in 4 seconds to win the game. Huge for MSM!
Joe Nemzer @JoeNemzer
Chris Wray had a huge week for @MountHoops. This man has been putting in WORK with his teammates behind the scenes all year. #NotAnAccident
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
Darian Anderson is such a weapon for Greg Herenda, especially late in the game. The junior has absolutely no fear and is decidedly clutch.
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
Keith Braxton is a man out there on the court - what a tremendous recruiting get by Rob Krimmel. He’s an early frontrunner for NEC ROY.
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
SHU’s Joe Lopez has 3 double doubles, best ORtg (>20% poss rate) in NEC and is top 150 nationally in Off/Def rebound rate. A beast down low.