NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JoJo Cooper, Wagner
6’0”, 190 lbs.
Sr., G, Wilmington, DE/Concord
Cooper stuffed the stat sheet on Saturday with 19 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists and three steals as Wagner had it’s six-game win streak snapped with a 90-84 overtime setback at Rider. The senior point guard did all he could help extend the streak, recording six points, three rebounds and two assists in the extra session alone. In doing so, Cooper became just the ninth D1 player over the last five years to finish a game with at least 19p/7r/11a/3s, joining a list that includes current NBA players Dennis Smith Jr., Kris Dunn and Elfrid Payton. Cooper, who averages 13.2 ppg, leads the NEC with 6.1 apg and a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio, and ranks second with 2.4 spg.
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Jahlil Jenkins, Fairleigh Dickinson
5’10”, 160 lbs.
Fr., G, Ranson, WV/Virginia Academy
Jenkins compiled 10 points, seven assists and two steals on Saturday in the Knights’ narrow loss at in-state rival NJIT. He shot 4-8 from the field, including 2-3 from outside the arc. His steal with 39 seconds left on the clock gave FDU an opportunity for the tie or win. Jenkins, who hails from Ranson, WV, leads the Knights and ranks second among NEC freshman with 4.1 apg. He also paces all NEC first-year players with 1.7 spg, while averaging 9.7 ppg.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Tyler Kohl (CCSU, Jr, G/F)
Kohl recorded 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in just 28 minutes at Boston College on Sunday. It marked the fourth game this season he has led CCSU in points, rebounds and assists. Kohl leads the Blue Devils in all three categories with 14.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg and 4.2 apg.
Darian Anderson (FDU, Sr, G)
The preseason All-NEC honoree tallied 18 points, three rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal in a close loss at NJIT on Saturday. Anderson leads the Knights with 14.1 ppg on the year.
Joel Hernandez (LIU, Sr, G/F)
Hernandez reached 20 points for the fourth straight game with 20 points and seven boards against Saint Peter’s on Sunday. The senior has averaged 23.3 ppg over the stretch to lift his season mark to a team-high 18.9 ppg, good for third in the NEC.
Junior Robinson (MSM, Sr, G)
Robinson dropped 30 points, and added four rebounds and five assists to lead Mount St. Mary’s past Washington College, 89-67, on Friday. He shot 12-16 from the field while hitting all four of his three-point attempts. Robinson leads the NEC in scoring (23.1 ppg) and free throw shooting (.951). He ranks ninth nationally in point production and sixth in free throw accuracy.
Dachon Burke (RMU, So, G)
Burke, a three-time NEC Player of the Week, paced the Colonials in their lone game last week, scoring a team-high 18 points while registering four rebounds, three assists and three steals at Buffalo on Saturday. He is the fourth player in eight years under head coach Andrew Toole to reach double figures in each of his first 10 games of a season, joining Velton Jones (2011), Karvel Anderson (2013) and Rodney Pryor (2015).
Joseph Lopez (SHU, Sr, F)
Lopez averaged 16.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg last week, including his NEC-best fifth double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds at Hartford on Monday. He also leads the conference with 9.3 rpg.
Blake Francis (WC, So, G)
Francis established a new career-high with 25 points in Saturday’s overtime setback at Rider. He shot 6-12 from the field, including 4-9 from downtown. Francis extended his free throw streak to 30 straight makes before finally missing late in the first half. He ranks second in the NEC with 20.2 ppg and is 14th nationally in free throw percentage (.932).
PERFORMANCES OF NOTE
Sabastian Townes (BRY, So, F)
Townes shot 54.2 percent from the floor and averaged 15.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in games against Louisville and Siena.
AJ Sumbry (WC, R-Jr, F)
Sumbry posted his second career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds - both career-highs - at Rider on Saturday. He hit 4-6 shots from the floor.
TOP STORYLINES FROM WEEK SIX OF #NECMBB
Here’s all you need to know from the sixth week of the 2017-18 hoops season...
WAGNER’S COOPER IN ELITE COMPANY
One of the top all-around performances in recent NEC memory put Wagner senior point guard JoJo Cooper (Wilmington, DE/Concord) in rare company on a national scale.
The NEC Player of the Week finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists and three steals in Saturday’s OT setback at Rider. Cooper is just the ninth player in the nation over the last five years to achieve those statistical milestones in the same game. That list includes current NBA players Dennis Smith Jr. (Mavericks), Kris Dunn (Bulls) and Elfrid Payton (Magic).
Players With At Least 19p, 7r, 11a and 3s In A Game (2013-18)
JoJo Cooper (Wagner): 19p, 7r, 11a, 3s vs. Rider (12/16/17)
Jon Elmore (Marshall): 32p, 9r, 12a, 3s vs. William & Mary (11/29/17)
Isaiah Reese (Canisius): 23p, 11r, 11a, 3s vs. Youngstown (11/18/17)
Dennis Smith Jr. (NC State): 27p, 11r, 11a, 3s vs. Virginia Tech (1/4/17)
Joseph Chartouny (Fordham): 24p, 7r, 13a, 3s vs. Davidson (2/27/16)
Corey Sanders (Rutgers): 39p, 8r, 12a, 3s vs. Illinois (2/3/16)
Kris Dunn (Providence): 27p, 13r, 11a, 3s vs. DePaul (1/29/15)
Kenny Chery (Baylor): 20p, 10r, 12a, 3s vs. Kansas State (2/15/14)
Elfrid Payton (Louisiana Lafayette): 34p, 11r, 11a, 5s vs. Louisiana-Monroe (1/4/14)
WAGNER NON-CONFERENCE SLATE IN PERSPECTIVE
Despite an overtime loss at Rider on Saturday, Wagner’s 7-2 start in non-conference play ranks among the elite non-conference performances in league history.
Robert Morris holds the record for the best non-conference campaign, going 8-1 in 2006-07 en-route to a 17-win campaign.
Wagner, which has two challenging non-conference games remaining at Seton Hall and Dayton this week, would need at least a split in order to earn a spot on the top-10 list. The Seahawks already occupy two of the top-10 spots with a 9-2 record in 2011-12 and 7-2 mark in 2005-06.
Ten Best NEC Non-Conference Record By Percentage*
1. Robert Morris^ 8-1 .889 2006-07
2. Marist 7-1 .875 1995-96
3. Wagner 9-2 .818 2011-12
4. Wagner^ 7-2 .778 2005-06
5. Monmouth 9-3 .750 1991-92
6. LIU Brooklyn 8-3 .727 2010-11
Quinnipiac 8-3 .727 2010-11
Wagner 8-3 .727 2008-09
LIU Brooklyn 8-3 .727 2007-08
Monmouth 8-3 .727 1990-91
LIU Brooklyn! 8-3 .727 1986-87
^ Includes one non-DI win
! Includes two non-DI wins
* Does not include postseasons wins/losses
NEC RECORDBOOK CHECK
The NEC record for most non-league wins is nine, shared by five different teams. St. Francis Brooklyn was the last team to turn the trick back in 2013-14. With seven victories, Wagner has a chance to match the mark, but would need wins on the road at Seton Hall and Dayton this week.
NEC Most Non-Conference Wins*
St. Francis Brooklyn* 9-6 2013-14
Robert Morris 9-4 2011-12
Wagner 9-2 2011-12
Robert Morris 9-4 2007-08
Monmouth 9-3 1991-92
* Does not include postseasons wins/losses. Including postseason games, RMU holds the record with 11 wins in 2011-12 (+2 wins in CIT)
WAGNER’S FRANCIS HEADS UP MOST IMPROVED SCORERS
When the NEC hands out its Most Improved Player award at year’s end, there will be no shortage of deserving student-athletes from which to choose. Glancing at scoring alone, there are a number players who have stepped up their game from last year, none more so than Wagner sophomore guard Blake Francis (Herndon, VA/Westfield). The Virginia native has filled the scoring void in the backcourt with the loss of Corey Henson, lifting his point production from 7.2 ppg as a freshman to a team-high 20.2 ppg this season, a 13.0 ppg and 181 percent bump. Francis ranks second in the NEC in scoring and comes off a 25-point outing at Rider on Saturday.
LIU Brooklyn junior swingman Raiquan Clark (New Haven, CT/Hillhouse) is right behind Francis, having lifted his average from 6.2 ppg to 18.4 ppg this season. Three-time NEC Player of the Week Dachon Burke (Orange, NJ/Orange) of Robert Morris is third at +9.8 ppg while NEC leading scorer Junior Robinson (Mebane, NC/Eastern Alamance) has benefitted from a 9.0 ppg increase in production.
Top-15 NEC Most Improved Scorers
Name 2016-17 2017-18 PPG Increase
Blake Francis, WC 7.2 ppg 20.2 ppg +13.0 ppg
Raiquan Clark, LIU 6.2 ppg 18.4 ppg +12.2 ppg
Dachon Burke, RMU 7.6 ppg 17.4 ppg +9.8 ppg
Junior Robinson, MSM 14.1 ppg 23.1 ppg +9.0 ppg
Joel Hernandez, LIU 12.2 ppg* 18.9 ppg +6.7 ppg
Ikenna Ndugba, BRY 6.0 ppg 13.8 ppg +7.8 ppg
Deivydas Kuzavas, SFU 1.2 ppg 8.9 ppg +7.7 ppg
Andre Wolford, SFU 4.7 ppg 11.4 ppg +6.7 ppg
Elijah Davis, WC 2.7 ppg 9.1 ppg +6.4 ppg
Mario Matasovic, SHU 5.9 ppg 10.8 ppg +5.9 ppg
Sabastian Townes, BRY 6.2 ppg 11.8 ppg +5.6 ppg
JoJo Cooper, WC 8.2 ppg 13.2 ppg +5.0 ppg
Ryan Gomes, MSM 2.2 ppg 7.0 ppg +4.8 ppg
Darelle Porter, SFBK 2.8 ppg 7.5 ppg +4.7 ppg
Greg Alexander, MSM 7.7 ppg 12.1 ppg +4.4 ppg
* 2015-16 stats (sat out 2016-17)
ANOTHER 30 FOR JUNIOR
With 30 points in a win over Washington College on Friday, Mount St. Mary’s senior guard Junior Robinson (Mebane, NC/Eastern Alamance) joined Chris McGuthrie (13), Kevin Booth (seven), Landy Thompson (two) and Scott Murphy (two) as the only Mount players to have more than one career 30-point game since the school’s move to NCAA Division I in 1988-89.
Robinson ranks ninth nationally with a league-leading 23.1 ppg.
SAUNDERS DEBUTS FOR SEAHAWKS
Wagner junior guard Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Potomac (Mt. Zion Prep)) made his return to the hardwood on Saturday after missing 37 straight games due to injury dating back to last year’s season opener against UConn.
Saunders, who averaged 9.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg and hit 45 shots from three-point range in a part-time starting role back in 2015-16, scored 15 points in his lone game last year, a 67-58 upset win over the Huskies on November 11, 2016.
Saunders logged 20 minutes in his return at Rider and finished with nine points on 3-6 shooting from distance. He added four rebounds.
SFBK FRESHMAN MAKING WAVES
With sophomore guard Rasheem Dunn (Brooklyn, NY/Thomas Jefferson) having already established himself as one of the NEC’s elite guards following an All-Rookie season in 2016-17, a trio of St. Francis Brooklyn freshman in the backcourt has the Terrier faithful dreaming about the future.
Freshman Jalen Jordan (Conyers, GA/Rockdale County) (18 points), Josh Nicholas (Melville, NY/St. Anthony’s) (14) and Chauncey Hawkins (Spring Valley, NY/St. Joseph Regional) (11) were SFBK’s three leading scorers in Saturday’s 88-67 win over SUNY Maritime.
Jordan leads the Terriers and ranks second among NEC freshman with 13.3 ppg on the year. He has started all 11 games and is shooting 44.4 percent from three-point range. Nicholas is averaging 7.6 ppg and is hitting 48.3 percent from downtown, while Hawkins has recorded three double digit scoring games in his last five outings to up his season average to 5.8 ppg.
MOUNT’S ANTONIO TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
Mount St. Mary’s freshman Jonah Antonio (Perth, Australia/Sunrise Christian Academy (KS)) has done an incredible job of taking care of the ball for the Mount this season.
The Perth, Australia native has coughed the ball up just five times in 394 minutes on the year and ranks second nationally in turnover rate at 3.0 percent.
St. Francis Brooklyn junior guard Glenn Sanabria (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter’s) is not too far behind with seven turnovers in 241 minutes to rank eighth in the nation at 5.1 percent.
COLONIALS APPLYING PRESSURE
Robert Morris registered 15 steals at Buffalo on Saturday, the most by an NEC team against a DI opponent this season. The Colonials remain the NEC leader in turnover margin (+3.45) and rank ninth nationally in turnovers forced (19.4/gm).
PLAYS OF THE YEAR
A quick scheduling note to let #NECMBB fans know the conference will be revealing the top plays of the non-conference season via Twitter on Wednesday, December 27.
RING IN THE HOLIDAYS ON NEC FRONT ROW
As the non-conference season comes to a close this week and with #NECTipoff just 11 days away, NEC Front Row is the place to be.
There will be four games on the NEC’s free digital network this week before teams break for a week.
NEC FRONT ROW SCHEDULE
Mon., Dec. 18 Bethany at Saint Francis U, 7 pm
Wed., Dec. 20 Maine at CCSU, 7 pm
Thur., Dec. 21 Lehigh at Saint Francis U, 7 pm
Fri., Dec. 22 Canisius at Robert Morris, 7 pm
CCSU DID YOU KNOW?
Central Connecticut junior guard/forward Tyler Kohl (Allentown, PA/Mineral Area College) has made 20 straight foul shots and is a perfect 15-15 from the line in his last four games. He is sixth in the NEC in free throw percentage at 81.0 percent.
MOUNT DID YOU KNOW?
While Mount St. Mary’s long distance marksman Greg Alexander (Hampton, VA/Kecoughtan (East Carolina)) ranks second in the NEC with 30 three-pointers, it is numbers inside the arc that are most impressive. Alexander has made 17 of his 20 two-points shots, an 85 percent success rate which ranks first nationally.
NEC in NCAA STATS (Top-25)
Name School Category Rank Value
Junior Robinson MSM PPG 9th 23.1/gm
Andre Wolford SFU 3PFG% 4th .543
Junior Robinson MSM FT% 6th .951
Blake Francis WC FT% 14th .932
Joseph Lopez SHU Off. Reb. 11th 3.83/gm
Joseph Lopez SHU Doub-Doub 22nd 5
Dachon Burke RMU Steals 11th 2.70/gm
JoJo Cooper WC Steals 20th 2.44/gm
Team Category Rank Value
Wagner FG% Def. 22nd .383
Fairleigh Dickinson Steals 24th 8.8/gm
Wagner Off. Reb. 16th 13.78/gm
Robert Morris TOs forced 9th 19.36/gm