NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dachon Burke, Robert Morris
6’4”, 180 lbs.
So., G, Orange, NJ/Orange
Burke made it back-to-back NEC Week of the Week honors after averaging 23.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 1.0 block in RMU’s 1-1 week. He was efficient from the field, hitting at a 50.0 percent clip, and made 5-7 (.714) from three-point territory. In an 81-74 victory at Youngstown State on Wednesday, Burke posted game-highs with 21 points, nine rebounds and four steals, and added a pair of blocks. Three days later in the finale of an eight-game road trip, Burke established a career-high in points for the second consecutive game with 26 in a 76-74 setback at Siena. The Orange, NJ native added seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Burke scored 20 points in the second half, including 11 points in the final 1:16 to nearly lead the Colonials back from a 16-point deficit. Burke leads Robert Morris and ranks sixth in the NEC in scoring (16.6 ppg). He also paces the circuit with 2.7 spg and is ninth in rebounding (6.6).
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL CO-ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
Nigel Jackson, Wagner
6’7”, 215 lbs.
Fr., F, Baltimore, MD/Mount St. Joseph
Jackson comes off the best game of his young career on Friday when he finished with 14 points and four rebounds, and shot 5-7 from the floor, including 4-5 from outside the arc in just 17 minutes of action as Wagner edged Fairfield, 78-76. Jackson, who added an assist and a steal, has averaged 9.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg and shot 52.0 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from long range during WC’s four-game win streak.
Jon Williams, Robert Morris
6’1”, 175 lbs.
Fr., G, Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary
Williams joined teammate Koby Thomas as NEC Rookie of the Week award winners for Robert Morris over the first month of the 2017-18 season. The Akron, OH native averaged 13.0 ppg and 5.0 apg, and was a scorching 7-9 (.778) from three-point range in a 1-1 week for the Colonials. Williams, who shot 61.9 percent overall for the two games, contributed 11 points while dishing out five assists in RMU’s 81-74 win at Youngstown on Wednesday. He followed with a career-high 15 points and five assists in a two-point loss at Siena on Saturday. He knocked won 5-7 from deep, including four in the second half as RMU mounted a comeback that fell just short. Williams ranks 11th in the NEC with 3.6 apg.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Ikenna Ndugba (BRY, So, G)
Ndugba averaged 21.0 ppg in road contests at Yale and New Hampshire last week. He matched his career-high with 22 points against New Hampshire on Saturday. Ndugba also contributed 4.0 rpg, 6.0 apg and 1.5 spg, while hitting 7-13 (.538) from three-point range.
Austin Nehls (CCSU, Jr, G)
Nehls led the Blue Devils with 16.0 ppg on 60.0 percent shooting from the field and 42.9 percent (6-14) from downtown. He added 4.5 rpg and committed just two turnovers in 76 minutes in a pair of wins that stretched CCSU’s win streak to five games. Nehls scored a game-high 20 points and pulled down a season-high seven rebounds in a comeback win at Brown on Saturday. He poured in 15 of his points after halftime.
Joel Hernandez (LIU, Sr, G/F)
Hernandez contributed 20.0 ppg last week, helping lead LIU to a nailbiting win over Hartford and a close loss at NJIT. He registered a career-high 27 points and added 10 rebounds for his second career double double in a 79-78 win over Hartford.
Junior Robinson (MSM, Sr, G)
The NEC’s leading scorer remained red-hot, averaging 26.0 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.5 rpg and 3.0 spg for the Mount in a 1-1 week. He erupted for a career-high 39 points in the Mount’s 80-75 win over rival Loyola on Saturday. Robinson scored nine points in the overtime period (all on free throws) in the highest scoring game by a Mount player in nearly five years. Robinson upped his season scoring average to 22.5 ppg, tops in the NEC.
Keith Braxton (SFU, So, G)
Braxton averaged 19.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.0 apg, 2.5 spg, and shot 56.0 percent from the field and 66.7 percent (4-6) from three-point territory in two games last week. He posted his third double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds in a 100-89 win over American on Wednesday.
Andre Wolford (SFU, Jr, G)
Making his first two starts of the season, Wolford put up 22.5 ppg and hit 13-19 from outside the arc, a 61.9 percent success rate. He scored a career-high 19 points in a 100-89 win over American on Wednesday night only to shatter that mark three days later with 26 on Saturday at Stony Brook. Wolford made 8-11 trifectas against the Seawolves, one shy of the school record.
JoJo Cooper (WC, Sr, G)
Cooper recorded 16 points, a game-high eight assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals in Wagner’s 78-76 win over Fairfield on Friday. Over Wagner’s four-game winning streak, Cooper has averaged 13.8 ppg, 5.5 apg and 2.3 spg.
PERFORMANCES OF NOTE
Noah Morgan (FDU, Fr, F)
Morgan set new career-highs with 16 points, 10 rebounds and a pair of blocks at Iona on Saturday. In registering his first career double-double, Morgan shot 6-9 from the floor.
Mario Matasovic (SHU, Sr, F)
Matasovic averaged 15.0 ppg on 75.0 percent shooting from the field in SHU’s split last week. He scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half as the Pioneers rallied for an 87-80 win over UMass Lowell on Wednesday.
Josh Nicholas (SFBK, Fr, G)
Nicholas was featured at #3 on the SportsCenter Top-10 on December 4 for his windmill throwdown in the Terriers’ matchup at #5 Notre Dame on Sunday.
TOP STORYLINES FROM WEEK FOUR OF #NECMBB
Here’s all you need to know from the fourth week of the 2017-18 hoops season...
DID YOU KNOW?
The NEC has posted a 28-23 non-conference record since November 18. Excluding non-DI games, conference members are 22-23 over that same span.
MARYLAND RIVALRY LIKE NO OTHER
When Mount St. Mary’s took on Loyola (MD) this past Saturday, it marked the 173rd meeting between the longtime rivals in the most-played rivalry in the state of Maryland. Likewise, the 80-75 overtime win was the Mount’s 100th in the series. The Mountaineers have now won four of the last five meetings between the two programs and hold a 100-73 lead - including a 60-16 mark at home - in the “Catholic Clash” series that began in 1910.
Senior guard Junior Robinson (Mebane, NC/Eastern Alamance) exploded for a career-high 39 points in the win, an NEC single-game season-high and the most by a Mount player since Sam Prescott poured in 44 points against Bryant on February 14, 2013. He hit 4-7 from distance and 15-16 from the line, and added four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Robinson made nine straight free throws in the overtime period. He now leads the NEC and ranks 16th nationally with 22.5 ppg.
One of the classic games between the two programs was a 99-93 overtime win for the Mountaineers in the championship game of the Mason-Dixon Conference Tournament on March 5, 1955. That was former head coach Jim Phelan’s first of 49 seasons spent as head coach at the Mount.
STREAKING BLUE DEVILS
With five straight victories, Central Connecticut is in the midst of its longest win streak since a five-game run from November 19 to December 3, 2011.
BURKE’S BARRAGE NEARLY SINKS SIENA
Robert Morris sophomore guard Dachon Burke (Orange, NJ/Orange) did everything he could and then some to try and extend his team’s win streak to five games on Saturday.
Trailing by 16 in the second half, RMU whittled Siena’s lead down to six with just over a minute to play. Beginning with his layup at the 1:16 mark, Burke scored 11 points to close out the game, including a dunk and a pair of three-pointers as the Colonial comeback came up just short in a 76-74 road defeat.
Burke, who averaged 23.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 3.5 spg to win his second straight NEC Player of the Week honor, finished with 20 second half points in a career-high 26-point effort. Three days earlier, the Orange, NJ product had established a personal best with 21 points in a 81-74 win at Youngstown State.
CCSU, HUGLEY SHUT DOWN NC A&T & NATION’S LEADING SCORER
One of the most impressive aspects of CCSU’s five consecutive wins may have been the team’s defensive effort in Thursday’s 72-59 win over North Carolina A&T.
The Aggies entered the game averaging 91.8 ppg while shooting 50.5 percent from the field, due in part to the play of Femi Olujobi, the nation’s leading scorer at the time with 28.3 ppg.
With sophomore forward Joe Hugley (Gaithersburg, MD/Magruder (Baltimore City CC)) drawing the assignment for much of the contest, the Blue Devils limited Olujobi to just 14 points, with five coming in the final two minutes with the game already decided.
On the evening, NC A&T was held to 37.5 percent shooting, including a paltry 3-22 (.136) from three-point range.
Hugley came up big on the offensive end as well with a career-high 21 points and eight rebounds in a 21-minute stint off the bench.
MILESTONE ALERT
Mount St. Mary’s senior guard Junior Robinson (Mebane, NC/Eastern Alamance) has moved into the 20th place on the Mount’s all-time scoring list with 1,349 career points.
PIONEER POINT: SHU’S MATASOVIC IN CAN'T MISS MODE
How automatic has Sacred Heart redshirt senior forward Mario Matasovic (Slavonski, Brod., Croatia/St. John’s NW Military (Western Michigan)) been this season?
The Croatian native has shot no lower than 55.6 percent from the floor in SHU’s eight games this season. Matasovic, who ranks second in the NEC and 24th in DI in field goal percentage at 65.7 percent, made 12-16 from the floor last week while averaging 15.0 ppg. In the Pioneers’ 87-80 win at UMass Lowell, he sank 7-9 shots and added five rebounds and a pair of assists.
Matasovic currently leads SHU with 13.3 ppg on the year.
FRANCIS PROVIDING SPARK FOR SURGING WAGNER
After a promising freshman campaign, Wagner two-guard Blake Francis (Herndon, VA/Westfield) has without question made the leap this season for the streaking Seahawks, who at 5-1 are off to their best start since 2011-12.
Francis, who averaged 7.2 ppg in 2016-17, is up to 19.7 ppg this season to rank second in the NEC. The Herdon, VA native has not scored less than 17 points in a game and is shooting 43.2 percent from long range. Automatic from the line, Francis has made 21 consecutive free throws entering play this week and is shooting 92.6 percent on the year.
STAT OF THE WEEK
Mount St. Mary’s senior guard Junior Robinson (Mebane, NC/Eastern Alamance) is now 42-44 (.955) at the charity stripe this season. He leads the NEC in free throw percentage and ranks 13th nationally.
SFU’S WOLFORD STEPS UP
For many teams, an injury to a player of Isaiah Blackmon’s (Charlotte, NC/West Charlotte) stature could be an insurmountable obstacle to overcome.
But if there’s any consolation for Saint Francis U head coach Rob Krimmel, it’s his nearly endless depth at the guard position. As such, his “next up” player has turned out to be a revelation for Red Flash fans.
Junior Andre Wolford (Willowick, OH/Saint Ignatius) has been more than just a role player in his first four games since Blackmon’s injury.
After averaging 13.0 ppg off the bench in his first two outings, Wolford earned a starting role last week and broke out in a big way with 22.5 ppg on 66.7 percent shooting in two games. He was a scorching 68.4 percent from three-point range, making 13-19 shots.
Wolford netted a career-high 19 points in SFU’s 100-89 win over American on Wednesday night, making 5-8 from downtown. He went on to hit 8-11 from three-point range on Saturday at Stony Brook en-route to a new personal-best 26 points.
Wolford, who averaged 1.0 ppg over his first three games this season, has since put up 17.8 ppg on 67.9 percent shooting from distance (19-28) and 66.7 percent overall (22-33).
MOUNT FROSH HEATING UP
Mount St. Mary’s redshirt freshman guard Jonah Antonio (Perth, Australia/Sunrise Christian Academy (KS)) has scored in double figures in each of the past five games, averaging 17.0 ppg and 5.2 rpg over that span, hitting 22-50 (.440) from three-point range.
His 3.63 three-pointers per contest leads the NEC and ranks 16th nationally.
BATTS BACK ON TRACK FOR BLACKBIRDS
One player who has turned up his game the last ten days is LIU Brooklyn sophomore guard Julian Batts (Pittsburgh, PA/Jeannette (St. Thomas More)).
After averaging 4.2 ppg over his first six contests, Batts has put up 16.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.0 apg and 3.7 spg while shooting 53.6 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent (10-18) from three-point territory in the last three games for the Blackbirds.
In Thursday’s 79-78 win over Hartford, Batts became just the second player in the nation this season to finish a game with at least 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and six steals. West Virginia star Jevon Carter tallied 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and nine steals in a win over American on November 15. Batts is also the first NEC player to reach those totals since former NEC Player of the Year Ken Horton of CCSU dropped 39 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and six steals vs. Mount St. Mary’s in one of the great individual performance in league history back on February 23, 2012. The six steals for Batts were a career-high.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Saint Francis U head coach Rob Krimmel addressing his team after the Red Flash staved off a late American rally for a 100-89 win at DeGol Arena on Wednesday.
“When things go bad, you’ve gotta believe...our “Believe” sign got a little bigger this year, right? When things get tough and you have some adversity, your belief doesn’t need to get smaller. It needs to get bigger. You guys gotta believe in yourselves, you’ve gotta believe in each other. Great win fellas.”
RMU ROAD TRIP STATS
Robert Morris made the most of its eight-game road swing that finally concluded on Saturday with a 76-74 setback to Siena.
The Colonials finished the trip with a 4-4 record, tied for the second-longest long-term road swing in program history. To open the 1993-94 season, RMU finished an eight-game road journey 2-6 (.250), while the Colonials christened their 1990-91 schedule with a 3-6 (.333) mark in nine straight road games to open the year.
Over the eight games, Robert Morris traveled 7,838 miles (round trip) and played in all four time zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific).
NEC in NCAA STATS (Top-25)
Name School Category Rank Value
Andre Wolford SFU 3PFG% 2nd .633
Junior Robinson MSM FT% 11th .955
Dachon Burke RMU Steals 13th 2.71/gm
Darian Anderson FDU FT% 14th .952
Junior Robinson MSM PPG 16th 22.5
Jonah Antonio MSM 3PFG 16th 3.63/gm
Mario Matasovic SHU FG% 24th .657
Team Category Rank Value
Fairleigh Dickinson Steals 14th 9.6
Mount St. Mary’s FT% 14th .786