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NEC Player of the Week: Jerome Frink, LIU
NEC Rookie of the Week: Ikenna Ndugba, BRY
Previous NEC Releases: February 6 | January 30 | January 23 | January 16 | 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
Jerome Frink, LIU Brooklyn
6’7”, 230 lbs.
R-Sr, F, Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony (FIU)
Frink claims his second NEC Player of the Week award of the 2016-17 campaign after leading LIU Brooklyn to a pair of wins last week. The victories secured LIU an NEC playoff berth and boosted the Blackbirds into a second place tie in the league standings. Frink averaged 21.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shot 50.0 percent from the field. He also converted 50.0 percent from three-point territory, sinking 5-10 attempts. The Jersey City, NJ native matched a career-high when he erupted for 30 points and added 10 boards in his NEC-best 12th double-double effort of the season as the Blackbirds secured an 88-85 overtime win at Bryant on Thursday. Frink added 12 points, six rebounds and four assists in Saturday’s 75-69 win over fellow NEC contender Fairleigh Dickinson. He leads the NEC with 9.3 rpg, and also ranks third in scoring (17.5), ninth in blocks (1.0) and tenth in field goal percentage (.489). Frink needs 30 points to reach 1,000 in less two years in Brooklyn.
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Ikenna Ndugba, Bryant
6’0”, 190 lbs.
Fr., G, Boston, MA/Brooks School
Ndugba stuffed the stat sheet last week en-route to his second NEC Rookie of the Week honor this season. He compiled 11.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game, and shot 63.6 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from beyond the arc. Ndugba recorded his first career double-double on Thursday with 11 points and 10 rebounds in an 88-85 overtime setback to LIU Brooklyn. He followed with 12 points on 4-4 shooting, to go along with six rebounds, three assists and four steals in Bryant’s 80-69 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday. Ndugba, who hails from Boston, leads all NEC freshmen and ranks third overall with 4.1 apg. He also contributes 5.8 ppg and 3.5 rpg for the Bulldogs.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Bosko Kostur (BRY, Jr, F)
Kostur was feeling it last week, making 61.1 percent from the field. He also hit 5-8 (.625) from outside the arc. On the week, Kostur netted 19.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 spg and 1.5 spg. He finished with a career-high 26 points, six boards and a personal-best five treys in an overtime loss to LIU Brooklyn on Thursday.
Darnell Edge (FDU, So, G)
Edge was in the zone last week for the Knights, sinking 56.5 percent of his shot opportunities, including 6-10 from distance. Edge finished the week with 16.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.5 apg and 1.5 spg in the Knights’ split. He netted 19 points against LIU Brooklyn on Saturday, one off his career-high.
Elijah Long (MSM, So, G)
Long contributed in all facets of the game for first place Mount last week. He averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 rpg, 5.0 apg and 1.5 spg, while hitting at a 58.3 percent from the field and 66.7 percent rate (6-9) from three-point range. Long finished with 25 points, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals as the Mount improved to 12-2 in league play with a win at SFU on Saturday.
Quincy McKnight (SHU, So, G)
McKnight produced 18.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.0 apg and 2.0 spg in a 2-0 week for the Pioneers. He made 5-6 shots (.833) from long range and shot 50.0 percent from the floor. McKnight netted 25 points in SHU’s win over St. Francis Brooklyn on Thursday. It was his ninth 20-point game of the season.
Yunus Hopkinson (SFBK, Sr, G)
Hopkinson averaged an NEC-high 23.0 ppg last week, highlighted by a career-high 34-point effort at Sacred Heart on Thursday. He matched a season-best with six shots from downtown.
Mike Aaman (WC, R-Sr, F)
Aaman poured in a career-high 26 points, and added 13 rebounds and three blocks in Wagner’s victory at Saint Francis U on Thursday. He hit 11-18 from the field and 4-4 from the line. Aaman averaged 14.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg on the week.
WITH TWO WEEKS REMAINING, MOUNT IN DRIVER’S SEAT
In the race to clinch the NEC regular season title and home court advantage in the NEC Tournament, Mount St. Mary’s is doing its best to remove all the drama heading into the final two weeks of the league play.
With a 74-70 road win at Robert Morris on Thursday and an impressive 81-62 triumph at Saint Francis U on Saturday, the first place Mountaineers improved to 12-2 on the year.
The Mount now has a three-game bulge on the field with four to play and can clinch the regular season title with a pair of wins this week.
As the Jamion Christian-led Mountaineers continue to roll, consider some of the superlatives they’ve already racked up this season.
- The 12 conference wins are tied for the second most by a Mount team since joining the NEC. The Mount went 16-2 in 1995-96 to win the program’s lone regular season crown, and finished 12-6 in 1994-95, 2008-09 and 2009-10.
- The Mount improved to 6-1 on the road in NEC games with its two victories in western Pennsylvania last week. In doing so, the Mount clinched its first winning NEC road record since going 6-3 away from home in 2007-08.
- With a 14-13 overall mark, the Mount now has a winning record for the first time this season.
The Mount had to hang on late against Robert Morris on Thursday after the Colonials sliced a 12-point deficit with under four minutes to play down to one with 42 seconds on the clock. In the end, junior guard Junior Robinson (Mebane, NC/Eastern Alamance) made the game’s key play, converting a layup with 18 seconds on the clock to extend the lead back to four. Robinson finished with a career-high 28 points.
With the score tied at 55 apiece at SFU on Saturday, Mount St. Mary’s went on a 24-0 run to break the game open. The Mount hit six straight three-pointers to account for the first 18 points of the run, and finished 14-31 from outside the arc in the win. Mount sophomore guard Elijah Long (Mississauga, Ontario/John Carroll (MD)) hit five three-pointers, and finished with 25 points, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals in a terrific all-around effort.
After the game, Mount head coach Jamion Christian explained his team’s strategy going into the showdown in Loretto.
“Going into this, we knew there was going to be a lot of 3s taken,” Christian said. “I felt like us being able to score the ball at the rim was going to be important for us...we were able to make enough 2s and share the ball enough offensively to make some of those 3s.
“We’ve got a good collection of guys — we’ve sort of done it that way all year long. (We have) a lot of guys that can beat you, and I don’t necessarily think it was anything in particular, but more so it was just our ability to share the ball and get the ball in the right spot to make the right plays.”
SIX NEC TOURNAMENT TICKETS PUNCHED
With Mount St. Mary’s threatening to run away with the regular season title, attention has shifted to qualification and the chance to host a quarterfinal round game in the NEC Tournament.
The Mount and Fairleigh Dickinson had clinched NEC Tournament spots heading into play last week, then the floodgates opened on Saturday. After the last game went final, they were joined in the postseason by LIU Brooklyn, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis U and Wagner, meaning just two spots are still up for grabs in the eight-team field.
At 6-8 on the year, Bryant and Robert Morris are on the verge of snagging those final two playoff berths based on their three-game lead over Central Connecticut with four to play. St. Francis Brooklyn is four games out with four to play and is one loss away from being eliminated from tourney contention.
The most compelling race right now is that for a top-four spot.
Mount St. Mary’s has clinched an NEC Tournament home game, but just two games separate the teams in second place and sixth place, so there could be plenty of movement between now and the end of the month.
GRAND EVENING FOR MOUNT’S JUNIOR ROBINSON
Our latest inductee into the NEC’s 1,000-point club is Mount St. Mary’s junior guard Junior Robinson (Mebane, NC/Eastern Alamance), who reached the milestone last Thursday in the Mount’s 74-70 win over Robert Morris.
Robinson, who scored a career-high 28 points in the win, crossed the millennium mark in the second half on a coast-to-coast layup that gave the Mount a 46-38 edge.
Robinson became the 47th player in Mount history and 211th in NEC annals to hit 1,000 points, and now has 1,021 in his career. He also became the fourth NEC player this season to crack 1,000 points, joining Fairleigh Dickinson junior guard Darian Anderson (Washington, D.C./St. John’s College), CCSU senior guard Khalen Cumberlander (Washington, D.C./Coolidge) and Wagner junior guard Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, MD/DeMatha Catholic).
The next to crack the 1,000-point plateau could be LIU Brooklyn senior forward Jerome Frink (Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony (FIU)), who has compiled 970 career points in less than two years heading into play this week.
BLACKBIRDS BACK ON TRACK
Following a 6-1 start in NEC play, LIU Brooklyn was trending in the wrong direction, dropping four-of-five heading into a challenging two-game stretch last week.
With a bevy of teams of jockeying for a top-four NEC Tournament seed, the Blackbirds needed a quick turnaround, and got just that with an 88-85 overtime win at Bryant on Thursday before returning home to earn a 75-69 triumph over Fairleigh Dickinson two days later. The wins clinched an NEC Tournament spot and boosted LIU into a second place tie with Fairleigh Dickinson at 9-5 in the league standings.
It was a pair of seniors who fueled the two wins last week.
LIU redshirt senior forward Jerome Frink (Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony (FIU)) has been an inside-outside force all season long for the Blackbirds, and he took his game to another level against Bryant. Frink dropped a career-high 30 points, hitting 5-7 from outside the arc. With the Bulldogs holding a 67-63 lead following an 11-1 run, Frink hit key back-to-back triples for the Blackbirds. Then it was senior guard Iverson Fleming’s (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) turn to step up. Fleming scored LIU’s last seven points of regulation, including a conventional three-point play that with 48 seconds on the clock. In overtime it was Fleming who would bury the game-winning three-pointer with just 14 seconds remaining. He finished the game with 24 points and five assists.
The Blackbirds were then able to avenge their January loss to FDU with a balanced scoring attack and clutch free throw shooting down the stretch. After opening the game 14-24 from the stripe, LIU hit 8-9 late, including four straight by Fleming in the final minute to secure the win.
The opportunity to turn the tables on one of the NEC’s elite teams did not go unnoticed by LIU Brooklyn head coach Jack Perri.
“We really wanted to win this one for a lot of different reasons,” Perri said after the FDU win. “FDU beat us pretty good at their place. Obviously, they are one game ahead of us in the standings. We wanted to make a move and go up instead of going backward. We talked about all those things. Any way to find a way to get a win in this game was going to be important and our guys stepped up.”
Frink averaged 21.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.0 apg and shot 50.0 percent from the field to earn his second NEC Player of the Week nod, while Fleming contributed 18.5 ppg and 3.5 apg.
NEHLS EARNS ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT RECOGNITION
One of the NEC’s best sharpshooters is pretty sharp in the classroom as well.
Last Thursday, CCSU sophomore guard Austin Nehls (Tucson, AZ/Cheshire Academy (Catalina Foothills)) was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 1 First Team.
Nehls, a Finance major, has posted a cumulative 3.93 GPA, and compiled a perfect 4.0 GPA during the Fall 2016 semester.
First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
Nehls leads CCSU with 13.6 ppg, and ranks third in the NEC in made trifectas (2.4/game) and eighth in three-point percentage (.373).
With two trifectas against Sacred Heart on Saturday, Nehls now has 131 in his career. He moved into a tie with CCSU legend Javier Mojica (2003-07) for eighth on the program’s all-time list.
DEFENSE FIRST MENTALITY SPARKS RMU WIN
When your offense isn’t as sharp as planned, there’s only one way to stay in a game.
Robert Morris head coach Andrew Toole explains.
“I am proud of how we continued to defend,” Toole said after the Colonials came back from an early 11-point deficit to claim a 50-48 win over Wagner on Saturday. “It was frustrating that we couldn’t get some buckets like we needed to, but we battled back and tied the game at 20. Credit our guys for continuing to play through that stretch because it’s an easy time where you just say you know what, forget it, it just isn’t our night. Guys continued to work.”
RMU limited Wagner to 34.8 percent shooting for the game and forced 21 turnovers, which offset an off shooting night for the Colonials.
“I thought we did a really good job of just figuring it out, staying together and getting some critical stops and rebounds when we needed them,” Toole said. “Figuring enough out on offense to be able to win the game.”
SHU UPSWING YIELDS QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Sacred Heart can lay claim to being one of the hottest teams in the NEC at this point, riding a four-game win streak into the final two weeks of the season. With convincing wins over St. Francis Brooklyn and CCSU last week, the Pioneers evened their conference record at 7-7, clinched an NEC Tournament berth and enabled SHU to set its sights on a home playoff game.
For head coach Anthony Latina, the reason for the turnaround is obvious.
“We’re very pleased with where we’re at now,” Latina said. “Our defense has gotten a lot better. Some of it is personnel, some of it is focus. It’s still not where we want it to be but we’re playing good stretches. It was either start defending better or get used to losing, and they (the players) didn’t like that option.”
SHU yielded 76.7 ppg over its first 10 NEC games, but has dropped that number to 66.7 ppg over the four-game win streak. The Pioneers have also posted a +6.8 rebound margin during this stretch.
BATTLE OF BROOKLYN HIGHLIGHTS THE WEEK IN NEC-TV
With just two weeks remaining in the regular season the stakes will be high in the three NEC-TV games that air this week.
On Wednesday, it’s the annual airing of the Battle of Brooklyn. And for the second straight year, neighborhood rivals LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis Brooklyn will do battle on a major national carrier when they square off at 6:00 pm on CBS Sports Network. Paul Dottino (PxP), Terry O’Connor (color) and John Schmeelk (sideline) have the call from the Steinberg Wellness Center.
The following evening, it’s a clash of NEC contenders when first place Mount St. Mary’s visits fourth place Wagner at 7:00 pm on ESPN3. John Schmeelk and Tim Capstraw are in the booth.
NEC-TV returns to LIU Brooklyn on Saturday as the Blackbirds host Sacred Heart in a noon tipoff. The game will air on MSG, FCS and Cox (CT/RI). Paul Dottino (PxP), Tim Capstraw (color) and John Schmeelk (sideline) are the announcers.
FORMER WALK-ON SCHROBACK FEATURED ON NEC-TV
On the very day NEC-TV debuted a feature on Fairleigh Dickinson’s Mike Schroback (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights) at halftime of a nationally televised game on ESPN3, the junior guard gave the Knights a boost in their 79-62 win over CCSU.
Schroback, who averages just 5.5 minutes per outing, came off the bench to hit a pair of three-pointers late in the first half to help the Knights break the game open.
The profile goes behind the scenes with Schroback and his story of perseverance, dedication and love of the game. We hear first hand his story of walking on to the FDU men’s basketball team, and how his hard work yielded the ultimate reward when he was awarded a scholarship after last season.
“It’s a great story,” said FDU head coach Greg Herenda. “I’m glad to be a part of it, but is Mike Schroback that deserves everything that he got.”
The feature can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SINN75VKPE
NEC LEADERS: FTA/40
In our weekly look at advanced stats, this week we look at free throw attempts per 40 minutes.
What does the stat mean? It measures the number of times a player gets to the free throw line every 40 minutes of play. Incorporating minutes played into this statistic allows for a level playing field for comparing all players.
Looking at players who score at least 5.0 ppg, Robert Morris senior guard Kavon Stewart (Paterson, NJ/Hudson Catholic) is the NEC leader with 9.3 attempts per 40 minutes. Last week, his most important free throw came on a conventional three-point play with 52 seconds to play that gave the Colonials a four-point edge in a 50-48 win over Wagner on Saturday. Stewart has gone to the line 177 times this season, second in the NEC behind Sacred Heart sophomore guard Quincy McKnight (Bridgeport, CT/St. Joseph’s (Phelps)) (181).
Rk Player Team FTA/40
1 Kavon Stewart RMU 9.3
2 Quincy McKnight SHU 8.4
3 Sabastian Townes BRY 8.3
4 Rasheem Dunn SFBK 7.3
5 Mike Aaman WC 7.1
Isaiah Still RMU 7.1
7 Tidell Pierre CCSU 6.6
8 Raiquan Clark LIU 6.5
9 Bosko Kostur BRY 6.3
10 Jerome Frink LIU 5.9
STAT OF THE WEEK
On the year, home teams have won just 52.9 percent of conference games with a 37-33 record over eight weeks of NEC play.
STAT OF THE WEEK #2
This season 38.8 percent of NEC games have been decided by five points or less.
QUICK HITTERS
Bryant junior swingman Bosko Kostur (Melbourne, Australia/Hallam Senior College) has scored in double-figures 10 times over the last 13 contests since becoming a starter. The Melbourne, Australia product is averaging 9.5 ppg on the year, shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from deep. He is putting up 11.9 ppg in conference play.
All five Bryant starters scored in double-digits for the first time this season in Saturday’s 80-69 win over St. Francis Brooklyn.
CCSU junior forward Mustafa Jones (Harlem, NY/Cardinal Hayes) led the Blue Devils with 14.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg last week, while shooting an efficient 60.9 percent from the field. He added 3.0 bpg and 2.0 spg. Jones swatted a career-high six shots against SHU on Saturday. In doing so, he became the first CCSU player with 5+ blocks in a game since Brandon Peel had six at Saint Francis U on February 6, 2016.
LIU Brooklyn freshman guard Jashaun Agosto (Seattle, WA/Garfield) finished the week averaging 14.5 ppg in a pair of wins. In an overtime victory over Bryant, he tallied 20 points on 6-12 shooting, including 3-4 from three point range.
Robert Morris sophomore guard Isaiah Still (Rahway, NJ/Union Catholic) paced the Colonials with 15.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg last week. He topped the Colonials with 17 points and seven rebounds against Mount St. Mary’s on Thursday and led RMU in a 50-48 win over Wagner with 14 points. Dating back to last season, Still has scored in double figures in 27 of his last 32 games.
Robert Morris has had 10 of its 14 games this season against NEC foes (71.4 percent) and 16 overall (59.3 percent) decided by seven points or less. In seven seasons under head coach Andrew Toole, Robert Morris is 50-31 (.617) in games decided by five points or less, including a mark of 6-6 (.500) this year.
Sacred Heart sophomore guard Sean Hoehn (Morristown, NJ/Morristown (St. Thomas More (CT))) hit 5-6 shots from three-point range en-route to a game-high 17 points in Saturday’s 77-62 win over CCSU. Hoehn averages 8.3 ppg and is shooting 37.3 percent from long range on the year.
St. Francis Brooklyn freshman guard Rasheem Dunn (Brooklyn, NY/Thomas Jefferson) contributed 13.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg last week. He nearly posted a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds at Sacred Heart on Thursday. Dunn is the NEC’s second-leading freshman scorer with a team-high 13.4 ppg on the year.
Saint Francis U sophomore forward Josh Nebo (Houston, TX/Cypress Lakes) averaged 11.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 3.5 bpg, while shooting 52.6 percent from the floor. On Thursday against Wagner, he recorded his sixth double-double of the season, and fourth in NEC play, with 15 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. Nebo, who leads the NEC and ranks 22nd nationally with 2.4 bpg, now has 119 career rejections in less than two years, just 18 behind the SFU all-time record held by Melvin Scott (1996-01).
Saint Francis U freshman guard Keith Braxton (Glassboro, NJ/Lawrenceville School) posted 13.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.0 apg and shot 63.2 percent from the floor in two games last week. In NEC play, Braxton is averaging 14.7 ppg on 55.2 percent shooting to go along with 8.6 rpg, 3.0 apg and 1.6 spg.
TWEET DECK
Craig D’Amico @CraigCD13
Josh Nebo just had what might be the most thunderous dunk of the entire season #NECMBB
Chris Cappella @C_Cappella
Junior Robinson. Stone-cold killer #Salute #NECMBB
Nelson Castillo @NelCastBHJ
All three 7pm #NECMBB games are close. No one has more than a 4 point lead at halftime. Fun next hour in store.
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
Kaleb Bishop reminds me of the Mount’s Chris Wray in that he has the size/athleticism to disrupt near the rim. Both are incredible talents.
Nelson Castillo @NelCastBHJ
That is a #NEC9 slam by Jerome Frink. The dime pass made the play by Agosto
Chris Cappella @C_Cappella
Mike Aaman. Grown man’s game. @WagnerAthletics