PDF Release
NEC Player of the Week: Raiquan Clark, LIU
NEC Co-Rookies of the Week: Keith Braxton, SFU & Blake Francis, WC
Previous NEC Releases: February 13 | 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
Raiquan Clark, LIU Brooklyn
6’6”, 195 lbs.
So, G/F, New Haven, CT/Hillhouse (Trinity Pawling)
Clark, a former walk-on who was awarded a scholarship last summer, thrust himself into the spotlight with a pair of stellar performances for the second place Blackbirds, who extended their win streak to four with a pair of victories last week. Clark came off the bench to average 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in just 23.5 minutes per game. He scored his 32 points quite efficiently on just 14 shots, converting at an 85.7 percent clip from the floor. He also did not commit a single turnover in 47 minutes. Clark began his week by going 5-5 from the field and the stripe en-route to a career-high 15 points in LIU’s 82-45 win in the Battle of Brooklyn game vs. St. Francis Brooklyn. He added seven rebounds and a pair of steals. Two days later, Clark set another personal-best with 17 points on 7-9 from the field in an 83-82 triumph over red-hot Sacred Heart. The New Haven, CT native snared seven offensive rebounds in the win and added two more steals. Clark has now reached double digits in each of his last three games and has converted 16 of his last 19 shot attempts (.842).
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
In winning his seventh NEC Rookie of the Week honor, Braxton piled up impressive numbers across the board in a split for the Red Flash. He averaged 20.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and shot 63.6 percent from the floor and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe. Braxton tallied 19 points on 6-7 shooting, and added eight boards, five assists and a pair of steals in an 80-71 win over CCSU on Thursday. The Glassboro, NJ native followed with 21 points and 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season in a four-point setback at Bryant. Braxton averages 13.3 ppg, and ranks in the NEC top-10 in rebounding (third, 8.6), field goal percentage (seventh, .538) and steals (fifth, 1.56).
Blake Francis, Wagner
6’0”, 165 lbs.
Fr., G, Herndon, VA/Westfield
Francis has been one of the NEC’s top long range shooters all year and was lights out last week. Coming off the bench, he netted 37 points on just 14 shots, shooting 71.4 percent from the field. Francis drilled 7-10 shots from three-point range and averaged a team-high 18.5 ppg in a 2-0 week for a Wagner team that has won six of its last seven and sits alone in third place with a 10-6 NEC mark. Francis hit 4-5 from downtown and 8-9 from the line for a career-high 20 points in Thursday’s 69-65 win over first place Mount St. Mary’s. He made six straight free throws in the final 33 seconds to seal the win. On Saturday, Francis made 3-5 from distance and finished with a team-high 17 points in the Green & White’s 73-55 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn. The Herndon, VA native ranks second in the NEC in three-point accuracy (.452) while averaging 7.5 ppg.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Adam Grant (BRY, Fr, G)
Grant continues to flourish in his freshman season for a Bryant team that secured an NEC Tournament spot last week. He put up 18.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg and made 52.2 percent of his shot attempts. Grant netted a team-high 18 points and drained 4-7 from long range in a win over SFU on Saturday.
Khalen Cumberlander (CCSU, Sr, G)
Cumberlander led all NEC players last week with 24.5 ppg on 56.3 percent shooting from the floor. He hit 7-13 shots (.538) from outside the arc, and also averaged 4.5 rpg and 2.5 spg. WIth 25 against SFU and 24 versus RMU, Cumberlander now has four 20-point games on the year.
Mike Holloway (FDU, So, F)
Holloway averaged a double-double for the week with 16.5 ppg and 10.0 rpg for the Knights. He shot at a 57.9 percent clip from the floor. Holloway posted his second double-double of the year with 15 points and 12 boards vs. SHU on Thursday.
Elijah Long (MSM, So, G)
Long lights up all the major statistical categories week after week for first place Mount, which clinched at least a share of the NEC regular season title with a win at FDU on Saturday. Long produced 20.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.0 apg and shot 53.6 percent from the field. He finished with a career-high 29 points, along with six rebounds and five assists in the win over the Knights. It was his sixth 20-point game this season, and seventh of his career. Long is averaging 22.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 5.3 apg while shooting 25-42 (.595) from the field and 7-13 (.538) from three-point range over the past three games.
Isaiah Still (RMU, So, G/F)
Still scored 22 points in each game last week for Robert Morris, which clinched an NEC Tournament berth on Saturday. Still also pulled down 7.5 rpg and made 16-21 from the stripe (.762). He has now scored in double figures in six straight games, averaging 19.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg during that span.
Quincy McKnight (SHU, So, G)
McKnight posted his 14th game of 20+ points on the season with 26 in SHU’s win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday. He averaged 18.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 3.0 spg, and shot 18-21 (.857) on the week.
DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME
With the final week of regular season play upon us, the NEC Tournament field is set, but there still is plenty of drama left to unfold as teams make their final seeding push.
With parity reigning supreme, here is the skinny on who is in, who is trending upward and who controls their own destiny in their quest to host a quarterfinal game:
Crashing The Party
These eight teams have qualified for the 2017 NEC Tournament. Here’s a look at the qualification streaks for each of the eight, highlighted by RMU’s league-best 14 consecutive appearances.
Consecutive NEC Tournament Appearances (Current)
14 - Robert Morris
7 - Wagner
5 - Mount St. Mary’s
4 - Saint Francis U
3 - LIU Brooklyn, Sacred Heart
2 - Fairleigh Dickinson
1 - Bryant
Title Chase
Mount St. Mary’s has clinched at least a share of the NEC regular season title, but left the door ajar for LIU Brooklyn to challenge for the top seed. The Mount fell at Wagner on Thursday, but cut its magic number to clinch the top seed to one with a 79-74 win at Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday.
At 13-3, the Mount holds a two-game lead over LIU, which has won four straight games heading into play this week. The two teams meet on Thursday at Knott Arena, and a Blackbird win would set up an interesting final day of the regular season. LIU plays at Wagner in another matchup of contenders on Saturday, while the Mount hosts St. Francis Brooklyn. Should the two teams finish tied, LIU could snag the top seed if Wagner finishes alone in third place or if other tiebreakers fall into place.
Seeding Picture Still Muddled (aka “Break Out The Tiebreakers”)
With just one week remaining in the regular season, the tightly knit NEC standings make it difficult to project the eventual matchups that will comprise the league’s postseason tournament that begins with quarterfinal round play on Wednesday, March 1.
What we do know is that Mount St. Mary’s and LIU Brooklyn have clinched home playoff games. Wagner needs one more win to guarantee a game at the Spiro Center. Fairleigh Dickinson, Saint Francis U, Bryant and Sacred Heart are also in play for a top-four seed. Robert Morris cannot host a tourney game.
It should be noted that Bryant and Sacred Heart, who are tied for sixth, are two of the NEC’s hottest teams at this point. The Bulldogs have won three straight, while the Pioneers have taken five of their last six with the lone setback coming on a one-point loss at second place LIU Brooklyn on Saturday.
Wild Card Fever
In the “no surprise” department, the NEC has selected the Mount St. Mary’s - LIU Brooklyn matchup as the league’s “Wild Card” television matchup this Thursday on CBS Sports Network. Tipoff time between the NEC’s top-two teams is 7:00 in Emmitsburg. Dave Popkin (PxP), Joe DeSantis (color) and Paul Dottino (sideline) are in the booth.
This Week’s Schedule
Here are the slate of games that will ultimately determine NEC Tournament bracketing.
Thursday, Feb. 23
LIU Brooklyn at Mount St. Mary’s, 7 pm
Fairleigh Dickinson at Robert Morris, 7 pm
St. Francis Brooklyn at CCSU, 7 pm
Bryant at Wagner, 7 pm
Sacred Heart at Saint Francis U, 7 pm
Saturday, Feb. 25
CCSU at Bryant, 1 pm
Fairleigh Dickinson at Saint Francis U, 1 pm
Sacred Heart at Robert Morris, 3 pm
LIU Brooklyn at Wagner, 4 pm
St. Francis Brooklyn at Mount St. Mary’s, 4 pm
MOUNT FACTS & FIGURES
With its 79-74 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, the Mount now has 13 NEC victories this season, the second-most for the program since joining the league in 1989-90. The Mountaineers went 16-2 in 1995-96 in winning their lone NEC regular season title.
The Mount posted a 7-2 mark in NEC road games this year, matching the 1995-96 team for the program’s best-ever conference road record.
Mount St. Mary’s has gone 6-1 against the next four teams (LIU, WC, FDU & SFU) in the NEC standings.
PLAY OF THE WEEK
LIU Brooklyn senior guard Iverson Fleming (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) has 12 blocked shots on the season, but his one rejection on Saturday is the one that will stand the test of time.
With the Blackbirds holding on to a precarious one-point lead against Sacred Heart in the waning seconds, a missed Quincy McKnight (Bridgeport, CT/St. Joseph’s (Phelps)) free throw was corralled by De’von Barnett (Waldorf, MD/Riverdale Baptist School). Barnett pitched the ball out to Charles Tucker Jr. (Lansing, MI/Montrose Christian (Panola College)), who fired up a three-pointer, but the shot never reached the rim thanks to Fleming, who ran out at Tucker and deflected the shot to Jashaun Agosto (Seattle, WA/Garfield). Agosto dribbled out the clock for the win.
The victory clinched LIU Brooklyn its first NEC Tournament home game since the Blackbirds won their third consecutive NEC title on their home floor in the 2013 final.
NEC DYNAMIC DUOS
So who are the top scoring duo’s in the NEC? The league’s premier point producing tandem is comprised of Bryant sophomore guard Nisre Zouzoua (Brockton, MA/Boston Trinity) and freshman guard Adam Grant (Franklin, VA/Norfolk Collegiate School). Together, the pair is combining for 33.8 ppg. Zouzoua, who is the league’ leading scorer, is putting up 19.8 ppg, while Grant ranks seventh with 14.0 ppg.
School Player PPG Player PPG Total PPG
BRY Nisre Zouzoua 19.8 Adam Grant 14.0 33.8
SHU Quincy McKnight 19.0 Joseph Lopez 12.8 31.8
LIU Jerome Frink 17.1 Iverson Fleming 14.0 31.1
FDU Darian Anderson 16.8 Stephan Jiggetts 13.5 30.3
MSM Elijah Long 14.8 Junior Robinson 13.7 28.5
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH
The ability to close out tight games is always the sign of a good team.
Here are the records of conference teams in NEC games decided by five points or less or overtime contests. First place Mount St. Mary’s and third place Wagner lead the league with five such victories on the year.
Bryant: 4-6
CCSU: 2-2
Fairleigh Dickinson: 3-3
LIU Brooklyn: 4-3
Mount St. Mary’s: 5-3
Robert Morris: 3-6
Sacred Heart: 4-3
St. Francis Brooklyn: 2-3
Saint Francis U: 3-3
Wagner: 5-4
LIU’S FRINK ON VERGE OF SCORING MILESTONE
LIU Brooklyn senior forward Jerome Frink (Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony (FIU)) enters the final week of the regular season just six points shy of becoming the fifth NEC player this season to reach 1,000 career points.
If he does reach the milestone, he will become the 212th in NEC history to hit 1,000 points, and will do it in just his second season in Brooklyn. Frink also scored 587 points in two years at FIU before transferring.
Fairleigh Dickinson junior guard Darian Anderson (Washington, D.C./St. John’s College), CCSU senior guard Khalen Cumberlander (Washington, D.C./Coolidge), Wagner junior guard Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, MD/DeMatha Catholic) and Mount St. Mary’s junior guard Junior Robinson (Mebane, NC/Eastern Alamance) have already cracked 1,000 points this season.
Two more players have a chance at the 1,000-point plateau. Robert Morris senior guard Kavon Stewart (Paterson, NJ/Hudson Catholic) has amassed 955 points, while Bryant sophomore guard Nisre Zouzoua (Brockton, MA/Boston Trinity) is at 951 points entering the final week of the regular season.
STATISTICAL IMPROVEMENTS
Entering the final week of NEC regular season play, it seems an opportune time to examine the players who have made the most significant strides in their game compared to last season and how they stand among leaders in a the three major statistical categories. At this time, Saint Francis U sophomore guard Jamaal King (Salisbury, MD/Bishop O’Connell (VA)) leads the most improved sweepstakes in both scoring and assists.
Most Improved 2015-16 to 2016-17 (current NEC ranking)
Scoring: Jamaal King (SFU) - 2.1 ppg to 12.6 ppg (18th in NEC)
Rebounding: Tidell Pierre (CCSU) - 2.5 rpg to 7.0 rpg (7th in NEC)
Assists: Jamaal King (SFU) - 0.6 apg to 3.7 apg (5th in NEC)
DUNN SETS SFBK FRESHMAN SCORING MARK
For those who have watched St. Francis Brooklyn freshman guard Rasheem Dunn (Brooklyn, NY/Thomas Jefferson) play this season, it’s easy to envision the local product as the next in a long line of great Terrier guards, including Brent Jones, Akeem Bennett, Ricky Cadell in recent years.
Dunn, who leads SFBK in scoring with 13.3 ppg this season, established a new school single-season freshman record for points last Thursday in the annual Battle of Brooklyn tilt with LIU Brooklyn. Dunn eclipsed Jan Espinosa, who scored 362 points during the 1996-97 season, and has amassed 385 points heading into play this week.
Dunn currently ranks third among all NEC freshman scorers and is 15th overall.
DID YOU KNOW?
Bryant has set an NEC record by playing five overtime games in conference play this season.
LIU CAPTURES BATTLE OF BROOKLYN
The NEC’s best rivalry has it’s own name and has produced numerous instant classics over the years.
But the 42nd Battle of Brooklyn was the rare lopsided affair in the annual battle for neighborhood bragging rights.
LIU Brooklyn led nearly wire-to-wire in an 82-45 win over St. Francis Brooklyn on Wednesday in a game that aired nationwide on CBS Sports Network.
The Blackbirds raced out to a 48-25 lead at the break and never looked back.
LIU Brooklyn senior forward Jerome Frink (Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony (FIU)) added to his most recent NEC Player of the Week honor by being named the Lai-Lynch Most Valuable Player Award. He compiled 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists in just 26 minutes.
LIU now owns a 24-to-18 edge in the Battle of Brooklyn matchup, though it was the Blackbirds’ first win in the series since 2014.
NEC LEADERS: FG% AT RIM
In our weekly look at advanced stats, this week we look at field goal percentage at the rim.
What does the stat mean? It simply compiles a player’s field goal percentage on layups, dunks or tip-ins, and is a good measure to see those who are most adept at finishing around the hoop.
Looking at players who score at least 10.0 ppg, Saint Francis U sophomore forward Josh Nebo (Houston, TX/Cypress Lakes) is by far the most proficient around the rim, converting 71.1 percent of his attempts. Perhaps the most surprising names on the list are two freshman guards. The Mount’s Miles Wilson (Baltimore, MD/Mount St. Joseph) ranks fifth in the conference at 61.9 percent while Saint Francis U’s Keith Braxton (Glassboro, NJ/The Lawrenceville School) is eighth at 60.4 percent.
Rk Player Team FTA/40
1 Josh Nebo SFU .711
2 Nura Zanna LIU .669
3 Mike Holloway FDU .656
4 Joseph Lopez SHU .619
5 Miles Wilson MSM .619
6 Mustafa Jones CCSU .617
7 Earl Potts Jr. FDU .610
8 Keith Braxton SFU .604
9 Marcel Pettway BRY .597
10 Michael Carey WC .591
RMU’S TATE & WC’S AAMON REACH MILESTONE
Robert Morris redshirt senior forward Aaron Tate (Cove City, NC/West Craven) joined the program’s 500-rebound club last week thanks to his second career double-double at Bryant with 12 points and a career-high 14 boards. In two games last week he averaged 11.0 points and 11.0 rebounds while shooting 66.7 percent (6-7) from the field and a perfect 10-10 at the line. Tate, who is the 18th RMU player to reach 500 rebounds, begins the final week of the regular season with 510 career caroms.
Wagner redshirt senior forward Mike Aaman (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan (URI)) did the same for Wagner last week, surpassing 500 rebounds in Saturday’s win over St. Francis Brooklyn. His eight boards gave him 506 in his time at Wagner after transferring from Rhode Island. Aaman contributed 10.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg for the week, including his third double-double of the year with 10 points and 11 rebounds on Thursday as the Seahawks upended first place Mount St. Mary’s.
Tate ranks fifth and Aaman sixth in career rebounds among active NEC players.
QUICK HITTERS
CCSU freshman guard Tyson Batiste (Springfield, MO/Notre Dame Prep) averaged 10.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.0 apg and 1.5 spg last week. He shot 53.8 percent from the floor and drained 5-8 (.625) from three-point range. Batiste netted a career-best 17 points against Saint Francis U on Thursday, then dished for a personal-best five assists versus Robert Morris two days later.
CCSU senior guard Khalen Cumberlander (Washington, D.C./Coolidge) moved to 29th on CCSU’s all-time scoring list with 1,120 points, just behind Justin Chiera (2002-06, 1,135) and former CCSU head coach Howie Dickenman (1966-69, 1,145). Likewise, sophomore guard Austin Nehls (Tucson, AZ/Cheshire Academy) reached eighth on the school’s career three-pointers chart with 133 in two seasons. CCSU all-time great Ken Horton (2007-12, 158) is next on the list.
Fairleigh Dickinson junior guard Darian Anderson (Washington, D.C./St. John’s College) is averaging an NEC-best 1.96 spg on the year. He has tallied a steal in 23 of his 26 games this season and has at least one swipe in 17 straight outings. Likewise, Anderson has recorded two or more steals in each of the last six games. He currently ranks third in school history with 163 career steals.
Fairleigh Dickinson ranks 21st in the nation in free-throw percentage, sinking an NEC-best 76.1 percent from the line.
Over the last four games, Fairleigh Dickinson sophomore guard Darnell Edge (Saugerties, NY/Saugerties) is shooting 55.3 percent from the field (21-38) and 62.5 percent (10-16) from behind the arc. He is averaging 14.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 2.8 apg in that span.
LIU Brooklyn senior guard Iverson Fleming (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) averaged 17.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg in a pair of wins. He finished with 24 points, four rebounds, three steals and a block at the buzzer to preserve an 83-82 win over Sacred Heart on Saturday.
Mount St. Mary’s redshirt sophomore forward Mawdo Sallah (Latri Kunda, Gambia/Fishburne Military School (VA)) has scored in double figures in each of the past three games, averaging 12.0 ppg over that stretch. He netted a career-high 14 points in the Mount’s loss at Wagner on Thursday.
St. Francis Brooklyn freshman guard Rasheem Dunn (Brooklyn, NY/Thomas Jefferson) paced the Terriers with 12.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg last week. He leads SFBK and ranks third among NEC freshmen scorers with 13.3 ppg.
Saint Francis U sophomore forward Josh Nebo (Houston, TX/Cypress Lakes) put up 13.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 2.5 bpg last week, while shooting 57.9 percent from the floor. Nebo, who leads the NEC with 2.4 bpg, now has 124 rejections for his career, just 13 off the SFU career record held by Melvin Scott (1996-01). On the season, he is contributing 12.3 ppg, and ranks sixth in the NEC with 7.7 rpg and third with a 57.7 percent conversion rate from the field. He’s been even better in league play with 13.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg and 3.1 bpg.
TWEET DECK
John Templon @nybuckets
Today was the final home game for Yunus Hopkinson, a player who really made himself into something in #NECMBB.
Nelson Castillo @NelCastBHJ
I think this year, we might have the tightest #NECMBB POY race we have seen in quite a while. I think it is a 2 to 3 players race right now.
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
This is why 4-year senior can be so valuable. Exhibit A is Iverson Fleming.
RMU Athletics @RMUAthletics
@chrisshovlin RMU HOF ‘12 will call his 900th @RMUMBasketball game tonight! At Bryant. @ESPNRadioPGH 7 pm. Congrats! #VoiceofTheColonials
Ray Curren @currenrr
Mount and Wagner headed for a fantastic finish if you’re an NEC fan. And you should be. Tim Capstraw back on the call, too.
Nelson Castillo @NelCastBHJ
Raiquan Clark has a little Jamal Olasewere in his game. You really see it in these highlights from today’s win.