NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
E.J. Anosike, Sacred Heart
6’8”, 245 lbs.
So., F, East Orange, NJ/Paramus Catholic (St. Thomas More)
Anosike comes off the finest week of his blossoming career, sparking the Pioneers to their first 2-0 start in NEC play since the 2012-13 campaign. The sophomore averaged a double-double with 19.5 ppg and 10.0 rpg. He hit at a 52.2 percent clip from the field, converted 66.7 percent on 4-6 shooting from three-point land and was a near perfect 91.7 percent from the line. Anosike converted the go-ahead triple with 59 seconds remaining in Thursday’s 79-75 win over LIU, one of his career-high three trifectas on the evening. Anosike paced the Pios with 19 points, and added six boards. Looking for a weekend sweep, the East Orange, NJ native posted his third double-double of the year with 20 points and 14 rebounds in a 73-61 win over CCSU. He snared eight of those rebounds on the offensive end. Anosike leads the NEC in offensive rebounding (4.1) and is the league’s third overall glass sweeper (8.1). He ranks second on SHU with 13.6 ppg.
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Vado Morse, Mount St. Mary’s
6’0”, 155 lbs.
Fr., G, Suitland, MD/Bullis School
Morse made it back-to-back NEC Rookie of the Week awards after he averaged 16.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists, while shooting 45.8 percent from the floor in the Mount’s road swing through western Pennsylvania. He opened his NEC career with 14 points and four rebounds at Saint Francis U on Thursday, as he helped keep the Mountaineers withing striking distance for much of the second half in an 80-69 setback to the preseason favorites. Two days later, the freshman from Suitland, MD led all scorers with 19 points as Mount St. Mary’s succumbed to a late Robert Morris surge in a tightly contested game. Morse hit 7-14 shots and scored 14 of his points after intermission in the 62-59 loss. He ranks second among NEC freshman with 12.2 ppg on the year and has put up 17.3 ppg in his last four contests. An NEC record four different Mount players have now been honored with five Rookie of the Week accolades over the first nine weeks of the season.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
SaBastian Townes (BRY, Jr, F)
Townes continued his recent surge with 22.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg to tipoff NEC play for the Bulldogs. He dropped 28 points on 7-14 shooting and hit 13-16 from the stripe in Bryant’s win over St. Francis Brooklyn in its league opener on Thursday. The 13 made free throws and 16 attempts both rank second in Bryant’s DI era. Townes is now 11th in the conference with 14.5 ppg.
Raiquan Clark (LIU, Sr, G/F)
The NEC’s top scorer averaged 23.5 ppg on 48.6 percent shooting in a 1-1 opening weekend for the Blackbirds. Clark, who also tallied 4.5 rpg and 2.0 spg, finished with 28 points and five boards at Sacred Heart on Thursday. He is putting up 20.6 ppg on the year.
E.J. Anosike (SHU, So, F)
Anosike turned in the best week of his career with 19.5 ppg and 10.0 rpg for the 2-0 Pioneers. He shot 52.2 percent from the floor, 91.7 percent from the line and made 4-6 (.667) from outside the arc. Anosike hit the go-ahead triple in Thursday’s win over LIU, then posted his third double-double of the year with 20 points and 14 rebounds against CCSU. The soph ranks third in the NEC with 8.1 rpg.
Jalen Jordan (SFBK, So, G)
Jordan put on a shooting display in St. Francis Brooklyn’s 1-1 start in league play. He posted 18.5 ppg with 50.0/50.0/91.1 shooting splits and made 6-12 from three-point territory. He scored a career-high 23 points in the Terriers’ win at Wagner on Saturday. Jordan is the NEC’s fifth-leading point producer at 15.9 ppg. He leads the circuit with a 45.7 success rate from distance and his 3.20 triples per outing ranks second.
Jamaal King (SFU, Sr, G)
King paced the Red Flash in scoring in both league games last week, averaging 19.0 ppg on a scorching 65.2 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from downtown. In SFU’s opening night win over the Mount, King hit 10-14 shots, including all four of his three-point attempts, in a game-high 25-point effort. King lifted his season average to 14.4 ppg.
Romone Saunders (WC, R-Sr, G)
Saunders stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 22.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 6.0 apg and 1.5 spg last week as Wagner split two games. He made all 14 of his free throw attempts and converted 50.0 percent of his field goal opportunities. Saunders posted one of the top NEC stat lines of the year on Sunday with 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists against St. Francis Brooklyn. He ranks second in the league with 18.1 ppg, and is also first in free throw accuracy (.899), fifth in rebounding (7.2) and eighth in assists (3.5).
TOP STORYLINES FROM AROUND #NECMBB
Here’s all you need to know from the ninth week of the 2018-19 season...
#NECNEWYEAR REVIEW
Ten games down and 80 to go before we can sort it all out.
There were more questions than answers after #NECNewYear weekend with only two teams walking away unscathed with perfect 2-0 records.
And wouldn’t you know it, the two teams that went unbeaten were picked fifth (Robert Morris) and ninth (Sacred Heart), respectively, in the NEC preseason poll.
Sporting a starting lineup that includes two freshmen and two sophomores, Sacred Heart proved it can do more than just outscore teams following its first 2-0 opening since the 2012-13 season.
While the high scoring Pioneers outgunned LIU Brooklyn, 79-75, in Thursday’s up-and-down opener at the Pitt Center, Sacred Heart held visiting CCSU to just 61 points - a season-low for a SHU opponent - and 32.4 percent shooting in a 12-point win on Saturday.
Sophomore power forward E.J. Anosike (East Orange, NJ/Paramus Catholic (St. Thomas More)) turned in a pair of star-making performances for the Pioneers en route to NEC Player of the Week honors. Anosike dropped 19.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg and surprised many by hitting 4-6 from three-point range in the two wins. Freshman Koreem Ozier (Racine, WI/Scotland Campus Sports) chipped in with 12.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg.
SHU will be looking for its first 3-0 NEC start since the 2006-07 season when it visits Wagner in an ESPN3 televised affair on Thursday.
Robert Morris allowed just 60.5 ppg, posted a +8.5 rebound margin and induced 34 turnovers in its two home wins, while featuring balanced scoring on the offensive end.
The Colonials overcame 24 turnovers of their own on Thursday with red-hot 55.8 percent shooting from the floor in a 69-62 conquest of Fairleigh Dickinson in Thursday’s opener. Sophomore forward Charles Bain (Freeport, Bahamas/St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy) hit all five of his shots and finished with 15 points. Two days later against the Mount, graduate student Josh Williams (Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron)) hit the go-ahead bucket on a tough runner with 13 seconds to play, then sealed the 62-59 victory with two free throws.
RMU now heads to Brooklyn looking to match last year’s 4-0 NEC start. The Colonials take on St. Francis Brooklyn in a CBSSN televised game on Thursday.
On paper, the biggest game of the weekend took place in Loretto on Saturday as preseason favorite Saint Francis U was upended by fellow contender Fairleigh Dickinson, 79-61. The Knights were picked second in the poll.
FDU caught fire from the floor, making 57.9 percent of their shot opportunities as five Knights scored in double digits led by Darnell Edge’s (Saugerties, NY/Saugerties) 17 points.
St. Francis Brooklyn, which posted an NEC-best eight non-league victories, dropped its opener at Bryant, but bounced back with an impressive 66-59 road win at Wagner behind 23 points from sophomore Jalen Jordan (Conyers, GA/Rockdale County (National Top Sport Institute)), who was firing on all cylinders from long range.
Speaking of Bryant, the game marked Jared Grasso’s return to the NEC. A 1,000-point scorer during his playing days at Quinnipiac, he earned his first conference win as a head coach with the aforementioned conquest of the Terriers.
When the dust settled, there were six teams with 1-1 records, leaving NEC blogger Ryan Peters feeling that the road to the top spot in the final standings will not be an easy journey.
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
First one to 11 NEC wins gets the conference? Or perhaps the fairer question is over/under 11.5 wins to get at least a share of the reg season title?
FOR OPENERS
It was a happy #NECNewYear for Bryant’s Jared Grasso, who won his first conference opener as head coach with Thursday’s 76-66 win over St. Francis Brooklyn.
FDU’s Greg Herenda dropped his first opener in six tries, while RMU’s Andy Toole improved to 7-2 in conference lidlifters to match Glenn Braica of St. Francis Brooklyn for most wins among current head coaches.
Top-5 NEC Opener Records - Current Coaches
Jared Grasso, BRY 1-0
Donyell Marshall, CCSU 1-2
Greg Herenda, FDU 5-1
Derek Kellogg, LIU 0-2
Dan Englestad, MSM 0-1
Andy Toole, RMU 7-2
Anthony Latina, SHU 2-4
Glenn Braica, SFBK 7-2
Rob Krimmel, SFU 4-3
Bashir Mason, WC 5-2
ANOTHER BRAXTON BREAKOUT
Saint Francis U junior guard Keith Braxton (Glassboro, NJ/Delsea) had made a habit of turning in superlative stat lines over his three years in Loretto,
In Thursday’s NEC opener against Mount St. Mary’s, he was right back at it.
Braxton finished with 17 points, 17 rebounds, three assists and three steals in the win, making him just the third player in the nation this season to post a 17/17/3/3 game.
College of Charleston forward Jarrell Brantley finished with 26 points, 17 rebounds, three assists and four steals versus VCU on December 15 and Miami (FL) center Ebuka Izundu tallied 22 points, 19 rebounds, three assists and three steals against Stephen F. Austin on November 13.
SAUNDERS’ SURGE
In taking his game to new heights this season, Wagner redshirt senior guard Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Potomac) can stake a claim as one of the NEC’s most consistent all-around offensive forces.
On Saturday, he went next level.
Saunders did everything in his power to give the Seahawks a chance at a 2-0 NEC start. He poured in a season-high 27 points, and added nine rebounds and six assists in a seven-point defeat at the hands of inter-borough rival St. Francis Brooklyn.
In doing so, Saunders became the seventh DI player to finish with 27/9/6 in a game this year.
The Temple Hills, MD native averaged 22.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 6.0 apg and 1.5 spg on the week.
He currently ranks in the NEC top-10 in each of the three major statistical categories with 18.1 ppg (second), 7.2 rpg (fifth) and 3.5 apg (eighth). Saunders has made 25 consecutive free throws and leads the league with an 89.9 percent mark from the stripe.
Saunders is also the NEC leader in offensive rating according to KenPom at 111.2 (at least 24 percent of possessions used) with seven straight games over 100.
MOUNT ROOKIE CROP MAKES HISTORY (OFFICIALLY)
After some more research, it has been confirmed that Mount St. Mary’s is the first school in NEC history to have four different players win NEC Rookie of the Week honors in the same season.
Vado Morse was honored on December 31 and January 7, joining fellow freshman Nana Opoku (Woodbridge, VA/Potomac) (Nov. 26), Dee Barnes (Great Mills, MD/Great Mills) (Dec. 10) and Malik Jefferson (Hopewell, VA/Hopewell) (Dec. 24) as weekly honorees.
SANABRIA MILESTONE
St. Francis Brooklyn graduate student Glenn Sanabria (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter’s) made his 200th career three-pointer in Thursday night’s opener at Bryant. Sanabria, who finished the week with 203 triples, is the NEC’s active leader in the category and is one of 55 players in the league’s history to reach the milestone.
With 1,117 points, Sanabria also moved into 20th on the SFBK career scoring list. He passed four Terrier Hall of Famers - Lester Yellin, Ron Arnold, Kevin Henry, and Jim Raftery - on Saturday alone. For the week, the smooth guard averaged 16.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.0 apg and 2.0 spg.
MORE ON SHU'S ANOSIKE
Sacred Heart sophomore forward E.J. Anosike’s (East Orange, NJ/Paramus Catholic (St. Thomas More)) dominance on the offensive glass has been one of the key storylines thus far for the Pios.
Not only does Anosike lead the NEC by a wide margin with 4.1 per game, he ranks third nationally in the category. Likewise, he is ninth in the country in offensive rebounding percentage (.163).
Anosike, who pulled down eight offensive boards in Saturday’s win over CCSU, has recorded three of the top-seven offensive rebound totals in the NEC this season. His 10 vs. Brown on November 17 ranks second, while his seven against Binghamton lands him seventh.
NEC TV PACKAGE TIPS OFF
The NEC’s 15-game men’s hoops television package commences with doubleheader action this Thursday.
Sacred Heart, one of two teams with 2-0 NEC marks, pays a visit to Wagner in an ESPN3 game at 7:00 pm. The game will also air on NEC Front Row. Paul Dottino (play-by-play) and Dave Calloway (color) are on the call.
St. Francis Brooklyn then hosts Robert Morris in the first of four CBS Sports Network games this season. Tipoff is at 9:00 pm with Dave Popkin (PxP), Joe DeSantis (color) and John Schmeelk (sideline) in the booth.
COUSINS, RIVALS
If you’re looking for a great read, be sure to check out the NEC Overtime! blog feature “NEC Family Ties” that focuses on Saint Francis U junior guard Keith Braxton (Glassboro, NJ/Delsea) and Fairleigh Dickinson senior forward Mike Holloway (Pittsgrove, NJ/Arthur P. Schalick). The Ryan Peters penned article on the cousins and NEC rivals can be found here:
https://necovertime.wordpress.com/2019/01/04/braxton-holloway-nec-family-ties/
RMU’S MCCONNELL IN GOOD COMPANY
Robert Morris senior guard Matty McConnell (Oakdale, PA/Chartiers Valley) made his 100th career start in RMU’s 62-59 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday, becoming just the sixth student-athlete in program history to reach the plateau. He joined Velton Jones (125), Jeremy Chappell (120), Andre Boyd (114), Forest Grant (110) and Tony Lee (110). Lee (2007-08) and Chappell (2008-09) were both NEC Player of the Year honorees.
McConnell is RMU’s active leading scorer with 922 points, and ranks seventh in program history in steals (207) and tenth in three-point field goals (172).
LIU’S 3-POINT FLURRY
After hitting four of its first 16 attempts from three-point territory at Bryant on Saturday, LIU Brooklyn found its touch from distance when it mattered most.
The Blackbirds hit six of their last seven three-point opportunities to help boost LIU to a 79-70 win and a road split to open NEC play.
Junior guard Julian Batts (Pittsburgh, PA/Jeannette (St. Thomas More)) made all three of his triples in the final nine minutes and finished with a team-high 20 points on the afternoon.
KNIGHTS KNOCK DOWN SHOTS
Fairleigh Dickinson picked the perfect time to turn in its best shooting game of the year.
Squaring off with preseason favorite Saint Francis U and looking for a split of its western Pennsylvania swing, the Knights shot a season-high 57.9 percent from the floor and scored 46 points in the paint in a 79-61 win on Saturday.
Five FDU players scored in double digits, and every player but one who made a bucket shot at least 50 percent for the contest.
NEC MONTH-BY-MONTH LEADERS
With 2018 coming to a close, here were the leaders in various statistical categories on a month-by-month basis to start the 2018-19 season.
(Minimums: FG - 3.0/game, FT - 2.0/game, 3PFG - 1.5/game).
November December
Scoring Sean Hoehn, SHU (21.5) Raiquan Clark, LIU (18.3)
Romone Saunders, WC (18.3)
Reb. Keith Braxton, SFU (9.3) Keith Braxton, SFU (10.8)
Assists Cameron Parker, SHU (8.3) Jamaal King, SFU (7.0)
*FG% Deion Bute, CCSU (.667) Elyjah Williams, FDU (.714)
*3PFG% Xzavier Malone-Key, FDU (.500) Raul Frias, LIU (.619)
*FT% SaBastian Townes, BRY (.938) Elijah Davis, WC (1.000)
Vado Morse, MSM (1.000)
3PFG Josh Williams, RMU (4.7) Adam Grant, BRY (3.8)
Stea Julian Batts, LIU (2.5) Matty McConnell, RMU (2.3)
Blocks Jare’l Spellman, SHU (2.9) Juan Cardenas, BRY (2.0)
Jare’l Spellman, SHU (2.0)
STAT TRACKER
Bryant freshman guard Joe Kasperzyk (New Haven, CT/Woodstock Academy) has come on strong, averaging 13.8 ppg over his last four outings.
CCSU junior swingman Jamir Coleman (San Antonio, TX/South Plains College) posted 20 points, nine rebounds, two steals and a block at Sacred Heart on Sunday. It was his second 20-point game of the season and fourth time scoring double-figures in the last five contests. He averaged 13.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg in the opening weekend of NEC play for the Blue Devils.
CCSU junior forward Joe Hugley (Gaithersburg, MD/Magruder (Baltimore City CC)) has now come off the bench to score in double figures in ten games this season. Hugley posted 12.5 ppg and a team-high 6.5 rpg this past weekend. On a per 40-minute basis, he is averaging 22.0 ppg and 9.6 rpg on the year.
CCSU point guard Tyson Batiste (Springfield, MO/Notre Dame Prep) has committed more than two turnovers in a game just once this season. He leads the conference with a 2.47:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Over the last two seasons, Robert Morris has posted a 19-7 (.731) record when senior guard Matty McConnell (Oakdale, PA/Chartiers Valley) scores in double figures.
Robert Morris head coach Andrew Toole owns the highest winning percentage among head coaches in NCAA DI in the KenPom era (2002 - present) in games decided by five points or less (minimum 50 games). In nine seasons, the Colonials are 56-33 (.629) in such games following a 62-59 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.
Sacred Heart freshman guard Cameron Parker (Beaverton, OR/Tilton School) remains atop the NEC assist leaderboard with 7.1 per game, a figure that ranks fifth nationally, including second among freshman. He is 24th in DI in assist rate (.354).
St. Francis Brooklyn junior forward Deniz Celen (Ankara, Turkey/Turkey Ozel Gurcag Okullari (Fairfield)) comes off a strong all-around week with 9.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 3.5 apg while averaging just 20.0 minutes per outing. He scored 10 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds at Bryant on Thursday.
Saint Francis U junior guard Keith Braxton (Glassboro, NJ/Delsea) is seventh nationally in defensive rebound percentage (.307).
Wagner senior guard Elijah Davis (Bronx, NY/Lincoln (Odessa College (TX))) poured in a season-high 19 points in his first start as Wagner won its NEC opener, 80-58, at CCSU. In two games as a starter last week, he averaged 14.0 ppg.