NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tyler Kohl, Central Connecticut
6’5”, 220 lbs.
Sr., G/F, Allentown, PA/Mineral Area College
Kohl has now made history by collecting his single-season league record sixth NEC Player of the Week accolade following two more superb all-around performances on CCSU’s swing through western Pennsylvania. He averaged 29.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.5 steals, and shot 40.0 percent from long range in a Blue Devils split. Kohl did all he could to help CCSU try and overcome a 21-point deficit in the final 10 minutes of a 90-85 setback at SFU, and in the process, became the only player in the nation this season to rack up 35 points, five rebounds, seven assists and four steals in a game. Two days later, he poured in 23 more points, and added seven boards, five assists and three steals as the Blue Devils knocked off first place Robert Morris, 77-68. The Allentown, PA native now ranks second in the NEC in scoring (18.6), third in assists (4.8), fourth in rebounding (7.2) and sixth in steals (1.5). He leads CCSU in all four categories.

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 lifted his NEC Rookie of the Week award total to a conference-high five on the year, all coming over the last seven weeks. He contributed across the board, finishing with 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game in a 1-1 week for the Mount. After pitching in with eight points, six assists and a pair of steals in a loss at LIU Brooklyn on Thursday, Morse exploded for 23 points, seven rebounds and five dimes while hitting 9-16 shots from the floor as the Mountaineers handed Sacred Heart its first home conference loss with a 76-73 win at the Pitt Center. His 20-footer with 1:16 to play gave the Mount a five-point lead and helped hold off a late SHU rally. Morse paces all NEC freshman and ranks 12th overall with 14.0 ppg. The Mount has earned NEC Rookie accolades in 9-of-14 weeks this season, while Morse’s five honors ranks 10th on the league’s all-time list.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS

Tyler Kohl (CCSU, Sr, G/F)
In winning his sixth NEC Player of the Week honor, Kohl merely averaged 29.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 6.0 apg and 3.5 spg in a 1-1 week for the Blue Devils. The senior sparked a late game comeback at SFU that came up just short, totaling 35 points, five rebounds, seven assists and four steals. He followed with 23 points, seven rebounds, five helpers and three steals in a win at first place RMU. Kohl ranks in the NEC top-6 in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals.

Darnell Edge (FDU, Sr, G)
Edge contributed in all phases for the Knights, recording 16.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.5 apg and 2.5 spg. He shpt 50.0 percent from the field and made 4-5 from three-point range. Edge was red hot in FDU’s win at SFBK on Saturday, racking up 25 points, seven caroms and two assists, while draining 3-4 from downtown. He is the NEC’s leading three-point shooter at 43.7 percent on the season and he ranks sixth with 16.3 ppg.

Jalen Gibbs (MSM, So, G)
Gibbs comes off a pair of solid outings in a 1-1 week for the Mount. He contributed 19.0 ppg on 52.0 percent shooting from the floor and 60.0 percent from outside the arc (9-15), and added 5.5 rpg. Gibbs tallied 21 points and six rebounds to help lead the Mountaineers to a big road win at Sacred Heart on Saturday. He is second on the Mount with 13.6 ppg on the year.

Vado Morse (MSM, Fr, G)
Morse copped his fifth NEC Rookie of the Week honor after posting strong all-around numbers with 15.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.5 apg and 1.5 spg. He starred in the Mount’s 76-73 win at Sacred Heart with 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Morse tops all NEC freshman performers with 14.0 ppg.

Sean Hoehn (SHU, Sr, G)
Hoehn led the Pioneers with 17.5 ppg and also chipped in with 3.5 apg and 1.5 spg in a 1-1 week. He shot 57.1 percent and hit 9-10 from the stripe. Hoehn racked up 24 points, three assists and three steals against the Mount. The senior is the NEC’s third-leading point producer at 17.4 ppg.

Keith Braxton (SFU, Jr, G)
Braxton did what he does seemingly every week...stuff the stat sheet. He put up 15.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg and 7.5 apg as the Red Flash moved into a first place tie with a home sweep. Braxton just missed out on his second career triple-double in Thursday’s win over CCSU with 19 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. Braxton is the NEC leader in rebounding (9.9), and ranks second in steals (1.7), fifth in scoring (16.4) and seventh in assists (3.9).

Jamaal King (SFU, Sr, G)
King scored 17 in the second half en route to establishing a new season-high with 27 points in Saturday’s 84-75 win over Bryant that catapulted the Red Flash in a first place deadlock with RMU. He did it on just 11 shots, making 3-5 from outside the arc and 12-13 from the stripe. For the week, he averaged 20.5 ppg, 6.0 apg and 1.5 spg. King is eighth in the conference with 14.8 ppg.

TOP STORYLINES FROM AROUND #NECMBB

DEADLOCKED AT THE TOP
 
12 games down, six to go and the drama has started to build...
 
First and foremost, following a six week stay atop the NEC standings, Robert Morris finally has some company.
 
While the Colonials split a pair of home games last week, their Keystone State rival Saint Francis U picked up another sweep to extend its win streak to five and tie RMU for first with an 8-4 NEC record. Looking ahead at a possible tiebreaker, the Red Flash won in Moon Township on January 31 and the two teams rematch this Saturday in Loretto.
 
SFU let a 14-point second half lead slip away against Bryant on Saturday, but were able to pull away late for the 84-75 victory after the Bulldogs had taken a four-point edge with just over six minutes on the clock. Meanwhile, RMU fell victim to a second half CCSU surge in a 77-68 home setback.
 
Lurking just one game back at 7-5 are Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart. The Knights, who have won six-of-seven, came roaring back from a double-digit deficit at St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday, shooting 69.2 percent in the second half to post a 84-73 win. The Knights take on SFU in a marquee game on CBSSN this Thursday Sacred Heart could have joined RMU and SFU in first, but dropped a 76-73 decision to Mount on Saturday in its first conference home setback of the campaign. The Pioneers trailed by 17 with 11 minutes to play, but stormed back and had a shot to send the game to OT, but misfired on the potential game-tying three-pointer with three seconds on the clock.
 
In the race for a top-four spot and home NEC quarterfinal game, St. Francis Brooklyn and Wagner are tied for fifth with 6-6 records. The Terriers play four of their final six games at home with each of those games at the Pope Center against teams below them in the standings. The Seahawks evened their NEC record by scoring the last six points of the game in a 68-65 victory at LIU Brooklyn on Saturday.
 
Bryant, CCSU and LIU are all tied for seventh with 5-7 marks as they jockey for position in the eight-team NEC Tournament field. CCSU managed a split of their Pennsylvania swing with the aforementioned win over RMU which saw the Blue Devils shoot 65.2 percent and commit zero turnovers in the second stanza. Bryant dropped three straight on the road, but has an opportunity to turn things around playing three of its next four at the Chace Center. LIU has lost four conference games by four points or less. The Blackbirds travel to SFBK on Thursday in the annual Battle of Brooklyn.
 
Mount St. Mary’s is very much alive for an NEC Tournament spot following its win over SHU, but will need to make up two games on the field. The Mount hosts RMU and Wagner this week.
 
CCSU’S KOHL BREAKS WEEKLY AWARD RECORD
 
With his sixth NEC Player of the Week honor, CCSU senior swingman Tyler Kohl (Allentown, PA/Mineral Area College) entered a league of his own.
 
The six accolades broke the NEC single-season record that was shared by eight players in the league’s 38-year history: Marist’s Rik Smits (1987-88), FDU’s Desi Wilson (1989-90), Monmouth’s Alex Blackwell (1990-91), LIU’s Charles Jones (1996-97), Wagner’s Jermaine Hall (2002-03), CCSU’s Ken Horton (2010-11), St. Francis Brooklyn’s Jalen Cannon (2014-15) and Mount’s Junior Robinson (2017-18).
 
All but Blackwell were named the NEC Player of the Year that same season. 
 
At the same time, Kohl has collected eight career weekly honors, which is one shy of matching the NEC record held by FDU’s Desi Wilson and LIU’s Charles Jones.
 
WHAT’S IT GONNA BE?
 
How’s this for a flip-flop?
 
Home teams went 5-0 last Thursday.
 
Visiting teams came back to go 4-1 last Saturday.
 
On the year, home teams are 34-26 (.567) in league play. 
 
NEC-TV BACK ON CBSSN
 
Just one NEC-TV game on tap on the men's side this week, but it's a biggie.
 
The two hottest teams in the league square off when Fairleigh Dickinson plays host to first place Saint Francis U on Valentine’s Day in the second of four games this year to air on CBS Sports Network. Tipoff is at 6:00 pm with Dave Popkin (PxP), Tim Capstraw (color) and Paul Dottino (sideline) on the call.
 
NEC STAR POWER ON THE U
 
In Thursday’s national TV game between Saint Francis U and CCSU, two NEC stars took advantage of the ESPNU spotlight.
 
CCSU senior swingman Tyler Kohl (Allentown, PA/Mineral Area College) and Saint Francis U junior guard Keith Braxton (Glassboro, NJ/Delsea (Lawrenceville School)) both put up memorable games in a shootout that saw the Red Flash hold off the Blue Devils, 90-85.
 
Braxton nearly compiled the second triple-double of his career with 19 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.
 
In doing so, he earned distinction as just the second player in DI this year and the 15th since 2010 to post a 19/15/8 game. Duke’s R.J. Barrett, who had 23 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists, turned the trick this season vs. Syracuse on January 14.
 
Kohl became the only player in the nation this season and just the fifth since the 2010 season to finish a game with at least 35 points, five rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
 
Tyler Kohl (CCSU): 35p, 5r, 7a, 4s vs. SFU (2/7/19)
Josh Adams (Wyoming): 37p, 8r, 7a, 4s vs. Colorado State (2/20/16)
Khadeen Carrington (Seton Hall): 41p, 5r, 7a, 4s vs. Creighton (2/15/17)
Ben Simmons (LSU): 43p, 14r, 7a, 5s vs. North Florida (12/2/15)
D.J. Cooper (Ohio): 43p, 8r, 13a, 8s vs. St. Bonaventure (12/18/10)

The 35 points were a career-high, coming on an assortment of mid-range jumpers, post-moves and off-the-dribble forays to the hoop.
 
MORE KOHL NUMBERS
 
CCSU senior Tyler Kohl (Allentown, PA/Mineral Area College) has been a dominant force in the NEC this season in every which way.
 
He leads the Blue Devils and ranks in the top-six in the conference in scoring (second, 18.6), assists (third, 4.8), rebounding (fourth, 7.2) and steals (sixth, 1.5).
 
So where does the “quad” threat rank among his peers nationally?
 
Kohl is one of just two players in the country currently averaging at least 18.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 4.5 apg and 1.5 spg.
 
Purdue-Fort Wayne’s John Konchar also meets the thresholds with 18.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 5.2 apg and 1.9 spg. 
 
SFBK’S SANABRIA ON VERGE OF 3P MILESTONE
 
A quiet leader who doesn’t bring attention to himself, St. Francis Brooklyn senior guard Glenn Sanabria (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter’s) is about to receive some well-deserved recognition.
 
Sanabria needs just eight more three-pointers to move into the NEC career top-25 in the category. The Staten Island, NY native has racked up 222 trifectas during his time in Brooklyn Heights to tie him for 28th with former Terrier great Ricky Cadell.
 
Sanabria, who has earned a well-deserved reputation as a clutch shooter, hit one of his biggest triples of the season last Wednesday against Wagner, a go-ahead three with the shot clock winding down and the score tied at 44 with 25 seconds to play. SFBK went on to win, 51-44.
 
NEC Career 3P List
20. Kyle Johnson              LIU            240              2007-11
21. Danny Basile              MAR            239              1992-96
22. Terence Ward              UMBC           233              1998-01
23. Steve Glowiak             SHU            232              2011-15
24. Junior Robinson           MSM            230              2014-18
25. Dejan Delic               MU             230              2003-07
26. Charles Jones             LIU            225              1996-98
27. Steve Paterno             MAR            224              1987-91
28. Glenn Sanabria            SFBK           222              2014-19
    Ricky Cadell              SFBK           222              2007-11
 
BRAXTON CONTINUES MARCH UP NEC REBOUNDING CHART
 
Continuing his climb up the NEC career rebounding list, Saint Francis U junior guard Keith Braxton (Glassboro, NJ/Delsea (Lawrenceville School)) moved up two spots last week and is now 22nd all-time in the conference.
 
He passed SFU’s Ronnie Drinnon (804) and NEC Hall of Famer Rik Smith (811) last week.
 
If Braxton matches his league-leading average of 9.6 per game this week, he will move into the top-20.
 
The Glassboro, NJ native needs 344 rebounds over the remainder of his career to pass St. Francis Brooklyn’s Jalen Cannon (1,159 from 2011-15) and become the league’s all-time leader.
 
Braxton currently ranks 10th on SFU’s career rebounding list and 14th on the Red Flash scoring chart (1,353) after jumping NEC Hall of Famer Mike Iuzzolino (1,346) last week.
 
NEC Career Rebounding List
15. Lucky Jones               RMU            846              2011-15
16. Julian Boyd               LIU            843              2008-13
17. Ken Horton                CCSU           842              2007-12
18. Alan Tomidy               MAR            838              1991-96
19. Freddie Burton            LIU            836              1986-89       
20. Nigel Wyatte              WC             834              2000-04
21. Largest Agbejemisin       WC             829              1983-87
22. Keith Braxton             SFU            816              2016-19 
23. Rik Smits                 MAR            811              1984-88
24. Ronnie Drinnon            SFU            804              2012-16
25. Earl Brown                SFU            792              2011-15
 
8SHU’S PARKER APPROACHING MILESTONE
 
Sacred Heart freshman guard Cameron Parker (Beaverton, OR/Tilton School) has been dazzling Pioneers fans all season with his dishes.
 
Now the Beaverton, OR native is about to stamp his name in the NEC recordbook.
 
Parker is just 16 assists shy of eclipsing Jason Brickman’s NEC freshman record of 180 assists back in the 2010-11 season. The LIU Brooklyn legend went on to accumulate 1,009 dimes over the course of his career to rank first in the conference and fourth on the all-time NCAA list.
 
Parker, who averaged 6.0 apg last week, leads the NEC and ranks seventh nationally with 6.9 apg on the year.
 
PLAYING ON THE EDGE
 
When you talk great NEC shooters of recent vintage, FDU senior guard Darnell Edge (Saugerties, NY/Saugerties) ranks right up there with the best of them.
 
In fact, Edge is currently on a hot streak from three-point territory that rivals anyone in the country.
 
Over his last eight games, the Saugerties, NY native has drained 25-42 from beyond the arc, for a scorching 59.5 percent. During that same stretch, he’s hitting at a 54.2 percent clip from the field and 92.3 percent from the line.
 
It should come as little surprise that FDU has ridden those 60/54/92 shooting splits to a 6-2 record over the eight games.
 
Edge leads the NEC in overall three-point percentage (.437) and ranks second in league play (.492). He’s also the top free throw shooter on the circuit (.878).
 
NOTEWORTHY NUGGETS
 
FDU senior forward Mike Holloway Jr. (Pittsgrove, NJ/Arthur P. Schalick) pulled down his 700th career rebound last week. With 709 boards, he ranks second among active NEC players and is 43rd all-time in the conference.
 
Sacred Heart redshirt junior guard Kinnon LaRose (Ogdensburg, NY/Ogdensburg Free Academy (Siena)) leads the NEC with a 52.9 percent success rate from long range in league play. He has shot at least 50 percent from beyond the arc in each of his last five games, making 8-14 (.571) in that span. LaRose averaged 15.5 ppg off the bench last week on 66.7 percent shooting from the field.
 
Saint Francis U sophomore forward Mark Flagg (Fairless Hills, PA/Pennsbury) is coming off his finest game of the year in the Red Flash’s win over Bryant on Saturday. Flagg hit 6-7 from the field, and finished with a season-high 15 points, seven rebounds and a career-best five blocks. The five rejections were the most by an SFU player since Josh Nebo recorded eight in a win over Wagner on March 4, 2017. 
 
With 1,235 career points, Wagner senior guard Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Potomac (Mt. Zion Prep)) is 36 shy of cracking the top-20 on the Seahawks’ career list. 
 
BATTLE OF BROOKLYN HISTORY
 
The Battle of Brooklyn not only spotlights the NEC’s fiercest rivalry, but has also delivered some of the most compelling games when it is airs annually as part of the conference package or on NEC Front Row.
 
When the LIU Brooklyn-St. Francis Brooklyn rivalry is renewed on Thursday at the Pope Center, there will be plenty of hype, and deservedly so. But can the game top these LIU-SFBK thrillers?
 
2018 - The largest lead in this game as six and there were nine ties. It wasn’t decided until LIU’s Joel Hernandez broke the SFBK press and dunked with five seconds to go to give the Blackbirds an 81-76 win.
 
2015 - This one wasn’t the technically the Battle of Brooklyn, but it was a wild TV game nonetheless. LIU led by eight points with under four minutes to play, but SFBK utilized a tenacious full court press to go on a 14-3 run and take a three-point lead. With time winding down, LIU’s Martin Hermannsson launched a three-pointer and was fouled. The freshman calmly sank all three free throws with four seconds to play to send the game to OT. The Terriers would go on to win, 74-69.
 
2014 - Contested for the first time at the Barclays Center, Jason Brickman finished with 14 assists in a 69-68 win for the Blackbirds. It marked the sixth time in the last seven years that a televised game between the two teams was decided by four points or less.
 
2013 - LIU rallied from 14 down in the second half, scoring 57 points after intermission to win 78-68 at a packed Pope Center.
 
2012 - Julian Boyd hit the go-ahead jumper with 18 seconds left as the Blackbirds come back from five down with under three minutes to play and secure an 81-78 home win.
 
2011 - CJ Garner went coast-to-coast and hit a runner at the buzzer to give LIU the 82-80 victory as pandemonium broke out at the Pope Center.
 
2010 - In perhaps the most exciting game of the series in recent years, the Terriers took down the Blackbirds in triple overtime, 88-84. SFBK twice had to hit late three-pointers to force the second and third OTs.

2009 - SFBK rallied back from 15 down in the second half to tie it up, but the Blackbirds were able to salt the game away at the line, winning 74-70.
 
2008 - The Terriers won at the Steinberg Wellness Center, 67-64, when a Kyle Johnson three-point attempt is just off the mark with four seconds to play.
 
2006 - LIU erased a 14-point second half deficit and survived a last possession by SFBK to win at home, 67-64.
 
2003 - This one wasn’t televised, but went down as perhaps the most memorable contest in NEC history. LIU guard Antawn Dobie turned in the most brilliant single-game performance in league annals exploding for an NEC single-game record 53 points.  But that wasn’t all. He also dished out 15 assists and was directly involved in 87 of LIU’s points that day. One would assume those numbers would guarantee a victory for the Blackbirds. Not on this night. Not in this rivalry.
 
While Dobie was putting on a one-man show, the Terriers received stellar performances from a pair of Brooklyn products.  Freshman sharpshooter John Quintana came off the bench to register a career-high 31 points and senior forward Clifford Strong added 29 points. Likewise, future All-NEC point guard Tory Cavalieri dished for 13 assists.
 
Carrying the Blackbirds on his back, Dobie played the role of hero on more than one occasion. His 40-foot runner as time expired forced overtime and sent the evenly split crowd into a frenzy.
 
His two free throws at the end of the first extra session sent the game into double overtime. Dobie then scored five of his team’s 11 points in the second overtime.  One would think destiny would be on Dobie’s side as the game reached its final climax, but his potential game-winning 17-foot jumper went in and out with five seconds to play and the Blackbirds trailing by one.
 
It was one of the very few shots Dobie missed on the day.
 
In the end, St. Francis (NY) won the Battle of Brooklyn that year. The score: 142-140. To this day, it remains the highest scoring game in NEC history. No single team has ever scored that many points in an NEC game before or since.
 
STAT TRACKER
 
Bryant junior forward SaBastian Townes (Chesapeake, VA/Norfolk Collegiate School) averaged 16.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg last week. With 780 career points, he moved to 11th place in Bryant’s Division I era, passing Hunter Ware.
 
CCSU senior forward Deion Bute (Phillipsburg, St. Maaren/Tallahassee CC) posted his fourth double-double of the year with 11 points and 11 rebounds at Robert Morris on Saturday. Bute was 4-6 from the field and is now shooting 63.0 from the field this season to rank second on the circuit.
 
CCSU junior forward Joe Hugley (Gaithersburg, MD/Magruder (Baltimore City CC) tallied 15 points at Robert Morris and has now come off the bench to score in double-figures 15 times this season. He’s averaging 22.5 ppg and 9.7 rpg per 40 minutes played.
 
CCSU junior swingman Jamir Coleman (San Antonio, TX/South Plains College) just missed averaging a double-double for the second straight week by putting up 11.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg. He posted his second straight double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds at Saint Francis U on Thursday. Over the last four games he leads CCSU with 9.5 rpg.
 
CCSU freshman guard Ian Krishnan (Boyds, MD/Proctor Academy) tossed in 15.5 ppg last week and shot 6-13 (.462) from outside the arc. He scored 10 of his 14 points after halftime in the Blue Devils’ win at RMU.
 
LIU Brooklyn senior guard/forward Raiquan Clark (New Haven, CT/Hillhouse) finished with 21 points and seven rebounds against Wagner on Saturday. He leads the NEC with 20.6 ppg.
 
Robert Morris senior forward Malik Petteway (Waterbury, CT/Sacred Heart) paced the Colonials last week with 12.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg while shooting 53.8 percent from the field. With 31 rejections, he became just the seventh player in program history to compile at least 30 blocks in a season.
 
A pair of Robert Morris players recorded their first career double-figure scoring games last week, as sophomore forward Chris Coalmon (North Babylon, NY/Long Island Lutheran) scored 10 consecutive points in the second half of Thursday’s 72-59 win over Bryant. He finished with a career-high 12 points. Two days later, freshman guard Dante Treacy (Orlando, FL/Central Florida Christian Academy) established career-highs in points (10) and assists (five) against CCSU.
 
Sacred Heart freshman guard Koreem Ozier (Racine, WI/Scotland Campus Sports) averaged 16.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 2.5 spg. He tallied 14 points - including 12 in the second half - grabbed nine boards and recorded a career-high four steals in Thursday’s home win over FDU. Ozier ranks second on SHU with 14.4 ppg.
 
Wagner, which leads the NEC with a +4.8 rebound margin, posted a 23-9 edge in offensive rebounds in its 68-65 in at LIU Brooklyn on Saturday.
 
Over the last 15 minutes of Wagner's 68-65 win over LIU Brooklyn on Saturday, the lead changed hands 12 times and there were nine ties.
 
Wagner redshirt senior forward A.J. Sumbry (East Windsor, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep (Quinnipiac)) averaged 12.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 3.0 bpg while shooting 58.9 percent from the floor. Sumbry lifted his career blocks total to 124, tying him with Jermaine Hall (1999-03) for fourth all-time at the school.