PDF Release
NEC Player of the Week: Jaleel Lord, MC
NEC Rookie of the Week: Charles Pride, BRY 
Previous NEC Releases: January 22 | January 13 | January 6 | December 30 | December 23 | December 16 | December 9  | December 2 | November 25 | November 18 | November 11 | Preseason Poll Release

NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jaleel Lord, Merrimack
6’4”, 170 lbs.
Sr., G, Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony
Lord once again came through in the clutch for the first place Warriors, who stretched their win streak to six games and improved to 7-1 in NEC play with a 74-71 double overtime win over FDU on Thursday at Hammel Court. Lord recorded a season-high 20 points, hitting 6-12 from long range, and added seven rebounds, three assists and a block. The six triples were his single-game high at the DI level. With Merrimack trailing by two and the clock winding down in regulation, Lord muscled his way inside for a layup to send the game to OT. Not to be denied, the senior from Jersey City, NJ delivered again in the second OT, drilling an NBA range, game-winning three-pointer with five seconds to play. Lord is averaging 15.7 ppg over his last three outings and now paces the Warriors with 10.4 ppg on the season.

NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Charles Pride, Bryant
6’4”, 185 lbs.
Fr., G, Syracuse, NY/Liverpool (Putnam Science (CT))
Pride’s third NEC Rookie of the Week accolade tied him with teammate Benson Lin for the most in the conference this season. The Syracuse, NY native came off the bench to register 12.0 ppg and 5.5 rpg in a split for the Bulldogs. He shot 76.9 percent from the field and made 3-5 from three-point territory. Pride hit 7-9 shots and finished with 16 points and a game-high eight rebounds in Thursday’s 79-58 win over Wagner. He added eight points - sinking both his shots from distance - in Saturday’s tight setback at Mount St. Mary’s. Pride is averaging 9.4 ppg this season and leads all NEC freshman with a 49.2 percent success rate from the floor.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS

Adam Grant (BRY, Sr, G)
Grant was unstoppable last week, dropping his 11th and 12th games of 20+ points this season. He produced 23.5 ppg on 57.1 percent shooting, including a scorching 61.1 percent mark from outside the arc, where he hit 11-18 over two games. Grant converted 6-10 from distance in a game-high 21-point outing in Thursday’s win over Wagner, then hit 5-8 on his way to a game-best 26 points at the Mount on Saturday. The senior leads the NEC with 3.7 three-pointers per game and ranks second with 18.6 ppg.

Raiquan Clark (LIU, Sr, G/F)
Clark posted back-to-back 20+ point outings, averaging 24.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg while hitting at a 53.1 percent clip from the field. He recorded his sixth double-double of the season and matched his season-high with 28 points to go along with 13 boards in Thursday’s win over SFU. Clark leads the NEC 20.3 ppg, and also ranks in the top-10 in rebounding (7.8, 7th) and field goal percentage (.539, sixth).

Idris Joyner (MC, Sr, F)
Joyner reached the 20-point mark for the second straight game, finishing with a game-high 21 points in the Warriors’ double overtime win over FDU on Thursday. He added nine boards, two assists and a block as Merrimack won its sixth straight to improve to 7-1 in league play. Joyner is averaging 15.0 ppg and shooting 63.5 percent against conference rivals.

Jaleel Lord (MC, Sr, G)
Lord tallied 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and was 6-12 from three-point territory in Thursday’s 2OT win over FDU. His layup with five seconds left in regulation sent the game to OT, and he drilled the game-winner on a three-pointer with five seconds remaining in the second extra session. Joyner leads a balanced Merrimack scoring attack with 10.4 ppg and ranks second on the team with 37 3P.

Vado Morse (MSM, So, G)
Morse paced the Mount with 20 points in Saturday’s down-to-the-wire win over Bryant at Knott Arena that stretched their win streak to four games. He hit 6-13 from the floor and drained three shots from downtown. With the Mountaineers trailing by three points with under six minutes remaining, he scored six straight points on a three-pointer and conventional three-point play to give the Mount the lead for good. Morse has averaged 19.5 points over his last two games.

AJ Bramah (RMU, Jr, F)
Remarkably consistent throughout NEC play, Bramah put up his usual 18.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg off the bench. He made 65.2 percent of his shot attempts. Bramah notched his sixth double-double of the season on Saturday, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds in RMU’s 71-66 win at LIU. Two days earlier he scored a career-high 19 points at SFBK. Against NEC competition, he has put up 16.6 ppg (fifth in league), 9.6 rpg (second) and shot a red-hot 73.9 percent (first).

E.J. Anosike (SHU, Jr, F)
Anosike extended his double-double streak to seven games with two more in a 2-0 week for the Pioneers. He averaged 15.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.0 spg and shot 55.0 percent from the floor. Anosike had a strong all-around game on Saturday with 14 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high five assists in a victory over FDU. He averages 15.8 ppg and leads the NEC by a wide margin with 11.5 rpg. Anosike also ranks first on the circuit with 12 double-doubles and is the NEC’s active career leader with 21 over his three years.

Deniz Celen (SFBK, Sr, F)
Celen continues to pile up impressive numbers for the Terriers. Last week he averaged 18.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.5 apg and 1.5 bpg, while shooting 68.4 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from long range and 90.0 percent from the line in a pair of wins. In Saturday’s win over SFU, he scored 22 points on just six shots - making all six - and added seven boards and three blocks. It was his fourth 20+ game of the season. Celen is the NEC leader in field goal percentage (.607) and contributes 12.5 ppg.

Chauncey Hawkins (SFBK, Jr, G)
Hawkins comes off an outstanding all-around week with 18.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.5 apg and 2.5 spg as the Terriers beat RMU and SFU. He shot at a 56.5 percent clip from the field and made all seven of his free throws. Hawkins scored 14 points of his team-best 21 points over the last 5:48 to help SFBK to a 86-79 win over SFU on Saturday. He has five 20+ point games, leads the Terriers in scoring and ranks ninth in the conference with 14.5 ppg.

Isaiah Blackmon (SFU, Sr, G)
Blackmon’s scoring spree continued with 25.0 ppg last week on 55.9 percent shooting from the field and 53.3 percent (8-15) from three-point land. He scored a game-high 26 points in a narrow loss at LIU on Thursday night, and followed it with a game-high 24 at St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday. He also averaged 6.0 rpg. Blackmon is averaging 23.3 ppg over his last four contests to raise his season average to 18.3 ppg, good for third in the NEC. The senior guard leads the league with 43.5 percent accuracy from downtown.

Elijah Ford (WC, Jr, G)
Ford averaged a double-double with 17.5 ppg and 11.5 rpg last week for the Seahawks. He made 60.0 percent of his field goal attempts. Ford scored 16 points and snared a career-high 16 boards at CCSU on Saturday. He is contributing 17.0 ppg and 10.3 rpg over his last three outings, all starts after coming off the bench the first five NEC games.

TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB WEEK 12

MERRIMACK START IN PERSPECTIVE
 
And the beat goes on for Merrimack.
 
With its spine-tingling 74-71 double overtime win over FDU in front of a raucous crowd at Hammel Court on Thursday, the Warriors strecthed their win streak to six games as they sit upon their lofty perch atop the NEC standings.
 
And in doing so, Merrimack (7-1 NEC) has turned itself into the talk of the town, and was the subject of a John Feinstein article in the Washington Post over the weekend.
 
How does MC’s 7-1 start compare to other NEC teams in their first year in the conference after making the jump from DII?
 
Team               8-Game Start     Finish    Place       Year
Merrimack               7-1         ???       ???         2019-20
Bryant                  0-8         1-17      12th/12     2009-10
Sacred Heart            1-7         2-16      12th/12     1999-00
Quinnipiac              4-4         6-14      10th/11     1998-99
Mount St. Mary’s!       5-3         10-6      T-3rd/9     1989-90
Monmouth*               3-5         6-10      T-6th/9     1985-86
              
! Played one year as DI independent before joining NEC
* Played two years as DI independent before joining NEC
 
Only Mount St. Mary’s in 1989-90 finished above .500 against NEC competition in its first year, a feat the Warriors are only three wins away from accomplishing.
 
Most impressive has been Merrimack’s ability to close out close games.
 
The Warriors are now 4-0 NEC play and 6-1 overall in games decided by five points or less this season.
 
Last Thursday, Merrimack was able to stave off FDU with some big late-game buckets.
 
- Senior guard Jaleel Lord (Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony) muscled his way inside for a layup with five seconds remaining to send the game to OT.
 
- Senior Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, NJ/St. Anthony) tied things up late in the first OT with an acrobatic layup of his own.
 
- With the score tied at 71 and the clock running down, Lord drilled an NBA range three-pointer with five seconds to play for the game-winner.
 
Lord, the NEC Player of the Week, finished with 20 points, including a 6-12 mark from distance.
 
“We had a play if they were in man-to-man or if they were in zone defense,” said Lord. “They came out into a zone and the goal was to get the ball to Idris (Joyner) at the high post. And my job in that particular play...is to slide up into an open area within the zone and hit the big shot. And I was prepared as soon Idris caught the ball in the high post.”
 
Lord leads the Warriors with 10.4 ppg and is averaging 15.7 ppg and 7.3 rpg while shooting 11-23 (.478) from three-point territory over his last three outings.
 
MC DID YOU KNOW?
 
Merrimack is 11-2 when holding teams under 65 points this season.
 
TRAFFIC JAM!!
 
With Merrimack firmly ensconced in first place with a 7-1 NEC mark, there is a long line forming behind the Warriors looking to make their move.
 
Heading into play this week, Robert Morris is one-game back in second place at 6-2 with no less than three teams within a game of the Colonials. The Colonials remain in the de-facto top spot as it relates to NEC Tournament seeding with Merrimack ineligible for the postseason.

Mount St. Mary’s has now won four straight and is just a half game behind RMU at 5-2, while preseason favorite LIU and preseason #2 Sacred Heart are both 5-3 against league rivals.
 
Of note, the top three teams in the NEC standings at this time were picked 11th (Merrimack), fifth (RMU) and seventh (Mount) in the preseason coaches’ poll.
 
As a point of information, when it comes to sorting out seeding at year’s end, Merrimack will count in all tiebreaker calculations. The Warriors can win the NEC regular season title, but are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament and Postseason NIT. Merrimack can compete in the CIT or CBI.
 
CCSU ON THE BOARD
 
It was a good day at Detrick Gymnasium.
 
Sporting one of the nation’s youngest teams (see note below), the learning curve has been steep at CCSU, but on Saturday, everything came together as the Blue Devils downed Wagner, 86-76, for their first NEC win of the year.
 
CCSU hit a season-high (vs. DI opponents) 11 three-pointers, shooting 45.8 percent from beyond the arc, and turned the ball over just seven times. The Blue Devils scored 55 points in the second half and four players finished in double-digits.
 
Sophomore guard Ian Krishnan (Boyds, MD/ Clarksburg (Proctor Academy (NH))), a NEC All-Rookie selection a year ago, led the Blue Devils with 18 points, going 5-5 from downtown in the first half. Freshman guard Jamir Reed (Philadelphia, PA/Mastery Charter North) established a new career-high with 17 points and his eight boards matched a personal-best.
 
The key play came with 49 seconds left on the clock when sophomore forward Karrington Wallace (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Wood) snared his own miss and battled through three Wagner players for the putback and foul to make it 81-74 in favor of the Blue Devils.
 
“The team played for each other today and the ball didn’t stick,” said head coach Donyell Marshall. “We had 20 assists to seven turnovers, that’s the first thing that stands out. Above all else, we had energy. The bench was up, loud and we had a lot of energy.”       
 
CCSU YOUNGBLOODS
 
Central Connecticut is the sixth youngest team in the nation this season with an average of just 0.71 years of experience. The DI average is 1.68 years.
 
A year ago, Mount St. Mary’s was the second-youngest team in DI with an average 0.40 years of experience.
 
HERNEDA RETURNS TO ROOTS
 
It was a Homecoming of sorts for FDU head coach Greg Herenda when he returned to his alma mater last Thursday when the Knights took on Merrimack.
 
Herenda was a four-year player at Merrimack, graduating in 1983.
 
On the other sideline, there was his counterpart Joe Gallo, a fellow Merrimack alum who walked on to the Warrior hoops program in 2000.
 
Ryan Peters detailed the two coaches’ unique bond and their relationship with the late Bert Hammel - a Merrimack coaching legend whom the Warriors’ home court was named after - in a recent NEC Overtime! blog post.
 
SFBK’S SHOOTING STAR
 
Talk about being automatic.
 
St. Francis Brooklyn senior forward Deniz Celen (Ankara, Turkey/özel gürçag okullari) has put up some incredible shooting splits thus far in 2019-20 for the Terriers.
 
Celen leads the NEC in field goal percentage at 60.7 percent, is hitting at a 48.4 percent clip from three-point territory and is shooting 81.1 percent from the line.
 
No NEC player has finished a season with a 60/40/80 shooting split for at least the last 35 years.
 
 FDU’S BISHOP JOINS MILLENNIUM CLUB
 
The NEC’s 1,000-point club added a new member on Saturday.
 
With a layup midway through the first half, FDU senior forward Kaleb Bishop (Paterson, NJ/St. Anthony) became the seventh active NEC player and 234th in conference annals to reach the milestone. With 1,008 points, he is the 30th player in FDU history to reach 1,000, joining current teammate Jahlil Jenkins (Ranson, WV/Virginia Academy), who was admitted to the club back on January 2 and now has 1,098 points.
 
Other active NEC players who have crossed the plateau include Saint Francis U senior guard Keith Braxton (Glassboro, NJ/Delsea (Lawrenceville School)) (1,833), LIU Brooklyn redshirt senior swingman Raiquan Clark (New Haven, CT/Hillhouse) (1,812), Bryant senior guard Adam Grant (Franklin, VA/Norfolk Collegiate) (1,689), Saint Francis U redshirt senior guard Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, NC/West Charlotte) (1,371) and LIU senior guard Jashaun Agosto (Seattle, WA/Garfield) (1,272).
 
BRYANT DID YOU KNOW?
 
With 1,689 points, Bryant senior guard Adam Grant (Franklin, VA/Norfolk Collegiate) is now within two points of Dyami Starks for second on Bryant’s DI career scoring list. Alex Francis set the school mark and ranks fifth all-time in the NEC with 2,085 points from 2010-14.
 
BRYANT & THE 3
 
Bryant has relied on the long ball more than any other team in the NEC and ranks near the top nationally.
 
The Bulldogs have received 41.0 percent of its points this year on three-pointers, good for eighth in the country.
 
LIU ranks 36th (37.8 percent) and Robert Morris 66th (36.0 percent), and are the only three NEC teams in the top-100.
 
OPOKU’S DEFENSIVE PRESENCE
 
While he’s started to earn acclaim for his highlight reel jams, Mount St. Mary’s sophomore forward Nana Opoku’s (Woodbridge, VA/Potomac) value as a defensive stopper cannot be underestimated.
 
On Saturday, Opoku swatted two shots in the final 30 seconds to help the Mount hold off Bryant and give the Mountaineers a 79-76 win, their fourth straight to improve to 5-2 in NEC play.
 
Opoku rejected four shots on the afternoon and leads the NEC with 2.7 blocks per game in league play. His 6.1 block percentage ranks 101st nationally.
 
Likewise, he’s proving to be a defensive presence without fouling. Opoku has committed just 12 fouls over seven conference contests, enabling him to remain on the court to the tune of 33.8 minutes per game.
 
NEC-TV SKED
 
The NEC makes its return to the CBS Sports Network airwaves this Saturday when Saint Francis U hosts Bryant. Tipoff is at noon with Paul Dottino (PxP), Joe DeSantis (color) and John Schmeelk (sideline) on the call.
 
The two teams last met on January 2 in their NEC opener with the Bulldogs holding off a late Red Flash charge for a 67-63 victory in Smithfield.
 
RMU MOVING THE ORANGE
 
They’re not playing one-on-one ball in Moon Township.
 
It’s been a thing of beauty watching RMU’s ball movement this season as they seek out the open man, often times ending with an uncontested 3P.
 
In fact, the Colonials rank eighth nationally in assist percentage at 62.8 percent.
 
If that number holds up, it would be the highest assist percentage by an NEC team since Monmouth ended the year ninth in the country at 64.5 percent back in 2008-09.
 
HAYES THIEVERY UPDATE
   
Merrimack senior guard Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, NJ/St. Anthony) now has just one player in his headlights in his attempt to become the NCAA’s all-time steals leader.
 
The ringleader of a Warrior defense that ranks among the nation’s best in terms of forcing turnovers, Hayes passed Salve Regina’s John Gallogly and Winona State’s Jonte Flowers last Thursday and is now second all-time with 416 career steals.
 
The Paterson, NJ native is just 32 dimes behind Ramapo’s Tennyson Whitted, the NCAA’s career leader.
 
NCAA Players With 400 Career Steals
Tennyson Whitted             Ramapo          448    2000-03
Juvaris Hayes                Merrimack       416    2016-20
Jonte Flowers                Winona State    414    2005-08
John Gallogly                Salve Regina    413    1995-98
 
Hayes, who ranks first in the country with 3.8 spg and a 6.4 steal percentage this season, has racked up 80 steals in 2019-20 and is on target to become the seventh player in NEC annals to finish with 100 steals in a season.
 
BRAXTON ON THE WAY UP
 
The weekly Keith Braxton (Glassboro, NJ/Delsea (Lawrenceville School)) chart update sees the Saint Francis U rising up the NEC career scoring list and inching closer to becoming the league’s all-time rebounding leader.
 
With 1,800 points to his credit, Braxton moved up to 14th all-time in the conference.
 
NEC Career Scoring Leaders
10. Desi Wilson         FDU     1,902    1988-91
11. Jeremy Chappell     RMU     1,875    2005-09
12. Junior Robinson     MSM     1,872    2014-18
13. Jamal Olasewere     LIU     1,871    2009-13
14. Keith Braxton       SFU     1,833    2016-20
15. Joe Griffin         LIU     1,830    1991-95
16. Jeff Hamilton       SFU     1,810    1981-85
 
And with 1,058 boards, Braxton moved within 101 of Jalen Cannon of St. Francis Brooklyn, the NEC career leader who snared 1,159 boards from 2011-15.
 
NEC Career Rebounding Leaders
1. Jalen Cannon        SFBK     1,159    2011-15
2. Keith Braxton       SFU      1,058    2016-20
3. Justin Rutty        QU       1,032    2007-11
4. Ron Robinson        CCSU     1,022    2000-04
5. Carey Scurry        LIU      1,013    1982-85
6. Alex Francis        BRY      990      2010-14
7. Obie Nwadike        CCSU     980      2003-07
8. Eric Taylor         SFU      967      1994-98
9. Corsley Edwards     CCSU     966      1998-02
10. Jamal Olasewere    LIU      963      2009-13
 
On the Braxton 2K/1K watch, the Glassboro, NJ native needs 167 points to hit 2,000 for his career. No player in NEC history has ever recorded 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
 
He is one of four players in the league’s history to be ranked in the career top-20 in both scoring and rebounding, joining Bryant’s Alex Francis (2085, 5th in scoring; 990, 6th in rebounding), CCSU’s Ken Horton (1,966, 7th in scoring; 842, 18th in rebounding) and LIU’s Jamal Olasewere (1,871, 13th in scoring; 963, 10th in rebounding).
 
LIU’S CLARK RISING UP THE CHARTS
 
LIU senior swingman Raiquan Clark (New Haven, CT/Hillhouse) is also rocketing up the NEC career scoring chart, and is right on pace to hit 2,000 for his career.

Coming off a big week that saw him average 24.5 ppg, Clark moved up three spots to 15th with 1,812 career points. In doing so, he passed former two-time NCAA scoring champion Charles Jones, who amassed 1,772 points in just two seasons from 1996-98. He will next look to pass LIU greats Joe Griffin (1,830) and Jamal Olasewere (1,871). Clark leads the NEC with 20.3 ppg.
 
NEC Career Scoring Leaders
10. Desi Wilson        FDU      1,902     1988-91
11. Jeremy Chappell    RMU      1,875     2005-09
12. Junior Robinson    MSM      1,872     2014-18
13. Jamal Olasewere    LIU      1,871     2009-13
14. Joe Griffin        LIU      1,830     1991-95
15. Raiquan Clark      LIU      1,812     2016-20
16. Jeff Hamilton      SFU      1,810     1981-85
17. Keith Braxton      SFU      1,800     2016-20
18. Charles Jones      LIU      1,772     1996-98
 
8GRANT CRACKS NEC TOP-10 IN TRIPLES
 
We continue to track Bryant senior guard Adam Grant’s (Franklin, VA/Norfolk Collegiate School) movement up the NEC career list for made three-pointers.
 
With 11 last week, Grant elevated four spots and is now eighth all-time with 278 trifectas.
 
He needs just four more to pass Dyami Starks for the school record, eight to park himself in the NEC top-five and 22 more to become the third player in conference history to hit 300 for his career. Former CCSU star Tristan Blackwood holds the league’s all-time record with 328 trifectas from 2004-08.
 
NEC Career Three-Pointers Leaders
1. Tristan Blackwood   CCSU     328     2004-08
2. Joey Mundweiler     WC       312     2004-09
3. Chris McGuthrie     MSM      300     1993-96
4. Angel Santana       SFBK     294     1996-00
5. Shane Gibson        SHU      286     2008-13
6. Dyami Starks        BRY      281     2012-15
7. Stefan Perunicic    SFBK     280     2008-12
8. Adam Grant          BRY      278     2016-20
9. James Williams      LIU      277     2003-07
10. Justin Chiera      CCSU     274     2002-06
11. Ryan Litke         SHU      270     2006-10
    Dedrick Dye        WC       270     1999-03
13. Landy Thompson     MSM      267     2002-06
14. Kevin Booth        MSM      265     1989-93
15. Dave Calloway      MU       260     1987-91
 
PIONEER BOARD WORK
 
They’re turning misses into makes.
 
Sparked by burly junior forward E.J. Anosike (East Orange, NJ/Paramus Catholic (St. Thomas More)), the Pioneers are snaring a whopping 40.8 percent of their misses during conference play. That number ranks first in the NEC by a wide margin.
 
In fact, SHU is 13th in the nation in offensive rebound percentage at 36.0 percent.
 
Anosike paces the NEC with 4.38 offensive rebounds per game, a figure that ranks him third in the country. He’s also 27th in DI in offensive rebound percentage (14.6).
 
NEC in NCAA STATS (Top-25)
 
Name                   School   Category    Rank     Value
Hall Elisias           BRY      Blocks      14th     3.0
Adam Grant             BRY      3PFG        4th      3.70
Raiquan Clark          LIU      PPG         19th     20.3
Ty Flowers             LIU      Def. Reb.   10th     7.43
Ty Flowers             LIU      Dub-Dub     15th     10
Juvaris Hayes          MC       Steals      1st      3.81
Josh Williams          RMU      3PFG        13th     3.29
E.J. Anosike           SHU      Reb.        7th      11.5
E.J. Anosike           SHU      Off. Reb.   3rd      4.38
E.J. Anosike           SHU      Def. Reb.   25th     7.14
E.J. Anosike           SHU      Dub-Dub     5th      12
Cameron Parker         SHU      Assists     2nd      7.8
Jare’l Spellman        SHU      Blocks      23rd     2.48
Deniz Celen            SFBK     FG%         22nd     .607
Isaiah Blackmon        SFU      3P%         19th     .435
Curtis Cobb            WC       3PFG        16th     3.18
 
Team                   Category       Rank      Value
Bryant                 3PFG           25th      9.8
LIU                    3PFG           16th      10.05
Merrimack              TO Margin      4th       5.52
Merrimack              Steals         4th       10.48
Merrimack              TO Forced      19th      17.29
Robert Morris          Assists        16th      16.48
Sacred Heart           Rebounding     14th      40.95
Sacred Heart           Off. Reb.      21st      13.1