NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK presented by 
Damian Chong Qui, Mount St. Mary’s
5’8”, 155 lbs.
Jr., G, Baltimore, MD/McDonogh
Chong Qui was the catalyst in the Mount’s sweep of Merrimack last week, posting strong all-around numbers with 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. He shot a robust 61.5 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three-point territory and 91.7 percent from the line. The preseason All-NEC pick scored a game and season-high 19 points on 6-10 shooting and a 2-3 mark from distance, and added four rebounds and four dimes in Thursday’s 77-57 win on Thursday. In Friday’s 63-52 victory, he posted his first career double-double with 10 points and a career-best 10 assists. Chong Qui, who hails from Baltimore, paces the Mount with 13.8 ppg and ranks third in the NEC with 5.0 apg.
Alex Morales, Wagner
6’6”, 180 lbs.
Sr., G, Paterson, NJ/Mainland Regional (Prince George’s CC)
Morales showed off all facets of his game last week and came up huge in Wagner’s 76-74 win that knocked LIU out of first place on Friday. The senior from Paterson, NJ averaged 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.0 steals in the split with the Sharks. In Thursday’s 77-66 setback, Morales rang up a career-high 25 points on 9-19 shooting, including 2-4 from long range and 5-5 from the charity stripe. He was threading the needle the following evening, dishing a career and NEC single-game season-high 14 assists to go along with 10 points. After assisting on Ja’Mier Fletcher’s game-tying dunk with 51 seconds remaining, Morales called his own number, delivering the game-winner on a step-back jumper with 3.2 seconds to play. He leads the league with 5.6 apg, and ranks sixth in scoring (15.3) and ninth in rebounding (7.1).
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK presented by
Josh Reaves, Mount St. Mary’s
6’4”, 205 lbs.
Fr., G, Hamden, CT/South Kent School
Reaves posted the first two double-figure scoring games of his career to help the Mount to a series sweep of Merrimack last week at Knott Arena. He averaged 12.5 points and 2.5 rebounds, while shooting 52.6 percent overall and 50.0 percent from three-point range, where he made 5-of-10 shots. Reaves posted a personal-best 13 points and added four rebounds in Thursday’s 77-57 win. He sank 3-4 from three-point range. The Hamden, CT native followed with 12 points in Friday’s 63-52 victory that included a personal 9-0 run early in the second half to break the game open. Reaves is averaging 8.6 ppg in NEC play this year, including a 45.5 percent success rate from three-point territory.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Hall Elisias (BRY, Sr, F)
Elisias was a force on the glass and in the paint last week, averaging 13.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocks to go along with 8.5 ppg and 1.5 spg. After blocking five shots in a setback at SFU on Thursday, the senior forward snared a career and NEC single-game season-high 20 rebounds the next afternoon to help spark the Bulldogs to a 72-63 win. The 20 rebounds is the fifth-highest total in the nation this season. Elisias is the NEC leader and ranks eighth nationally with 3.1 bpg. He ranks first in field goal percentage (.597) and is also the fourth-leading rebounder on the circuit with 8.2 per game.
Michael Green III (BRY, So, G)
Green III paced the Bulldogs with 20.0 ppg, and added 5.5 rpg, 3.0 apg and 1.5 spg in a split at Saint Francis U last week. He dropped a game-high 24 points and snared seven rebounds on Thursday, and added 16 points the following afternoon in a 72-63 win. Green ranks third in the NEC in scoring (18.3) and fifth in assists (4.4).
Peter Kiss (BRY, R-Sr, G)
Kiss has been a force all season for the Bulldogs. Last week, he posted 18.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg and 1.5 spg as Bryant took one-of-two at SFU. In Friday’s 72-63 triumph, he led all scorers with 22 points on 7-12 shooting, including a 4-6 mark from distance. He added six boards, two assists and two steals. Kiss, who shot 40.0 percent from three-point range and 90.9 percent from the line, ranks among NEC leaders in eight categories: fourth in the NEC in scoring (17.8), 19th in rebounds (5.6), 10th in assists (3.2), fourth in steals (2.3), eighth in field goal accuracy (52.0), third in free throw percentage (.852), eighth in three-point percentage (.415) and 10th in made three-pointers (1.7).
Ty Flowers (LIU, R-Sr, F)
Flowers posted his usual strong numbers across the board with 19.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.0 bpg and 3.0 spg in a split at Wagner. He matched his career-high with 27 points, and recorded eight rebounds and five steals in Thursday’s 77-66 win. Flowers ranks second in the NEC in scoring (18.7), fifth in rebounding (8.0), first in steals (2.7) and fourth in blocks (1.5).
Eral Penn (LIU, R-Jr, F)
Penn was a force for the Sharks in their split at Wagner, producing 17.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 2.5 bpg. He shot 56.3 percent from the field and made 4-6 (.667) from three-point range on the week. Penn posted his league-leading fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday’s 77-66 victory. Penn is the NEC’s seventh-leading scorer at 15.0 ppg and ranks second with 8.7 rpg.
Damian Chong Qui (MSM, Jr, G)
Chong Qui guided the Mount to a pair of wins over Merrimack, averaging 14.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 7.0 apg. He shot 61.5 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three-point range and 91.7 percent from the charity stripe. Chong Qui tallied 19 points, four rebounds and four assists on in the Mount’s 77-57 win on Thursday and followed with 10 points and a career-high 10 assists for his first career double-double in the 63-52 victory on Friday. Chong Qui leads the Mount with 13.8 ppg and ranks third in the NEC with 5.0 apg.
Cantavio Dutreil (SHU, Jr, F)
Dutreil collected a pair of career-highs with 15 points and 19 rebounds in SHU’s 65-48 win over CCSU on Thursday. The 19 boards is the second-highest single-game total in the NEC and 10th in the nation this season. Dutreil is the NEC leader and ranks 22nd nationally with 10.1 rpg on the year.
Ramiir Dixon-Conover (SFU, Sr, G)
Dixon-Conover posted terrific all-around numbers in a split with Bryant, finishing with 14.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 6.5 apg and 3.5 spg. He registered his first career double-double with 11 points, a career-best 10 assists and seven rebounds in Thursday’s 89-82 win over the first place Bulldogs. Dixon-Conover followed with 18 points, five rebounds and five steals in a 72-63 setback the following afternoon. The senior leads SFU with 14.3 ppg, 5.0 apg and 2.8 spg.
Alex Morales (WC, Sr, G)
Morales drained the game-winning jumper with 3.2 seconds to play on Friday to give Wagner a 76-74 win over LIU and a split their series. He finished the night with 10 points and a career-high 14 assists, the most by an NEC player and third-highest single-game total in DI this season. One night earlier, Morales led the Seahawks with 25 points and seven rebounds. For the week, he averaged 17.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 7.5 apg. On the season, Morales leads the league with 5.6 apg, and ranks sixth in scoring (15.3) and ninth in rebounding (7.1).
Will Martinez (WC, Sr, G)
Martinez comes off a strong week that saw him supply the Green & White with 16.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 4.5 apg, while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor, 60.0 percent from distance and 85.7 percent from the line. He dropped a season-high 19 points on 8-11 shooting, and added five rebounds and four helpers in Friday’s comeback win over LIU. Martinez is averaging 11.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 4.3 apg this season.
TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB WEEK SIX
Here’s all you need to know from week six of the 2020-21 season...
BRYANT ENTERS COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID-MAJOR POLL
Off to its best-ever DI start, the Bulldogs are climbing the charts.
For the first time in eight years, Bryant made an appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 rankings, entering the poll at No. 25 last Monday. In 2013, the Bulldogs reached as high as #17 in the rankings.
Bryant became the first NEC team ranked in the poll since Wagner reached #14 on November 14, 2016.
The last NEC team to end a year ranked was Robert Morris, which finished 25th in the final 2012-13 poll.
Rank School Record Votes Previous Conference
1 Gonzaga (31) 12-0 775 1 West Coast
2 Winthrop 11-0 720 2 Big South
3 Drake 13-0 710 3 Missouri Valley
4 Furman 8-3 654 4 Southern
5 Belmont 12-1 622 6 Ohio Valley
6 BYU 9-3 619 5 West Coast
7 Liberty 11-4 542 10 ASUN
8 Saint Mary’s 9-3 540 7 West Coast
9 Georgia State 7-2 526 9 Sun Belt
10 South Dakota State 8-3 474 11 Summit
11 Toledo 10-3 471 12 Mid-American
12 Missouri State 8-1 435 20 Missouri Valley
13 Abilene Christian 10-2 383 13 Southland
14 Bowling Green 9-2 351 14 Mid-American
15 Loyola Chicago 7-3 340 8 Missouri Valley
16 Southern Utah 9-1 296 17 Big Sky
17 Wright State 8-3 243 16 Horizon
18 Eastern Kentucky 11-2 195 25 Ohio Valley
19 Little Rock 7-4 191 18 Sun Belt
20 Southern Illinois 7-3 127 15 Missouri Valley
21 Mercer 7-3 124 21 Southern
22 Coastal Carolina 9-2 90 NR Sun Belt
23 Chattanooga 10-3 87 22 Southern
24 Louisiana 8-3 82 23 Sun Belt
25 Bryant 9-2 66 NR Northeast
GRAND DAY FOR LIU’S FLOWERS
The NEC’s 1,000-point club added a new member on Thursday.
With a steal and layup with under five minutes to play in the second half at Wagner, LIU redshirt senior forward Ty Flowers (Waterbury, CT/Sacred Heart (UMass)) became the third active NEC player and 238th in conference annals to reach the milestone. With 1,014 points entering play this week, he is the 39th player in LIU history to cross the millennium mark. Factoring his freshman year at UMass, Flowers has accumulated 1,163 points.
Other active NEC players who have crossed the plateau include FDU senior guard Jahlil Jenkins (Ranson, WV/Virginia Academy) (1,413) and St. Francis Brooklyn senior guard Chauncey Hawkins (Spring Valley, NY/St. Joseph Regional) (1,102).
NEC GLASS SWEEPERS
Two of the NEC’s “Chairman of the Boards” had games to remember last week.
On Thursday, it was Sacred Heart junior forward Cantavio Dutreil (Gonaives, Haiti/Trinity Catholic (North Alabama, Harcum)) who delivered a dominant performance on the glass. Dutreil scored 15 points and pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds in the Pioneers’ 65-48 win over CCSU. The 19 boards was the most by an NEC player this season, but that distinction held up for less than 24 hours because Bryant senior forward Hall Elisias (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream South (New Mexico JC)) went one better on Friday, snaring a career-best 20 rebounds to help lead the Bulldogs to a 72-63 conquest of Saint Francis U in Loretto.
The 20 rebounds for Elisias was a Bryant DI record, the most by a Bulldog since 2004 and the fifth-highest total in the nation this season. It also tied for 20th on the NEC’s all-time list. Dutreil’s 19 caroms was the second-highest total by a SHU player in its DI era behind E.J. Anosike’s 22 rebounds in an 80-72 win at LIU on February 15, 2020.
Dutreil leads the NEC in rebounding and ranks 22nd nationally at 10.1 per game. He has also posted the third best defensive rebounding rate (34.5 percent) and seventh best offensive rebounding rate (17.7 percent) in DI.
Elisias is fourth in the conference with 8.2 rpg.
NEC BIG SHOT OF THE WEEK
On a night that saw him struggling from the field while enjoying a career night as a distributor, Wagner senior guard Alex Morales (Paterson, NJ/Mainland Regional (Prince George’s CC)) didn’t hesitate on pulling the trigger when the Seahawks needed a late-game bucket against LIU on Friday evening.
Morales, the NEC assist leader (5.6) who also ranks sixth in the NEC in scoring (15.3), had only made 5-16 shots from the floor, while at same time dishing for a personal-best 14 assists, including a gorgeous feed to sophomore forward Ja’Mier Fletcher (Pittsburgh, PA/Steel Valley (First Love Christian Academy (VA))) with 51 seconds remaining that tied the game at 74 apiece.
Dribbling down the clock with the score tied, Morales took the ball from the logo down to the free throw line, stepped back and calmly drilled a 17-footer for the win with 3.2 seconds on the clock.
The win knocked LIU out of first place and improved the Seahawks to 2-4 in NEC play on the year. A day earlier, the NEC Co-Player of the Week scored a career-high 25 points in a 77-66 loss to the Sharks.
NEC-TV SKED
NEC-TV is taking the week off on the men’s side, but the next one is a biggie.
The annual “Battle of Brooklyn” is set for Saturday, January 30 when St. Francis Brooklyn plays host to LIU in a renewal of their annual rivalry game. The contest will air on ESPN3, along with SNY on tape delay. The game will tip at 4:00 pm with Paul Dottino (PxP) and Tim Capstraw (color) on the call.
The winning team receives the Lai-Lynch Trophy, which honors William Lai and Daniel Lynch, the former Athletic Directors of LIU and St. Francis Brooklyn, respectively.
The Terriers have won four of the last six Battle of Brooklyn games, however LIU leads the all-time BOB series, 25-20, dating back to the first game in 1976.
The two teams also meet this Thursday at the Steinberg Wellness Center.
#SCTOP10 MOMENT FOR ELISIAS
In what may wind up being both the sequence and play of the year in NEC hoops, Bryant senior forward Hall Elisias (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream South (New Mexico JC)) earned himself an appearance on the SportsCenter Top-10 following Thursday’s game at Saint Francis U.
Late in the first half, Elisias blocked a Maxwell Land layup attempt on the defensive end, then took off in transition. A lead pass to Charles Pride (Syracuse, NY/Putnam Science (CT)) was deflected, and as the sophomore guard looked to save it as it crossed the endline, he spotted Elisias, who went airborne and reached back with his left hand for the monstrous one-handed slam.
The play came in at #2 on the top-10 that night on ESPN.
WELCOME, MARLON!
Making his Saint Francis U debut on Thursday, junior Marlon Hargis (Mays Landing, NJ/St. Augustine Prep (Holy Cross)) made sure it was a memorable one.
The spring 6’7” forward came off the bench to record 14 points and seven rebounds in just 21 minutes as the Red Flash knocked off first place Bryant, 89-82, for its first NEC win of the season in a high scoring affair in Loretto.
Hargis also opened eyes around the league with a monstrous two-handed alley-oop jam off an inbounds feed from Ramiir Dixon-Conover (Newark, NJ/South Kent (CT) (Southeastern CC)) midway through the second half.
He went on to tally 12 points and eight boards the following afternoon in 25 minutes of play.
Hargis, who averaged 13.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg in the split, turned the ball over just once in 46 minutes.
MORE UNIQUE NUMBERS FOR FLOWERS
The versatility we see on a nightly basis from LIU redshirt senior forward Ty Flowers (Waterbury, CT/Sacred Heart (UMass)) has lent itself to some unique stat lines this season.
On the same day he scored his 1,000th career point at LIU on Thursday, Flowers also became the fifth player in the nation this season to finish a game with at least 27 points, eight rebounds and five steals. That list includes Baylor junior guard Jared Butler, an All-Big 12 first teamer, an All-ACC senior guard Jose Alvarado from Georgia Tech.
MOUNT LOCKS IT DOWN
Returning to the friendly confines of Knott Arena for the first time in 37 days, Mount St. Mary’s earned its first series sweep with a pair of stellar defensive efforts.
The Mount allowed just 54.5 ppg, 0.81 points per possession and limited the Warriors to a combined 34.5 percent shooting from the field in the two wins that pushed their NEC record to 3-2 on the year.
Mount St. Mary’s leads the NEC in scoring defense at 63.3 ppg overall and 60.6 ppg in league play. The Mount also ranks first against conference opponents in defensive efficiency (90.9 points allowed per 100 possessions), effective FG percentage defense (.433) and block rate (13.5 percent).
RDC: STAR ON THE RISE
For Red Flash fans hoping for a breakout year from senior guard Ramiir Dixon-Conover (Newark, NJ/South Kent (CT) (Southeastern CC)), they’re getting their wish.
Through six games, Dixon-Conover is averaging 14.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.8 spg, a staggering bump from a year ago when he posted 4.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.1 apg and 1.3 spg while serving as understudy to Saint Francis U all-time greats Keith Braxton and Isaiah Blackmon.
In Thursday’s 89-82 win over Bryant, he flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds and a career-high 10 assists in his first career double-double effort.
Dixon-Conover currently maintains the 21st best assist rate in the country (37.8 percent) while cutting down significantly on his turnover rate (35.6 percent as junior to 21.8 percent as senior). His improved offensive output has not been a detriment to his defensive tenacity, as evidenced by his 4.4 percent steal rate, which ranks 32nd in the nation.
SHU’S THOMAS EARNS MET HONORS
If you can make it there...
Sacred Heart’s Tyler Thomas (Amity, CT/Amity Regional (Williston Northampton)) not only earned NEC Co-Player of the Week honors last week, but the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) took notice as well.
The MBWA, which is made up of sportswriters in the greater New York City area, recognized the sophomore guard’s scoring spree that saw average 29.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 4.0 apg in two games at Merrimack. Thomas was unstoppable on January 7, dropping a career-high and NEC single-game season-best 36 points, including a 7-16 mark from three-point territory in an overtime setback.
Thomas became the third Pioneer to earn the award, joining Quincy McKnight (January 9-15, 2017) and Cane Broome (February 15-21, 2016).
Thomas is also the first conference player to pick up the honor since Wagner’s JoJo Cooper (January 15-21, 2018).
Thomas, who averaged 5.6 ppg a year ago, leads the league with 19.1 ppg and ranks second with 3.14 triples per contest.
NEC STARS ARE BORN
They’re growing up fast.
Of the NEC’s top-five scorers thus far in 2020-21, three are sophomores.
Sacred Heart sophomore guard Tyler Thomas (Amity, CT/Amity Regional (Williston Northampton)) leads the NEC with 19.1 ppg a year after averaging 5.6 ppg as a freshman.
Bryant’s Michael Green III (Bronx, NY/Mount St. Michael Academy), the reigning NEC Rookie of the Year, has lifted his scoring average from 9.3 ppg to 18.3 ppg to rank third in the league.
FDU sophomore guard Brandon Rush (Warrensville, OH/Warrensville Heights) has boosted his scoring average from 4.9 ppg to 15.9 ppg to sit fifth in the conference.
TERRIER TREND
From shaky to stingy, St. Francis Brooklyn’s defense is trending in the right direction.
Here are the point totals the Terriers have allowed in order from game one to game seven:
G1: 101
G2: 91
G3: 86
G4: 78
G5: 70
G6: 55
G7: 55
In its last action - a sweep of Mount St. Mary’s on January 7-8 - the Terriers held the Mount to 36.2 percent shooting from the floor and 24.3 percent from distance. The Terriers limited the Mount to 0.80 and 0.82 PPP in the two contests.
FDU BACK IN BUSINESS
We haven’t seem them in action since December 22, but it’s time to get reacquainted with FDU.
The Knights return to the hardwood this week with a pair of games at Merrimack, the alma mater of FDU head coach Greg Herenda.
FDU split its lone NEC series back in December against CCSU.
When last we left them, the Knights were rolling offensively, compiling an effective field goal percentage of 55.3 over its last four games, including a 28-56 (.500) mark from beyond the arc.
STAT ATTACK
Bryant senior guard Peter Kiss (New York, NY/Notre Dame Prep (Rutgers)) has reached the 20-point mark eight times this season. No other NEC player has more than five 20-point outings on the year.
Bryant junior guard Chris Childs (Bronx, NY/Woodstock Academy (Indian Hills CC)) has made his last 22 shots from the free throw line and is shooting a league leading 88.9 percent from the stripe this season.
CCSU sophomore guard Greg Outlaw (Chicago, IL/Rezin Orr Academy) has reached double digits in five straight games, averaging 13.4 ppg over the stretch and leads the Blue Devils with 12.9 ppg. Junior forward Karrington Wallace (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Wood) ranks third in NEC play with 1.7 bpg.
LIU guard Alex Rivera (Lowell, MA/Lowell (UMass Lowell)) has hit eight of his last 15 shots from three-point range (.533) after starting 3-15 from outside the arc to begin the season.
Merrimack recorded a combined 23 steals in each of its two games at the Mount over the weekend. The Warriors lead the NEC with 10.8 swipes per game on the year. Devin Jensen (Brielle, NJ/Manasquan) (2.5, second), Mikey Watkins (Roselle, NJ/Linden) (2.5, second) and Jordan McKoy (Westwood, NJ/Dwight-Englewood) (1.8, sixth) - a trio of New Jersey natives - all rank among NEC steals leaders. A year ago, Merrimack paced the conference with 9.9 spg.
Mount St. Mary’s junior guard Deandre Thomas (Richmond, VA/Milwood School (Samford)), a transfer from Samford, broke out in a big way in Friday’s win over Merrimack. He hit all four of his first half three-pointers and finished 5-6 from downtown on his way to a season-high 18-point effort in 27 minutes off the bench.
The 48 points allowed by Sacred Heart its win over CCSU on Thursday was the lowest by a SHU opponent since the Pioneers beat Wagner, 62-38, on January 21, 2019. SHU held CCSU to 27.9 percent shooting from the floor.
Saint Francis U freshman guard Ronell Giles, Jr. (Brandywine, MD/Charles Herbert Flowers) racked up a career-high 21 points in Thursday’s win over Bryant. The 21 points are the most by an NEC freshman this season and the highest output by a Red Flash freshman since Keith Braxton dropped 22 in a win over Bryant in the 2017 NEC quarterfinals.
Wagner freshman guard Delonnie Hunt (Upper Marlboro, MD/Rock Creek Christian) did not commit a turnover in 60 minutes last week and is in the midst of a streak of 114 minutes without coughing the ball up. He has turned the ball over just seven times this season over 232 minutes played.
NEC in NCAA STATS (Top-25)
Name School Category Rank Value
Chris Childs BRY 3P/game 20th 3.15
Cantavio Dutreil SHU Reb. 22nd 10.1
Cantavio Dutreil SHU Off. Reb. 24th 3.50
Hall Elisias BRY Blocks 5th 3.23
Ty Flowers LIU Steals 9th 2.67
Jahlil Jenkins FDU Mnutes 22nd 36:57
Peter Kiss BRY Trip-Dub 2nd 1
Brandon Rush FDU 3P% 23rd .452
Tyler Thomas SHU 3P/game 21st 3.14
Tyler Thomas SHU Minutes 9th 37:36
Team Category Rank Value
Bryant Scoring 5th 89.2
Bryant 3P% 17th .396
Bryant 3P/game 23rd 10.0
Bryant 3P% Def. 19th .279
Bryant Def. Reb. 6th 31.0
LIU TO Forced 11th 18.0
Saint Francis U 3P% Def. 10th .271