NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Josh Cohen, Saint Francis U
6’10”, 220 lbs.
R-Jr., F, Lincroft, NJ/CBA
Cohen’s third NEC Player of the Week accolade comes after a stellar 27-point performance in Saint Francis U’s 68-63 win at Wagner that gave the Red Flash their first 3-0 start in league play since the 2002-03 season. He scored 15 of his NEC career-best 27 in the second half, and came up big late with a steal and three free throws in the final minute to help hold off the Seahawks. Cohen shot 12-21 from the floor, and added seven rebounds and a pair of blocks. The Lincroft, NJ native leads the NEC and ranks sixth nationally with 21.9 ppg. He has posted five games with 25 or more points on the year. Cohen also paces the NEC in field goal percentage (.618), and is third in rebounding (8.1) and fourth in double-doubles (three).
Demetre Roberts, FDU
5’8”, 165 lbs.
Gr., G, Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Roberts is now a two-time NEC Player of the Week honoree after sparking the Knights to a sweep that pushed the Knights to 3-0 in the conference standings for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign. He averaged 22.5 points and 5.0 assists, and converted at a 53.3 percent clip from the field and 83.3 percent rate from the line. The grad student from Mount Vernon, NY rang up an FDU career-high 28 points and dished for four assists in a 101-89 victory over visiting LIU on Saturday. Roberts was a perfect 9-9 from the stripe, hit 3-4 from downtown and was 8-13 overall from the floor in the win. He took over the NEC lead in assists with 4.1 per game, and also ranks third in scoring (16.7), sixth in made 3P (1.9/game) and ninth in free throw accuracy (.767).
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Landon Moore, Saint Francis U
6’3”, 200 lbs.
Fr., G, Bloomington, IL/Western Reserve Academy
Moore has collected four straight NEC Rookie of the Week awards and is now one of 12 players in the history of the conference to be honored six times. He finished with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists, while shooting an efficient 3-5 from the field and 9-9 from the line in the Red Flash’s 68-63 win at Wagner on Saturday. Moore scored 12 of his 15 points in the second stanza and kept the Seahawks at bay by making six straight free throws in the final 24 seconds. The Bloomington, IL product is the NEC freshman leader in scoring (12.9), assists (3.8), free throw percentage (.831), made three-pointers (1.6) and A/TO ratio (1.94).
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Andre Snoddy (CCSU, So, F)
The 2021-22 All-NEC rookie pick nearly averaged a double-double with 11.0 ppg and 9.5 rpg in a CCSU split. He shot 8-15 (.533) from the floor and 3-5 (.600) from three-point land. Snoddy posted his third double-double of the year in the Blue Devils’ 78-59 win over LIU on Thursday, finishing with 14 points and 11 boards. The Melville, NY native ranks sixth in the league in rebounding at 6.8 per game.
Ansley Almonor (FDU, So, F)
Almonor caught fire in FDU’s 76-57 triumph at SFBK on Thursday, drilling 6-7 from three-point territory in a team-high 20-point showing. For the week, the sophomore averaged 19.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg, and sank 9-17 (.529) three-point shots. Almonor is up to 15.2 ppg on the year, which ranks sixth in the league. He’s also first in free throw percentage (.897), seventh in field goal accuracy (.460) and tenth in rebounding (5.1).
Demetre Roberts (FDU, Gr, G)
Roberts’ superb week saw him register 22.5 ppg and 5.0 apg while hitting at a 53.3 percent clip from the field and 83.3 percent from the line. The grad student scored an FDU career-high 28 points and dished for four assists in a 101-89 victory over visiting LIU on Saturday. Roberts made all nine of his free throws, drained 8-13 shots and went 3-4 from downtown. He is the NEC assist leader with 4.1 per game, and also sits third in scoring (16.7), sixth in made 3P (1.9/game) and ninth in free throw shooting (.767).
Grant Singleton (FDU, Gr, G)
Singleton stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 13.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 6.0 apg and 1.0 spg, and converted 5-10 from long range. He posted a double-double in Saturday’s 101-89 win over LIU, compiling 19 points and an FDU career-high 11 assists while sinking 5-8 from distance. Singleton is eighth in the NEC in scoring (14.3), sixth in assists (3.5), third in steals (2.2), ninth in 3P percentage (.381), third in made 3P (2.4) and third in A/TO ratio (1.9).
Marko Maletic (LIU, So, G)
Maletic had a memorable shooting performance in Saturday’s setback at FDU, hitting 8-11 from outside the arc. His 29 points was three shy of his career-high and he added six boards. For the week, the sophomore transfer poured in 22.0 ppg and sank 10-18 (.556) from distance. Maletic is the second-leading point producer on the circuit (17.8) and paces the conference by a wide margin with 3.33 three-pointers per contest, a figure that ranks 12th nationally. He’s also fourth in 3P accuracy (.394).
Jordan Minor (MC, Sr, F)
Minor’s exceptional week saw him put up 20.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg and 2.5 bpg in a 1-1 week for the Warriors. He tallied 18 points and a season-high 13 rebounds in a four-point loss to SHU, then rang up a game-high 22 points and hauled in eight boards two days later in a 65-53 win over SFBK. Minor’s six double-doubles lead the NEC, and he’s averaging 17.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 2.7 bpg.
Tanner Thomas (SHU, So, F)
Thomas comes off his best week of the season, averaging a double-double off the bench with 14.5 ppg on 65.0 percent shooting to go along with 10.0 rpg. His 16 points were a season-high and his 14-boards were a personal-best in Thursday’s 59-55 victory at Merrimack. It marked his first career double-double and first back-to-back double-digit games. Thomas boosted his season averages to 5.1 ppg and 3.4 rpg.
Josh Cohen (SFU, R-Jr, F)
Cohen was an offensive force in the Red Flash’s 68-63 win at Wagner on Saturday. He made 12-21 from the floor, scored a game-high 27 points, and also contributed seven boards and a pair of blocks. Cohen came up with a steal and made three free throws in the final minute to help SFU hold off the Seahawks. Cohen ranks first in the NEC in scoring (21.9) and field goal shooting (.618), and is third in rebounding (8.1) and fourth in double-doubles (three).
Maxwell Land (SFU, Jr, G)
Land continued his strong play of late with 17 points, five rebounds, two steals and a 6-8 mark from the field that included 3-4 shots from long range in a five-point road win at Wagner on Saturday. Land has averaged 13.3 points and hit 8-12 (.667) from beyond the arc over his last three games. On the year, he has supplied the Red Flash with 11.3 ppg and ranks seventh in the NEC in 3P accuracy (.387).
Landon Moore (SFU, Fr, G)
The six-time NEC Rookie of the Week came through once again in the clutch for the Red Flash, hitting six clutch free throws in the final 24 seconds of SFU’s 68-63 conquest of Wagner in Staten Island. He finished with 15 points, five rebounds and six assists, and went 3-5 from the field and 9-9 at the line. Moore is the NEC freshman leader in scoring (12.9), assists (3.8), free throw percentage (.831), made three-pointers (1.6) and A/TO ratio (1.94).
Isaiah Burnett (STO, Sr, G)
Burnett contributed on both ends of the court in Stonehill’s home sweep. He logged 13.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.0 spg and hit 14-15 (.933) from the stripe. Burnett tallied 16 points, seven rebounds and a season-high tying five steals in Thursday’s 62-58 victory over Wagner. He stole the ball on three straight possessions to spark a key 9-0 run, then iced the game on two free throws with 11 seconds remaining. Burnett is the NEC leader with 2.8 spg and ranks in the conference top-15 in six categories.
Rob Taylor II (WC, So, F)
Taylor II delivered the best game of his career on Thursday, recording a career-high 17 points and a career-high tying 11 boards at Stonehill in his first-ever start and second career double-double. For the week, he shot 60.0 percent while averaging 13.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg. Taylor is contributing 6.7 ppg and ranks is second on the Seahawks with 4.7 rpg.
TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB WEEK 9
Here’s all you need to know from the ninth week of the 2022-23 season...
TWO UNBEATENS REMAIN
Two weeks down and two teams still have that zero in the loss column.
So as we head into a seven-day break, FDU and Saint Francis U are sitting pretty atop the NEC standings with 3-0 marks.
How did they get there?
Picked sixth in the NEC preseason poll, FDU picked up a pair of double-digit victories, winning 76-57 at St. Francis Brooklyn before racing to a 101-89 win in a Saturday shootout in Hackensack.
Led by NEC Co-Player of the Week Demetre Roberts’ (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon (St. Thomas Aquinas)) 22.5 ppg, four players scored at least 13.0 ppg last week for the Knights, who averaged 88.5 ppg and recorded 1.16 PPP vs. the Terriers and 1.26 PPP against the Sharks.
The Knights drained 14-28 from three-point land in the win over LIU, two shy of the program’s single-game record. It also marked FDU’s first 100-point effort in NEC play since beating Wagner, 106-73, on February 13, 2020.
With the victory Saturday, the Knights are off to their first 3-0 start to NEC play since the 2016-17 season.
“Not a defensive explosion but definitely an offensive explosion,” remarked FDU head coach Tobin Anderson following Saturday’s win. “We shot the ball well, I didn’t like how we played defensively in our press. We just weren’t as sharp as we should have been. We got a win, a win at home, we did some good things with things to build on. Good to get a win.”
Following a bye on Thursday, Saint Francis U headed to Wagner on Saturday for what turned out to be the latest memorable game between the two NEC charter members at the Spiro Center.
With the Red Flash up seven with under eight minutes remaining, the Seahawks began to chip away at the lead, but NEC Co-Player of the Week Josh Cohen (Lincroft, NJ/CBA) and NEC Rookie of the Week Landon Moore (Bloomington, IL/Western Reserve Academy) stood their ground, making key plays down the stretch to claim a 68-63 win.
After a 5-0 Wagner run. Cohen banked in a hurried jumper with the shot clock expiring to push the SFU lead back to four, as the league’s top scorer would score nine points over the final eight minutes. He also came up with a key steal with 40 seconds to play and the Red Flash up by three.
Moore hit six straight free throws in the final 24 seconds and snared a big defensive rebound with three seconds remaining after a potential game-tying three-pointer was off the mark for the Seahawks.
Cohen finished with 27 points and seven boards, while Moore tallied 15 points, six rebounds and five dimes.
With the victory, Saint Francis U is off to a 3-0 start for the first time since the 2002-03 season and third time in program history.
The Red Flash have also won three straight games for the first time since enjoying an eight-game winning streak from January 30 to February 27, 2020. The win at the Spiro Center also marked its first on the road this season after starting the year 0-7 away from DeGol Arena in non-conference play.
“Certainly, a good feeling to come on the road and execute down the stretch, make our free throws and get our first road win,” said SFU head coach Rob Krimmel. “I told the team that I know we had a challenging non-conference schedule and spent a lot of time on the road against some really good opponents. For 40 minutes it was a basketball game and I am proud of the way that we executed. A call didn’t go our way late and I told the group that I was proud of the way they responded. We only had one option and that was to get a stop and we did. We now have a formula on what it takes to win on the road.”
COHEN & OFFENSIVE RATING
With a 125.5 KenPom offensive rating over the first 16 games of the season, Saint Francis U redshirt junior forward Josh Cohen (Lincroft, NJ/CBA) has reached elite status.
If Cohen were to maintain that rating, it would be the highest recorded by an NEC player with a minimum 24 percent usage rate since RMU’s Karvel Anderson posted a 129.0 rating during his 2013-14 NEC Player of the Year campaign.
It would also make Cohen the only NEC player to earn two spots on the top-10 list of highest offensive ratings since KenPom began tracking back in the 2003-04 season.
Cohen currently ranks sixth nationally in o-rating.
Top KenPom Offensive Ratings (2004 to present)
1. Karvel Anderson, RMU 129.0 2013-14
2. Elijah Ford, WC 120.5 2020-21
3. Isaiah Blackmon, SFU 119.2 2019-20
4. Rodney Pryor, RMU 118.0 2014-15
5. Ken Horton, CCSU 117.5 2011-12
6. Josh Cohen, SFU 117.2 2021-22
7. Jalen Cannon, SFBK 117.0 2013-14
8. Julian Boyd, LIU 116.1 2011-12
9. Travis Nichols, SFBK 115.8 2012-13
10. Kibwe Trim, SFU 114.4 2005-06
From this list, Anderson, Blackmon, Boyd, Cannon and Horton all won the NEC Player of the Year award during their respective careers.
NEC-TV HITS THE AIRWAVES
The 2022-23 NEC-TV package debuts next Monday and it’s the game that always delivers.
A pair of Brooklyn neighbors separated by just .3 miles of asphalt will do battle on SNY and ESPN3 when St. Francis Brooklyn makes the short trip to LIU for a 7:00 pm tip on MLK Day.
Though this one is not technically the “Battle of Brooklyn” - which will take place on January 28 at the ARC - the anticipation will be palpable among fans of the local rivals.
Dave Popkin (PxP) and Joe DeSantis (analyst) are in the booth.
The 13-game men’s TV package includes four linear telecasts on CBSSN and one on ESPNU. Five regular season games will be broadcast on ESPN3/ESPN+.
The NEC semifinals are set to be carried on SNY and ESPN3 on March 4, and the final on ESPN or ESPN2 on March 7.
MASTER OF THE STEAL 2: STONEHILL’S BURNETT
Three years ago, Merrimack’s Juvaris Hayes burst onto the NEC scene with a lockdown defensive mindset and staggering ability to clog passing lines, disrupt ballhandlers and pick pocket passes destined for the post.
In the first year of the Warriors’ DI transition, Hayes led the nation with 3.9 steals per game to cap a career that saw him become the NCAA all-time leader across all divisions with 457 career swipes.
Fast forward three years and we are seeing Stonehill’s Isaiah Burnett (Annapolis, MD/Glenelg Country School (Navy)) making a similar defensive impact in the program’s first season at the DI level.
The 6’5” Burnett’s athleticism, wingspan and anticipatory instincts have made him a nightmare for opposing offenses during the Skyhawks’ inaugural NEC campaign.
The senior currently leads the NEC and ranks fifth nationally with 2.83 steals per game and has posted five games with four or more steals.
His defensive instincts were on full display last Thursday when he incredibly stole the ball on three consecutive possessions in the latter stages of the second half in Stonehill’s 62-58 win over Wagner. The three swipes directly led to seven points and that extended the Skyhawks’ lead from four to eleven with 6:39 to play.
Burnett has recorded at least one steal in 24 straight games dating back to last season.
#NECMBB ALUMNI UPDATE: WC’S ALEX MORALES
One of just four players to win NEC Player of the Year honors twice, recent Wagner star Alex Morales (Paterson, NJ/Mainland Regional (Prince George’s CC)) hasn’t missed a beat while taking his game to the next level.
After playing in the NBA Summer League with Golden State, Morales was signed and waived by Orlando in October so the Magic could retain his G League rights.
Morales began the 2022-23 G League season with the Lakeland Magic and has seen his stock rise the last two months.
In the 18-game Showcase Cup to begin the year, Morales contributed 6.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals and shot 46.9 percent from the field in a reserve role. He saw his minutes steadily increase, culminating with a 37-minute outing in the final Cup game on December 22 against the Stockton Kings. Morales scored a career-high 15 points vs. the Mexico City Capitanes on November 18 and finished with nine points, a career-best 14 boards and three assists in a win over the Texas Legends on December 16.
The G League regular season schedule commenced on December 31, and Morales earned a pair of starts over the Magic’s first four games. Averaging 33.5 minutes per contest, the Paterson, NJ native has posted strong all-around numbers with 9.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.3 apg and 1.8 spg.
Morales is attempting to become the first NEC player to reach the NBA since CCSU’s Corsley Edwards appeared in ten games for the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2004-05 season. Edwards was the 2001-02 NEC Player of the Year and a 2014 inductee into the NEC Hall of Fame.
Morales is one of 13 players in NEC history to compile 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 250 assists. He finished his three years on Grymes Hill with 1,174 points, 513 boards and 272 dimes.
Last season he was also named the 2021-22 NEC Defensive Player of the Year, the ECAC Player of the Year, and earned first team All-NABC District 15 and All-Met status.
STONEHILL START IN PERSPECTIVE
With a 3-1 record over the first two weeks of NEC play, Stonehill has tied for second-best start among league newcomers in conference history.
Five Best NEC Starts Among League Newcomers
UMBC started 4-0 (on its way to 15-0) in 1998-99
Merrimack started 3-1 (on its way to 10-1) in 2019-20
Stonehill started 3-1 in 2022-23
Rider started 3-1 (on its way to 5-2) in 1992-93
Mount St. Mary’s started 2-2 (on its way to 5-2) in 1989-90
MALETIC MESMERIZES FROM THREE
LIU sophomore guard Marko Maletic (London, Ontario/Saunders Secondary School (Laramie County CC)) has been an elite three-pointer shooter for LIU since his arrival this fall, but he took it next level this past Saturday.
Maletic buried 8-11 shots from beyond the arc in the Sharks’ setback at FDU on his way to a 29-point performance.
His 72.7 percent success rate from three-point land was the highest in an NEC game with at least eight makes since SFU’s Ben Millaud-Meunier went 8-11 from deep against CCSU on February 6, 2016.
Maletic is the second-leading point producer on the circuit (17.8) and paces the conference by a wide margin with 3.33 three-pointers per contest, a figure that ranks 12th nationally. He’s also fourth in the NEC in 3P accuracy (.394).
SCANTELBURY MILESTONE
With seven assists on Thursday in CCSU’s victory over LIU, senior guard Nigel Scantlebury (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena (Niagara County CC)) reached the 250-career assist milestone.
The Rochester, NY native became the 143rd player in NEC history to accumulate 250 assists and now ranks 137th all-time with 255 helpers entering play this week.
WOOD DROPPING DIMES
LIU redshirt senior Tre’ Wood (Largo, MD/St. John’s College (UMass)) recorded a career and NEC single-game season-high 12 assists at FDU on Saturday.
The 12 helpers were the most in an NEC game since Wagner’s Alex Morales dished for 14 assists against LIU on January 15, 2021.
For the week, Wood averaged 7.5 assists and posted a 3.75 assist-to-turnover ratio.
THOMAS AT HOME IN HAMMEL
Sacred Heart sophomore forward Tanner Thomas (Springfield, MA/Williston Northampton) has made himself at home when playing at Merrimack’s Hammel Court.
After dropping a career-high 26 points as a freshman in last season’s 80-79 loss at Merrimack, Thomas was back it again in North Andover on Thursday.
Using an assortment of baby hooks, Thomas finished with 16 points and a career-best 14 rebounds in Sacred Heart’s 59-55 win that improved the Pioneers to 2-1 in conference play.
Thomas has now averaged 21.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg and shot 17-20 (.850) in two games at Hammel Court. In 30 other career games, the Springfield, MA product has averaged 3.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg and hit 42.1 percent of his field goal attempts.
DID YOU KNOW?
Of the top 15 scorers in the NEC this season, ten are newcomers to the league.
MC DEFENSIVE DOSSIER
Merrimack’s 16 steals in its win over St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday was the most in a conference game this season. The Warriors are averaging 11.5 steals per game in league play, 10.7 spg overall and have posted 11 double-digits steals games on the year. Merrimack is fourth nationally in steals per game, second in steal rate (15.9), third in turnover rate (26.0) and 21st in turnovers forced (17.3).
Individually, Javon Bennett (Orlando, FL/Trinity Prep) leads all freshman nationally and ranks eighth overall with 2.7 spg. He is also third in the nation in steal percentage (6.38).
SORRY, COACH
Last week Saint Francis U junior guard Maxwell Land (Cincinnati, OH/Archbishop Moeller) moved passed his head coach in career points as a member of the Red Flash.
Rob Krimmel amassed 645 career points in his career and Land now has 654 points.
NUMBERS GAME
CCSU shot 62.1 percent from the field and hit 5-7 (.714) shots from distance in a 44-point second half against LIU on Thursday. The Blue Devils turned the ball over just six times in the 78-59 win.
FDU graduate student guard Demetre Roberts (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon (St. Thomas Aquinas)) leads the conference with eight games of 20+ points on the year.
LIU redshirt sophomore guard Jacob Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Champlin Park) chipped in 13.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.0 apg and 1.0 spg for the Sharks last week. He was 11-12 (.917) from the stripe.
Merrimack senior forward Jordan Minor (Kingston, MA/Brimmer and May) moved into 75th place on the all-time NEC rebounding list with 631 boards to his credit.
Merrimack senior guard Mykel Derring (Boston, MA/Proctor Academy) drilled 6-10 from long range last week and scored a season-high 12 points against Sacred Heart on Thursday. Derring leads all active NEC players with 147 career triples.
Sacred Heart junior forward Nico Galette (Rahway, NJ/Rutgers Prep) scored 21 points and grabbed eight boards in the Pioneers 78-71 victory over Hartford on Saturday that extended the Pios’ win streak to three games.
Sacred Heart graduate student guard Brendan McGuire (Garden City, NY/Chaminade (Quinnipiac)) has averaged 6.5 assists over his last four games. He leads the Pios with 5.3 apg on the year.
Saint Francis U redshirt junior Brad McCabe (Manasquan, NJ/Manasquan) dished out a career-high seven assists against Wagner on Saturday. It was the first road trip back to Wagner since McCabe was surprised in the locker room after SFU’s NEC quarterfinal loss to Wagner in March with the announcement from head coach Rob Krimmel that he would be rewarded with a full scholarship after originally joining the team as a walk-on.
St. Francis Brooklyn senior guard Rob Higgins (Middletown, NJ/Middletown North) logged a season-best 21 points against FDU on Thursday. He made 7-11 overall, hit 4-7 from three-point territory and dished for four assists.
St. Francis Brooklyn redshirt guard Di’Andre Howell-South (Paterson, NJ/Immaculate Conception) just missed a double-double with 13 points and a career-high nine boards at Merrimack on Saturday.
Stonehill grad student forward Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, MA/The Tilton School) contributed 12.0 ppg on 50.0 percent shooting, including 5-11 (.455) from three-point range. He added 5.5 rpg and 1.0 spg. Zegarowski led four Stonehill double-figure scorers in Saturday’s 51-49 win over CCSU by draining four of his five three-pointers in the second half on his way to a game-high 16 points, as he finished 5-10 from three. Two of his triples came in the final five minutes that pushed the Skyhawks in front for the first time since the opening minutes of the game.
Thursday’s win over against Wagner marked the 450th game affiliated with Stonehill for head coach Chris Kraus (‘06), including his time as a student-athlete (114 games) from 2002-06, assistant coach (90) from 2010-13 and now head coach (246) for the last ten years.
Fifth year forward Andrew Sims (Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape Regional) enters the week just 18 points shy of becoming Stonehill’s 43rd 1,000-point scorer, having netted 982 points in 90 career games.
Wagner senior guard Brandon Brown (Memphis, TN/White Station (Arkansas Pine Bluff)) posted his fifth double-double of the season on Saturday, finishing with a career-high tying 16 points to go along with 11 boards. Brown, who averaged 11.0 ppg and 11.0 rpg on the week, is the NEC leader with 8.9 rpg and ranks second in double-doubles.
Wagner junior guard Delonnie Hunt (Upper Marlboro, MD/Rock Creek Christian) scored 20 points on 7-14 shooting, including 3-6 from deep, against SFU on Saturday. He also pitched in with five rebounds and four assists.
MORE ON MOORE
Only 12 players in the history of the conference have won six NEC Rookie of the Week awards in a season.
Not only is Saint Francis U freshman guard Landon Moore (Bloomington, IL/Western Reserve Academy) already a six-time winner, he accomplished it within the first nine weeks of his young career.
Now two honors away from matching the NEC record of eight, Moore joined Saint Francis U’s Darshan Luckey (eight) and Keith Braxton (seven) as the lone Red Flash student-athletes with more than four NEC Rookie of the Week accolades to their credit.
Here is the list of the all-time NEC Rookie of the Week leaders (minimum of five).
8x Winners
Alex Blackwell (MU, 1989-90)
Charles Smith (RID, 1993-94)
Darshan Luckey (SFU, 2002-03)
Kyle Vinales (CCSU, 2011-12)
7x Winners
Keith Braxton (SFU, 2016-17)
6x Winners
Julian Boyd (LIU, 2008-09)
Alex Francis (BRY, 2010-11)
Latif Rivers (WC, 2010-11)
Marcquise Reed (RMU, 2014-15)
Vado Morse (MSM, 2018-19)
Andre Snoddy (CCSU, 2021-22)
Landon Moore (SFU, 2022-23)
5x Winners
Desi Wilson (FDU, 1988-89)
Peter Mulligan (UMBC, 2000-01)
Jeremy Chappell (RMU, 2005-06)
Shivaughn Wiggins (MSM, 2012-13)
Cane Broome (SHU, 2014-15)
Quincy McKnight (SHU, 2015-16)
Marcel Pettway (BRY, 2015-16)
NEC ANALYTICS ZONE WITH RYAN PETERS
Each week throughout the 2022-23 season, NEC Overtime! blogger and NEC on the Run podcast collaborator Ryan Peters (@pioneer_pride) will contribute a series of analytically based tidbits covering NEC hoops.
Sacred Heart’s Tanner Thomas (Springfield, MA/Williston Northampton) had another special evening at Hammel Court after registering the team’s only double double in a 59-55 victory over Merrimack. Thomas went 7-of-9 in the contest, making 6 shots in the paint - five via flash or basket cuts - and one shot in the mid-range. For the year, Thomas is shooting 68 percent on cuts when receiving the basketball, per Synergy.
While it’s not deemed the most efficient shot in college basketball, Sacred Heart has been fairly proficient in converting medium range shots at a respectable clip, according to Synergy. The Pioneers currently lead all NEC teams in effective field goal percentage (47.4 percent eFG) on mid-range or long two-point jumpers from 17 feet to the three-point line. Of the group, Nico Galette (Rahway, NJ/Rutgers Prep) has made 44 percent of his 18 attempts from that range, while Raheem Solomon (Hartford, CT/Sacred Heart HS (Niagara)) has been successful with a small sample set, making 5-of-9 for 56 percent. Only 7.1 percent of the team’s jumpers are in this medium range, which is the third lowest mark in the NEC.
Josh Cohen (Lincroft, NJ/CBA) earned his seventh KenPom MVP designation of the season, after his Red Flash knocked off Wagner on the road this past Saturday. Against Wagner, Cohen did his damage a number of different ways as he scored two buckets in the post, two as a roller in the pick-and-roll, two off offensive rebounds while even doing damage in transition and as a shot up shooter. Saturday was the fifth time in 16 games where Cohen made at least 10 field goals in a contest.
CCSU has ratcheted up its defensive intensity of late, as they currently have the league’s second best adjusted defensive efficiency in league play per KenPom. Their mark of 90.8 points per 100 possessions is buoyed by a defensive rebounding rate of 21.6 percent, tops in the conference, as well as their two-point field goal defense of 38.9 percent, also the best mark among their conference foes.
NEC IN NATIONAL LEADERS (TOP-25)
Team Category Rank Value
FDU TO Margin 18th 4.5
MC Steals 4th 10.7
MC TO Forced 21st 17.3
WC Off. Reb. 13th 13.53
Individual Category Rank Value
Javon Bennett, MC Steals 8th 2.72
Isaiah Burnett, STO Steals 5th 2.83
Josh Cohen, SFU FG% 17th .618
Josh Cohen, SFU Scoring 6th 21.9
Marko Maletic, LIU 3P 12th 3.33