NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jo’el Emanuel, FDU    
6’6”, 196 lbs.
So., F, Suffern, NY/Millbrook
Fresh off a March Madness run that included a historic 16-over-1 win against Purdue, FDU secured a terrific opening night road win over Buffalo, thanks in part to a spectacular performance from Emanuel. After demonstraing boundless potential last season, the springy sophomore forward posted his first career double-double, establishing new career-bests with 24 points and 11 rebounds in the 92-86 win. Emanuel, who hails from Suffern, NY, shot 11-18 from the field, including 2-4 from beyond the arc, and delivered three emphatic slams. He also added three dimes. For the week, Emanuel shot at a 64.3 percent clip overall and went 5-10 (.500) from downtown. He averaged 14.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, and committed just four turnovers in 82 minutes during FDU’s 2-1 week.

NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Adam “Budd” Clark, Merrimack
5’10”, 155 lbs.
Fr., G, Philadelphia, PA/West Catholic
Clark earned a trio of starts at the point in his first collegiate action and did not disappoint for the defending NEC champs. The Philly product averaged 13.3 points, 4.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 4.0 steals and shot 48.1 percent from the field in Merrimack’ 2-1 start. Clark posted 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 67-55 setback at two-time defending America East champion Vermont in last Monday’s opener. Following an 11-point, five assist outing in the Warriors’ win over Worcester State, Clark provided the spark in Merrimack’s 71-65 triumph at Maine on Sunday. He dropped 17 of his game-high 19 points in the second half, and his conventional three-point play with 2:46 remaining gave the Warriors a four-point lead. Clark made 6-9 from the floor and added three steals in the win.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
 
Allan Jeanne-Rose (CCSU, Gr, F)
Last week: 19.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 76.2 FG%, 60.0 3PFG%

- Led CCSU in scoring with 21 at URI and 18 at Quinnipiac. 
- Made 16-21 shots from the floor and 3-5 from 3P range

Jo’el Emanuel (FDU, So, F)
Last week: 14.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.0 apg, 64.3 FG%, 50.0 3PFG%

- In the Knights’ season-opening win at Buffalo, Emanuel scored 18 points in the first 18 minutes of the game, doubling his previous career-high of nine before the game reached halftime. Emanuel went on to finish with 24 points and a career-best 11 rebounds.
- NEC Player of the Week

Adam “Budd” Clark (MC, Fr, G)
Last week: 13.3 ppg, 4.0 apg, 3.3 rpg, 4.0 spg, 48.1 FG%

- Scored 17 of his game and career-high 19 points in the second half of 71-65 win at Maine on Sunday.
- Finished with at least three steals in each of his first three games.
- NEC Rookie of the Week

Nico Galette (SHU, Sr, G/F)
Last week: 22.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.0 apg, 3.5 spg, 1.0 bpg, 55.2 FG%, 71.4 3PFG%

- The Preseason All-NEC honoree paced the Pioneers with 20 points, 10 boards and four steals in 28 minutes off the bench in a tight loss at defending MAAC champion Iona.
- Posted pair of 20+ point efforts.

Tanner Thomas (SHU, Jr, F)
Last week: 12.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg 1.0 spg, 52.4 FG%, 50.0 3PFG%

- Averaged a double-double and tied for the league-lead with 10.5 rpg last week.
- Finished with 17 points on 7-10 shooting, including a 3-3 mark from downtown, to go along with seven boards at Iona.

Melvin Council Jr. (WC, Jr, G)
Last week: 17.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 48.1 FG%

- Led all scorers with 21 points in Wagner’s season-opening OT setback at Fordham.
 
TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB TIPOFF WEEK

Here’s all you need to know from the opening week of the 2023-24 season...

>> ANOTHER GREAT KNIGHT AS CASTLEBERRY WINS HEAD COACHING DEBUT
 
Last we saw FDU, the Knights were slaying giants and creating madness in March.
 
Eight months later, the Burgundy & Blue picked right up where they left off.
 
Faced with a stiff road test to open the 2023-24 campaign, FDU down Mid-American Conference foe Buffalo, 92-86, in a up-tempo game that displayed the Knights’ now signature style of play.

The victory also doubled as the first head coaching win for Jack Castleberry, who served as an assistant for the Knights last season. He became the fourth head coach in FDU history to win his first game on the sidelines.
 
Despite losing a pair of NEC all-stars in Demetre Roberts and Grant Singleton, the Knights looked as potent as ever offensively, producing a robust 1.18 PPP and just six turnovers against the Bulls.
 
Following a promising freshman campaign, Jo’el Emanuel (Suffern, NY/Suffern) looks to have taken his game to the next level in the offseason. The springy 6’6” forward posted his first career double-double and set new career-bests with 24 points and 11 boards. Emanuel made 11-18 from the field and threw down three emphatic slams.
 
Newcomer DeVante Jamison (Dorchester, MA/Jeremiah E. Burke (St. Thomas Aquinas)) picked right up where his former STAC teammate Roberts left off. The 5’8” grad transfer wreaked havoc on the defensive end, twice picking the pocket of Buffalo point guards on their way up the court, leading to transition buckets.
 
Jamison also delivered a defensive dagger.
 
With FDU up by three with under a minute to play, Jamison’s help defense and quick hands resulted in a crucial Buffalo turnover and the Dorchester, MA native’s third swipe of the game. He went on to make all five of his free throw attempts to seal the deal for the Knights.
 
Jamison finished his FDU debut with 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and just one turnover in 27 minutes.
 
>> DOLPHINS’ D1 DEBUT
 
The NEC’s shiny new addition faced a challenging DI initiation last week, taking on a pair of formidable Big East programs in front of a collective audience exceeding 15,000 fans.
 
Le Moyne embarked on its Division I journey in Washington, D.C., clashing with Georgetown on Monday. In dropping a 94-57 to the Hoyas, graduate student forward Kaiyem Cleary (Manchester, England/Redemption Christian Academy (NY) (Florida Southern/Florida Southwestern/Ball State) registered team-highs with 11 points and seven boards in his first game for the Green & Gold.
 
Fast forward four days, and the Dolphins found themselves in the City of Brotherly Love for a showdown against #22 Villanova. Le Moyne hung tough against the Wildcats, trading the lead with the hosts throughout much of the first half until a 13-0 Villanova surge widened the gap to double digits. Luke Sutherland (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee (Siena/Bryant)), a grad student forward, knocked down 3-6 shots from deep and posted a team-high 15 points.
 
Le Moyne will play its first home game on Monday, taking on SUNY Canton before heading on the road four a four-game, eight-day California swing to take on San Diego, USCB, CSUN and Pacific.
 
>> BLUE DEVIL BREAKOUT: JEANNE-ROSE’S STRIKING START
 
In just two games, CCSU newcomer Allan Jeanne-Rose (Saint Joseph, Martinique/Saint John Paul II (Fairfield)) has already made a seismic impact for the Blue Devils.
 
The grad transfer forward from Fairfield shot a blistering 76.2 percent from the field and posted an 83.3 eFG percentage in his first two outings, draining 16-21 shots, while averaging a team-best 19.5 ppg in road games at URI and Quinnipiac.
 
In four seasons at Fairfield, he shot a combined 11-73 (.151) from distance, but made 3-5 outside the arc in his first week as a Blue Devil.
 
Over 24 minutes at URI, he scored a team-high 21 points on 8-10 shooting, including a 3-4 mark from 3P range, and added five boards, two assists and two steals without committing a turnover.
 
Jeanne-Rose added 18 more on an 8-11 shooting line in a narrow 74-70 setback at Quinnipiac on Friday. He scored 12 points in the second half, including a layup with 1:37 to play that pulled CCSU within 70-68 after closing a 14-point gap.
 
>> A DOZEN DEBUTS: NEWCOMERS OF NOTE
 
These 12 newbies stood out in their first NEC action last week.
 
CCSU’s Allan Jeanne-Rose (Gr, F): 19.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 76.2 FG%, 60.0 3PFG%
FDU’s DeVante Jamison (Gr., G): 10.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.7 spg
LEM’s Kaiyem Cleary (Gr., F): 8.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.0 spg
LIU’s Terell Strickland (R-Jr., G): 11 points and 5 assists vs. Air Force
LIU’s Tana Kopa (Jr., G/F): 11 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists vs. Air Force
LIU’s Eric Acker (Fr., G): 10 points, 4 assists vs. Air Force
MC’s Adam “Budd” Clark (Fr., G): 13.3 ppg, 4.0 apg, 3.3 rpg, 4.0 spg, 48.1 FG%
MC’s Samba Diallo (Gr., F): 9.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.3 apg
SHU’s Kyle McGee (Sr., G): 6.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.0 apg
SHU’s Alex Sobel (Sr., F): 8.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 bpg
WC’s Melvin Council Jr. (Jr., G): 17.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 48.1 FG%
WC’s Tyje Kelton (Jr., F): 10.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.5 spg, 50.0 FG%, 57.1 3PFG%
 
>> BENIGNI’S SHINES IN RETURN TO THE HARDWOOD
 
Following a 672-day layoff, Stonehill senior guard Jackson Benigni (East Hampton, CT/Xavier (Hamden Hall Country Day)) made a memorable return during opening week for the Skyhawks.
 
Benigni had last taken the court during the 2021-22 season when Stonehill was still competing at the D2 level, That year he averaged 9.5 ppg over his first 13 games before suffering an injury that kept the East Hampton, CT native out the remainder of the season and all of last year.
 
“It was a crazy experience,” said Benigni about his injury. “I had never missed a game or practice prior to this injury. For me, it was a totally different experience dealing with this, being on the sideline for a whole 1½ years. But, very grateful to be back.”
 
Benigni didn’t score in Monday’s opener at George Washington, but came on strong off the bench in Stonehill’s 57-44 victory over Army on Thursday. He hit 7-12 shots and tallied 14 points in 28 minutes.
 
Returning to his home state in an encounter with defending national champion UConn on Saturday, Benigni delivered a career-best performance. He drilled 4-5 shots from three-point territory on his way to a career-high 22 points in his first start of the season.
 
“He brings that competitive edge and spirit,” said Stonehill head coach Chris Kraus after the game. “He’s a hard-nosed, attacking winner. It was great to see him knock the 3-ball down today, because he’s such a great shooter.”
 
For the week, he finished with a team-high 12.0 ppg and shot 51.6 percent from the floor.

>> JUNIOR COLLEGE TEAMMATES TAKE CENTER STAGE FOR WAGNER

A pair of junior college teammates have all the makings of a lethal pairing for Wagner.
 
In their first appearance in the Green & White, junior guard Melvin Council Jr. (Rochester, NY/University Prep (Monroe College)) and junior forward Tyje Kelton (Dunellen, NJ/Covenant College Prep (Monroe College)) nearly took down host Fordham in a game that ranked 17th in “Tension” and 36th on the KenPom “Excitement” meter last Monday.
 
The two newcomers, who played together the last two seasons at Monroe College, made a seamless transition to the DI ranks, combining for nearly 60 percent of Wagner’s points in a 68-64 overtime setback to a Rams team coming off a 25-win season.
 
The high-flying Council finished with 21 points on 8-16 shooting, while Kelton added 17 points and 13 rebounds, and hit 3-4 from three-point land. 
 
Wagner sent the game to overtime on senior guard Rahmir Moore’s (Philadelphia, PA/RISE Prep (Ontario) (Saint Joseph’s)) layup at the buzzer that was ruled a goaltending.
 
The end of regulation was eerily reminiscent of last year’s season opener when the Seahawks sent their game at Temple to OT after Jahbril Price-Noel drilled a game-tying 3P with three seconds remaining. Wagner went on to post a 76-73 win over the Owls.
 
>> NICO BEING NICO
 
Sacred Heart senior forward Nico Galette (Rahway, NJ/Rutgers Prep)  picked right up where he left off last season when  he was a first team All-NEC honoree for Scared Heart.
 
The senior from Rahway, NJ came off the bench to average 22.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.0 blocks in a 1-1 week for the Pioneers. He shot at a 55.2 percent clip from the field and hit 5-7 (.714) from deep.
 
Galette was outstanding in SHU’s road battle against an Iona program that has advanced to the NCAA Tournament six times since 2016. He rang up 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals in 28 minutes in a game SHU led the nearly the entire second half until being clipped by a late Gael run.
 
Galette, a Preseason All-NEC pick, also registered a game-high 24 points in 23 minutes in SHU’s season-opening win vs. Worcester St.
 
He is the NEC’s active leader with 975 points and 514 rebounds.
 
>> DID YOU KNOW?
 
Le Moyne’s first-ever D1 matchup last Monday featured the nation’s oldest Jesuit institution (Georgetown) and the youngest (Le Moyne).
 
>> KNIGHT 3P BARRAGE
 
FDU knocked down a school record 19 three-pointers in its win over Penn State-Brandywine last Wednesday.
 
>> NATE NUGGET
 
Le Moyne head coach Nate Champion (31 years, 11 months) is the second-youngest men’s head coach in Division I behind Nicholls State’s Tevon Saddler, who is 28.
 
Champion, a 2014 Le Moyne graduate, made 93 starts in his Dolphin playing career and recorded 1,258 points, 468 assists, 391 rebounds and 127 steals.
 
>> FDU’S YES DEAL ATTRACTS ATTENTION
 
Capitalizing on opportunities from their historic win over top-seeded Purdue in last year’s NCAA Tournament, FDU struck a regional TV deal with YES Network that has brought even more attention to the University.
 
The Knights will air six men’s games and two women’s games on the network. In doing so, FDU joins LIU and Sacred Heart as schools that have struck regional deals in the NY market. The Sharks and Pioneers both air select games on SNY.
 
The YES package opener on November 15 is sure to have some interest when the Knights battle Saint Peter’s in a matchup of Cinderella squads billed as “The Battle of the Bracket Busters.” The Peacocks memorably advanced to the Elite Eight in 2022, while FDU reached the NCAA second round last season, highlighted by its 16-over-1 victory over Purdue. Saint Peter’s is led by former Wagner head coach Bashir Mason.
 
Once the agreement was announced, the story was picked up by a host of national outlets, including CBS Sports, Sports Business Journal and Front Office Sports among others.
 
>> TO THE MAX
 
Stonehill graduate student forward Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, MA/The Tilton School (NH)), a preseason All-NEC honoree, caught fire from distance to lead the Skyahwks to a convincing 57-44 win over Army West Point in Thursday’s home opener.
 
Zegarowski matched a career-high with six three-pointers and scored a game-high 21 points in the win. He also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. It marked the fourth time in his Stonehill career that he recorded 20+ points.
 
>> SFU YOUTH MOVEMENT
 
Saint Francis I is one of the youngest teams in the country with all of its scholarship players being freshmen or sophomores.
 
The Red Flash are the second-youngest teams in NCAA Division I with an average age of 19.6 for its scholarship players. VMI is the youngest at 19.0, while Siena (19.8) and Kentucky (20.0) the only other teams averaging 20 years or younger.
 
In addition, the Red Flash are one of only four teams without a senior on the team. Air Force, Siena and UMES are the other program that do not have a senior.
 
SFU is comprised of three juniors (all three are walk-ons), six sophomores (one walk-on) and 10 freshman (two walk-ons).
 
>> QUOTE OF THE WEEK
 
Our quote of the week comes not from an NEC head coach, but an opposing head coach.
 
After dropping a 92-86 decision to FDU on opening night, Buffalo head coach George Halcovage had this to say about his program in comparing it’s current status to that of the Knights.
 
“They’ve seen that at the highest level and our hope is that this program, with us here, now, that we keep understanding that we want to be at that point,” Halcovage said. “We want to be in those environments. We want to be the best team we can be, hopefully MAC champions at some point. But that takes a process of putting in the work, every day, and gaining that experience together.
 
“Hopefully, we look like FDU at the end of the year.”
 
>> KRIMMEL & PSU CONNECTIONS
 
This Tuesday marks only the second encounter between Saint Francis U and Penn State during Rob Krimmel’s 12 years as a head coach and the first since his head coaching debut on November 9, 2012.
 
The Krimmel family shares numerous ties with Penn State. Situated just 61.8 miles apart, Krimmel grew up in State College before attending SFU.
 
Krimmel’s father, Bob, was a 1973 graduate of Penn State and spent 36 years as a student-athlete, swimming assistant/head coach and an Assistant AD before coming to SFU as the Director of Athletics for 11 years. 
 
Rob Krimmel followed a similar path to his father, but at Saint Francis. He is entering his 28th year associated with Saint Francis as either a student-athlete, assistant coach or head coach.
 
The intergenerational connection between father and son continues as both father and son met their wives while in college. Bob met Rob’s mother at Penn State, and Rob met his wife, Aileen, at SFU.
 
>> NUMBERS & NOTES
 
Four CCSU players averaged double-digits last week.
 
FDU started the season 2-0 for the first time since 2014.
 
FDU senior guard Joe Munden Jr. (Harlem, NY/Monsignor Scanlan), who appeared in his 75th game as Knight last Monday, is the only member of his freshman class still on the team.
 
Le Moyne grad student forward Luke Sutherland (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee (Siena/Bryant)), who enjoyed a previous stop in the NEC playing for Bryant in 2020-21, drilled 3-6 from downtown and had a team-high 15 points vs. Villanova on Friday.
 
LIU junior swingman Tana Kopa (Perth, Western Australia/Grace Baptist Academy (Spring Hill)), a transfer from DII Spring Hill, posted a double-double in his LIU debut with 11 points and 10 boards against Air Force.
 
Merrimack shot a torrid 68.4 percent from the floor in its 71-65 victory at Maine on Sunday.
 
Merrimack converted 62.9 percent from two-point range and 21.2 percent from three-point range last week.
 
Sacred Heart senior Nico Galette (Rahway, NJ/Rutgers Prep) pulled down his 500th career rebound last week and needs just 25 points to reach 1,000 career points. He enters play this week as the NEC’s active career leader with 975 points and 514 boards.
 
Saint Francis U sophomore guard Cam Gregory (Accokeek, MD/The Steward School (VA)) paced the Red Flash on their three-game California swing with 9.7 ppg. The Red Flash took on UCLA, San Francisco and Santa Clara, who combined to win 74 games last season.
 
Stonehill limited Army West Point to 26.1 percent shooting from the field in it’s 13-point win on Thursday. The Cadets made just 5-31 from beyond the arc.
 
Wagner enjoyed a 44-39 rebounding edge in its OT loss to Fordham.