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Bridgewater, NJ -- A pair of returning all-stars from league favorite Sacred Heart headline the 2023-24 Preseason All-Northeast Conference (NEC) Men’s Basketball team.
The announcement of the team, along with the preseason coaches’ poll, was made on Tuesday during NEC Men’s Basketball Media Day, which aired on NEC Front Row and ESPN+ live from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
Sacred Heart senior guard
Nico Galette (Rahway, NJ/Rutgers Prep), who was named to the All-NEC first team as a junior, was joined on the five-man squad by teammate
Joey Reilly (Cromwell, CT/East Catholic (Holy Cross)), a graduate student guard. FDU junior forward
Ansley Almonor (Spring Valley, NY/Our Savior Lutheran), CCSU senior forward
Kellen Amos (Houston, TX/St. John XXIII College Prep (Binghamton)) and Stonehill graduate student forward
Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, MA/The Tilton School (NH) (Lynn/Franklin Pierce)) also earned preseason honors.
Galette stands out as one of the rare NEC players in recent memory that possesses the ability to shoot from long range - the 6'6" positionless senior drilled 36 shots from outside the arc - take his man off the dribble and score effectively with his back to the basket. When the game is on the line, there's no one better in the conference. The Rahway, NJ native seemed to have ice in his veins last season, sinking a series of cold-blooded shots in nail-biting conference wins for the Pioneers. Always competing with an infectious spirit, Galette ranked in the NEC top-10 in a host of categories last season, including scoring (15.4), rebounding (6.7), field goal percentage (.439), steals (1.6), blocks (1.0) and double-doubles (four). The All-NEC first teamer heads into his fourth season as the league's active career leader in points (931), rebounds (497), steals (88) and blocks (44).
One of the NEC's most improved players last season, Reilly upped his scoring average from 4.7 ppg to 11.8 ppg, while hitting 65 shots from distance at a robust 38.9 percent clip en route to securing third team All-NEC honors. The selfless, veteran guard, known for his sweet shooting stroke, cracked double digits in all but two conference games last season. Moreover, he stepped up when the Pioneers needed him most, erupting for 21 points in the regular season finale, a win over CCSU that secured SHU an NEC Tournament home game. Reilly wrapped the year with a 46/39/84 shooting slash, ranked second in the NEC in eFG percentage (.573) and finished in the conference top-10 in field goal and three-point accuracy, made three-pointers and steals (1.3).
As FDU's profile skyrocketed last March, Almonor was one of the central figures in the Knights' remarkable run. This followed a terrific regular season that saw the Spring Valley, NY native make tremendous strides on his way win to claiming the NEC Most Improved Player award. Sparingly utilized as a freshman, Almonor earned a starting spot, and his inside-outside game made him an indispensable component of FDU’s high-powered offense. He raised his scoring average from 3.5 ppg as a freshman to 13.6 ppg in 2022-23, which ranked tenth in the NEC. Almonor stretched defenses to the tune of 75 three-pointers and a 38.1 percent success rate from downtown, both of which were top-10 marks on the circuit. Recognized as a third team All-NEC player, Almonor was also tabbed to the NEC All-Tournament team and dropped 23 points in the Knights' win over Texas Southern in the First Four.
Amos burst onto the NEC scene last season and quickly made his name for himself. A sinewy slasher, electrifying leaper and formidable long distance shooting threat, Amos is poised to make the leap to superstardom on a rising CCSU squad positioned to contend for the conference crown this winter. The Houston, TX product led the Blue Devils and ranked eighth in the conference a year ago with 14.1 ppg. An elite pick-and-roll finisher above the rim, Amos ranked second in the NEC with 39 dunks, while at the same time splashing 63 trifectas at a 35.2 percent rate. He was tabbed to the All-NEC second team and was a two-time NEC Player of the Week. His 36-point outing, where he went 6-6 from outside the arc in a win over SFBK last January, was one of top single-game performances in the NEC last season.
One of the league's great pure shooters, Zegarowski's played a pivotal role on a Stonehill team that made an immediate impression upon joining the NEC last season, battling tooth-and-nail for the regular season title before securing a second place finish. Hailing from South Hamilton, MA, Zegarowski's ability to knock down shots opened the lane and created opportunities for slashing NEC all-stars Andrew Sims and Isaiah Burnett. Possessing a quick release and unlimited range, the 6'8" forward and third team All-NEC selection converted 45.6 percent from three-point land during conference play and ranked second overall at 41.9 percent for the year. His 2.26 trifectas per outing was the second-best mark in the conference and he drained 70 three-pointers over the course of the season while averaging 12.6 ppg. Zegarowski, a graduate student, also ranked third in the NEC in eFG percentage (.564) and was nearly automatic at the line (.877).
2023-24 NEC Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Name School Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/High School
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 43rd season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine institutions of higher learning located throughout five states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#34) and Syracuse (#85). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 24 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 15 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website official website (
www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (
www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.