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Northeast Conference Men's Basketball Weekly Release (1/23)

1/23/2024


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NEC Player of the Week:
Kaiyem Cleary, LEM
NEC Rookie of the Week: Eli Wilborn, SFU
Previous NEC Releases: January 17January 9January 2December 26December 18December 11December 4November 27November 20November 13Preseason Poll Release


NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kaiyem Cleary, Le Moyne
6’6”, 185 lbs.
Gr., F, Manchester, England/Redemption Christian Academy (NY) (Florida Southern/Florida Southwestern/Ball State 

Cleary provided a lift on both ends of the floor for Le Moyne last week as the Dolphins secured their first NEC sweep, highlighted by a statement road win against the NEC’s last unbeaten team. Cleary, who hails from Manchester, England, registered 17.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 46.2 percent from long range. In Le Moyne’s last-second, 75-73 victory at first place CCSU, Cleary posted 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists, four blocks and three steals, and hit 3-8 from distance. He became one of three players across the nation this season to finish a game with at least 19p/8r/3a/4b/3s in a game, joining Syracuse’s Maliq Brown and Louisiana’s Joe Charles. Two days later, he contributed 15 points on 5-9 shooting, including a 3-5 mark from three-point territory, in the Dolphins’ dominant 94-57 home win over Saint Francis U. Cleary is averaging 18.4 ppg and 6.8 rpg in NEC play, both top-five marks in the conference. Overall, he slots in fourth in NEC in scoring (14.5), eighth in rebounding (5.7), second in FT percentage (.818) and three-point percentage (.410), and seventh in made three-pointers (1.9).

NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Eli Wilborn, Saint Francis U
6’8”, 215 lbs.
Fr., F, Middletown, CT/Middletown

Wilborn claimed his league-best fourth NEC Rookie of the Week honor after a near perfect week from the field in Saint Francis U’s split. He converted a scorching 91.7 percent of his field goal opportunities over two games, making 11-12 shots. For the week, Wilborn recorded 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He collected 19 points, seven boards, two assists, a block and a steal, while going 6-7 from the floor, to help guide the Red Flash to their first NEC win of the season, a 72-66 conquest of LIU in Loretto. His third dunk of the game on an alley-oop pass from Cam Gregory with 1:48 to play boosted the Red Flash lead to seven points. Wilborn leads all NEC freshmen and ranks in the NEC top-three in rebounding (7.1, third), field goal percentage (.585, second) and blocks (1.8, second). He is now one of 36 players in NEC history to win at least four NEC Rookie of the Week accolades.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS

Jordan Jones (CCSU, Sr, G)
Last week: 16.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 44.4 3P%, 81.8 FT%

- Matched his CCSU career-high with 22 points against Le Moyne on Friday. His seven boards eclipsed his previous personal-best.
- Contributes 12.6 ppg, and holds spots in the NEC top-10 in assists (3.1), FT percentage (.750), 3P percentage (.358), steals (2.1) and A/TO ratio (1.6).

Ansley Almonor (FDU, Jr, F)
Last week: 24 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 6-12 FG, 3-8 3P, 9-9 FT

- His 24 points marked a season-high in NEC play and helped propel the Knights to their third straight win.
- Has converted 19 of his last 20 shots from the stripe.
- Leads the NEC with 2.9 triples per game and 82.8 percent shooting from the line, while also ranking second in scoring (16.4), ninth in rebounding (5.6) and sixth in 3P percentage (.387).

Kaiyem Cleary (LEM, Gr, G)
Last week: 17.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 bpg, 2.0 spg, 46.2 3P%

- Tallied 19 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, three assists and three steals in Friday’s 75-73 win at CCSU.
- Averaging 18.4 ppg and 6.8 rpg in NEC play, both top-five marks in the conference.
- Slots in fourth in NEC in scoring (14.5), eighth in rebounding (5.7), second in FT percentage (.818) and three-point percentage (.410), and seventh in made three-pointers (1.9).

Tana Kopa (LIU, Jr, G/F)
Last week: 22.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.5 bpg, 1.5 spg, 51.5 FG%, 43.8 3P%

- Posted his first two 20-point games at LIU, including a season-high 24 points vs. CCSU on Sunday
- Became just the second player in the nation this season to finish a game with at least 24 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks.
- Averages 11.4 ppg and ranks sixth in the league with 2.0 3P/game.

Jordan Derkack (MC, So, G)
Last week: 10.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 8.5 apg, 2.0 spg

- Flirted with a triple-double in Sunday’s victory over Stonehill, finishing with 12 points, eight rebounds and a career-high 11 assists.
- His 11 dimes were the most in an NEC game this season.
- Leads NEC with 17.0 ppg, and also ranks in the top-five in rebounding (6.2), assists (3.8) and steals (2.2).

Joey Reilly (SHU, Gr, G)
Last week: 21 points. 4 assists, 3 steals, 7-14 FG, 4-8 3P vs. Wagner

- Earned his third straight KenPom MVP award.
- Has made 21-38 shots (.553) from 3P range over his last seven games.
- In league play, ranks second in scoring (18.6), first in made 3P (3.4/gm) and third in 3P accuracy (.548). Overall, he’s averaging 11.7 ppg, and his 40.0 percent mark from outside the arc ranks fourth on the circuit.

Eli Wilborn (SFU, Fr, F)
Last week: 16.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 91.7 FG%

- Scored a career-high 19 points and added seven boards in Friday’s 72-66 win vs. LIU, the first in NEC play for the Red Flash.
- Converted all five of his shot attempts at Le Moyne on Sunday.
- Leads all NEC freshmen and ranks in the NEC top-three in rebounding (7.1, third), field goal percentage (.585, second) and blocks (1.8, second).

Melvin Council Jr. (WC, Jr, G)
Last week: 14.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.0 spg, 100.0 FT%

- Registered 15 points and 13 rebounds in Wagner’s win at Merrimack on Friday in his third double-double effort of the season.
- Has reached double-digits in eight straight games
- Ranks in the NEC top-10 in scoring (14.3, 5th), rebounding (5.5, 10th), assists (3.6, 7th), steals (10th, 1.5), free throw percentage (.800, 4th) and A/TO ratio (2.44, 3rd).

TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB WEEK ELEVEN

Here’s all you need to know from the 11th week of the 2023-24 season...

>> MARCH (TIEBREAKER) MADNESS?
 
There are six teams within one game of first place in the NEC.
 
>> MCCLURE PLAYS BEAT THE CLOCK IN SIGNATURE LE MOYNE WIN
 
Hungry for a program defining victory, NEC newcomer Le Moyne made it happen on Friday, and the Dolphins did it in memorable fashion.
 
Facing the NEC’s last remaining unbeaten, Le Moyne knocked off first place CCSU, 75-73, on a last second Nate McClure (Houston, TX/Concordia Lutheran (Texas State/State Fair CC/IUPUI)) layup in New Britain.
 
The Dolphins built a 10-point lead midway through the second half, but Jordan Jones (Florence, NC/Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School (Coker)) sparked a 10-0 Blue Devil run with six points to knot things up at 58 apiece with eight minutes remaining.

From there, no team led by more than three points until Le Moyne graduate student guard Mike DePersia (Cherry Hill, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial (IUPUI)) sank his second three-pointer of the game to give the Dolphins a 73-69 lead at the 1:52 mark.
 
Jones answered back, drilling a clutch triple with 54 seconds left to tie things up.
 
After Le Moyne came up empty on its next possession, CCSU had a chance to win it, but Jones couldn’t get his layup to fall, leading to a Dolphin runout. DePersia threaded a gorgeous bounce pass to a streaking McClure, who laid the ball in with 1.2 seconds on the clock.
 
Graduate student guard Kaiyem Cleary (Manchester, England/Redemption Christian Academy (NY) (Florida Southern/Florida Southwestern/Ball State)) led the Dolphins in scoring for the fourth straight game, tallying 19 points, to go along with eight rebounds, three assists, four blocks and three steals. He became one of three players across the nation this season to finish with at least 19p/8r/3a/4b/3s in a game this season, joining Syracuse’s Maliq Brown and Louisiana’s Joe Charles.
 
McClure finished with 13 points - a season-high vs. a DI opponent - and nine rebounds, while DePersia went 4-4 from the floor in an 11-point, 4-assist night.
 
Le Moyne is now 2-0 in NEC road games, having also secured a 74-63 triumph at FDU in its first-ever conference contest.

Buoyed by a historic three-point shooting afternoon (see later note), the Dolphins completed their first-ever NEC weekend sweep with a 94-67 hom win against Saint Francis U on Sunday to improve to 3-2 in the conference.
 
>> WAGNER SNAPS MERRIMACK HOME WIN STREAK
 
Merrimack entered last Friday’s matchup sporting the nation’s tenth longest home win streak at 13 games and had gone nearly a year without a home setback, but Wagner remained unfazed.
 
The suddenly red-hot Seahawks overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to post a 71-65 win that extended their win streak to three while ending the Warriors’ run at home.
 
Wagner opened the second half on a 15-4 spurt over the first five minutes to take a lead it would not relinquish.
 
While junior guard Melvin Council Jr. (Rochester, NY/University Prep (Monroe College)) delivered another star performance with 15 points and 13 rebounds in his second double-double of the year, it was a freshman who stole the show for the Green & White.
 
Coming off his best game of the season last Monday, netting a career-high eight points against Stonehill, Seck Zongo (Bronx, NY/The Patrick School) proved to be a force against the Warriors.
 
Zongo, who entered the contest averaging 2.7 ppg, shattered his previous best, sinking 5-7 shots on his way to a 15-point night. He added seven caroms.
 
Junior point guard Javier Ezquerra (San Juan, Puerto Rico/IMG Academy) rang up seven assists and did not commit a turnover in a wire-to-wire effort against one of the nation’s top ballhawking squads.
  
Wagner finished with a 38-22 advantage on the boards and a 14-5 edge in second chance points.
 
Merrimack had won all six of its home games this season and had not lost at either Hammel Court or Lawler Arena since dropping a 78-71 decision to FDU on January 28, 2023.
 
>> REILLY & THE 50/40/90 CHASE
 
There are very few clubs as exclusive as the 50-40-90 Club in hoops.
 
It requires a player to shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the line, while meeting minimum thresholds to qualify as a league leader in each category.
 
In NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League history, only 11 players have recorded a 50–40–90 season, with nine in the NBA and one each in the WNBA and the NBA G League. The most recent player to achieve a 50–40–90 season was Kevin Durant in 2022–23. Steve Nash (three times), Durant (twice) and Larry Bird (twice) are the only players to post multiple 50/40/90 seasons.
 
In college hoops, just 13 players across the nation finished at 50/40/90 and reached minimum thresholds (at lest 3.0 FG made/game, 2.0 FT made/game, 1.0 3P made/game and at least half of team games played) over the last 30 years. Salim Stoudamire (Arizona) and Matt Kennedy (Charleston Southern) both recorded 50–50–90 seasons.
 
Sacred Heart graduate student guard Joey Reilly (Cromwell, CT/East Catholic (Holy Cross)), who has been on a shooting spree as of late for the Pioneers, remains in 50/40/90 ballpark with six weeks remaining in the regular season.
 
Reilly has been incredibly efficient, having hit 50.6 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from the line and 90.6 percent from the stripe over his first 20 games.
 
He has posted a 59.9 effective field goal percentage and 63.0 true shooting percentage.
 
Reilly has been even deadlier in NEC play...
  
Reilly in the NEC rankings (league games only)
FG%                 4th        .582
2PFG%               9th        .625
3PFG%               3rd        .548
Effective FG%       1st        .736
True Shooting%      1st        .766 
FT%                 1st        1.000

 
Reilly is averaging 18.6 ppg in NEC competition to lift his overall mark to 11.7 ppg.
 
He has hit 14 of his last 21 (.667) and 21 of his last 38 (.553) three-point attempts.
 
Reilly’s most recent outing on Sunday saw him score 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half and make 4-8 shots from three-point territory in Sacred Heart’s 66-61 win over a surging Wagner squad that moved the Pioneers into a first place tie in the NEC standings with a 4-1 mark. He added four assists, three steals and committed a lone turnover in 38 minutes.
 
Trailing by seven at intermission, Reilly drilled three straight triples in a two minute span early in the second half to put SHU on top. His steal and conventional three-point play with 2:52 remaining increased the Pios’ lead to five and he iced matters on a pair of free throws in the final minute.

>> DOLPHIN 3P DELUGE
 
Le Moyne is the runaway NEC leader with 10.42 three-pointers per game, a mark that ranks the Dolphins 10th nationally.
 
With that said, no one saw Sunday’s extraordinary three-point shooting barrage coming.
 
Firing on all cylinders, Le Moyne drained 18 shots in 34 attempts from downtown in its runaway 94-57 win over Saint Francis U.
 
The 18 three-pointers were the most in an NEC game in nearly 26 years and one shy of the conference record.
 
Saint Francis U set the initial record with 19 triples against LIU on February 25, 1989 and the standard was matched by Monmouth on February 21, 1998, also against LIU.
 
Since that time, no team had hit more than 17 three-pointers in a league game, the last time coming on December 31, 2021 courtesy of Merrimack in its win over LIU.
 
In Sunday’s win, six Le Moyne players hit at least two trifectas, led by Luke Sutherland (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee (Siena/Bryant)), who made four from long range.
 
The Dolphins’ 52.9 percent success rate from deep was the highest in an NEC game with at least 15 makes since Merrimack shot 17-26 (.654) in the aforementioned victory over the Sharks in 2021.
 
>> KNIGHTS’ WATCH
 
Following an 0-2 start, FDU has made its move.
 
After defeating Stonehill, 76-69, on CBSSN last Friday, the Knights have now won three straight to pull within a game of first place.
 
FDU has done it with defense during the run, in particular limiting Stonehill to 0.88 PPP and 0.94 PPP in its sweep of the Skyhawks.

Through the first three weeks of NEC play, FDU ranks second in the NEC in defensive efficiency (0.94 PPP) and third in turnover percentage (.222).
 
>> HAPPY DUNK DAY, ELI!
 
On his (very happy) birthday, Saint Francis U freshman forward Eli Wilborn (Middletown, CT/Middletown (South Kent)) had himself a three-dunk night in the Red Flash’s win over LIU on Friday, including a jaw-dropping jam (WATCH HERE) that was featured as the No. 4 play later that evening on the SportsCenter Top-10.
 
>> UP NEXT ON NEC-TV
 
There are two games on the NEC-TV slate this week, highlighted by the league’s season debut on ESPNU.
 
The banks of the Hackensack and newly renamed Bogota Savings Bank Center will be the site on Thursday when FDU hosts CCSU on the U. Tipoff is at 5:00 pm with Derek Jones (PxP) and Noah Savage (analyst) on the call.
 
Two days later, Saint Francis U entertains Merrimack at DeGol Arena at 4:00 pm on ESPN+. Paul Dottino (play-by-play) and Joe DeSantis (analyst) will bring you all the action.
 
The 13-game men’s TV schedule includes linear telecasts on CBSSN, ESPNU and ESPN2. Seven regular season games are set to air on ESPN+, one of which - FDU at CCSU on February 10 - will be picked up by YES Network.
 
The NEC semifinals will be carried on YES and ESPN+ on March 9, and the final on ESPN2 on March 12.
 
>> ROSENBERGER SPARKS FIRST RED FLASH WIN
 
Another game, another Saint Francis U freshman stepped up for the Red Flash.
 
On Friday, it was Bobby Rosenberger’s (Quakertown, PA/Perkiomen School) turn once again, and the guard’s stellar outing propelled SFU to its first NEC win of the season, a 72-66 home triumph against LIU.
 
Rosenberger, who was named NEC Rookie of the Week back in November, rang up 21 points and nine rebounds, both career-highs. His two free throws with 14 seconds to play clinched the game for the Flash.
 
“We did a really good job of keeping our composure towards the end of the game and hitting our free throws,” said Rosenberger. “I credit the team for coming up clutch and really stepping up and making the plays that we need to make.”
 
Rosenberger is one of four SFU freshmen who have combined to win seven NEC Rookie of the Week honors this season.
 
>> NEC TERRIFIC TRIOS
 
Each year around this time, it’s become customary on these pages to pay tribute to the top scoring duos across the conference.
 
However, in a year with balance scoring across the conference, this is the year of the triple threat, with multiple teams sporting a trio of players who rank among NEC scoring leaders.
 
CCSU is the lone NEC squad with three players combining to average at least 40.0 ppg.
 
Top-Scoring NEC Trios
 
School Player          PPG   Player           PPG    Player         PPG    Avg.
CCSU   A. Jeanne-Rose  16.1  Jordan Jones     12.6   Kellen Amos    11.4   40.1
FDU    Ansley Almonor  16.4  Sean Moore       12.3   Jo’el Emanuel  11.2   39.9
LEM    Kaiyem Cleary   14.5  Luke Sutherland  13.8   Ocypher Owens  10.2   38.5
LIU    Tai Strickland  13.8  Eric Acker       13.2   Tana Kopa      11.4   38.4
MC     Jordan Derkack  17.0  Devon Savage     11.2   Adam Clark     10.2   38.4
SHU    Nico Galette    14.1  Alex Sobel       11.7   Joey Reilly    11.7   37.5

 
>> FDU’S BROWN MAKING MOVES
 
FDU freshman guard Terrence Brown (Minneapolis, MN/Columbia Heights has taken his game to another level the last two weeks.
 
Last Friday, the Minneapolis, MN native was a force in FDU’s 76-69 triumph at Stonehill that extended the Knights’ win streak to three games.
 
He tallied 15 points on 7-14 shooting, and added a career-high seven rebounds and three assists.
 
Brown delivered a pair of dunks in an 8-0 first half run that gave FDU the lead, and he added 11 points in the second half to help the Knights keep the Skyhawks at bay.
 
Brown is averaging 16.3 ppg while shooting at a 52.9 percent clip over his last three games. For the season, the Minneapolis, MN product has contributed 7.8 ppg overall and 12.0 ppg against conference rivals.
 
>> KRIMMEL’S 200TH
 
The dean of NEC head coaches reached another milestone on Sunday.
 
Saint Francis U’s Rob Krimmel became the tenth head coach in NEC history to reach 200 league games in the Red Flash’s outing at Le Moyne, joining Tom Green (FDU, 452, 1983-09), Howie Dickenman (CCSU, 344, 1997-16), Dave Bike (Sacred Heart, 258, 1999-13), Ron Ganulin (St. Francis Brooklyn, 254, 1991-05), Dave Calloway (Monmouth, 250, 1998-11), Jim Phelan, Mount St. Mary’s, 250, 116-134), Glenn Braica (St. Francis Brooklyn, 230, 2010-23), Paul Lizzo (LIU, 225, 1982-95) and Dave Magarity (Saint Francis/Marist, 214, 1982-83, 1987-97).
 
Krimmel is the second former Red Flash player to have coached 200 games in the NEC. Magarity played at SFU from 1974-78 and was an assistant coach in Loretto from 1974-78 before serving as head coach from 1978-83. He went on to coach at Marist from 1986 until the end of the school’s tenure with the NEC in 1997.
 
With SFU’s win over LIU on Friday, Krimmel tied former LIU head coach Jim Ferry for 13th on the conference list with 98 NEC regular season wins.
 
>> NEC NUGGETS
 
CCSU outrebounded Le Moyne by 10 and LIU by 12 in its split last week. The Blue Devils pace the circuit with a +7.2 rebound margin in league play.
 
FDU senior forward Sean Moore (Columbus, OH/Reynoldsburg (STAC)) scored his 500th career point at FDU in the Knights’ win at Stonehill on Friday. He now has amassed 508 points since coming aboard last season.

FDU junior forward Ansley Almonor (Spring Valley, NY/St. Joseph Regional (Montvale)) is the NEC active leader with 145 career three-pointers, which also ranks 10th on the Knights’ all-time chart.
 
Le Moyne is shooting a robust 41.3 percent from beyond the arc and has made 11.8 triples per game during conference play. Both are league-leading figures by a wide margin.
 
After missing more than a month with an injury, LIU sophomore center C.J. Delancy (Jonesboro, AK/Valley View) returned to action on Sunday against CCSU. He came off the bench to tally six points and a block in 17 minutes. He is shooting 70.0 percent from the floor in seven games this season.
 
Merrimack graduate student center Jacob O’Connell (Voorhees, NJ/St. Joseph’s Prep (Princeton)) made 12-15 shots from the floor last week. He netted a career-high 26 points on 9-11 shooting, and added four blocks against Wagner on Friday.
 
Sacred Heart senior forward Alex Sobel (Setauket, NY/Ward Melville (Middlebury)) has shot at least 50.0 percent from the field in nine straight games, converting at a 68.9 percent clip during the stretch.
 
Sacred Heart is shooting an NEC-best 48.7 percent against conference rivals.
 
Saint Francis U sophomore guard Cam Gregory (Accokeek, MD/The Steward School (VA)) put up 18 points, six assists and three steals in his team’s 72-66 win over LIU.
 
Stonehill graduate student forward Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, MA/The Tilton School (NH) (Lynn/Franklin Pierce)) averaged 14.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 3.5 apg last week. He ranks fifth in the NEC with 2.05 three-pointers per game.

Wagner posted a +11.0 rebound margin in its split last week. The Seahawks allowed just seven offensive rebounds total against Merrimack and SHU.
 
>> DID YOU KNOW
 
At this time, six of the top-10, 10 of the top-20 and 16 of the top-30 scorers in the NEC are newcomers to the circuit.
 
>> DID YOU KNOW #2
 
The NEC ranks first in the nation in assist percentage during conference play this season. Heading into week four of the conference slate, 55.0 percent of field goals have been assisted.
 
>> NEC ANALYTICS ZONE WITH RYAN PETERS
 
Each week throughout the 2023-24 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.
 
It’s been bombs away for Le Moyne and with good reason. The Dolphins have made a league best 41 percent of their three-point attempts in NEC play. This season nearly half of their shot attempts have come from deep (47.5 percent 3PA/FGA), the 20th-best rate in college basketball. According to Synergy, the Dolphins are in the top 80th percentile in catch and shoot jumpers, making 1.10 points per shot. Several players rate highly in this metric for the season, including Luke Sutherland (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee (Siena/Bryant)) (40.7 percent in catch and shoot 3s), Kaiyem Cleary (Manchester, England/Redemption Christian Academy (NY) (Florida Southern/Florida Southwestern/Ball State)) (44.8 percent) and Nate McClure (Houston, TX/Concordia Lutheran (Texas State/State Fair CC/IUPUI)) (36.4 percent).
 
Sacred Heart’s Alex Sobel (Setauket, NY/Ward Melville (Middlebury)) has been wonderfully efficient on the offensive end for Anthony Latina’s squad, posting a KenPom offensive rating of 118.2, the 314th best mark in college basketball this season. In particular, Sobel has excelled in transition opportunities (20-of-21, 95 FG%) and as a screener in the pick and roll. When Sobel rolls hard to the basket, he’s made 9-of-11 from the field when attempting a shot in those situations. His ability to pass the ball out of the high and low post - he’s posting an assist rate of 23.3 percent in league play - has been unique as a prototypical center as well.
 
While the aforementioned Sobel has the best points per possession mark in transition of any NEC player, Wagner’s Melvin Council Jr. (Rochester, NY/University Prep (Monroe College)), Sacred Heart’s Joey Reilly (Cromwell, CT/East Catholic (Holy Cross)), and CCSU’s Tre Breland (Hamden, CT/James Hillhouse (Missouri State West Plains)) and Allan Jeanne-Rose (Saint Joseph, Martinique/Saint John Paul II (Fairfield)) round out the top-five for this season. Council is sporting a 68.8 percent success rate on his open floor field goals whereas Reilly has shot 51.2 percent and has a miniscule turnover rate of 2.3 percent in those situations.
 
Wagner did well to attack Merrimack’s zone in their upset win in North Andover last Friday. The Seahawks scored 1.11 points per possession, made 52 percent of their 2s and outrebounded Merrimack 38 to 22 in the victory. Wagner’s offensive output contributed to Merrimack’s third worst performance from a defensive efficiency standpoint. The Seahawks did most of their damage in the paint, led by freshman Seck Zongo (Bronx, NY/The Patrick School), who made three baskets off a cut and one off an offensive rebound. His 15 points was a career-high.
  
>> NEC IN NATIONAL LEADERS (TOP-25)
 
Team         Category                         Rank         Value
LEM          3P                               10th         10.42
MC           Steals                           13th         9.85
             TO Forced                        13th         16.10
SHU          TO Margin                        20th         +4.0
             TO Forced                        24th         15.65
WC           Scoring Defense                  9th          62.5         
             Fewest Turnovers                 21st         9.8
 
Individual                   Category         Rank         Value
Adam “Budd” Clark, MC        Steals           19th         2.35
Alex Sobel, SHU              Blocks           6th          2.79