NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jordan Derkack, Merrimack
6’5”, 205 lbs.
So., G, Colonia, NJ/Colonia (Spire Academy)
Derkack’s league-leading third NEC Player of the Week award comes on the heels of a pair of outstanding all-around efforts in Merrimack’s season opening home sweep. The sophomore guard produced 24.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game, while shooting at a 57.1 percent clip from the field and 60.0 percent from long range. Derkack opened his second NEC campaign with a game-high 21 points, alongside five rebounds, six assists and three steals to spark the Warriors to a 60-56 win over FDU in an NEC title rematch at Lawler Arena. Two days later, his 27 points led all scorers, and he added seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals as Merrimack cruised to an 82-58 win over preseason favorite Sacred Heart. The 27 points marked the second-highest scoring game of Derkack’s career behind his 33-point performance vs. UMass-Lowell on December 2. Derkack, who hails from Colonia, NJ, improved his NEC-leading scoring average to 17.9 per game, and he ranks fifth on the circuit in rebounding (6.1), fourth in FG percentage (.527), seventh in assists (3.3) and fourth in steals (2.3).
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Eric Acker, LIU
6’2”, 160 lbs.
Fr., G, East New York, NY/Eagle Academy for Young Men II
Acker collected his second NEC Rookie of the Week honor after helping spark the Sharks to their first 2-0 record in NEC play since the 2011-12 season. The East New York, NY native supplied LIU with 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, and shot 50.0 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from three-point territory. Acker turned in a terrific all-around performance in Thursday’s 69-67 win over Wagner with 14 points on 6-10 shooting, along with seven rebounds and seven assists while playing all 40 minutes. He then dropped a career-high 23 points and matched a career-best with four three-pointers in LIU’s 73-68 win at Stonehill. Acker paces all NEC freshmen in scoring (13.1) and assists (3.6). Overall, he ranks ninth in scoring and fourth in helpers.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Kellen Amos (CCSU, Sr, F)
Last week: 20 points, 3 steals, 8-14 FG vs. Stonehill
- Matched season-high with 20 points in win at Stonehill.
- Averaging 18.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg, while shooting 49.1 percent in his last four outings.
- Has contributed 12.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.0 apg and 1.1 bpg on the season.
Allan Jeanne-Rose (CCSU, Sr, F)
Last week: 22 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 8-13 FG vs. Stonehill
- Led all scorers in CCSU’s double-digit road win to commence NEC play.
- Shooting 67.5 percent from the field over the last four games.
- Ranks third in NEC in scoring (15.4) and leads the league in field goal percentage (.604).
Sean Moore (FDU, Sr, F)
Last week: 17.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 1.5 spg
- Registered a pair of double-doubles to raise his season total to four, which ranks second in the NEC.
- Rang up 20 points, career-high 12 rebounds and hit four shots from deep vs. Le Moyne on Saturday.
- Leads the NEC with 7.8 rpg and averages 12.1 ppg.
Kaiyem Cleary (LEM, Gr, G)
Last week: 23 points, 8 rebounds, 8-16 FG, 3-4 3P, 4-4 Ft vs. FDU
- Set new career-highs with 23 points and 8 rebounds to lead the Dolphins to a 74-63 win at FDU in the program’s inaugural NEC game.
- Has made 13-23 (.565) from three-point range over his last six games.
- Sits eighth in NEC in scoring (13.7), ninth in rebounding (5.5), second in FT percentage (.846), third in three-point percentage (.420) and ninth in made three-pointers (1.6).
Eric Acker (LIU, Fr, G)
Last week: 18.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 50.0 FG%, 37.5 3FPG%
- Scored career-high 23 points in Saturday’s 73-68 win at Stonehill that completed an opening weekend sweep for the Sharks.
- Posted 14 points, seven rebounds and seven dimes in terrific all-around effort at Wagner.
- Leads all NEC freshmen in scoring (13.1) and assists (3.6). Overall, he is ninth in scoring and fourth in helpers.
Tai Strickland (LIU, Gr, G)
Last week: 21.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 3.0 spg
- Extended 20+ points scoring streak to three games with 23 against Wagner and 20 more at Stonehill in LIU’s 2-0 start.
- Scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half on Saturday, including three layups in the final 3:18 to keep the Skyhawks at bay.
- Has averaged 23.3 points over the last three games.
- Has moved up to seventh in the league in scoring at 14.1 ppg and ranks second in steals (2.3).
Jordan Derkack (MC, So, G)
Last week: 24.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.5 apg, 2.5 spg, 57.1 FG%, 60.0 3PFG%
- Posted his fifth and sixth 20+ point games on the year in Merrimack’s home sweep.
- His 27-point outing in the Warriors’ 82-58 win over SHU on Saturday was the second-highest scoring game of his career behind his 33-point performance vs. UMass-Lowell in December.
- Matched his career-high in three-pointers, going 3-3 from distance against the Pioneers.
- Paces the NEC in scoring (17.9), and ranks fifth in rebounding (6.1), fourth in FG percentage (.527), seventh in assists (3.3) and fourth in steals (2.3).
Nico Galette (SHU, Sr, F)
Last week: 20.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 spg, 1.0 bpg
- Following an 18-point effort in Thursday’s league opening win against SFU, he tallied 22 points, eight rebounds and two steals at Merrimack two days later.
- Sits fourth in the NEC in scoring and rebounding at 14.9 and 6.2, respectively. Galette is also seventh in steals (2.1).
Eli Wilborn (SFU, Fr, G)
Last week: 13.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 3.0 bpg, 50.0 FG%
- Recorded double-doubles in each of his first two NEC games with 12 points and 11 rebounds at Wagner, followed by 14 points and a career-high matching 13 boards at Wagner.
- Blocked three shots in both contests and is averaging 3.0 rejections over his last seven games.
- Leads the NEC with five double-doubles. He also ranks second in blocks (2.0), and third in field goal proficiency (.562) and rebounding (7.2).
Tahron Allen (WC, Jr, G)
Last week: 16.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2,0 spg, 50.0 FG%, 66.7 3PFG%, 100.0 FT%
- Matched season-highs with 17 points and four steals in Wagner’s 71-56 victory over SFU.
- Finished 3-4 from beyond the arc against the Red Flash, and has hit 9-13 from distance over his last seven games.
- Has averaged 16.7 points on a 51.5/71.4/78.6 slash line in last three games.
- Shooting 61.1 percent from three (11-18) this season while averaging 8.5 ppg.
TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB WEEK NINE
Here’s all you need to know from the ninth week of the 2023-24 season...
>> #NECNEWYEAR REVIEW
The aftermath of the #NECNewYear sparked the customary hot takes and chatter, highlighting an opening weekend that demonstrated the league’s only predictable element is its inherent unpredictability.
As the final whistle echoed on Saturday, four teams emerged unscathed, but perhaps not the quartet anyone had in mind.
Picked seventh in the NEC preseason poll, LIU turned some heads when the Sharks pulled off a sweep with wins over Wagner and Stonehill.
The sweep was notable for a team that was hit with injuries and struggled through November and December.
LIU entered 2024 having lost seven straight overall and ten in a row at home, but raced out to a 17-point halftime lead against an undermanned Seahawk squad. The Sharks pushed the lead to a seemingly insurmountable 26 points with under 13 minutes remaining, but Wagner would not be deterred despite having just seven players suit up. The Seahawks went on a remarkable 33-6 run over the next ten minutes and took a 67-66 lead with 2:16 to play on a Javier Ezquerra (San Juan, Puerto Rico/IMG Academy) jumper.
But it was not to be.
Only three more points would be scored the remainder of the contest, coming on Tai Strickland’s (Tampa, FL/St. Petersburg (Wisconsin/Temple/Georgia Southern)) three-pointer with 1:13 on the clock and LIU escaped with a 69-67 victory.
Two days later, LIU ventured north to face Stonehill, and it was Strickland who once again came up clutch for the Sharks. The graduate student converted three layups in traffic over the final 3:30 to seal a 73-68 win.
The 2-0 start is the first for the program since beginning the 2011-12 season with eight consecutive wins. That year, LIU would go on to finish 16-2 in conference play and win the second of its record three straight NEC titles.
Merrimack was the only other squad to walk away with a 2-0 mark, and did so at home by defeating a pair of projected NEC contenders in FDU and Sacred Heart.
All eyes were on the NEC title rematch between Merrimack and FDU on opening night.
In a battle of contrasting styles, the Warriors’ stingy defense shut down the explosive Knights’ attack. Merrimack limited FDU to just three points over the final 4:52 and 32.8 percent shooting for the game to secure the 60-56 win .
Merrimack was firing on all cylinders against preseason favorite Sacred Heart two days later. The Warriors jumped out to a 15-point halftime lead and kept pouring it on in the second half to claim an 82-58 triumph. MC made a season-high 13 three-pointers and shot 52.0 percent from beyond the arc, while limiting SHU to a 2-18 mark from downtown.
For the weekend, the Warriors held their opponents to 0.82 PPP and .383 eFG percentage.
Sophomore guard Jordan Derkack (Colonia, NJ/Colonia (Spire Academy)) was the straw that stirred the drink for Merrimack. Named the NEC Player of the Week for the third time this season, Derkack rang up 24.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.5 apg and 2.5 spg, while shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 60.0 percent from long range.
Two other teams exited the weekend unbeaten, including the NEC’s shiny new addition.
Following a bye on Thursday, Le Moyne walked into FDU’s Stratis Arena on Saturday and orchestrated a well-timed 18-0 second half run to erase a double digit deficit and pave the way for a memorable 74-63 win its introduction to conference play.
More on Le Moyne’s win later in the release.
CCSU also played just once, and its 74-59 victory at Stonehill extended its win streak to three games and made it four wins in the last five outings for a Blue Devil squad picked second in the NEC preseason poll.
The Blue Devils led by just one at the break, but scored 44 points and shot 53.6 percent in the second stanza. Senior forward Allan Jeanne-Rose (Saint Joseph, Martinique/Saint John Paul II (Fairfield)) scored a game-high 22 points and classmate Kellen Amos (Houston, TX/St. John XXIII College Prep (Binghamton)) added 20.
Also of note following opening week...
- Home teams went 5-3.
- Wagner rebounded from its opening night loss to LIU with a 71-56 conquest of Saint Francis U on Saturday. The Seahawks hit 13 shots from outside the arc, the most for the program vs. a DI opponent since making 13 vs. SFU in the 2022 NEC quarterfinals.
- Wagner led the NEC in offensive efficiency for the weekend at 1.08 PPP.
- Preseason favorite Sacred Heart won its opener, 79-67, over Saint Francis U at the Pitt Center behind 19 points from Joey Reilly (Cromwell, CT/East Catholic (Holy Cross)).
>> OPENING WEEK/TWO-GAME START HISTORICAL STATS
FDU, Saint Francis U and Stonehill will look to become the third NEC team to bounce back from an 0-2 start and win the regular season crown, following in the footsteps of the 2020-21 Wagner and 2012-13 Robert Morris squads.
That same 2012-13 season saw LIU complete its unprecedented three-peat, and in doing so, earned recognition as the only team in the last quarter century to win the NEC Tournament title after starting the year 0-2 in conference play.
NEC Regular Season Champion Two-Game Starts Since 1997-98
2-0 starts (12): 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2021-22
1-1 starts (12): 1997-98, 2001-02, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2022-23
0-2 starts (2): 2012-13 (RMU), 2020-21 (WC)
NEC Tournament Champion Two-Game Starts
2-0 starts (13): 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2016-17, 2019-20, 2021-22
1-1 starts (12): 1997-98, 1998-99, 2001-02, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2022-23
0-2 starts (1): 2012-13 (LIU)
>> FOR OPENERS
Embarking on a new season, there’s nothing that a coach appreciates more than an opening night win.
Who among the current crop of coaches has excelled in turning this aspiration into reality?
In his five years in the NEC, Joe Gallo has now posted a 4-1 record in league lidlifters following a 60-56 win against FDU on Thursday. That game was the first for Jack Castleberry as the Knights’ head coach.
Le Moyne’s Nate Champion was victorious in his first conference game on Saturday, with the Dolphins rallying to beat FDU.
CCSU’s Pat Sellers and LIU’s Rod Strickland both won NEC openers for the first time last week. The Blue Devils took down Stonehill by 15 on the road and the Sharks hung on for a two-point win against visiting Wagner.
NEC Opener Records - Current Coaches
Pat Sellers, CCSU 1-2
Jack Castleberry, FDU 0-1
Nate Champion, LEM 1-0
Rod Strickland, LIU 1-1
Joe Gallo, MC 4-1
Anthony Latina, SHU 3-8
Rob Krimmel, SFU 5-7
Chris Kraus, STO 1-1
Donald Copeland, WC 1-1
>> FIRST BUCKET OF THE #NECMBB SEASON GOES TO...
...Sacred Heart senior forward Alex Sobel (Setauket, NY/Ward Melville (Middlebury)), who hit a layup 40 seconds into its game against Saint Francis U at the Pitt Center on Thursday morning.
>> LEMOYNE WINS NEC OPENER
Following the path of Merrimack three seasons earlier and Stonehill a year ago, Le Moyne made it’s NEC debut a memorable one.
Trailing by 10 points with under 12 minutes remaining, the Dolphins reeled off 18 straight points over the next six minutes and never looked back on its way to scoring a 74-63 win at FDU on Saturday.
Graduate student guard Kaiyem Cleary (Manchester, England/ Redemption Christian Academy (NY) (Florida Southern/Florida Southwestern/Ball State)) established a pair of career-highs with 23 points and eight boards in the victory. He made 3-4 shots from deep.
The Dolphins received a huge lift off the bench from freshman guard AJ Dancler (Indianapolis, IN/Southport), who hit a pair of triples and scored eight of his ten points during the 18-0 run.
Le Moyne hit 5-6 from the line over the last 1:19 to seal the win and finished 17-21 from the stripe on the afternoon. The Dolphins lead the NEC in free throw accuracy at 75.8 percent on the season, which ranks in the top-40 nationally.
On January 2, 2020, Merrimack won its first-ever NEC game in Fairfield, beating Sacred Heart, 65-57, behind an incredible performance from Juvaris Hayes, who finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists and eight steals.
Stonehill’s noteworthy NEC debut came on December 29, 2022 in a 74-67 victory at Sacred Heart. Andrew Sims posted a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double and Shamir Johnson came off the bench with 18 points.
>> DID YOU KNOW?
After elevating from D2, Le Moyne, Merrimack and Stonehill not only won their NEC debuts, but all three did so on the road.
Merrimack and Stonehill won at Sacred Heart, and Le Moyne emerged victorious at FDU.
NEC DEBUTS: DAZZLING OR DEJECTING
Of the 11 institutions that joined the NEC in the years following its inception as the ECAC Metro Conference in 1981, seven won in their respective conference debuts.
Le Moyne was the latest to do so, winning by 11 at FDU on Saturday.
Le Moyne will attempt to become the fourth newcomer to win their first two NEC games, joining UMBC, Monmouth and Rider. The Dolphins host 2-0 Merrimack on Saturday.
NEC Debuts
Le Moyne won at FDU, 74-63, on January 6, 2024
Stonehill won at Sacred Heart, 74-67, on December 29, 2022
Merrimack won at Sacred Heart, 65-57, on January 2, 2020
Bryant lost at LIU, 62-46, on December 3, 2009
Sacred Heart lost at Quinnipiac, 83-70, on December 8, 1999
Quinnipiac won at Monmouth, 65-59, on December 7, 1998
UMBC won vs. Mount St. Mary’s, 68-59, on December 3, 1998 (started 15-0 in NEC)
CCSU lost vs. Saint Francis U, 76-47, on January 3, 1998
Rider won vs. St. Francis Brooklyn, 99-61, on January 5, 1993 (started 3-0 in NEC)
Mount Saint Mary’s lost at Saint Francis U, 74-72, on December 4, 1989
Monmouth won vs. LIU, 76-66, on January 7, 1986 (started 2-0 in NEC)
>> NEC MONTH-BY-MONTH LEADERS
Now that we’ve put a bow on 2023, it’s time to look back at the leaders in various statistical categories on a month-by-month basis to start the 2023-24 season.
FDU junior forward Ansley Almonor (Spring Valley, NY/St. Joseph Regional (Montvale)) was the lone player to lead a category in both November and December, and he did it in both scoring and made three-pointers.
(Minimums: Games - 4, FG - 3.0/game, FT - 2.0/game, 3PFG - 1.5/game).
November December
Scoring Ansley Almonor, FDU (15.8) Ansley Almonor, FDU (19.0)
Reb. Sean Moore, FDU (7.8) Eli Wilborn, SFU (9.4)
Assists DeVante Jamison, FDU (4.9) Aaron Talbert, SFU (5.0)
*FG% Bryan Etumnu, MC (.667) Eli Wilborn, SFU (.655)
*3PFG% Tanner Thomas, SHU (.464) Tre Breland, CCSU (.632)
Tyje Kelton, WC (.464)
*FT% Luke Sutherland, LEM (.893) Kaiyem Cleary, LEM (1.000)
3PFG Ansley Almonor, FDU (2.8) Ansley Almonor, FDU (3.0)
Steals Adam “Budd” Clark, MC (3.1) Jordan Jones, CCSU (2.6)
Blocks Alex Sobel, SHU (2.6) Eli Wilborn, SFU (3.0)
>> KRIMMEL REACHES LATEST MILESTONE
The dean of NEC coaches reached another milestone in his coaching career.
Saint Francis U head coach Rob Krimmel stood on the sidelines for the 350th time on Saturday when the Red Flash visited Wagner. Krimmel, who came to Loretto in the fall of 1996 as a freshman student-athlete and has never left, has been a part of nearly 800 games as a player, assistant coach or head coach over the last 28 years.
Krimmel’s 28-year tenure is tied with John Tauer of St. Thomas (MN) for the longest in the country. Krimmel played four seasons, served as an assistant coach for the next 12, and is now in his 12th year as SFU head coach. However, Krimmel never left Loretto, while Tauer earned his doctorate from Wisconsin–Madison after graduating from St. Thomas. He returned to his alma mater as a professor and assistant coach before taking over the helm of the program.
Krimmel, who began his head coaching career in 2012 and has accumulated 150 career wins, is the NEC’s active leader and ranks 13th all-time with 97 career conference wins.
>> QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Wagner’s Donald Copeland, when asked about his team’s slew of injuries and if he has any eligibility left as a player:
“I’m looking. I’m talking to my Compliance (Director). I’m talking to everybody I can to see if I can get out there, But I don’t know how much help I’d be. I’d probably end up seeing myself on film and yelling.”
>> NEC ANALYTICS ZONE
Longtime 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 throughout the 2023-24 season.
Despite dropping two road games to open their conference season, Saint Francis U continued to assert its dominance on the offensive glass. Rob Krimmel’s bevy of high energy bigs are currently 72nd nationally in offensive rebounding rate by grabbing 33 percent of their misses. In the two league games, the Red Flash recorded an offensive rebound on 47.1 percent of their misses and scored 35 second chance points versus Wagner and Sacred Heart combined. Freshman standout Eli Wilborn’s (Middletown, CT/Middletown (South Kent)) secured 13 caroms off the glass this past week and now is 39th nationally in offensive rebounding rate with a 14.4 percent mark. Fellow freshman Aiden Harris (Annapolis, MD/Saint Mary’s) is 303rd nationally in the same category.
LIU freshman center Nikola Djapa (Belgrade, Serbia/Hoosac School) has quietly been the Shark’s most efficient player at the halfway point of the season. Not only does Djapa lead all LIU players in KenPom’s offensive rating at 100.0, but he’s also scoring the most points per possession at 0.964. According to Synergy, the 7’0” Serbian has made 69 percent of his shots near the rim, and is an impressive 75 percent on his putback attempts. In a 12-point, 15-rebound effort versus Wagner last Thursday, Djapa scored twice after rolling hard to the basket following a pick and twice in the post.
Things looked fairly bleak for Le Moyne after trailing by double figures midway through the second half on the road at FDU on Saturday. That is until the Dolphins embarked on a game-closing 25-4 run, earning their first ever victory over a NEC opponent. During that stretch, the Knights missed all 13 of their shots from deep, and scored just twice in their final 20 possessions of the contest. To Le Moyne’s credit, several of those FDU 3-point attempts were contested and now the Dolphins have held their DI opponents to a 3-point percentage of 20.5 percent in all three of their wins.
Wagner’s defense was stellar on Saturday, as it held the visiting Red Flash to 0.90 points per possession, an effective field goal percentage of 42.0 percent and forced a turnover on more than a quarter (25.9 percent) of their possessions. Within the game it was the Seahawks vaulted man-to-man defense in the half court that was most problematic for Rob Krimmel’s group - the Red Flash mustered just 0.60 points per possession in such situations. For the season, Synergy has Wagner in the top 78 percentile in terms of points per possession allowed when implementing a man-to-man defense.
>> NEC NUGGETS
CCSU junior guard Jordan Jones (Florence, NJ/ Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School (Coker)) has scored in double digits in nine straight games and has produced two or more steals in seven straight contests. He finished with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and just one turnover in 36 minutes in the Blue Devils’ 74-59 win at Stonehill to begin conference play. CCSU was +13 in scoring with Jones on the floor.
FDU will host future NEC opponent Chicago State on Wednesday at 7 pm in a game to air on YES Network.
Le Moyne sophomore guard Trent Mosquera (Brookline, MA/Belmont Hill) has reached double-digits in back-to-back games following a ten point performance off the bench in the program’s comeback win at FDU on Saturday. Mosquera scored a season-high 14 points at Fairfield on December 30.
LIU freshman center Nikola Djapa (Belgrade, Serbia/Hoosac School) recorded his second career double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds in the Sharks’ 69-67 win over Wagner on Thursday. The 15 boards are most by a Shark in 2023-24 and tied for the most by an NEC player this season against a DI opponent. Djapa is the second-ranked NEC freshmen with 5.5 rpg and he ranks eighth overall.
Merrimack freshman guard Adam “Budd” Clark (Philadelphia, PA/West Catholic) averaged 9.5 ppg and 6.0 apg in the Warriors’ sweep last week. The cat-quick freshman point guard also averaged six assists in the two games. In Saturday’s victory over Sacred Heart, Clark posted his first career double-double after scoring 10 points and dishing out 10 assists. Clark is the NEC leader in steals (2.6), and ranks second among NEC freshmen in scoring (10.4) and assists (3.6).
Sacred Heart senior forward Alex Sobel (Setauket, NY/Ward Melville (Middlebury)) recorded the 300th block of his career, one that began at Middlebury College before he transferred to SHU after four years at the D3 program. Sobel, who was the D3hoops.com National Player of the Year in 2022-23, ranks first in the league and fourth in the nation with 2.81 blocks per game.
Saint Francis U forward Eli Wilborn’s (Middletown, CT/Middletown (South Kent)) 13 rebounds at Wagner on Saturday was the fourth-most by a freshman under head coach Rob Krimmel. Wilborn previously pulled down 13 boards against Iona on December 10.
Coming off his first career NEC Player of the Week honor, Stonehill sophomore guard Chas Stinson (Charlotte, NC/Liberty Heights (Hickory Grove)) followed up by leading the Skyhawks with 15.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 2.0 spg to begin league play. He shot 55.0 percent from the field and made all four of his three point attempts. Stinson has put up 17.7 ppg and 8.3 rpg over his last three contests.
Wagner junior guard Melvin Council Jr. (Rochester, NY/University Prep (Monroe College)) turned in another strong all-around week, averaging 14.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 5.0 apg in Wagner’s split to begin conference play. Council is one of two players ranked in the NEC top-10 in scoring (14.3), rebounding (5.2), assists (3.6) and steals (1.5).
>> NEC IN NATIONAL LEADERS (TOP-25)
Team Category Rank Value
MC Steals 12th 10.2
TO Forced 20th 16.19
SHU Steals 20th 9.7
TO Forced 22nd 15.88
Blocks 25th 5.1
WC Fewest Turnovers 15th 9.4
Scoring Defense 17th 62.7
Individual Category Rank Value
Adam “Budd” Clark, MC Steals 8th 2.62
Alex Sobel, SHU Blocks 4th 2.81