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NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow's Office Player of the Week: Devin Haid, CCSU
NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow's Office Rookie of the Week: Troy McKoy, Jr., CSU
Previous NEC Releases: December 2 | November 25 | November 18 | November 11 | Preseason Poll Release
 
NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Devin Haid, CCSU
Jr., G, 6-5, 190 lbs.
Wooster, OH/Wooster (Notre Dame College/Cuyahoga CC)
Haid has stepped up his game recently, and last week helped CCSU collect two impressive road victories to improve the Blue Devils to 6-3 on the season. He contributed 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals, while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and a stellar 54.5 percent from beyond the arc. Haid’s breakout performance came last Wednesday, when he poured in a career-high 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished for three assists and added a pair of steals in CCSU’s 73-69 win at UMass. Haid, who scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half, connected on 3-6 from deep and finished 6-of-12 overall. The win marked the Blue Devils’ second road victory over an A10 opponent this season. Three days later, Haid remained hot, converting 3-5 from three-point territory and finishing with 12 points in a 69-56 victory at Holy Cross. The Wooster, OH product has lifted his scoring average to 10.0 ppg, which ranks third on the Blue Devils.

NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Troy McKoy, Jr., Chicago St.
Fr., F, 6-5, 205 lbs.
Windsor, CT/Windsor
McKoy, Jr. logged a pair of double figure scoring efforts in road setbacks for Chicago St. last week. He averaged 13.0 points, 1.5 assists, 1.0 blocks, 1.0 steals, and shot 47.4 percent from the floor. McKoy led all scorers with 15 points against St. Thomas (MN) last Monday and followed up with 11 points at St. Louis on Sunday. After coming off the bench for a career-high 19-point effort against Drexel on November 26, the Windsor, CT native has started the last three games for the Cougars. His 7.8 ppg ranks second on Chicago St. and fifth among NEC freshmen performers.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
 
Devin Haid (CCSU, Jr, G)
Last week: 15.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 50.0 FG%, 54.5 3P%

- Set a new CCSU career-high with a team-best 18 points to lead the Blue Devils to a 73-69 win at UMass on Wednesday. He hit 6-12 from the floor, 3-6 from deep and snared a team-high seven boards.
- Haid has reached double-digits in each of his last three games to raise his season average to 10.0 ppg,

Jordan Jones (CCSU, Sr, G)
Last week: 12.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 4.0 spg

- Led all scorers with 20 points in CCSU’s 69-56 triumph at Holy Cross that extended the Blue Devils’ win streak to four games.
- Posted a career-high six steals in the contest.
- Ranks first in the NEC in steals (2.2), and sixth in scoring (12.9) and assists (3.6).

Terrence Brown (FDU, So, G)
Last week: 21.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.5 apg, 4.5 spg, 48.6 FG%

- Reached the 20-point mark for the seventh time this season, logging a game-high 23 points at Fordham on Wednesday.    
- Leads the NEC and ranks 11th nationally in scoring at 21.7 ppg.

Dwayne Koroma (LEM, R-Jr, F)
Last week: 12.5 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 bpg, 1.5 spg, 71.4 FG%

- Established career-highs in both points (19) and rebounds (15) to record his first career double-double against Army on Tuesday.
- Koroma has shot at least 50 percent from the field in each game this season and has made 18-of-23 (.783) over his last three outings.
- Unofficially ranks first in the nation in FG accuracy at 74.4 percent.

Ocypher Owens (LEM, Sr, F)
Last week: 13.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.0 bpg, 52.2 FG%

- Posted his first career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 11 boards in Le Moyne’s triple OT setback to Army on Tuesday. His four blocks also matched a career-best.

Shemar Rathan-Mayes (MU, Gr, G)
Last week: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 44.4 3P%

- Registered a Mercyhurst career-best and game-high 21 points against Binghamton on Saturday.
- Ranks seventh in the NEC at 3.2 apg.

R.J. Greene (WC, Jr, G)
Last week: 16.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.0 spg

- Scored 13 of his game-high 18 points in the second half of Wagner’s two point win at UMES on Sunday.

Ja’Kair Sanchez (WC, Gr, G)
Last week: 15.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.5 spg, 64.3 FG%, 62.5 3P%

- Rang up career-high 22 points on 7-11 from the field and 4-6 from long distance in Wagner’s 65-52 win over Coppin St. on Wednesday.
- Currently shooting 52.4 percent from downtown on the year.

#NECMBB BY THE NUMBERS
 
1 - Le Moyne redshirt junior forward Dwayne Koroma unofficially (reclassifying schools are not included in NCAA stats) ranks 1st in the nation in field goal percentage at 74.4 percent.

4 - CCSU’s 4-game non-conference winning streak is the longest by an NEC team since 2019-20. That year, SFU (5), Bryant (4) and Sacred Heart (4) all won at least 4 straight.

16 - Stonehill graduate student guard Josh Morgan ranks 16th nationally in guarded catch-and-shoot attempts (min. 20 att.), converting at a 53.8 percent rate. This translates to 1.62 PPP.

22 - More on Le Moyne’s Dwayne Koroma: the 6’8” forward has thrown down a league-leading 22 dunks this season, which ties him for fourth nationally per Synergy.

#NECMBB FAST BREAK

CCSU
CCSU’s KenPom ranking has risen to 214, placing them above every team in the Patriot League and all but one team in the MAAC.

Chicago St.
Junior guard Noble Crawford has made 8 of his last 14 shots from three-point range. The hot streak elevated his season percentage to 40.7 percent, tops on the Cougars.

FDU
Junior guard Dylan Jones has drained at least three triples in seven games this season. He sits atop the NEC leaderboard and ranks 29th in the nation with 3.27 makes per game from deep.

Le Moyne
Le Moyne’s 103-100 triple overtime setback to Army was ranked as the 3rd-most exciting game in the nation this year according to KenPom’s win probability metric.

LIU
NEC assist leader Terell Strickland dropped a career-high 12 dimes against York (NY) on Wednesday. He leads the NEC with 5.4 apg.

Mercyhurst
Jeff Planutis (33-35, .943) and Bernie Blunt III (32-34, .941) rank one-two in the NEC in free throw percentage. Both rank among the top-20 in DI.

Saint Francis U
Junior forward Miles Webb notched his first career double-double in SFU’s victory over Penn St. Shenango, tallying 13 points and a career-best 12 boards.

Stonehill
Stonehill is a perfect 4-0 at home this season with non-conference games vs. Lesley (Wednesday) and UNH (Dec. 22) still remaining. The last NEC team to go unbeaten at home in non-league play was Le Moyne in 2023-24 (5-0).

Wagner
Wagner has won four of its last five games to move over .500 for the first time this season. The Seahawks have yielded just 56.6 ppg over the span.
   
TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB

Here’s all you need to know from the fourth week of the 2024-25 season...

>> NEC SCORING JUMPS
 
A host of NEC players have taken on greater offensive roles for their respective teams this season, a number of whom rank among league scoring leaders. The biggest scoring jump thus far in 2024-25 goes to FDU guard Terrence Brown (Minneapolis, MN/Columbia Heights), who is having a breakout sophomore campaign. Brown, who was an NEC All-Rookie honoree last season, has ballooned his season average from 7.8 ppg to a league-leading 21.7 ppg.
 
Stonehill sophomore forward Todd Brogna (Southborough, MA/Worcester Academy) ranks second in scoring improvement, having tacked on an additional 6.5 points from last season to 11.9 ppg, which ranks second on the Skyhawks.
 
Saint Francis U sophomore guard Bobby Rosenberger III (Quakertown, PA/Perkiomen School) has upped his scoring average 5.1 points to a team-leading 14.1 ppg.
 
Below is a list of all the players who have boosted their scoring averages at least 3.0 ppg from last season.
 
Player                    Team          2023-24 PPG      2024-25 PPG        Change
Terrence Brown            FDU              7.8               21.7           +13.9
Todd Brogna               STO              5.4               11.9           +6.5
Bobby Rosenberger III     SFU              9.0               14.1           +5.1
Abdul Momoh               CCSU             4.2               8.6            +4.4
Davonte Sweatman          CCSU             4.1               8.4            +4.3
Nate Fouts                LEM              4.3               8.0            +3.7
Ocypher Owens             LEM              8.1               11.7           +3.6
Brayden Reynolds          FDU              3.3               6.8            +3.5
Ethan Meuser              STO              2.2               5.5            +3.3
 
>> BLUE DEVILS TAKE DOWN SECOND A10 FOE
 
The defending NEC regular season champion and 2024-25 NEC co-favorite is steadily building an impressive resume.
 
After picking off Saint Joseph’s for a signature road win on November 8, CCSU took another crack at an A10 challenger last week, and it ended with a similar result.
 
Led by junior guard Devin Haid’s (Wooster, OH/Wooster (Notre Dame College/Cuyahoga CC)) season-high 18 points, the Blue Devils took down UMass, 73-69, in Amherst on Wednesday.
 
CCSU built an 11-point second half lead, but UMass chipped away and took a two-point lead into the final media timeout.
 
After senior guard Davonte Sweatman (Boston, MA/Lawrence Academy) tied things up on two free throws, Haid - the NEC Player of the Week - came up with a steal and layup in transition for a conventional three-point play.
 
From there, it was Abdul Momoh (Carteret, NJ/The Patrick School) who took over once again for the Blue Devils. Just three days earlier, Momoh reeled off six straight points down the stretch to clinch a 69-67 win over UMass Lowell. On this night, Momoh hit a jumper with 2:31 to play and then sank 1-2 from the line to make it 71-69 with 1:55 to play.
 
After missed opportunities by both teams, it was Momoh who helped put the game on ice, converting a layup off a slip screen off a gorgeous feed from Jordan Jones (Florence, SC/Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School (Coker)) to make it 73-69 at the 28 second mark.
 
Momoh scored all nine of his points in the final 5:50 of the contest.
 
>> SEAHAWKS HEATING UP
 
If anything, a challenging early-season slate has sharpened and toughened a Wagner squad that has picked up serious momentum over the last three weeks.
 
The preseason co-favorites have won four of their last five games to move over .500 for the first time this season, including a pair of victories last week over MEAC rivals.
 
Wagner rolled past visiting Coppin State, 65-52, last Tuesday, building a 20-point second half lead before coasting to victory.
 
Grad student guard Ja’Kair Sanchez (Syracuse, NY/William Nottingham (Minnesota State Moorhead/Roberts Wesleyan)) starred for the Green & White, putting up a career-high 22 points. He shot 4-6 from beyond the arc and was 7-11 overall.
 
On Sunday, Wagner survived a furious UMES comeback in Princess Anne, MD, hanging on for a 63-61 win. The Seahawks led by as many as 15 in the second half, but the Hawks tied it up with 1:10 to go. From there, Wagner held UMES scoreless and put the game away at the line with Sanchez and sophomore guard R.J. Greene (Bronx, NY/Iona Prep (LIU)) each hitting a pair of free throws. Greene scored 13 of his team-high 18 points in the second half.

Wagner currently ranks ninth nationally in scoring defense at 58.9 ppg and has not allowed more than 66 points since giving up 75 in a setback to Rutgers in its opener.
 
>> CCSU & KENPOM
 
CCSU’s win over UMass gave the Blue Devils their third notable win of the year over a top-200 KenPom opponent at the time of the victory.
 
Opponent            Score            KenPom (at time)       KenPom (current)
at Saint Joseph’s   W 73-67                91                     94
vs. UMass Lowell    W 69-67                130                    126
at UMass            W 73-69                166                    206
 
Ranked 213 by KenPom, CCSU will get another crack at a top-100 opponent on Sunday when the Blue Devils travel to Kingston to square off with 83rd-ranked URI.
 
>> LIU HOSTS KNICKS ROYALTY
 
Last Wednesday, LIU hosted the Knicks as part of the NBA team’s “Alumni Weekend.”
 
Knicks’ legends Walt “Clyde” Frazier and  Allan Houston were in attendance at the Steinberg Wellness Center during the Sharks’ 103-53 win over York (NY). Frazier, an NBA Hall-of-Famer and longtime Knicks analyst, was presented with an honorary LIU #10 jersey at halftime.
 
>> LE MOYNE’S TRIPLE-OT HEARTBREAKER
 
There was no shortage of free basketball last Tuesday at Ted Grant Court.
 
Le Moyne and Army played 55 minutes of rollercoaster hoops on that night, with the Black Knights edging the Dolphins, 103-100, in triple overtime.
 
The Dolphins staged an impressive late-game comeback, rallying from 14 down with under five minutes remaining, forcing overtime on redshirt junior forward Dwayne Koroma’s (Berlin, Germany/Bishop Walsh (MD) (Iona/Salt Lake CC/UT Arlington)) layup with four seconds to play.
 
In the first OT, sophomore guard AJ Dancler (Indianapolis, IN/Southport) evened the score at 82, and junior guard Zek Tekin (Istanbul, Turkey/Ozel Esenkent Okaynus Anadolu Lisesi (Siena)) had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but his three-pointer after a steal was off the mark.
 
Tekin’s two free throws sent the game to a third OT as the Dolphins survived an Army three-point attempt at the horn.
 
With the score tied at 100 in the third extra session, Army’s Ryan Curry buried a three with six seconds on the clock. Dancler raced the ball up the court, but his triple to tie it up at the buzzer did not go down and the Black Knights escaped with the win.
 
Both Koroma (19 points, 15 rebounds) and senior forward Ocypher Owens (Orlando, FL/Orlando Christian Prep (Indian River State)) (14 points, 11 rebounds) finished with their first career double-doubles.
 
Le Moyne became the first NEC team to score 100 points against a DI non-conference opponent since Saint Francis U beat American, 100-89, on November 29, 2017.
 
Dating back to 1991-92, it also marked just the third time an NEC team has played at least three overtimes against a non-league opponent and first time since CCSU fell in a 4OT thriller to La Salle on December 19, 2005.
 
Here is a list of all three and four OT games involving NEC teams dating back to the 1991-92 season.
 
NEC 4 OT Games
Mount St. Mary’s 78, LIU 76 (1/4/07)
La Salle 107, CCSU 106 (12/18/05)
Sacred Heart 133, FDU 130 (12/1/01)
 
NEC 3 OT Games
Army 103, Le Moyne 100 (12/3/24)
CCSU 94, Stonehill 90 (2/18/23)
Sacred Heart 112, Bryant 110 (1/14/17)
St. Francis Brooklyn 88, LIU 84 (2/6/10)
Saint Francis U 92, St. Francis Brooklyn 84 (1/24/08)
CCSU 90, Mount St. Mary’s 82 (2/2/04)
Monmouth 91, FDU 87 (1/22/94)
Long Beach St. 108, FDU 107 (12/22/93)
Marist 92, LIU 91 (3/4/92)
 
>> QUOTE OF THE WEEK
 
Saint Francis U junior forward Miles Webb (Arlington, VA/St. Stephens & St. Agnes) on stepping in for injured Valentino Pinedo (Murcia, Spain/Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) (East Carolina)) and continuing to improve:
 
“Coach (Krimmel) always talks about the next-man-up mentality. I’m just doing the best I can and keep working. It’s hard to fail when you have a coach who believes in you.”
 
>> THIS & THAT
 
CCSU junior guard Jordan Jones (Florence, SC/Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School (Coker)) reached the 500-point career mark as a Blue Devil in Wednesday’s win at UMass. He enters play this week with 521 points.
 
Chicago St. senior guard Noble Crawford (Orlando, FL/West Oaks Academy (LIU)) netted a season-high 18 points at St. Louis on Sunday. He made 3-4 from outside the arc.
 
After helping spark a second half comeback that trimmed a 15-point Fordham second half lead to three on Tuesday, FDU junior guard Dylan Jones (Saratoga Springs, UT/West Lake (Snow)) caught fire three days later, hitting 6-9  shots from downtown in a career-high 22 point outing vs. Lehman. He ranks first in the NEC in triples (3.3/gm) and fourth in 3P percentage (.439).
 
LIU freshman guard Jalen Lee (Atlanta, GA/West Oaks Academy) established a career-high with 23 points in the Sharks’ romp over York (NY). He hit 9-12 from the field and added four boards and two steals. Lee ranks fourth among NEC freshmen with 8.4 ppg.
 
Six Le Moyne players averaged double-digits last week (Tekin, Owens, Koroma, Fouts, Amica and Carmody).
 
Saint Francis U sophomore guard Bobby Rosenberger III  (Quakertown, PA/Perkiomen Valley) is averaging 18.8 points over his last four games and now ranks fifth in the NEC with 14.1 ppg.
 
Saint Francis U juniors Riley Parker (Mandurah, Australia/Mandurah Catholic College) (15 points, 10 assists) and junior Miles Webb (Arlington, VA/St. Stephens & St. Agnes) (13 points, 12 rebounds) each registered a double-double against Penn State Shenango last Wednesday. It was the eighth time under head coach Rob Krimmel that two players posted a double-double in the same game and the first since Gestin Liberis and Eli Wilborn turned the trick against Franciscan on November 23, 2023.