PDF Release

NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow's Office Player of the Week: Terrence Brown, FDU
NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow's Office Rookie of the Week: Hermann Koffi, STO
Previous NEC Releases: December 30 | December 23 | December 16 | December 9 | December 2 | November 25 | November 18 | November 11 | Preseason Poll Release
 
NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Terrence Brown, FDU
So., G, 6-3, 175 lbs.
Minneapolis, MN/Columbia Heights
Brown claimed his second NEC Player of the Week honor of the season following a command performance during the Knights’ 71-59 win at Wagner to open conference play on Sunday. He recorded his first career double-double with a game-high 28 points - matching his career best - and pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds. Brown dropped 19 points second half points to propel FDU’s late-game surge. The Minneapolis native shot an efficient 11-17 from the floor, and added two assists, two steals and two blocks. Brown posted his 11th 20+ point outing of the season and continues to lead the NEC in scoring with 21.6 ppg, which ranks seventh nationally. Additionally, he sits 11th in the nation in usage rate (32.8).

NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Hermann Koffi, Stonehill
Fr., G, 6-4, 200 lbs.
Quebec City, Quebec/Polyvalente de Thetford Mines
Koffi repeated as NEC Rookie of the Week after a stellar two-game road stretch to begin league play. He averaged 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds, and shot 50.0 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from outside the arc. Koffi tallied 12 points and four rebounds in Friday’s 76-69 setback at Mercyhurst, then followed with a breakout performance in a 64-60 win at Saint Francis U, scoring a career-high 17 points on 6-11 shooting, including a 4-8 mark from three-point range. He led the Skyhawks in scoring for the first time this season and added five rebounds. The Quebec City product leads all NEC freshmen in scoring at 9.6 ppg and ranks 18th overall on the circuit. Koffi has posted impressive 50.4/39.0/76.9 shooting split this season.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
 
Jordan Jones (CCSU, Sr, G)
Last week: 19.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 59.3 FG%, 44.4 3P%
- Poured in a season-high 26 points to pace all players in CCSU’s 74-59 win at SFU on the opening night of league play.
- Ranks in the NEC top-10 in scoring (13.0), assists (3.5), steals (1.7) and A/TO ratio (2.48).

Abdul Momoh (CCSU, Sr, F)
Last week: 13.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 1.0 spg, 66.7 FG%, 85.7 FT%
- In CCSU’s 62-50 victory at Mercyhurst, which secured a road sweep, Momoh set a career-high with 17 points while pulling down 10 rebounds, just one shy of his personal-best. It marked his first career double-double.

Terrence Brown (FDU, So, G)
Last week: 28 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 11-17 FG at WC

- Recorded his first career double-double in a dominant performance at Wagner on Sunday. His game-high 28 points tied his career-high, while his 10 rebounds were his most in an FDU uniform.
- Posted his 11th game of 20+ points on the season.
- Leads the NEC and ranks seventh in the nation with 21.6 ppg.

Bismark Nsiah (FDU, Gr, F)
Last week: 11 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists, 4-8 FG at Wagner

- Nsiah narrowly missed out on a triple-double in a terrific all-around effort during FDU’s 71-59 win at Wagner on Sunday. He recorded his second career double-double.
- His nine assists were a career-high, while his 12 rebounds matched his FDU career-best.

Malachi Davis (LIU, R-Jr, G)
Last week: 18.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 2.5 spg, 48.5 FG%

- The NEC’s second-leading scorer on the year (17.0 ppg), Davis earned game-scoring honors with 24 points in LIU’s 78-62 victory over Le Moyne at Barclays Center on Friday. He shot 10-16 from the field.

Jamal Fuller (LIU, Sr, F)
Last week: 18.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.0 spg, 65.0 FG%, 50.0 3P%

- Tallied 20 points as LIU downed Le Moyne in its NEC lidlifter on Friday, then led all scorers with 16 points in a 53-39 win over Chicago St. to complete the Sharks’ home sweep two days later.
- Averaging 18.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg and shooting 63.6 percent from the floor over his last three games.

Ocypher Owens (LEM, Sr, F)
Last week: 19 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks, 7-8 FG at LIU

- Set a season-high in points and established career-highs in rebounds and blocks at LIU on Friday.
- Averaging 14.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.0 blocks over his last five games.

Jeff Planutis (MU, Gr, F)
Last week: 16.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 spg, 51.9 FG%

- Registered a game and season-high 23 points on 10-15 shooting to make Mercyhurst’s NEC debut a memorable one with a 76-69 home win over Stonehill.
- Committed just one turnover in 77 minutes of action.
- Ranks third in the NEC in scoring at 14.7 ppg.

Aidan Reichert (MU, Sr, F)
Last week: 18.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 47.8 FG%, 66.7 3P%, 92.9 FT%

- Sparked Mercyhurst to a win it’s inaugural NEC game, ringing up a season-high 22 points on just seven shots, going 5-7 from the field and 11-12 from the stripe against Stonehill on Friday.

Riley Parker (SFU, Jr, G)
Last week: 15.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 50.0 FG%, 41.7 3P%

- Buried 3-6 from deep in a game-high 19-point showing against Stonehill on Sunday.
- Averaging 17.3 ppg on 54.1 percent shooting over his last three contests.

Todd Brogna (STO, So, F)
Last week: 15.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.0 spg, 55.0 FG%, 87.5 FT%

- Posted his second career double-double in Stonehill’s win at SFU on Sunday, logging 11 points and a game-high 13 boards.
- Paced the Skyhawks with 19 points at Mercyhurst in their NEC opener.

Zaire Williams (WC, Sr, G)
Last week: 17.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 3.5 spg, 81.8 FT%

- Recorded a career-high tying five steals for the third time this season, doing so in Wagner’s NEC opener against Chicago St.
- Paced the Seahawks with 16 points vs. the Cougars on Friday.

#NECMBB BY THE NUMBERS
 
.81 - LIU allowed a league-low 0.81 points per possession, 50.5 ppg and posted conference-bests in steal percentage (.128) and turnover percentage (.233) in its home sweep last weekend.

6 - CCSU’s 6 road wins this season are tied for the most in the nation with UC Irvine.

11 - FDU’s Terrence Brown has recorded 11 games with 20+ points this season, tying him for third in the country.

39 - The 39 points allowed by LIU in its 14-point win over Chicago State on Sunday marked the fewest ever conceded by the program against an NEC opponent.

#NECMBB FAST BREAK

CCSU
For the second consecutive year, CCSU has put together a 9-1 record over a 10-game stretch.

Chicago St.
Chicago State starters combined to score 88.3 percent of the team’s points in its season opening road trip to NYC.

FDU
FDU grad student Bismark Nsiah became just the fifth player in the nation this season to record at least 11 points, 12 boards and 9 assists against a DI opponent in the Knights’ win at Wagner.

Le Moyne
Graduate student guard Robby Carmody matched his Le Moyne career-high with 16 points at LIU on Friday. He hit 5-9 from the floor.

LIU
LIU posted a 15.0 point average margin of victory in its sweep last week, the program’s highest in a two-game conference stretch since compiling an 18.5 point margin in a sweep of CCSU and SFBK on January 15 & 17, 2022.

Mercyhurst
Graduate student guard Shemar Rathan-Mayes recorded 15 assists against just two turnovers in the Lakers’ split. His 7.5 assists per game led the league among teams that played two games during the opening weekend of NEC play.

Saint Francis U
SFU has been matched up against the NEC preseason favorite in its conference opener in three of the last four years, facing Wagner in 2021-22, Sacred Heart in 2023-24 and CCSU last Friday.

Stonehill
After reaching double digits just once in his first 40 career games, Louie Semona has hit double figures in seven of his last eight outings.

Wagner
After averaging 7.7 points over his first seven games, senior guard Zaire Williams has put up 19.5 ppg in his last four outings, raising his season average to a team-best 12.0 ppg.
   
TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB

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

>> #NECNEWYEAR REVIEW

The #NECNewYear kicked off in thrilling fashion, delivering a dose of the league’s signature brand of unpredictability.
 
The league’s new members certainly made their presence felt, but let’s start at the top.

The Unbeatens
When the dust settled on Sunday, only three teams kept their records spotless.
 
It should come as no surprise that preseason co-favorite CCSU succesfully navigated its most grueling road swing of the conference season, coming away with double-digit wins at Saint Francis U (74-59) and Mercyhurst (62-50).
 
The Blue Devils faced halftime challenges in both games, entering the break tied at SFU and trailing by a point at Mercyhurst, but cranked up the defensive intensity in the second half of each matchup. CCSU held the Red Flash to just 29.6 percent shooting after intermission and clamped down even harder on the Lakers, limiting them to 25.0 percent from the field over the final 20 minutes.
 
Preseason All-NEC senior guard Jordan Jones (Florence, SC/Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School (Coker)) was spectacular against SFU, pouring in a season-high 26 points on 11-15 shooting, including a 4-7 mark from downtown. Senior forward Abdul Momoh (Carteret, NJ/The Patrick School) continued his strong play of late, notching his first-ever double-double with a career-high 17 points to go along with 10 caroms.
 
With the victories, CCSU cracked the KenPom Top-200 and currently sit 193rd nationally. The Blue Devils are also ranked 135th in the NET rankings.
 
If CCSU can weather a challenging opening stretch with six of its first nine games on the road, the Blue Devils will have the wind at their back in February, playing five of their final seven games at home in the friendly confines of Detrick Gymnasium.
 
Picked fifth in the preseason poll, LIU stood tall as the only team to defend its home court during the opening weekend. In the process, the Sharks started league play 2-0 for the second consecutive year, a feat accomplished for the first time in program history.
 
The Sharks enjoyed their experience playing at Barclays Center on Friday, shooting a lights out 55.6 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from outside the arc in a 78-62 victory over Le Moyne.
 
Preseason All-NEC pick Malachi Davis (Toronto, ON/Central Tech (Tallahassee CC/Lake Land College/Arizona State)), a redshirt junior guard, balled out in his first NEC game, logging a game-high 24 points on 10-16 shooting, and added four rebounds, five assists and three steals. Senior forward Jamal Fuller (Toronto, Canada/Academy of Art University) added 20 points on an efficient 8-12 from the floor, then came back two days later to lead LIU with 16 points and seven boards in a methodical 53-39 win over NEC newcomer Chicago St. The 39 points allowed set a program record for the fewest ever against a conference opponent.
 
For the weekend, LIU limited its opponents to 0.81 PPP and a 40.1 eFG%.
 
Coming off a demanding non-conference schedule, FDU had the day off on Friday and came out sluggish in its NEC opener at Wagner on Sunday, falling behind 17-4 early. The Knights stayed composed and responded with a 20-4 run to take a three-point lead into halftime. FDU never looked back, led by three-level scorer Terrence Brown (Minneapolis, MN/Columbia Heights), who was virtually unstoppable in the 71-59 victory. The NEC Player of the Week rang up a career-high tying 28 points and added a career-best 10 rebounds in his first double-double performance.
 
Brown had plenty of help, most notably from graduate student forward Bismark Nsiah (Bronx, NY/Lehman (Jefferson)), who narrowly missed out on a triple-double with 11 points, 12 boards and nine assists.
 
A Night For The Newbies
Shiny new additions Chicago State and Mercyhurst understood that there was only one chance to make a great first impression, so why not make it count?
 
As such, both teams came out swinging in their respective NEC openers.
 
After enduring a challenging non-league slate, Chicago State began its NYC swing in Staten Island on Friday, hungry for the program’s first win of the season against Wagner. Two hours later, the Cougars were celebrating their 64-52 victory over the defending NEC champs.
 
Down one at the half, CSU converted at a 56.0 percent clip from the field in the second stanza to pull away for the double-digit win. Senior forward Noble Crawford (Deltona, FL/West Oaks Academy (LIU)) scored 15 points to lead four Cougars in double figures.
 
Out in Erie, Mercyhurst hosted a red-hot Stonehill squad in its inaugural NEC game and found itself trailing by as many as 11 in the second half. But the Lakers flipped the switch, led by veteran forwards Jeff Planutis (Hazleton, PA/Hazleton) and Aidan Reichert (Jackson Center, OH/Jackson Center). The duo combined for 45 points and dominated down the stretch, scoring 14 of Mercyhurst’s last 18 points to power the Lakers to a 76-69 comeback victory. MU sealed the win at the free-throw line, converting 19-21 attempts in the second half.
 
Opening Weekend Notes
 
- Road teams went 5-3.
 
- None of the eight games were considered KenPom close games (<4 point margin or OT) or blowouts (> 19 point margin).
 
- Stonehill rebounded from its opening night loss to Mercyhurst with a 64-60 conquest of Saint Francis U on Sunday. Senior guard Amir Nesbitt (Newport News, VA/Miller School (Hampton)) buried the game-winner, a three-pointer with 24 seconds left to play. The Skyhawks, who finished with eight non-conference wins, return home this Friday to meet LIU. Stonehill is 6-0 at Merkert Gymnasium this season.
 
- CCSU led the NEC in offensive efficiency for the weekend at 1.09 PPP.
 
>> NEC DEBUT NUGGETS
 
After making the jump from Division II, current NEC members Chicago State, Le Moyne and Stonehill all turned heads with road victories in their conference debuts.
 
Stonehill claimed a 74-67 victory at Sacred Heart on December 29, 2022, and Le Moyne followed suit on January 6, 2024 with a 74-63 win at FDU. 
 
Chicago State was the latest team to register a statement-making road win in their NEC opener, downing Wagner, 64-52, in Staten Island last Friday.
 
>> NEC DEBUTS: DAZZLING OR DEJECTING
 
Of the 13 institutions that joined the NEC in the years following its inception as the ECAC Metro Conference in 1981, nine won in their respective conference debuts. The last five NEC newbies have all won their openers.
 
Chicago State and Mercyhurst were the latest to do so, with the Cougars winning at Wagner and the Lakers tripping up Stonehill at home on Friday.
 
NEC Debuts
Chicago State won at Wagner, 64-52, on January 3, 2024
Mercyhurst won vs. Stonehill, 76-69, on January 3, 2024.
Le Moyne won at FDU, 74-63, on January 6, 2024 (started 1-0 in NEC)
Stonehill won at Sacred Heart, 74-67, on December 29, 2022 (started 1-0 in NEC)
Merrimack won at Sacred Heart, 65-57, on January 2, 2020 (started 1-0 in NEC)
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 (started 1-0 in NEC)
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)
 
>> OPENING WEEK/TWO-GAME START HISTORICAL STATS
 
Saint Francis U and Wagner 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/No. 1 seed Two-Game Starts Since 1997-98
 
2-0 starts (13): 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2021-22, 2023-24
 
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 (13): 1997-98, 1998-99, 2001-02, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2022-23, 2023-24
 
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.
 
For first-year NEC head coaches Scott Spinelli (Chicago St.) and Gary Manchel (Mercyhurst), both made their conference debuts memorable ones, as detailed in the #NECNewYear review.
 
Among returning coaches, LIU’s Rod Strickland (2-1) is the only one with a winning record in season openers.
 
NEC Opener Records - Current Coaches
Pat Sellers, CCSU          2-2
Scott Spinelli, CSU        1-0
Jack Castleberry, FDU      1-1
Nate Champion, LEM         1-1
Rod Strickland, LIU        2-1
Gary Manchel, MC           1-0
Rob Krimmel, SFU           5-8
Chris Kraus, STO           1-2
Donald Copeland, WC        1-2
 
>> FIRST BUCKET OF THE #NECMBB SEASON WENT TO...
 
...CCSU senior guard Jordan Jones (Florence, SC/Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School (Coker)). The preseason All-NEC pick buried a three-pointer just 20 seconds into the Blue Devils’ 74-59 win at Saint Francis U on Thursday evening.
 
 >> HE’S #1
 
Le Moyne redshirt junior forward Dwayne Koroma (Berlin, Germany/Bishop Walsh (MD) (Iona/Salt Lake CC/UT Arlington)) ranks first in the nation in field goal percentage (.760) and eFG percentage (.775), and ranks fourth in true shooting percentage (.740). He is 79-104 from the field this season.
 
>> NEC ANALYTICS ZONE (courtesy Ryan Peters, NEC Overtime! Blog)
 
It was a banner day for CCSU senior forward Abdul Momoh (Carteret, NJ/The Patrick School) in the Blue Devils’ victory over Mercyhurst on Sunday. The 5-man netted a career-high 17 points on an efficient 11 shots, earning himself a KenPom MVP award for the contest. Of his eight makes, Momoh scored half of field goals from setting a ball screen and rolling to the basket. For the season, the senior big man is averaging 1.24 points per possession when serving as the “roller” of a pick and roll, putting him in the  73rd percentile of college basketball in that category. He’s also made 70 percent of his near-the-rim attempts per Synergy Sports.
 
FDU sophomore guard Terrence Brown (Minneapolis, MN/Columbia Heights) produced an electrifying 28-point, 10-rebound performance at Wagner on Sunday. The eye-opening performance gave the sophomore his seventh KenPom MVP designation (out of 13 games) for the 2024-25 season. In the Knights’ first conference game, Brown registered 10 two-point field goals all on layups, using an assortment of ways such as dribble drives, flash cuts and backdoor cuts to score at the rim. Ten of his points came from baskets in transition, and the guard is now shooting 60 percent from the field in those situations.
 
Facing a 0-2 start to its conference season, LIU put together an impressive second half to earn its first NEC victory with their 53-39 triumph over visiting Chicago State. In the second half of that contest, LIU impressively held the Cougars to 0.48 points per possession and 16.7 percent shooting. In all, LIU forced Chicago State to turn the ball over on 24.6 percent of its possessions, the second best mark for the season versus DI opponents. Sunday’s contest was also the third time in a row the Sharks held an opponent under 1.00 points per possession.
 
In an thrilling back-and-forth affair in Loretto, Stonehill edged out Saint Francis U with a hard fought four-point victory on the road. According to KenPom, the statistical favorite changed 16 times over the final 15 minutes with the latest switch occurring when Skyhawk guard Amir Nesbitt (Newport News, VA/Miller School (Hampton)) hit a spot-up three-pointer with 24 seconds remaining. Stonehill’s 64 points scored is quite remarkable considering that Chris Kraus’ group mustered just three points in its first 15 possessions of the game.
 
>> KRIMMEL QUOTE OF THE WEEK
 
Saint Francis U head coach Rob Krimmel on what he is looking from his team moving forward after an 0-2 start.
 
“I am interested in the human response. These guys will be in situations as basketball players, as people, where their back is against the wall, and they’ve got to perform. I want these guys to respond in the appropriate way.”

>> NEC MONTH-BY-MONTH LEADERS
 
Now that we’ve put a bow on 2024, it’s time to look back at the leaders in various statistical categories on a month-by-month basis to start the 2024-25 season.
 
FDU sophomore guard Terrence Brown (Minneapolis, MN/Columbia Heights) and Le Moyne redshirt junior forward Dwayne Koroma (Berlin, Germany/Bishop Walsh (MD) (Iona/Salt Lake CC/UT Arlington)) were the lone players to lead a single statistical category across both November and December. Brown paced the NEC in scoring and Koroma was the league’s most accurate shooter from the field.
 
FDU sharpshooting junior guard Dylan Jones (Saratoga Springs, UT/West Lake (Snow)) ranked first in the league in made three-pointers in November, then finished December atop the circuit in free throw accuracy.
 
Saint Francis U freshman guard Juan Cranford, Jr. (Dayton, OH/Wayne) led the conference in three-point percentage and made three-pointers in December.
 
(Minimums: Games - 4, FG - 3.0/game, FT - 2.0/game, 3PFG - 1.5/game).
 
              November                           December
Scoring       Terrence Brown, FDU (23.1)         Terrence Brown, FDU (18.9)             
Reb.          Valentino Pinedo, SFU (7.2)        Dwayne Koroma, LEM (8.3)
Assists       Terell Strickland, LIU (4.7)       Javier Ezquerra, WC (6.2)
*FG%          Dwayne Koroma, LEM (.760)          Dwayne Koroma, LEM (.789)
*3PFG%        Tyree Barba-Bey, FDU (.500)        Juan Cranford, Jr., SFU (.552)
*FT%          Bernie Blunt III, MU (.938)        Dylan Jones, FDU (.933)
3PFG          Dylan Jones, FDU (3.1)             Juan Cranford, Jr., SFU (2.7)
Steals        Jeremy Clayville, SFU (2.0)        Chas Stinson, STO (3.2)
              Joe Ostrowsky, CCSU (2.0)
              Zaire Williams, WC (2.0)
Blocks        Abdul Momoh, CCSU (1.5)            Shadrak Lasu, LIU (1.7)