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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: Jakob Blakley, LEM
Previous NEC Releases: 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
Devin Haid, CCSU
Jr., G, 6-5, 190 lbs.
Wooster, OH/Wooster (Notre Dame College/Cuyahoga CC)
Haid turned in another career performance to earn his second straight NEC Player of the Week honor. In Sunday’s hard-fought setback at URI - which snapped CCSU’s three-game win streak - he established a career-high in scoring for the second straight outing with a game-high 24 points and added a career-best 12 boards. The Wooster, OH product converted 9-17 from the floor and connected on 3-8 from deep. After averaging 8.0 ppg and 3.5 rpg over his first six games, Haid has boosted his production considerably, supplying the Blue Devils with 16.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg over his last four contests. Haid currently ranks 11th in the NEC in scoring (11.4) and ninth in rebounding (4.9).

NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Jakob Blakley, Le Moyne
Fr., G, 6-0, 170 lbs.
Elgin, OH/Walter Payton Prep
Entering Le Moyne’s game on Saturday with three career three-pointers, Blakley nearly quadrupled that total in one night. The Elgin, IL native the made it rain with eight triples in a dazzling 28-point effort during the Dolphins’ 106-51 win over SUNY Delhi. Blakley finished the game with career-highs in scoring, three-pointers, rebounds (five) and steals (three). His eight triples set a new Le Moyne freshman record, falling just one shy of the program record. The eight three-pointers were also an NEC single-game season-high and the most by an NEC freshman since Bryant’s Adam Grant hit nine against Sacred Heart on January 14, 2017.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
 
Devin Haid (CCSU, Jr, G)
Last week: 24 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 9-17 FG at URI

- Set a new career-high for the second straight game, pouring in a game-high 24 points, and added a career-best 12 boards at URI on Sunday.
- Haid has reached double-digits in each of his last four games, averaging 16.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg over that span.

Noble Crawford (CSU, Sr, F)
Last week: 20 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 4-7 3P at Mercer

- Crawford set career-highs in points, assists and three-pointers, while matching his career-best in rebounds against Mercer on Sunday.
- Averaging 19.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 4.0 apg, while shooting 63.6 percent from downtown over his last two games.

Cameron Jernigan (CSU, Sr, F)
Last week: 18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 7-13 FG at Mercer

- His 18 points off the bench at Mercer established a new scoring career-high.

Terrence Brown (FDU, So, G)
Last week: 27 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals vs. Villanova

- Posted his eighth 20+ point game of the year, tying for game-high honors at Villanova. He hit 10-18 shots from the field and 3-7 from outside the arc.
- Leads the NEC and ranks seventh nationally in scoring at 22.2 ppg.

Jakob Blakley (LEM, Fr, G)
Last week: 28 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 8-12 3P vs. SUNY Delhi

- Established career-highs in scoring, rebounding, steals and three-pointers in Le Moyne’s victory over SUNY Delhi.
- The eight triples marked an NEC single-game season-high and were the most by an NEC freshman since Bryant’s Adam Grant sank nine vs. SHU on January 4, 2017.

Jeff Planutis (MU, Gr, F)
Last week: 18.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 44.4 3P%, 100.0 FG%

- Led the Lakers in scoring twice last week, logging 16 points at Kent St. and 21 vs. Penn St.-Altoona.
- Planutis has scored in double-digits in 12-of-13 games this season. He ranks third in the NEC in scoring at 15.0 ppg.

Miles Webb (SFU, Jr, F)
Last week: 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-12 FG at Niagara

- Tied for scoring honors and was the game’s leading rebounder while recording his second straight double-double on Saturday at Niagara.
- Averaging 15.0 ppg and 11.0 rpg on 65.0 percent shooting from the field over his last two contests.

Todd Brogna (STO, So, F)
Last week: 25 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3-4 3P at BC

- Erupted for a career-high 25 points at ACC foe Boston College on Sunday. He made 10-16 shots from the floor.
- Brogna has reached double-digits nine times this season and ranks sixth in the NEC in scoring at 13.3 ppg.

Ja’Kair Sanchez (WC, Gr, G)
Last week: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block at NJIT

- 15 points in win at NJIT was a game-high.
- Sanchez is averaging 15.3 points over his last three games. His 9.1 ppg is tied for the team lead.

#NECMBB BY THE NUMBERS
 
2 - Chicago State had 2 players set career-highs in scoring at Mercer on Sunday. Senior forwards Noble Crawford (20) and Cameron Jernigan (18) combined for 38 of CSU’s 63 points.

6 - Wagner’s R.J. Greene ranks 6th nationally with 7.9 fouls drawn per 40 minutes. The last NEC player to match or exceed that mark over a full season was LIU’s Jamal Olasewere, who also averaged 7.9 fouls drawn in 2012-13.

20 - Le Moyne’s 20 three-pointers in its win over SUNY Delhi were the most by an NEC team since LIU drilled 20 against Centenary on December 28, 2019.

74.3 - NEC teams have combined to win 74.3 percent of their home games the season, posting a collective 26-9 record. Stonehill (5-0), CCSU (3-0) and Wagner (3-0) all remain unbeaten at home.

#NECMBB FAST BREAK

CCSU
CCSU’s has posted a dead even scoring margin and holds a 3-2 record in games against Providence, Saint Joseph’s, UMass Lowell, UMass and URI. 

Chicago St.
The Cougars are four games into a grueling nine-game road swing and will go 12 straight games and 54 days without playing at home.

FDU
NEC leading scorer Terrence Brown cracked the 500-point career scoring mark during a 27-point outing at Villanova on Tuesday. He ranks sixth among NEC active point producers with 514 over his one-plus seasons.

Le Moyne
Le Moyne’s 20 three-pointers vs. SUNY Delhi were the second-most in program history, trailing only the 21 made against Chestnut Hill on 11/10/19.

LIU
Junior Blake Lander had his most efficient shooting day of the season from long range at Missouri on Saturday, hitting 3-4 from deep. He leads LIU with 19 treys.

Mercyhurst
Graduate student Jeff Planutis has put together a 48/42/95 slash line this season. To date, no player in the NEC has ever finished with a 50/40/90 shooting line while being eligible to appear among the league leaders in all three categories.

Saint Francis U
SFU has turned the ball over just 20 times in total over its last three games and holds a 3.25 A/TO ratio in that stretch.

Stonehill
Playing without leading scorer Josh Morgan, Stonehill sliced a 13-point second half deficit down to two points with 21 seconds remaining in a four-point loss at Boston College on Sunday.

Wagner
Wagner has won five of its last six games. The last time the Seahawks put together a 5-1 non-conference stretch was back in 2017-18 when the Green & White won six straight games after a 1-1 start.
   
TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB

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

>> FDU’S BROWN SHINES UNDER THE BRIGHT LIGHTS
 
The pressure of the spotlight has only brought out the best in FDU’s Terrence Brown (Minneapolis, MN/Columbia Heights).
 
In fact, the sophomore sensation has lit up the scoreboard against a host of top tier opponents this season for the Knights.
 
His latest dazzling performance came last week at Villanova.
 
Brown erupted for 27 points - one off his season and career-high - in the Knights’ setback, hitting 10-18 from the field and 3-7 from three-point range.
 
By virtue of his strong showing versus the Wildcats, the NEC’s leading scorer boosted his season average to 22.2 points per game, which ranks seventh nationally.
 
In addition, Brown is averaging 22.0 points on 47.8 percent shooting against the following teams:
 
at Miami - 18 points, 8-14 FG
at Creighton - 19 points, 7-19 FG
at Nebraska - 23 points, 9-18 FG
at Fordham - 23 points, 10-23 FG
at Villanova - 27 points, 10-18 FG
 
Brown has now accumulated eight 20+ point outings in FDU’s first 12 games, three more than any other NEC player.
 
>> SEAHAWK SHUTDOWN: A DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE 12 YEARS IN THE MAKING
 
Ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense (57.3 ppg), Wagner flexed its defensive muscle with a historic performance in a 50-43 win at NJIT on Saturday.

In running its win streak to three and collecting its third road win in its last four outings away from home, the Seahawks put on a suffocating defensive display against the Highlanders.
 
Wagner limited NJIT to 28.6 percent shooting from the field and 0.67 PPP, both season-bests against DI opposition. NJIT hit just 4-22 from three-point range for a paltry 18.2 percent success rate.
 
Looking back, the 43 points allowed marked the fewest by an NEC school against a DI non-conference opponent in over 12 years.
 
Fittingly, the Green & White were also responsible the last time we saw a defensive showing of this magnitude.
 
Back on November 18, 2012, Wagner held Princeton to just 42 points in a 48-42 overtime victory.
 
In the 44-year history of the NEC, the 43 points allowed tied for the 19th-lowest total against a DI rival.
 
>> KOROMA’S JAW-DROPPING EFFICIENCY
 
To say Le Moyne’s Dwayne Koroma (Berlin, Germany/Bishop Walsh (MD) (Iona/Salt Lake CC/UT Arlington)) has been efficient is an understatement.
 
The redshirt junior forward currently leads the NEC and ranks second nationally in field goal percentage, converting a blistering 74.4 percent of his shot attempts.
 
When it comes to advanced stats, Koroma is also the NEC leader in effective field goal percentage (73.9) and true shooting percentage (70.5).
 
And while it’s still early, the Berlin, Germany native has a chance to put himself among the NEC’s all-time greats in each of these categories.
 
NEC All-Time Single-Season FG% Leaders (min. 5FG/gm)
 
1. Lester James (SFBK)         1990-91   .693 (149/215)
2. Pat Burke (WC)              1988-89   .650 (215/331)
3. Riley Clarida (LIU)         1981-82   .632 (180/285)
4. Joey Henley (SHU)           2008-09   .626 (196/313)
5. Rik Smits (MAR)             1987-88   .623 (251/403)
 
NEC All-Time eFG% Leaders (since 2004)
 
1. Mike Sixsmith (SHU)         2020-21   .765 (abbreviated season)
2. Andre Wolford (SFU)         2017-18   .668
3. Hall Elisias (BRY)          2020-21   .642 (abbreviated season)
4. Karvel Anderson (RMU)       2013-14   .633
5. Andrew Crosariol (FDU)      2005-06   .631
 
NEC All-Time True Shooting% Leaders (since 2004)
 
1. Mike Sixsmith (SHU)         2020-21   .787 (abbreviated season)
2. Andre Wolford (SFU)         2017-18   .691
3. Karvel Anderson (RMU)       2013-14   .658
4. Hall Elisias (BRY)          2020-21   .649 (abbreviated season)
5. Scott Eatherton (SFU)       2011-12   .648
 
>> BLUE DEVILS LEAD PACK AT RIM
 
CCSU has emerged as the most effective and efficient team in the NEC around the basket this season. The Blue Devils lead the conference with 1.222 PPP and 60.0 percent shooting efficiency on shots near the hoop, converting 85 of their 131 attempts.
 
Saint Francis U ranks second in PPP at 1.168, closely followed by Mercyhurst (1.164), FDU (1.101) and Le Moyne (1.085).
 
The Red Flash also sit in second place in field goal accuracy around the hoop at 56.9 percent, ahead of Mercyhurst (55.0), Le Moyne (53.4) and FDU (53.3).
 
>> RED FLASH FUN FACT
 
Saint Francis U is set to square off against Maryland on Tuesday for the first time since the 2015-16 season, but the two head coaches first shared a court together 28 years ago.
 
Red Flash head coach Rob Krimmel met up with Terrapins’ head coach Kevin Willard on the hardwood when both were student-athletes. In Krimmel’s freshman year at SFU and Willard’s senior year at Pittsburgh, the two future head coaches came off the bench for their respective programs on December 18, 1996 at Fitzgerald Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh. Krimmel scored two points on a pair of free throws and added two assists in 12 minutes, while Willard had eight points and three assists in 21 minutes in Pitt’s 79-42 win.
 
>> QUOTE OF THE WEEK
 
Stonehill head coach Chris Kraus on his team’s performance in a hard-fought 73-69 loss at Boston College:
 
“You’re right there, within grasp, within reach. We’re frustrated. We’ve got a group...they’re frustrated we weren’t able to just take that step and figure out a way toward the tail end. So there are emotions from the game just coming out on the losing side of a four point game. But at the same time, I’m just really, really proud and excited about the performance that our group just showed. Proud of the toughness. Proud of the fight.”
 
>> STOCKING STUFFERS
 
CCSU senior guard Joe Ostrowsky (Mt. Pleasant, MI/Mount Pleasant (Cheshire Academy (CT))) recorded a season-high five assists, and matched season-bests with 11 points and seven rebounds in CCSU’s eight-point setback at URI on Sunday. He splashed 3-5 shots from long distance.
 
When Jakob Blakley (Elgin, IL/Walter Payton Prep) set a Le Moyne freshman record with eight three-pointers in its win over SUNY Delhi, it also marked the most ever by a Le Moyne player at home and the highest total by any Dolphin since Chris Johnson hit eight at Pace on February 16, 2011.
 
LIU redshirt junior guard Malachi Davis (Toronto, ON/Central Tech (Tallahassee CC/Lake Land College/Arizona State)) led the Sharks in scoring last week, averaging 14.0 ppg. He added 2.0 spg. Davis has been a double-digit scorer in 11-of-12 games this season and ranks second in the NEC in point production at 17.1 ppg.
 
Mercyhurst freshman guard Jake Lemelman (Newton, MA/The MacDuffie School) comes off a strong week that saw him average 14.0 ppg on 55.0 percent shooting. He scored 17 points - two off his career-high - in 18 minutes off the bench against Penn St.-Altoona last Tuesday.
 
When Saint Francis U plays at Maryland on Tuesday, it will mark the first time the Red Flash have played four Power 5 teams in the same season. The Red Flash played three Power 5 squads in 2022-23 (Butler, No. 25 Ohio State, No. 25 Miami) and 2018-19 (No. 20 UCLA, No. 7 North Carolina, No. 13 Virginia Tech).
 
Saint Francis U freshman guard Juan Cranford, Jr. (Dayton, OH/Wayne) has scored in double figures in four straight games, averaging 12.5 ppg on efficient 48.6 percent shooting during that span, to raise his season average to 7.6 ppg.
 
Wagner sophomore guard R.J. Greene (Bronx, NY/Iona Prep (LIU)) currently has the second-highest usage rate in the nation at 37.0 percent.
 
Wagner senior guard Javier Ezquerra (San Juan, Puerto Rico/IMG Academy) dished for his 300th career assist in Saturday’s win at NJIT and is the NEC’s active leader with 303 over the course of his career.