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NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow's Office Co-Players of the Week: Terrence Brown, FDU & Devin Haid, CCSU
NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow's Office Rookie of the Week: Juan Cranford, Jr., SFU
Previous NEC Releases: January 22 | January 14 | January 7 | 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 CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Terrence Brown, FDU
So., G, 6-3, 175 lbs.
Minneapolis, MN/Columbia Heights
Brown claimed his third NEC Player of the Week accolade after sparking the Knights to their fourth straight NEC road win, a 65-54 conquest of Stonehill on Sunday. The dynamic sophomore guard erupted for 25 points, a career-high tying 10 rebounds and three steals in his second double-double effort of the season. He converted 9-16 from the floor, including 3-6 from beyond the arc. Trailing by two midway through the second half, Brown made good on a conventional three-point play, then knocked down a triple during a pivotal 14-4 FDU run. The Minneapolis native has led the NEC in point production all year long, and his 21.0 ppg ranks fifth in the nation. Brown also tops the NEC in steals (2.0) and sits in the top-10 in rebounding (6.3, 4th), free throw percentage (.786, 8th) and assists (2.9, 9th).

Devin Haid, CCSU
Jr., G, 6-5, 190 lbs.
Wooster, OH/Wooster (Notre Dame College/Cuyahoga CC)
Haid captured his league-leading fourth NEC Player of the Week award thanks to a pair of lights out shooting performances in a CCSU sweep that moved the Blue Devils to within a half game of first place. Haid averaged 18.5 points on blistering 75.0 percent marks from the field and three-point range, along with a gaudy 82.2 effective field goal percentage. He scored 37 points in just 53 minutes, did not commit a single turnover and averaged 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Haid led all scorers with 20 points on 8-12 shooting in CCSU’s 93-70 victory at Le Moyne, a win that improved the Blue Devils to 4-0 on the road in league play. He drilled 2-3 from downtown and added four rebounds. Two days later, The Wooster, OH product was nearly flawless, hitting 7-8 from the floor en route to a game-high 17 points, along with seven rebounds and a pair of steals. Haid is the NEC’s fifth-leading scorer at 13.1 ppg and also ranks seventh in field goal percentage (.492) and free throw percentage (.788), and eighth in rebounding (5.6).

NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Juan Cranford, Jr., Saint Francis U
Fr., G, 6-3, 205 lbs.
Dayton, OH/Wayne
Cranford, Jr.’s second NEC Rookie of the Week honor comes on the heels of  averaging 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals off the bench in a Saint Francis U split. Cranford was typically efficient, connecting on 50.0 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three-point territory and 83.3 percent from the line. He registered 11 points, four rebounds and three assists in Friday’s 74-64 win over LIU that knocked the Sharks from the unbeaten ranks. Cranford followed that up with a 14-point, six-rebound effort in a narrow two-point defeat to Wagner. On the year, the Dayton native has posted analytics friendly shooting splits across the board, hitting 50.0 percent from the field, 41.5 percent from downtown and 90.0 percent from the line. At 9.9 ppg on the year, he ranks second among NEC freshmen in scoring.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
 
Devin Haid (CCSU, Jr, G)
Last week: 18.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 75.0 FG%, 75.0 3P%

- Earned game-high scoring honors in a pair of CCSU wins, going for 20 against Le Moyne and 17 vs. Chicago St.
- In the win over the Cougars, he shot 7-8 from the floor, and added seven caroms and two steals.
- Leads a balanced CCSU scoring attack with 13.1 ppg.

Jordan Jones (CCSU, Sr, G)
Last week: 15.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 50.0 FG%, 100.0 FT%

- Finished with 15 at Le Moyne and 16 against Chicago State during CCSU’s sweep that brought the Blue Devils to within one-half game of first place.
- Committed just two turnovers in 52 minutes.
- Ranks sixth in the NEC in assists (3.4) and seventh in scoring (12.8).

Gabe Spinelli (CSU, Jr, G)
Last week: 19.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 61.5 FG%, 80.0 3P%

- Scored 23 of his career-high 25 points in the second half of a two-point loss to Stonehill on Friday. His coast-to-cast layup with 5 seconds remaining tied the game at 73 before the Skyhawks won on a buzzer-beater.
- Shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from deep in NEC play.

Terrence Brown (FDU, So, G)
Last week: 25 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 9-16 FG, 3-6 3P
- Notched his second double-double of the season, recording game-highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday’s 65-54 victory at Stonehill. The 10 rebounds tied his career-high. He shot 9-16 and was 3-6 from long range.
- Leads the NEC and ranks fifth in the nation in scoring with 21.2 ppg.

AJ Dancler (LEM, So, G)
Last week: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3-7 3P vs. CCSU

- Has hit double-digits in eight of his last nine games to raise his season average from 6.9 ppg to 11.1 ppg.
- Averaging 15.8 ppg and 5.3 apg in conference play.

Jamal Fuller (LIU, Sr, F)
Last week: 19.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.5 bpg, 1.5 spg, 52.0 FG%

- Came up two points shy of his career-high, finishing with 25 points on 9-18 shooting at SFU on Friday. He added nine boards.
- Averaging 16.0 ppg and 7.7 rpg, while converting at a 52.6 percent clip from the field against NEC opponents.

Bernie Blunt III (MU, Sr, G)
Last week: 19.5 ppg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 43.8 3P%, 100.0 FG%

- Dropped a season-high 27 points in Sunday’s 85-80 double OT win over LIU. He shot 5-8 from three-point territory and was 8-8 from the line.
- Ranks first in the NEC and 13th in the nation in free throw percentage, making 91.5 percent of his attempts.
- Shooting 42.2 percent from long range in conference games.

Jeff Planutis (MU, Gr, F)
Last week: 19.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.0 spg, 52.4 FG%, 45.5 3P%, 84.6 FT%

- Hit back-to-back buckets in the final minute of the second OT to seal an 85-80 win over first place LIU on Sunday.
- Finished the game with 23 points, his fifth 20+ outing on the year.
- Leads Mercyhurst and sits third in the NEC in scoring at 14.6 ppg. He also ranks third in FT% (.889).

Aidan Reichert (MU, Sr, F)
Last week: 19.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 50.0 FG%, 75.0 FT%

- Tallied a game and season-high 23 points in Friday’s overtime win vs. Wagner. He was 9-12 from the floor and 3-3 from beyond the arc.
- Ranks fourth in the NEC at 13.2 ppg, but has been even better against league rivals, supplying the Lakers with 16.0 ppg.

Riley Parker (SFU, Jr. G)
Last week: 22.0 ppg, 4.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 50.0 FG%, 91.7 FT%

- Exploded for a career-high 29 points - the most in an NEC game this season - as SFU handled LIU its first NEC setback of the season on Friday. He drained 9-14 shots, made 4-8 from long distance and was 7-7 at the stripe.
- Parker paces SFU in scoring and ranks eighth in the league at 12.7 ppg. He also ranks in the top-5 in assists (3.6), 3P% (.520) and made three-pointers (1.9/game).
- Averaging 16.2 ppg in NEC play, the second-best mark on the circuit.

Louie Semona (STO, So, F)
Last week: 16.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 46.2 FG%, 83.3 FT%

- Scored a team-best 21 points to lead the Skyhawks to a 75-73 win over Chicago State on Friday. He finished 7-12 from the field and added a pair of steals.
- Averaging 14.7 ppg in conference games, which ranks ninth in the NEC.
- Has reached double-digits in scoring in 10 straight games.
 
#NECMBB BY THE NUMBERS
 
54.1 - Le Moyne sophomore guard AJ Dancler leads the NEC in 3P percentage on guarded catch-and-shoot attempts, hitting 54.1 percent of his shots (20-of-37).

3 - CCSU is one of only 3 teams nationally this season to finish a game shooting at least 55.0 percent from the field, 52.0 percent from 3P range and 100.0 percent from the line. The Blue Devils posted a .554/.524/1.000 shooting split in its win at Le Moyne on Friday. Houston and Kent St. have also hit the benchmark.

5 - Saint Francis U’s Juan Cranford, Jr. ranks 5th nationally among freshmen performers in eFG% at 60.9 percent. 

17 - For the first time in 17 years, two teams have jumped out to 4-0 starts on the road in NEC play. Both CCSU and FDU are undefeated away from home vs. league rivals. Back in 2007-08, RMU finished a perfect 9-0 on the road, while SHU started 7-0 before finishing the season at 8-1.

#NECMBB FAST BREAK

CCSU
CCSU dominated the boards during its weekend sweep, finishing with a +12.0 rebound margin. The Blue Devils hauled in 24 offensive rebounds over the two games, with Abdul Momoh leading the charge with 10.

Chicago St.
Junior guard Saxby Sunderland hit 4-6 shots from long range last week and has made 7 of his last 13 shots from outside the arc.

FDU
Sophomore guard Jameel Morris was a perfect 4-4 from the field and scored 6 of his 9 points in the final 6:28 of FDU’s win at Stonehill on Sunday.

Le Moyne
Sophomore guard AJ Dancler has dished for 16 assists over his last two games. He ranks second in the NEC in dimes during league play at 5.3 apg.

LIU
Senior guard Brent Davis dropped a career-high 20 points at Mercyhurst on Sunday, hitting 5-9 from downtown. He scored 15 of those points in the second half and overtime periods.

Mercyhurst
Mercyhurst posted a season-high 1.20 PPP in its win over Wagner on Friday, its best performance against a DI opponent. Two days later, the Lakers limited LIU to just 0.96 PPP, it’s best mark against an NEC rival.

Saint Francis U
Junior forward Valentino Pinedo has shot at least 50.0 percent from the field in each of his last six NEC games, hitting 67.6 percent of his shot opportunities over that span. He averaged 11.0 ppg and 8.5 rpg last week.

Stonehill
Sophomore guard Alex Bates IV netted a career-high 13 points against FDU on Sunday. He made 5-7 from the shots, including 3-5 from three-point range.

Wagner
Senior guard Javi Ezquerra turned the ball over just once in 61 minutes of action last week. He paces the NEC in assists (4.8) and assist-to-turnover ration (2.59).
   
TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB

Here’s all you need to know from the 12th week of the 2024-25 season...
 
 >> BIG STAKES IN BROOKLYN AS FIRST PLACE SHOWDOWN LOOMS
 
Heading into play last week, LIU held a seemingly comfortable 2.5-game lead atop the NEC standings.
 
By Sunday afternoon, that cushion had all but disappeared.
 
LIU (6-2) dropped both games on its western PA swing, while CCSU (5-2) capitalized with two wins of its own, narrowing the gap to just half a game. FDU (4-2) also remained in the first place mix, sitting one game behind the Sharks after winning its lone contest of the week.
 
This now sets up an early season showdown in Brooklyn on Thursday night when LIU hosts CCSU with first place at stake in the short term and the result potentially carrying critical tiebreaker implications down the line.
 
The Sharks will look to complete the season sweep after edging the Blue Devils, 54-52, in New Britain on January 12.
 
Tipoff is set for 7:00 pm on NEC Front Row and ESPN+.

>> THE COMEBACK
(thanks to Ryan Peters for assistance with this note)

Never say never.

On Sunday, Wagner engineered the sixth-best comeback of the 2024-25 season according to KenPom.

Based on KenPom’s “Minimum Win Probability” metric, Wagner had a 0.6 percent chance of winning when they trailed Saint Francis U 63-44 with a little under eight minutes remaining in the contest.

The Seahawks then embarked on a 22-0 run to take a three-point lead late before eventually holding on for an epic comeback win.

During Wagner’s remarkable run, they held the Red Flash scoreless on ten straight possessions, forcing six turnovers within that stretch.

On the flip side, Donald Copeland’s team made 8-of-9 shots (88.9 percent) during the 22-0 run.

The highlight of the run was a wild sequence that saw senior guard Javi Ezquerra (San Juan, Puerto Rico/IMG Academy) hit a three-pointer. On the ensuing SFU trip up the court, senior guard Di’Andre Howell-South (Paterson, NJ/Immaculate Conception) deflected a pass that was stolen, then spotted up on the wing where he dropped the go-ahead triple with 1:17 to play.
 
>> MERCYHURST FINDING ITS GROOVE
 
Things are starting to come together for the NEC newcomers in Erie.
 
Fresh off a home sweep, Mercyhurst has now won three of its last four, and in the process, has demonstrated a knack for finishing tight games.
 
On January 18, Mercyhurst sealed a 69-65 victory over defending NEC champion Wagner in Staten Island, hitting 12-of-13 free throws in the final three minutes.
 
After an overtime setback at first place LIU on January 20, Mercyhurst returned home this past weekend for rematches against the Sharks and Seahawks.
 
On Friday, with the score tied at 58 against Wagner, Jake Lemelman (Newton, MA/The MacDuffie School) and Bernie Blunt III (Morgantown, PA/Peddie School (Edinboro/Quinnipiac)) drained back-to-back three-pointers to give the Lakers a six-point lead with under a minute to play in a 71-66 win that clinched the program’s first sweep of an NEC opponent.
 
Two days later, it was star forward Jeff Planutis (Hazleton, PA/Hazleton) who delivered when it counted it most. The grad student sank a pair of mid-range jumpers, the second coming with eight seconds remaining in double overtime, to help clinch an 85-80 triumph over LIU.
 
The wins boosted Mercyhurst into sole possession of fourth place and evened its record at 4-4 on the year.
 
In these three wins, the Lakers converted 24-of-27 free throws (.889) over the final two minutes of regulation and overtime. Mercyhurst is now shooting 82.8 percent from the stripe in league play.
                        
>> MAN AT WORK: PARKER’S CAREER NIGHT
 
Saint Francis U’s Riley Parker (Mandurah, Australia/Mandurah Catholic College) hails from the land down under.
 
On Friday, in front of a very special guest, the junior guard was truly a ‘man at work,’ showing defenders why “they’d better run and take cover.”
 
The junior guard rang up a career-high 29 points to lead Saint Francis U to a 74-64 win over LIU and hand the Sharks their first setback after opening league play with six consecutive wins.
 
Parker, a native of Mandurah, Australia, played in front of his father for the first time in the United States and the first time in three years after his father traveled 26 hours to see his son play at DeGol Arena.
 
When asked what it was like playing in front of his dad, Parker did not mince words.
 
“Man, absolutely everything,” said Parker. “Old boy (his father) hasn’t seen me play in about three years, so just having him here and just seeing some familiar faces means everything to me.”
 
Parker put the finishing touches on the win, delivering the knockout blow on a dagger three-pointer with 40 seconds to play that elicited thunderous applause from the Red Flash faithful.
 
“This is the best place to play in the NEC,” said Parker after the game. “That marching band is electric, and the crowd when they get into makes it a lot of fun too.”
 
He finished the game 9-14 from the floor, 4-8 from behind the arc and 7-7 from the line.
 
The 29 points marked the third-highest point total by an NEC player this season and the most in a conference game.
 
Parker’s point total was also the most points a Saint Francis player scored since Josh Cohen registered 32 points against FDU on February 23, 2023.
 
Parker paces SFU and ranks eighth in the NEC in scoring at 12.7 ppg. He’s also fourth on the circuit in three-point percentage (.420) and fifth in made three-pointers (1.9/game).
 
>> NEC BIG SHOT
 
This week’s NEC Big Shot accolade goes to Stonehill graduate student guard Josh Morgan (Brampton, Ontario/Father Henry Carr (Incarnate Word)).
 
In a game that featured a series of clutch shots down the stretch, it was Morgan who hit the final one.
 
After Chicago State junior guard Gabe Spinelli (Worcester, MA/Watertown (Evansville/Monmouth) tied the game at 72 on a coast-to-coast layup with 5.1 seconds to play, Stonehill called timeout.
 
The Skyhawks advanced the ball into the frontcourt, then called another timeout with 3.1 seconds remaining to map out the final play.
 
Morgan caught the inbounds pass near the endline, spun around his defender and muscled his way down the baseline for a contest layup with 0.2 seconds to play, sending a packed Merkert Gymnasium into a frenzy.
 
Morgan finished with 11 points, while sophomore forward Louie Semona (Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier (St. Thomas More (CT))) led Stonehill with 21 points on 7-12 shooting.

>> CCSU & FDU ROAD WARRIORS
 
Talk about a home away from home.
 
Three weeks into league play, both CCSU and FDU remain unbeaten on the road, each boasting a perfect 4-0 NEC record in hostile territory.
 
This marks the first time in 17 years that two teams have opened NEC play with such strong road showings. Back in 2007-08, RMU finished a perfect 9-0 on the road, while SHU started 7-0 before finishing the season at 8-1.
 
If it feels like déjà vu for CCSU, it’s because the Blue Devils began last season with four straight league wins as well.
 
Prior to these past two seasons, CCSU hadn’t started 4-0 on the road in conference play in 23 years.
 
Even more impressive? The Blue Devils have won each of the four road games by double digits with an average victory margin of 15.3 points per game.
 
Jan. 3 - CCSU 74, Saint Francis U 59
Jan. 5 - CCSU 62, Mercyhurst 50
Jan. 18 - CCSU 71, FDU 60
Jan. 24 - CCSU 93, Le Moyne 70
 
FDU last jumped out to a 5-0 road start in 2022-23, setting the stage for their magical NCAA Tournament run.
 
The Knights have also been impressive in their victories, winning three of their four road games by double digits while posting a 9.5-point scoring margin.
 
Jan. 5 - FDU 71, Wagner 59
Jan. 10 - FDU 91, Le Moyne 86 (2OT)
Jan. 20 - FDU 58, Chicago State 48
Jan. 26 - FDU 65, Stonehill 54
 
Since the 1997-98 season, 21 teams have opened league play with a 4-0 road record. Notably, CCSU (2001-02) and Robert Morris (2007-08) went on to finish their seasons undefeated in road games.
 
Teams With 4-0 Road Starts In NEC Play Since 1997-98
CCSU                  4-0        2024-25
FDU                   4-0        2024-25
CCSU                  4-0        2023-24
FDU                   5-0        2022-23
Wagner                6-0        2021-22
Merrimack             5-0        2019-20
Robert Morris         4-0        2017-18
Robert Morris         7-0        2013-14
LIU                   4-0        2011-12 (NEC champion)
Robert Morris         6-0        2008-09 (NEC champion)
Robert Morris         9-0        2007-08 (perfect road record)
Sacred Heart          7-0        2007-08
Mount St. Mary’s      4-0        2005-06
Monmouth              4-0        2004-05
Monmouth              5-0        2002-03
Wagner                5-0        2002-03 (NEC champion)
CCSU                  10-0       2001-02 (perfect road record, NEC champion)
SFBK                  6-0        2000-01
CCSU                  4-0        1999-00 (NEC champion)
Quinnipiac            4-0        1999-00
UMBC                  8-0        1998-99
 
>> ANOTHER BLUE DEVIL TALE FROM THE ROAD
 
CCSU’s 8-3 record on the road this season ties the Blue Devils with UC Irvine for the most away wins in the nation.
 
Most Road Wins In The Nation
CCSU                          8-3
UC Irvine                     8-3
Cornell                       7-2
Marist                        7-2
Furman                        7-3
Lipscomb                      7-5
Little Rock                   7-5
Southeatern Louisiana         7-6
                                               
>> WAGNER IN THE BOARD ROOM
 
For more than a decade, Wagner has built its identity around a smothering defense, earning every bit of its well-deserved “toughness” mantra.
 
What’s often overlooked, however, is how the toughness extends to the Seahawks’ dominance on the glass.
 
Excluding an outlier season in 2019-20, Wagner has finished first or second in the NEC in rebound margin every year since 2012-13.
 
2024-25    +5.0    1st
2023-24    +0.6    2nd
2022-23    +5.0    1st
2021-22    +5.0    1st
2020-21    +3.4    2nd
2019-20    -0.6    6th
2018-19    +3.2    2nd
2017-18    +5.4    2nd
2016-17    +7.2    1st
2015-16    +6.7    1st
2014-15    +3.0    2nd
2013-14    +2.4    2nd
2012-13    +3.5    2nd
 
This season, the Seahawks lead the NEC in both offensive and defensive rebound percentage and rank 27th nationally in defensive rebound percentage.
 
>> STONEHILL THREE-POINT FIREPOWER
 
Leading the NEC in both three-point makes and accuracy, Stonehill has embraced the long ball to great effect.
 
Shooting at a 35.9 percent clip from beyond the arc, the Skyhawks have generated 39 percent from their offense from three-pointers, a figure that leads the NEC and ranks them 21st in DI.
 
This should come as no surprise to Stonehill fans as the Skyhawks ranked 16th in the nation last season, with 38.9 percent of their points coming from long distance.
 
Chris Kraus has armed himself with a sextet of reliable three-point marksmen, often deploying five shooters on the floor simultaneously.
 
Todd Brogna (Southborough, MA/Worcester Academy) (.405), Josh Morgan (Brampton, Ontario/Father Henry Carr (Incarnate Word)) (.398), Louie Semona (Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier (St. Thomas More (CT))) (.387), Hermann Koffi (Quebec City, Quebec/Polyvalente de Thetford Mines) (.383) and Ethan Meuser (Shavertown, PA/The Hill School (Wyoming Seminary)) (.370) have combined to hit at a 38.7 clip from three-point land.
 
>> FROSH LASU’S IMPACT ON GLASS
 
LIU freshman forward Shadrak Lasu (Winnipeg, Canada/Northstar Prep) has been quite the find for head coach Rod Strickland.

Starting all 21 games for the Sharks, Lasu has excelled on the boards.
 
The Winnipeg native currently leads the NEC in rebounding, snaring 7.0 per game. He’s the seventh-leading freshman glass sweep in the country.
 
If Lasu wraps the season as the NEC’s leading rebounder, he would become only the second freshman in conference history to achieve the feat.
 
Wagner’s Miladin Mutavdzic paced the NEC in rebounding as a freshman back in 1991-92 with 9.9 per game. He was named the NEC Rookie of the Year and was voted to the All-NEC first team playing under longtime NEC-TV analyst Tim Capstraw.
 
>> MILESTONE ALERT
 
CCSU senior forward Jayden Brown (Providence, RI/Tilton School (NH)) crossed the 750-point mark for his career last week. He is the NEC’s leading active scorer with 760 points. Brown is also the league’s active leader in rebounds (424) and blocks (102).
 
Saint Francis U sophomore guard Bobby Rosenberger III (Quakertown, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) registered four points against Wagner on Sunday to surpass the 500-point mark. He became the first player since Ronell Giles, Jr. (Mar. 4, 2023) to reach the mark.

>> KRIMMEL QUOTE OF THE WEEK
 
Saint Francis U head coach Rob Krimmel had high praise for sophomore guard Daemar Kelly (Pittsburgh, PA/Penn Hills (Quinnipiac)) following the Red Flash’s 74-64 victory over first-place LIU on Friday, commending his standout defensive effort.
 
“He’s taken the challenge to take the other team’s best player and make it difficult. You play team defense, but you need someone to embrace that challenge of taking the other team’s best player out of it, and he did a great job. Having Wisler Sanon II back allowed him to catch a breather. I thought that was a huge reason why we were able to keep him in, especially late when we needed to get those stops. To have someone like that from a defensive standpoint, especially in the league, is a luxury to have because they’re a lot of outstanding guards.”
 
>> NEC ANALYTICS ZONE (w/ Ryan Peters, NEC Overtime! blogger)

CCSU’s Devin Haid (Wooster, OH/Wooster (Notre Dame College/Cuyahoga CC)) earned two consecutive KenPom Player of the game awards from this past weekend, and with good reason. The graduate senior scored 37 points on just 20 shots in the Blue Devils victories over Le Moyne and Chicago State, elevating them to second place, just a half game behind LIU. When Haid posts an offensive rating north of 100.0 in a game this season, the Blue Devils are unsurprisingly 8-2 on the year. Haid is also listed in KenPom’s All-NEC team along with teammate Jordan Jones (Florence, SC/ Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School (Coker)).

A big part of Mercyhurst’s success in league play this season has been due to their excellence at the free throw line. Not only have they shot a league best 82.8 percent at the charity stripe in NEC play, but they’ve drained 85-of-98 free throw attempts in their four victories for a remarkable 86.7 percent. Of the group, senior guard Bernie Blunt III (Morgantown, PA/Peddie School (Edinboro/Quinnipiac)) has converted 90.4 percent of his free throw attempts. Teammates Jeff Planitus (Hazleton, PA/Hazleton (Woodstock Academy)) (86.9 percent), Shemar Rathan-Mayes (Toronto, Ontario/Orangeville Preparatory) (78.9 percent) and Aidan Reichert (Jackson Center, OH/Jackson Center) (78.1 percent) have also proven to be as reliable as they come at the line.

As evident from the condensed NEC standings where no team has fewer than two losses, the home team in league play has been successful just 47 percet of the time this season. That ranks 30th out of 32 Division I conferences. Furthermore, there has only been one “blowout” win (a game won by 19 points or more) out of 32 NEC games and eight of those games were considered close as they were decided by four points or less or went to overtime. The close game metric ranks seventhth out of 32 conferences according to KenPom.