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NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow's Office Player of the Week: Jordan Jones, CCSU
NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow's Office Rookie of the Week: Deng Garang, LEM
Previous NEC Releases: February 10 | February 3 | January 28 | 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 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jordan Jones, CCSU
Sr., G, 6-0, 180 lbs.
Florence, SC/Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School (Coker))
Forrest secured Chicago State’s first-ever NEC Player of the Week award following an offensive eruption in a Cougar split. He averaged 27.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game, while knocking down 85.2 percent of his free throws (23-27) in a busy week at the stripe. Forrest exploded for a career-high and NEC season-best 37 points in Thursday’s 85-78 win over Mercyhurst, the most by a CSU player against a DI opponent in nearly 15 years. He scored 24 of those points in the second half, including an eight-point burst over an 84 second span that stretched CSU’s lead from four to 10 with 9:12 remaining. Two days later, he registered 17 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals against Saint Francis U. Forrest, who hails from Decatur, GA, has been red-hot over his last seven games, averaging 20.9 ppg on 51.1 percent shooting to raise his scoring average to a team-high 12.2 ppg.

NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Deng Garang, Le Moyne
R-Fr., G, 6-6, 180 lbs.
Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes
Garang burst onto the scene last week for Le Moyne, earning his first NEC Rookie of the Week honor after two breakout performances in the Dolphins’ first sweep of the season. The 6’6” redshirt freshman guard averaged 15.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals. He added lights out shooting splits, hitting 60.0 percent from the field, 75.0 percent from three-point range, and 6-6 at the stripe. Garang scored a career-high 15 points, knocked down 3-4 from downtown and chipped in two steals in Thursday’s 72-68 overtime win against Wagner. He matched his scoring output in Saturday’s 80-75 victory over Chicago State, once again drilling 3-4 from beyond the arc, while contributing three assists and two steals. Prior to last week, Garang had totaled 22 points in seven games on the season.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
 
Jayden Brown (CCSU, Sr, F)
Last week: 14.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 57.1 FG%

- Contributed 16 points and eight boards against Mercyhurst, and followed with 13 points and nine caroms vs. SFU in a pair of double-digit home wins.
- Has scored 10+ points and shot at least 50 percent from the field in each of his last five games.
- Averaging 10.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg on the year.

Devin Haid (CCSU, Jr, G)
Last week: 16.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 100.0 FT%

- Notched his sixth 20+ point game of the season and fourth in league play with 21 points on 7-12 shooting in Saturday’s win over SFU that extended CCSU’s win streak to eight games.
- Ranks sixth in the NEC in scoring (13.5), ninth in rebounding (5.6), fourth in FT percentage (.840), seventh in field goal percentage (.484) and eighth in steals (1.5).

Jordan Jones (CCSU, Sr, G)
Last week: 21.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 7.5 apg, 64.0 FG%, 66.7 3P%, 83.3 FT%

- Registered a pair of game-highs in CCSU’s home sweep, scoring 19 against Mercyhurst and 24 vs. SFU. The 24 points were two shy of his season-high.
- His eight dimes vs. the Lakers marked a career-high against a DI opponent.
- Ranks fourth in the NEC in scoring (14.0) and assists (3.5), sixth in steals (1.6) and ninth in FT shooting (.783).

Quincy Allen (CSU, Jr, F)
Last week: 16.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.5 bpg, 1.0 spg, 48.3 FT%

- Came off the bench to set career-highs in back-to-back games with 15 at FDU followed by a team-high 18-point performance at Le Moyne.
- Narrowly missed double-doubles in both games (15/9 & 18/8).
- Has reached double figures in four straight outings to raise his season average from 5.5 ppg to 7.9 ppg.

Terrence Brown (FDU, So, G)
Last week: 19.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 3.5 spg, 91.7 FT%
- Logged 17 points in Thursday’s runaway victory against Chicago State before ringing up a game-high 22 points in a tight loss at LIU.
- Has posted 15 games of 20+ points this season.
- Paces the NEC and ranks eighth in the nation in scoring at 20.8 ppg.
- Regained the league lead with 2.0 spg.

AJ Dancler (LEM, So, G)
Last week: 18.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 92.3 FT%

- Scored eight points in OT to sink Wagner on Thursday, then buried a dagger 3-pointer with 23 seconds remaining in Saturday’s win over Chicago State.
- Has hit double-digits in 11 straight outings, averaging 19.5 ppg over that span to boost his season average to 13.5 ppg.
- Sits second in the NEC with 18.5 ppg and 4.7 apg in conference play.

Malachi Davis (LIU, R-Jr, G)
Last week: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals vs. FDU

- Scored 13 of his team-high 21 points in the second half, highlighted by a game-clinching layup in the final seconds to earn a key 62-58 win over FDU on Saturday.
- Averaging 22.5 ppg over his last four outings.
- Ranks second on the circuit in scoring at 17.3 ppg. He’s also third in steals (1.9) and seventh in free throw percentage (.788).

Jamal Fuller (LIU, Sr, F)
Last week: 19 points, 5 rebound, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 6-11 FG, 3-5 3P vs. FDU

- Hit a huge 3-pointer to beat the shot clock with 1:25 to play that gave the Sharks a 5-point lead late in its win over FDU.
- Shooting 40.0 percent from 3P range in NEC play.
- Supplying LIU with 12.2 ppg, and ranks fifth on the league circuit in field goal shooting (.500), sixth in rebounding (6.0) and seventh in blocks (0.8).

Valentino Pinedo (SFU, Jr, F)
Last week: 19.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 72.0 FG%

- Tallied a career-high 24 points on a scintillating 11-13 mark from the field at Stonehill on Thursday.
- Has reached double-digits in scoring in seven of his last eight games.
- Contributing 10.6 ppg, and ranks third in the NEC in rebounding (6.6) and field goal accuracy (.594).

Todd Brogna (STO, So, F)
Last week: 17.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.5 bpg, 55.6 FG%, 92.9 FT%

- Registered his third double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday’s 85-73 win over Mercyhurst.
- Leads the NEC and ranks tenth nationally in FT shooting at 91.2 percent.
- His 12.8 ppg paces Stonehill and places him sixth in the NEC.

Ethan Meuser (STO, Jr, F)
Last week: 15.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.5 spg, 73.3 FG%, 66.7 FT%

- Established a new career-high in Thursday’s win against SFU, scoring 17 points in just 21 minutes of work. Hit 5-7 overall and was 4-5 from downtown.
- He added 14 points on 6-8 shooting in 24 minutes vs. Mercyhurst two days later.

Louie Semona (STO, So, F)
Last week: 20.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 40.0 3P%, 90.0 FT%

- Dropped a career-high 30 points to power the Skyhawks to an 85-73 conquest of Mercyhurst on Saturday and a weekend sweep at home.
- Averaging 16.8 ppg in conference games, which ranks fifth in the NEC.
- Has reached double-digits in scoring in 15 straight games.
 
#NECMBB BY THE NUMBERS
 
39.1%/28.5% - LIU is currently holding NEC opponents to 39.1% shooting from the field and 28.5% from 3P range. The Sharks are aiming to become the first NEC team to keep opponents under 40.0 FG% and 30.0 3P% since Mount St. Mary’s in 2020-21 (.395/.297). Prior to that, Wagner last hit the mark in 2013-14 (.380/.293).

8-0 - When NEC home teams went a perfect 8-0 last week, it marked the first this season that hosts went 4-0 on a game night. After road teams won 11 of the first 16 games of the league slate, home squads have bounced back to post a 29-11 record (.725) that has boosted the overall home win percentage to 60.7 percent on the year.

9 - CCSU has won 9 of its 10 NEC games by double-digit margins. The record for the most double-figure victories in a single season is 12, shared by CCSU (2001-02, 20-game season), Wagner (2011-12. 18-game season), and Mount St. Mary’s (1995-96, 18-game season).

+9.6 - Le Moyne sophomore guard AJ Dancler has experienced a dramatic increase in scoring from non-conference to NEC play. After averaging 8.9 ppg prior to January, he’s more than doubled that average in league games, putting up 18.5 ppg, a +9.6-point improvement.

#NECMBB FAST BREAK

CCSU
CCSU’s eight-game win streak is tied for sixth nationally, trailing only Akron (13), Towson (12), Drake (11), George Mason (11) and Yale (10). It also marks the program’s longest run since the 2007 NEC title-winning season, when the Blue Devils rattled off 12 straight wins.

Chicago St.
Junior forward Quincy Allen, who had previous stops at Colorado and JMU, has scored nearly as many points in his last four games (57) as he did in his first 11 outings (61).

FDU
FDU’s 42-point victory over Chicago State on Thursday marked the largest margin of victory in an NEC game in nearly 12 years (since RMU’s 89-43 win over FDU on 2/23/13) and tied for the seventh-largest in the last 25 years.

Le Moyne
With a 14-point, 13-rebound effort in Le Moyne’s 80-75 win over Chicago State on Saturday, redshirt junior forward Dwayne Koroma took over the NEC lead with five double-doubles.

LIU
LIU rang up 13 steals in its 62-58 win over FDU on Saturday, setting a season-high against a DI opponent and matching its best mark since swiping 13 against SFU on January 8, 2022.

Mercyhurst
Freshman guard Deshaun Jackson Jr. had a breakout game at CCSU on Thursday, hitting 6-8 from the field to finish with 13 points, his best output against a DI opponent. He also set career-highs with five rebounds and three steals.

Saint Francis U
Valentino Pinedo became just the 20th NEC player in the last 20 years to finish a game with at least 11 made field goals while shooting 84 percent or better from the field. The junior forward shot 11-13 (.846) in a career-high 24-point effort at Stonehill on Thursday.

Stonehill
Stonehill shot 36-43 (.837) from the line in its home sweep last week with Todd Brogna (13-14) and Louie Semona (9-10) leading the way. Brogna, who is shooting 91.2 percent from the line on the season, ranks tenth in DI.

Wagner
After going without a field goal in his previous two games, junior guard RJ Greene bounced back with a solid performance at Le Moyne. He finished with 15 points on 6-10 shooting, adding seven rebounds and two assists.

TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB

Here’s all you need to know from the 15th week of the 2024-25 season...
 
>> WHERE WE STAND
 
With the qualification drama removed from the NEC Tournament this season – all eight eligible teams are headed to the postseason – the focus has shifted to seeding with just two weeks left in the regular season.
 
So, what do we know so far? Not a whole lot, but there are some key takeaways.
 
- CCSU and LIU have locked in a top-four seed, guaranteeing them a home game in the NEC Tournament quarterfinals.
- CCSU can clinch a top-two seed with one more win.
- CCSU’s magic number to clinch the #1 seed is three.
- FDU needs two more victories to guarantee a top-four seed.
- Stonehill is currently 1 1/2 games ahead of the pack for the fourth seed.
- While Mercyhurst is ineligible to compete in the NEC Tournament, their results still factor into all tiebreaker calculations.
 
>> MOST IMPROVED SWEEPSTAKES
 
Stonehill and LIU have made significant strides this year, each ranking among the nation’s top turnaround squads.
 
One of the biggest success stories, Stonehill is tied for fourth in the country with a 10-win improvement, skyrocketing from four wins last season to 14 this year.
 
LIU has also experienced solid growth, tying for 13th in the nation with a six-win bump, going from seven wins in 2023-24 to 13 this season.
 

 School                  2023-24 Wins          2024-25 Wins         Improvement
Louisville                   8                     20                  +12
Michigan                     8                     20                  +12
Missouri                     8                     19                  +11
Stonehill                    4                     14                  +10
Robert Morris                10                    20                  +10
VMI                          4                     13                  +9
DePaul                       3                     11                  +8
Siena                        4                     12                  +8
Southeast Missouri State     9                     17                  +8
UTRGV                        6                     14                  +8
Vanderbilt                   9                     17                  +8
Detroit Mercy                1                     8                   +7
LIU                          7                     13                  +6
Dartmouth                    6                     12                  +6
Cal-Poly                     4                     10                  +6
Georgetown                   9                     15                  +6
Manhattan                    7                     13                  +6
West Virginia                9                     15                  +6
William & Mary               10                    16                  +6
Florida A&M                  6                     11                  +5
Georgia Southern             9                     14                  +5
Hampton                      9                     14                  +5
Houston Christian            6                     11                  +5
Oregon State                 13                    18                  +5
URI                          12                    17                  +5

 
>> CCSU ROAD SHOW UPDATE
 
The Blue Devils have been road warriors all season, and the numbers back it up.

CCSU continues to sit atop the national leaderboard with 10 road wins on the season, tying the Blue Devils with UC Irvine.
 
CCSU also boasts a spotless 6-0 record in NEC play away from home.
 
With two more road victories, CCSU would join an exclusive club, becoming just the third team in NEC history to complete an unbeaten conference road slate. CCSU (10-0 in 2001-02)  and Robert Morris (9-0 in 2007-08) achieved perfection on the road.
 
CCSU has also won seven straight road games, which has the Blue Devils tied the third-longest active streak in the country, alongside a trio of heavy hitters.
 
Longest Current DI Road Wins Streaks
Houston       11     AP Ranking: 6
Alabama       8      AP Ranking: 2
CCSU          7
Auburn        7      AP Ranking: 1
 
>> SKYHAWKS’ SCORCHING SHOOTING SPARKS SWEEP
 
Riding an offensive surge, Stonehill found its groove at home last week.
 
The Skyhawks scored wins over Saint Francis U (79-74) and Mercyhurst (85-73) to even their record at 6-6.
 
More importantly, Stonehill leapfrogged the Red Flash into the theoretical fourth seed, positioning the Skyhawks to host an NEC Tournament quarterfinal game.
 
The Skyhawks hit peak efficiency in the two victories, averaging 1.26 PPP against SFU and a season-high 1.36 PPP vs. Mercyhurst, their two high-water marks in league play.
 
Stonehill went 12-29 from outside the arc against SFU, then shot a season-best 55.6 percent from the field in the win over Mercyhurst. The Skyhawks also converted 36-43 (.837) from the line for the week.
 
Sophomores Todd Brogna (Southborough, MA/Worcester Academy) and Louie Semona (Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier (St. Thomas More (CT))), along with junior forward Ethan Meuser (Shavertown, PA/Wyoming Seminary (The Hill School)), combined to average 53.0 points last week with electric 53.1/50.0/92.6 shooting splits.
 
>>  BOMBS AWAY! FDU’S JONES LIGHTS IT UP FROM DOWNTOWN
 
Last Thursday night, FDU junior guard Dylan Jones (Saratoga Springs, UT/West Lake (Snow)) went from a shooter to a flamethrower.
 
Jones caught fire in FDU’s 91-49 victory over Chicago State at the Bogota Savings Bank Center, drilling eight three-pointers on 12 attempts to finish with a career-high 25 points.
 
His lights out performance from deep set the mark for the most triples made by an NEC player in a league game this season, and were the most since LIU’s Marko Maletic dropped eight at FDU on January 7. 2023. Jones ranks 21st on the NCAA single-game list this season.
 
The eight three-pointers were also the most by an FDU player in a conference game in nearly 27 years. The Knights’ Jermaine Slider drained eight at Wagner on February 21, 1998.

Jones’ teammate Tyree Barba Bey (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway (Jefferson)) hit eight trifectas earlier this season in a memorable shooting night at Boston College on December 28, finishing 8-of-9. Le Moyne freshman Jakob Blakely (Elgin, IL/Walter Payton Preparatory) had an 8-12 night from outside the arc against SUNY Delhi on December 14.
 
Jones currently leads the NEC with 69 three-pointers and 2.56 makes per game, while shooting at a robust 39.9 percent clip from beyond the arc.
 
>> BLUE DEVIL BLUEPRINT
 
CCSU has forged an identity this season as a second half steamroller.
 
The white-hot Blue Devils have turned post-halftime dominance into their calling card, heading back to the lab to make adjustments before shifting into another gear in the second half.
 
And they have the numbers to back it up.
 
In CCSU’s ten conference wins, the Blue Devils have outscored opponents by an average of 3.3 points per game in the first half. That margin balloons to 11.3 ppg in the second half, as the Blue Devils have outscored every league rival after the break.
 
CCSU Opponent           1H               2H
at SFU                  Even             +15
at Mercyhurst           -1               +13
at FDU                  +7               +4
at Le Moyne             +12              +11
vs. Chicago St.         +8               +9
at LIU                  +9               +4
at Stonehill            Even             +8
vs. FDU                 +4               +17
vs. Mercyhurst          -3               +13
vs. SFU                 -3               +19
 
If CCSU sustains its +11.3 scoring margin in conference play, it would match the highest mark by an NEC team since the Blue Devils outscored opponents by 13.5 per game in the 2001-02 season.
 
>> DANCLER STEPS UP AS LE MOYNE GAINS GROUND
 
All it took was 48 hours for Le Moyne to make its move.
 
The Dolphins picked up their first sweep of the season last week, but it wasn’t easy.
 
And it was a super soph that led the charge.
 
Le Moyne started the week by snapping a five-game losing streak, defeating Wagner, 72-68, at Ted Grant Court on Thursday. But it almost didn’t happen.
 
With the Dolphins up six with under a minute to play, the Seahawks chipped away at the lead and found themselves with the ball at midcourt down three with one second to play. Senior guard Zaire Williams (Brooklyn, NY/Eagle Academy (NY)) broke free for a catch-and-shoot in the corner and buried a clutch three at the buzzer to send it to OT.
 
It was here that sophomore guard AJ Dancler (Indianapolis, IN/Southport) took matters into his own hands.
 
The Indianapolis native scored eight of Le Moyne’s ten points in the extra session, capped by an acrobatic and-1 with 1:48 to play that gave the Dolphins a six-point lead.

Dancler, who did not score in the first half, finished with a game-high 17 points.
 
Two days later against Chicago State, he jumpstarted Le Moyne’s second half push, drilling three straight triples in a 95-second span.
 
With the game on the line, Dancler stepped up once more, drilling a highlight reel stepback dagger three with 23 seconds to play in Le Moyne’s 80-75 victory.
 
He logged 14 of his team-high 19 points after intermission.
 
With the two crucial wins, Le Moyne jumped from ninth place to a three-way tie for seventh, and just a half-game out of sixth as teams battle for positioning with the NEC Tournament looming.
 
>> LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
 
When Saint Francis U freshman guard Victor Payne (Cromwell, CT/Cromwell) played 11 minutes for the Red Flash in their game at CCSU on Saturday, it marked the first time a Victor Payne played in Detrick Gymnasium since the 1999-00 season.
 
Payne’s father, also named Victor, competed at CCSU from 1996-00 and helped the Blue Devils to their first NEC title in 1999-00.
 
The elder Payne, who was in attendance at the game to see his son play, scored 736 points over his four seasons in New Britain. He recorded 11 points and eight rebounds in CCSU’s 63-46 win over Robert Morris in the 2000 final.

Both Paynes recently appeared on the NEC Overtime! Pod. You can watch the episode on the NEC’s YouTube channel or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
 
>> #NECINTHEPROS UPDATE: MORALES TO COMPETE IN THIRD LEG OF FIBA AMERICUP QUALIFYING
 
Two-time NEC Player of the Year Alex Morales continues to thrive during his post-Wagner playing career.
 
Morales, who has spent the last three years competing in the NBA G-League for the Osceola Magic, was selected to represent the Puerto Rico National Team during upcoming FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. This will be the third and final window before the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup in Nicaragua.
 
Morales will be making his second appearance for Puerto Rico in the AmeriCup Qualifiers after averaging 8.5 ppg in the November leg.
 
Morales is currently in his third year as a member of the Osceola Magic in the NBA G League.
 
This season, he is averaging 8.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.9 apg and 1.5 spg for the Magic.
 
The Paterson, NJ native became the fourth player in league history to repeat as NEC Player of the Year (2020-21 and 2021-22), while also winning the Defensive Player of the Year award as a senior (2021-22).
 
In his three-year career on Grymes Hill, Morales became the 13th player in NEC history to compile 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 250 assists.
 
>> FREE THROW FRENZY
 
A trio of NEC players this season have a chance to etch their names in the NEC recordbook for their prowess at the charity stripe.
 
Mercyhurst senior guard Bernie Blunt III (Morgantown, PA/Peddie School (Quinnipiac/Edinboro)) and graduate student forward Jeff Planutis (Hazleton, PA/Hazleton), along with Stonehill sophomore forward Stonehill’s Todd Brogna (Southborough, MA/Worcester Academy), have topped the NEC charts and ranked among the nation’s leaders at the line all season long.
 
Blunt leads the NEC at 92.8 percent, followed by Brogna at 91.2 percent, with Planutis connecting at a 89.1 percent clip.
 
With their elite efficiency at the stripe, all three have a shot at cracking the NEC single-season top-10 list.
 
NEC Single-Season Free Throw Percentage Leaders (minimum of 2.5 FT/G)
1. Danny Basile (MAR)            .944 (84/89)             1993-94
   Darnell Edge (FDU)            .944 (84/89)             2017-18
3. Tristan Blackwood (CCSU)      .924 (97/105)            2006-07
4. Steve Eggink (MAR)            .920 (81/88)             1984-85
5. Robby Ptacek (CCSU)           .920 (126/137)           2011-12
6. Dyami Starks (BRY)            .913 (105/115)           2014-15
7. Dwayne Byfield (MU)           .911 (72/79)             2002-03
8. Ben Millaud-Meunier (SFU)     .910 (81/89)             2015-16
9. William Lewis (MU) Jr.        .901 (91/101)            1990-91
10. Darnell Edge (FDU)           .894 (110/123)           2018-19
 
>> UP NEXT ON NEC-TV
 
The NEC-TV crew pays a visit to Syracuse this Saturday when Le Moyne plays host to LIU.
 
The contest, which will stream exclusively on ESPN+, tips at 2:00 pm.
 
Longtime NEC announcers Dave Popkin (PxP) and Joe DeSantis (analyst) are in the booth.
 
>> NEC ANALYTICS ZONE (with Ryan Peters, NEC Overtime! Blog)

FDU’s offense accelerated to another level last Thursday after pouring in 91 points versus Chicago State for a KenPom offensive efficiency mark of 131.5, the team’s best offensive output versus a Division I opponent this season. In their impressive outburst, FDU made an assist on 67.6 percent of its buckets - the Division I average is 52.0 percent - and received positive contributions from six Knights with respect to a KenPom offensive rating above 100. Super senior Bismark Nsiah (Bronx, NY/Lehman (Jefferson)) registered the best efficiency of the group with 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 29 minutes. If you count his two games last week, Nsiah made all nine of his field goals (out of 11 shots) near the rim and within at least one foot in the paint.
 
Le Moyne’s 6-foot-6 freshman Deng Garang (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes) has burst out of the scene of late, scoring 30 points in the Dolphins successful President’s Day weekend with two victories. In the back-to-back triumphs, Garang scored 1.36 points per possession while draining 7-10 shots classified as catch-and-shoot opportunities. Since storming into Nate Champion’s rotation four games ago, the long Garang has also amassed seven steals for a 3.7 percent steal rate. If Garang had played enough minutes to qualify, that steal rate would register as the second best mark among NEC players, trailing just LIU guard Brent Davis (Miramar, FL/Miramar (Citadel/Chicago State)) with a 4.22 percent rate.
 
One Stonehill player who emerged in the Skyhawks successful weekend was Ethan Meuser (Shavertown, PA/Wyoming Seminary (The Hill School)), as the junior scored in double figures in consecutive games for the first time in his collegiate career. Meuser set a career-high with 17 points in 21 minutes in Stonehill’s defeat of visiting Saint Francis U, draining four triples off of teammates’ passes. For the season, the power forward has shown a penchant for wreaking havoc in pick-and-roll situations, scoring 1.23 points per possession when setting a ball screen for a teammate. When Meuser either picks and pops or slips the pick according to Synergy, he’s made 48 percent of his three-pointers this season, a mark that’s well above average relative to other Division I players.
 
Interestingly enough, some of the NEC’s most efficient players at the rim this season have been underclassmen, led by the Central Connecticut duo of Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Vermont Academy) (1st, 1.63 ppp) and Max Frazier (Pittsboro, NC/Northwood (Siena)) (4th, 1.48 ppp), Stonehill freshman Hermann Koffi  (Quebec City, Quebec/Polyvalente de Thetford Mines) (6th, 1.40 ppp), LIU swingman Tre’Shawn Sheppard (Brooklyn, NY/Eagle Academy for Young Men II) (7th, 1.38 ppp) and Saint Francis rookie guard Jeremy Clayville (Ridgewood, NJ/Saint Joseph Metuchen) (9th, 1.36 ppp). Of the players in the top-10 of the category, Le Moyne’s Dwayne Koroma (Berlin, Germany/Bishop Walsh (MD) (Iona/Salt Lake CC/UT Arlington)) is the only player to have made at least 100 baskets near the rim, shooting a sensational 76.4 percent on 157 attempts.