A gifted athlete and natural leader who excels in all facets of the game, Johnson is the straw that stirs the drink for Monmouth. The Hawks improved by six games in 2000-01 and enter the NEC Tournament as the #2 seed after posting a school record 15 league victories against just five defeats. Johnson, who earned second team all-NEC status as a sophomore, paces the Hawks in scoring (19.4 ppg), rebounding (6.1 rpg), assists (5.8 apg), steals (2.0 spg), three-pointers (2.3/game) and free-throw percentage (.786). The Washington, D.C. native leads the conference in assists, ranks second in scoring, third in steals, eighth in three-point field-goals, ninth in free-throw percentage and despite standing just 6-0, is the 14th ranked rebounder in the league. Johnson eclipsed the 1,000 point barrier on February 25 and became the fifth player in Monmouth history to score 500 points in a single season. A two-time NEC Player of the Week winner, he also delivered one of the finest individual performances in NEC history when he racked up 43 points in an 86-77 win over first place St. Francis (NY) on February 4th. The 43 point outburst tied a Monmouth Division I record and was the eighth highest single-game scoring total in NEC history.

A much heralded recruit out of St. Raymond’s High School in New York City, Mulligan more than lived up to the preseason hype surrounding his arrival on the UMBC campus. The year after being named New York State’s Mr. Basketball, he helped the Retrievers to a 13-7 conference record and the #3 seed in the NEC Tournament. Mulligan currently leads all NEC freshman and ranks eighth overall in scoring with 16.1 ppg. A versatile player well schooled in the game’s fundamentals, he also contributes 5.4 rpg, 2.4 apg and shoots .484 from the field. Mulligan became the first player to win NEC Rookie of the Week honors five times in a season since Rider’s Charles Smith captured the award eight times during the 1993-94 campaign. He ranks in the NEC top-20 in five categories and reached double figures in 21 straight games to close out the regular season. Mulligan also set a UMBC Division I freshman scoring record with 435 points.

One of the league’s top point guards and a two-time NEC assist champion, Nunn’s contributions on the defensive side of the ball often go unnoticed. Blessed with uncanny instincts, Nunn is a tremendous on-the-ball defender who thrives in head coach Ron Ganulin’s schemes. Nunn ranks sixth in the league in steals, averaging 1.9 per-game, and is a constant disruption to opposing offenses.

Calloway is the driving force behind Monmouth’s amazing run this season. He was the youngest coach in the nation (29) when he assumed control of the program midway through the 1997-98 campaign, and has improved the Hawks in each of the next three seasons. His hard work came to fruition in 2000-01, when Monmouth set a school record with 15 wins in league play and earned the #2 seed in the NEC Tournament, the school’s highest since 1994. By coupling a patient, intracite offense - executed to perfection by the conference’s top player, Rahsaan Johnson - with the NEC’s top-rated defense, Calloway found the recipe for success this season as Monmouth seeks to claim its second NEC Tournament crown.

In addition to Johnson, two of the remaining four all-NEC first team players are repeat honorees. St. Francis (NY) senior guard Steven Howard (Watertown, NY/Watertown) was a first team all-NEC pick last season, while Central Connecticut State junior center Corsley Edwards (Baltimore, MD/Lake Clifton Eastern) was a second team choice in 1999-00. Making their all-star debuts are St. Francis (NY) senior forward Richy Dominguez (Choco, Colombia/San Juan Bosco) and Wagner sophomore forward Jermaine Hall (Dublin, GA/Dublin).

A pure scorer who is equally adept slashing to the hoop or sticking a three-point shot, Howard ends the regular season as the NEC’s leading point producer (20.3 ppg) and ranks 24th nationally in scoring. Possessing unlimited range from the outside, Howard also tops the NEC and stands 15th in the nation in made three-pointers with 3.2 per game. The Watertown, NY native became the second player in St. Francis (NY) history to top the 1,000-point mark in just his second season. A two-time NEC Player of the Week selection, Howard has converted an NEC-high 140 free-throws and is third in the league in free-throw shooting (.854). He has cracked the 30-point barrier five times in 2000-01, capped by a season-high 38 point effort against Fairfield on December 12.

Edwards, who has evolved from an all-rookie recipient as a freshman into the NEC’s premier big man as a junior, has the skills to thrive against any level of competition. The 6-9, 270 lb. Baltimore native averages 16.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and shoots .523 from the floor and .741 from the charity stripe. Edwards is the seventh leading scorer in the conference, and ranks fifth in rebounding, tenth in field-goal percentage and 14th in free-throw percentage. With a soft touch on his mid-range jump shot and a bevy of post moves, Edwards can be difficult for opposing centers to handle. He tallied 30 points, nine rebounds and six steals against Seton Hall on December 30 and had 36 points and 17 boards versus UMBC on December 9.

The NEC Rookie of the Year in 1997-98, Dominguez has few peers when it comes to all-around play. He kept opposing defenses off balance this season with an improved outside shot to go along with an explosive first step, not to mention his reputation as a rebounder and skilled defender. Dominguez is the league’s third leading scorer at 19.2 ppg, and ranks second in steals (2.1 spg), eighth in rebounds (7.0 rpg) and 14th in field-goal percentage (.504). Dominguez, who calls Choco, Colombia home, is the NEC’s second leading active scorer with 1,451 points.

The label "instant offense" comes to mind when discussing Hall, who at 6-5, is almost unguardable in the post. A two-time NEC Player of the Week honoree, Hall averages 18.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and shoots .580 from the field. He is second in the conference in field-goal percentage (20th nationally) and fourth in scoring. The NEC Rookie of the Year in 1999-2000, Hall is quickly approaching the 1,000-point mark (933) and seems to take his game to a new level when faced with formidable opposition. Over the last two years, Hall, who hails from Dublin, GA, has averaged 23.2 ppg and shot .620 from the field in games against Seton Hall (two), Penn State, Michigan and Fresno State.

Three more repeat winners grace the all-NEC second team, headlined by two-time first team all-star Terence Ward (Egg Harbor Township, NJ/Egg Harbor Township). Central Connecticut State senior forward John Tice (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional), along with Fairleigh Dickinson center Chris Ekwe (Douala, Cameroon/Lycee de Technique), a graduate student, make it back-to-back second team all-NEC plaudits. First time all-stars include UMBC senior forward/center Kennedy Okafor (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood) and Robert Morris junior forward Wesley Fluellen (Cleveland, OH/Collinwood).

One of the NEC’s most potent outside shooters, Ward has set up shop beyond-the-arc with great success during his stellar four-year career at UMBC. In 2000-01, Ward ranks 11th in the conference in scoring (15.3 ppg) and second in made three-pointers (2.7/game). His 1,651 points leads all NEC active players and he ranks fourth on UMBC’s all-time scoring list. Ward enters the postseason with 289 career three-pointers, making him the most prolific long distance bomber in school history. Hailing from Egg Harbor Township, NJ, Ward set a Retriever record with eight treys against Navy on February 19, and amazingly matched that total in UMBC’s very next game against Monmouth on February 22.

Tice showed his resiliency throughout the season, fighting through pain that resulted from October foot surgery. Though it took a while to shake off the rust, Tice came on strong during the second half of the season to help lead the defending champions back into the playoffs. Tice averages 13.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and has drilled 36 three-pointers. A transfer from Fairfield who keyed CCSU’s drive to their first NEC title last season, Tice is a hard-nosed ballplayer with a well deserved reputation for delivering in the clutch. To illustrate, the Bayville, NJ native scored 24 points and added five rebounds and four assists to help the Blue Devils clinch a tournament berth on the final day of the regular season with a road win over Robert Morris.

With his chiseled body and aggressive nature on the court, the 6-8, 250 lb. Ekwe has developed into a top-flight center over his three years with Fairleigh Dickinson. Ekwe averages 16.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and shoots .560 from the floor, all team-highs. He ranks second in the NEC in rebounding, fourth in field-goal shooting and tenth in scoring. Over the past season, the native of Douala, Cameroon has become a more complete offensive player after adding a reliable half-hook to his repetoire. He is 13th on the Knights’ career scoring list (1,111 points) and ninth on the rebounding chart (650). Ekwe has also tallied eight double-double performances, second in the NEC this season.

A hungry player around the hoop, Okafor made headlines this season with his rebounding exploits. Okafor, who averages 9.4 rpg, leads the NEC and ranks 22nd nationally. He became UMBC’s all-time rebound king on February 15th, and with 972 boards to his credit, has an outside shot of becoming UMBC’s first 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound player. Okafor, who hails from Brooklyn, NY, averages 12.6 ppg and shoots .512 from the floor. He leads the conference with nine double-doubles and has posted 42 in his four-year career.

One of the NEC’s most improved players, Fluellen seemingly came out of nowhere to become one of the league’s most prolific scorers. After averaging 6.2 points last season, Fluellen raised his scoring average over ten points - the most of any player in the conference - to rank sixth in the NEC at 16.7 ppg. A sinewy slasher, he excelled in NEC play, averaging 19.2 ppg. A Cleveland, OH native, Fluellen also averaged 4.9 rpg, shot .549 from the floor and scored 20 or more points in 11 games this season.