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BRYANT’S ALEX FRANCIS CRACKS TOP-10 ON NEC CAREER SCORING LIST
 
The players who are ensconced in the top-10 on the NEC career scoring list read like a “Who’s Who” of the 33-year history of the conference.  Four have been inducted into the NEC Hall of Fame, and several others figure to be future inductees.
 
Joining that hallowed group last week was Bryant senior forward Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep), who moved up two spots to become the 10th-leading point producer in NEC history.  With 1,892 points, he passed LIU Brooklyn’s Jamal Olasewere (1,871) and RMU’s Jeremy Chappell (1,875), a pair of recent NEC Player of the Year honorees.
 
With ten games remaining in the regular season and any postseason games thereafter, Francis is on pace to become the sixth player in league annals to crack the 2,000-point barrier.
 
NEC Career Scoring Leaders
1. Terrance Bailey*      WC        2,591       1983-87
2. Joe Anderson          SFU       2,301       1987-91
3. Chris McGuthrie       MSM       2,297       1993-96
4. Jermaine Hall         WC        2,278       1999-03
5. Shane Gibson          SHU       2,079       2008-13
6. Ken Horton            CCSU      1,966       2007-12
7. Myron Walker*         RMU       1,965       1990-94
8. Rik Smits*            MAR       1,945       1984-88
9. Desi Wilson*          FDU       1,902       1988-91
10. Alex Francis         BRY       1,892       2010-14
11. Jeremy Chappell      RMU       1,875       2005-09
12. Jamal Olasewere      LIU       1,871       2009-13
13. Joe Griffin          LIU       1,830       1991-95
14. Jeff Hamilton        SFU       1,810       1981-85
15. Charles Jones        LIU       1,772       1996-98
 
* Member of NEC Hall of Fame
 
One of the NEC’s hottest players, Francis had a six-game streak of recording 20 or more points snapped on Saturday when he finished with 19 in an 83-79 win over St. Francis Brooklyn.  In NEC play, Francis leads the conference with 24.0 ppg.  He also ranks second with 9.5 rpg and fifth with 61.9 percent shooting from the field.
 
One of four players in NEC history to rank in the top-20 in both scoring and rebounding in his career, Francis is now 31 rebounds shy of reaching the top-10 in both categories.
 
Players Ranked In Top-20 In NEC Career Scoring & Rebounding
Ken Horton         CCSU       1,966 points/6th     842 rebounds/13th
Rik Smits          MAR        1,945/8th            811/19th
Jamal Olasewere    LIU        1,871/11th           963/7th
Alex Francis       BRY        1,892/10th           885/12th
 
Francis currently occupies spots in the NEC top-10 in scoring (19.1, third), rebounding (7.5, third) and field goal percentage (.578, 1st).
 
GRAND DAY FOR SFBK’S CANNON & BRYANT’S STARKS
Two NEC players reached the 1,000-point mark for their careers last Thursday, and the best part...they’re both coming back next season.
 
Bryant junior guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, MN/Duluth East (Columbia)) reached 1,000 points 49 seconds into the second half of an 87-79 win over LIU Brooklyn.  Starks has scored 957 of his 1,045 points as a member of the Bulldogs with the remainder coming in his freshman year at Columbia.  The Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week scored 23 in the contest, then followed with 30 more in a victory over St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday.  The 34th member of the Bryant 1,000-point club, Starks joins teammate Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)), the leading active scorer in the NEC with 1,892 points.
 
St. Francis Brooklyn junior forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) became the 29th member of the program to eclipse 1,000 points with a layup late in a one-point setback at FDU.  He is the first player since Ricky Cadell (school-record 1,662 points from 2007-11) to hit the mark in his junior season. At third on SFBK’s all-time rebounding list, Cannon now needs 291 rebounds to become just the second Terrier ever with 1,000 points and 1,000 boards, joining Jerome Williams (1490 points and school record 1,018 rebounds from 1972-76).
 
Next to hit the milestone figure to be Robert Morris junior swingman Lucky Jones (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) (988 points) and St. Francis Brooklyn senior guard Ben Mockford (Shoreham-by-Sea, England/Oak Hill Academy) (944).
 
There have been 192 players in NEC history who have cracked the 1,000-point barrier.
 
COLONIAL PERFECTION SETS UP NEC SHOWDOWN WITH BRYANT
And the beat goes on for Robert Morris.
 
The Colonials are off to the first 6-0 start in NEC play in program history following a 91-65 win over Sacred Heart on Thursday and a tightly contested 74-70 victory over NEC preseason favorite Wagner on Saturday.
 
Combined with Bryant’s (5-1 NEC) sweep of LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis Brooklyn, a first place showdown is now set for Thursday on ESPNU when the two teams meet at the Chuck.
 
While RMU took control of the Sacred Heart game right from the start, the Colonials needed to rally from a seven-point second half deficit against the Seahawks.
 
In the end, it was a freshman who stepped up down the stretch for Toole and the Colonials.  Twice in the final 30 seconds of action against Wagner freshman guard Kavon Stewart (Paterson, NJ/Hudson Catholic) went to the free throw line to preserve a lead, hitting a pair with 28 seconds to go and two more with 13 seconds left on the clock.
 
“It was big for Kavon,” said RMU senior guard Karvel Anderson (Elkhart, IN/Elkhart Memorial (Glen Oaks CC)).  “He hasn’t been very confident or consistent free throw shooter, but (Saturday) he played free.  You could see it at the line.  He told us before he walked to the line he was going to make them.  You don’t hear that from him much, so we feel like we’re seeing him maturing.”
 
Anderson led the way for the Colonials with 21 points, including 4-8 from three-point land.
 
“This one meant a lot to us,” Anderson said. “Coming in, they (Wagner) were preseason favorites to win the league.  It was a statement for us.  I’m just proud that we fought and stayed together though all the adversity because there was a lot of it throughout the game.  We were fortunate to come out on top.”
 
And while Toole was quick to point out there were still 10 games left to play, he couldn’t contain his pride for how the Colonials responded to Saturday’s challenge.
 
“I’m not the most religious person, but I believe in the basketball gods and they might have been with us on that occasion because of the effort and the respect our guys gave over a 40-minute period,” Toole said.  “Everybody was on the floor, everybody was making plays, everybody was together, everybody was cheering for each other and sometimes when you do those things, the ball bounces your way.”
 
“Both teams played incredibly hard.  The emotion and intensity was terrific, and our guys during the last seven minutes were talking how fun it was to be playing basketball.  I’m really proud of the effort they gave.”
 
NEC-TV GOES NATIONAL THIS WEEK
Two NEC-TV games are on tap this week, beginning on Wednesday when Sacred Heart hosts St. Francis Brooklyn at 6:00 pm in a game set to air on MSG and Fox College Sports.  Paul Dottino (play-by-play), Tim Capstraw (color) and Pat O’Keefe (sideline) are in the booth.  They will be joined by former Monmouth head coach Dave Calloway in a special four-man booth.  The Terriers beat the Pioneers, 74-71, in Brooklyn on January 18.
 
The following evening brings the first of two ESPNU regular season titls as Robert Morris hosts Bryant in a battle of the top two teams in the NEC standings.  Tipoff is set for 8:00 pm with Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play) and Adrian Branch (color) on the call.  The two teams already met once this season, with the Colonials handing the Bulldogs their lone NEC setback with a 71-67 win in Smithfield on January 11.
 
DUKE OF EARL
It was one year ago when Saint Francis U’s Earl Brown (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) came of age by recording seven straight double-doubles after the holidays.  He morphed into one of the NEC’s top-rebounders - including 25 in a win over CCSU on January 3, 2013 - and ended the season by being voted the NEC’s Most Improved Player.
 
Fast forward one year and the junior forward is again on an incredible role since the holidays.  Over his last eight games, the Philadelphia native has averaged 20.1 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.9 bpg and shot 61.5 percent from the floor.  In that stretch, Brown has posted four double-doubles and two 30-point outings, including 30 points on 13-17 shooting in a six-point loss to Mount St. Mary’s last Thursday.  Two days later he finished with 16 points and nine caroms as SFU snapped a three-game losing streak with a 68-66 triumph over Sacred Heart on NEC-TV.
 
“I’ll just do anything for a win,” Brown said after defeating the Pioneers.  “I’m always happy with five points and a win than 30 points and a loss.”
 
“[This win] shows our growth as a team,” said sophomore forward Ronnie Drinnon (Jamestown, OH/Greenview).  “We’re a young team but credit to Earl Brown leading this team.  It’s showing that we’re growing and we’ll continue to grow.  This is a big confidence builder going into next week.  The biggest thing is our chemistry and that helps us a lot during these tough games.”
 
On the year, Brown ranks eighth in the NEC in scoring (15.5), first in rebounding (9.7), second in field goal percentage (.567) and ninth in blocks (1.2).
 
TOP NEC SCORING TANDEMS
The best one-two punch in the NEC?  That honor goes to Bryant’s terrific tandem of junior guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, MN/Duluth East) and senior forward Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)).  Starks, the NEC leader with 20.5 ppg, and Francis, who ranks third with 19.1 ppg, are combining for 39.6 ppg on the year.
 
BRY        Dyami Starks          20.5 ppg    Alex Francis          19.1 ppg       39.6 ppg
MSM        Julian Norfleet       18.6 ppg    Rashad Whack          15.9 ppg       34.5 ppg
RMU        Karvel Anderson       19.0 ppg    Lucky Jones           14.1 ppg       33.1 ppg
FDU        Sidney Sanders        19.2 ppg    Mathias Seilund       9.8 ppg        29.0 ppg
SFBK       Jalen Cannon          15.9 ppg    Ben Mockford          11.9 ppg       27.8 ppg
 
How does the 39.6 ppg scored by the Starks/Francis duo rank among recent NEC scoring tandems?  The last pair of teammates to finish a season with as many combined points were LIU Brooklyn’s Charles Jones (29.0 ppg) and Mike Campbell (19.7 ppg), who totaled an astounding 48.7 ppg in the 1997-98 season.
 
FDU TURNING HEADS WITH TURNAROUND
What a difference a year makes.
 
There was plenty of optimism when Greg Herenda arrived at Fairleigh Dickinson last spring with the goal of returning the Knights to the top of the NEC food chain.  But with the loss of the team’s top four scorers from a seven-win team, even the program’s most ardent supporters would have been hard pressed to predict the turnaround that appears to be unfolding in Hackensack.
 
First came the wins over traditional in-state powers Rutgers and Seton Hall during non-conference play.  Now, after sweeping a homestand with St. Francis Brooklyn and CCSU last week, the Knights improved to 4-2 in NEC play, claimed sole possession of third place in the conference and made last year a distant memory.
 
The win over the Terriers was as improbable as it gets.  FDU trailed by six points with a minute to play, but ended the game on a 7-0 run culminating with two free throws by freshman guard Malachi Nix (Evanston, IL/Niles North) with 3.4 seconds to play.
 
“I told Malachi (Nix) he had to earn his keep tonight, and he came up huge,” said Herenda after the game.  “I am really happy for him.  He had ice water in his veins.  We talk a lot about perseverance, and tonight it really paid off.  We had our backs against the wall late, but we never quit.  I am so proud of my entire team.  St. Francis Brooklyn is a very good team, and we were fortunate to win.  Six players in double-figures says it all – it was about our team tonight.”
 
With its 86-73 win over the Blue Devils on Saturday, FDU surpassed last year’s win total of seven, and doubled its conference win total of four.  The Knights are off to their first 4-2 start in NEC play since 2006-07 and with a 5-2 home mark, their best start at Stratis Arena since the 2005-06 campaign.
 
FDU has also won five-of-seven games for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
 
“We were extremely solid all day long, but the day really belonged to Mathias (Seilund) and his family,” Herenda explained after the senior forward finished with 18 points and nine boards as the Knights knocked off CCSU.  “I am so happy for Mathias.  He is such a great young man and an unsung hero for FDU basketball.  Today was his birthday, and he gave his parents, our team and our fans a great present himself.  We still have a lot of work to do, but we are getting better every day. This team is special.”
And when the dust cleared on Saturday, it was Greg Herenda’s brother Bill who may have summed it up best with this tweet.
 
Bill Herenda @billherenda
Brother Greg & @FDUKnights r like Vicki Sue Robinson, “Turn the Beat Around” w/8 wins surpassing last yr’s win total & now 4-2 in NEC @NECs…
 
900! BRICKMAN TAKES NEXT STEP TOWARD NCAA TOP-10
Tracking Jason Brickman’s (San Antonio, TX/Clark) rise toward the tippy-top of the NCAA career assist chart has been fascinating both in its swiftness and the high profile names he is passing.  Last week, he reached another milestone last week when he surpassed the 900 mark in a 75-71 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.
 
Brickman, the subject of a lengthy New York Times feature over the weekend, moved up five more spots on the week and enters play this Thursday 13th all-time with 905 dimes.  He is just 34 assists away from surpassing Gary Payton and 42 assists shy of reaching the top-10.
 
NCAA Career Assist Leaders
9. Greg Anthony (UNLV)                      950          1986-90
10. Doug Gottlieb (Notre Dame/Ok. St.)      947          1996-00
11. Gary Payton (Oregon State)              939          1986-90
12. D.J. Cooper (Ohio)                      934          2009-13
13. Jason Brickman (LIU)                    905          2010-14
14. Orlando Smart (San Francisco)           902          1990-94
15. Andre LeFleur (Northeastern)            894          1983-87
16. Chico Fletcher (Arkansas State)         893          1996-00
17. Jim Les (Bradley)                       884          1982-86
18. Frank Smith (Old Dominion)              883          1984-88
19. Scott Machado (Iona)                    880          2008-12
20. Taurence Chisolm (Delaware)             877          1984-88
 
Brickman comes off a huge week that saw him average 14.5 ppg, 12.5 apg, 4.0 rpg and 2.0 spg.  He posted a pair of double-doubles with 15 points and 13 assists in an 87-79 loss at Bryant, and 14 points and 12 assists in the victory over the Mount.  Brickman is now tied for first with eight double-doubles on the year.
 
Only three players in the history of the NCAA have made it to 1,000 assists.  Duke’s Bobby Hurley is first with 1,076, followed by NC State’s Chris Corchiani (1,038) and UNC’s Ed Cota (1,030).  To get there in the regular season, Brickman would need to average 9.5 per game.  He currently leads the nation with 9.8 apg, well over two assists ahead of Longwood’s Lucas Woodhouse (7.5 apg).
 
CCSU’S MOBLEY STEPS UP
With CCSU all-star Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) out with an injury, the Blue Devils needed someone to step up, and freshman guard Matt Mobley (Worcester, MA/St. Peter Marian (Worcester Academy)) has answered the call.
 
After averaging 3.4 ppg over the first 13 games of his collegiate career, Mobley broke out in a big way once NEC play commenced.  In six league games, he has contributed 13.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 2.5 apg while shooting 94.1 percent from the line.  The 13.5 ppg against league opponents puts him in the top-20 among NEC point producers.
 
The Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week averaged 18.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.5 apg last week, including 22 points and seven rebounds - both career-highs - in an 87-83 road win at NEC preseason favorite Wagner on Thursday.  He scored nine points in the last 30 seconds, including a three-pointer that gave CCSU a four-point lead, then hit 6-6 from the line to seal the win.  Mobley came back to score 15 points at FDU on Saturday.
 
SCORING UP
Three weeks into the NEC season and one thing is clear: scoring is up from a year ago.
 
NEC teams averaged 72.4 ppg in conference play in 2012-13, but after six games this season, that number has jumped to 75.0 ppg, an increase of 3.6 percent.  Seven of the league’s 10 teams have boosted their conference scoring average from last season.
 
Bryant (82.3 ppg) and FDU (80.2 ppg) are both averaging in excess of 80 points per outing, a figure no NEC team was able to reach in 2012-13.
 
There are also six teams putting up at least 76.8 ppg in 2013-14, compared to just two last season.
 
ON THE NATIONAL LEADERBOARD
Below are a list of NEC players who rank in the top-25 nationally in various statistical categories.
 
Category            Name                Team    Stats         Ranking
Scoring             Dyami Starks        BRY     20.5 ppg      21st
Rebounding          Earl Brown          SFU     9.7 rpg       21st
Assists             Jason Brickman      LIU     9.8 apg       1st
                    Phil Gaetano        SHU     6.5 apg       9th     
3PFG/Game           Karvel Anderson     RMU     3.43/game     10th
                    Dyami Starks        BRY     3.40/game     11th
3PFG%               Karvel Anderson     RMU     .477          3rd
Double-Doubles      Jason Brickman      LIU     8             24th   
                    Earl Brown          SFU     8             24th
 
NEC NOTABLES
 
• Fairleigh Dickinson senior forward Mathias Seilund (Dragoer, Denmark/Falkonergaardens Gymnasium) averaged 15.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.0 bpg, and shot 57.1 percent from the field and 66.7 percent (4-6) from three-point range in a pair of FDU wins last week.  He scored 18 and snared a career-high nine boards in an 86-73 win over CCSU on Saturday.  Over his last four games, Seilund is 26-38 (68.4 percent) from the floor and 7-11 (63.6 percent) from long distance.
 
• Fairleigh Dickinson senior guard Sidney Sanders, Jr. (Charleston, SC/Burke (Polk CC)) averaged 16.0 ppg and 9.5 apg on the week for the Knights.  He picked up his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 assists in a win over CCSU, and finished with 20 points and nine assists two days earlier in a one-point victory over St. Francis Brooklyn.
 
• LIU Brooklyn senior guard Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) registered a pair of double-doubles in LIU’s 1-1 week. The senior point guard averaged 14.5 ppg, 12.5 apg, 4.0 rpg and 2.0 spg, and went a perfect 10-10 from the free-throw line.  Brickman also shot 57.1 percent from the field and helped the Blackbirds to a 75-71 victory over Mount St. Mary’s in a rematch of last season’s NEC title game. The 6-0 point guard scored six straight points in the final three minutes to give LIU a comfortable cushion and finished with 14 points and 12 assists.
 
• Mount St. Mary’s freshman guard Byron Ashe (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate) averaged 15.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg and 1.0 spg last week.  He started the week with a 12-point effort in an 83-77 win at Saint Francis U, then followed with a career-best 18 points - hitting five three-pointers - in a four-point loss at LIU Brooklyn.  Ashe is now averaging 8.0 points while shooting 42.1 percent from three-point range this year.
 
• Mount St. Mary’s senior guard Sam Prescott (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter (Marist)) scored a season-high 25 points in the Mount’s 83-77 win at Saint Francis U.  His off-balance three-pointer as the shot clock was about to expire with 43 seconds remaining gave the Mount a six-point lead and sealed the win.  It was his first 20-point game of the year.  Prescott is averaging a team-best 18.3 points over the past three games and has made 26 consecutive free throws.
 
• Mount St. Mary’s sophomore forward Gregory Graves (Sterling, VA/Potomac Falls) averaged 15.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg in the Mount’s 1-1 week.  He scored a career-high 17 points at Saint Francis U.
 
• Robert Morris freshman guard Kavon Stewart (Paterson, NJ/Hudson Catholic) had his best week in an RMU uniform, averaging 10.5 ppg, 4.5 apg and 2.0 spg in a pair of wins last week for the Colonials.  He matched a career-high with 11 points and added a team-best five assists in a 91-65 win over Sacred Heart on Thursday, then scored all ten of his points at the chalk and dished out four assists on his birthday in Saturday’s 74-70 win over Wagner.  Twice in the final 30 seconds of action Stewart went to the free throw line against Wagner to preserve a lead, hitting a pair with 28 seconds to go and again two more with 13 seconds left on the clock.
 
• Robert Morris senior guard Karvel Anderson (Elkhart, IN/Elkhart Memorial (Glen Oaks CC)) averaged 18.0 ppg in two wins last week.  He poured in a game-high 21 points in a 74-70 win over Wagner on Saturday.  Anderson has eclipsed the 20-point plateau nine times this season and ranks fourth in the NEC in scoring with 19.0 ppg.  In NEC play, Anderson is averaging 23.3 ppg and has made 53.5 percent of his shots (23-43) from three-point territory.
 
• Sacred Heart junior guard Phil Gaetano (Wallingford, CT/Sheehan (Choate Rosemary)) finished with 17 assists against just three turnovers last week.  His 8.5 apg average lifted his season average to 6.5 apg, good for second in the NEC and ninth nationally.  He recorded 10 helpers against Robert Morris on Thursday, his fourth double-digit assist game of the year.
 
• Sacred Heart freshman forward De’Von Barnett (Waldorf, MD/Riverdale Baptist) averaged 9.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg last week, including 14 points and seven caroms at Saint Francis U on Saturday.                                  
• St. Francis Brooklyn junior guard Brent Jones (Brooklyn, NY/Bedford Academy) averaged 13.5 ppg, 7.5 apg and shot 58.8 percent from the field last week.  He scored a career-high 20 points against Bryant on Saturday after dishing for 10 assists versus FDU two days earlier.  He is tied for the league lead with 9.3 apg in NEC play.
 
• Wagner senior guard Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth (Avon Old Farms (CT))) averaged a team-leading 16.5 ppg last week, highlighted by a team-best 19 points at RMU on Saturday.  He finished 4-7 from three-point range.  It marked the 32nd time in his career that Rivers has led the Seahawks in scoring.
 
• Wagner senior center Naofall Folahan (Cotonou, Republic of Benin/Wilbraham & Monson (MA)) recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds at Robert Morris on Saturday.
 
NEC NUMBERS
 
Bryant senior forward Alex Francis had a streak of six consecutive games with 20+ points snapped on Saturday when he finished with 19 in an 83-79 win over St. Francis Brooklyn.  He also posted the 100th double-digit scoring effort of his career.
 
CCSU blocked 12 shots in a win over Wagner on Thursday, the third-highest single-game total in school history, and scored a season-high 87 points.
 
FDU is 6-0 this season when scoring 80 or more points.  The six times reaching 80 points is the most for the program since the 2007-08 season.
 
LIU Brooklyn senior guard Jason Brickman extended his streak of games with five or more assists to 31 and pushed his career five-assist game total to 100 in a win over Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.
 
Mount St. Mary’s senior guard Sam Prescott has made 26 consecutive FTs.
 
Robert Morris is now 91-23 in NEC play since the start of the 2007-08 season.
 
The 72 trifectas for Robert Morris senior guard Karvel Anderson ranks 10th on the school’s single-season list.
 
Sacred Heart sports four double-digit scorers, and another with 9.5 ppg.
 
St. Francis Brooklyn was 6-0 in games decided by five points or less before dropping a one-point decision at FDU and four-point game at Bryant last week.  The Terriers were also 9-0 when leading at the half, but lost both games after holding leads at intermission.
 
St. Francis Brooklyn senior guard Ben Mockford is now tied with current assist coach Jamaal Womack for fourth place with 220 career three pointers.He leads the NEC with 4.5 three-pointers per game in league play.
 
After shooting at a 38.3 percent clip over the season’s first 15 games, Saint Francis U has surpassed 50 percent from floor in three of its past four outings, including 51.1 percent in a win over Sacred Heart on Saturday.
 
Saint Francis U scored a season-high 60 points in the paint vs. Mount St. Mary’s last Thursday.
 
Wagner’s loss to CCSU on Thursday was the first in 42 games for the Seahawks when leading with five minutes to play.
 
Wagner’s Latif Rivers vaulted past Dedrick Dye into 15th place on the school’s career scoring list with 1,372 points.

QUOTABLE
 
“We’re playing a smaller group right now with (Dan) Garvin out and we are a very talented team offensively.  It’s a lot of pressure being down like that before a big crowd, but our guys got on a roll and really got it going.” - Bryant head coach Tim O’Shea after beating LIU on Thursday
 
“They only play the seven guys, but they can all pass, dribble and shoot.  They play so free and Starks is a dynamic scorer and Francis is as good a big man as we have in the league.” - LIU head coach Jack Perri on Bryant
 
“If we can continue to do that and defend and rebound in this league then who knows.  I don’t think there is a team way out in front of anybody else.  Anybody could win the league.  Simply because I have the best point guard I think in the country and I have some good pieces around him, if they can gain some confidence then who knows.  We’re not really focusing on the end right now.” - LIU head coach Jack Perri following a win over Mount St. Mary’s on Sunday
 
“In those three games, we came up short.  A possession here, a possession there and to the credit of the guys in that locker room they stuck with it, their effort has been there, and their togetherness has been there.  We had great balance offensively and we’re looking to build on that.  That’s the challenge of the team.  You have one win, now you got to build on that success and get two, three, four, five wins in a row now.” - SFU head coach Rob Krimmel after the Red Flash snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday
 
“High level.  Maybe even championship caliber.  We were far more intense and played harder than we did against Central.  It’s something to build on, yes, but you have to win the game.” - Wagner head coach Bashir Mason describing the caliber of play in a close loss to RMU on Saturday
 
TWEET DECK
 
Justin Rose @JustinRoseWTAE
I forgot how much I love watching @AndyToole coach. Guy is young, hilarious, charismatic and a hell of an X&O’s guy. Bobby Mo has a good 1
 
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
Congrats to Jalen Cannon & Dyami Starks for breaking the 1,000 career points milestone last night. Two juniors on top of their game.
 
Northeast Conference @NECsports
Not bad to be a @RMUAthletics Hoops fan right now. Colonials occupy 1st place in both #NECMBB and #NECWBB standings.
 
Sean Ryan @CoachSRyan
Great road win for the Blue Devils! Defended the 3 and made pressure FTs. Happy for the guys. #NoExcuses #CCSU
 
Jake Lamar @jakelamar29
Good day to be a bulldog #6th #bryant #necpride #necmbb #waytoomanyhashtags
 
Ron Ratner @NECHoopsRon
O’Shea block, leading to Starks layup is a LOCK to make next week’s NEC9. This place is going nuts. #BRYvsLIU #NECMBB
 
Joe Klebon @joeduke72
Earl Brown has been doin big things takin it to the rim these last few games
 
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
Tim O’Shea once told me, “If you have a couple of stars in the NEC, you have a chance.” He’s so right. Francis fouls out, Starks takes over.
 
Ron Ratner @NECHoopsRon
Stars aligned for early season 1st place showdown at the Chuck this Thursday. And it’s on @ESPNU. #RMUvsBRY #NECMBB pic.twitter.com/d9fkfi56cj
 
John Templon @nybuckets
I believe Jason Brickman now has 900 (Yes HUNDRED!) assists in his amazing career. Huge milestone.