NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Peter Kiss, Bryant
6’5”, 200 lbs.
Gr., F, New York, NY/Notre Dame Prep (Rutgers/Quinnipiac)
In the midst of a torrid scoring spree, Kiss averaged 33.0 points per outings last week as the springboard to win his third NEC Player of the Week honor of the season. The senior, who also recorded 6.5 rpg, 2.0 apg and 1.0 spg, shot 54.3 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from beyond the arc and 80.0 percent from the stripe. He rang up 36 points - one off his career-high - in Bryant’s 75-61 win over CCSU on Thursday, draining 14-24 from the floor. Two days later Kiss registered his fifth straight 30+ point outing and ninth consecutive 25+ point game with an even 30 points as the Bulldogs rolled to a 105-93 victory against FDU. The nation’s leading scorer at 24.8 ppg, Kiss has fared even better in league play, averaging an astounding 28.1 ppg. Kiss also ranks in the NEC top-10 in assists (3.2, 10th), free throw accuracy (.782, sixth), steals (1.5, eighth) and made 3P (1.8, eighth).
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL CO-ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
Andre Snoddy, CCSU
6’6”, 210 lbs.
Fr., G/F, Melville, NY/St. Thomas More
Snoddy’s six NEC Rookie of the Week honors ties him for sixth in NEC history. The Melville, NY native amassed 10.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game, and shot 53.8 percent from the floor and 87.5 percent from the line against the top two teams in the league. Snoddy compiled eight points, 10 rebounds and four assists at Bryant on Thursday, and followed with 13 points, seven boards and three helpers at Wagner on Saturday. Snoddy leads all NEC freshman performers in scoring (8.1), rebounding (7.1) and field goal percentage (.481).
Tanner Thomas, Sacred Heart
6’6”, 205 lbs.
Fr., F, Springfield, MA/Williston Northampton
Thomas broke out in a big way on Saturday, hitting 10-11 shots from the field and 6-7 from the line on his way to a career-high 26 points in Sacred Heart’s last second 80-79 setback at Merrimack. He added five rebounds and two assists. It was the first double-digit scoring effort of his career, and the 26 points marked the most by an NEC freshman against a DI opponent since CCSU’s Ian Krishnan went for 28 at Georgetown on November 10, 2018. His hook shot with 8.9 seconds to play gave the Pios a short lived one point lead. Thomas, whose brother Tyler was an All-NEC second teamer a year ago and ranks sixth in the league in scoring this season, registered 14.0 ppg on 78.6 percent shooting and added 3.5 rpg on the week.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Peter Kiss (BRY, Sr, G)
The nation’s leading point producer continued his incredible scoring splurge with two more 30-point games this week. He has now hit the 30-point mark five straight times and a DI best eight times this season. He scored 36 points in Thursday’s win over CCSU and added 30 more as the Bulldogs improved to 14-2 in NEC play with a 13-point victory against FDU on Saturday. Kiss shot 54.3 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from beyond the arc and 80.0 percent from the stripe, and added 6.5 rpg, 2.0 apg and 1.0 spg. He ranks in the NEC top-10 in assists (3.2, 10th), free throw accuracy (.782, sixth), steals (1.5, eighth) and made 3P (1.8, eighth).
Charles Pride (BRY, Jr, G)
Pride rang up 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists and hit 5-8 from three-point range to help fuel Bryant’s win over FDU. In that game, he netted his 1,000th career point. For the week, the junior averaged 17.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.5 apg and 1.5 spg while hitting 6-12 from downtown. Pride ranks first in the NEC in rebounding (8.4), second in double-doubles (eight), fourth in scoring (17.8), and sixth in steals (1.6) and made 3P (1.9).
Tre Wood (LIU, Jr, G)
Wood comes off arguably his best week in a LIU uniform with 15.0 ppg on 64.7 percent shooting to go along with 3.5 rpg, 4.0 apg and 3.0 spg. He scored a career-high 18 points on an efficient 7-8 from the field and didn’t commit a turnover in a 18-point win at SFU on Thursday. On Saturday, Wood finished with 12 points, five assists and a career-high five steals as the Sharks clinched the #3 seed in the NEC Tournament following a 66-61 triumph at Mount. He is fifth in the NEC in assists (3.7) and sixth in A/TO ratio (1.5).
Jordan Minor (MC, Jr, F)
Minor padded his league-leading double-double total to 12 with two in Merrimack’s busy 3-0 week. He recorded 24 points and 10 boards in Tuesday’s 70-63 win at SHU, then added 11 points and 12 boards in a last second 80-79 victory over the Pios in the return matchup in North Andover on Saturday. Minor tallied 20 points and eight caroms during a 20-point takedown of FDU on Thursday. For the week, he generated 18.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, 3.3 bpg and 1.3 spg. Minor is eighth in the conference in scoring (15.0), second in rebounding (8.3), first in blocks (2.5), sixth in FG percentage (.525) and ninth in steals (1.5).
Mikey Watkins (MC, Sr, G)
Watkins provided the heroics on Senior Day, driving coast-to-coast for the acrobatic game-winning layup with 3.6 seconds to play in an 80-79 conquest of SHU that pushed the Warrior win streak to four games. He finished with 16 points and his nine assists matched a career-high. Over the course of a three-game week, he averaged 10.3 ppg, 7.3 apg, 2.7 apg and 1.7 spg, and shot 40.0 percent from distance. On the year, he ranks first on the circuit with 4.4 apg overall and 5.3 apg in league play. His 1.8 spg places him fourth in the NEC.
Rob Higgins (SFBK, Jr, G)
Higgins put forth the best two-game stretch of his career in SFBK’s 2-0 road trip, racking up 23.5 ppg, including an 8-14 (.571) mark from three-point territory. He also contributed 5.5 rpg and 3.5 apg. Higgins scored 11 of his career-high 27 points in a late 15-0 run that vaulted the Terriers to a comeback win at Mount on Thursday. He hit a career-best five three-pointers as part of a 20-point effort as the Terriers edged SFU in OT on Saturday. Higgins averages 11.5 ppg, and ranks second in the NEC in A/TO ratio (2.15) and ninth in assists (3.4).
Josh Cohen (SFU, R-So, F)
Cohen ran his double-digit scoring streak to five, averaging 20.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.5 apg and 1.0 bpg. He hit at a 53.6 percent clip from the field in two home games. Cohen’s 25 points against SFBK on Saturday was one off his career-high. The redshirt soph is SFU’s second-leading scorer at 12.3 ppg. He’s also second in the conference in FG accuracy (.581) and tenth in rebounding (6.9).
Alex Morales (WC, Gr, G)
Morales delivered across the board in Wagner’s sweep. He averaged 19.0 ppg on 50.0 percent shooting, and furnished 6.5 rpg, 3.0 apg and 3.0 spg. Morales totaled 18 points six rebounds, five assists and three steals to help lead the 15-1 Seahawks to a 78-68 win over CCSU on Saturday. Morales ranks in the NEC top-7 in scoring (17.9, third), rebounding (7.6, fifth), assists (3.7, sixth), steals (1.9, second), FG percentage (.521, seventh) and FT percentage (.776, seventh).
TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB WEEK FIFTEEN
NEC ENDGAME
Heading into the final week of regular season play, the NEC Tournament field is...kinda, sorta coming into view.
We’ll get back to that in a second.
With all nine teams receiving an invitation to the postseason dance this season, some of the movie-like drama may be missing with the qualification aspect removed, but there is still plenty to unpack as teams make their final seeding push.
What do we know for sure?
LIU is the No. 3 seed.
That’s about it.
So let’s break down where we stand using a feature film themed, multi-tiered approach.
Top Guns
Wagner and Bryant are in a class of their own right now, having clinched top-two seeds and the chance to host games through at least the semifinals if they survive the quarterfinal round.
At 15-1, Wagner has the opportunity to become just the third NEC team in its 41-year history to go through a season with just one conference loss, joining CCSU (19-1 in 2001-02) and Marist (15-1 in 1986-87). Likewise, the 15 conference wins matches the most in program history. The Seahawks went 15-5 en route to the NEC title in 2001-02, along with 15-3 in 2007-08 and 2011-12.
Wagner is ranked 16th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll.
Having compiled a 14-2 league mark, Bryant has already surpassed the previous school record for NEC victories. The Bulldogs wrapped the 2012-13 and 2014-15 campaigns with identical 12-6 slates.
The two teams could be on a collision course for a winner-take-all main event matchup for the top seed before a frenzied throng in Saturday’s regular season finale at the Chace Center.
Or things could be settled by then.
Let’s dive in.
A Wagner win over FDU and a Bryant loss to SFBK on Thursday gives the Seahawks the NEC regular season championship outright.
If Wagner wins and LIU downs Merrimack on Thursday, it’s also a wrap. Wagner would claim the #1 seed regardless of Bryant’s result or their head-to-head matchup on Saturday. However, if Bryant, Wagner and LIU all win on Thursday, the Bulldogs can still earn a share of the NEC regular season crown with a win over the Seahawks.
Here’s where it gets a bit interesting.
If Wagner, Bryant and Merrimack all win on Thursday, it muddies the waters a bit. Bryant would then have the opportunity to snatch the #1 seed with a win over Wagner provided Merrimack beats SFBK and LIU loses to FDU on Saturday.
The same would hold true if Wagner and Bryant both lose on Thursday and Merrimack beats LIU. The Bulldogs could secure the top seed with a win over Wagner, coupled with a Merrimack win and LIU setback on Saturday.
The most straightforward path to the #1 seed for Bryant is via a win over SFBK and a Wagner loss at FDU. That would set up the winner-take-all game at the Chace.
A League of Their Own
LIU is firmly nestled into the #3 seed even if it drops its last two games and Mount St. Mary’s wins both. The Sharks beat the Mount in the H2H tiebreaker based on its season sweep. LIU also comes out ahead of Mount in a three-way tie with Merrimack.
A sweep this week would boost LIU to 12-6 and give the program its most NEC wins since a 13-5 season in 2016-17.
LIU snapped a three year stretch in which it finished 9-9 each time.
The Fantastic Four
The fourth and final quarterfinal host spot has come down to Mount St. Mary’s (8-8) and St. Francis Brooklyn (7-9).
The Mount’s magic number to clinch the #4 seed and quarterfinal host duties is two, meaning any combination of Mountaineer wins or SFBK losses that totals two.
If the two teams finish with the same record and SFBK beats Bryant, the Terriers win the tiebreaker.
If the two teams finish with the same record and SFBK loses to Bryant, the Mount wins the tiebreaker.
Mount St. Mary’s can finish no lower than the #5 seed.
SFBK is assured of at least the #5 seed with one win or a CCSU loss.
Road Trip
The remainder of the field will be hitting the road for their quarterfinal round matchups on March 2.
CCSU (5-11) is the only remaining team with a shot at the #5 seed and can secure it with two wins and two SFBK losses.
Two CCSU wins assures the Blue Devils of at least the #6 seed.
After that, it’s anyone’s guess as to who avoids the opening round game with three teams (FDU, SHU & SFU) tied with 4-12 records and CCSU in that mix as well.
A Beautiful Mind
To sort everything out, the NEC will return to utilizing traditional tiebreaker procedures as outlined here:
https://northeastconference.org/sports/2021/2/22/MBB_TiebreakerPolicy_2021.aspx?path=mbball
Hunger Games
While they won’t fight until the death, the final weekend of NEC regular season play has plenty at stake when it comes to seeding and tournament survival.
All games this week will air live on NEC Front Row and the NEC on the Run series of mobile and streaming apps aside from Wagner at FDU on Thursday, which is a CBSSN broadcast.
Thursday., Feb. 24
Merrimack at LIU, 7 pm
Saint Francis U at CCSU, 7 pm
Wagner at FDU, 7 pm (TV: CBSSN)
Mount St. Mary’s at Sacred Heart, 7 pm
Bryant at SFBK, 7 pm
Saturday., Feb. 26
Mount St. Mary’s at CCSU, 1 pm
Saint Francis U at Sacred Heart, 2 pm
FDU at LIU, 2 pm
Merrimack at SFBK. 4 pm
Wagner at Bryant, 4 pm
Hoop Dreams
It’s all about having a chance to dance, and this year’s NEC Tournament will be an all-comers event for the first time since 1997.
As such, an opening round game is set to open the festivities with the #8 seed hosting the #9 seed on Monday, February 28. From there, the tournament reverts back to the traditional format with quarterfinal action on Wednesday, March 2, followed by the semifinals on Saturday, March 5 and the championship in its traditional 7:00 pm time slot on Tuesday, March 8. Teams will be reseeded in between the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.
BRYANT’S PRIDE IS LATEST NEC MILLENNIUM MAN
It’s been quite the season for Bryant junior guard Charles Pride (Syracuse, NY/Liverpool (Putnam Science (CT)), and it got even better in Saturday’s 105-93 win over FDU.
With his fifth three-pointer of the game, Pride scored his 24th and final point to hit 1,000 career points on the button.
In reaching the milestone, he became the 243rd player in the NEC’s 41-year history to reach 1K for his career. He is also the seventh Bryant player at the DI level to hit the plateau.
LIU grad student Ty Flowers (Waterbury, CT/Sacred Heart (UMass)) entered the year already annointed as a 1,000-point scorer and has compiled 1,696 points in his three-plus seasons.
This season, Sacred Heart senior Aaron Clarke (Parsippany, NJ/Pope John) reached the milestone on January 15 and has amassed 1,177 points.
CCSU junior guard Ian Krishnan (Gaithersburg, MD/Proctor Academy (NH)) cracked 1,000 points on February 3rd. He enters play this week with 1,048 points.
Wagner graduate student Alex Morales (Paterson, NJ/Mainland Regional (Prince George’s CC)) joined the millennium club on February 5th and is up to 1,092 points.
A host of players still have an opportunity to secure their 1,000th point this season, including Mount redshirt senior forward Nana Opoku (Woodbridge, VA/Potomac) (964), Sacred Heart junior guard Tyler Thomas (New Haven, CT/Amity Regional (Williston)) (951), LIU redshirt senior forward Eral Penn (Brooklyn, NY/St. Francis Academy (MD)) (947) and Saint Francis U senior forward Myles Thompson (Camden, NJ/Camden) (942).
KISS BY THE NUMBERS
On a scoring rampage not witnessed in NEC circles for quite some time, let’s take a look at some Peter Kiss (New York, NY/Notre Dame Prep (Rutgers/QU)) superlatives.
- The Bryant senior guard leads the nation in scoring by a wide margin with 24.8 ppg
- If Kiss maintains his scoring average, it would be the highest by an NEC player since LIU’s Charles Jones won back-to-back NCAA scoring title in 1996-97 (30.1 ppg) and 1997-98 (29.0 ppg).
- The last NEC player to average at least 24 ppg was SFBK’s Ray Minlend, who led the NEC and ranked second nationally with 24.3 ppg in 1998-99.
- Kiss ranks first in the nation with eight 30+ point games this season. No one else has more that six.
- Kiss joined Oklahoma’s Trae Young (14), Creighton’s Doug McDermott (8) and Campbell’s Chris Clemons (8) as the only DI players over the last ten seasons to score 25 or more points in eight straight games. His streak currently stands at nine entering play this week.
- The eight 30-point outings are the most by an NEC player since Minlend racked up ten in 1998-99.
- His 28.1 ppg scoring average in league play is on target to be the highest in NEC annals since Jones pumped in 32.2 ppg back in 1996-97.
NEC BIG SHOT
Our NEC Big Shot of the Week was an easy pick.
Merrimack senior guard Mikey Watkins (Roselle, NJ/Linden) has hit some big shots this year, but none bigger than his mad dash on Saturday, when he took the ball length of the court, crossed over as he received a Jordan Minor (Kingston, MA/Brimmer & May) screen, and then finished in style with a reverse in between two Pioneer defenders with three seconds remaining to give the Warriors an 80-79 win.
HIGGINS HEROICS
The biggest turnaround of the week came on Thursday in Emmitsburg.
Trailing 53-47 to the Mount with under five minutes remaining, St. Francis Brooklyn’s Rob Higgins (Middletown, NJ/Middletown North) went to work.
The junior guard reeled off nine straight points to trigger a 15-0 run that gave the Terriers a commanding 62-53 lead in the final moments of a 64-55 win. Higgins scored 11 of SFBK’s 15 points in the spurt and netted 17 of his career-high 27 points in the final 8:51 of the contest.
KISS & DEMAR: YOU CAN ONLY HOPE TO CONTAIN THEM
Why not?
Peter Kiss, BRY (Last 9) DeMar DeRozan, CHI (Last 9)
30 points 38 points
36 40
30 38
37 35
30 36
29 38
25 45
27 31
31 28
30.6 ppg 36.6 ppg
Just two players dominating their respective circuits.
DEFENSE FIRST
When Wagner and CCSU met last Thursday, there was no shortage of defensive acumen patrolling the sidelines.
Wagner head coach Bashir Mason was a four-time member of the CAA All-Defensive team and was named the 2003-04 CAA Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman while a student-athlete at Drexel.
On the other side of the court, first year CCSU head coach Pat Sellers was the 1990-91 ECC Defensive Player of the Year competing for the Blue Devils.
NEC TV WILDCARD PICK IS...
The NEC TV crew heads to Hackensack on Thursday when FDU hosts Wagner for a 6:00 pm tip in the league’s annual wildcard game. The game will air live on CBSSN.
Dave Popkin (PxP), Joe DeSantis (color) and John Schmeelk (sideline) are on the call.
Looking ahead to the playoffs, both semifinal games will air on ESPN3, SNY and MASN on March 5. Tipoff times are 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. The NEC final will air on ESPN2 at 7:00 pm on March 8.
FINISHING AT RIM
Field goal percentage at the rim takes into accounts layups, dunks or tip-ins, and is a good measure to see those who are most adept at finishing around the hoop.
Which NEC players do it best?
Looking at those who have at least 50 makes around the rim, it’s a pair of veteran Bryant bigs that rise to the top.
Bryant graduate student forwards Hall Elisias (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream (New Mexico JC)) and Greg Calixte (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon (George Mason)) rank one-two, and it shouldn’t be surprising considering the number of set play and screen and roll alley-oops that have become an integral part of the Bulldog playbook. Elisias has converted 72.6 percent of his attempts, making 53-of-73, while Calixte is 72-of-103 for a 69.9 percent success rate.
The most surprising player on the list might be 6’1” Sacred Heart senior guard Aaron Clarke (Parsippany, NJ/Pope John), who has made 70-112 or 62.5 percent of his around-the-rim attempts. He is the lone player under 6’5” tall.
Merrimack junior forward Jordan Minor (Kingston, MA/Brimmer & May) leads the league by a wide margin with 158 makes at the rim. At 57.9 percent accuracy, he just missed making the list.
NEC Top-5, FG% at Rim (min. 60%, 50 makes)
Hall Elisias, BRY 72.6
Greg Calixte, BRY 69.9
Kyndall Davis, LIU 68.8
Ty Flowers, LIU 67.9
Raekwon Rogers, WC 66.0
Josh Cohen, SFU 65.9
Elijah Ford, WC 65.6
Nana Opoku, MSM 65.5
Bryce Johnson, SHU 65.3
Peter Kiss, BRY 64.2
Aaron Clarke, SHU 62.5
Alex Morales, WC 62.3
Isaac Kante, LIU 61.8
Andre Snoddy, CCSU 60.9
Patrick Emilien, SFBK 60.9
Charles Pride, BRY 60.3
NEC NUMBERS BY CLASS
With the regular season winding down to its conclusion, these players have emerged as the NEC’s class leaders in the three major statistical categories.
Scoring Rebounds Assists
Freshman Andre Snoddy, CCSU (8.1) Andre Snoddy, CCSU (7.1) Andre Snoddy, CCSU (1.6)
Sophomore Josh Cohen, SFU (12.3) Nico Galette, SHU (8.0) Malik Edmead, MC (2.6)
Junior Charles Pride, BRY (17.8) Charles Pride, BRY (8.4) Jalen Benjamin, MSM (4.0)
Senior Peter Kiss, BRY (24.8) Eral Penn, LIU (7.4) Mikey Watkins, MC (4.4)
Graduate Ty Flowers, LIU (19.3) Ty Flowers, LIU (7.8) Alex Morales, WC (3.7)
NEC ANALYTICS ZONE WITH RYAN PETERS
Each week throughout the 2021-22 season, NEC Overtime! blogger and NEC on the Run podcast collaborator Ryan Peters (@pioneer_pride) will contribute a series of analytically based tidbits covering NEC hoops.
In Tanner Thomas’ (Springfield, MA/Williston Northampton) breakout 26-point performance at Merrimack on Saturday, the Sacred Heart freshman illustrated pristine footwork and a bevy of polished moves to convert baskets in the low post. Of Thomas’ 10 made field goals, the 6-foot-6 forward scored eight times in the post with his back to the basket by utilizing his dominant left hand. Per Shot Quality, Thomas had 11 good possessions versus just one bad possession in the contest, netting him a team high SQ PPP game rank of 91 (out of 100).
Part of St. Francis Brooklyn’s resurgence of late has been from the exceptional play of junior guards Larry Moreno (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn High School For Law & Technology) and Rob Higgins (Middletown, NJ/Middletown North). The duo combined to score 34 points in a tight overtime victory in Loretto over the weekend, extending the Terriers winning streak to three games. Moreno and Higgins made 9-14 shots from behind the arc in the victory with eight of those nine triples requiring an assist. Furthermore, four of those catch-and-shoot takes were drained in transition, accounting for all 12 of the Terriers’ fast break points.
According to BartTorvik.com, frontcourt heavy LIU leads the NEC in dunks by a wide margin with 81 flushes. (Mount St. Mary’s is the next highest league opponent at 59 dunks.) Senior Eral Penn (Brooklyn, NY/St. Francis Academy (MD)) has 29 jams to his name, while hoppy sophomore Kyndall Davis (Chicago, IL/Bogan) is second on the team with 24. If you lump together close 2s and dunks, LIU has made 456 of 724 shots near or at the rim, for a 63.0 percent conversion rate. Derek Kellogg’s group was especially effective against the normally stout Mount St. Mary’s interior defense on Saturday - the Sharks were successful on 79.3 percent (23 of 29) of their near the rim takes while only getting rejected twice.
Wagner senior forward Jahbril Price-Noel (Scarborough, Ontario/Southwest Christian Academy (Pacific)) stepped up in a big way this past Saturday, scoring a season high 14 points while grabbing five rebounds. While the power forward’s shotmaking prowess has been well known coming from Pacific, it was his ability to finish in the paint that propelled the transfer to his best game as a Seahawk. Price-Noel made all five of his shots from inside the arc, with 100 percent of those takes coming inside the paint. The five 2-point makes match his second best output from inside the arc in his collegiate career.
In his introductory press conference, Pat Sellers presented the concept of incorporating “space and pace” into Central Connecticut State’s offense. Thus far, Sellers’ players have done very well to space the floor in the half-court set. Per Shot Quality, the Blue Devils are number one in the NEC with respect to its spacing, registering a 87 percent mark. The spacing metric weights a combination of seven variables to quantify how much space a player or team necessitates. The pacing part, on the other hand, hasn’t come to fruition, with Central Connecticut averaging 65.2 possessions per game in league play; that’s eighth in the conference.
5 YEAR FACTS
As we put a wrap on the 2021-22 NEC regular season, let’s look backward on which programs have done the best job in sustaining success over the last half decade.
Wagner has clearly been the class of the league over the course of regular season play, winning 62.5 percent of its games since the start of the 2017-18 season.
It’s worthy to note the parity across the NEC over this span, with just 12 percentage points separating five teams hovering just under the .500 mark.
Merrimack has posted an impressive 32-20 (.615) mark in its first three years as a member of the conference.
School 5-Year NEC Record Win Percentage
WC 55-33 .625
LIU 47-41 .534
SFU 46-42 .523
MSM 42-44 .488
FDU 42-46 .477
SFBK 42-46 .477
SHU 41-45 .477
BRY 40-44 .476
CCSU 25-63 .284
MC 32-20 (3 years) .615
MILESTONE ALERTS FOR KRISHNAN & MINOR
Hats off to CCSU senior guard Ian Krishnan (Gaithersburg, MD/Proctor Academy (NH)) and Merrimack junior forward Jordan Minor (Kingston, MA/Brimmer & May), who both hit milestones last week.
Krishnan drilled his 200th trifecta to highlight a 6-9 effort from downtown at Bryant on Thursday. With 203 career triples, he ranks 56th on the NEC’s all-time chart.
Minor snared his 500th rebound in the Warriors’ 80-79 win over SHU on Saturday. He is the seventh-leading active rebounder in the conference with 510 boards.
SHARK BITES
In securing a sweep on its west coast swing to Saint Francis U and Mount St. Mary’s, LIU clamped down on its opponents defensively.
The Sharks allowed just 62.0 ppg on 35.1 percent shooting from the field and 26.1 percent from three-point territory.
LIU conceded just 0.85 PPP in both games and combined for 19 steals in the victories.
The win at the Mount was also the first for the Sharks at Knott Arena since 2017.
KRIMMEL QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Let’s hear again from the NEC’s Quotemaster General...
Saint Francis U head coach Rob Krimmel reflecting on Senior Night this past Saturday.
“We have five seniors who have done really good things on and off the court here at Saint Francis. This is something I vividly remember, my senior night. It ended in a very similar fashion against Central Connecticut. Certainly, disappointed that we were not able to send the seniors out with a win. Under the circumstances, I thought their effort, their energy, their togetherness was fantastic. The five seniors that have obviously meant a ton to this program and have won a lot of games for us. They have done a lot of great things off of the court, in the classroom and in the community. They’ll be missed. Fortunately, they’ll get to play a few more games on the road and wear the Red Flash uniform a couple more times. Proud of the effort.”
“We talk about recruiting you want great basketball players obviously, but all five of these guys are going to leave their mark on whatever area, whatever community, whatever profession they desire or decide to embark on. They are special kids. They are going to be great professionals. They are going to be great family men. They are going to be great people. I know that the pain that they feel right now. As a coach, I’m disappointed that we couldn’t pull it out for them.”
NUMBER CRUNCHING
Bryant grad student guard Adham Eleeda’s (Toronto, Ontario/Toronto Basketball Academy (Northern Kentucky)) had his streak of 111 straight field goal attempts coming on three-pointers snapped when he hit a layup with 33 seconds to play in the Bulldogs’ win over CCSU on Thursday. He started a new streak on Saturday when all 14 of his shot opportunities came on triples - he made five - against FDU. Only ten of his 242 attempts this season (4.1 percent) have come from inside the arc. Eleeda ranks second in the NEC and 23rd nationally with 3.08 triples per game.
Bryant grad student forward Greg Calixte (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon (George Mason)) shot 66.7 percent from the field and averaged 12.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 2.5 bpg in his sixth and seventh straight starts last week. Calixte has hit at least 50 percent from the field in 22 of the 24 games he’s attempted a shot this season. He is shooting 67.3 percent on the year and leads the NEC in conference play at 64.9 percent accuracy.
CCSU junior guard Nigel Scantlebury (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) led CCSU with 14.5 ppg last week. He was a perfect 14-of-14 at the foul line, including a 10-for-10 showing as part of a 20-point effort at Wagner on Saturday. It was his third 20-point outing of the season. Scantlebury added 5.5 apg, including a career-high tying eight dimes at Bryant on Thursday.
CCSU senior guard Ian Krishnan (Gaithersburg, MD/Proctor Academy (NH)) shot 8-of-16 from three-point range last week, including a 6-9 performance at Bryant when he matched his season-high for trifectas in a game. In NEC play he is shooting 42.4 percent from outside the arc, which ranks fourth in the conference.
CCSU shot 24-26 from the line at Wagner, establishing season-highs for makes and attempts. The Blue Devils sank 31-35 (.886) as a team at the stripe last week.
FDU received 62.8 percent of its scoring output last week from rookies, led by two-time NEC Rookie of the Week Anquan Hill (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll), who finished with 10.0 ppg.
Sporting a balanced scoring attack, LIU had five players average in double-digits last week, led by redshirt senior forward Eral Penn (Brooklyn, NY/St. Francis Academy (MD)) and redshirt junior guard Tre Wood (Upper Marlboro, MD/St. John’s College (UMass)) with 15.0 ppg apiece.
Merrimack junior guard Mykel Derring (Boston, MA/Proctor Academy) caught fire in Saturday’s one-point win over SHU, hitting 7-11 from three-point range in a 23-point afternoon. The seven triples matched his career-high set earlier this season against Hartford, and the 23 points were two off his career-best from that same game.
Mount St. Mary’s senior forward Mezie Offurum (Germantown, MD/Georgetown Prep) paced the Mount with 14.0 ppg on 50.0 percent shooting last week. He also took down 6.5 rpg.
Mount St. Mary’s ranks first in conference play in scoring defense (60.2), defensive field goal percentage (.399), defensive efficiency (0.94 PPP) and defensive effective field goal percentage (.454).
Mount St. Mary’s senior forward Malik Jefferson (Hopewell, VA/Hopewell), who missed both games last week due to injury, needs seven rebounds to become the Mount’s all-time leading rebounder during its DI era (since 1988-89). Jefferson has 740 career boards, trailing Michael Watson (746, 1991-95).
Sacred Heart sophomore forward Bryce Johnson (Stockton, CA/St. Mary’s (Pomfret)) averaged a double-double, supplying 10.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg over three contests. He hit 70.6 percent of his shot attempts and is shooting 76.9 percent over his last four games.
Sacred Heart hit 38-43 from the line last week, an 88.4 percent conversion rate. SHU’s 16-17 (.941) showing from the stripe in Tuesday’s game vs. Merrimack was the top NEC mark in league play this season.
St. Francis Brooklyn junior guard Rob Higgins (Middletown, NJ/Middletown North) averages 36.6 minutes per game in NEC competition, the second-highest in the conference behind Charles Pride’s (Syracuse, NY/Liverpool (Putnam Science (CT)) 36.7 mpg for Bryant.
St. Francis Brooklyn graduate student forward Patrick Emilien’s (Toronto, Ontario/John Polanyi Collegiate) 21 points in Saturday’s OT win at SFU was two shy of his career-high set at Wagner on January 15. He hit two big buckets in the OT to give the Terriers a six-point lead with under two minutes to play.
Stepping in for redshirt senior Ramiir Dixon-Conover (Newark, NJ/South Kent (CT)), sophomore guard Zahree Harrison (West Philadelphia, PA/Cheltenham) posted the two best performances of his career last week. He averaged 14.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 4.5 apg over two games. After posting a career-best nine points along with four rebounds against LIU on Thursday, Harrison dropped 20 points against SFBK on Saturday, and also set season-highs with five rebounds and five assists. He became the sixth different Red Flash player to register a 20-point game this season.
Saint Francis U has 16 players on its roster and all but four have started at least one game this season.
Wagner redshirt senior forward Raekwon Rogers (Little Rock, AR/Little Rock Central (Henderson State)) tossed in a season-high 26 points on just nine shots in Saturday’s victory over CCSU. He was 8-9 from the floor and 10-13 from the line. Two days earlier, graduate student guard Will Martinez (Bronx, NY/Wings Academy (Monroe College)) scored a career-high 25 points on a 9-17 shooting night to boost the Green & White to a win over SHU.
Wagner ranks 40th nationally in two-point field goal percentage (.539) and fourth in two-point distribution (61.2 percent of team’s points). The Seahawks are 356 out of 358 in three-point distribution (18.7 percent).
FLOWERS CHART CLIMB TRACKER
The weekly Ty Flowers (Waterbury, CT/Sacred Heart (UMass)) update sees the LIU star continuing his rise up the NEC scoring, rebounding and three-point lists.
Flowers Career Numbers at LIU
1,696 points, 870 rebounds, 271 assists, 240 3P, 150 steals, 165 blocks
Flowers Overall Career Numbers
1,845 points, 955 rebounds, 295 assists, 273 3P, 159 steals, 180 blocks
With 870 rebounds to his credit, Flowers ranks No. 16 all-time in the conference.
NEC Career Rebounding Leaders
13. Greg Foster FDU 916 1982-84
14. Durell Vinson WC 893 2003-08
15. Brandon Peel CCSU 881 2012-16
16. Ty Flowers LIU 870 2018-22
16. Lucky Jones RMU 846 2011-15
17. Julian Boyd LIU 843 2008-13
18. Ken Horton CCSU 842 2007-12
19. Alan Tomidy MAR 838 1991-96
20. Freddie Burton LIU 836 1986-89
After scoring 24 points last week, Flowers jumped four spots to 35th on the all-time scoring list. He is now just 35 points away from reaching the NEC top-25 and ranks eighth all-time at LIU.
NEC Career Scoring Leaders
25. Corsley Edwards CCSU 1,731 1998-02
26. James Johnson QU 1,729 2008-12
27. Jalen Cannon SFBK 1,720 2011-15
28. Jeremy Goode MSM 1,716 2006-10
29. James Williams LIU 1,710 2003-07
30. David Gately LOY 1,706 1983-87
31. Damari Riddick FDU 1,701 1984-88
32. Darshan Luckey SFU 1,699 2002-05
33. Jahlil Jenkins FDU 1,698 2017-21
34. Mike Morrison LOY 1,697 1985-89
35. Ty Flowers LIU 1,696 2018-22
36. Jaytornah Wisseh LIU 1,693 2006-10
37. Charles Smith RID 1,693 1993-96
38. Dyami Starks BRY 1,691 2012-15
39. Rob Monroe QU 1,685 2001-05
40. Jamie Latney FDU 1,666 1984-88
Flowers also moved up three spots in made three-pointers, tying former LIU sharpshooter Kyle Johnson with 240 triples.
NEC Career 3P Leaders
17. Ben Mockford SFBK 252 2011-14
18. John Hilvert SFU 247 1987-91
19. Jeremy Chappell RMU 243 2005-09
20. Julian Norfleet MSM 242 2010-14
21. Ty Flowers LIU 240 2018-22
Kyle Johnson LIU 240 2007-11
22. Danny Basile MAR 239 1992-96
23. Glenn Sanabria SFBK 238 2015-19
On January 22, the graduate student from Waterbury, CT became the first DI player over the last 30 years to accumulate 1,500 points, 750 rebounds, 250 assists, 200 three-pointers, 150 blocks and 150 steals over the course of his career.
Only two players have even come close to reaching these numbers over the 30-year time span.
Duke all-time great and NBA star Shane Battier finished 11 assists shy of meeting the criteria with 1,984 points, 887 rebounds, 246 3P, 239 assists, 266 steals & 254 blocks from 1997-2001
Tulane’s Jerald Honeycutt, himself a former NBA player, missed making the cut by seven triples, piling up 2,209 points, 870 rebounds, 193 3P, 419 assists, 235 steals and 163 blocks from 1993-97.
Flowers has an opportunity to become the fifth player in the league history to be ranked in the career top-20 in both scoring and rebounding. Needing 64 points to reach the top-20 in scoring, he will look to join Saint Francis U’s Keith Braxton (2067, 7th in scoring; 1,145, 2nd in rebounding), Bryant’s Alex Francis (2085, 5th in scoring; 990, 6th in rebounding), CCSU’s Ken Horton (1,966, 7th in scoring; 842, 18th in rebounding) and LIU’s Jamal Olasewere (1,871, 13th in scoring; 963, 10th in rebounding) in an elite quintet.
NEC in NCAA STATS (TOP-25)
Name School Category Rank Value
Peter Kiss BRY Scoring 1st 24.8
Ty Flowers LIU 3P 21st 3.1
Adham Eleeda BRY 3P 23rd 3.1
Ramiir Dixon-Conover SFU Steals 24th 2.2
Jordan Minor MC Dub-Dub 18th 12
Team Category Rank Value
Bryant Reb. 41.7 5th
Wagner W/L% .864 6th
Bryant Def. Reb. 28.7 8th
LIU Assists 16.6 12th
Bryant Off. Reb. 13.0 16th
Wagner Scoring Margin +11.4 21st
LIU Reb. 39.5 25th
Wagner TO Forced 16.1 25th