NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jordan Derkack, Merrimack
6’5”, 205 lbs.
So., G, Colonia, NJ/Colonia (Spire Academy)
Derkack claimed his conference-best fourth NEC Player of the Week distinction on the heels of a stellar effort in Merrimack’s 71-68 conquest of CCSU that left the Warriors tied with the Blue Devils for first in the conference standings. Derkack logged 22 points, four rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals in the highly anticipated matchup between NEC contenders at Lawler Arena on Saturday. He shot a blistering 9-11 from the field as the Warriors won their fourth straight and improved to 7-2 in league play. Derkack has stood as the NEC’s top point producer for the majority of the season and currently averages 17.2 ppg. He also ranks second in steals (2.1), fourth in assists (3.8), sixth in rebounding (6.3) and field goal percentage (.508), and 11th in free throw percentage (.,711). Looking at advanced metrics in conference play, he is currently first in assist rate (33.8), second in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (6.6), fourth in free throw rate (61.7), seventh in steal percentage (3.3) and 12th in eFG percentage (.537).
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nikola Djapa, LIU
7’0”, 230 lbs.
Fr., F, Belgrade, Serbia/Hoosac School
Djapa joined teammate Eric Acker as NEC Rookie of the Week award winners for the Sharks this season. The 7-footer from Belgrade, Serbia has come on strong in league play and last week put up 14.0 points on a sizzling 78.6 percent shooting mark from the field. He added 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 block per game, and connected on both of his three-point attempts in LIU’s split. Djapa netted a career-high 19 points on 7-8 shooting and added nine rebounds at FDU on Thursday. He went on to sink 4-6 shots and finish with nine points and three boards in Saturday’s 70-67 triumph over Saint Francis U in Brooklyn. Djapa has made 23 of his last 30 field goal attempts, a 76.7 percent success rate. He is contributing 6.5 ppg, and his 5.5 rpg ranks second among NEC freshman and tenth overall on the circuit.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Allan Jeanne-Rose (CCSU, Gr, G/F)
Last week: 17.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 bpg, 52.2 FG%
- Posted a game-high 23 points in CCSU’s three-point setback at Merrimack on Saturday.
- It marked his seventh 20+ point game of the year.
- Scored the last six points of CCSU’s 63-62 win against SFU on Thursday.
- Ranks fourth in the NEC in scoring (15.7) and second in field goal percentage (.563).
Heru Bligen (FDU, Gr, G)
Last week: 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 8-10 FG vs. LIU
- His 17-point outing in FDU’s win over LIU marked a season-high, and came in just 21 minutes.
- Averaging 16.5 ppg and shooting 68.2 percent over his last two contests.
- Contributing 6.1 ppg on an efficient 53.9 percent clip from the field on the year.
Sean Moore (FDU, Sr, F)
Last week: 15 points, 11 rebounds vs. LIU
- Notched his fifth double-double of the season as FDU won for the fifth time in six games.
- Averaging 16.8 points and 7.2 rebounds in his last five games.
- Leads the league with 7.7 rpg and his five double-doubles ranks second on the circuit. He’s contributing 12.8 ppg.
Luke Sutherland (LEM, Gr, F)
Last week: 23.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 56.8 FG%, 41.7 3P%
- Compiled a pair of 20+ point efforts, including a game-high 26 points at SHU on Saturday. The 26 points marked a season-high in conference play.
- Averaging 19.0 ppg on 53.2 percents shooting over his last five contests.
- Ranks in the NEC top-10 in a host of categories, including scoring (14.8, sixth), FG percentage (.484, ninth), three-point percentage (.385, fifth) and made 3P (2.1, fifth).
Nikola Djapa (LIU, Fr, F)
Last week: 14.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 78.6 FG%, 100.0 3P%
- Rang up a career-high 19 points on 7-8 shooting and snared nine caroms in a near double-double at FDU.
- Averages 6.5 ppg and his 5.5 rpg ranks second among NEC freshman and 10th overall.
Tana Kopa (LIU, Jr, G/F)
Last week: 18.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.0 bpg. 1.5 spg, 46.7 3P%
- Dropped a game-high 19 points to help LIU snap a two-game skid on Saturday with a 70-67 win over SFU.
- Has produced 19.0 ppg over his last six games and is averaging 16.0 ppg in league play.
- Putting up 12.5 ppg on the year and ranks third in the NEC with 2.3 3P/game.
Jordan Derkack (MC, So, G)
Last week: 22 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 9-11 FG vs. CCSU
- Posted his seventh 20+ point game of the season in Merrimack’s 71-68 win over CCSU that lifted the Warriors into a first place tie with the Blue Devils.
- Leads the NEC with 17.2 ppg, and also ranks in the conference top-10 in rebounding (6.3), assists (3.8), steals (2.1) and FG percentage (.508).
Brendan McGuire (SHU, Gr, G)
Last week: 12.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 10.5 apg, 2.0 spg, 1.000 FT%, 10.5 A/TO
- Recorded the first double-double of his SHU career with 16 points and a career-high 11 assists in Thursday’s win over Stonehill.
- Became the first NEC player with back-to-back 10+ assist games since 2019-20 season.
- McGuire’s 21-assist week boosted him to third in the NEC at 3.8 per game. He’s dishing 5.6 per game against league rivals.
Carlos Lopez, Jr. (SFU, Fr, G)
Last week: 18.5 ppg, 2.5 apg, 1.0 spg
- Matched his career-high with 22 points in a one-point setback at first place CCSU.
- Averaging 11.6 ppg and shooting 41.8 percent from deep in conference games.
- Leads SFU with 33 3P on the season.
Tony Felder (STO, So, G)
Last week: 15.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 3.0 spg, 57.9 FG%, 58.3 3P%
- After dropping 20 at Sacred Heart on Thursday, he came back against Wagner to finish with 11 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in strong all-around game to lead the Skyhawks to their first NEC victory.
- Felder is fourth in the NEC at 2.2 made 3P/game, while averaging 12.2 ppg and 3.0 apg.
Melvin Council Jr., (WC, Jr, G)
Last week: 20.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 61.3 FG%, 40.0 3P%
- Dropped 21 points in Wagner’s convincing 80-57 win over Le Moyne on Thursday, then added 19 more at Stonehill on Saturday.
- Has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 12 games.
- Ranks among league leaders in a host of categories, including scoring (14.7, seventh), rebounding (5.7, ninth) and assists (3.5, eighth).
TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB WEEK 13
Here’s all you need to know from the 13th week of the 2023-24 season...
>> SATURDAY NIGHT’S MAIN EVENT DELIVERS
It was a game NEC fans had circled on their calendars, and for a matchup that came in with high expectations, it more than lived up to the hype.
CCSU traveled to North Andover on Saturday with high hopes of opening a two-game lead in the conference standings and picking up a season sweep of Merrimack.
The defending NEC champion Warriors, on the other hand, hoped to pull into a first place tie with the Blue Devils and earn an all important split against a fellow contender.
With nearly 2,000 fans filling Lawler Arena, the game fittingly went right down to the wire.
Putting on a personal showcase, NEC leading scorer Jordan Derkack (Colonia, NJ/Colonia (Spire Academy)) led the way with 15 points on 7-9 shooting, propelling Merrimack to a 41-36 lead at the break, punctuated by a Devon Savage (Washington, D.C./Riverdale Baptist (James Madison)) triple at the buzzer.
The Warriors extended the lead to as many as 14 in the second half and were seemingly in cruise control up 10 with under four minutes to play, but CCSU would not go away.
After star forward Allan Jeanne-Rose (Saint Joseph, Martinique/Saint John Paul II (Fairfield)) scored six straight points, the Blue Devils pulled to within 70-66 with 39 seconds showing on the clock.
On the ensuing possession, CCSU pressured full court and Kellen Amos (Houston, TX/St. John XXIII College Prep (Binghamton)) came up with the steal. Jordan Jones (Florence, SC/Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School (Coker)) picked up the loose ball and was fouled on his drive to the hoop. Jones sank two free throws to make it a one possession game with 26.9 seconds to go.
Tre Breland (Hamden, CT/James Hillhouse (Missouri State West Plains)) then wrestled the ball away from Derkack and CCSU called timeout to set up a chance to tie or take the lead.
CCSU worked the ball to Jeanne-Rose at his preferred spot at the top of the key, but his would-be game-tying layup was blocked by Merrimack 7-footer Jacob O’Connell (Voorhees, NJ/St. Joseph’s Prep (Princeton)).
MC’s Adam “Budd” Clark (Philadelphia, PA/West Catholic) was fouled with eight seconds remaining and the super frosh made 1-of-2 to push the lead to three.
With one last chance, Jones racd up the court, but his three-pointer was short and Merrimack escaped. Most importantly, the Warriors pulled even with the Blue Devils atop the conference standings, extending their win streak to four games.
>> THE FALLOUT & THE CHALLENGERS
Having split their season series, CCSU and Merrimack must now fend off a host of challengers as the season crosses the halfway point, with the NEC preseason favorite among them.
Sacred Heart won a pair of close games against Stonehill and Le Moyne at the Pitt Center last week to improve to 6-3 and pull within one game of the league leaders.
And then there’s FDU.
After an 0-2 start, the Knights have won 5-of-6, and with a 5-3 mark, seem poised to make a run at a return to the NCAA Tournament.
With that in mind, this week’s NEC slate features a pair of games that will carry significant weight in shaping the standings and influencing tiebreakers at season’s end.
On Thursday, SHU pays a visit to CCSU in what may be the most significant regular season game at Detrick Gymnasium in over a decade. Given Merrimack’s prior win over SHU, the Blue Devils will look to keep pace in a potential tiebreaker. For SHU, the Pios could find themselves locked up in a three-way tie for first with a win and a Merrimack loss to LIU.
Two days later, CCSU completes its two-game homestand with an NEC-TV game against FDU. The game will air on both ESPN+ and YES Network. Having suffered losses to CCSU and Merrimack earlier in the season, this game becomes pivotal for the Knights in their quest for a regular season crown.
>> SKYHAWKS SOAR FOR FIRST NEC WIN
These Skyhawks never stopped battling.
After an 0-8 start to league play that included four setbacks by five points or less or in overtime, Stonehill put together a 40-minute effort at Merkert Gymnasium to take down Wagner, 71-61, for its first NEC win of the season.
Stonehill led for nearly the entire game before Wagner briefly took the lead with about eight minutes remaining.
With the score deadlocked at 52, the Skyhawks ripped off 12 straight points in a decisive run that saw fifth year forward Pano Pavlidis (Queens, NY/Cardozo (Hartford/Molloy)) contribute six points during the spurt.
Graduate forward Max Zegarowski (South Hamilton, MA/The Tilton School (NH) (Lynn/Franklin Pierce)) scored a game-high 20 points on 8-14 shooting, while sophomore guard Tony Felder (Brockton, MA/Malden Catholic (VMI)) added 11 points - all in the second half - along with a career-high matching eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Felder put the nail in the coffin with back-to-back three-pointers that put the Skyhawks ahead by 12 with under two minutes remaining in the game.
Stonehill pulled to within a half game of Saint Francis U for the eighth playoff spot.
>> SHU’S MCGUIRE LENDS HELPING HAND
Sacred Heart’s Brendan McGuire (Garden City, NY/Chaminade (Quinnipiac)) put on a dime dropping exhibition last week.
The 6’7” graduate guard dished for a career-high 11 assists in Thursday’s five point win over Stonehill, then added ten more helpers on Saturday as the Pios turned back Le Moyne, 87-81.
The back-to-back double-digit assist games were the first by an NEC player since Merrimack’s Juvaris Hayes compiled 11 against LIU on February 1, 2020 and 10 more at FDU on February 6, 2020.
McGuire also became the first NEC player with at least two 10+ assist games in a season since that same 2019-20 campaign. That year, SHU’s Cam Parker finished with five and Hayes totaled four.
McGuire’s 21 helpers came with just two turnovers, a +10.5 ratio.
The Garden City, NY native has registered 7.4 helpers over his last five games to raise his season average to 3.8 per outing, which ranks third in the league. His 5.6 apg in NEC play is the second-best mark in the conference.
>> UP NEXT ON NEC-TV
A busy Saturday is ahead on NEC-TV with doubleheader action on tap.
We begin in New Britain where first place CCSU welcomes FDU in a 1:00 pm tipoff. The game will air on both ESPN+ and YES Network with Dave Popkin (PxP) and Tykera Carter (analyst) in the booth.
At 3:00 pm the scene shifts to North Andover for a showdown between old NEC10 rivals Le Moyne and Merrimack. Paul Dottino (PxP) and Joe DeSantis (analyst) have the call on ESPN+.
The 13-game men’s TV schedule includes linear telecasts on CBSSN, ESPNU and ESPN2. Seven regular season games are set to air on ESPN+ along with two one YES Network and one on SportsNet Pittsburgh.
The NEC semifinals will be carried on YES and ESPN+ on March 9, and the final on ESPN2 on March 12.
>> SHARING IS CARING
Talk about moving the rock.
The NEC is currently the top-ranked conference in assist rate in league play. Heading into this week, 56.3 percent of the made baskets in NEC play have been assisted.
Last year the NEC ranked second nationally in assist rate at 55.2 percent.
>> ETUMNU, WILBORN & NEC DUNK LEADERS
After another round of highlight reel throwdowns this past week, it seemed like a good time to peek at the NEC’s top individual rim-rockers this season.
Tied for the league lead thus far are Merrimack sophomore forward Bryan Etumnu (Sugar Land, TX/Kempner) and Saint Francis U freshman phenom Eli Wilborn (Middletown, CT/Middletown (South Kent)) with 23 jams apiece on the year.
NEC Dunk Leaders per Synergy Sports (2023-24)
Bryan Etumnu (MC) 23
Eli Wilborn (SFU) 23
Kaiyem Cleary (LEM) 21
Jo’el Emanuel (FDU) 20
Kellen Amos (CCSU) 19
Allan Jeanne-Rose (CCSU) 18
Jordan Derkack (MC) 15
Alex Sobel (SHU) 14
Melvin Council Jr. (WC) 11
Nico Galette (SHU) 11
Luke Sutherland (LEM) 11
Sean Moore (FDU) 10
Jacob O’Connell (MC) 10
The NEC single-season record for dunks dating back to the 2011-12 season is held by Saint Francis U’s Josh Nebo, who had 46 in 2016-17.
As a team, CCSU is the NEC runaway leader with 64 dunks on the year.
>> BLUE DEVIL TRANSITION GAME
When it comes to getting out on the break and converting, CCSU has been the standard bearer in the conference thus far in 2023-24.
The Blue Devils lead the conference in a host of transition categories.
Made FG in Transition 150
PPP in Transition 1.158
FG% in Transition .610
eFG% in Transition .663
3P% in Transition .448
CCSU’s transition opportunities also account for 20.2 percent of its total possessions on the year, the most in the NEC.
>> QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Saint Francis U head coach Rob Krimmel talked about his team’s effort after a one-point loss at first place CCSU on Thursday.
“That’s the hardest we have played all year. And sometimes, when you play hard, there are no guarantees you win a game. We played hard enough and well enough to win that game tonight. Believe is a big word in our program, and I believe in these guys.”
>> BROWN’S HOT HAND PUTS SEAHAWKS BACK IN WIN COLUMN
Needing a win, Wagner left little doubt on Thursday.
The Seahawks snapped a three-game losing streak on Thursday by posting an 80-57 win over Le Moyne at the Spiro Center.
The 23-point margin of victory was the highest for the Seahawks against a DI opponent since an 82-53 win over Saint Francis U in the 2022 NEC Tournament quarterfinals.
The Green and White hit 13-27 from long distance in the win, highlighted by a 7-10 showing from sophomore guard Julian Brown (Middletown, NY/Bergen Catholic). Brown finished with a career-high 23 points and also added five boards and four assists.
>> LATEST ON LOPEZ
It’s time for another statistical profile of a Saint Francis U freshman standout.
After matching his career-high with 22 points against CCSU on Thursday, SFU’s Carlos Lopez, Jr. (Egg Harbor, NJ/Egg Harbor Township (Feltrim Academy (FL))) concluded his inaugural season series against the NEC co-leaders averaging an impressive 21.5 ppg across the two matchups.
The 22-point outing last week also marked the first time this season that an SFU player scored at least 20 points in a road game.
The Egg Harbor, NJ native became the fourth freshman to post three 20-point games under head coach Rob Krimmel, joining Keith Braxton (five, 2016-17), Ben Millaud-Meunier (four, 2012-13) and Landon Moore (three, 2022-23).
Since being reinserted into the starting lineup four games ago, Lopez has averaged 14.5 ppg.
>> NEC NUGGETS
CCSU junior guard Jordan Jones (Florence, SC/Coker (Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School)) has now converted 30 of his last 33 free throw attempts, a 90.9 percent success rate. And after averaging 6.0 assists over his last four games, Jones has moved up to sixth in the conference at 3.6 per game.
Following a 16-point performance in FDU’s win over LIU on Thursday, junior forward Ansley Almonor (Spring Valley, NY/St. Joseph Regional (Montvale)) has now hit double digits in all but one NEC game this season. He sank 4-7 shots from downtown vs. the Sharks and continues to hold the to league lead for made three-pointers with 2.9 per game, a figure that ranks in the top-30 in DI.
Le Moyne grad student Kaiyem Cleary (Manchester, England/Redemption Christian Academy (NY) (Florida Southern/Florida Southwestern/Ball State)) has hit double digits in the Dolphins’ first eight NEC games. He shot 9-18 and finished with 23 points off the bench at SHU on Saturday. Cleary is the league;s top scorer in conference play at 21.1 ppg and he ranks third overall with 16.2 ppg.
LIU graduate student Tai Strickland (Tampa, FL/St. Petersburg (Wisconsin/Temple/Georgia Southern)) logged strong all-around numbers in the Sharks’ split last week, finishing with 14.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.5 apg and 1.5 spg. He set a career-high with eight assists in Saturday’s win over SFU. Strickland has reached the 20+ point mark four times in NEC play and is averaging 18.0 ppg against conference competition.
Merrimack grad student guard Jordan McKoy (Westwood, NJ/Dwight-Englewood) drained his 100th career three-pointer during Saturday’s win over CCSU. He hit 3-6 from deep and his 11 points off the bench matched a season-high. McKoy enters play this week having amassed 101 career triples.
Sacred Heart graduate guard Brendan McGuire (Garden City, NY/Chaminade (Quinnipiac)) has made 16 straight free throws entering play this week.
Saint Francis U sophomore guard Wisler Sanon (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) posted a career-high 13 points and eight rebounds against CCSU on Thursday. He then added eight rebounds and four assists at LIU on Saturday. They were the top two scoring marks for Sanon in NEC play and marked the first time that he registered double figures against a DI opponent. He posted 11 points against Saint Vincent on December 8, 2022 for his previous high.
Stonehill freshman forward Todd Brogna (Southborough, MA/Worcester Academy) has upped his production significantly the last two weeks. Over the four game span, he has put up 10.0 ppg rather efficiently, registering a 61.5 percent overall success rate and 54.5 percent mark from outside the arc. He has upped his season scoring average to 5.6 ppg.
Wagner junior guard Javier Ezquerra (San Juan, Puerto Rico/IMG Academy) recorded his 200th career assist last week. The NEC’s active career leader averaged 8.0 apg on the week, including a career-high 10 dimes in Wagner’s 80-57 win over Le Moyne on Thursday.
>> NEC ANALYTICS ZONE WITH RYAN PETERS
Each week throughout the 2023-24 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.
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>> NEC MONTH-BY-MONTH LEADERS
With January coming to a close, we present the leaders in various statistical categories on a month-by-month basis from the 2023-24 season.
Le Moyne graduate forward Kaiyem Cleary (Manchester, England/Redemption Christian Academy (NY) (Florida Southern/Florida Southwestern/Ball State)) paced the conference in scoring, three-point percentage and made three-pointers last month.
Saint Francis U freshman forward Eli Wilborn (Middletown, CT/Middletown (South Kent)) has led the conference in rebounding in each of the last two months.
(Minimums: Games - 4, FG - 3.0/game, FT - 2.0/game, 3PFG - 1.5/game).
November December January
Scoring Ansley Almonor, FDU (15.8) Ansley Almonor, FDU (19.0) Kaiyem Cleary, LEM (22.5)
Reb. Sean Moore, FDU (7.8) Eli Wilborn, SFU (9.4) Eli Wilborn, SFU (9.1)
Assists DeVante Jamison, FDU (4.9) Aaron Talbert, SFU (5.0) Javier Ezquerra, WC (5.4)
*FG% Bryan Etumnu, MC (.667) Eli Wilborn, SFU (.655) Jacob O’Connell, MC (.722)
*3PFG% Tanner Thomas, SHU (.464) Tre Breland, CCSU (.632) Kaiyem Cleary, LEM (.476)
Tyje Kelton, WC (.464)
*FT% Luke Sutherland, LEM (.893) Kaiyem Cleary, LEM (1.000) Joey Reilly, SHU (.938)
3PFG Ansley Almonor, FDU (2.8) Ansley Almonor, FDU (3.0) Kaiyem Cleary, LEM (3.3)
Steals Adam “Budd” Clark, MC (3.1) Jordan Jones, CCSU (2.6) Devon Savage, MC (2.3)
Blocks Alex Sobel, SHU (2.6) Eli Wilborn, SFU (3.0) Alex Sobel, SHU (3.3)
>> NEC IN NATIONAL LEADERS (TOP-25)
Team Category Rank Value
CCSU Blocks 21st 5.09
LEM 3P 14th 10.09
MC Steals 11th 9.74
TO Forced 12th 15.91
SHU Blocks 25th 5.00
WC Scoring Defense 10th 62.9
Fewest Turnovers 24th 9.76
Individual Category Rank Value
Adam “Budd” Clark, MC Steals 14th 2.39
Alex Sobel, SHU Blocks 5th 2.78