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NEC Player of the Week: Terrence Brown, FDU
NEC Rookie of the Week: Darin Smith Jr., CCSU
Previous NEC Releases: November 11 | Preseason Poll Release
 
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Terrence Brown, FDU
So., G, 6-3, 175 lbs.
Minneapolis, MN/Columbia Heights
An All-Rookie selection as a freshman, Brown has hit the ground running in his sophomore campaign, emerging as the NEC’s top point producer in the season’s early stages. Last week, the Minneapolis, MN native averaged 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in an FDU split. He shot 48.7 percent from the floor, and shot 50.0 percent from three-point range, making 6-12 attempts. Brown opened his week with a game-high 23 points, career-best eight rebounds and three steals in a setback at Nebraska on Wednesday. Four days later, he established a new career-high, racking up 28 points, including a 4-8 mark from deep. Brown ranks 26th nationally in scoring and first in the NEC by a wide margin, averaging 22.4 ppg. He is also third in rebounding (6.4), fourth in steals (2.0), and sixth in three-point percentage (.500) and made triples (2.0).

NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Darin Smith, Jr., CCSU
R-Fr., F, 6-7, 190 lbs.
Springfield, MA/Vermont Academy
Smith Jr. repeated as NEC Rookie of the Week after leading the Blue Devils in scoring last week. The redshirt freshman forward contributed 17.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while converting at a 63.2 percent clip from the field. He drained 6-11 shots from outside the arc, shooting 54.4 percent from deep. Smith was in can’t miss mode in CCSU’s 117-68 win over Vermont St. Johnson last Monday, splashing 6-9 from three-point range on his way to a game-high 23-point outing. He came off the bench on Saturday to score 11 points on 5-8 shooting in a loss to Northeastern. Providing instant offense, the Springfield, MA product scored 34 points in 38 minutes over the two outings.  Smith is the NEC’s top-ranked freshman scorer at 11.8 ppg, which ranks eighth overall. He also ranks fifth in the league in field goal percentage (.600).

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
 
Jayden Brown (CCSU, Sr, F)
Last week: 15.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 66.7 FG%

- Led the Blue Devils with 15 points against Northeastern on Saturday, hitting 6-9 from the field.

Darin Smith Jr. (CCSU, R-Fr, F)
Last week: 17.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 63.2 FG%, 54.5 3P%

- Logged a game and career-best 23 points in a win over Vermont St. Johnson. He drilled 6-9 shots from downtown.

Terrence Brown (FDU, So, G)
Last week: 25.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.0 spg, 48.7 FG%, 50.0 3P%

- The NEC’s leading scorer caught fire last week, registering a game-high 23 points on 9-18 shooting at Nebraska, before exploding for a career-high 28 points in FDU’s 85-82 home win over Manhattan.
- Brown matched a career-high with 8 caroms vs. the Cornhuskers.

Malachi Davis (LIU, R-Jr, G)
Last week: 20.5 ppg, 3.0 apg, 36.4 3P%%

- Dropped a career-high 24 points on 9-15 shooting in LIU’s win at Air Force last Monday. He added 5 assists.

Jeff Planutis (MU, Gr, F)
Last week: 12.5 ppg, 3.5 apg, 2.5 spg, 1.0 bpg. 37.5 3P%

- Compiled 15 points on an efficient 5-9 from the field, and added three assists and three steals in the Lakers’ first-ever home win over a DI program, a 62-52 conquest of Canisius last Wednesday.

Aidan Reichert (MU, Sr, F)
Last week: 14.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 spg

- Paced the Lakers with a 19-point outing against Columbia on Saturday. He sank 7-14 shots from the floor.

Valentino Pinedo (SFU, Jr, F)
Last week: 9.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 2.5 spg, 64.3 FG%

- Recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 boards vs. Penn State.
- Pinedo became the third player under head coach Rob Krimmel to register a double-double against a Power 5 team and the 12 boards were the most against a Power 5 school in the last 13 years.

Bobby Rosenberger III (SFU, So, G)
Last week: 14.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg

- Led the Red Flash in scoring during both of SFU’s games last week, recording 14 points each against Penn State and Mount St. Mary’s

Todd Brogna (STO, So, F)
Last week: 13.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 61.9 FG%, 57.31 3P%, 90.0 FT%

- Brogna reached double-digits in all three games of the Urban-Bennett Invitational. Sporting an efficient 62/57/90 slash, the sophomore had his best game in the opener vs. host RMU with 17 points and a career-high nine boards.

Josh Morgan (STO, Gr, G)
Last week: 16.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 42.3 3P%

- Registered his first career double-double with 20 points and a career-best 10 rebounds to spark the Skyhawks to an 80-54 win over New Orleans at the Urban-Bennett Invitational on Friday.

#NECMBB BY THE NUMBERS
 
14.6 - FDU’s Terrence Brown has boosted his scoring production by 14.6 ppg from last season. He paces the NEC with 22.4 ppg over the first two weeks of the season.

39 - FDU ranks 39th nationally in adjusted tempo, averaging 73.0 possessions per game. The Knights lead the NEC in scoring at 79.8 ppg.

63.5 - The CCSU trio of Davonte Sweatman, Abdul Momoh and Darin Smith Jr. have combined to shoot 63.5 percent from the field this season. They all rank in the NEC top-5 in FG%. 

92.9 - Mercyhurst’s Bernie Blunt (22-of-23) and Jeff Planutis (17-of-19) have combined to make 39-of-42 free throws on the year, a 92.9 percent success rate.

#NECMBB FAST BREAK

CCSU
CCSU’s 117 points in its win over Vermont St. Johnson marked the team’s highest scoring output since a 119-118 win vs. Troy State on Feb. 17, 1996.

Chicago St.
Junior forward Jalen Forrest came off the bench on Tuesday to contribute 14 points, tying for team honors, along with a team-best seven boards at Texas.

FDU
FDU has now won three straight in its series with Manhattan after overcoming a 5-point deficit in the final two minutes against the Jaspers on Sunday.

Le Moyne
Dwayne Koroma has made 24-of-31 shots from the floor on the season, a league-leading 77.4 conversion rate. He paces the Dolphins with 11.0 ppg.

LIU
The 54 points allowed in its win at Air Force were the fewest by LIU vs. a DI opponent since a 73-50 win over SFBK on Feb. 28, 2018, and the lowest by a non-conference foe since a 65-49 victory over NJIT on Dec. 14, 2014.

Mercyhurst
The Lakers committed just 6 turnovers while forcing 18 vs. Canisius, turning them into 21 points in their victory - the program’s first home win against a DI opponent.

Saint Francis U
Junior forward Valentino Pinedo has converted 16-25 shots (.640) from the floor over his last three games, shooting at least 60 percent each outing.

Stonehill
Stonehill made 15-30 shots from three-point range vs. Lindenwood on Sunday, a new DI single-game program record for triples.

Wagner
All three of Wagner’s setbacks have come against teams ranked in the KenPom top-100: Rutgers (64), St. John’s (17) & Seton Hall (97).
   
TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB TIPOFF WEEK

Here’s all you need to know from the second week of the 2024-25 season...

>> NEC STANDS TALL IN EARLY SEASON ROAD TESTS
 
During a road-heavy start to the season, the NEC has racked up a trio of wins against notable conferences and battled a pair of traditional powers to a standstill on their home turf.
 
Mountain West
LIU junior guard Malachi Davis (Toronto, ON/Central Tech (Tallahassee CC/Lake Land College/Arizona State)) scored 17 points and the Sharks limited Air Force to 35.9 percent shooting from the floor in a 63-54 win last Monday.
 
Atlantic 10
CCSU hit a series of clutch shots to knock off Saint Joseph’s, 73-67, on November 8. Freshman forward Darin Smith Jr. (Springfield, MA/Vermont Academy), senior guard Jordan Jones (Florence, SC/Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School (Coker)) and senior forward Jayden Brown (Providence, RI/Tilton School (NH)) led the Blue Devils with 13 points apiece.
 
Coastal
Saint Francis U rallied back from a 15-point deficit to edge Campbell, 65-64, on November 10. Junior forward Valentino Pinedo (Murcia, Spain/Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) (East Carolina)) tied the game on a tip-in with 49 seconds to play, then hit the game-winning free throw with one second on the clock. He finished with a career-high 15 points and snared five boards.
 
Big East
CCSU took Providence right down to the wire on opening night before dropping a 59-55 decision. Jones was terrific in the tight loss, finishing with 21 points to tie for game scoring honors.
 
ACC
Le Moyne led Syracuse for much of the game in its season opener and had a chance to win it on the final possession before succumbing, 86-82. The 82 points scored by Le Moyne were the most by a non-conference opponent in the JMA Dome since Indiana scored 110 on November 30, 2021. Five Le Moyne players reached double digits, led by junior forward Freds Pauls Bagatskis (Riga, Latvia/Complejo Educativo Mas Camarena (Georgia Tech/UT Arlington)), who had 17 points.
 
>> FDU’S BROWN SHINES ON BIG STAGE
 
A true measure of a player’s skill lies in how they perform against elite competition.
 
Make no mistake, FDU sophomore guard Terrence Brown (Minneapolis, MN/Columbia Heights) has stepped up his game to meet the challenge of the Knights’ demanding early season slate.
 
Look no further than Brown’s stat lines in games at Miami (FL), Creighton and Nebraska.
 
at Miami (FL): 18 points, 4 rebounds, 8-14 FG
at Creighton: 19 points, 8 rebounds
at Nebraska: 23 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 9-18 FG
Composite: 20.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 47.1 FG%
 
The NEC Player of the Week is averaging a league-high 22.4 ppg, more than four points higher than any other player on the circuit.
 
He has already posted three 20+ point outings, highlighted by a career-high 28-point showing in FDU’s 85-82 win over Manhattan on Sunday.
 
Brown was named to the NEC All-Rookie squad as a freshman last season.

>> ANOTHER FIRST FOR HURST
 
After securing the program’s first DI win at Morgan State on November 6, Mercyhurst added another significant first last Wednesday.

The Lakers recorded a convincing 62-52 win that night over Canisius, the first DI home win for the NEC newcomers.
 
Trailing by one midway through the second half, senior forward Aidan Reichert (Jackson Center, OH/Jackson Center) scored six points to key a decisive 12-0 Mercyhurst run that put the Lakers in control.
 
Senior guard Bernie Blunt III (Morgantown, PA/Peddie School (Quinnipiac/Edinboro)) sank a trio of triples and led the Lakers with 16 points.
 
>> STONEHILL’S RUNAWAY VICTORY
 
When Stonehill downed New Orleans as part of the Urban-Bennett Invitational on Friday, then did it in emphatic fashion.
 
The Skyhawks raced out to a 28-point first half lead before cruising to an 80-54 win.
 
The 26-point margin of victory marked their largest against a DI opponent in the program’s brief DI history.
 
Stonehill limited the Privateers to just 25.7 percent shooting from the floor and a 5-26 mark from beyond the arc.
 
Graduate student guard Josh Morgan (Brampton, Ontario/Father Henry Carr (Incarnate Word)) produced his first career double-double, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
 
>> FDU RIDES ROLLER COASTER IN WIN OVER MANHATTAN
 
What seemed like a blowout quickly transformed into a thrilling comeback.

FDU came out swinging against Manhattan on Sunday at the Bogota Savings Bank Center, building a 14-point edge just seven minutes in. After the lead swelled to 17, the Knights headed into halftime with a 13-point advantage, scoring 52 points in the opening 20 minutes. FDU hit 7-13 shots from downtown in the first stanza.
 
The Knights maintained a double-digit lead until the Jaspers went on a 13-2 run to take a three-point lead heading into the U8 timeout.
 
Trailing by five in the final two minutes, junior forwards Cam Tweedy (Waldorf, MD/Westlake) and Jo’el Emmanuel (Suffern, NY/Suffern) converted back-to-back buckets to trim the deficit to one with 51 seconds on the clock. Following a stop, NEC Player of the Week Terrence Brown (Minneapolis, MN/Columbia Heights) put the Knights ahead for good, going coast-to-coast and drawing a goaltending call with 20 seconds remaining. FDU produced another stop and Ahmed Barba-Bey (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway (Jefferson)) added a pair of free throws with four seconds left to put the wraps on an 85-82 victory.
 
Brown scored a career-high 28 points and pulled down seven boards. He shot 4-8 from three-point range. Junior guard Brayden Reynolds (Pittsburgh, PA/Chartiers Valley) also had a personal-best 15 points on 6-7 shooting off the bench.
 
 >> MILESTONE UPDATE
 
A pair of NEC players hit a career milestone last week as FDU junior forward Jo’el Emanuel (Suffern, NY/Suffern) and Wagner senior guard Javier Ezquerra (San Juan, Puerto Rico/IMG Academy) both cracked the 500-point mark
 
The springy Emanuel reached 500 points - rather appropriately - with a dunk late in Wednesday’s game at Nebraska, finishing the week with 517 points. He ranks second among active NEC scoring leaders.
 
Ezquerra hit the plateau on a jumper in the waning seconds of the first half at Seton Hall on Saturday. The San Juan, Puerto Rico native is the third-leading active scorer in the conference, and ranks first in assists (276), steals (91) and three-pointers (105).
 
>> RED FLASH ROAD TRIP
 
Saint Francis U’s five-game road trip tied the program record for most games away from Loretto to start the season with the 1964-65 team. The Red Flash traveled to Dayton, Clemson, Campbell and Penn State, before wrapping up the five-game road trip at Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday. This season’s five-game road trip encompassed 2,475 miles round trip. SFU will now enjoy some home cooking with five of its next six contests at DeGol Arena.
 
>> #NECINTHEPROS UPDATE
 
Former Saint Francis U standout Myles Thompson recently signed a professional contract with Chaux Sports in the Ivory Coast in Africa. Thompson, who finished his SFU career with time in 948 points and 456 rebounds, became the 16th player to sign professional contracts in head coach Rob Krimmel’s 13 seasons, joining Georgios Angelou, Deon Baker, Isaiah Blackmon, Keith Braxton, Earl Brown, Greg Brown, Ramiir Dixon-Conover, Ronnie Drinnon, Marlon Hargis, Jamaal King, Luidgy Laporal, Ben Millaud-Meunier, Tyler Stewart, Andre Wolford and Pat Wrencher.
 
Blackmon (2019-20) and Braxton (2018-19) were NEC Player of the Year award winners.
 
Thompson is one of four former Red Flash players currently playing professionally, joining Braxton (Germany), Hargis (Puerto Rico), and Wofford (Australia).
 
>> THIS & THAT
 
CCSU’s Darin Smith Jr. (Springfield, MA/Vermont Academy) became the first Blue Devil freshman to score 20 points in a game since Myles Baker tallied 24 points vs. Bryant on February 15, 2020.
 
Chicago State junior guard Matthew Robinson Jr. (Miramar, FL/Western (Florida Northern)) hit 6-11 from three-point territory in two games last week. He drained 4-6 from distance and finished with 14 points at Texas on Tuesday. He is shooting 53.3 percent from outside the arc on the season.
 
Le Moyne’s four DI opponents are a combined 13-1 on the year.
 
LIU redshirt junior guard and preseason All-NEC pick Malachi Davis (Toronto, ON/Central Tech (Tallahassee CC/Lake Land College/Arizona State)) scored a career-high 24 points at Cal Baptist on Friday. He converted 9-15 shots and was 2-5 from three-point land. Davis ranks second in the NEC in scoring at 18.3 ppg.
 
LIU freshman guard Jalen “Roc” Lee (Atlanta, GA/West Oaks Academy) came off the bench to pitch in with 12 points on 5-10 shooting in LIU’s win at Air Force. He followed with a 9-point, 6-rebound outing at Cal Baptist.
 
Preseason All-NEC forward Jeff Planutis (Hazleton, PA/Hazleton (Woodstock Academy)) did not commit a single turnover in 67 minutes during Mercyhurst’s split last week.
 
This season marks the 70th anniversary of the 1954-55 Saint Francis U team that advanced to the NIT Final Four during Maurice Stokes’ final collegiate season.