NEC Player of the Week: Jay Rodgers, CCSU
NEC Rookie of the Week: Tristan Burth, New Haven

Previous NEC Releases: November 17 | November 10 | Preseason Poll Release
 
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jay Rodgers, CCSU
6th-Year, G, 6-3, 185 lbs.
Pickerington, OH/Nova Village (Winchendon Prep/Cochise College/New Orleans)
Last Week’s Stats: 15 points, 9 assists, 5-7 FG, 3-3 3P in win at Rutgers

Rodgers was both the steady hand and spark plug behind one of the biggest wins in CCSU history, leading the Blue Devils to a convincing 67–54 road victory at Rutgers on Friday, the program’s first-ever win over a Big Ten opponent. The upset also marked CCSU’s second Power 4 triumph in a 10-day span following the Blue Devils’ 60-59 win over Boston College on November 11. The sixth-year guard finished with 15 points and a career-high nine assists, while converting at a red-hot 5-of-7 from the field and perfect 3-of-3 from long range. He committed just two turnovers on the night. Rodgers orchestrated a 13-0 first-half run with a pair of assists and back-to-back threes that pushed CCSU ahead 26–17. And after Rutgers pulled within 50–47 in the second half, the veteran guarf answered again, drilling another three and scoring the first five points of an 11-0 surge that stretched the lead back to 14 with 2:30 to play. After missing last season due to injury, Rodgers has quickly reasserted himself as one of the league’s most impactful playmakers, supplying CCSU with a league-leading 6.0 apg. He also sits second in the conference with a stellar 4.3 assist-to-turnover ratio, to go along with 10.6 ppg and 41.2 percent shooting from downtown.

NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Tristan Burth, New Haven
Fr., F, 6-8
Bronx, NY/Bridgeport Prep
Last Week’s Stats: 7.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 66.7 FG%

One of 11 freshmen on a youthful New Haven squad, Burth came alive in the Chargers' runaway win over VTSU Lyndon on Saturday. The Bronx native secured his first career double-double, posting season bests of 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. One of seven players in double figures for New Haven, Burth came off the bench to knock down 5-of-7 shots in 21 minutes, adding a pair of assists and a block. Earlier in the week, he contributed three points, three rebounds, a block and a steal in 15 minutes at Seton Hall.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
 
Max Frazier, CCSU (F, Jr)
Last week: 14 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 7-13 FG vs. Rutgers

- Posted his first career double-double in CCSU's 13-point win at Rutgers.
- Set career-highs in rebounds and steals.
- Scored the first four points in a 13-0 first half run for the Blue Devils that put CCSU up 26-17.
- Ranks fifth in the NEC in rebounding (7.6) and blocks (1.2)

Jay Rodgers, CCSU (G, 6-Yr)
Last week: 15 points, 9 assists, 5-7 FG, 3-3 3P at Rutgers

- NEC Player of the Week

Darin Smith, Jr., CCSU (F, So)
Last week: 25 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal at Rutgers

- Coming off an NEC Player of the Week honor, Smith racked up a game-high 21 points in CCSU's eye-opening win at Rutgers.
- Knocked down three trifectas, including the first of three straight triples in a 13-0 first half run that gave the Blue Devils a nine-point cushion.
- Has reached double-digits in each of his first five outings and currently sits third in the NEC in scoring at 16.6 ppg.
 
Marcus Tankersley, CSU (G, Sr)
Last week: 17.5 ppg, 2.5 apg, 50.0 FG%

- Tankersley stood out in Chicago State's two-game swing at a pair of Big Ten opponents.
- He dropped 16 points at Minnesota on Tuesday, then produced a game-high 19 points at Iowa, hitting 7-12 from the floor.
- Ranks second on the circuit at 17.2 ppg on an efficient 48.8 percent from the floor.

Cyril Martynov, FDU (C, Sr)
Last week: 23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 asssits, 9-11 shooting

- Martinov exploded for a career-high 23 points in FDU's first win of the season, a 100-58 victory over St. Elizabeth.
- The 7-footer from Ontario boosted his scoring average to 10.4 ppg and is shooting a robust 62.9 percent from the field. 

Shilo Jackson, LEM (F, Gr)
Last week: 17.5 ppg, 10,0 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 bpg, 66.7 FG%, 91.7 FT%

- Posted his second double-double of the season, registering 17 points and 11 rebounds - both game-highs - to help lead Le Moyne to a 74-58 home win over Niagara last Monday.
- His jumper with 1:07 to play pushed the Dolphins' lead to three, then assisted on a Jakai Sanders and-1 to ice matters.
- Jackson narrowly missed another double-double against Fairfield on Saturday, pacing all players with 18 points and nine caroms. He sank 5-6 shots and was a perfect 8-8 from the stripe.
- The Texas A&M-CC transfer ranks among NEC leaders in scoring (12.8, 11th), rebounding (7.8, 4th), free throw percentage (.800, 4th) and blocks (1.8, 2nd).

Jake Lemelman, MU (G, So)
Last week: 18.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.5 spg, 66.7 FG%, 40.0 3P%

- Dropped a 14 of his career-high 21 points in the second half to spark a comeback that ultimately fell short in a 69-60 setback at Marshall on Sunday. He tied for game-high scoring honors.
- Hit 3-6 from deep in a game-best 15-point effort at Miami (OH) on Thursday. The Lakers led the game, 71-70, with under 90 seconds to play, but the RedHawks finished the game on a 6-0 run.
- Averaging 18.0 points on 50.0 percent shooting from the floor and 45.0 percent from outside the arc over his last four games.
- His 13.9 ppg ranks him eighth in the league.

Skylar Wicks, SFU (F, R-Sr)
Last week: 24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 9-16 FG, 3-4 3P at Lehigh

- Recorded his second straight double-double, piling up a season-high 24 points while snaring 12 boards at Lehigh last Tuesday.
- Wicks nearly registered a double-double in the first half, finishing with 17 points and eight rebounds in the first 20 minutes.
- The redshirt senior has scored at least 15 points in all four games this season and has at least 18 points in SFU's three road outings on the road.
- Wicks became the first SFU player to post consecutive double-doubles since Miles Webb against Penn State Shenango on December 4, 2024, and Niagara on December 14, 2024.
- Wicks leads the NEC in scoring (19.3), rebounding (9.0) and 3-point field goal percentage (46.2), and ranks third in 3-pointers (3.0) and fifth in assists (3.3).

Davante Hackett, STO (G, Jr)
Last week: 13.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.0 bpg

- Hackett came off the bench to net a game and career-high 23 points to spark the Skyhawks to a 74-70 home win over Lafayette on Friday.
- Scored nine of Stonehill's last 11 points in the game, including four straight free throws in the final eight seconds to seal the victory.
- Hackett added five rebounds, a pair of blocks an assist and a steal in 31 minutes.
- The sixth-man from Brampton, Ontario is contributing 9.4 ppg on the year.

Jaden Baker, WAG (G, R-Sr)
Last week: 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 9-17 FG at Georgetown

- Posted a game and season-high 22 points in Wagner's outing at Georgetown on Saturday.
- Baker is the NEC's third-ranked distributor with 3.6 apg over his first five games for the Seahawks.

Nick Jones, WAG (G, Jr)
Last week: 16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steals at Georgetown

- In a near double-double at Georgetown, Jones’ nine rebounds marked a season high and tied for game-high honors.
- Jones has reached double figures in four of his first five games in a Wagner uniform, highlighted by.a season-high 20 points at UMBC on November 16
- The Harcum College transfer leads a balanced Wagner scoring attack and checks in at tenth in the league with 13.0 ppg.

#NECMBB BY THE NUMBERS

2 - By virtue of its wins over Boston College and Rutgers, CCSU became the second NEC team to post a pair of wins against major conference programs in the same season. FDU beat Seton Hall and Rutgers over a seven day stretch in 2013.

2 - CCSU sixth-year guard Jay Rodgers ranks second nationally in assist rate at 50.5 percent.

4 - CCSU's victory at Rutgers was the NEC's fourth over a Big Ten program and third against Rutgers.

NEC Wins Over Big Ten Opponents
CCSU 67, Rutgers 54 (11/21/25)
FDU 63, Purdue 58 (3/17/23 - NCAA Tournament)
Merrimack 71, Northwestern 61 (11/8/19)
Saint Francis U 73, Rutgers 68 (12/20/14)

FDU beat Rutgers, 73-72, on November 25, 2013 during the Scarlet Knights' one-year stint in the AAC.

50 - CCSU moved up 50 spots in KenPom rankings following its win at Rutgers

#NECMBB FAST BREAK

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: CCSU committed a season-low seven turnovers and outrebounded Rutgers, 41-37, in it's double-digit win.

CHICAGO STATE: The Cougars erased a 14-point deficit at Minnesota and led with under seven minutes to play before falling by 12 last Tuesday. CSU held the Gophers to 36.5 percent shooting from the floor. The Cougars have played the 15th-toughest schedule in the nation this season, according to KenPom.

FDU: FDU senior forward Taeshaud Jackson ranks 17th nationally in defensive rebound percentage at 30.6. He ranks second in the NEC at 8.6 rpg.

LE MOYNE: Le Moyne shot 21-47 from three-point range in a split last week, a 44.7 percent success rate. Trent Mosquera hit 5-9 shots from deep for the Dolphins, including a 5-6 night against Fairfield on Saturday.

LIU: LIU senior guard Greg Gordon paces the NEC with 11 dunks on the season.

MERCYHURST: Sophomore forward Qadir Martin has tallied at least one block in every game this season and leads the NEC at 2.0 bpg, placing him inside the top 50 nationally.

NEW HAVEN: New Haven's 122 points in its win over VTSU Lyndon was the program's first 100-point scoring game in regulation since tallying 101 in a win over Southampton on January 31, 2004 and the highest single-game total since dropping 122 against Mercy on November 20, 1990.

SAINT FRANCIS U: Skylar Wicks and Zion Russell are combining to average 32.3 ppg, making them the highest-scoring NEC duo thus far in 2025-26.

STONEHILL: A familar face to NEC fans, grad student forward Raymond Espinal-Guzman has contributed 9.9 ppg, and his 8.1 rpg places him third in the NEC. Espinal-Guzman, who finished with 10 points and seven rebounds in Stonehill's win over Lafayette, played the last three seasons at Sacred Heart. 

WAGNER: Wagner, which shot 33.4 percent from three-point range last season to rank seventh in the NEC, is converting a conference-best 39.3 percent of its shots from distance this fall against a challenging schedule that has included VCU, Seton Hall, Fordham and Georgetown.


2025-26 NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 10: Greg Gordon (LIU)
Nov. 17: Darin Smith, Jr. (Central Connecticut) & Malachi Davis (LIU) 
Nov. 24: Jay Rodgers (CCSU)

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nov. 10: David Jevtic (FDU)
Nov. 17: Elijah Parker (Central Connecticut)
Nov. 24: Tristan Burth (New Haven)