Click HERE For PDF Release

NEC Player of the Week: Darin Smith, Jr., Central Connecticut
NEC Rookie of the Week: Teshaun Steele, New Haven

Previous NEC Releases: January 12 | January 6 | December 30 | December 23 | December 15 | December 8 | December 1 | November 24 | November 17 | November 10 | Preseason Poll Release
 
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Darin Smith, Jr., Central Connecticut
Sophomore, Forward, 6-7, 210 lbs., Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy
Last Week’s Stats: 24.5 p pg, 6.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 50.0 FG%, 55.6 FG%, 88.9 FT%
Another week brought yet another barrage of buckets for the NEC’s top scorer. In Central Connecticut’s 1-1 stretch, Smith, who is averaging a league-leading 20.8 points per game, poured in 49 points on 50.0 percent shooting from the field (14-of-28), 55.6 percent shooting from long range (5-of-9) and an 88.9 percent clip from the charity stripe (16-of-18) while adding 13 rebounds. The Springfield, MA native got his week going with an explosive outing on Saturday to guide the Blue Devils to a 98-90 win at Saint Francis. Draining all four of his attempts from downtown, he shot a sizzling 71.4 percent from the field to lead all scorers with 34 points, marking the second time this season the sophomore eclipsed the 30-point mark. In addition, Smith came one rebound shy of completing a double-double in the victory. His performance was so elite that it made him the only player in the nation this season to net at least 30 points on 70.0 percent shooting with four made three-pointers. On Monday, Smith led all Blue Devils with 15 points in a defeat at Mercyhurst. With that effort, he remains the only player in the league this season to score in twin figures in every game, a current 17-game rally. He enters the week ranked 17th in the nation in scoring and he owns the sixth-best scoring average among all NCAA Division I underclassmen. This is his league-leading fourth NEC Player of the Week award this season.

NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Teshaun Steele, New Haven
Guard/Forward, Freshman, 6-7, Worcester, MA/Darrow School 
Last Week’s Stats: 6.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 50.0 FG%, 50.0 3FG%
Steele helped New Haven complete its first perfect week against NEC competitors after the Chargers, who previously defeated FDU, extended their win streak to three with victories over Wagner (80-74) on Saturday and Chicago State (62-56) on Monday. The freshman combo guard/forward averaged 6.5 points on 3-of-7 shooting from the field — including a 50.0 percent clip from long range — while pulling down 3.5 boards per game in that stretch. Steele put up significant numbers off the bench against the Seahawks on Saturday, netting 10 points while corralling four rebounds. His lone triple of the game — which came at the 10:44 mark of the opening half — helped the Chargers jump out to a 21-6 advantage after they did all of their scoring from behind the arc during that span. In addition, the 10 points marked the first time in his career that he registered twin figures against a Division I opponent. In New Haven’s come-from-behind win in the Windy City, the Worcester, MA native scored three points and added three rebounds. With this week’s award, he is the third New Haven freshman to earn NEC Rookie of the Week accolades, joining Tristan Burth (Nov. 25) and Aidan Losiewicz (Jan. 6).


NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
 
Jay Rodgers, CCSU (G, Sr)
It was another productive week for Rodgers, as the senior guard once again averaged a double-double after he combined for 24 points and 21 dimes for the Blue Devils, who posted a 1-1 record in that stretch. In Saturday’s 98-90 win at Saint Francis, he compiled his third double-double on points and assists — and had just one miscue in 34 minutes of action — after recording 13 in each category. 
 
Darin Smith, Jr., CCSU (F, So)
Smith’s 24.5 point-per-game average last week led all NEC players, while his 55.6 percent clip from three-point territory (5-of-9) was second among all conference ballers. The sophomore forward turned in one of the most efficient outings in recent NEC history when he joined former Blue Devil Kellen Amos in becoming the only players in the last 20 years to score at least 34 points on 70.0 percent shooting (10-of-14 – 71.0 percent) while hitting at least four triples without a miss in his team’s 98-90 win at Saint Francis.
 
Joey Niesman, FDU (G, Gr)
Knocking down 4-of-7 triples while turning in a 50.0 percent effort from the floor, Niesman led all scorers with 23 points in FDU’s 68-61 home win over Wagner, a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matchup that was showcased on ESPN+. Beginning the week by scoring 10 points against first-place LIU on Saturday, the graduate guard averaged 16.5 points over the two-game stretch.
 
Shilo Jackson, LEM (F, Gr)
Jackson averaged double figures in scoring behind sizzling 84.6 percent shooting from the field (11-of-13) to lead Le Moyne to a pair of wins last week, including a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee that saw the Dolphins knock off then-undefeated LIU by an 83-77 final. Netting 13 points in Saturday’s win at Chicago State, the graduate forward was perfect on each of his seven field goals to finish with a game-high 21 points in Monday’s big defeat of the Sharks.
 
Trent Mosquera, LEM (G, R-Jr)
Le Moyne went 2-0 thanks in part to a monstrous week by Mosquera that featured 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Coming one board shy of a double-double with 16 points on 50.0 percent shooting from the field in Saturday’s 72-57 win at Chicago State, the redshirt junior guard racked up 19 points after draining 7-of-10 field goal attempts, including 4-of-7 threes, in an 83-77 upset of then-undefeated LIU on Monday.
 
Malachi Davis, LIU (G, R-Sr)
Davis had another solid all-around week after he averaged 19.5 points, 5.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds for LIU, which went 1-1 with a win at FDU on Saturday and a defeat at Le Moyne on Monday. Netting 15 points while dishing for seven assists against the Knights, the redshirt senior guard tallied his fourth 20-point outing of the year after he dropped 24 against the Dolphins.
 
Jake Lemelman, MU (G, So)
Lemelman averaged 16.5 points, 5.0 assists, 4.5 boards and 1.0 steal on 51.9 percent shooting from the field (14-of-27) and a league-leading 62.5 percent clip from long range (5-of-8) in a split weekend for Mercyhurst. The sophomore guard was a catalyst in the Lakers’ commanding 79-61 win over Central Connecticut, netting 10 of his team-high 20 points inside the first six minutes of the game to give his team a lead they would not relinquish for the entire afternoon.
 
Qadir Martin, MU (F, So)
Martin made his presence felt on both ends of the court for Mercyhurst, which posted a 1-1 record last week in a stretch that included a commanding 79-61 win over second-place Central Connecticut on Monday. Tacking on four blocks to his already league-leading total while adding 15 points and eight boards against Stonehill on Saturday, the sophomore forward registered his second double-double of the year (14 points, 10 rebounds) and shot 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from the field in Monday’s victory over the Blue Devils.
 
Najimi George, NHVN (G, So)
George’s contributions on the offensive end of the floor — a stretch that saw him average 18.0 points and 4.0 assists on 59.1 percent shooting from the field (13-of-22), a 55.5 percent clip from three (5-of-9) and a perfect 5-of-5 effort from the free throw line — led New Haven to a perfect 2-0 record against NEC foes last week. Netting 15 points in Saturday’s 80-74 win over Wagner, the sophomore guard helped the Chargers come from behind to score a 62-56 win at Chicago State after netting nine of his game-high 21 points inside the game’s final 3:49, including the go-ahead three-point play with 1:23 left.
 
Ahmad Harrison, SFU (G, Sr)
Harrison became the second Saint Francis player to propel the Red Flash to a dramatic NEC victory when he nailed a 35-footer as time expired against Stonehill on Monday. Finishing with 16 points, five boards and two assists in the 63-61 triumph, the senior guard opened the week with a 17-point, seven-assist and four-rebound performance in Saturday’s high-scoring 98-90 defeat to Central Connecticut.
 
Chas Stinson, STO (G, Sr)
Averaging 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per game, Stinson piloted the Skyhawks to a 1-1 record against NEC competitors last week. The senior guard extended his double-digit scoring streak to six games and pushed his season average into double digits after he followed a 15-point effort in Saturday’s 62-57 overtime win at Mercyhurst with a team-high 19 points in Monday’s last-second defeat at Saint Francis.
 
Nick Jones, WAG (G, Jr)
After netting 20 points last week against Mercyhurst, Jones, who is averaging 15.2 points per game in league play, continued to score at an elite level in Wagner’s two road games at New Haven on Saturday and FDU on Monday. Putting up 20 points in each of those contests, the junior guard owns the longest 20-point scoring streak by a Seahawk since Alex Morales in the 2020-21 campaign (three games).


#NECMBB BY THE NUMBERS

4 - CCSU sophomore Darin Smith, Jr. became the fastest player since Wagner’s Alex Morales (2021-22) to earn four NEC Player of the Week awards.

11 - Two NEC ballers - CCSU’s Max Frazier (11th) & Le Moyne’s Shilo Jackson (10th) - rank inside the nation’s top-11 in field goal percentage.

2 - For the second time this season, Saint Francis won an NEC game on a buzzer-beating three-pointer, recently doing so against Stonehill on Monday.


#NECMBB FAST BREAK

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: Sophomore guard Darin Smith, Jr. is the lone NEC player this season to net double figures in every game he has appeared in (17 games).

CHICAGO STATE: Ranked 57th in the nation in steals, the Cougars have recorded eight or more swipes in each of their past five games.

FDU: Averaging 9.2 ppg in non-conference play, Joey Niesman is putting up 17.0 points per night against conference foes.

LE MOYNE: Shooting 60.5 percent from the field, Le Moyne became the first squad to knock off LIU in NEC play this season with an 83-77 win.

LIU: Led by the league’s leading dunker in Greg Gordon (41), LIU ranks ninth in the nation in the category. 

MERCYHURST: Mercyhurst shot a season-best 55.0 percent from the field and 52.9 percent from three in Monday’s win over Central Connecticut.

NEW HAVEN: New Haven rides an NEC-best three-game winning streak into the week after defeating FDU, Wagner and Chicago State.

SAINT FRANCIS: Skylar Wicks is one of three players in the nation to average at least 17.0 points, 7.0 boards, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

STONEHILL: Stonehill became the first NEC team since SFU in 2024-25 to come away with back-to-back overtime wins with Saturday’s win at Mercyhurst.

WAGNER: Nick Jones has scored 20 points in three-straight games for the longest 20-point rally since Alex Morales (3 games) in 2020-21.


#NECMBB NEWS & NOTES

DOLPHINS DOWN THE SHARKS
Le Moyne provided the big storyline of Week 3 when the Dolphins became the first NEC squad this season to take down LIU on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

The Dolphins not only put a blemish on the Sharks’ 5-0 record coming into the day; they also handed the Brooklyn squad their first regular season conference loss since a 73-67 setback at Chicago State nearly one year ago on Feb. 1, 2025. LIU entered the contest with wins against 11-straight NEC opponents during the regular season.

After Deng Garang tied up the contest at 12-12 with 13:48 left in the first, two Tennessee Rainwater free throws gave Le Moyne a lead it would not relinquish for the rest of the game. 

The Sharks did manage to pull within one  with 11:54 left in the second, but back-to-back Dolphins’ triples sparked a 12-0 run that quickly made it a 13-point advatnage at 66-53 with 7:53 to go. 

Grad student Shilo Jackson (Indianapolis, IN/North Central (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) turned in a perfect 7-of-7 effort from the floor to anchor a hot Le Moyne squad that shot a blistering 60.5 percent from the field (26-of-43), the second-best clip by an NEC team against a Division I opponent this season.
 
BACK IN THE 90s
Points did not come at a premium in Loretto on Saturday.

Central Connecticut and Saint Francis combined to put up 188 points in an offensive slugfest that saw the Blue Devils prevail by a 98-90 final. 

It marked the highest-scoring affair in an NEC game since Sacred Heart downed FDU, 99-91, on Feb. 22, 2022. 

The Blue Devils’ 98 points are a season-best mark by an NEC squad against a Division I competitor in 2025-26, and they are the most points netted by a conference member against another fellow conference mate since the Pioneers notched 99 in that previously mentioned contest.

Since joining the NEC for the 1997-98 campaign, Central Connecticut has eclipsed the 90-point mark 22 times, with its 98-point performance ranking seventh on that list. In addition, their recent 98-point outing marked the most points netted by the Blue Devils in a conference game that did not require overtime since 2008, when they defeated Sacred Heart by a 100-87 final (March 2, 2008).

CHARGED UP FROM THREE
It was cold and snowy in the Nutmeg State on Saturday, but New Haven brought the heat inside The Hazell Center with a blistering performance from behind the arc in its 80-74 win over Wagner. The Chargers drained 15 triples on 53.6 percent shooting, with 11 of those makes coming in the first half thanks to a combined 61.1 percent effort in that stretch. 

Senior guard Kheni Briggs (Kennapolis, NC/The Burlington School (UAlbany)) started the three-point barrage by making each of his team’s first three attempts within the game’s first 2:42. The hot shooting continued for New Haven as each of the squad’s first 21 points of the contest came from long range on 7-of-8 shooting.

Eight Chargers drained at least one triple in the victory, with a whopping four players racking up three makes. Graduate guard Maison Adeleye (Arlington, TX/Juan Seguin (Texas Permian Basin)) closed out the game with a perfect 3-for-3 effort to lead the pack of sharp shooters.

With their hot hand from behind the arc, the Chargers became the 31st NEC squad since 2004-05 to make at least 15 three-pointers at a 50.0 percent clip and the 21st to do so against a fellow NEC foe.

RODGER THAT
Central Connecticut senior Jay Rodgers (Pickerington, OH/Cochise College (University of New Orleans)) added another double-double on points-assists to his resume Saturday afternoon at Saint Francis. Netting 13 points while passing for 13 assists, he turned the trick for a league-leading third time in the 98-90 win. 

What makes Rodgers’ double-double more impressive is that he achieved it in near perfect fashion. The guard committed just one miscue in 34 minutes of court time for an efficient 13-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

That performance is the sixth-best assist-to-turnover ratio among NEC players who have dished for at least 13 assists in a game against Division I competition (since 1997-98).

Just two NEC playmakers (since 1997-98) have posted at least 13 assists with zero miscues, and both of them hail from FDU. Sidney Sanders Jr. walked away with a clean sheet when he dropped 13 dimes in a win against LIU in the 2013-14 campaign (Jan. 16, 2014), while Mike Scott also achieved perfection with a 13:0 assist-to-turnover ratio in a three-point triumph over Sacred Heart four years prior on Jan. 2, 2010.

Le Moyne sophomore guard Jakai Sanders (Brooklyn, NY/Eagle Academy (Saint Peter’s)) also made the cut on that seven-player list this season when he posted a 16:1 assist-to-turnover ratio against St. Bonaventure on Dec. 20, 2025.

Name (School), Opponent (Date), AST, TO
Mike Scott (FDU), vs. Sacred Heart (Jan. 2, 2010), 13, 0
Sidney Sanders Jr. (FDU), vs. LIU (Jan. 16, 2014), 13, 0
Jakai Sanders (LEM), vs. St. Bonaventure (Dec. 20, 2025), 16, 1
Jerrell Thompson (SHU), vs. Robert Morris (Jan. 29, 2011), 15, 1
Michael Wheeler (WAG), vs. CCSU (Feb. 19, 1998), 14, 1
Jason Brickman (LIU), vs. Norfolk State (Dec. 1, 2013), 14, 1
Jay Rodgers (CCSU), vs. Saint Francis (Jan. 17, 2026), 13, 1

RODGER THAT, PART II
Central Connecticut senior Jay Rodgers (Pickerington, OH/Cochise College (University of New Orleans)) is the only player in the nation to have multiple double-doubles of at least 13 points and 13 assists this season. He accomplished the feat against LIU (14 points, 14 assists) on Jan. 2 and Saint Francis (13 points, 13 assists) on Jan. 17.

CARDIAC FLASH
The Red Flash have had their faithful fan base on the edge of their seats ­— again — in 2025-26. 

Just 15 days after freshman guard Paris Papadatos (Alimos, Greece/St. Thomas Aquinas) beat the final horn in an 85-82 win against FDU (Jan. 4), senior guard Ahmad Harrison (Baltimore, MD/National Christian Academy (Fordham)) became the latest Saint Francis player to pull off a dramatic win when he called game in an MLK Jr. Day matinee against Stonehill by drilling a three-pointer as time expired. 

Those two thrilling finishes sandwiched a 71-69 win over Wagner that was decided by just two points on Jan. 8. 

The flair for the dramatic against NEC opponents is not just a trend for the Red Flash in 2026. In fact, each of Saint Francis’ last six wins against conference competitors have been decided by three points or fewer, dating back to the quarterfinal round of the 2025 NEC Tournament. 

Below is a look at each of the Red Flash’s past six wins against NEC foes, and the turning points of each of those games:

March 5, 2025 (NEC Tournament Quarterfinals): Saint Francis 58, Wagner 55
Riley Parker drew a foul on a three-pointer with two seconds remaining and sank all three free throws 
March 8, 2025 (NEC Tournament Semifinals): Saint Francis 71, LIU 68
Juan Cranford, Jr., scored the game’s last seven points, including three-straight free throws with one second left after he was fouled on a three-point attempt
March 11, 2025 (NEC Tournament Final): Saint Francis 46, CCSU 43
Daemar Kelly broke a 43-43 tie with a layup with nine seconds left before Chris Moncrief sealed the win with a steal and a 1-of-2 effort from the line
Jan. 4, 2026: Saint Francis 85, FDU 82
With the game tied, Paris Papadatos hit a three at the buzzer
Jan. 8, 2026: Saint Francis 71, Wagner 69
A defensive stand in the final seconds sealed the win 
Jan. 19, 2026: Saint Francis 63, Stonehill 61
After Stonehill took the lead on a Hermann Koffi three with four seconds left, Ahmad Harrison walked it off for the Red Flash with a buzzer-beating three-pointer 

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Leveling its record against NEC opponents to 2-2 with a 65-55 victory over FDU earlier this month (Jan. 10), league newcomer New Haven tacked on two more wins this past week against Wagner (80-74) and Chicago State (62-56) to move to 4-2 in conference play. 

That 4-2 mark is tied for the third-best start to league play by an NEC newcomer in conference history. UMBC, which enjoyed a brief four-year stint in the league, is the lone team to jump out to a 6-0 start in its NEC debut back in 1998-99, while Merrimack owns the second-best start by a conference newcomer when it went 5-1 in its inaugural campaign in 2019-20.

The Chargers’ 4-2 record is the second-best six-game start to NEC play by a transitioning team in its first Division I campaign, behind Merrimack’s 5-1 record six years ago.

NEC Newcomers: Records Through Six League Games
2025-26: New Haven 4-2
2024-25: Mercyhurst 2-4, Chicago State 2-4
2023-24: Le Moyne 3-3
2022-23: Stonehill 3-3
2019-20: Merrimack 5-1
2009-10: Bryant 0-6
1999-00: Sacred Heart 1-5
1992-93: Rider 5-1
1998-99: Quinnipiac 2-4, UMBC 6-0
1997-98: Central Connecticut 1-5
1989-90: Mount St. Mary’s 4-2
1985-86: Monmouth 2-4

*First-year Division I programs in BOLD

A CLEAN SHEET
Chicago State guard Braelon Bush (Silsbee, TX/Silsbee (Prairie View A&M)) became the first NEC player this season to pass for double digits in assists and not commit a turnover on Saturday against Le Moyne.

In addition to reaching a career-high total in dimes, the graduate student also became the 10th NEC baller since 2004-05 to dish out 10-or-more assists and not commit a single miscue in the contest.

The last to do so was Le Moyne’s Brendan McGuire, who registered 10 dimes and zero turnovers in a win over Sacred Heart on Feb. 3, 2024.

Bush is one of 29 players nationally to pass for double digit assists without committing a turnover.

FOUR HONORS FOR CCSU’S NO. 5
Central Connecticut redshirt sophomore Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy) has racked up a league-leading four NEC Player of the Week awards through the first 11 weeks of the campaign.

The last player to earn as many weekly nods in the same time frame was Wagner legend and two-time NEC Player of the Year Alex Morales, who was a four-time honoree after Week 11 of the season.

DID YOU KNOW?
Central Connecticut redshirt sophomore Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy) is the only player in the nation to score at least 30 points in a game on 70.0 percent shooting with at least four made threes.

He accomplished the feat against Saint Francis on Saturday after netting 34 points on 71.4 percent shooting and a 4-for-4 clip from long range.

SOARING IN OT
One week after Stonehill came out on top in overtime against an NEC opponent for the first time since joining the league for the 2022-23 season with an 85-82 win over Chicago State (Jan. 10), the Skyhawks faced extra time — and prevailed — at Mercyhurst on Saturday (Jan. 17).

It marked the first time since 2024-25 that a squad won back-to-back overtime games in NEC play. Saint Francis was the last to do it when the Red Flash took down Le Moyne (Feb. 20), FDU (Feb. 22) and Chicago State (March 1) on consecutive dates.

RARE AIR: DARIN SMITH, JR.’S SCORING LEAP
How rare is it for a player to boost his scoring average by more than 14 points from season to season?

This year, Central Connecticut sophomore guard Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy) has taken his scoring to another level, raisign his average by 14.1 points from 6.8 ppg in 2024-25 to a league-leading 20.9 ppg this season. Smith not only tops the NEC but also ranks 17th nationally, and sixth among all Division I underclassmen. 

To put this in perspective, only two other players in NEC history have improved their scoring averages by more than 14.0 points from one season to the next. The all-time record belongs to St. Francis Brooklyn’s Ray Minlead, who jumped from 8.8 ppg in 1997-98 to a conference-best 24.5 ppg in 1998-99, a remarkable 15.5 point leap.

Across the NEC’s 45-year history, just 33 players have achieved a double-digit scoring increase from season to season.

NEC Players with a 14+ Point Scoring Increase from Season to Season 
Ray Minlend (SFBK) - 8.8 ppg (1997-98), 24.3 ppg (1998-99), +15.5
Sidney Sanders Jr. (FDU) - 4.6 ppg (2012-13), 19.1 ppg (2013-14), +14.5
Darin Smith, Jr. (CCSU) - 6.8 ppg (2024-25), 20.9 ppg (2025-26), +14.1

THE ROARING TWENTIES
Becoming the first NEC player this season to hit twin figures in 20-point games earlier this month in a win at Le Moyne (Jan. 10), Central Connecticut redshirt sophomore Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy) tacked on another 20-plus-point outing to push his league-leading total to 11. The forward hit the mark with an explosive 34-point outing in Saturday’s 98-90 win at Saint Francis. 

DUNK CHART
LIU has thrown down some highlight-reel worthy dunks in 2025-26 - 82 of them to be exact. That number ranks the Sharks ninth in NCAA Division I and it puts them on a list with Power 4 squads such as UNC, Georgia and Kansas. Senior Greg Gordon (Chicago, IL/Lincoln Park (UAB)) checks in as the nation’s ninth-most frequent dunker with his league-leading 41 flushes.

Central Connecticut is not far behind on the list of regular dunking squads at No. 15 on the list with 39 behind the above-the-rim play of Max Frazier (Pittsboro, NC/Northwood (Siena)), who is 15th nationally with 35 slams.

North Carolina (115)
Georgia (96)
South Florida (94)
Furman (92)
Kansas (91)
DePaul (88)
UAlbany (84)
Santa Clara (83)
LIU (82)

30-FOR-30
Central Connecticut redshirt sophomore Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy) became the first player in the circuit this season to put up 30-or-more points in multiple games when he netted 34 in Saturday’s 98-90 win at Saint Francis.

What was most impressive about his recent offensive explosion was his efficiency from the floor. Going 10-of-14 from the field — including a perfect 4-of-4 from long range — Smith shot a sizzling 71.4 percent on the day. 

Earlier this season, Smith hit the 30-point plateau against Sacred Heart in similar fashion after going 57.1 percent from the field (12-of-21) for a career-high 38 points (Nov. 24).

With this weekend’s performance against the Red Flash, he became one of just six players nationally to have scored at least 34 points on 50.0 percent or better shooting from the field in multiple games this season.

Tarleton State’s Dior Johnson has turned the trick a nation-best four times, while Bruce Thornton (Ohio State), Chase Harris (South Alabama), Cameron Boozer (Duke) and Robert Hinton (Harvard) have each accomplished the feat twice.

SOPHOMORE SENSATIONS
We’ve all heard of Diaper Dandies, but the NEC has been run by sophomores as of late.

Central Connecticut forward Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy) currently paces the conference in scoring as a sophomore with 20.3 points per game.

Last season’s scoring leader was also a sophomore, as FDU’s Terrence Brown led the way with 20.8 ppg.

The trend of sophomore sensations began in the 2023-24 campaign thanks to Merrimack’s Jordan Derkack, who led the circuit with 17.0 ppg.

A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN
Saint Francis redshirt senior Skylar Wicks (Jersey City, NJ/Surge Christian Academy (Missouri State)) is the only player in the NEC — and just one of three players nationally — to average at least 17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Entering the week averaging 17.4 points (2nd in NEC), 7.1 boards (4th), 2.7 dimes (9th) and 1.7 steals per contest (5th), he is in elite company with Duke’s Cameron Boozer (23.2 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.8 spg) and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson (19.7 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.6 spg).

In addition, Wicks’ scoring average of 17.4 points is the highest by a Red Flash baller since Josh Cohen put up 21.8 per night in 2022-23.

20/20 VISION
LIU has had two players score 20-or-more points in the same game a league-leading six times with the duo of Malachi Davis (Scarborough, Ontario/Central Tech (Arizona State)) and graduate guard/forward Jamal Fuller (Toronto, Ontario/Central Technical/Academy of Art) teaming up to score 20 points in the same game four of those times. 

HOW CAN RODGERS ASSIST?
Senior Jay Rodgers (Pickerington, OH/Cochise College (University of New Orleans)) has been dropping dimes all year like they are going out of style.

The 6-foot-6 guard and Buckeye State product is handing out assists at a 7.6-per-game clip, an average that leads all NEC players and is currently the third-best among all NCAA Division I players.

Rodgers’ assist average is one that has not been seen in the league in quite some time. The last player to dish out five-or-more helpers per contest was Mount St. Mary’s’ Damian Chong Qui, who dished for 5.4 assists per contest in 2020-21. 

In addition, the Blue Devils’ guard is handing out the most dimes per game in more than a decade, when LIU’s Jason Brickman turned in a nation-leading 10.0 assist-per-game average in 2013-14.

DOUBLE-DIGIT DIMES
As previously mentioned, Central Connecticut senior guard Jay Rodgers (Pickerington, OH/Cochise College (University of New Orleans)) has had a knack for assisting on buckets this season.

Recently passing for 13 assists at Saint Francis on Saturday, he became just the fifth player in NCAA Division I to pass hand out 13-or-more dimes in multiple games this season. The list also includes Purdue’s Braden Smith, Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau, Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. and Portland’s Joel Foxwell.

Rodgers added 13 points to his assist total against the Red Flash for his league-leading third points-assists double-double. He is one of 17 players nationally that have at least three double-doubles built on points and helpers. 

Finally, with four games of 10-or-more assists, Rodgers is tied for eighth nationally. Smith from Purdue currently leads the nation in the category after he has dished for double digits in nine contests this. In the NEC rankings, the Buckeye State native owns the most double-digit assist games since 2019-20, when Sacred Heart’s Cameron Parker turned the trick four times against Division I competitors.

SMITH’S SCORING STREAK
Central Connecticut redshirt sophomore and the NEC’s leading scorer Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy) owns the conference’s current longest double-figure scoring rally. 

Smith is the lone player to have netted twin figures in every game he has played in this season, having turnin the trick in each of the Blue Devils’ 17 contests this year. 

SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Le Moyne graduate forward Shilo Jackson (Indianapolis, IN/North Central/Vincennes (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)) enters the week with eight double-doubles, a league-leading mark that ties him for 20th in the nation.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS
LIU’s offense packs a potent punch with the trio of redshirt senior Malachi Davis (Scarborough, Ontario/Central Tech (Arizona State)), graduate guard/forward Jamal Fuller (Toronto, Ontario/Central Technical/Academy of Art) and senior guard Greg Gordon (Chicago, IL/Lincoln Park (UAB)).

All three players are ranked inside the league’s top-eight in scoring, led by Fuller, who is fourth with 15.9 ppg.  Davis (15.8 ppg) checks in at fifth and Gordon (14.7) is eighth.

LIU is the lone squad to have three scorers ranked inside the NEC’s top-eight, and the Sharks are the first since 2011-12 to do so. Central Connecticut was the last squad to have three top-six scorers in Ken Horton (2nd), Kyle Vinales (3rd) and Robby Ptacek (5th).

In addition, just three other teams in the nation have three scorers that are ranked inside their respective conference’s top-eight: Providence (Big East), Lindenwood (OVC) and UNC Asheville (Big South).


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 (Central Connecticut)
Dec. 1: Darin Smith, Jr. (Central Connecticut) & Nick Jones (Wagner)
Dec. 8: Malachi Davis (LIU)
Dec. 15: Greg Gordon (LIU)
Dec. 23: Qadir Martin (Mercyhurst)
Dec. 30: Shilo Jackson (Le Moyne)
Jan. 6: Jamal Fuller (LIU)
Jan. 12: Darin Smith, Jr. (Central Connecticut)
Jan. 21: Darin Smith, Jr. (Central Connecticut)
Jan. 27: 

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nov. 10: David Jevtic (FDU)
Nov. 17: Elijah Parker (Central Connecticut)
Nov. 24: Tristan Burth (New Haven)
Dec. 1: Ashton Reynolds (Central Connecticut)
Dec. 8: Paris Papadatos (Saint Francis)
Dec. 15: Roddy Jones (Central Connecticut)
Dec. 23: Ashton Reynolds (Central Connecticut)
Dec. 30: David Jevtic (FDU)
Jan. 6: Aidan Losiewicz (New Haven)
Jan. 12: David Jevtic (FDU)
Jan. 21: Teshaun Steele (New Haven)
Jan. 27: