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Influxer/NEC Player of the Week: Darin Smith, Jr., Central Connecticut
Influxer/NEC Rookie of the Week: Roddy Jones, Central Connecticut

Previous NEC Releases: February 9 | February 2 | January 27 | January 21 | January 12 | January 6 | December 30 | December 23 | December 15 | December 8 | December 1 | November 24 | November 17 | November 10 | Preseason Poll Release
 
INFLUXER/NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Darin Smith, So., Central Connecticut
Forward, Sophomore, 6-7, 210 lbs., Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy
Last Week's Stats: 28.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 48.4 FG%, 1.000 FT%
The NEC's first 40-point game of the season piloted Smith to his league-leading fifth Influxer/NEC Men's Basketball Player of the Week award of 2025-26. Thanks to that 40-point outing, Smith, who has netted double figures in each of his past five games, averaged 28.5 points on 48.4 percent shooting from the field (15-of-31). Smith was virtually unstoppable against New Haven on Thursday. Draining 13-of-20 shots, including 3-of-5 from behind the arc and each of his 11 free throw attempts, the Springfield, MA native racked up a career-high 40 points to guide the Blue Devils to an 81-76 victory over the Chargers. The 40-point outing was Central Connecticut's first since Kyle Vinales netted 42 against Wagner 2013, and the first by an NEC player since Le Moyne's Kaiyem Clearly turned the trick with a 43-point outburst against LIU in 2024. Fourteen of the sophomore's points came inside the first six minutes of the second half in a stretch that saw the Blue Devils push ahead by 15 points. Two days later, Smith visited the free throw line 13 times and made each of those attempts to finish with 17 points. Twelve of those free throws came inside the game's final 3:10 to break what was a 47-47 tie and pilot Central Connecticut to the 63-57 triumph. Smith leads the league in scoring with 20.3 points per game. 

INFLUXER/NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Roddy Jones, Central Connecticut
Guard, Redshirt Freshman, 6-1, 195 lbs., North Babylon, NY/St. John the Baptist/Cheshire Academy
Last Week's Stats: 6.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.0 spg, 57.1 FG%, 57.1 3FG%
Jones became the first NEC freshman to rack up back-to-back Influxer/NEC Rookie of the Week awards on Monday. The guard had a hot hand from behind the arc for the Blue Devils as he combined to drain 57.1 percent of his attempts (4-of-7) to lead his team to a 2-0 week. With this wins, Central Connecticut clinched an NEC Tournament berth. A native of North Babylon, NY, Jones had an extremely efficient outing at New Haven on Thursday. Knocking down 4-of-5 triples, he racked up 12 points to establish a new career high in a Central Connecticut uniform. On the year, Jones, who has logged time in 19 games, is averaging 4.6 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting from the field. This is his third Influxer/NEC Rookie of the Week award of the 2025-26 campaign.


NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
 
Darin Smith, Jr., CCSU (F, So)
Smith put up the NEC's first 40-point game on Thursday when he went off for 40 on 13-of-20 shooting from the field, a 3-of-5 clip from three and a perfect 11-for-11 mark from the free throw line in a win over New Haven on Thursday. The junior forward went on to make all 13 of his free throw attempts to finish with 17 points in Saturday's win over FDU.
 
Taeshaud Jackson, FDU (F, Sr)
The league's top double-double producer was on top of his game once again, as he averaged 14.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in FDU's 1-1 week. Pulling down double-digit boards against both Saint Francis and Central Connecticut, the senior forward shot the lights out in the Knights'' win over the Red Flash after he went 7-of-11 for 22 points and 12 rebounds.
 
Shilo Jackson, LEM (F, Gr)
Jackson bested his previous Le Moyne career high by three points on Thursday when he poured in 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field to lead the Dolphins past Mercyhurst. Contributing 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting in Saturday's victory against Chicago State, the graduate forward averaged 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 64.3 percent shooting from the field (18-of-28) in Le Moyne's 2-0 week.
 
Bernie Blunt III, MU (G, Gr)
Blunt followed a 14-point effort at Le Moyne on Thursday with a career-best scoring outing that featured 31 points, eight rebounds and four assists in Saturday's 94-79 win at Saint Francis. On the week, the graduate guard averaged 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 dimes and 2.5 steals per contest.
 
Jabri Fitzpatrick, NHVN (G, Jr)
Scoring in double figures for the fourth and fifth consecutive games this past week, Fitzpatrick averaged 19.5 points per game on 50.0 percent shooting from the field (12-of-24) while adding 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per contest. The junior guard netted his third 20-point outing of the season on Thursday against Central Connecticut before he led the Chargers to an upset of first-place LIU with a 19-point effort on Saturday.
 
Skylar Wicks, SFU (F, R-Sr)
Wicks averaged 22.0 points and 6.0 rebounds on 46.9 percent shooting from the field and a 50.0 percent clip from long range (6-of-12) in a pair of games last week. The redshirt senior forward was red-hot on Saturday against Mercyhurst, draining 11-of-15 shots from the field and 4-of-5 attempts from three-point land to rack up a career-high 33 points.
 
Binael Basil, WAG (F, So)
Pulling down double-digit rebounds in each of Wagner's games last week, Basil averaged a double-double with 12.5 points and 14.5 boards. Tallying nine points, 13 rebounds and one block on Thursday against LIU, the sophomore forward put up 16 points and a career-high 16 boards, the most by an NEC player this season, on Saturday against Stonehill. 


#NECMBB BY THE NUMBERS

3 - Three teams have now clinched spots in the upcoming NEC Tournament as Central Connecticut and Le Moyne joined LIU after going 2-0 last week.

40 - CCSU sophomore Darin Smith, Jr. became the first NEC player this season — and the first since 2024 ­— to drop 40 points in a game vs. New Haven.

13 - In 15 weeks, Central Connecticut has combined to rack up 13 Influxer/NEC weekly awards with seven Rookie of the Week and six Player of the Week nods.

#NECMBB FAST BREAK

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: Central Connecticut is just the second NEC team ever to enjoy a 47/37/77 shooting split. 

CHICAGO STATE: Chicago State defeated New Haven (Feb. 7), Saint Francis (Feb. 9) and Stonehill (Feb. 12) for the program’s longest NEC win streak.

FDU: In the month of February, senior Taeshaud Jackson has crafted double-doubles three times in four games.

LE MOYNE: Le Moyne knocked down 12 triples Saturday vs. Chicago State, marking the third time in NEC play the ‘Phins hit 10+ threes.

LIU: LIU is the first team in NEC history to have three different players win Influxer/NEC Player of the WEek honors in the same season.

MERCYHURST: Qadir Martin shot 10-of-11 from the field for 23 points in Mercyhurst’s win over Saint Francis on Saturday.

NEW HAVEN: New Haven became the second NEC team this season to knock off LIU with Saturday’s 55-52 victory.

SAINT FRANCIS: Skylar Wicks dropped 33 points Saturday against Mercyhurst, marking the highest point total for a Red Flash player this season.

STONEHILL: Stonehill’s roster features four double-figure scorers, the most since 2018-19 when five Skyhawks averaged twin figures.

WAGNER: Wagner’s offense has enjoyed a 16.5-percent increase from last season after netting 10.3 ppg more points per game in 2025-26.


2025-26 NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL NEWS & NOTES
    
THREE TEAMS ARE IN
With two weeks and four games remaining in the league slate, three teams have guaranteed that they will still be playing come postseason time in March.

LIU, which locked up a postseason berth earlier this month following its win over Stonehill on Feb. 7, is joined by Central Connecticut and Le Moyne, which secured NEC Tournament spots with respective 2-0 records last week.

Mercyhurst is right behind the Blue Devils and Dolphins in the rankings at half-a-game behind the two squads, while FDU, which sits at 7-7, is still in contention for a top-four spot.

WE’RE TALKIN’ POSTSEASON
The NEC Basketball Championship will remain an eight-team playoff format in 2025-26 with all games played at the home of the higher seed. After the quarterfinals, advancing teams will be reseeded so the highest remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed in the semifinals.

The 2026 NEC Men’s Basketball Championship will take place at March 4, 7 and 10 at campus sites.

HOME COOKING
LIU is a perfect 6-0 at home against NEC opponents this season. The Sharks’ success against conference foes inside Steinberg Wellness Center extends beyond the 2025-26 campaign, though. LIU has won 10-straight regular season contests in league play in a streak that dates back to a 62-59 win over Stonehill on Feb. 8, 2025. Furthermore, since 2024-25, the Sharks have posted a 13-1 record during the regular season against NEC members. 

SMITH GOES OFF FOR 40
Central Connecticut sophomore guard Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy) was unconscious in the Blue Devils’ 81-76 win at New Haven on Thursday.

Going 13-of-20 from the field, 3-of-5 from three and 11-of-11 from the charity stripe, the Springfield, MA native netted the NEC’s first 40-point game of the season after he racked up 40 points in the triumph. It marked the league’s first 40-point performance since Le Moyne’s Kaiyem Cleary turned the trick with a 43-point outburst against LIU in 2024, while it was the first for the Blue Devils since Kyle Vinales hit the mark in 2014.

FIVE FOR #5
Central Connecticut sophomore forward Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy) now has five Influxer/NEC Player of the Week awards this season. That total marks the most since Jordan Derkack finished with six back in 2023-24, a campaign that ended with him being crowned the NEC Player of the Year.

SHARK BITE
LIU, which hit two three-pointers on Saturday at New Haven, has hit at least one three-pointer in 1,102 straight games. The Sharks’ rally began on Jan. 6, 1990.

RED HOT BLUE DEVILS
Central Connecticut enters the week as the league’s top-shooting team across the board, ranking first in field goal percentage (47.7 percent), three-point field goal percentage (37.8 percent) and free throw percentage (77.1 percent).

The Blue Devils’ shooting split is one that has not been seen in the NEC in quite time. In fact, just one other squad in conference annals have posted at least a 47/37/77 split, with Monmouth (49.6/37.3/77.1) being the only other team to do so in 1990-91.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
FDU forward Taeshaud Jackson (Denver, CO/Southern California Academy (Northern Colorado)) has been on a tear in the month of February. In four games this month, the senior and Northern Colorado transfer has tallied a double-double three times and during that stretch, he is averaging 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds.

GOINGS GOT IT GOING
LIU guard Jomo Goings (Washington, D.C./Winston Churchill (Slippery Rock)) was stellar in the Sharks’ 67-57 win over Wagner on Thursday. The junior went 8-of-12 from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line to finish with 26 points, a mark that bested his previous career high by nine points.

With the 26-point game, Goings became the fourth Shark this season to score at least 25 points in a contest this season. It marked the first time since the 2018-19 campaign that LIU has four different players net 25-or-more in a game.

FINE FROM THE LINE
Central Connecticut forward Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy) has been automatic from the free throw line this season, but he has been incredibly efficient as of late.

The soph has not missed a free throw in 43-straight attempts, a rally that began with 14:13 left in the first half against Wagner on Jan. 29. Included in that stretch is an 11-for-11 effort at New Haven on Thursday and a 13-for-13 performance at FDU on Saturday.

With his 13-for-13 game against the Knights, Smith became just one of 20 NCAA Division I players this season to turn in a perfect effort from the stripe (with at least 13 attempts). In addition, he is just one five NEC players (since 2004-05) to attempt at least 13 free throws and not miss, and the first to turn the trick since St. Francis Brooklyn’s Jalen Jordan went 13-for-13 against Sacred Heart on Jan. 19, 2019.

In addition, Smith is just one of six players this season to have multiple games featuring at least 11 made free throws behind a perfect 1.000 percentage, while he is the only NEC player since 2004-05 to have turned the trick multiple times in the same season.

90 DEGREES
The month of February has featured a pair of 90-point outings for Mercyhurst so far. Lighting up the scoreboard with 98 points against Saint Francis on Feb. 5, the Lakers put up 90-or-more points for the second time against the Red Flash when they netted 94 points in the 15-point win.

The Lakers, who are just one of two teams this season to go off for 90 points in NEC play, had a hot hand in the victory, going 35-of-58 from the field for a .603 clip.

NEC STAT CHECK: QADIR MARTIN
Mercyhurst sophomore forward Qadir Martin (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter’s Boys) had quite the night in last month’s 98-89 overtime win against Saint Francis.

The Staten Island native delivered a truly stat-stuffing performance, tallying 20 points while adding a team-best 12 rebounds, five dimes and four rejections. Most impressively, Martin reached his career-best point total after shooting a near-perfect 90.9 percent from the field behind a 10-of-11 clip.

Just two other players in the entire nation have posted a 20/12/5/4 line this season as Texas Tech’s JT Toppin (31/13/7/5) and Florida’s Thomas Haugh (21/12/5/4) are the only other ballers to have turned the trick.

Furthermore, Martin is just the third player since 2004-05 with at least 20/12/5/4 while shooting 90.0 percent from the field.

Kevin Cross (Tulane): 20p, 10r, 11a, 4b, 90.0 FG% vs. Southern (12/16/23)
Owen Freeman (Iowa): 20p, 12r, 6a, 4b, 1.000 FG% vs. Wisconsin (2/17/24)
Qadir Martin (Mercyhurst): 20p, 12r, 5a, 4b, 90.0 FG% vs. Saint Francis (2/5/25)

MARTIN’S BLOCK PARTY
Shot-blocking has been a specialty for Mercyhurst forward Qadir Martin (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter’s Boys). The sophomore is the only NEC player this season to eclipse the 50-rejection mark this season, and with a 2.4 swat-per-game average, he currently ranks 11th in the nation in the category.

BROOKLYN BLOCKERS
Rim protection has been one of the calling card’s to LIU’s success in 2025-26. With a league-leading 135 rejections — 31 more than the next closest competitor (Stonehill) — the Sharks rank 14th in the nation in the category.

In fact, with five games remaining on the regular-season slate, the Sharks have already racked up 18 more blocks than they did in the entire 2024-25 season.

In addition, LIU’s 135 swatted shots are the most by the program since 2021-22, when the Sharks racked up 147 blocks.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER WATCH
Several NEC ballers are making a case for this year’s NEC Most Improved Player award with significant increases in their offensive production from the 2024-25 campaign to the 2025-26 season.

Below is a look at five of the biggest scoring jumps in the NEC this season: 

Name                                   PPG (2024-25)       PPG (2025-26)     PPG Increase
Darin Smith, Jr. (CCSU)       6.8 ppg                   20.3 ppg               +13.5 ppg
Max Frazier (CCSU)             3.1 ppg                   12.1 ppg               +9.0 ppg
Jake Lemelmen (MU)           5.4 ppg                   13.2 ppg               +7.8 ppg
Qadir Martin (MU)                2.6 ppg                    10.4 ppg               +7.8 ppg
Trent Mosquera (LEM)         6.8 ppg                   13.9 ppg               +7.1 ppg

FLASH FACT
Saint Francis redshirt senior Skylar Wicks (Jersey City, NJ/Surge Christian Academy (Missouri State)) became the first Red Flash player to eclipse the 30-point mark this season when he poured in a career-high 33 points against Mercyhurst on Saturday. The guard hit the mark in efficient fashion, going 11-for-15 from the field, 4-for-5 from three and 7-of-8 from the free throw line.

RODGER THAT
Central Connecticut senior Jay Rodgers (Pickerington, OH/Cochise College (University of New Orleans)) is just one of three players 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.

Sacred Heart’s Mehki Conner and Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. are the only other Division I ballers to have achieved the feat this year.

RARE AIR: DARIN SMITH, JR.’S SCORING LEAP
How rare is it for a player to boost his scoring average by more than 12 points from season to season?

This year, Central Connecticut sophomore forward Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy) has taken his scoring to another level, raising his average by 13.5 points from 6.8 ppg in 2024-25 to a league-leading 20.3 ppg this season.

To put this in perspective, only four other players in NEC history have improved their scoring averages by more than 13 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 13+ 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
Sean Baptiste (FDU)                4.6 ppg (2006-07)        18.5 ppg (2007-08)      +13.9
Tyler Thomas (SHU)                5.6 ppg (2019-20)        19.1 ppg (2020-21)      +13.5
Darin Smith, Jr. (CCSU)           6.8 ppg (2024-25)        19.6 ppg (2025-26)      +13.5

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.

Among all NCAA Division I sophs, Smith’s scoring average is tied for the is tied for the third-highest, ranking behind only Wake Forest’s Juke Harris (21.3 ppg) and Alabama’s Labaron Philon (21.3 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 four players nationally — to average at least 18.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Wicks enters the week averaging 18.1 points (2nd in NEC), 7.1 boards (5th), 2.7 dimes (11th) and 1.5 steals per contest (7th).

In addition, just five NEC players have crafted a stat line that is comparable to Wicks’, with the 1997-98 season being the last time it has happened. That season, LIU’s Mike Campbell averaged 19.7 points, 8.3 boards, 2.8 assists and 2.8 steals per contest.

Wicks’ scoring average of 18.1 point-per-game average is the highest by a Red Flash baller since Josh Cohen put up 21.8 per night in 2022-23.

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 7.1-per-game clip, an average that leads all NEC players and is currently the sixth-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.

Dishing for double-digit dimes five times this season, the Buckeye State native owns the most double-figure assist outings since 2018-19, when Sacred Heart’s Cameron Parker turned the trick five times against Division I competitors. Among the nation’s top playmakers, Rodgers’ five double-digit dime games are the seventh-most.

In addition, Rodgers has dropped 13-or-more dimes three times this year, achieving the feat against LIU (Jan. 2), Saint Francis (Jan. 17) and Chicago State (Feb. 5). Just one other player in the nation has passed for at least 13 assists in more games, as Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. has turned the trick four times.

THIS YEAR’S NEC FORMAT
Each NEC squad will play an 18-game double round-robin schedule under the NEC’s 10-team alignment in 2025-26. The slate, which runs nine weeks, does not have any bye dates. This year’s men’s slate will vary the first four weeks of the season before settling into the familiar Thursday/Saturday format for the final five weeks of the campaign.

WHO’S IN THE MIX?
With Mercyhurst now postseason eligible, nine of the 10 eligible teams will participate in this year’s NEC Tournament. NEC newcomer New Haven is not yet eligible for conference postseason play.

Stonehill has completed its Division I reclassification and is now eligible for the NCAA Tournament for the first time this season. Le Moyne and Mercyhurst are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to their current statuses as Division I reclassifying institutions.

If a reclassifying institution wins the NEC Tournament championship, the tournament runner-up will advance to the NCAA Tournament as the NEC’s automatic qualifier as per current policy. If two reclassifying members reach the conference final, the NEC will stage an “AQ Qualifier” game between the two non-advancing semifinal teams. This will serve as a decisive game to determine the team that will secure the NEC’s spot in the NCAA Tournament. The “AQ Qualifier” game will occur this season if Le Moyne and Mercyhurst reach the final game of the NEC Tournament.


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: Trent Mosquera (Le Moyne)
Feb. 2: CJ Ray (Chicago State) & Jamal Fuller (LIU)
Feb. 9: Taeshaud Jackson (FDU)
Feb. 16: Darin Smith, Jr. (Central Connecticut)

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: David Jevtic (FDU)
Feb. 2: Ashton Reynolds (Central Connecticut)
Feb. 9: Roddy Jones (Central Connecticut)
Feb. 16: Roddy Jones (Central Connecticut)