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Influxer/NEC Player of the Week: Taeshaud Jackson, FDU
Influxer/NEC Rookie of the Week: Roddy Jones, Central Connecticut

Previous NEC Releases: 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
Taeshaud Jackson, FDU
Forward, Senior, 6-6, 220 lbs., Denver, CO/Southern California Academy (Northern Colorado)
Last Week’s Stats: 19.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 76.2 FG%, 1.000 FT%
The league’s top rebounder brought his scoring to another level this past week to help lead his squad to a pair of home wins over Stonehill on Thursday and Mercyhurst on Saturday. Turning in a sizzling 76.2 percent clip from the field after draining 16-of-21 shots, Jackson was the lone NEC player to average a double-double last week after he turned the trick in each of the Knights’ victories. The senior forward got his week off to a solid start against the Skyhawks. Pulling down 12 rebounds, Jackson went 10-of-14 from the floor to rack up a career-high 22 points. That victory avenged a hard-fought defeat that FDU suffered in Easton the week before. Two days later against the Lakers, the Denver, CO native and Northern Colorado transfer led his team in scoring for the second-straight outing, netting 16 points while adding 10 rebounds to push his team-leading double-double total to six, the second-most in the circuit. Jackson’s offensive contributions have been on the up-and-up as of late. Netting 10.6 points per game over the first seven games of the NEC slate, he has since netted 16.4 points per contest in his past five outings. On the season, he is nearly averaging a double-double with 10.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. This is the first Influxer/NEC Player of the Week award for an FDU player this season. 

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: 10.0 ppg, 70.0 FG%, 66.7 3FG%
Jones was a key contributor to Central Connecticut’s 2-0 record last week. Behind a combined 70.0 percent effort from the field (7-of-10), including a sizzling 6-of-9 clip from long range, the redshirt freshman averaged 10.0 points in a pair of double-digit wins over Chicago State on Thursday and Wagner on Saturday. A native of North Babylon, NY, Jones came two points shy of his career-high total of 13 against the Cougars for his third double-figure scoring game of the season. Two days later against the Seahawks, the guard was feeling it from long range as he knocked down 3-of-4 three-point field goal attempts to finish with nine points. Jones, who is shooting the three-ball at a 39.0 percent clip this year, is averaging 4.5 points in 9.9 minutes for the Blue Devils. Of the 14 Influxer/NEC Rookie of the Week honors handed out this season, Central Connecticut has claimed a league-leading six awards with Ashton Reynolds earning three, Jones securing two and Elijah Parker taking home the distinction once. 


NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
 
Max Frazier, CCSU (F, Jr)
Frazier was one of the hottest shooters in NCAA Division I last week, as his 81.3 percent clip (13-of-16) was the fifth-best percentage among all players with 15 or more field goal attempts. Notching his third 20-point outing of the season after he netted 21 points on Saturday against Wagner, the junior forward averaged a healthy 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.0 steal to lead Central Connecticut to a 2-0 record last week.
 
Darin Smith, Jr., CCSU (F, So)
Smith produced two more 20-point outings in Central Connecticut’s 2-0 week to push his season total to 13. Behind 48.4 percent shooting from the floor (15-of-31) and a 45.5 percent clip from distance (5-of-11), the league’s top scorer averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 boards and 2.0 assists in wins over Chicago State on Thursday and Wagner on Saturday.
 
Taeshaud Jackson, FDU (F, Sr)
Jackson strung together consecutive double-doubles last week to lead FDU to home wins against Stonehill on Thursday and Mercyhurst on Saturday. The senior forward had a hot hand from the floor, combining to shoot 76.2 percent during that stretch (16-of-21) while finishing as the Knights’ top scorer in both games with respective 22 and 16-point outings. 
 
Malachi Davis, LIU (G, R-Sr)
Davis was a consistent contributor for LIU last week, which became the first team to secure a spot in the upcoming NEC Tournament with wins over New Haven and Stonehill. Netting double figures in each of those contests to push his season total to 19, the redshirt-senior guard averaged 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game for the first-place Sharks during that stretch.
 
Jakai Sanders, LEM (G, So)
Sanders, who shot 64.3 percent from the field (9-of-14) and 81.3 percent from the charity stripe (13-of-16), averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds in a split week for Le Moyne that featured a one-point defeat at Wagner on Thursday and a last-second win over Saint Francis on Saturday. The sophomore guard registered 20 points — including 15 in a pivotal second half — and came one dime shy of a double-double in the thriller against the Red Flash.
 
Bernie Blunt III, MU (G, Gr)
Blunt put up 26 points in each of Mercyhurst’s games last week in a stretch that included a 98-89 overtime win against Saint Francis on Thursday. The graduate guard shot 55.6 percent from the field at FDU on Saturday and accounted for half of his team’s scoring in the slim 55-52 defeat.
 
Jabri Fitzpatrick, NHVN (G, Jr)
Netting 17 points in a five-point road defeat at first-place LIU on Thursday, Fitzpatrick put up 14 points on a perfect 3-of-3 effort from long range while adding nine boards, three dimes and one block against Chicago State on Saturday. On the week, the junior guard averaged 15.5 points on 60.0 percent shooting from the field (12-of-20).
 
Zion Russell, SFU (G, R-Sr)
Behind 55.6 percent shooting from the field (10-of-18), including a sizzling 75.0 percent clip from long range (6-of-9), Russell averaged 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals in a pair of heartbreaking defeats last week. The redshirt senior guard tallied 16 points and three swipes on Thursday at Mercyhurst before he stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three thefts on Saturday at Le Moyne.
 
Skylar Wicks, SFU (F, R-Sr)
Wicks averaged 23.0 points and 6.5 rebounds for Saint Francis last week. Dropping 19 points, seven boards and six dimes in an overtime defeat at Mercyhurst on Thursday, the redshirt-senior forward put up the most points by a Red Flash player this season after he netted 27 points behind a 6-of-10 effort from long range in a last-second loss at Le Moyne on Saturday.


#NECMBB BY THE NUMBERS

1 - With a 10-1 record against conference competitors, LIU became the first squad to secure a spot in the upcoming 2026 NEC Tournament this season.

3 - Three squads — Central Connecticut, Le Moyne and Mercyhurst — are currently engaged in a three-way tie for second place in the league rankings.

6 - Three different Blue Devils have combined to win six of a possible 14 Influxer/NEC Rookie of the Week awards this season.

#NECMBB FAST BREAK

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: Central Connecticut is the first NEC team since Monmouth in 1991-92 to enjoy at least a 47/37/76 shooting split.

CHICAGO STATE: The Cougars received 28 points off the bench in Saturday’s 63-57 win at New Haven.

FDU: Senior Taeshaud Jackson has combined to shoot 63.8 percent from the field (30-of-47) in his past four outings.

LE MOYNE: Le Moyne shot 63.0 percent from the field Saturday against Saint Francis, the best clip by an NEC squad in a game this year.

LIU: LIU is just the third NEC team in the past 10 years to average 5.0-or-more blocks per game with 5.4.

MERCYHURST: Qadir Martin ranks 13th among all NCAA Division I shot blockers with 2.44 rejections per contest.

NEW HAVEN: New Haven limited LIU to 60 points on Thursday, the lowest point total for the Sharks against a league foe this season.

SAINT FRANCIS: Skylar Wicks dropped 27 points Saturday against Le Moyne, 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.


#NECMBB NEWS & NOTES

THE SHARKS ARE SWARMING
Ending the month of January with three-straight wins, the Sharks’ winning ways carried into the second month of league play. Last week, LIU improved to 10-1 against conference competitiors after scoring two more victories against New Haven (60-55) on Thursday and Stonehill (61-54) on Saturday.   

With those victories, the Sharks became the first team this season to earn a berth to the NEC Tournament. It marks the seventh-straight season that LIU is postseason bound in years that the conference has sponsored a full tournament field (the 2021 NEC Tournament was limited to just four teams due to COVID-19.

HOME COOKING
For the first time this season, NEC home teams went a perfect 5-0 on Thursday.

The trend of home squads continued on Saturday, as four of five host teams came away on top. New Haven was the lone team to buck the trend with a 63-57 defeat to visiting Chicago State in West Haven, CT.

On the season, home teams hold a 33-21 advantage in NEC play.

DID YOU KNOW?
Central Connecticut has shot 60.0 percent or better in a game five times this season, and in those contests, the Blue Devils are a perfect 5-0. The five 60.0 percent or better performances are tied with three other squads — High Point, Michigan and Utah State — for the most in the nation.

SHARK BITE
LIU sophomore Shadrak Lasu (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Northstar Prep) racked up eight rejections over the course of the Sharks’ two wins last week over New Haven and Mercyhurst. 

His 4.0 block-per-game average was the third-best clip in the NCAA last week, while his eight total blocks were second-most among Division I players that saw time in two games in that stretch.

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 (47.6 percent), three-point field goal percentage (37.6 percent) and free throw percentage (76.6 percent).

The Blue Devils’ shooting split is one that has not been seen in the NEC in quite time. In fact, just three other squads in conference annals have posted at least a 47/37/76 split, with Monmouth (50.0/37.2/76.1) being the last to do so in 1991-92.

Central Connecticut is the first NEC team since Monmouth in 1991-92 to enjoy at least a 47/37/76 shooting split. 

SHARP-SHOOTING DOLPHINS
Le Moyne put on a clinic in Saturday’s last-second win over Saint Francis.

The Dolphins converted on a season-high 63.0 percent of their shots (29-of-46), marking the best performance by an NEC squad against a Division I opponent this season.

Le Moyne, which shot 58.3 percent in the opening half, trailed by 13 points with 18:14 left to play after misfiring on its first two shots out of the intermission. But the tables quickly turned, though, as the Dolphins got incredibly hot from the field. Making each of their next 13 shots over a stretch of 12-plus minutes — including both of their three-point attempts — Le Moyne pushed ahead by six at 73-67 on a dunk by redshirt sophomore Deng Garang (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes). 

Finishing the second half with a 68.2 percent clip (15-of-22), the Dolphins were in for a wild finish. With nine seconds to go, Le Moyne held a six-point edge, but sent Saint Francis redshirt senior Skylar Wicks (Jersey City, NJ/Surge Christian Academy (UTSA)) to the line. Making the first free throw, Wicks, who misfired on the second, got his own rebound and coverted on a jumper in the paint to pull his team within three. 

The drama continued on the ensuing in-bounds pass as Ahmad Harrison (Baltimore, MD/National Christian Academy (Fordham)) forced a jump ball to give the Red Flash the ball back. Wicks then hit a deep three to tie up the contest with 3.8 seconds remaining. On the ensuing inbounds, Trent Mosquera (Boston, MA/Belmont Hill School) found Garang, who raced down the court and scored with just 0.6 seconds left.

Saint Francis had one final shot, but Victor Payne’s (Cromwell, CT/Cromwell) heave hit the backboard and rim but did not fall through.

98 DEGREES
Mercyhurst lit up the scoreboard for 98 points in Thursday’s nine-point overtime win against Saint Francis. The 98 points were the most scored by the Lakers this season, and the most that they have put up against a Division I opponent since joining the NCAA’s top ranking in 2024-25. 

In addition, Mercyhurst’s point total marked the highest by an NEC squad against a league competitor this season.

20-20-20
Mercyhurst’s high-scoring affair against Saint Francis on Thursday featured three Lakers that put up 20-or-more points in the scoring column. Graduate guard Bernie Blunt III (Morgantown, PA/Peddie School (Edinboro)) led the way with a game-high 26 points, sophomore guard Jake Lemelman (Newton, MA/The MacDuffie School) and sophomore forward Qadir Martin (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter’s Boys) chipped in 21 and 20 points, respectively. 

Blunt, Lemelman and Martin became the first NEC trio to put up 20 points in the same game this season. In addition, they are the first threesome to turn the 20-point trick since March 2, 2024, when Raheem Solomon (26), Alex Sobel (22) and Nico Galette (20 points) each eclipsed the 20-point plateau in Sacred Heart’s 89-85 win over Merrimack.

NEC STAT CHECK: QADIR MARTIN
Mercyhurst sophomore forward Qadir Martin (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter’s Boys) had quite the night in Thursday’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 as Texas Tech’s JT Toppin (31/13/7/5) and Florida’s Thomas Haugh (21/12/5/4) are the only other ballters 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 became the first NEC player this season to eclipse the 50-rejection mark this season, and with a 2.5 swat-per-game average, he currently ranks 13th 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 130 rejections — 29 more than the next closest competitor (Stonehill) — the Sharks rank 13th in the nation with 5.4 blocks per contest. 

In fact, with seven games remaining on the regular-season slate, the Sharks have already racked up 13 more blocks than they did in the entire 2024-25 season.

In addition, LIU’s 130 swatted shots are the most by the program since 2021-22, when the Sharks racked up 147 blocks.

CARDIAC SEAHAWKS
Wagner has had a flair for the dramatic as of late.

Just five days after Wagner beat FDU in overtime on a buzzer-beating three by graduate guard Travis Gray (Syracuse, NY/Henninger (FIU)), the Seahawks made it back-to-back last-second victories on Thursday against Le Moyne. 

This time, it was junior guard Nick Jones (Edgewood, MD/Parkville (Harcum)) that sported the hero cape when he hit a fadeway jumper in the paint with one tick remaining to propel his squad to the 79-78 win. 

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; 19.3 ppg; +12.5 ppg
Max Frazier (CCSU); 3.1 ppg; 12.5 ppg; +9.4 ppg
Jake Lemelmen (MU); 5.4 ppg; 13.3 ppg; +7.9 ppg
Qadir Martin (MU); 2.6 ppg; 10.2 ppg; +7.6 ppg
Trent Mosquera (LEM); 6.8 ppg; 14.3 ppg; +7.5 ppg

FLASH FACT
Saint Francis has knocked down 10-or-more triples in three of its past four games, and during that stretch, the Red Flash are combining to shoot 44.1 percent (41-of-93).

The Red Flash are topping the charts in NEC play with 9.4 makes per game. They are averaging 2.04 more makes from behind the arc than the next closest competitor (Stonehill - 7.36 three-point field goals per game).

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 guard Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central/Vermont Academy) has taken his scoring to another level, raising his average by 12.8 points from 6.8 ppg in 2024-25 to a league-leading 19.6 ppg this season. 

To put this in perspective, only five other players in NEC history have improved their scoring averages by more than 12.8 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
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
Terrence Brown (FDU); 7.8 ppg (2023-24); 20.6 ppg (2024-25); +12.8
Darin Smith, Jr. (CCSU); 6.8 ppg (2024-25); 19.6 ppg (2025-26); +12.8

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 19.6 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 five players nationally — to average at least 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Wicks enters the week averaging 17.8 points (2nd in NEC), 7.2 boards (4th), 2.7 dimes (11th) and 1.6 steals per contest (6th).

Just eight NEC players have crafted a stat line similar to that of Wicks, with Wagner great Alex Morales being the last to do so in 2021-22 when he averaged 17.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per night.

In addition, Wicks’ scoring average of 17.8 points is the highest by a Red Flash baller since Josh Cohen put up 21.8 per night in 2022-23.

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.

20/20 VISION
LIU has had two players score 20-or-more points in the same game a league-leading eight 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 7.3-per-game clip, an average that leads all NEC players and is currently the fifth-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 dished passed for at least 13 assists in more games, as Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. has turned the trick four times.


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: 

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: