Northeast Conference 2004-05 Recap
by Ray Floriani
A common theme all season in the Northeast Conference was unpredictability. The conference coaches did agree that Monmouth was the favorite, but there was a unanimous feeling that anything could, and probably would, happen.
Monmouth won the regular season title, but did not clinch it until the final night of the season. The Hawks’ victory at St. Francis (NY), coupled with FDU’s home loss to Wagner, allowed Dave Calloway’s club to edge FDU by a game. The entire season went along those lines – a succession of close contests that could ultimately make or break one’s season.
LIU, a team the coaches predicted for the basement in pre-season, won eight of ten games decided by five or less points and finished fourth. Wagner was another big surprise. Mike Deane’s club stood 2-15 at one point (1-7 in the league) and was all but completely written off. In late January, they won at Scared Heart and would lose only two more games all season. The Seahawks won 9-of-10 down the stretch of the regular season, with the only loss being an overtime setback at Quinnipiac. Along the way, Wagner captured road games at Monmouth and FDU, the two top teams in the standings.
Final Standings
Monmouth 14-4 FDU 13-5 Robert Morris 11-7 St. Francis (PA) 10-8 LIU 10-8 Wagner 10-8 St. Francis (NY) 9-9 Central Conn. 8-10 Quinnipiac 6-12 Mt.St.Mary's 5-13 Sacred Heart 3-15
NEC coaches proved to be good prognosticators. In their pre-season poll they chose the order of the top four in the perfect order as it panned out. There were no major disappointments, but LIU and Wagner were big surprises. LIU was tabbed for the basement and made it to the conference semifinals, while Wagner was predicted for ninth and wound up going to the conference championship game.
NEC Tournament
The program of the Northeast Conference post season tournament was highlighted with the slogan ‘Back to Campus’. For several years the conference experimented. Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton (NJ) was used as one site, while Central Connecticut and Wagner took turns hosting early rounds with the final at the home of the higher remaining seed. Finally, the conference decided to play every game on campus with the higher seed hosting.
Given the advantages of playing at home in the college game, some of the coaches felt it was a tough format, but one that should ensure good crowds and interest. Other coaches felt the format would lend more credence to the regular season: every game would be crucial because you would play to qualify for the tournament (the top 8 finishers go) and for a seed to guarantee a home game.
The opening round alone gave evidence that wearing the home whites did not guarantee a win. Wagner scored a road upset, defeating third-seeded Robert Morris. In addition, top-seeded and defending champion Monmouth barely survived a scare against eighth-seeded Central Connecticut.
In the semis, Monmouth was not as fortunate. Red-hot Wagner defeated the hawks and guaranteed there would be a new NEC champion. The Monmouth-Wagner game was held at 1:00 on Sunday March 6, and FDU would line up for their game against LIU at 6:00 knowing that a win would set up a championship game at the Knights’ Rothman Center. FDU was facing a double-digit deficit and possible elimination midway through the final half. The Knights went on a significant run and controlled the game down the stretch.
The finals saw FDU host the surging Wagner team that handed them a defeat at Rothman only nine days earlier. This time, in front of a packed house, Tom Green’s club would not be denied, as they stopped the Wagner team that had won 11 of their last 12 games. With the 58-52 win, FDU claimed its first conference championship and appearance in the ‘Big Dance’ since 1998. Guard Tamien Trent scored 4 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and handed out 8 assists in the championship game. The FDU senior earned tournament MVP honors.
NCAA Tournament
FDU secured the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and drew top seed Illinois in the first round. This was the fourth time Tom Green was leading an FDU team into the ‘Big Dance’ and as was the case in the prior appearances, the Knights battled gamely, trailing the Illini by one at the half.
The second half opened with an Illini run to push the lead to double figures. FDU battled valiantly before going down by a 67-55 margin. Senior Gordon Klaiber led the Knights with 24 points while Tamien Trent added 11. Sophomre center Andrea Crosaroil had an impressive outing with a 6-point, 8-rebound, 3-block performance.
Postseason Awards
Player of the Year: Blake Hamilton, Monmouth
Defensive Player of the Year: DeEarnest McLemore, Wagner
Newcomer of the Year: Allan Sheppard, St.Francis (NY)
Freshman of the Year: Randy Jones, LIU
Coaches of the Year: Jim Ferry, LIU; Tom Green, FDU
All-Conference
Blake Hamilton, Monmouth
Gordon Klaiber, FDU
Chaz McCrommon, Robert Morris
Rob Monroe, Quinnipiac
Sean Munson, Wagner
Team Recaps
Monmouth (14-4 NEC, 16-13)
The Hawks began the non-conference season 1-7, then reeled off seven straight wins in NEC play. They did suffer rare back-to-back home losses to Wagner and FDU in mid-February. They quickly regrouped to win the regular season title. After a close call against Central Connecticut in the conference quarterfinals, Wagner knocked the Hawks off again in West Long Branch to end their season and hopes of a conference title repeat.
Leading Scorer: Blake Hamilton 16.2 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Marques Alston 5.2 rpg
Assists: Tyler Azzarelli 2.8 apg
Starters lost: 6-7 F Blake Hamilton, 6-2 G Dwayne Byfield
Next Season: Blake Hamilton is a big loss for Dave Calloway, but the Hawks also lose another 1,000-point scorer in Dwayne Byfield. There is talent returning, but roles will be altered and someone will have to step up to replace the offensive firepower Hamilton and Byfield produced.
FDU (13-5 NEC, 20-13)
The Knights began the conference slate with three straight wins at home. Following that was a road stretch that assured they would be a major factor, as FDU won three of four away from Rothman Center. They defeated Monmouth at West Long Branch in late February, but stumbled a bit the final week and wound up a game out of first. Playing through the NEC tourney at home, FDU ran the table to capture the post season championship.
Leading Scorer: Tamien Trent 15.7 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Gordon Klaiber 7.9 rpg
Assists: Trent 5.5 apg
Starters lost: 6-1 G Mensah Peterson, 6-0 G Tamien Trent
Next Season: The Knights lose guards Tamien Trent and Mensah Peterson, but Fordham transfer John Blackgrove should step in the stating lineup and be an immediate impact player. Andrea Crosariol, a seven foot center, showed effectiveness inside during the stretch run and will be counted on for more of the same. Tom Green’s club will contend with a shot to repeat.
Robert Morris (11-7 NEC, 14-15)
A veteran club, Robert Morris won four of their last five to capture the third seed in the tournament. The Colonials, though, ran into a hot Wagner club and were defeated on their home floor in the tournament’s opening round. In non-conference play, the Colonials logged a satisfying home win against Atlantic 10 foe Duquesne in late December.
Leading Scorer: Chaz McCrommon 16.7 ppg
Leading Rebounder: McCrommon 6.0 rpg
Assists: Derek Coleman 3.5 apg
Starters lost: 6-6 F Chaz McCrommon, 6-6 F Mark Anderson, 6-0 G Maurice Carter, 6-1 G Christopher Gooden
Next Season: After several strong seasons, the Colonials will be in more of a rebuilding mode. Several seniors exit, including the likes of Chaz McCrommon and Maurice Carter. Coach Mark Schmidt will mesh several newcomers with several returnees in search of a new unit.
LIU (10-8 NEC, 14-15)
The Blackbirds were the only team to make the eight-team NEC field after failing to do so a year ago. Jim Ferry’s group was 8-2 in games decided by five points or less, which was largely responsible for their surprising season. LIU had a good run in the NEC tourney, as the Blackbirds reached the semis and took FDU to the wire at the Rothman Center before falling.
Leading Scorer: James Williams 16.3 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Esa Maki-Tulokas 5.9 rpg
Assists: Randy Jones 3.8 apg
Starters lost: none
Next Season: The only loss is Derek Bell, a 6-7 strong inside presence, as everyone else is back from the NEC tournament semifinalists. They surprised this season, and next year LIU won’t sneak up on anybody and should contend for conference honors.
St. Francis (PA) (10-8 NEC, 15-13)
The Red Flash were another strong finisher, winning five of their last seven. The season ended at the hands of much-improved LIU. Junior guard Darshan Luckey had an outstanding season and returns as one of the conference’s elite players. The Red Flash were a deadly team beyond the arc, connecting on 39 percent of their three-point attempts.
Leading Scorer: Darshan Luckey 21.5 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Jason Osborne 6.2 rpg
Assists: Garrett Farha 6.9 apg
Starters lost: 6-5 G Darshan Luckey (NBA Draft), 6-7 F Jason Osborne, 6-3 G Joey Goodson, 6-7 F Rodney Gibson
Next Season: This is another fairly young club that could move up. Winning on the road will be a priority, as the Red Flash struggled away from home this season and that should be rectified. Luckey, an outstanding talent at the guard spot, declared for the NBA Draft, but should be back for a final go-round.
Wagner (10-8 NEC, 13-17)
The record stood 2-15 at one point. But before the dirt was shoveled, Mike Deane’s club awakened. They finished winning 9 of their last 10 in regular season play and made it to the NEC title game. Sean Munson was a worker inside, while junior guard DeEarnest McLemore anchored a solid defense – largely the reason for the late run.
Leading Scorer: Sean Munson 12.4 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Munson 9.0 rpg
Assists: DeEarnest McLemore 3.7 apg
Starters lost: 6-8 F Sean Munson
Next Season: They lose a strong inside presence in Sean Munson, but everyone else is back and title contention is a certainty. McLemore anchors an outstanding defense that played a key part in an outstanding late season run this year.
St. Francis (NY) (9-9 NEC, 13-15)
The Terriers reached the tournament for the fifteenth consecutive year, an NEC record. They had also reached the semis five of the prior seven years, but that string was broken with the first round loss at FDU. Freshman Allan Sheppard was a major surprise and responsible for much of the team’s success. A major win was a wild 110-103 victory over FDU in late February.
Leading Scorer: Tory Cavalieri 15.6 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Allan Sheppard 4.4 rpg
Assists: Cavalieri 4.8 apg
Starters lost: 6-0 G Tory Cavalieri, 6-7 F Devon Nickles
Next Season: New coach Brian Nash will have to replace a solid guard in Cavalieri, but Sheppard is one of the conference’s best young talents. The Terriers are a dark horse and might be worth keeping an eye on next year.
Central Connecticut State (8-10 NEC, 12-16)
One of the strongest NEC programs (four title game appearances he last six years), Central was in much of a rebuilding mode. They captured the crown in 2000 and 2002, but had to defeat Quinnipiac on the final day of the season to get into the tourney this season. In the NEC quarterfinals, Howie Dickenman’s Blue Devils put a serious scare into host Monmouth, which barely survived.
Leading Scorer: DeMario Anderson 14.1 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Obie Nwadike 7.5 rpg
Assists: DeMario Anderson 2.6 apg
Starters lost: 6-6 F Rich Pittman
Next Season: The lone loss is 6-6 forward Rich Pittman. Everyone is back, so it is reasonable to assume the Blue Devils will move up appreciably in the standings. Obie Nwadike, a 6-4 forward, should be one of the league’s best performers next season.
Quinnipiac (6-12 NEC, 10-17)
The Bobcats were selected to play in the Pre-Season NIT. There, they lost at Penn in the opening round and in general, had a tough year. A major plus was the outstanding play of guard Rob Monroe, who will go down as one of the best in both Quinnipiac and Northeast Conference history.
Leading: Rob Monroe 22.7 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Kevin Jolley 7.5 rpg
Assists: Monroe 6.5 apg
Starters lost: 5-10 G Rob Monroe, 6-9 C/F C.J. Vick
Next Season: They lose a superb talent in Monroe. There is a great deal of young possibilities, but two concerns remain: replacing Monroe’s offense and shoring up the frontcourt.
Mount St. Mary’s (5-13 NEC, 7-20)
A long season for the Mount, which failed to qualify for the NEC tournament. They lose only two seniors and have some young talent on hand. A bright spot was junior guard Landy Thompson, one of four players in school history to hit the 1,000-point, 200-rebound and 200-assist marks.
Leading Scorer: Landy Thompson 14.4 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Mychal Keane 6.5 rpg
Assists: Thompson 3.6 apg
Starters lost: 6-8 F Jason Epps
Next Season: The Mount took their lumps this season, but virtually everyone will be back, a year older and more experienced. Thompson, the 6-1 guard, is an outstanding talent to build around.
Sacred Heart (3-15 NEC, 4-23)
It was simply a long season for the Pioneers. They were a young club and coach Dave Bike worked vigorously to get things going. Evidence of it was the use of 10 different starting lineups, as Bike searched for the right combination. Simply chalk it up as a year of learning – the hard way.
Leading Scorer: Joey Henley 12.3 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Henley 5.7 rpg
Assists: Mike Parker 4.3 apg
Starters lost: 6-6 F Mike Queenan
Next Season: Almost everyone is back, and while contention is still in the future, expect Dave Bike’s club to be much-improved. Top player Joey Henley is back for his junior year.
Newcomers for 2005-06
Central Connecticut State
Rob Robinson (6-8 F, Fort Washington, MD)
Chris Winters (6-7 F, East Lyme, CT)
FDU
John Blackgrove (6-1 G, transfer from Fordham University
LIU
Naim Benjamin (6-2 G, transfer from Des Moines (IA) Area CC)
Donovin McLendon (6-5 G-F, Miami, FL)
Lamar Pitman (6-7 F/C, Poughkeepsie, NY)
Monmouth
Shawn Barlow (6-10 C, Marlton, NJ)
Tyrone Hanson (6-6 G, New York, NY)
Tyson Johnson (6-6 F, New York, NY)
Mount St.Mary’s
Sam Atupem (6-7 F, Newport News, VA)
Quinnipiac
Steve Harley (5-9 G, Temple Hills, MD)
Jason Wilson (6-2 G, Irvington, NJ)
Robert Morris
Jonathan Clark (6-0 G, Charlotte, NC)
Jeremy Chapell (6-3 G, Cincinatti, OH)
Kelvin Bright (6-3 G, Silver Spring, MD)
Josh Johnson (6-6 F, Transfer from Polk CC)
Steve Lancaster (6-3 G, Transfer from Neosho CC)
Colson Senat (6-7 F, Montreal, Quebec)
Sacred Heart
(none)
St. Francis (NY)
(none)
St. Francis (PA)
Stephen Profeta (6-4 G, Carnegie, PA)
Grant Suprenant (6-5 G, Platine, IL)
Devin Sweetney (6-5 G, Largo, MD)
Marquis Ford (5-11G, St. Petersburg, FL)
Julian Pinkston (6-4 F, Pittsburgh, PA)
Wagner
Doug Elwell (6-5 F, Staten Island, NY)
Llewchean Radford (6-4 F, Newport News, VA)
Matt Kittrell (6-9 C, Richmond, VA)
Northeast Notes
Home sweet home was more than a slogan for St. Francis (PA), as the Red Flash were 8-1 vs. NEC competition at their Stokes Center and 2-7 away from home.
Road cont’d.: A common formula for conference success is spilt the road games and dominate at home. To little surprise the top three conference teams all fared well away from the comforts of home: Monmouth was 7-2 while FDU and Robert Morris both sported a 6-3 mark.
Say goodnight: With a late February win over Robert Morris, LIU closed the doors on its fabled Schwartz Athletic Center. A first round home game in the NEC tourney gave one encore. The facility took its shape from the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre. From the late Twenties through early Sixties, stars of stage and screen performed at the Paramount: Mae West, Eddie Cantor, Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallee were just a few. In the early Sixties, the Blackbirds started playing at the renovated facility. Now the doors are closed as LIU heads to its brand new Athletic, Recreation and Wellness Center. An era and memorable facility are now history.
Monmouth will be the first NEC school to participate in the Great Alaska Shootout. The Hawks head to Anchorage for the annual event which includes Marquette, Southern California and NIT champ South Carolina in the eight-team field, which will be staging its 28th annual tournament this November.
Brian Nash was named new head coach at St.Francis (NY), replacing Ron Ganulin in the conference’s only head coaching change this Spring. Nash assisted Jim Baron at St.Bonaventure and most recently Louis Orr at Siena and Seton Hall. The 34 year-old Nash is a graduate of Keene (NH) State and Brooklyn’s Bishop Ford High School and maintains good ties in the New York City area.
The NEC Rookie of the Week award almost was renamed the Allan Sheppard trophy. Well, not really, but the St. Francis (NY) frosh captured the honors three consecutive times in January en route to being selected conference Newcomer of the Year.
Marques Alston won two games at the buzzer this season. The Monmouth sophomore sank a three-pointer with 0.4 left to defeat Quinnipiac on January 9. In the opener of the season, Alston banked in a ten-footer at the buzzer to nip St. Peter’s. The surprising thing about both shots is their distance; Alston is a 6-4, 230-pound power forward who does some of his best work on the blocks rather than the perimeter.
Robert Morris’ late December win over Duquesne was in front of 2,852 at the Colonials’ Sewell Center. It was the second-largest crowd in the center’s history and the largest to view a regular season game in an NEC arena this season.
