Northeast Conference 2005-06 Preview
by Zach Smart
It isn’t top notch college basketball – there’s no question about that. It’s low-Division I teams. But nonetheless, the Northeast Conference provides exciting games that often go down to the wire night in, night out. This, of course, is in a conference where any team can knock off any other team at any given point in the season.
These NEC teams are all fighting for a slice of the sweet and tasty NCAA tournament pie.
Last season, our eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as we watched Farleigh Dickinson University hold its own (and at one point grab a small lead) against an Illinois team that sat at the very top of national polls throughout the year and ended up advancing to the NCAA championship game. The Fighting Illini, fueled by a 14-2 early second half run, would eventually break away with a 67-55 victory. But the fact that the Knights (whose average home game attendance was 1,239) were able to hang with a national powerhouse with only the entire world watching them on television left every player on the Knights roster gleaming at the end of the game. And, it left every FDU fan sporting a permasmile wider than those of the Irishmen at the bar on this St. Patrick’s Day showdown.
The chance to compete with a nationally-ranked program on the big stage will always bring out the best in these teams, and a conference championship is something that thirteen men will sacrifice a whole lot for.
These ballclubs are all about playing a balanced brand of team basketball, with heart and a strong desire to win.
Teams (in order of where the conference’s coaches picked them)
Farleigh Dickinson (20-13, 13-5 NEC)
Head coach Tom Green and the Knights enjoyed an 8-3 surge to end last season, and the reigning NEC champions return one of the league’s top players in Gordon Klaiber (16.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.39 bpg), a wiry 6-9 forward. Klaiber, a unanimous first team All-NEC selection last season, will be counted on to lead an experienced team that has enough all-around talent and depth to make a return trip to NCAAs. The Knights expect big things from 7-0 interior banger Andrea Crosariol (7.7ppg), and will once again have the services of sharpshooting guard Chad Timberlake, who averaged 13 points per game and played a big role in many pivotal games last season. While the Knights lost the solid backcourt tandem of Tamien Trent (15.7 ppg) and Mensah Peterson (7.4 ppg), they will look to a bevy of underclassmen to step it up this year. Among these underclassmen is sophomore Bernell Murray, a lighting-quick 5-9 point guard. The Knights are as well coached as they come. Green, now in his 23rd year roaming the sidelines, is the conference’s all-time wins leader.
Monmouth (16-13, 14-4 NEC)
The Hawks must overcome the loss of Blake Hamilton. The 6-foot-7 forward was the NEC player of the year last season after averaging 16.2 ppg and leading the Hawks to their second straight NEC regular season title. Not to worry: the Hawks return four starters from last season and should provide a balanced offense. Senior Chris Kenny, a 6-3 guard who averaged just under 10 ppg last year, will have to emerge into a more consistent scorer. He will have plenty of help in the backcourt with senior Tyler Azzarelli, and the Hawks will need Dejan Delic (8.4ppg) to step into a more prominent role. The key for Monmouth is finding a player to develop into a scoring leader in Hamilton’s absence. The Hawks landed a versatile G/F in 6-5 freshman Tyson Johnson and a monster underneath in 6-10 Center Shawn Barlow, also a freshman.
Wagner (13-17, 10-8 NEC)
The Seahawks lived in the basement for the first part of last season after undergoing an early 1-7 freefall during which their leading scorer averaged single digits. However, they quickly worked themselves out of the hole and went on a relentless surge, winning on eight of their last nine NEC games of the season. The loss of big man Sean Munson is a little tough to swallow. Munson was the top rebounder in the NEC last season, hitting the glass with force while also averaging 12.4 ppg. However, the ‘Hawks have two holding forces in the backcourt in DeEarnest McLemore and Mark Porter. McLemore, the 2005 NEC Defensive Player of the Year, is a lockdown defender who’s also dangerous from behind the arc. Porter (11.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg) is another scoring option who helps make the Seahawks a scary perimeter team. Look for junior G/F Jamal Webb, who had a storied career at Tuckahoe High School (Eastchester, N.Y.) to bounce back from injury and make a strong impact off the bench.
Long Island (14-15, 10-8 NEC)
Junior guard James Williams (16.3 ppg, 3.4 apg) should have the Blackbirds flying high this season. Williams is quick and fundamentally sound in all aspects of his game, and he can score from anywhere on the floor. He will lead an up-tempo offense that must get more out of junior forward Esa Makio-Tulokas this year. Makio-Tulokas was one of the top rebounders in the NEC last year and had a few breakout scoring nights. But in order to contend for the title, the Blackbirds will need Makio-Tulokas to come to play every night – something he didn’t do enough of in 2004-05. The Blackbirds are led by reigning NEC coach of the year Jim Ferry. Sophomore Randy Jones (9.4 ppg) showed promise as a freshman last season.
Central Connecticut State (12-16, 8-10)
The Blue Devils were as hot as ever during a late playoff spurt last season. After a pair of convincing victories over Robert Morris and St. Francis (N.Y.), as well as an overtime thriller over FDU, they advanced to the championship game against Monmouth on ESPN2. But the Hawks were too much for CCSU to handle, and the Blue Devils were handed a 67-55 loss. Nonetheless, the Blue Devils put together one of the finest seasons in recent memory. Behind the leadership of playmaking 6-2 guard DeMario Anderson (14.1 ppg 3.9 rpg), the Blue Devils could pick up where they left off. They have a sharpshooter in 6-3 junior guard Javier Mojica and a dominant force down low in bulky junior Obie Nwadike. Returning regular Lenny Jefferson is another scoring guard the team will look to.
St. Francis (N.Y.) (13-15, 9-9 NEC)
The Terriers lose last year’s leading scorer Tory Cavalieri, but they have three solid scorers back this season. Allan Sheppard, the 2005 NEC Rookie of the Year, Christian Brown, and Tristan Smith all averaged around 11 points per game last season. Brown, a lean 6-4 guard, brings experience and leadership to the floor. St. Francis turned many heads early last season with their upset of St. John’s, and they hung with another upper-tier program in Seton Hall. Things went pretty much downhill from that point on, and the Terriers were never able to put together a strong run at the title. The Terriers will have to adjust to new head coach Brian Nash’s system. Lack of size could create a problem, so the Terriers need to be aggressive in the post and man the boards every night throughout the season.
Quinnipiac (10-17, 6-12 NEC)
The Rob Monroe-era is over in Hamden-town, and it’s a whole new epoch for a Bobcat team which adds seven new faces, including former Tennessee Vol John Winchester and 2004 national JUCO player of the year Adam Gonzales. Last season, the Bobcats got off to a hot start, but they folded as the season progressed. The key returnee is Craig Benson, a sharpshooting but streaky guard who complemented Monroe in the backcourt last season. Benson shot the lights out in many important games last season and will be counted on to emerge as a leader. The Bobcats return one of the top forwards in the league in 6-5 Kevin Jolley (9.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg), who was the NEC’s second-leading rebounder last season. Redshirt sophomore Karl Anderson (9.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg) earned All-NEC rookie team honors last year and can also produce down low. The Bobcats aren’t short of Guards. Three-point marksman Van Crafton, solid mid-range shooter/defender Dale Meinbresse, along with another strong defender, senior Nick Tipson, will all work through the rotation. Rebounding and interior defense was the Achilles heal for the ‘Cats last season, but a bigger recruiting class should prevent this problem from occurring this season.
Mount St. Mary’s (7-20, 5-13 NEC)
The Mountaineers return 80% of the starting lineup from last season, including flashy guard Landy Thompson, who has already surpassed the 1,000-point milestone in his career. Thompson averaged 14 points per game last season while leading the team in assists and steals as a quintessential element in the backcourt. The Mountaineers must perform better on their home floor this year, where they were abysmal last year. The experienced group will need to pick up their team defense in order to work their way back into contender form.
St. Francis (Pa.) (15-13, 10-8 NEC)
The Red Flash bring back a great deal of experience from last season, despite losing a potent scorer in 6-5 shooting guard Darshan Luckey and a force on both ends of the floor in 6-8 forward Jason Osborne. Ever since this inside-outside duo came to school, the Red Flash has qualified for the NEC tournament. Undersized 2-guard Rahsaan Benton (11.4 ppg) is a lights-out shooter who will likely step into a major scoring role this season. In order to do this, however, he must be more consistent. Tri-Captain Garret Fahra will operate the offense once again this season. Fahra, who plays with a pass-first mentality and loves to play in transition, will need to shoot the ball a little bit more this year. According to the HoopScoop, head coach Bobby Jones has landed the top recruiting class in the NEC. Seven promising freshmen, in addition to JUCO transfer LeShawn Hammet have hopes running high for a strong season in Loretto. Hammet, a 6-0 guard, can score from anywhere and has an aptitude for getting to the bucket.
Robert Morris (14-15, 11-7 NEC)
RMU will play a brand of basketball that’s heavily reliant on the perimeter game this season. This is primarily because they have just three players on the roster over 6-foot-6. The toughest blow during the off-season was the loss of 6-6 forward Chaz McCrommon. McCrommon, who was recently drafted by the Kansas Cagerz of the United States Basketball League, averaged 16.7 points and 6.0 rebounds last season en route to becoming a first team all-conference selection. Guards Derek Coleman (8.2 ppg, 3.5 apg) and Tony Lee (7.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg) are a pair of three-point assassins that will facilitate the Colonials’ long-range attack. When teams sit in a zone against the Colonials, they will be a hard group to beat. The Colonials must find chemistry with their seven newcomers. JUCO transfer Colson Senat is a long and athletic forward with a sweet outside touch.
Sacred Heart (4-23, 3-15 NEC)
The Pioneers’ ailing program finally received a boost this off-season when UMass center Jeff “Big Deli” Salovski, a native of Bristol, Conn. opted to transfer in. Savlovski is capable of doing a great deal for the program, this is evident after his 21-point, nine-rebound outburst in the minutemen’s game against Xavier last season. However, due to NCAA transfer rules, Big Deli will not be able to suit up for games during the 2005-06 season. The Pioneers bring back all five starters from last season, but their best player, Joey Henley (12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg) is already out with an injury (two broken bones in his right leg) he received during a football game. Henley, expected to be the big dog scorer this season, will miss the beginning of the season. This means 6-10 Center Kibwe Trim needs to step things up in the middle.
