Northeast Conference 2006-07 Preview
by Zach Smart
To the outside world, the Northeast Conference is the laughing-stock conference of college basketball. It’s a safe haven for standout high school players that received few to no Division I offers their senior year. It’s the weakest piece of the puzzle, the compartment containing the worst brand of basketball and gaining the least amount of fans and exposure in the process.
This view, however, is rarely resonated in the players and fans of this “weak” conference. The NEC is one of the few conferences in college basketball where any team could beat an opponent on any given night. It’s a collection of some of the most evenly matched teams, providing few lopsided victories and losses and many down-to-the-wire battles.
Predicted Order of Finish
Monmouth (19-15, 12-6)
The Hawks captured their second conference title in three years last season and received a taste of what national visibility feels like. They gave top-ranked Villanova a dogfight in the NCAA Tournament before succumbing to the top-tier program. The key losses are floor general Tyler Azzarelli and backcourt mate Chris Kenny, who is now on the bench as an assistant coach. The Hawks, however, return top scorers in 6-6 guard Dejan Delic (12.3 ppg) and small forward Marques Alston (11.6 ppg). The Hawks also have a gargantuan center in the 7-foot-2, 320-pound John Bunch. Bunch, who averaged just eight points and five boards last season while blocking nearly three shots per game, could emerge as a presence that few conference teams will match.
Robert Morris (15-14, 10-8)
The Colonials bring a lot back this year, starting with 6-foot-6 forward A.J. Jackson (17.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg). Jackson registered 14 double-doubles last season and went off for 39 against Quinnipiac. Reigning NEC Rookie of the Year Jeremy Chappel should add balance to a backcourt led by third-year starter Derek Coleman. The Colonials had a strong off-season with the acquisition of 7-foot Center Bas Rozendaal and Jimmy Langhurst, the latter a scoring point guard who averaged 32.5 points and 4.5 assists for Willard High in Ohio last year.
Farleigh Dickinson (20-12, 14-4)
The Knights lose two of the best players ever to come out of the program in first team All-NEC selections Chad Timberlake, the conference’s Player of the Year, and Gordon Klaiber. The duo formed one of the sharpest inside/outside tandems in the northeast last year. Andrea Crosariol, a 7-footer from Italy, will not be back for his senior year after he averaged 11 points and seven boards last year. Michael Peeples will also be counted on to play a solid role as a senior forward. The Knights got a helping hand in the off-season when they inked Lawrence Brown (Portsmouth, England/Portsmouth), a 7-footer who might take Crosariol’s place.
Central Connecticut (18-11, 13-5)
The Blue Devils lose first team All-Conference selection Justin Chiera, a three-point assailant and the school’s all-time leader in the three-point field goals. They do return the NEC’s rebounding leader in undersized forward Obie Nwadike (12.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg). Coach Howie Dickenman regards Nwadike, who is a generously-listed 6-4, as “the toughest player in the country.” Another key returnee is guard Tristan Blackwood (14.2 ppg, 4.2 apg). Look for guard Javier Mojica to step into a bigger role this season.
Long Island (12-16, 9-9)
Jim Ferry brings back all of his starters from last year. This means the Blackbirds have the services of All-NEC pick James Williams (16.6 points, 89 threes), who also earned All-MET third-team honors and led the ‘birds in scoring 18 times last season. Aubin Scott showed promise last season and should emerge as one of the conference’s premier players around the basket. Shooting guard Randy Jones needs to step up.
Quinnipiac (12-16, 7-11)
The Bobcats return a talented trio of seniors in Adam Gonzalez (10.5 ppg, 109 assists), Chris Wehye, and Victor Akinyanju. Look for senior sharpshooter Van Crafton to spread out defenses and bust many zones. Karl Anderson, a 6-foot-7 forward/center, came into his own last year. The big question is team defense and Joe DeSantis’ motion offense. If DeSantis (95-130 on the Division I level, two winning seasons in the past six years) does not conclude the season with a winning record and a playoff berth, he might just receive a pink slip and a bus ticket out of Hamden, Conn.
Wagner (13-14, 6-12)
Mike Deane’s team must recover from an abysmal season which happened to have a sizzling start. They return junior forward Durell Vinson, who averaged 15.2 points (16.3 in league play) and led the NEC with 10.6 boards per game. Vinson had a team-high 13 double-doubles in the regular season. Sophomore Jamal Smith (8.0, 3.9) who earned a spot on the NEC All-Rookie team, dropped several jaws last year and is flushed into a bigger role this year.
Sacred Heart (11-17, 8-10)
The Pioneers return one of the top players in the conference this year in 6-3 swingman Jarrid Frye. Coach Dave Bike, now in his 29th season, acknowledges that Frye will be a marked man this season. The toughest off-season blow was the loss of big man Kibwe Trim, as the 6-10 center averaged 19 points and nine boards per game in conference action last season. Adding to his loss is that of Jeff “Big Deli” Salovski, a transfer from UMass who was dismissed from the team for academic reasons. Guard Joey Henley, who missed all of last season with a football injury, should make a comeback.
St. Francis N.Y. (10-17, 7-11)
Senior forward Allan Sheppard (11.6 ppg) should lead the way for SFNY. Rebounding proved to be the Achilles Heel for the undersized Terriers last season, as they sorely lacked an effective big man. This off-season, coach Brian Nash has gotten a powerful junior duo from Jersey City (Marcus Williams and Otis Campbell) to transfer in. Both were teammates at national power St. Anthony’s High School under legendary coach Bob Hurley, Sr. Look for guard Jamaal Womack to have a breakout year.
Mount St. Mary’s (13-17, 11-7)
The loss of electrifying guard Landy Thompson is tough, but the Mount implements a stingy defense which allowed them to play their first playoff game in ten years last season. Leading this suffocating “D” is the reigning NEC Defensive Player of the Year Mychal Kearse. He averaged 10.6 points, 7.8 boards, and 1.6 steals last season and should shoulder the burden of leader for the Mount.
St. Francis (Pa) (4-24, 2-16)
The youth movement at St. Francis continues, as the Red Flash hope to both rebuild and recover. Bobby Jones picked up four top-shelf recruits in the off-season. Their ability to adjust to the college game will likely dictate how well the program can bounce back to respectability. Sophomore guard Marquis Ford, an All-Rookie team selection last season, should lead the way.
