The NEC knelt to the sword of The Reef last season. LIU ran through the league at 15-3. They won the conference tournament to return to the NCAA Tournament, all while fans brought their hands together above their heads on free throws. “Fins Up” became a national story. But can the Sharks go back-to-back?
Le Moyne is eligible for the NCAA Tournament for the first time, but will also be leaving the conference for the Metro at the end of the year. Mercyhurst has some fun returners, and Central Connecticut is always going to be in the mix.
What’s in store for the NEC this year?
1.LIU
WHAT I LIKE: The talent is impossible to deny. LIU is by far the most talented group in the NEC once again. Vasean Allette was a double-digit scorer at a high-major; he’s way too good for this level. Easy pick for preseason Player of the Year. He’ll be flanked by former high-major recruits Jakhi Howard and Daquan Davis, who bring a level of athleticism and pedigree to this team that the rest of the NEC guards can’t match. The huge swing pieces are the Bewley twins – Matt and Ryan – in the frontcourt. They are former highly-ranked recruits who have been embroiled in a legal fight with the NCAA for years. The Sharks also brought in Tyrell Bowles, a highly productive JUCO big man, along with a few Division I transfers to fill out the backcourt depth.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE: There’s a reason that these guys are in the NEC. Allette was dismissed from the Old Dominion team his freshman year and didn’t play last season at UTSA due to personal reasons. Howard left the Utah team in January last year after transferring in from Auburn, where he was famously involved in a brawl on a flight. The Bewley brothers have their aforementioned legal battle and haven’t suited up in a college basketball game in years. However, Rod Strickland has had success with mercurial personalities. Last year’s group was similarly combustible, but he took them to the NCAA Tournament.
2. MERCYHURST
WHAT I LIKE: The only returning player in the league to make an All-Conference team last year is Mercyhurst point guard Jake Lemelman. He’s a dynamite scoring guard who improved in every aspect of his game a year ago, especially in terms of creating his own shot inside the arc. Gary Manchel went out and added American transfer Geoff Sprouse late in the cycle to help him out, while a healthy Marcus Jackson can provide some defensive punch. Daemar Kelly and Tennessee Rainwater are also proven producers in the NEC, and will give some additional scoring alongside Lemelman.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE: Mercyhurst doesn’t have a lot of bodies in the frontcourt. However, if Cal State LA transfer Deraje Agbaosi can continue to produce the way he did in an exhibition against Buffalo (20 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks), that won’t be a huge problem. Even then, as Agbaosi is just 6-foot-7, the Lakers are thin in terms of legit size on this roster.
3. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
WHAT I LIKE: Patrick Sellers lost all five starters before last season, and still put together a top-2 finish in NEC play. The Blue Devils have the best coach in the conference, which will give them a chance on any given night. Especially in the NEC, where portal and JUCO evaluations are so important, and finding the right fit matters, having an elite coach is such an upper hand. Raphel Laurent should be a star scorer coming in from UMass Boston, where he averaged 22.4 points per game as a sophomore last season on 60 TS%. Perhaps a breakout season could be in order for James Jones with a little more than just being the fifth starter. Brayden Jackson redshirted at St. Bonaventure last season, and brings some punch in the frontcourt.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE: The last few CCSU teams have at least held a pipeline of returning talent to believe in. Sure, they lost all five starters from 2025, but Jay Rodgers was coming back healthy, Darin Smith’s breakout could be seen a mile away, and Max Frazier had some impressive moments as a sophomore in 2025. Can Daniel James replicate Frazier’s breakout? It’s a little fuzzier to try to see the stars aligning for the Blue Devils now than it was an offseason ago.
4. LE MOYNE
WHAT I LIKE: There’s some serious depth in the Le Moyne backcourt. Even if Ametri Moss isn’t eligible, the Dolphins can play Sac State transfer Jayden Teat, UT Martin transfer Damien King, Bryant transfer sharpshooter Khalil Williams, Swiss freshman Leo Gysel, JUCO transfer Kole Williams, and NJIT transfer Jeremy Clayville. All of those guys will have a role for Le Moyne. As will Northeastern transfer Ty Francis, an athletic four-man. Nate Champion’s team will shoot a ton of threes and have plenty of guards that can create those threes.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE: The Dolphins have had an All-Conference forward or big each of the last three seasons in the NEC, but this season, it’s less likely. VMI transfer Kaden Stuckey has to be a big-time rebounder for Le Moyne, and backup big man Przemek Hartman needs to be ready to contribute off the bench. How many minutes can Le Moyne survive with Francis or Trevor Roe at the five if they can’t get consistent big man production.
5. WAGNER
WHAT I LIKE: Aside from LIU, this is the most athletic team in the NEC. Youssof Singare was a backup big man for UConn, and then for High Point, but the athletic 6-foot-11 shot blocker should be a defensive monster in the NEC. Add in Tajae Jones, a Siena transfer known for his athleticism, along with Kareem Watson and Baron Smith, and Wagner has a deep frontcourt of options. Heck, even former Syracuse and New Orleans 7-footer William Patterson is an interesting upside swing. If the Seahawks can get Fairfield transfer Cam Estevez playing at his best, then he’s an All-NEC scoring guard.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE: Even though the makeup of the frontcourt is fun, there’s essentially nothing proven. None of the five have ever played more than 25% of the minutes in a Division I season. Point guard is a question mark for me as well. Fordham transfer Ryan Pettis is more combo than point, and Taj Bryant struggled at Sacred Heart. This team could be brutal offensively, but Wagner has won with poor offense before.
6. FDU
WHAT I LIKE: Pepperdine transfer Pavle Stosic has the chance to be one of the better big men in the conference. He’s a physical bruiser at 6-foot-10, 230 pounds with rebounding ability. He’ll pair with Bol Agu to make a super burly frontcourt for the Knights, something that the program has generally lacked. Division II transfer point guard JR Jacobs can be electric. He can be the next sub-6-foot PG to make an impact for the Knights, following in the footsteps of Grant Singleton, Demetre Roberts, and Bullet Jamison. JUCO transfer Vophcy Prophete will provide some scoring as well.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE: While Stosic and Agu are physical, they don’t have a ton of proven scoring chops. They’ll probably be reliant on getting efficient scoring out of the guards, unless they can overwhelm on the offensive glass to a point where it doesn’t matter. Perhaps we see a leap from the returning David Jevtic or Raysean Johnson. Austin Peay transfer Travis Torain can also be a big swing piece.
7. STONEHILL
WHAT I LIKE: Stonehill’s offseason was predicated on adding players who won. The Skyhawks are betting on former Yale guard Devon Arlington to take a step forward at the point, and with the drop in levels, I can buy in on a breakout year. Former Navy wing Jack Medaille had a strong campaign at Division II Saint Anselm, a 25-win team. Idaho transfer Ewan Steele should also be a valuable frontcourt piece.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE: Outside of Medaille, there’s not a lot of guys who have proven college production on this roster. Arlington’s numbers were brutal for the Bulldogs. They’ll be reliant on a leap from injury returner Will Batchelder. In the frontcourt, Steele needs to take a leap on both sides of the ball. Le Moyne transfer Eli Greenberg has to grow into a role, and Southern Miss transfer Felipe Patino has a chance to contribute.
8. NEW HAVEN
WHAT I LIKE: Teshaun Steele had a solid freshman season and comes back for year two as a sophomore with the opportunity to take a big leap. Kheni Briggs had some major scoring outbursts and is a wing anchor for Ted Hotaling’s strong defense. Meanwhile, the JUCO guards Danny Young Jr. and Tim Walker have upside to form a strong, positionally big backcourt. The Chargers will rebound the ball on defense.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE: Jabri Fitzpatrick, Najimi George, and Andre Pasha were essentially all of the offense for the Chargers at times last year. As fun as Steele may be, it’s a big leap from 15% usage to a potential star. I’m not sure that there’s a rim protector that I trust on this roster, which was a major issue last year as well. The overall talent level is not great, even with a few fun bites at the apple.
9. CHICAGO STATE
WHAT I LIKE: From year one to year two at Alcorn State, Landon Bussie took the Braves from No. 342 in KenPom and 6-7 in the SWAC to No. 265 in KenPom and 14-4 in the SWAC. The Cougars were No. 344 in KenPom last year, and Bussie’s track record shows that it can go higher than that. Cal State Bakersfield transfer guard Mike Price has a chance to be a dynamic scoring option for the Cougars. Fellow Big West transfer Davius Lowry is an interesting piece of the mix in the frontcourt.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE: CSU lost a ton of guys. Which might not be a bad thing considering how poor last season’s team was, but the Cougars don’t have a ton of sure things. Could Division II transfer Will Lovings-Watts take the step up to the NEC and thrive? How about NAIA transfer Foday Sheriff? The wing talent relies on those guys. Malek Robinson struggled offensively last year as a 6-foot off-ball freshman guard. He has to prove himself on the offensive end.