2024 Preview
Superlatives:
Best Overall Team: Fairleigh Dickinson
Best Overall Player: RJ Greene, Wagner
Best Shooter: RJ Greene, Wagner
Best Defenseman: Shane O’Dell, Stonehill
Sleeper Team (Conference): Le Moyne
Sleeper Team (March): Fairleigh Dickinson
Le Moyne Guard Darrick Jones Jr; Le Moyne Athletics
1. Farleigh Dickinson Knights
2023 Record: 15-17
The Knights’ fabeled 2023 NCAA Tournament victory over No. 1 seed Purdue opened doors for the program as FDU prepares for 2024 as the most talented team in the NEC. Returnees Terrence Brown (All-Rookie NEC performer) and Jo’el Emanuel, a big bodied post scorer, immediately vault FDU into the upper half of the league. The NEC’s top rebounding team in 2023 will welcome the return of Cameron Tweedy, a hero on the 2022 squad. The Knights played at a lightning quick 72.2 adjusted tempo last season per KenPom, which ranked 15th in the nation and helped FDU to the conference’s best free throw rate. Look for the same philosophy in 2024 behind coach Jack Castleberry.
2. Wagner Seahawks
2023 Record: 17-16
The defending NEC champions gear up to defend its first title since 2003 behind the sure-handed play of all-league guard RJ Greene and backcourt mate Javier Ezquerra. The Seahawks lost its top three scorers but welcome back many contributors who missed most of 2023 with injuries. Wagner was excellent defending the three ball last year and was the NEC’s top two-point scoring team — staples of a successful program at any level of college basketball.
3. Central Connecticut Blue Devils
2023 Record: 20-11
The Blue Devils finished the regular season tied with Merrimack as the NEC’s top team but were ousted the semi-finals by eventual champion Wagner. Returning for CCSU is all-conference guard Jayden Brown (8.4) and the uber consistent Jordan Jones, as well as team leader Jay Rodgers who missed last season but is a reliable shooter from behind the arc. The Blue Devils are notoriously known for marauding defensive play, something that will likely continue in 2024 with the return of many veteran players from a team that won 20 games last season.
4. Le Moyne Dolphins
2023 Record: 15-17
A semi-finalist in 2023, Le Moyne will look to reload behind standout guard Darrick Jones Jr. with multiple transfers including UT Arlington’s Dwanye Koroma who is a floor stretching presence down low. Rim protector Ocypher Owens is a force down low and should see a boost in production. Le Moyne ran one of the more efficient NEC offenses last season and will look to build its foundation with more reliable offensive rebounding and the same eFG% that helped the under-seeded Dolphins reach one game from a conference title appearance.
5. Long Island Sharks
2023 Record: 7-22
The Sharks have been one of the nation’s worst teams the past two seasons, combining for 48 losses since the start of 2022. Luckily for LIU, new faces were brought in to facilitate change for the Sharks, starting with the return of do-it-all big man Terrell Strickland down low. Jalen Lee is a recruit the Sharks were emphatic to land and should be a dominant one-two punch down low with Strickland. Reliable backcourt play still evades the Sharks, especially by way of turnovers and effective field goal percentage.
6. Mercyhurst Lakers
2023 Record: -
New to Division-I.
7. Stonehill Skyhawks
2023 Record: 4-27
Returning big Shane O’Dell is one of the conference’s top defenders and is a shot-blocking machine down low. Aside from O’Dell — who missed 2023 with an injury — the Skyhawks return just one starter will turn to multiple reliable low-major starters to produce early. A name to keep an eye on is Amir Nesbitt, a transfer from Hampton who is arguably the team’s most experienced player.
8. Saint Francis Red Flash
2023 Record: 9-22
Saint Francis was the NEC’s top offensive rebounding team in 2023. That may be the extent of the team’s acomplishments from a downtrodden 9-22 campaign. East Carolina transfer Valentino Pinedo will likely be the team’s centerpiece in the early going despite limited experience. The Red Flash were the conference’s worst defensive team last year and seldom addressed that through the portal.
9. Chicago State Panthers
2023 Record: 13-19
The Panthers opted to join a conference after riding solo for three years and piling up three consecutive losing seasons. Chicago State will turn to inexperienced coach Scott Spinelli and a cast of returning characters to pull itself out of one of the program’s most treacherous runs in history. Noble Crawford and Greg Spate will be the offensive leaders early as Chicago State will use training wheels early with a new coach and philosophy.