Co-Player of the Week
Benjamin Bill, Daemen
Redshirt Sophomore | C | Hamburg, NY
Bill averaged 20.50 points per game and 9.50 rebounds per game with six blocks in 46 minutes played a 2-0 week for the Wildcats. The Daemen redshirt sophomore center tallied his second career double-double with a 24-point, 11-rebound (six defensive) performance while adding in two blocks, two assists, and a steal in 25 minutes in Daemen's 67-47 win over Staten Island and went on to score a game-high 17 points with eight rebounds (four defensive), a season-high four blocks, and an assist in 21 minutes in Daemen’s 80-52 win over District of Columbia. With the win, the Wildcats are 7-0 to begin the year for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
Co-Player of the Week
Malik Brooks, Roberts Wesleyan
Graduate Student | G | Lockport, NY
Brooks averaged 29.7 points per game in three contests last week, dropping 23 at Mansfield before going off for back-to-back 30+ games. The RWU graduate student guard hit a career-high with 32 points against Mercy and then set a new career-high with 34 points against the Spartans with RWU’s first win at STAC since 2014. Brooks finished the week with 89 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists and was 34-for-56 (.607) from the field. On Friday, he eclipsed the 1,000 career points milestone at Roberts.
Defensive Player of the Week
Benjamin Bill, Daemen
Redshirt Sophomore | C | Hamburg, NY
Bill averaged 20.50 points per game and 9.50 rebounds per game with six blocks in 46 minutes played a 2-0 week for the Wildcats. The Daemen redshirt sophomore center tallied his second career double-double with a 24-point, 11-rebound (six defensive) performance while adding in two blocks, two assists, and a steal in 25 minutes in Daemen's 67-47 win over Staten Island and went on to score a game-high 17 points with eight rebounds (four defensive), a season-high four blocks, and an assist in 21 minutes in Daemen’s 80-52 win over District of Columbia. With the win, the Wildcats are 7-0 to begin the year for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
Rookie of the Week
Ethan Robertson, Mercy
Freshman | F | Boston, MA
Robertson averaged a team-high 21.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game on 58.6 percent shooting as Mercy went 1-1 on the week. The freshman opened the week with 17 points and six rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting against Chestnut Hill on Tuesday. The forward ended the week with a double-double by way of a team-high and career-high 26 points and 12 rebounds on 10-of-15 shooting in the 84-83 win over Roberts Wesleyan on Friday. Robertson hit the game-winning shot as time expired to give Mercy their first win over the Redhawks since 2019.
ECC Weekly Honor Roll
Nasan Ayala, Queens
Senior | G | Lefrak City, NY
Ayala averaged 19.5 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game with six assists and six steals last week. The Queens senior guard opened the week recording 16 points, four rebounds (two defensive), and four steals against Saint Michael’s on Tuesday evening. In the Knights’ ECC opener, Ayala tallied his first double-double of the year with a career-best 23 points on 58.3 percent shooting, 11 rebounds (seven defensive), four assists, and two steals as Queens defeated Molloy, 105-90, on Saturday afternoon.
Rob Matos, Molloy
Sophomore | G | Fredericksburg, VA
Matos was a force from the field this week for the Lions, averaging a blistering 26.5 points and 5.5 assists per game, shooting at nearly 50 percent both from the floor and from long distance. The sophomore matched a career-high 30 points at Queens College to open conference play, shooting 10-of-15 from the field to go with three three-pointers and three assists. In non-conference action, the guard topped 20 points for the seventh time this season, scoring 23 at East Stroudsburg while also dishing out seven assists.
Jaden Pena, Queens
Junior | F | Brooklyn, NY
Pena averaged 16.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks in a 1-1 week for the Knights. Pena opened the week recording seven points, five rebounds, two blocks, and one steal against Saint Michael’s Tuesday evening. In the ECC opener, and his first start of the year, Pena led the offense with his first double-double of the year on a team-high 25 points 61.1 percent shooting, 15 rebounds, one assist and one steal as Queens defeated Molloy, 105-90, on Saturday afternoon.
Nathan Robertson, Mercy
Freshman | G | Boston, MA
Robertson averaged 18.0 points per game on 59.3 percent shooting with 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game as Mercy went 1-1 on the week. The freshman opened the week with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting with six rebounds and five steals against Chestnut Hill on Tuesday. The guard ended the week with a career-high 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting with six assists, four rebounds and two steals in the win over Roberts Wesleyan on Friday.
Khyrie Staten, District of Columbia
Junior | G | Baltimore, MD
Staten averaged 13.6 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, and 2.0 steals per game over three games for the Firebirds. In the Firebirds’ conference win over D'Youville, Staten posted a double-double with 15 points and pulling 10 rebounds.
Blake Wilson, Staten Island
Sophomore | G | West Palm Beach, FL
Wilson erupted for a career-high 35 points in Sunday's win against D'Youville, also tying a CSI program record with nine three-pointers in the Dolphins’ victory, finishing the game 9-of-21 from beyond the arc. The sophomore shot 12-of-25 from the field and added six rebounds in the best performance of his collegiate career.
ECC Men's Basketball Weekly Award Winners
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 11 - Hartnel Haye, St. Thomas Aquinas
Nov. 18 - Justin Hemphill, Daemen
Nov. 25 - Justin Moore, D'Youville
Dec. 2 - Benjamin Bill, Daemen
Dec. 9 - Benjamin Bill, Daemen (2x) and Malik Brooks, Roberts Wesleyan
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 11 - Shaun Arnold, St. Thomas Aquinas
Nov. 18 - Messiah Mallory, Staten Island
Nov. 25 - Messiah Mallory, Staten Island (2x)
Dec. 2 - Arnardo Camacho, Roberts Wesleyan
Dec. 9 - Benjamin Bill, Daemen (2x)
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nov. 11 - Gene Anderson, District of Columbia
Nov. 18 - Gene Anderson, District of Columbia (2x)
Nov. 25 - Gene Anderson, District of Columbia (3x)
Dec. 2 - Nathan Robertson, Mercy
Dec. 9 - Ethan Robertson, Mercy
Previously in the Polls
NABC TOP 25 COACHES POLL
Preseason: Daemen (RV), St. Thomas Aquinas (RV)
Week 1 (11/17): Daemen (20)
Week 2 (11/26): Daemen (14)
Week 3 (12/2): Daemen (8); one first-place vote
D2CSC TOP 25 MEDIA POLL
Week 1 (11/12): Daemen (14), St. Thomas Aquinas (T-19)
Week 2 (11/19): Daemen (13), St. Thomas Aquinas (22)
Week 3 (11/26): Daemen (11), St. Thomas Aquinas (RV)
Week 4 (12/3): Daemen (7)
D2CSC TOP 10 EAST REGION MEDIA POLL
Preseaason (11/8): St. Thomas Aquinas (3), Daemen (4), Staten Island (RV)
Week 1 (11/11): Daemen (1), St. Thomas Aquinas (2), Staten Island (RV)
Week 2 (11/18): Daemen (1), St. Thomas Aquinas (2)
Week 3 (11/25): Daemen (1), St. Thomas Aquinas (3), Staten Island (RV)
Week 4 (12/2): Daemen (1), St. Thomas Aquinas (3)
NCAA EAST REGION POLL
ECC PRESEASON POLL
T-1. Daemen - 72 points (3 first-place votes)
T-1. St. Thomas Aquinas - 72 points (4 first-place votes)
3. Staten Island - 64 points (2 first-place votes)
4. Roberts Wesleyan - 47 points
5. District of Columbia - 44 points
6. Queens - 38 points
7. Molloy - 33 points
8. D'Youville - 20 points
9. Mercy - 15 points