Player of the Week
Bryce Merchant, Molloy
Sophomore | G | Laurelton, NY
Merchant posted a staggering 23.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game this week for the Lions, shooting 47.0 percent from the field and 53.0 percent from long distance. Merchant was Molloy's leading scorer in two of three contests, topping 20 points in all. The Molloy sophomore guard matched a career-high 28 points at Dominican with nine rebounds and three blocks before posting a double-double against Daemen with 20 points and 10 rebounds. He closed the week with 21 points in an 80-79 win over D'Youville, along with seven rebounds and three blocks.
Defensive Player of the Week
Benjamin Bill, Daemen
Redshirt Sophomore | C | Hamburg, NY
Bill averaged 18.0 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game with eight total blocks in a pair of conference wins. The Daemen redshirt sophomore center tallied a career-high five blocks and notched 21 points and a rebound in Daemen's 95-50 win over Molloy before going for 15 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks in Daemen's 99-67 win over Queens. Bill anchored Daemen’s defense to allowing just 58.5 points per game en route to the ‘Cats 13th and 14th wins of the season.
Rookie of the Week
Ethan Robertson, Mercy
Freshman | F | Boston, MA
Robertson averaged a team-high 21.0 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game as Mercy went 1-1 on the week. The Mercy freshman opened the week with a game-high-tying 22 points with eight rebounds in the Mavs loss to Staten Island on Wednesday. The forward ended the week with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting with eight rebounds in Mercy's 71-70 win over UDC on Saturday.
ECC Weekly Honor Roll
Shamar Chester, Queens
Senior | G | Queens, NY
In a 2-1 week for the Knights, Chester averaged 13.0 points, 3.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game. The senior began the week recording 14 points, four steals, and five assists, including the game-winning lob to senior Omar Nkonde, as the Knights defeated Bridgeport, 82-80, on Tuesday evening. In a 1-1 ECC weekend, Chester recorded 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, four rebounds, and one block in the 75-70 victory over D’Youville before he concluded the weekend with a team-high 14 points on 46.2 percent shooting against nationally-ranked No. 3/4 Daemen on Sunday afternoon.
Tevin Curtis, District of Columbia
Senior | G | Baltimore, MD
Curtis averaged 12.5 points per game, 4.5 steals per game, 3.0 assists per game, and 30 rebounds er game over two games last week. In the loss to Mercy, the UDC senior guard posted 15 points on 55.6 percent shooting from the field with five rebounds and five steals.
Hartnel Haye, St. Thomas Aquinas
Graduate Student | G/F | Camden, NJ
Haye had another strong defensive week as STAC won a pair of conference games. The graduate student guard/forward averaged 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game for the Spartans. In the 97-73 home victory over UDC, he tallied 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked four shots in 27 minutes. He followed up with 11 points, five rebounds, and a block in 23 minutes in a 92-64 road win against CSI. Haye shot 61.1 percent (11-of-18) from the field and 67.0 percent (4-of-6) from the foul line.
Derrick James, St. Thomas Aquinas
Junior | G | Columbus, OH
James averaged 11.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 steals per game over two contests last week for STAC. The junior guard tallied three points, grabbed two rebounds, dished out six assists, and swiped a steal in 22 minutes in a 97-73 home victory over UDC before recording 19 points, six assists, and five steals in 28 minutes in a 92-64 road triumph over CSI. James shot 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from the field and 80.0 percent (4-of-5) from the charity stripe.
Messiah Mallory, Staten Island
Senior | F | Watervliet, NY
Mallory recorded back-to-back games with five blocked shots this week as the Dolphins went 1-1 in conference play. In Wednesday's win over Mercy, he blocked five shots and pulled in eight rebounds in 25 minutes. On Saturday against STAC, he added five more blocks and another six rebounds. The senior has now blocked four or more shots in a game four times this season.
Justin Moore, D’Youville
Redshirt Junior | G | Oxford, AL
Moore had a strong weekend for the Saints, securing double-doubles in both games played. The DYU redshirt junior guard scored 13 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds against Queens on Friday evening. Moore backed up that performance with 20 points and 14 rebounds in the team's game against Molloy on Sunday afternoon.
Zach Philipkoski, Daemen
Sophomore | G | New Hartford, NY
Philipkoski averaged 16.0 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and 5.0 assists per game and totaled three blocks over two conference wins last week. The Daemen sophomore guard dropped 11 points, a career-high six assists, and six rebounds in Daemen's 95-50 win over Molloy before going 8-of-9 from the field and 5-of-5 from deep for a season-high 21 points with three rebounds and four assists against Queens.
Nathan Robertson, Mercy
Freshman | G | Boston, MA
Robertson averaged 12.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and a team-high 7.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game as Mercy went 1-1 on the week. The freshman opened the week with 11 points, five rebounds, eight assists and one steal against Staten Island on Wednesday. The guard ended the week with 13 points, four rebounds, six assists and four steals in the win over UDC on Saturday.
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
Dec. 16 - Ethan Robertson, Mercy
Dec. 23 - Benjamin Bill, Daemen (3x)
Jan. 6 - Aaron Goldstein, Staten Island
Jan. 13 - Bryce Merchant, Molloy
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)
Dec. 16 - Arnardo Camacho, Roberts Wesleyan (2x)
Dec. 23 - Hartnel Haye, St. Thomas Aquinas
Jan. 6 - Messiah Mallory, Staten Island (3x)
Jan. 13 - Benjamin Bill, Daemen (3x)
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
Dec. 16 - Ethan Robertson, Mercy (2x)
Dec. 23 - Nathan Robertson, Mercy (2x)
Jan. 6 - No submissions
Jan. 13 - Ethan Robertson, Mercy (3x)
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 (12/3): Daemen (8); one first-place vote
Week 4 (12/10): Daemen (7); one first-place vote
Week 5 (12/17): Daemen (4); one first-place vote
Week 6 (12/31): Daemen (3); one first-place vote
Week 7 (1/7): Daemen (3)
Week 8 (1/14): Daemen (2)
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)
Week 5 (12/10): Daemen (6), St. Thomas Aquinas (RV)
Week 6 (12/17): Daemen (6)
Week 7 (1/7): Daemen (4)
Week 8 (1/14): Daemen (4), St. Thomas Aquinas (RV)
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)
Week 5 (12/9): Daemen (1), St. Thomas Aquinas (4)
Week 6 (12/16): Daemen (1), St. Thomas Aquinas (6)
Week 7 (1/6): Daemen (1), St. Thomas Aquinas (6)
Week 8 (1/13): Daemen (1), St. Thomas Aquinas (4)
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