Player of the Week
Malik Brooks, Roberts Wesleyan
Graduate Student | G | Lockport, NY
Brooks led Roberts Wesleyan in both games over the weekend, dropping 30 points (13-for-23 FG) in a one-point loss to Queens before pouring in 26 (10-for-15 FG) points in a 92-75 win over Molloy. For the week, the RWU graduate student guard scored 56 points, averaging 28.0 per game, on 60.5 percent shooting from the field (23-for-38 FG). Brooks added 13 rebounds, 12 of which were defensive, six assists, three steals, and one block and turned the ball over just three times in 65 combined minutes of action. He ranks second in scoring and field goal percentage within the ECC.
Defensive Player of the Week
Omar Nkonde, Queens
Senior | C | Harlem, NY
Nkonde made four second-half blocks, including three in the final 4:34, and hit the game-winning free throw with 2.2 seconds remaining to anchor Queens to a 73-72 win over Roberts Wesleyan on Friday evening. The QC senior center recorded 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting to go with six rebounds, four blocks, and one assist as the Knights completed the ECC series sweep over the Redhawks. Nkonde scrapped for a pair of defensive rebounds down the stretch, coming away with possessions at 5:39 and 1:42 to play, which both led to QC buckets.
Rookie of the Week
Nathan Robertson, Mercy
Freshman | G | Boston, MA
Robertson averaged a team-high 21.5 points per game on 66.7 percent shooting with 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in two games this week. The Mercy freshman opened the week with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting with three rebounds against D'Youville on Friday. The guard ended the week with a team-high 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting with five rebounds and three assists against No. 2/3 Daemen on Sunday.
ECC Weekly Honor Roll
Shamar Chester, Queens
Senior | G | Queens, NY
Chester recorded 20 points on 66.7 percent shooting (6-of-9 FG) to go with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the 73-72 win over Roberts Wesleyan. In the second half, the Queens senior guard recorded a team-high 13 points on 4-of-4 shooting to go with 4-of-4 free throws, two steals, and two steals as Queens turned an 11-point deficit into an 18-7 final run to help the Knights complete the ECC series sweep over the Redhawks.
Rejuan Gray, District of Columbia
Sophomore | G | Severn, MD
Gray posted a career and game-high 26 points (11-of-18 FG) in the Firebirds’ lone game against Staten Island. He also pulled down five rebounds and dished out two assists.
Hartnel Haye, St. Thomas Aquinas
Graduate Student | G/F | Camden, NJ
Haye averaged 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game over two contests last week. The STAC graduate student guard/forward recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds with two assists and a block in 32 minutes in a 73-58 triumph over D'Youville. Haye shot 37.0 percent (7-of-19) from the field and 60.0 percent (6-of-10) from the charity stripe on the weekend.
Justin Hemphill, Daemen
Redshirt Senior | F | Buffalo, NY
Hemphill averaged 13.5 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game over the weekend to keep No. 2/3 Daemen undefeated. The Daemen redshirt senior forward became the first Daemen player this season to notch back-to-back double-doubles on two separate occasions, dropping 12 points and 12 rebounds with three blocks and three steals against STAC and notching 15 points and 11 rebounds with three assists, two rebounds, and two steals against Mercy.
Matt Lane, Molloy
Graduate Student | C | Bethpage, NY
Lane led with 19 rebounds in Molloy's lone contest on the week. The center added six points, two blocks, and a steal against Roberts Wesleyan.
Rob Matos, Molloy
Sophomore | G | Fredericksburg, VA
Matos scored a team-leading 26 points (11-of-11 FT) in Molloy’s game against Roberts Wesleyan. The sophomore guard also topped the scoresheet with five assists while chipping in four rebounds.
Ethan Robertson, Mercy
Freshman | F | Boston, MA
Robertson averaged 15.0 points per game and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game with 1.5 assists per game in two games this week. The freshman opened the week with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting with six rebounds and two assists against D'Youville on Friday. The forward ended the week with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds against No. 2/3 Daemen on Sunday.
Jermaine Taggart II, Roberts Wesleyan
Senior | G | Rochester, NY
Taggert II helped Roberts Wesleyan to a weekend split on the road at Queens and Molloy, totaling 31 points with 10 against the Knights and 21 against the Lions.
Elisha Warren, D’Youville
Redshirt Sophomore | G | Woodhaven, MI
Warren racked up 34 points from the pair of weekend games against St. Thomas Aquinas and Mercy. Warren led the Saints on Friday night with 21 points and eight rebounds against the Mavericks and finished the weekend shooting 55.0 percent from the three-point line (6-of-11).
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
Jan. 20 - Malik Brooks, Roberts Wesleyan (2x) and Justin Hemphill (2x)
Jan. 27 - Messiah Mallory, Staten Island
Feb. 3 - Justin Moore, D'Youville (2x)
Feb. 10 - Malik Brooks, Roberts Wesleyan (3x)
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)
Jan. 20 - Shedrach Makanjuola, Mercy
Jan. 27 - Omar Nkonde, Queens
Feb. 3 - Arnardo Camacho, Roberts Wesleyan (3x)
Feb. 10 - Omar Nkonde, Queens (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
Dec. 16 - Ethan Robertson, Mercy (2x)
Dec. 23 - Nathan Robertson, Mercy (2x)
Jan. 6 - No submissions
Jan. 13 - Ethan Robertson, Mercy (3x)
Jan. 20 - Nathan Robertson, Mercy (3x)
Jan. 27 - Ethan Robertson, Mercy (4x)
Feb. 3 - Nathan Robertson, Mercy (4x)
Feb. 10 - Nathan Robertson, Mercy (5x)
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)
Week 9 (1/21): Daemen (2); one first-place vote
Week 10 (1/28): Daemen (2); one first-place vote
Week 11 (2/4): Daemen (2); one first-place vote
Week 12 (2/11): Daemen (2); 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)
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)
Week 9 (1/21): Daemen (3), St. Thomas Aquinas (RV)
Week 10 (1/28): Daemen (3), St. Thomas Aquinas (RV)
Week 11 (2/4): Daemen (3)
Week 12 (2/11): Daemen (3)
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)
Week 9 (1/20): Daemen (1), St. Thomas Aquinas (4)
Week 10 (1/27): Daemen (1), St. Thomas Aquinas (4)
Week 11 (2/3): Daemen (1), St. Thomas Aquinas (4)
Week 12 (2/10): 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