Central Connecticut State - Allan Jeanne-Rose - 6’7 200 grad transfer
While recently transferred Andre Snoddy (Stony Brook) was a consistent double-double threat for the Blue Devils’ last year, their addition of Fairfield grad transfer Allan Jeanne-Rose brings more versatility, athleticism and arguably more upside to the power forward position this season.
As a part-time starter throughout his first three seasons, Jeanne-Rose broke out in his senior season, starting every game and solidifying himself as one of the best two-way slashers in the MAAC.
On defense, his best attributes are his switchability and off-ball rim protection while Jeanne-Rose's best offensive trait is breaking down the defense and getting to the bucket, evidenced by finishing last season with the 12th best free throw rate in the nation along with a strong 55.5 2P% and 74 FT%.
Simply put, the forward combo of Jeanne-Rose and Kellen Amos will be the Blue Devils’ strength. Don’t be surprised if the duo average for a combined thirty points per game with both forwards earning All-NEC honors.
FDU - Devante Jamison - 5’8 160 grad transfer
Even with former St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Tobin Anderson now coaching at Iona, the STAC to FDU pipeline will continue this offseason with incoming grad transfer DeVante Jamison.
Current STAC head coach and Matthew Capell was kind enough to speak at length about Jamison, his impact at STAC and his immediate potential at FDU: “Jamison is a perfect fit with Jack Castleberry still pressing. We call him “Bullet”: he’s really shifty, a great first step, very good off ball screens, excellent at getting the ball to the paint, keeping the ball high and finding the open guy. As a junior, he was our leader in assists while playing only nineteen minutes-per-game alongside Meech [Roberts] and Grant [Singleton].”
For how much Capell raved about Jamison’s on court excellence, he was even more commendatory to Jamison’s leadership abilities, both on and off the court. “[Jamison] was a huge reason for me taking the head coaching position at STAC. What he did with our locker room and our culture will be hard to replace. At FDU, I could see him averaging double-digits and getting seven or eight assists per game.”
With Singleton and Roberts both graduating, Jamison is an easy pick to start next season as the starting point guard. Like his former STAC comrades the year before, it is also safe to consider Jamison as an All-NEC candidate.
Le Moyne - Isaiah Salter - 6’0 160 fifth-year senior
Entering their first season in Division 1 basketball after spending nearly three decades in the Northeast-10 Conference, the previous home of both Stonehill and Merrimack, the Le Moyne Dolphins are in a unique position as they return a veteran roster with the potential of being an all upperclassmen starting lineup.
Like FDU’s Demetre Roberts and Grant Singleton dominating the Northeast Conference after successful D2 careers, Le Moyne lead guard Isaiah Salter is looking to parlay his success in the D1 level after averaging 12 points and 3 assists last season with an efficient 40.4 3P% and 82.2 FT%.
LIU - Tana Kopa - 6’6 178 junior
Rod Strickland’s debut season at LIU was an unmitigated disaster: a 3-26 overall record and finishing as KenPom’s least efficient offense meant big changes were needed.
Tana Kopa, a transfer from Spring Hill (D2) via Perth, Australia, along with Strickland’s sons Tai and Terrell, was added to inject scoring for the Sharks, with Kopa finishing last season averaging 19 points-per-game while shooting an incredibly efficient 58.5 2P%, 42.4 3P% and 85.5 FT%.
An elite spacer like Kopa will help mitigate the loss of small forward Marko Maletic, last year’s leading scorer and three-point shooter, and help open up the floor for the Strickland brothers and returning sophomore RJ Greene to create offense within Coach Strickland’s pace and attack style.
Merrimack - Jordan Derkack - 6’5 sophomore
Merrimack’s top-three scorers from last year: Jordan Minor (Virginia), Ziggy Reid (Youngstown State) and Javon Bennett (Dayton), all transferred this offseason, leaving sophomore Jordan Derkack as the team’s returning leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals.
An NEC All-Freshman selection last season, Derkack’s biggest knock was his inefficient shooting from deep (1.1 three-point attempts per game at 22.2%), however a 75% free throw percentage and a 35.3 three-point percentage across the last nine games of the season foreshadow a stronger perimeter effort this upcoming season.
After a stat-stuffing freshman year and a consistently strong defensive game Derkack has all the tools to finish the upcoming season as Merrimack’s star with increased responsibility and improved shooting efficiency.
Sacred Heart - Alex Sobel - 6’8 230 grad transfer
A leader on the 20-6 Middlebury Panthers, a team that finished the season 21th in D3 rankings, Alex Sobel earned the D3Hoops National Player of the Year award after dominating on the court both ends, finishing the season averaging 19.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3.9 blocks and 1.3 steals per game while shooting, 66.4% from the field.
Of course, the transition from D3 to D1, even in a smaller league like the NEC, is a massive jump, but Sobel’s two-way production is undeniable and it would come to no shock if his play warrants him a starting role next year with last year’s starter Bryce Johnson packing his bags to Northeastern.
St. Francis - Cam Gregory - 6’5 165 sophomore
Faced with a massive roster overhaul, a cavalcade of mostly unproven underclassmen will lead the Red Flash. However, returning sophomore Cam Gregory is one of the few seasoned commodities for St. Francis, starting nineteen games last year.
Second on the team in assists, the 6’5 Gregory is an intriguing weapon on offense providing length to the point guard position, much like Sacred Heart fifth-year senior Brendan McGuire.
In his freshman season, Gregory was mistake-prone, but showcased his athleticism with his ability to finish at the basket and shoots well enough from three (30%) to hope for an improved perimeter game. As he enters his second season under Rob Krimmel who, with Josh Cohen (UMass), Maxwell Land (South Alabama) and Landon Moore (Butler) all transferring, is looking for playmakers, expect Gregory to be one of those breakout weapons.
Stonehill - Tony Felder - 5’10 165 sophomore
Impressing with a 10-6 conference record in their first season at the Division 1 level, Stonehill head coach Chris Kraus is faced with a brand new backcourt after Josh Mack, Isaiah Burnett and Shamir Johnson have all graduated.
Senior returnee Thatcher Stone will reprise his low-usage supportive role on the starting lineup, but VMI transfer Tony Felder is expected to run away with the starting point guard role after starting 25 games in his freshman year.
Raised in Boston and offered from Georgetown and UMass out of Malden Catholic, Felder will fit right in with Kraus’ perimeter-focused offense, after shooting nearly 5.5 three-pointers per game and connecting nearly 34% of his attempts.
Ranked first on the team and eighth in the SoCon in assists, Felder will need to work on limiting his TOs (1.5 A/TO ratio) and improve his shooting from inside the arc (37.9 2P%), but expect Felder to form a dangerous offensive tandem with fifth-year returnee Max Zegarowski and will be one of the more exciting point guards to watch grow as he continues his young collegiate career.
Wagner - Javier Ezquerra - 6’1 175 junior
It is now Javier Ezquerra’s time to seize the starting point guard role after sharing the lead distributing duties the last two seasons with DeLonnie Hunt, who transferred to Richmond. A committed defender and the Seahawks’ second best returning three-point shooter, Ezquerra is also expected to increase his usage rate both in assists and soaking up more shot opportunities in his junior season.
Another factor in Ezquerra’s breakout is in the impact his new teammates are expected to make on Wagner’s offense. One of the worst shooting teams last season, the transfer addition of Zae Blake from Green Bay (44.3 3P%) and Di’Andre Howell-South from St. Francis NY (31 3P%), as well as the smooth shooting from returning sophomore Julian Brown (43 3P%) will help open up space for Ezquerra to penetrate inside.
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