Unveiling the First-Ever D2EastHoops Regional All-Decade Team
By Chris Granozio
Okay, let’s just start by saying that this was the single hardest column I’ve ever had to write in my 22 years of covering the region’s Division 2 basketball landscape. Since I started attending Le Moyne games as a freshman in 1982 and covering the basketball team and powerful Mideast Collegiate Conference for The Dolphin newspaper, I have been asked to name the greatest D2 players I’ve ever seen. That’s a list that has never stopped growing, since I am a D2 junkie who attends more college games than anyone I know, including nearly annual treks to the Elite-8. Since 1998, when I sent out my first Regional Report, I’ve had the good fortune to witness every regular-rotation player in the East, and there have been so many that stand out for various reasons. Sifting through and compartmentalizing hundreds of players the past few weeks has proved a stressful, daunting task. But for the purposes of this exercise – which was the brainchild of my friend and website partner Steve Zerdelian – we have limited the scope to players who suited up between the 2009-10 and 2018-19 seasons.
But that time frame presents some inherent challenges. How do I evaluate players of which half or most of their careers took place outside our limited window? For that reason, I have added a special category for this men’s survey, specifically for such players; some current and some who graduated shortly after that first season under our microscope. For the entire project, I had to create a set of criteria for evaluating talent. The players I have singled out must have displayed uncommon excellence individually, and were equally instrumental to their teams’ success, whether on the offensive or defensive end. Or both. That means the selections will skew more toward the more successful programs, unless a player was too talented to overlook. Unlike the Major League All-Star Game, I am not obliged to have all 39 schools of the era represented, and a few aren’t. This is strictly a showcase of individual talent within the greater context of team success. In addition, some of the choices may reflect the players’ performances when I witnessed them live, and likely will not go “by the numbers.” As one may expect, due to the sheer enormity of the field, the cut-off point was extremely difficult, but I had to define a hard boundary or this column would approach miniseries length. Please know that I am fully aware there were more than a handful of names that could have made this column, and their exclusion does not diminish their accomplishments and contributions. Certain transfers, late bloomers or players who were limited to one exceptional talent tended to reach the cutting-room floor, strictly for the sake of brevity.
In just a moment, I will unveil my Player of the Decade, followed by 10 First-Team selections, 10 Second-Team choices, 45 Honorable Mentions and nine extra names reflecting current seniors with incomplete or insufficient data. But first… here is that bonus list of outstanding players who, through no fault of their own, saw at least half their careers fall outside the limited time parameters. I didn’t feel it was fair to include their partial resumes, thus they are in “a league of their own,” so to speak.
Laurence Ekperigin (Le Moyne) – The only man ever to lead the NE10 in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots in the same year was one of the most talented big men in the region’s history, racking up 1,966 points, 1,171 rebounds and 218 swats over his career, joining a short list with AIC great James Hector and two other honorees below of elite players to amass those lofty totals. The Dolphins great still holds the NE10 record for career field-goal percentage at .638 despite facing a steady diet of double and triple-teams.
Jason Westrol (Bentley) – Played the same four years as the man above, and while being an entirely different player, was equally as brilliant (best I’ve ever seen at the running bank shot) The 6-3, muscular guard was an exceptional scorer, passer and floor leader who was the motor behind Falcons teams that compiled a brilliant, 118-16 record, including three Elite-8 runs and two national semifinal appearances his sophomore and senior years. Tough and intelligent, Westrol ranks fourth all-time in scoring (2,068) and second in steals (250) in Bentley lore.
Darren Duncan (Merrimack) – Another all-time great from the class of 2010, Duncan was the ultimate point guard, with the ability to create his own shot as well as set up his teammates, as evidenced by 2,049 points and 737 assists (2nd in NE10 history). His ability to get to the line was also a major plus, as he attempted an absurd 918 free throws over his career.
Gage Daye (Bloomfield) – One of the most prolific scorers the region has ever seen, Daye was a model of consistency, racking up a school-record 2,518 points, pulling down 615 rebounds and distributing 468 assists, leading the Bears to their first regional championship his senior season of 2011.
Andrew Sischo (Daemen) – Currently, the best all-around player in the region is a super-strong, double-double machine who is exceptionally poised and displays phenomenal footwork for a big man. He wisely sat out his freshman year while dropping 40 pounds, affording himself an extended career that is still very much in full bloom, having accumulated over 1,600 points and 800 rebounds to date.
Bryan Griffin (Mercy) – Rounding out his third year, the nation’s leading rebounder by far is easily the greatest player in the Mavericks’ D2 history. In fact, he has fared better in his head-to-head meetings with Sischo, underscoring his formidable talents.
Justin Swidowski (Holy Family) – A 6-9 athlete with a great handle and unlimited range on his jump shot, Swidowski was an outright stud for the Tigers, averaging 20 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks as just a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Division I Sacred Heart.
Gerald Beverly (Daemen) – Though his senior campaign was the only one in which his team competed at the NCAA level, the chiseled, 6-8 forward was a career .667 shooter and a dynamic force on both ends of the floor. Led the region in rim-rocking dunks.
Manny Suarez (Adelphi) – The 6-10 center of Chilean descent was a shot-blocking, 3-point shooting, match-up nightmare. Spent his middle two years with the Panthers, with D1 stops at Fordham and Creighton bookending his career.
Darin Mency (Merrimack) – a throwback shooter who released the ball behind his head, this 6-2 lefty was built like a halfback and still ranks among the Warriors’ Top 5 in scoring (5th at 2,039) and rebounding (4th at 735).
Thomas Baudinet (St. Anselm) – Savvy and deadly from anywhere on the floor, the Hawks’ fourth all-time leading scorer produced 1,957 points, including 274 triples, earning NE10 Player of the Year in 2011. During my research for this column, one opposing coach told me he “had nightmares preparing against him” because Baudinet was equally effective beyond the arc and off the dribble.
Nigel Munson (District of Columbia) – Though it was primarily his senior year under the microscope during our timeframe, it was a highly memorable season as the Washington product averaged 19.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists in spearheading the longtime independent Firebirds to their first NCAA appearance as an East Region member. An older, bigger guard who started out on the sidelines at D1 Virginia Tech, Munson was a terrific scorer and even better passer; skills that got him a long, hard look by the hometown NBA team, the Wizards.
Devon Young (Felician) – The best all-around player in program history cranked out 39 points in leading his team from a 23-point second-half deficit vs. Philadelphia in the 2010 CACC championship – the greatest upset in that tournament’s history. Started all 114 of his career games and ranks first all-time in scoring (1,958), fifth in rebounding (630), fifth in assists (294) and second in steals (131).
Now, let’s unveil the Player of the Decade. And let me preface the selection by stating that – unlike Steve Z’s rather obvious pick of Bentley’s Lauren Battista on the women’s side – my choice for the men was extremely difficult, and ultimately came down to three elite candidates, one from each conference and each of whom earned multiple Player of the Year awards. I reached out to multiple coaches and media members who saw each of the Big Three play, and the one word that I heard repeatedly that distinguished the winner was: “dominant.” In fact, Hall of Famer Herb Magee – whose Jefferson teams competed against all three finalists – said the choice is “not even close… this was one of three greatest players I’ve ever coached against in 53 years.”
He is: Garret Kerr (University of the Sciences) – The numbers are historic (2,434 points, 1,391 rebounds, 88 double-doubles in 110 career games, all school records), but even they fail to capture the greatness of the 6-3 son of NHL star Tim Kerr, of whom one coach remarked: “that kid has the same amazing motor as his dad.” The 2014-15 National Player of the Year and three-time CACC Player of the Year led all of D2 in rebounding as a freshman, sophomore and junior while finishing second his senior season – good for #6 on the all-time list. Most importantly, the native of Avalon, NJ saved his best for the biggest games, racking up 40 points and 14 rebounds in the Devils’ first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance vs. St. Anselm, followed by 34 and 12 the next day vs. eventual regional champ SNHU. But the standout moment for me was his remarkable performance against Division I Drexel earlier that season, which I witnessed first-hand. Kerr was unquestionably the best player on the floor, delivering 27 points and 10 boards, as well as burying the game-winning 3-pointer as the Devils became the first D2 team in 42 years to knock off a mid-major on its home floor during the regular season. Virtually single-handedly, Kerr lifted a program with uncommon academic obstacles and inferior athleticism to its greatest heights. A top-flight student who earned his doctorate in physical therapy, Garret Kerr has carved out his spot in the pantheon of legendary regional players, ranking seventh all-time in scoring (Bridgeport’s Lambert Shell tops that list with 3,001 points) and third in rebounding behind only Wayne Robertson of SNHU (1,487) and James Hector of AIC (1,446). To quote his great coach and basketball scholar, Dave Pauley: “there are two plays: 'Romeo and Juliet' and “Get the Ball to Garret.”
First Team:
Tim Guers (St. Anselm) – I could’ve been a cop-out and named him Co-Player of the Decade, because he is that good. The best praise I can heap upon the Langhorne, PA native is that in the rich, brilliant history of St. Anselm basketball, Guers was best of the best. A relentless and poised competitor, the 6-3 guard literally had no flaw to his game, and head coach Keith Dickson could always rely on him to make the necessary, timely play. That combination of talent and instinct elevated all of his teammates as St. Anselm reached its first Final Four on his shoulders. The NE10’s Player of the Year both his junior and senior seasons, Guers played the most games (122) and minutes (4,388) in Hawks history, while scoring the most points (2,327) and ranking in the Top 10 in rebounding, assists, free throws and blocked shots. A true leader with the stats to back up his brilliance.
Justin Reyes (St. Thomas Aquinas) – Like Kerr, the 6-3 forward from Haverhill, Mass won Player of the Year three times, as a sophomore, junior and senior, and was the face of the STAC program as it evolved into a regional power. Reyes – who helped the Puerto Rican basketball team earn a Silver Medal at the 2019 Pan American Games – spearheaded the Spartans’ first three league titles, three NCAA Tournament runs and 2017 Regional Championship. The crafty and explosive athlete could leap out of the gym, and he carried himself with an edge that embodied the program’s bold, emphatic rise among the region’s best. Reyes’ 2,247 career points are the most ever by an ECC player, and his 1,144 rebounds trail only Saint Rose’s Damon Reed, who happened to be seven inches taller.
Michael Mallory (Southern Connecticut) – From the time this Waterbury, Connecticut native made his career debut off the bench at the Bridgeport Tournament, he caught my attention and never lost it. Other than the aforementioned Shell and Philadelphia’s Tayron Thomas, I can’t remember covering a more prolific scorer than Mallory, who generated 2,515 career points, ranking 28th in D2 history and #4 all-time in the region. But don’t call him a ball hog. The Owls’ star also dished out a whopping 531 assists and was underrated as a defensive player, recording 150 steals and 116 blocked shots while helping shepherd Southern to its second-ever Elite-8 in 2014.
Ahmad Harris (Bloomfield) – The shortest player on this list, but perhaps the stoutest of heart, Harris was easily the greatest offensive rebounding point guard I’ve ever seen, with anticipatory skills that simply can’t be taught. The 5-9 Linden, NJ native averaged 7.9 rebounds a game his senior season, coupled with a remarkable 2.7 assist-turnover ratio. A two-time conference Player of the Year, Harris was the catalyst behind the only CACC team to reach the Elite-8, back in 2011, and was peerless at his position on both ends of the floor during his topflight tenure.
Juvaris Hayes (Merrimack) – The only First-Team player whose career is still going, albeit at Division I this winter, essentially because just three years of Hayes merits inclusion here. The last great talent to graduate the famed St. Anthony’s High School in New Jersey has led the nation in assists and steals on multiple occasions, and at the time of this posting, he is six swipes away from the all-time record across all divisions. One of the most accurate and creative passers, Hayes is so cool and controlling on the court, forcing his opponents to play at his speed while mercilessly dissecting them at will. Last year, he became the first college basketball player ever to collect 600 points, 200 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 steals in a season. ‘Nuff said.
Peter Alexis (Jefferson) – Another in a long line of exceptional Rams big men, the agile 7-footer finished his brilliant career ranked fourth in school history in scoring (2,116), third in rebounding (1,162), and second in rejections (268), numbers that place him on a very short list of players who drastically affected the game on both ends of the floor. Sat out a year at D1 Penn State before making the wise choice to play for Coach Magee.
Stefan Bonneau (LIU Post) – The Middletown, NY product only spent two years in the region after transferring from the JUCO ranks, but he was tabbed ECC Player of the Year in both, accumulating 1,196 points. In my four decades of following D2 hoops, I’ve never seen a better dunker, as this 5-10 athletic specimen with springs in his sneakers would throw down at least two highlight-reel alley-oops every game. One of the very few players I would have paid to watch.
Eric Anderson (New Haven) – Like Alexis and Ekperigin, a force on both ends of the floor, as evidenced by his 1,551 points, 1,271 rebounds and 238 blocks; the latter category being the ticket to his unprecedented three NE10 Defensive Player of the Year awards. His 13.1 rebounds per game as a senior barely prevented Garret Kerr from becoming the only player in NCAA history to lead the nation in that category all four years of his career. And his colossal stat line of 26 points, 28 rebounds and 10 assists vs. St. Anselm on New Year’s Eve, 2014 represents the region’s gaudiest triple-double on record.
Rodney Sanders (Southern New Hampshire) – The lefty sharpshooter garnered 1,945 points and 254 three-pointers while helping guide SNHU to an unlikely 2015 Elite-8 run. And it was during that junior season that the Linden, NJ native (yes, another Linden legend!) boasted an unprecedented triple crown of shooting, becoming the only East Region player I can find who averaged at least 50% from the floor (55%), 50% from 3-point range (52%) and 85% from the line (88%). The only other men who have come close were Saint Rose’s Jeff Gore, UMass-Lowell’s Elad Inbar and the next man on this list.
Tyler McFarland (Bentley) – If you round up, McFarland slashed 54/50/88 his sophomore year, though his 3-point percentage was technically 49.5%. Still and all, that hardly detracts from one of the most consistently excellent performers in a long line of Falcons greats. The durable, athletic, 6-5 Maine native led his team in scoring and rebounding all four years, and tops his program with 2,118 points.
Second Team:
Darian Hooker (New York Tech) – Who??? If you had the privilege to have seen him play during his one grad student season with the Bears, you know he belongs here despite having the shortest tenure in this field. A Division 1 transfer from Campbell, the Washington, DC native chose to use his final year of eligibility at the same school where his girlfriend played volleyball. Hooker – who cranked out 736 points and led the nation in scoring at 28.3 points a game in 2014-15 – was arguably the most talented player this region has seen, with an offensive game worthy of the NBA, as he was told by the Brooklyn Nets during a tryout that they would have easily signed him due to his superb offensive skills, but felt his body wasn’t strong enough to play defense at the highest level.
Tylon Smith (Southern Connecticut) – So many impact athletes came through Mike Donnelly’s pipeline, but this thick, iron-tough playmaker was the pacesetter of that formidable team that reached successive Regional Finals and captured the 2014 championship. A year later, he was just one of two NCAA players across all divisions to have amassed 1,500 career points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. A winner.
John Petrucelli (Molloy) – Coach Charlie Marquardt has churned out some standout guards over the years, but this 6-4 playmaker was extra special, shattering the Lions’ scoring record and earning ECC Player of the Year in 2014. No player in the region (not even Darren Duncan) got to the line more often, with an eye-popping 882 of his 2,011 career points coming from the stripe. Defensively, Petrucelli’s 353 steals rank fifth in D2 since that stat became an official category in 1992. And he’s still playing professionally in Israel after a stint with the Orlando Magic’s Summer League team last year.
Eric Jean-Guillaume (Franklin Pierce) – The quarterback of the greatest Ravens era guided David Chadborne’s club to the Elite 8 in 2013 and was named NE10 Player of the Year twice – one of only seven men in the circuit to have received multiple nods. A scoring point guard who was also an exceptional defender, bagging 241 steals.
Ellis Cooper (Franklin Pierce) – As good as the man above was, this 6-3 forward was my personal favorite on that team – one of the most competitive, tenacious and hard-working forwards who shined brightest on the grandest stage (18.1 points, 8.3 rebounds in 14 postseason games). His courageous final act in the 2014 regional semis at Southern Connecticut left an indelible mark on my memory, as Cooper willed his way onto the floor, posting 30 points and 16 rebounds despite debilitating leg cramps.
Greg Langston (Southern Connecticut) – The NE10’s Player of the Year in 2014 was a powerful, multi-talented, 6-3 swingman who could score, rebound, pass and defend. Another key component to the Owls’ back-to-back Sweet 16 teams, the Bridgeport, CT native ranks third all-time in Southern history with 1,890 points and eighth with 626 rebounds.
Tyaire Ponzo-Meek (Wilmington) – The 2017 CACC Player of the Year is easily the gold standard in program history, ranking first with 1,808 points, as well as second in rebounds (553) and assists (336). A strong guard who played bigger than his 5-11 frame, Ponzo-Meek piloted the Wildcats within one game of the NCAA Tournament as a sophomore.
Levi Holmes III (St. Michael’s) – One of the region’s top-level scorers, the East Brunswick, NJ product was one of the most un-guardable shooters in NE10 history (46% FG, 45% from 3), and it was fruitless to foul him, as he was good for 87% at the line throughout his career. Picturing him with a strong supporting cast was downright scary.
Russell Sangster (Le Moyne) – There has never been a tougher hombre to roam these here parts, consistently sacrificing his brawny body while skillfully shutting down the opposing team’s best offensive threat. Though not a shooter, the heart and soul of the Dolphins’ 2018 Regional Championship team racked up 1,035 points and could teach a master class on the art of drawing charges. A Hall of Fame regional coach praised the two-time Defensive Player of the Year as “an assassin.”
Ryan Logan (Stonehill) – As good an inside-out threat as we’ve seen in the past decade, this Buckeye was strong enough to post up effectively, but also had a feathery touch from long range. One of the vital cogs in the Skyhawks’ Final Four team of 2016.
Honorable Mention:
Tyler Sayre (Saint Rose)
Gelvis Solano (Merrimack)
Flo Da-Silva (Sciences)
Sho Da-Silva (Sciences)
Vaughn Allen (LIU Post)
Tobin Carberry (LIU Post)
Trevon Hamlet (Southern Connecticut)
Desmond Williams (Southern Connecticut)
Isaiah McLeod (Southern Connecticut)
Corey Taite (Goldey-Beacom)
Manny Perez (Caldwell)
Dominykas Milka (Saint Rose)
Ryan Richmond (Bentley)
Brian Tracey (Bentley)
Mike McCahey (St. Anselm)
Roy Mabrey (St. Anselm)
Cody Ball (St. Anselm)
Chris Santo (St. Anselm)
Nick Schlitzer (Jefferson)
Charlie Marquardt (Molloy)
Jaylen Morris (Molloy)
Ryen Vilmont (Franklin Pierce)
Jeffrey Adkins, Jr. (New Haven)
Justin Exum (New Haven)
Nate Champion (Le Moyne)
Jim Janson (Le Moyne)
Cory Quimby (Dominican)
Leon Porter (Dominican)
Nick Smith (Dominican)
Chris Walters (SNHU)
Devin Gilligan (SNHU)
Mike McDevitt (Franklin Pierce)
Donte Gittens (Franklin Pierce)
Chaz Watler (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Darian David (Bridgeport)
Argelix Gil (Concordia)
Matt Bonds (St. Michael’s)
Tyler Schilling (St. Michael’s)
Dan Comas (Chestnut Hill)
Mark DiRugeris, Jr. (Chestnut Hill)
Khalil McDonald (Queens)
Tyree White (Queens)
Nick Davidson (Bloomfield)
Conor McGuiness (Adelphi)
Still Active (senior-year stats don’t count)
Jermaine Head (Wilmington)
Bakary Camara (Bridgeport)
Nick Corbett (Molloy)
Will Moreton (Stonehill)
Tom Brown (Le Moyne)
Peyton Wejnert (Pace)
Kylan Guerra (Jefferson)
Chris Hudson (Bentley)
Jeff Redband (Daemen)
Coach of the Decade:
Keith Dickson (St. Anselm) – Despite plenty of contenders and a difficult metric to measure, I’m giving the nod to the second-longest tenured mentor in the region, not only because he won multiple NE10 Coach of the Year awards, but primarily because he maintained a level of excellence despite the former school president’s senseless, underhanded and ill-fated decision to pursue a move to Division 3 four years ago. Amid the distraction, imminent player defections and lost year of recruiting, Dickson not only kept the ship afloat but galvanized his troops toward their best-ever season in 2018-19, reaching the Final Four. Well done, Coach.
I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing and reminiscing. I welcome your opinions and criticisms at: www.chrisgranozio@gmail.com. As always, the thoughts expressed in this column are just one man’s opinion. Hope to see you Around the Rim sometime soon.