By Chris Granozio
For the first time since I began writing these reports back in 1999, this is the first column to single out individual performances in the region. Thanks to a suggestion by colleague Steve Zerdelian, who made his women's picks earlier this week, I will follow suit in the interest of symmetry. To that end, for each of the three conferences, I have selected a Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year, as well as a First Team consisting of five players outside of the MVP.
As one would expect, there were many difficult choices to be made – and please bear in mind that the selections here are based not just by statistics but also what I like to call the “eyeball test.” How did players (or coaches) impress me on those days I happened to see them in person, or, to a lesser extent, on video. There are some parameters I set before undertaking this challenging task, particularly pertaining to freshmen. Players who saw action prior to this season – limited as that experience might have been – are disqualified for Freshman of the Year consideration. I understand such athletes are technically listed as rookies, but I thought comparing them with players who had never experienced anything about college life prior to last fall afforded the returners an unfair advantage. Also, Freshman of the Year winners are excluded from Player of the Year consideration. It’s consistent with my belief that a Cy Young winner in baseball should not be in the MVP race. Pitchers have their own award. My rules, like ‘em or not.
So here we go, with the conferences listed in alphabetical order:
CENTRAL ATLANTIC
Player of the Year: Devonte McCall (Post)– The redshirt senior swingman emerges from a very competitive pack of contenders simply because he is the most complete player on the best team in the circuit. As of this writing, McCall has averaged 18.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.2 blocked shots and 1.4 steals while shooting 47% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. The only weakness he has shown has been at the foul line, though that percentage is on the uptick. McCall is a fierce competitor who wants the ball in the big spot, and he knows what to do with it on those occasions.
Freshman of the Year: Erik Timko (Jefferson) – One could easily make a case for this 6-4 sharpshooter to be Player of the Year as his averages of 21.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 2.3 apg – not to mention his 53% and 41% shooting numbers – are simply off the charts for a newcomer. Despite his stellar season coming to a premature end due to a late-season injury, this pick was a slam dunk. Honorable Mention goes to Chestnut Hill’s M.J. Iraldi, Holy family’s Manny Toha, Caldwell’s combo of Mark Heber and Derrick Bueno and the Bloomfield duo of Deavion Ellis and Wesley Robinson.
Coach of the Year: Marc Kuntz (Post) – Not only has the former UMass-Lowell and New Hampshire assistant done a marvelous job guiding the Eagles to the best record in the conference, but he kept the ship afloat despite numerous injuries and heartbreaking defeats in the first semester. Kuntz is a no-nonsense leader who has assembled perhaps the best mix of talent and depth in the program’s NCAA tenure. Kudos also to Felician’s Ivan Lewis and Chestnut Hill’s J.J. Butler for their outstanding work on the sidelines.
First Team:
Isayas Aris (Nyack) – Athletic, bouncy forward who started the season as a guard but elevated his status to one of the most dominant big men in the region with gawdy averages of 19.8 points and 10.8 rebounds. His monster 38-point, 22-rebound effort at Wilmington was only the 13th 30/20 game in the region over the last 25 years.
Deondre Bourne (Jefferson) – Pouring in 18.6 ppg, his return to the program was crucial to the Rams’ ninth South Division title. A big-time shot-maker who also got to the line more than any other player but one in the league (145 attempts). Just nudges out teammate Antonin Kemkeng for this spot, primarily because of his prowess in the clutch.
Anthony Cooper (Caldwell) – Playing for a non-contender will hurt his chances for first-team All-CACC, but make no mistake, this senior playmaker is a gamer, capable of attacking any defense and drawing contact. Especially exciting to observe in the open floor, the Virginia native averages 18.5 points a game on 46% shooting and 80% from the stripe, with his 124 free throws ranking second in the region.
Justin Davis (Felician) – Equally effective inside or behind the 3-point line, the Hoboken, NJ native has explded this semester, ranking as one of the deadliest scorers in the conference (24.2 ppg over his last 10), highlighted by his individual season scoring record of 46 vs. Caldwell last week. That shattered the school scoring mark.
Nazim Derry (Goldey-Beacom) – the CACC’s best-kept secret, the “lightning”-quick sophomore sniper hits at a 42% clip from long range, scores nearly 20 points a night and is one of the best pickpockets in the region, collecting 2.1 steals per game. He and talented big man Juran Ligonde are the foundation for Goldey’s future success.
EAST COAST CONFERENCE
Player of the Year: Andrew Sischo (Daemen) – I know, yawn. The guy is literally a man amongst boys and is still the most dominant player in the East. The accolades go on and on, and they are all well-deserved. Suffice it to say, his 22.3 points and D2-best 12.9 rebounds per game only solidify a spectacular body of work that puts the Guilderland, NY native on the Mt. Rushmore of all-time regional athletes.
Freshman of the Year: Messiah Mallory (Staten Island) – the 6-7 post made quite the impression in the Dolphins’ D2 debut, accumulating splendid averages of 14.3 points, 9.6 caroms, 2.6 assists and 1.9 blocks per game. One of the best passing bigs in the region already, Mallory is clearly the anchor for a young team on the rise. Also worthy of consideration: Shamar Chester and Jayden Seraphim of Queens and Sean Moore of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Coach of the Year: Nicholas Doran (Staten Island) – Though he wears the “interim” label, Doran has done a sound job ushering in the D2 era at the former CUNYAC school. After enduring three potential soul-crushing losses to begin the campaign - by an average of 37.7 points - Doran has transformed his young club into a competitive one, beginning with its first D2 win – a December 4 shocker vs. Pace that still stands as the region’s top upset this season. Picked dead last in the preseason poll, the Dolphins’ seven wins this year are most by a regional D3 transitioning team since now-D1 Binghamton went 17-10 as an independent in 1997-98. Honorable mention to Tobin Anderson of STAC and Matt Collier of Queens.
First Team:
Osbel Caraballo (St. Thomas Aquinas) – As tough a forward as you’ll find, strong as a bull and possessing elite moves around the basket, most notably his work directly under the hoop, even while double-teamed.
Sean Fasoyiro (Daemen) – Fifth-year guard is a leader who does it all, with great court vision and ability to create off the dribble. A former Franklin Pierce Raven who has blemded perfectly in the Wildcats' system.
Darren Fergus (Molloy) – Though he’s only played a little more than a full season, the crafty Freeport, Long Island product controls the game like a seasoned pro, authoring solid all-around numbers (14.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.5 spg), and boasting a 3-point shot that is a real weapon at 40%. Just beats out Roberts Wesleyan’s dazzling sophomore guard Ja’Kair Sanchez for the last slot.
Jahmir Marable-Williams (District of Columbia) – Though just 5-10, this slippery point guard is a tremendous game-changer, pulling down 6.2 rebounds per outing (perhaps the most by anyone 5-10 or shorter), while dishing out 5.7 assists and stealing the ball twice a night. The only regional athlete with a triple-double on his resume this season can also deliver a bucket if left alone (12.2 ppg, 45% FG).
Demetre Roberts (St. Thomas Aquinas) – You only have to go back one column to see how I rhapsodized this hard-nosed winner, who – if it weren’t for someone named Sischo – might be working on his third consecutive Player of the Year honor. The diminutive 5-8 quarterback averages 15.8 points on 47% shooting while handing out 4.2 assists a contest. But what sets him apart is how he excels in crunch time, whether it’s a dribble-penetration play, knock-down 3-ball or icing free throws.
NORTHEAST-10:
Player of the Year: Isaiah Moore (Franklin Pierce) – shining brightest amidst a competitive pack of candidates in the final month, this uber-talented guard has exceled both as a scorer (region-best 22.5 ppg) and distributor (5.5 assists per game, fourth-best in the East). The Maryland native has blossomed over the past two years and his floaters/runners are almost impossible to defend. The heart and soul of the Ravens team and one of the most charismatic players in D2.
Freshman of the Year: Zach Laput (Bentley) – An extremely close call here, as I believe Southern New Hampshire’s Aaron Gray – slowed by injuries this winter – is the more talented athlete, but Laput’s numbers are hard to top (15.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 51% FG, 43% 3FG). What stands out most to me about the scholastic sophomore who is playing his first year of college ball are his tenacity and fearlessness. A great finisher for his experience level and the centerpiece for the program in future seasons. Honorable Mention: Gray, the Le Moyne tandem of Christian Davis and Kevin Constant, Jackson Benigni and Christopher Melis of Stonehill and Sean Trumper of Franklin Pierce
Coach of the Year: David Chadbourne (Franklin Pierce) – A grueling schedule, which included eight games over the final 15 days of the regular season, could’ve sunk any club, yet the Maine native guided the Ravens to second place and a potential 2-seed in the upcoming NCAA Regional. And it wasn’t just Moore who dazzled, as redshirt freshman Mohammed Traore and dangerous swingman Maxwell Zegarowski took huge steps forward under his tutelage. Chadbourne – whose team has the longest active winning-season streak in the conference at 10 – also coached Pierce to sweeps of perennial powers Bentley and St. Anselm – the first time that had happened since Stonehill turned the trick in 2009-10. Honorable Mention to Matt Healing, whose Pace Setters swept their division en route to their first divisional title, Jay Lawson who has his veteran Bentley Falcons primed to host the regional, Jack Perri of Southern New Hampshire for navigating his way through perhaps the most injury plagued season in the region, and Ted Hotaling of New Haven, who, like Pace, has assembled a true team, whose individual pieces make statistical sacrifices for the team’s success.
First Team:
Patrick Gardner (St. Michael’s) – The JUCO transfer loomed largest in stature at 6-11 (apologies to Defensive Player of the Year candidate Majur Majak of New Haven), racking up terrific statistics (20.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.3 blocks per game). A threat both inside and out, the Long Island kid made the Purple Knights dangerous every night.
Jordan Mello-Klein (Bentley) – the best all-around player on the region’s premier team flirted with triple-doubles almost every outing, landing in the circuit’s Top 10 in scoring (14.3), rebounding (8.5), assists (5.7) and steals (2.2) while fashioning a sensational assist-turnover line of 125-48. The man you want with the ball in his hands with the game on the line.
Shane O’Dell (Saint Rose) – As good a post player as there is in the league, the redshirt freshman rivals Pace’s Bryan Powell as the hardest to defend with his back to the basket. The Schenectady, NY native, who averages 19.6 points and 7.1 rebounds, is also capable of knocking down jumpers and displays the grit and fire of an upperclassman.
Chris Paul (St. Anselm) – A power forward who can make you pay in the paint (18.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg) but is equally adept at bringing up the ball and running the offense (3.7 assists a night). The fifth-year senior wears his heart on his sleeve and when he channels his emotions toward the opposition, watch out!
Ronnie Silva (Adelphi) – Along with Honorable Mention Matthew Kelly of Assumption, they are true “basketball players” who always look like they’re just having fun. Silva – who can hit any shot from any spot – is explosive (20.5 ppg) and terrific with the ball (3.3 assists), making things happen and taking over when called for.
Those are my picks, and not any more valid than anyone else’s. Comments on the selections? Feel free to Email me at: chrisgranozio@gmail.com.
Finally this week, some random notes from around the region…
With Molloy’s upset of Daemen last night, St. Thomas Aquinas is in pole position to host the ECC semifinals next weekend. As of this writing, Roberts Wesleyan, Molloy and Queens are all tied for third place at 9-8 in the league. If they finish that way, Molloy has the advantage by virtue of its sweep of Roberts. UDC, Bridgeport and Mercy are all within a game of each other for the sixth and final spot, making this weekend more than just a little intriguing.
Congratulations to Nyack, whose 94-82 win at Bloomfield Wednesday punched its ticket to the CACC Tournament for the first time since 2006. Seven of those seasons saw the Warriors as the last team out, making this one sweet – especially considering the team had no league home games after February 3 and had to win in a very difficult building. The win eliminated the Bears, who will be spectators for the tourney for the first time since 2007. It was such a long time ago, the team even went by a different name back then: the Deacons.
And lastly, condolences to St. Michael’s, whose season came to a disappointing and unfulfilling close after becoming the last team in the region to go on pause due to Covid – and at the worst possible time. The Purple Knights’ opponent – New Haven – will get a “walk-over,” to use a tennis term, advancing to the NE10 quarterfinals on Monday. St. Mike’s becomes the first school in regional history to win a game without suiting up and losing a game in the same season exactly the same way.
Until next time, Happy Hooping to All!