Didn’t we just do this? Believe it or not, the America East Conference and Northeast Conference are different, and somehow the NEC managed to be just a bit better via KenPom last season. Last season Robert Morris finally made the NCAA tournament after either winning the league’s regular season title or making the conference title game in each of head coach Andy Toole’s first four seasons there. The Colonials finished in a tie for second in the league with a record of just 12-6, but won the conference tournament, defeating league champ St. Francis NY at St. Francis for the second time.
The biggest mystery in the NEC is why Toole, at just 34, is still at Robert Morris. I am at least surprised that the former captain at the University of Pennsylvania hasn’t returned to his alma mater in an attempt to return the Quakers to glory, but in truth Toole is likely set for much greater heights. There will be a stop or two in between, but I would not be surprised at all to see him on the shortlist at some of the best programs in college basketball in short order.
As for the 2015-16 version, Robert Morris loses just two seniors, David Appolon, who played in just 21 games, and Lucky Jones, who started. However, the school also loses Marquise Reed, who is transferring to Clemson. Reed will be a tough player to replace, as he was truthfully too good to be playing low major basketball, but there is still plenty of reason for optimism. The Colonials will start three seniors and already led the league in offense last season. The lone cause for concern on that side of the ball is that the Colonials finished fourth in the league in 2-point shooting and led the league in offense largely due to their 3-point shooting, but they have kept enough good shooters to lead the league in offense again.
Last year’s league champion St. Francis NY returns three starters and could start as many as four seniors, but the Terriers lose their two best players and two of the best players in the conference last season. St. Francis struggled offensively for much of the year, ranking 10th in 3-point shooting and 5th in 2-point shooting, but managed to finish third in the league in offense thanks to being the 7th best team in the entire country at offensive rebounding.
Down the rankings a bit, LIU Brooklyn, who had made the NCAA tournament in both 2012 and 2013, has fallen on hard times under coach Jack Perri. Perri took over the job after former coach Jim Ferry left to take over at Duquesne, and took the Blackbirds to the NCAA tournament in his first season. However, they have won just 21 games over the last two seasons and just 12 conference games in that time. Featuring one of the least experienced teams in the country last season, LIU Brooklyn at least can lean on some experience in an attempt to climb back up the NEC ladder, but Perri is running out of time to avoid having his first D1 job becoming his last.
At the basement of the league, Central Connecticut State went just 5-26 (3-15) last season, and hasn’t finished higher than 5th in the league since 2011. For whatever reason, basketball doesn’t seem like the highest priority in New Britain, as Central Connecticut State has stuck with head coach Howie Dickenman since 1996-97 despite a sub .500 record with the school. CCSU hasn’t won 20 games since 2007, and the school has made the NCAA tournament just three times under Dickenman. I assume much of the attachment comes from Dickenman being a Connecticut native and former player at CCSU, but it’s probably time for some new blood if the school is going to go anywhere anytime soon.
Projected Standings
1. Robert Morris
2. St. Francis NY
3. Bryant
4. St. Francis PA
5. Mount St Marys
6. LIU Brooklyn
7. Sacred Heart
8. Wagner
9. Farleigh Dickinson
10. Central Connecticut State
All-League team
Rodney Pryor, Robert Morris
Marcquise Reed, Robert Morris
Dan Garvin, Bryant
Lamont Robinson, Mount St Marys
Byron Ashe, Mount St Marys
