Northeast Conference Announces Men's Basketball Preseason Poll; Scantlebury Named Preseason All-NEC
The Northeast Conference held its 2022-23 Basketball Media Day on Wednesday at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The league uveiled its Preason Coaches' Poll and Preseason All-NEC Team at the event. CCSU was picked sixth in the poll, while senior Nigel Scantlebury was selected to the Preseason All-NEC Team.
The Northeast Conference held its 2022-23 Basketball Media Day on Wednesday at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The league uveiled its Preason Coaches' Poll and Preseason All-NEC Team at the event. CCSU was picked sixth in the poll, while senior Nigel Scantlebury was selected to the Preseason All-NEC Team.
CCSU SEGMENT - NEC SOCIAL MEDIA DAY (VIDEO)
Head coach Patrick Sellers is set to lead the Blue Devils in his second season with a roster of three starters and eight letterwinners returning. Scantlebury leads the slate of returnees after averaging 13.3 poings and 3.3 rebounds last season. Central also returns Andre Snoddy (8.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Jayden Brown (5.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg) who are back after sliding into the starting lineup as freshmen. Snoddy was an NEC All-Rookie Team pick in 2021-22. Central also returns Arian Dehnavi, Joe Ostrowsky and Davonte Sweatman who all had experience in the starting lineup last season. Under Sellers last season, CCSU drained 235 three-pointers which is the second-highest single season mark in program history.
Merrimack was tabbed the preseason favorite and collected six first-place votes and was followed by Sacred Heart, which collected two first-place votes. Wagner collected the final first-place vote and was slotted fourth behind Saint Francis U.
Scantlebury was one of the most improved players in the league a season ago. He finished the campaign ranked among the league leaders in six statistical categories. He shot .414 from three-point range, which was second in the league, while also converting .864 from the foul line which was 41st nationally and second in the league. Scantlebury started 28 games and played 30.7 minutes per game. He scored a career-high 30 points against Saint Francis U on Feb. 24, while also tallying 25 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field (3-of-3 three-pointers) and 6-of-6 from the foul line against Holy Cross.
2022-23 NEC PRESEASON COACHES POLL (first place votes in parenthesis)
1. Merrimack (6)
2. Sacred Heart (2)
3. Saint Francis U
4. Wagner (1)
5. St. Francis Brooklyn
6. (tie) CCSU
FDU
8. LIU
9. Stonehill
2022-23 MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-NEC TEAM
Josh Cohen, SFU, R-Jr, F, 6-10 | 220, Lincroft, NJ/CBA
Nico Galette, SHU, Jr, F, 6-6 | 210, Rahway, NJ/Rutgers Prep
Rob Higgins, SFBK, Sr, G, 6-0 | 179, Middletown, NJ/Middletown North
Jordan Minor, MC, Sr, F, 6-8 | 240, Kingston, MA/Brimmer & May
Nigel Scantlebury, CCSU, Sr, G, 6-0 | 170, Rochester, NY/Greece Athena (Niagara County CC)