Sellers Named NEC Coach of the Year; Three Earn All-Conference Honors
Central Connecticut men's basketball head coach Patrick Sellers was named the Northeast Conference Coach of the Year, while Allan Jeanne-Rose, Jordan Jones and Kellen Amos all earned All-Northeast Conference honors it was announced on Tuesday. Jeanne-Rose was named to the First Team, while Jones and Amos earned Second and Third Team honors, respectively. The league announced its major award winners and all-conference teams on the eve of the league tournament tipping off.
In his third season at the helm of the Blue Devils, Sellers guided CCSU to the top seed in the NEC Tournament by earning a share of its fourth regular-season crown. The Blue Devils went 19-10 overall, posting its most wins since the 2006-07 season (22-12). With a 13-3 record in conference play, CCSU finished atop the league standings tied with Merrimack. The Blue Devils are currently riding a four-game win streak and have won three-or-more games in a row three-times during the season. Central is the top seed in the league tournament for the first time since 2006-07, when it won its last league championship.
Jeanne-Rose started 28 games for the Blue Devils since transferring from Fairfield. He led CCSU in scoring at 15.1 ppg, while shooting 54.1 percent from the field. He scored in double-figures 23 times, including seven games with 20+ points. He posted a season-best 25 points against Manhattan, while collecting a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds at Boston College. He was named Player of the Week on Jan. 17.
Jones started 27 games after arriving from Coker University. He led CCSU in assists (109) and steals (55), while posting 12.8 ppg and 3.6 rpg. He poured in a career-high 33 points in a win over Sacred Heart on Feb. 8. Jones was named NEC Player of the Week on two occasions and scored his 1,000th career point in a win over LIU on Feb. 29.
Amos became a two-time All-NEC selection after earning second team honors in 2023. He started all 29 games and led the team in rebounding at 5.2 rpg. He added 12.1 ppg and posted the first two double-doubles of his career this season. Amos rounded out his game by contributing 1.1 blocks per game, 1.1 steals per game and 1.4 assists per game.
The top-seeded Blue Devils will open the NEC Tournament against Saint Francis U on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. in New Britain. Tickets are available online at CCSUBlueDevils.com/Tickets2023.