2020-21 Highlanders
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@NJITHOOPS 2020-21 GAME NOTES GAME 5/6: UMASS LOWELL HIGHLANDERS BASKETBALL 2020-21 G5-6: NJIT (2-2, 1-1 AE) at University of Massachusetts Lowell (2-6, 1-3 AE) Saturday/Sunday, Jan. 2/3, 2021 • 3pm/1pm • Costello Athletic Center• Lowell, MA • ESPN3 2020-21 Record|AE:...........1-1 | 0-0 2020-21 Record|AE: ..........2-6 | 1-3 2019-20 Record|ASUN:...9-21 | 6-10 2019-20 Record|AE:........13-19 |7-9 2019-20 ASUN Finish ................8th 2019-20 AE Finish.......................6th KenPom:.....................................187 KenPom:...................................232 All-Time Record vs. AE............15-24 NJIT All-Time vs. UML................4-5 Head Coach:...............Brian Kennedy Head Coach:................Pat Duquette Record at NJIT (5th):................58-72 Record at UML (8th):.............86-133 Career Record (5th):................58-72 Career Record (8th):..............86-133 CIT SEMIFINALISTS 2015, 2016 • MEMBER OF THE AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE 2020-21 SCHEDULE BROADCAST INFORMATION: RECORDS Video: ESPN3 Chris Villani & Jim Borodawka DECEMBER Overall 2-2 19 at Temple L, 72-60 Home 0-0 23 at Rider W. 81-65 HIGHLIGHTS: Away 2-2 Neutral 0-0 27 at Vermont* L, 92-78 * This weekend’s games are the fifth and sixth of the 2020-21 season -- which marks NJIT’s 28 at Vermont* W, 81-80 America East 1-1 15th participating in Division I, first as a member of the America East and fourth in the Well- Home 0-0 ness & Events Center (WEC). Away 1-1 JANUARY * The Highlanders are coming off a wild victory Monday at Vermont. After losing to the Cata- Non-Conference 1-1 2 at UMass Lowell* 3pm mounts by double-digits Sunday and trailing by 10 in the second half Monday, NJIT came back Home 0-0 3 at UMass Lowell* 1pm and won the game in double overtime on a buzzer-beating putback by San Antonio Brinson. Away 1-1 9 MAINE* 2pm * NJIT earned its first win of the 2020-21 season on 12/23, defeating Rider 81-66 on the road. Neutral 0-0 10 MAINE* 2pm Dylan O’Hearn (19 points) and Zach Cooks (17 points) led the way for the Highlanders. Current streak W1 16 at Albany* 5pm * Six Highlanders made their NJIT debuts in the season-opener at Temple - Butler, O’Hearn, Long. W streak W1 17 at Albany* 3pm Miles Coleman, Da’Mir Faison, Jason Murphy and Mekhi Gray. Long. L streak L1 23 STONY BROOK* 2pm * Zach Cooks was named Second Team All-ASUN last season after averaging 19.7 ppg, the Leading at Half 1-0 24 STONY BROOK* 2pm second-highest single-season average in program history. In addition to leading the ASUN in Trailing at Half 1-2 Tied at Half 0-0 30 at Hartford* 2pm scoring, his 19.7 ppg would’ve also ranked atop the America East leaderboard. Overtime 0-0 * Cooks scored 20+ points 18 times last season and led the Highlanders in scoring in 24 of 30 31 at Hartford* 2pm Travel Days 1-1 games. The GA. native scored a then-program-record 35 points last November vs. Binghamton. Day 2-2 FEBRUARY * The program-record 35 points lasted less than two months as San Antonio Brinson, erupt- Night (6 PM on) 0-0 6 NEW HAMPSHIRE * 2pm ed for 37 points in an upset win at North Florida last January. Ranked Teams 0-0 7 NEW HAMPSHIRE * 2pm * NJIT set the program’s all-time wins record for the D-I era just two seasons ago, winning 22 Power Conf. 0-0 18 UMBC* 7pm games in 2018-19. All-Time 173-264 19 UMBC* 4pm * This weekend’s games conclude the Highlanders’ season-opening six-game road trip.NJIT Division I 142-264 27 at Binghamton* 2pm will play its first home game in 322 days when it hosts Maine on January 9. Non Division I 30-0 28 at Binghamton* 2pm PROBABLE STARTERS HOME GAMES IN CAPS # Name PO YR HT WT Notes *America East Conference Game 2 San Antonio Brinson F Sr. 6-8 210 • Season-high 14 at Vermont (12/28), including buzzer-beater to win it • Program-record 37 points in upset win at North Florida last season 4 Zach Cooks G Sr. 5-10 165 • One of five named to Preseason All-America East Team • Led ASUN in ppg, spg, and mpg last season; 2nd Team All-ASUN • 7th in Division I in steals as a sophomore (88) • Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch List for Second-Straight Year 5 Diego Willis G Jr. 6-4 180 • Member of Mexico’s Senior National Team • Career-best 13 points in last year’s home opening W vs. Wagner 21 Souleymane Diakite F So. 6-9 230 • Career-high 20 pts in win at UVM (12/28); prev. career-high was 13 /SOO-lee-mahn dee-ah-KEY-tay/ • 2017-18: St. Benedict’s Prep (originally signed NIL to Oklahoma St.)) 23 Antwuan Butler G Jr. 6-0 205 • Started 37 games in two seasons at Austin Peay • Seven points, six assists, five rebounds in 31 min. at Temple (12/19) REST OF ROTATION # Name PO YR HT WT Notes 0 Adetokunbo Bakare G Fr. 6-2 185 • Attended High School in Newark at St. Benedict’s (same as S. Diakite). 1 Dylan O’Hearn G Jr. 6-4 185 • Double-digit scoring efforts in both games; 78.6% FG., 66.7% 3FG • Made first five shots of NJIT career en route to 11 points at Temple (12/19) 3 Miles Coleman F Jr. 6-5 210 • 2019-20 Southern Conference POY (NJCAA Division I) • Scored eight points at Rider (12/23) after tallying six at Temple (12/19) 13 Jason Murphy F R-Fr. 6-8 232 • Redshirted 2019-20 season • Scored first collegiate points at Vermont (12/27) 35 Da’Mir Faison F R-Fr. 6-7 200 • Redshirted 2019-20 season after injuring knee in preseason • First career start at Temple (12/19) 24 Mekhi Gray G Fr. 6-4 180 • One of nine Division I signees from Putnam Science Acad. last season • Scored five points off the bench at Rider (12/23) 32 Xaiver Mayo F So. 6-7 230 • Played in 28 of 30 games as a freshman MBB CONTACT: • Chosen to serve on America East Spread Respect Advisory Group Myles Rudnick 33 Kjell de Graaf F R-So. 6-10 230 • Missed all but nine games last season to knee injury; medical redshirt 201.602.2181 | [email protected] • 13 points, 5 rebounds in 38 minutes in lone start of season last year at Rutgers @MylesRudnick 2020-21 HIGHLANDERS #EVERYDAY @NJITHOOPS 2020-21 GAME NOTES GAME 5/6: UMASS LOWELL Vermont Once Again Tabbed Men’s AEHoops Favorites BOSTON - For the fifth-straight season, Vermont is the America East men’s basketball preseason favorite as the conference unveiled its preseason poll and all-confer- ence team on Wednesday morning, exactly two weeks away from the start of the 2020-21 season. Additionally, five standout players were named to the league’s pre- season all-conference team led by returning first-team All-America East selections, Obadiah Noel and Steph Smith. Vermont, last year’s regular-season champion which reached the league championship game before its can- cellation, received eight of 10 possible first-place votes and topped the poll with 80 points. The Catamounts are joined by Kentucky as the only team in the country to be tabbed their conference’s preseason favorite five years in a row. UMBC is second for the second-straight year earning the other two first-place votes and 72 points, while New Hampshire is third with 66 points, its best showing since the 2016-17 campaign. Noel and Smith are joined by NJIT’s Zach Cooks, who is ready for his first season in America East after earning All-Atlantic Sun honors with the Highlanders last season. Juniors Nick Guadarrama (UNH) and Cam Healy (UAlba- ny) round out the team. PRESEASON COACHES POLL: Rank (1st-Place Votes) Total Pts 1. Vermont (8) 80 2. UMBC (2) 72 3. New Hampshire 66 4. UAlbany 51 5. Stony Brook 44 6. Hartford 43 7. UMass Lowell 38 8. NJIT 28 T9. Binghamton 14 Maine 14 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: Pos Name School Year Zach Cooks NJIT Sr. Nick Guadarrama New Hampshire Jr. Cam Healy Albany Jr. Obadiah Noel Umass Lowell Sr. Stef Smith Vermont Sr. 2019-20 AMERICA EAST POSTSEASON AWARDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR ANTHONY LAMB, VERMONT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR BEN SHUNGU, VERMONT SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR RYAN DAVIS, VERMONT ROOKIE OF THE YEAR GEORGE TINSLEY, BINGHAMTON COACH OF THE YEAR JOHN BECKER, VERMONT 2019-20 ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM: Pos Name School Year Malik Ellison Hartford Gr. Anthony Lamb Vermont Sr. Obadiah Noel Umass Lowell Jr. Elijah Olaniyi Stony Brook Jr. 2020-21 AMERICA EAST STANDINGS: Stef Smith Vermont Sr. SCHOOL CONF CPCT. OVERALL PCT. STREAK Stony Brook 4-0 1.000 6-4 0.600 W5 2019-20 ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM: New Hampshire 2-0 1.000 3-2 0.600 W2 Pos Name School Year UMBC 3-1 0.750 7-2 0.778 L1 Ahmad Clark Albany Sr. Hartford 2-2 0.500 5-4 0.556 L2 Andrew Garcia Stony Brook Jr. Vermont 2-2 0.500 2-2 0.500 L1 KJ Jackson UMBC Sr. NJIT 1-1 0.500 2-2 0.500 W1 Christian Lutete Umass Lowell Gr. UMass Lowell 1-3 0.250 2-6 0.250 L3 Sam Sessoms Binghamton S0.