2020-21 Highlanders

@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 Athleꢀc Center• Lowell, MA • ESPN3 2020-21 Record|AE:...........1-1 | 0-0 2019-20 Record|ASUN:...9-21 | 6-10 2019-20 ASUN Finish ................8th KenPom:.....................................187 All-Time Record vs. AE............15-24 Head Coach:...............Brian Kennedy Record at NJIT (5th):................58-72 Career Record (5th):................58-72 2020-21 Record|AE: ..........2-6 | 1-3 2019-20 Record|AE:........13-19 |7-9 2019-20 AE Finish.......................6th KenPom:...................................232 NJIT All-Time vs. UML................4-5 Head Coach:................Pat Duqueꢁe Record at UML (8th):.............86-133 Career Record (8th):..............86-133 CIT SEMIFINALISTS 2015, 2016 • MEMBER OF THE AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE BROADCAST INFORMATION: <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">2020-21 SCHEDULE </li><li style="flex:1">RECORDS </li></ul>Video: <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">ESPN3 </li><li style="flex:1">Chris Villani & Jim Borodawka </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Overall </li><li style="flex:1">2-2 </li></ul>0-0 2-2 0-0 1-1 0-0 1-1 DECEMBER 19 at Temple Home L, 72-60 W. 81-65 L, 92-78 W, 81-80 Away 23 at Rider HIGHLIGHTS: Neutral America East Home 27 at Vermont* 28 at Vermont* <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">*</li><li style="flex:1">This weekend’s games are the fiﬅh and sixth of the 2020-21 season -- which marks NJIT’s </li></ul>15th parꢀcipaꢀng in Division I, first as a member of the America East and fourth in the Wellness & Events Center (WEC). Away Non-Conference 1-1 JANUARY *The Highlanders are coming off a wild victory Monday at Vermont. Aﬅer losing to the Catamounts by double-digits Sunday and trailing by 10 in the second half Monday, NJIT came back and won the game in double overꢀme on a buzzer-beaꢀng putback by San Antonio Brinson. NJIT earned its first win of the 2020-21 season on 12/23, defeaꢀng Rider 81-66 on the road. Dylan O’Hearn (19 points) and Zach Cooks (17 points) led the way for the Highlanders. Six Highlanders made their NJIT debuts in the season-opener at Temple - Butler, O’Hearn, Miles Coleman, Da’Mir Faison, Jason Murphy and Mekhi Gray. Zach Cooks was named Second Team All-ASUN last season aﬅer averaging 19.7 ppg, the second-highest single-season average in program history. In addiꢀon to leading the ASUN in scoring, his 19.7 ppg would’ve also ranked atop the America East leaderboard. Cooks scored 20+ points 18 ꢀmes last season and led the Highlanders in scoring in 24 of 30 games. The GA. naꢀve scored a then-program-record 35 points last November vs. Binghamton. The program-record 35 points lasted less than two months as San Antonio Brinson, erupted for 37 points in an upset win at North Florida last January. NJIT set the program’s all-ꢀme wins record for the D-I era just two seasons ago, winning 22 games in 2018-19. This weekend’s games conclude the Highlanders’ season-opening six-game road trip.NJIT 239at UMass Lowell* at UMass Lowell* MAINE* 3pm 1pm 2pm 2pm 5pm 3pm 2pm 2pm 2pm 2pm Home Away 0-0 1-1 0-0 *Neutral 10 MAINE* 16 at Albany* 17 at Albany* 23 STONY BROOK* 24 STONY BROOK* 30 at Harꢂord* 31 at Harꢂord* Current streak W1 *Long. W streak W1 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Long. L streak </li><li style="flex:1">L1 </li></ul>Leading at Half 1-0 Trailing at Half 1-2 *Tied at Half Overꢀme Travel Days Day 0-0 0-0 1-1 2-2 *FEBRUARY NEW HAMPSHIRE * NEW HAMPSHIRE * *Night (6 PM on) 0-0 Ranked Teams 0-0 67 2pm 2pm 7pm 4pm 2pm 2pm *Power Conf. All-Time 0-0 173-264 142-264 18 UMBC* 19 UMBC* 27 at Binghamton* 28 at Binghamton* Division I *Non Division I 30-0 will play its first home game in 322 days when it hosts Maine on January 9. PROBABLE STARTERS HOME GAMES IN CAPS <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">#</li><li style="flex:1">Name </li><li style="flex:1">PO YR HT WT Notes </li></ul>*America East Conference Game <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">2</li><li style="flex:1">San Antonio Brinson F Sr. 6-8 210 • Season-high 14 at Vermont (12/28), including buzzer-beater to win it </li></ul>• Program-record 37 points in upset win at North Florida last season <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">4</li><li style="flex:1">Zach Cooks </li><li style="flex:1">G</li><li style="flex:1">Sr. 5-10 165 • One of five named to Preseason All-America East Team </li></ul>• 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 Jr. 6-4 180 • Member of Mexico’s Senior Naꢀonal Team • Career-best 13 points in last year’s home opening W vs. Wagner <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">5</li><li style="flex:1">Diego Willis </li><li style="flex:1">G</li></ul>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 Jr. 6-0 205 • Started 37 games in two seasons at Ausꢀn Peay • Seven points, six assists, five rebounds in 31 min. at Temple (12/19) GREST OF ROTATION #01<ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Name </li><li style="flex:1">PO YR HT WT Notes </li></ul>Aꢁended High School in Newark at St. Benedict’s (same as S. Diakite). Adetokunbo Bakare G Fr. 6-2 185 Dylan O’Hearn •GFFFGFFJr. 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) Jr. 6-5 210 • 2019-20 Southern Conference POY (NJCAA Division I) • Scored eight points at Rider (12/23) aﬅer tallying six at Temple (12/19) R-Fr. 6-8 232 • Redshirted 2019-20 season • Scored first collegiate points at Vermont (12/27) R-Fr. 6-7 200 • Redshirted 2019-20 season aﬅer injuring knee in preseason • First career start at Temple (12/19) 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) So. 6-7 230 • Played in 28 of 30 games as a freshman • Chosen to serve on America East Spread Respect Advisory Group R-So. 6-10 230 • Missed all but nine games last season to knee injury; medical redshirt • 13 points, 5 rebounds in 38 minutes in lone start of season last year at Rutgers <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">3</li><li style="flex:1">Miles Coleman </li></ul>13 Jason Murphy 35 Da’Mir Faison 24 Mekhi Gray 32 Xaiver Mayo 33 Kjell de Graaf MBB CONTACT: Myles Rudnick 201.602.2181 | [email protected] @MylesRudnick #EVERYDAY @NJITHOOPS 2020-21 GAME NOTES GAME 5/6: UMASS LOWELL Vermont Once Again Tabbed Men’s AEHoops Favorites BOSTON - For the fiﬅh-straight season, Vermont is the America East men’s basketball preseason favorite as the conference unveiled its preseason poll and all-conference team on Wednesday morning, exactly two weeks away from the start of the 2020-21 season. Addiꢀonally, five standout players were named to the league’s preseason all-conference team led by returning first-team All-America East selecꢀons, Obadiah Noel and Steph Smith. Vermont, last year’s regular-season champion which reached the league championship game before its cancellaꢀon, 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 aﬅer earning All-Atlanꢀc Sun honors with the Highlanders last season. Juniors Nick Guadarrama (UNH) and Cam Healy (UAlbany) round out the team. PRESEASON COACHES POLL: <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Rank (1st-Place Votes) </li><li style="flex:1">Total Pts </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">80 </li><li style="flex:1">1. </li></ul>2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. T9. Vermont (8) UMBC (2) New Hampshire UAlbany 72 66 51 Stony Brook Harꢂord 44 43 UMass Lowell NJIT 38 28 Binghamton Maine 14 14 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Pos Name </li><li style="flex:1">School </li><li style="flex:1">Year </li></ul>Zach Cooks Nick Guadarrama Cam Healy <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">NJIT </li><li style="flex:1">Sr. </li></ul>New Hampshire Jr. Albany Umass Lowell Sr. Vermont Sr. Jr. Obadiah Noel Stef Smith 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: <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Pos Name </li><li style="flex:1">School </li><li style="flex:1">Year </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Gr. </li><li style="flex:1">Malik Ellison </li></ul>Anthony Lamb Obadiah Noel Elijah Olaniyi Stef Smith Harꢂord <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Vermont </li><li style="flex:1">Sr. </li></ul>Umass Lowell Jr. Stony Brook Vermont 2020-21 AMERICA EAST STANDINGS: Jr. Sr. <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">SCHOOL </li><li style="flex:1">CONF CPCT. </li><li style="flex:1">OVERALLPCT. STREAK </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Stony Brook </li><li style="flex:1">4-0 1.000 </li><li style="flex:1">6-4 </li></ul>3-2 7-2 5-4 2-2 2-2 2-6 1-6 0-3 0-3 0.600 W5 0.600 W2 0.778 L1 0.556 L2 0.500 L1 0.500 W1 0.250 L3 0.143 W1 0.000 L3 0.000 L3 2019-20 ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM: New Hampshire 2-0 1.000 UMBC Harꢂord Vermont NJIT 3-1 0.750 2-2 0.500 2-2 0.500 1-1 0.500 1-3 0.250 1-3 0.250 0-2 0.000 0-2 0.000 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Pos Name </li><li style="flex:1">School </li><li style="flex:1">Year </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Sr. </li><li style="flex:1">Ahmad Clark </li></ul>Andrew Garcia KJ Jackson Albany Stony Brook UMBC Jr. Sr. UMass Lowell Binghamton Maine Chrisꢀan Lutete Sam Sessoms Umass Lowell Gr. <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Binghamton </li><li style="flex:1">S0. </li></ul>*as of 1/1/2021 UAlbany #EVERYDAY @NJITHOOPS 2020-21 GAME NOTES GAME 5/6: UMASS LOWELL NJIT: QUICK FACTS HIGHLANDERS BY THE NUMBERS UNIVERSITY INFORMATION Locaꢀon: Founded: Enrollment: University Heights, Newark, NJ 1881 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">1 4 26 </li><li style="flex:1">100 </li></ul>When Zach Cooks takes the floor on Saturday, it will be his 100th career game. 50 NJIT shot at least 50.0% from the field in each of its two wins. 11,400 (undergraduate & graduate) Highlanders/Red & White (Blue accent) NCAA Division I The Highlanders wild win at Vermont on Monday was the program’s first-ever America East victory. NJIT had four double-figure scorers in each game at UVM last weekend. Zach Cooks has played at least 40 minutes 26 ꢀmes over his NJIT Nickname/Colors: Affiliaꢀon: Transiꢀon to Division I: Conference: University President: Director of Athleꢀcs: Athleꢀc Dept. Phone: NJIT website: 2006-07 career. He played America East (First season) Dr. Joel Bloom EdD Lenny Kaplan 973-596-3636 <a href="/goto?url=http://www.njit.edu" target="_blank">www.njit.edu </a>O’Hearn, Cooks all 50 at Vermont and Brinson did it in the 12/28 2OT in both games. victory. 2019-20 Quick Rewind: Athleꢀcs website: Tickets website: Twiꢁer/Instagram: Facebook: <a href="/goto?url=http://www.njithighlanders.com" target="_blank">www.njithighlanders.com </a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.njiꢃx.com" target="_blank">www.njiꢃx.com </a>@NJITHoops The Highlanders finished the 2019-20 season with a 9-21 overall record and completed their final season in the ASUN Conference with a 6-10 record to earn the eight seed in the ASUN Tournament. Highlights from last year’s season include: NJIT Men’s Basketball • A 20-point come-from-behind victory at Cornell that saw senior captain Shyquan Gibbs hit a game-winning driving layup in the final second. The play was featured at #4 on ESPN’s #SCTop10. • San Antonio Brinson erupted for a program-record 37 points in an upset win at eventual ASUN Regular Season Champion, North Florida. • Zach Cooks led the ASUN in scoring (19.7 ppg), steals (1.9 spg) and minutes played en route to being named Second Team All-ASUN. HEAD COACH BRIAN KENNEDY Alma Mater: Monmouth ’90 Seasons: 5th as Head Coach (9th season at NJIT) 57-71 (.446); 128 games 0-0 (.000) Career Record: America East Record: • Aﬅer playing in just 16 games as a freshman, Souleymane Diakite had a breakout sophomore season, avering 7.8 ppg and 8.5 rpg, while seꢃng a Division I program record with 59 blocked shots. TEAM INFORMATION Assistant Coaches: Jeff Rafferty (5th season) GEORGIA ON YOUR MIND: Kim Waiters (6th season) Joe Gutowski (4th season) Danny Manuel (2nd season) Maꢁ Koscs NJIT’s two seniors both hail from the state of Georgia and have combined to start 115 games over their first three seniors in Highlander uniforms. Zach Cooks (19.7 ppg) and San Antonio Brinson (11.0 ppg) led NJIT in scoring during the 2019-20 season. The duo has combined to score 37+ points nine ꢀmes in their careers, with the Highlanders winning six of those contests. The most points they’ve combined for in a game was 57 (35 for Cooks; 22 for Brinson) on November 22, 2019 in a loss to Binghamton. Brinson currently holds the program’s single game scoring record aﬅer a 37-point performance at North Florida last season, while Cooks’ 35-point game against the Bearcats ranks second all-ꢀme. Dir. of Basketball Ops: Athleꢀc Trainer: 2019-20 Record: 2019-20 Postseason: Final NET: 9-21 ASUN Quarterfinals 310 Returning/Lost (Starters): 8/5 (3/2) GET YOUR BUDDY A SHOT!: SPORTS INFORMATION In its wins last season, NJIT averaged 15.3 apg as opposed to under 10 in its losses. The Highlanders dished out a season-high 22 assists vs. Lipscomb, 17 more vs. Wagner and 16 helpers vs. Kean, UNF and KSU. Zach Cooks led the team in assists with 65, while junior transfer Antwuan Butler finished second on his Ausꢀn Peay squad with 107. Men’s BB Contact: Myles Rudnick 201-602-2181 / [email protected] Phone / Email: Asst. AD, Media Relaꢀons: Stephanie Pillari Phone / Email: 973-596-8324 / [email protected] NJIT dished out 10 assists in both games so far this season. Butler has nine (six at Temple) to go along with just two turnovers. PROGRAM RECORDS Inaugural Season: All-Time Record: 1922 944-856 (.524) / 1,800 games 264-270 (.494) INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS VOL III: Pre-NCAA (1922-73): All three of NJIT’s third-year players are internaꢀonal student-athletes: forward Souleymane Diakite (6'9") is a naꢀve of Bamako, Mali; forward Kjell de Graaf hails from Roꢁerdam, Netherlands; and guard Diego Willis is a product of Hermosillo, Mexico. Adding to the internaꢀonal flair, all three played high school basketball in the Canary Islands -- an autonomous community of Spain. De Graaf is a redshirt sophomore this season, while Diakite and Willis are juniors. Division III Era (1974-96): 368-160 (.697) / 528 games Division II Era (1997-06): 118-133 (.470) / 251 games Division I Era (2006-pres): 171-261 (.395) / 433 games Vs. Division I Teams: 143-243 (.350) / 386 games 23-0 (1.000) 7-0 (1.000) 10Vs. Division III Teams: Vs. Non NCAA Teams: Conference Titles (Reg): Conference Titles (Tour): PUTTING THE NJ IN NJIT: (Great West 2012-13) Just four seasons ago, NJIT entered the season with the most localized roster in all of Division-I basketball -- as the average player was just 39 miles from hometown to Newark. For the second-straight season, the Highlanders would rank towards the boꢁom of that list, as Newark naꢀve Adetokunbo Bakare replaces Shyquan Gibbs as the only NJIT player to hail from the Garden State. Bakare played his high school basketball blocks from NJIT at St. Benedict’s Prep. Naꢀonal Postseason Tour: 7-3 WELLNESS & EVENTS CENTER (WEC) Address: Year Opened: 100 Lock St., Newark, NJ, 07102 2017 LOU HENSON AWARD WATCH LIST : Capacity: 3,500 Senior captain Zach Cooks was named to the Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch List for the second-straight season, it was announced on Tuesday, December 1. The Lou Henson Award is given annually to the naꢀon’s top Division I mid-major player. The award honors the late Henson, a former Illinois and New Mexico State coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons. Henson is the winningest coach in Illinois basketball history with 423 victories. During his 21 seasons (1975-1996), Henson led the Fighꢀng Illini to 16 postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA tournaments and a Final Four appearance in 1989. Overall, 50 players were named to the Preseason Watch List. Cooks was one of just two America East players (Obadiah Noel; UMass Lowell) and one of just two from an NJ squad (Jahlil Jenkins; FDU) named to the watch list. Home Record (WEC): Home Record (D-I Era): 26-19 (.578) / 45 games 112-79* (.586) / 191 games Home Record (Kennedy): 34-23 (.596) / 57 games Home Record (AE Conference): 0-0 (.000) / 0 games *Does not include 0-9 in home games at Prudenꢀal Center **Does not include 0-2 in conference home games at Prudenꢀal Center AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE Established: 19789 Former Name: Number of Teams: Headquarters: Commissioner: Sr. Assoc. Commissioner (Media):Sean Tanish Website: 2019-20 Champs (Reg): 2019-20 Champs (Tour): NJIT All-Time Record: Eastern College Athleꢀc Conf.-North 10 Boston, Massachuseꢁs Amy Huchthausen CAREER REBOUNDS LEADERS SINGLE SEASON PPG LEADERS <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Rk REB Name </li><li style="flex:1">Years </li><li style="flex:1">Rk PPG Name </li><li style="flex:1">Years </li></ul>12345<ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">773 Abdul Lewis </li><li style="flex:1">2016-19 </li></ul>2013-17 2008-12 2012-16 2007-11 12345<ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">20.6 Damon Lynn (SR) </li><li style="flex:1">2016-17 </li></ul>2019-20 2015-16 2018-19 2014-15 762 Tim Coleman 616 Isaiah Wilkerson 533 Ky Howard 19.7 Zach Cooks (JR) 18.3 Damon Lynn (JR) 17.6 Zach Cooks (SO) 17.5 Damon Lynn (SO) <a href="/goto?url=http://www.AmericaEast.com" target="_blank">www.AmericaEast.com </a>University of Vermont Univ. of Vermont / Univ. of Harꢂord 1-1 (.500) / 2 games NJIT Tournament Record: 0-0 (.000) / 0 games 492 Jheryl Wilson #EVERYDAY @NJITHOOPS 2020-21 GAME NOTES GAME 5/6: UMASS LOWELL #PROTECTTHEWEC America East Rankings NJIT enters its fourth campaign in the state-of-the-art Wellness and Events Center (WEC) . In three seasons playing in the WEC, the Highlanders are 26-19 in this three story, 220,000-square-foot building that features a 3,500-seat basketball arena. <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">KEN POM** </li><li style="flex:1">NCAA NET* </li></ul>

2020-21 Highlanders

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