2024–25 Northeast Conference men's basketball season
| 2024–25 Northeast Conference men's basketball season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | NCAA Division I |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | November 4, 2024 – March 21, 2024 |
| Number of teams | 9 |
| NBA draft | |
| Regular season | |
| NEC tournament | |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Connecticut | 0 | – | 0 | – | 8 | – | 4 | .667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wagner | 0 | – | 0 | – | 8 | – | 5 | .615 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stonehill* | 0 | – | 0 | – | 7 | – | 7 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mercyhurst* | 0 | – | 0 | – | 6 | – | 9 | .400 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Le Moyne* | 0 | – | 0 | – | 5 | – | 9 | .357 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saint Francis | 0 | – | 0 | – | 5 | – | 9 | .357 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fairleigh Dickinson | 0 | – | 0 | – | 4 | – | 11 | .267 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LIU | 0 | – | 0 | – | 4 | – | 11 | .267 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago State | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 14 | .000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * ineligible for the 2025 NCAA tournament due to transition from Division II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2025 NEC tournament winner As of December 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2024–25 Northeast Conference men's basketball season began with practices in October 2024, followed by the start of the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season on November 4. Conference play will start on January 3, and end on March 1, 2025. This is the 44th season of Northeast Conference men's basketball. Central Connecticut and Merrimack were the 2023–24 regular-season co-champions, but only Central Connecticut is defending its title, since Merrimack left the NEC and joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). Wagner is the defending conference tournament champion.
The NEC tournament will be held in March with the higher-seeded team hosting each game. The top eight teams in the conference standings qualify for the tournament. The winner will advance to the 2025 NCAA Division I tournament, unless that team is ineligible, in which case another team will represent the conference.
This is the first season of NEC membership for both Chicago State, which joined after two seasons as a Division I independent,[1] and Mercyhurst, which began its transition from Division II.[2]
Offseason
Merrimack and Sacred Heart left the conference after the 2023–24 school year to join the MAAC.[3]
Head coaches
| Team | Head coach | Previous position | Year at school | Overall record | NEC record | NEC tournament championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Connecticut | Patrick Sellers | Fairfield (asst.) |
4 | 38–57 | 25–25 | 0 |
| Chicago State | Scott Spinelli | Boston College (interim head coach) |
1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson | Jack Castleberry | Fairleigh Dickinson (asst.) |
2 | 15–17 | 9–7 | 0 |
| Le Moyne | Nate Champion | Florida Southern (asst.) |
5[a] | 61–56 | 9–7 | 0 |
| LIU | Rod Strickland | NBA G League Ignite (program director) |
3 | 10–48 | 7–25 | 0 |
| Mercyhurst | Gary Manchel | Ohio (asst.) |
22 | 373–219 | 0–0 | 0 |
| Saint Francis | Rob Krimmel | Saint Francis (asst.) | 13 | 155–210 | 100–110 | 0 |
| Stonehill | Chris Kraus | Stonehill (asst.) |
11[b] | 148–143 | 12–20 | 0 |
| Wagner | Donald Copeland | Seton Hall (asst.) |
3 | 32–29 | 15–17 | 1 |
- Notes
- All records, appearances, titles, etc. are from time with current school only.
- Year at school includes 2024–25 season.
- Overall and NEC/NCAA records are from time at current school and are before the beginning of the 2024–25 season.
- Previous jobs are head coaching jobs unless otherwise noted.
- ^ Le Moyne did not play during the 2020–21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, this is Champion's sixth year as the team's head coach but only his fifth season.
- ^ Stonehill did not play during the 2020–21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, this is Kraus's 12th year as the team's head coach but only his 11th season.
Preseason
Preseason coaches' poll
The table below shows the preseason rankings of NEC teams based on a poll of the conference's coaches[4] as well as each team's preseason Pomeroy ranking among the 364 Division I teams.[5]
| Rank | Team | Pomeroy rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (tie) | Central Connecticut (5) | 303 |
| Wagner (4) | 272 | |
| 3 | Fairleigh Dickinson | 352 |
| 4 | Le Moyne | 335 |
| 5 | LIU | 354 |
| 6 | Chicago State | 340 |
| 7 | Mercyhurst | 356 |
| 8 (tie) | Saint Francis | 351 |
| Stonehill | 358 |
() first-place votes
Preseason All-NEC team
Source: [6]
| Player | School |
|---|---|
Malachi Davis ( Junior, Guard)
|
LIU |
| Jo'el Emanuel (Junior, Forward) | Fairleigh Dickinson |
| Darrick Jones Jr. (5th-yr. Senior, Guard) | Le Moyne |
| Jordan Jones (Senior, Guard) | Central Connecticut |
| Jeff Planutis (Graduate, Forward) | Mercyhurst |
Regular season
Early-season multi-team events
Source: [7]
| Team | Event | Host | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Connecticut | None | – | – |
| Chicago State | Sunshine Slam | Northeast Conference | 0–3 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson | Metro NY/NJ Classic | Fairleigh Dickinson, Army and Manhattan | 1–1 |
| Le Moyne | Island U Invitational | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 1–1 |
| LIU | Lafayette Classic | Lafayette | 0–3 |
| Mercyhurst | Cal Classic | California | 1–2 |
| Saint Francis | Hoya MTE | Georgetown | 0–2 |
| Stonehill | Urban-Bennett Invitational | Robert Morris | 1–2 |
| Wagner | None | – | – |
Pre-conference season notes
Conference season notes
Conference matrix
This table summarizes the head-to-head results between teams in conference regular-season play. The home team's score is shown in boldface type. Future home games are shown in italics.
| Central Connecticut | Chicago State | Fairleigh Dickinson | Le Moyne | LIU | Mercyhurst | Saint Francis | Stonehill | Wagner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs. Central Connecticut | – | Jan 26 Feb 20 |
Jan 18 Feb 6 |
Jan 24 Feb 27 |
Jan 12 Jan 30 |
Jan 5 Feb 13 |
Jan 3 Feb 15 |
Feb 1 Feb 22 |
Jan 10 Mar 1 |
| vs. Chicago State | Jan 26 Feb 20 |
– | Jan 20 Feb 13 |
Jan 18 Feb 15 |
Jan 5 Feb 1 |
Feb 6 Feb 27 |
Feb 8 Mar 1 |
Jan 12 Jan 24 |
Jan 3 Feb 22 |
| vs. Fairleigh Dickinson | Jan 18 Feb 6 |
Jan 20 Feb 13 |
– | Jan 10 Jan 30 |
Feb 15 Mar 1 |
Feb 1 Feb 20 |
Jan 12 Feb 2 |
Jan 26 Feb 27 |
Jan 5 Feb 8 |
| vs. Le Moyne | Jan 24 Feb 27 |
Jan 18 Feb 15 |
Jan 10 Jan 30 |
– | Jan 3 Feb 22 |
Jan 12 Feb 8 |
Feb 6 Feb 20 |
Jan 20 Mar 1 |
Feb 1 Feb 13 |
| vs. LIU | Jan 12 Jan 30 |
Jan 5 Feb 1 |
Feb 15 Mar 1 |
Jan 3 Feb 22 |
– | Jan 20 Jan 26 |
Jan 18 Jan 24 |
Jan 10 Feb 8 |
Feb 6 Feb 27 |
| vs. Mercyhurst | Jan 5 Feb 13 |
Feb 6 Feb 27 |
Feb 1 Feb 20 |
Jan 12 Feb 8 |
Jan 20 Jan 26 |
– | Jan 10 Jan 20 |
Jan 3 Feb 15 |
Jan 18 Jan 24 |
| vs. Saint Francis | Jan 3 Feb 15 |
Feb 8 Mar 1 |
Jan 12 Feb 22 |
Feb 6 Feb 20 |
Jan 18 Jan 24 |
Jan 10 Jan 30 |
– | Jan 5 Feb 13 |
Jan 20 Jan 26 |
| vs. Stonehill | Feb 1 Feb 22 |
Jan 12 Jan 24 |
Jan 26 Feb 27 |
Jan 20 Mar 1 |
Jan 10 Feb 8 |
Jan 3 Feb 15 |
Jan 5 Feb 13 |
– | Jan 30 Feb 20 |
| vs. Wagner | Jan 10 Mar 1 |
Jan 3 Feb 22 |
Jan 5 Feb 8 |
Feb 1 Feb 13 |
Feb 6 Feb 27 |
Jan 18 Jan 24 |
Jan 20 Jan 26 |
Jan 30 Feb 20 |
– |
| Record | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 |
Record against other conferences
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Regular season
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Postseason
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Games against ranked non-conference opponents
The table below shows games played by NEC teams against opponents ranked by the Associated Press at the time of the game.
| Date | Visitor | Home | Site | Score | NEC Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 4 | LIU | No. 24 Ole Miss | SJB Pavilion ● University, MS | Ole Miss 90−60 | 0−1 |
| Nov. 6 | Wagner | No. 25 Rutgers | Jersey Mike's Arena ● Piscataway, NJ | Rutgers 75−52 | 0−2 |
| Nov. 10 | Fairleigh Dickinson | No. 15 Creighton | CHI Health Center Omaha ● Omaha, NE | Creighton 96−70 | 0−3 |
| Nov. 13 | Le Moyne | No. 3 UConn | XL Center ● Hartford, CT | UConn 90−49 | 0−4 |
| Nov. 13 | Wagner | No. 22 St. John's | Carnesecca Arena ● Queens, NY | St. John's 66−45 | 0−5 |
| Nov. 13 | Le Moyne | No. 3 UConn | XL Center ● Hartford, CT | UConn 90−49 | 0−6 |
| Nov. 27 | Stonehill | No. 10 Marquette | Fiserv Forum ● Milwaukee, WI | Marquette 94−59 | 0−7 |
| Nov. 30 | Chicago State | No. 15 Wisconsin | Kohl Center ● Madison, WI | Wisconsin 74−53 | 0−8 |
Rankings
The table below shows the rankings of NEC teams among the 364 Division I teams throughout the season. The preseason ranking is the Pomeroy rating. The remaining weekly rankings are the NET rankings reported by the NCAA beginning with the initial release at the start of week 5. NET rankings are not updated during the NCAA tournament. The rankings shown for week 20 are the final rankings at the conclusion of regular-season and conference-tournament play.
| Increase in ranking | ||
| Decrease in ranking |
| Pre [5] |
Week 5[8] | Week 6[9] | Week 7[10] | Week 8[11] | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20 | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Connecticut | 303 | 204 | 141 | 134 | 135 | |||||||||||||
| Chicago State | 340 | 359 | 360 | 358 | 356 | |||||||||||||
| Fairleigh Dickinson | 352 | 338 | 339 | 329 | 319 | |||||||||||||
| Le Moyne | 335 | 283 | 328 | 326 | 313 | |||||||||||||
| LIU | 354 | 307 | 314 | 303 | 317 | |||||||||||||
| Mercyhurst | 356 | 321 | 338 | 342 | 340 | |||||||||||||
| Saint Francis | 351 | 238 | 240 | 257 | 299 | |||||||||||||
| Stonehill | 358 | 268 | 265 | 267 | 274 | |||||||||||||
| Wagner | 272 | 323 | 317 | 297 | 318 |
Postseason
NEC tournament
Games will be played on March 5, 8, and 11, 2025, at campus sites. The top eight teams in the conference regular-season standings qualify.[12]
NCAA tournament
Awards and honors
Weekly conference awards
Throughout the regular season, the Northeast Conference named players of the week and rookies of the week.
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See also
References
- ^ "Windy City Welcome: Chicago State Roars into NEC" (Press release). Northeast Conference. December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ "Welcome to the Lake Show: Mercyhurst University Accepts Northeast Conference Membership Invite". Northeast Conference. April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ "MAAC Welcomes Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University as Newest Full Members" (Press release). Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "Preseason Power Play: Wagner and CCSU Rise to Top in Deadlocked #NECMBB Coaches' Poll". Northeast Conference. October 24, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ a b "2025 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings". The Forecast Factory LLC. November 4, 2024. Archived from the original on November 4, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ "2024–25 Preseason All-NEC Men's Basketball Team Unveiled". Northeast Conference. October 24, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ Dobbertean, Chris (November 30, 2023). "2023–24 Men's College Basketball Early Season Tournaments and Exempt Multi-Team Events (MTEs)". Blogging the Bracket. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ "2024–25 D-I Men's Basketball NET Ranking thru Games 12/01/2024". NCAA. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ "2024–25 D-I Men's Basketball NET Ranking thru Games 12/08/2024". NCAA. December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ "2024–25 D-I Men's Basketball NET Ranking thru Games 12/15/2024". NCAA. December 16, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- ^ "2024–25 D-I Men's Basketball NET Ranking thru Games 12/22/2024". NCAA. December 23, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
- ^ "2025 Northeast Conference Men's Basketball Championship". Northeast Conference. Retrieved December 15, 2024.