RE: 21-22 basketball.
BLUE RIBBON NU PREVIEW...
NORTHEASTERN
COACH Bill Coen (Hamilton ‘83)
RECORD AT SCHOOL 251-222 (15 years)
CAREER RECORD 251-222
ASSISTANTS Brian McDonald (NU ‘10)
Manny Adako (NU ‘10)
Joel Smith (NU ‘10)
WINS (LAST 5 YRS.) 15-23-23-17-10
KENPOM RATING (LAST 5 YRS) 159-96-89-142-168
2020-21 FINISH Lost in CAA Semifinals.
Northeastern lost electric point guard Tyson Walker to Michigan State but has 10 players who have started a Division I game. The deep, versatile roster combined with the CAA’s best coach should produce an exciting season for the league’s northernmost member.
Last season, the Huskies led the CAA in adjusted defensive efficiency for the fourth consecutive year, and they return the interchangeable parts Coen craves to run his system on both ends. Northeastern could easily start five players between 6-6 and 6-8, playing four around one with each of the perimeter players able to make a 3-pointer, feed a teammate or drive to the rim.
Another rigorous non-conference schedule will help Coen and his staff—three of his former players— define roles and tighten rotations.
“We mention [the schedule] in recruiting,” Coen says. “We want guys who want to play those games. Maybe they have a little chip on their shoulder because they didn’t get recruited by those schools. They have something to prove, and there’s an extra motivation there and an extra side of competitiveness.”
From year to year, Northeastern wins the battle beyond the arc as well as any team in the nation. The Huskies launched 43.9% of their field goals from 3-point range (38th) and allowed opponents to take only 31.2% of shots from there (23rd). Northeastern opponents scored only 26.1% of their points on 3-pointers (312th).
With their length, athleticism and experience, the Huskies should expect that trend to continue.
Jahmyl Telfort (11.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg) leads the Northeastern returnees. The 6-7, 230-pound forward won CAA Sixth Man of the Year honors last season as a freshman. He hit 37% of his 3-pointers and 78% of free throws.
“We had high expectations coming in, but I think he even surpassed those expectations,” Coen says. “His versatility, ability to play multiple positions, his competitiveness. He got better as the season went along, and what I’m really excited about for him is his commitment to improving since the season ended.”
Telfort has a magnetic personality, always smiling, something Coen identifies as essential to being a good teammate and weathering the storm of the season. He closed last season on a high note, pouring in 30 points in the shorthanded Huskies’ CAA semifinal loss to Drexel.
A clear example of the Huskies’ adaptability is Shaquille Walters (10.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.2 spg). The 6-6, 200-pound junior has started games at small forward and shooting guard during his career and is pegged to log a chunk of minutes at point guard in the season ahead. Although his former teammate Walker (18.8 ppg, 4.8 apg, 2.4 spg) was voted CAA Defensive Player of the Year, Walters defended the opponent’s best perimeter player each night.
“He’s a great two-way player,” Coen says. “A tremendous rebounder at his spot, helps us get our offensive transition in gear. He makes winning plays. We’re going to rely on him to play the point to give us some experience there. Other guys will play. But he’s excited about it. It’s a growth area for him.”
Walters hit 51% of his 2s, 45% of 3s and 87% of free throws in conference while playing 91% of available minutes. The Huskies’ depth might allow him to catch more frequent breathers, but those breaks won’t last long.
long.
Jason Strong (9.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, .372 3PT) started 17 games last season. The 6-8 junior forward helps the Huskies stretch the floor (43% on 3s in CAA games). He seized a larger role in the offense last season, and Coen believes he has even more room to grow.
“He had some complete games for us at times but has another level to get to,” Coen says. “He certainly can shoot the ball and stretch the floor and give us another floor spacer at that position. He’s got experience, knows our stuff. He’s ready for a more consistent role.”
Coen’s trust in Coleman Stucke (6.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg) was evident from the outset. Stucke, a 6-7 wing, started every game for the Huskies. Inconsistent at times in his freshman season, Stucke found the touch late, hitting 10 of 25 3-pointers over the last eight games.
“He adjusted to the speed of the game,” Coen says. “He’s an incredible young man who has a great work ethic, can rebound, take the ball to the basket, and has a bright, bright future.”
Quirin Emanga (4.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg) played 51.9% of available minutes last season and also excelled against conference opponents, posting a 116.3 offensive rating in CAA games.
He made 39% of his 3-pointers. At 6-5, 220-pounds, the sophomore is yet another ideal fit on the perimeter.
Chris Doherty (5.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg) was productive when he was healthy last season and is a strong candidate to fill the fifth starting role. He hit 61% of his shots, recording a 121.5 offensive rating.
The 6-7, 240-pound sophomore did not play in either of Northeastern’s regular-season CAA defeats, which Coen thinks is not a coincidence.
“He’s a guy that’s capable of going out and getting 20 rebounds,” Coen says. “He’s really worked on his skill development this summer and he’s a big strong kid with a high motor. He can give us a backbone to our defense and particularly on the glass. He can change games with his ability to rebound.”
Alexander Nwagha (0.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg) will also have an opportunity to crack the rotation because of the freshman’s size—6-8, 230 pounds—and energy on the glass.
Coen and his staff secured valuable additions through the transfer portal, enhancing the roster’s depth and providing intense competition for playing time. Northeastern should be able to maintain efficiency and production when it goes to the bench.
A 6-5 graduate transfer, Tyreek Scott-Grayson (9.3 ppg) averaged 8.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 95 career games at UAB. He made 34% of his 3-pointers and dropped 30 points on Rice in a Conference USA game last season as a senior.
Joe Pridgen (12.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg), a 6-5 sophomore forward, comes over from CAA rival UNC Wilmington. He finished in the top 20 in the conference last season in scoring, steals and field-goal percentage.
Glen McClintock averaged 5.4 points and made 35.4% of his 3-pointers in Air Force’s deliberate attack as a 6-2 freshman. He gives the Huskies another option at point guard.
A grad transfer, Nikola Djogo (5.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg) was a team captain at Notre Dame last season as a redshirt senior. The 6-8, 230-pound forward, who Northeastern recruited out of high school, delivered a 21-point game versus Boston College and scored 11 points in an upset win over 11th-ranked Florida State during his time with the Fighting Irish.
To Randriasalama, a 6-3 guard from Montreal, is the only freshman on the roster.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT A
BENCH/DEPTH A
FRONTCOURT A
INTANGIBLES A-
Coen will rely on his best players to play the bulk of the minutes, and his rotation has rarely gone more than eight or maybe nine players. It will be interesting to watch how the battle for playing time unfolds during November and December.
With the plethora of options, Coen should have his team fine-tuned by the time conference play starts in the final week of 2021.
BLUE RIBBON FORECAST
1. Northeastern
2. James Madison
3. College of Charleston 4. Hofstra
5. Delaware
6. Elon
7. Drexel
8. Towson
9. William & Mary
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
F-Dylan Painter, SR, Delaware F-James Butler, SR, Drexel G-Camren Wynter, JR, Drexel G-Jalen Ray, SR, Hofstra
G-Vado Morse, JR, James Madison
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jalen Ray, SR, Hofstra
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
John Meeks, SR, College of Charleston
2021-22 CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
March 5-8, Entertainment & Sports Arena, Washington D.C.
2020-21 CHAMPIONS
James Madison, Northeastern (Regular season) Drexel (Conference tournament)
2020-21 POSTSEASON PARTICIPANTS
Postseason record: 0-1 (.000)
NCAA
Drexel
TOP BACKCOURTS
1. James Madison 2. Hofstra 3. Northeastern
TOP FRONTCOURTS
1. Northeastern 2. Delaware 3. James Madison
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2020-21 KenPom Rating: 19th (of 32)
KenPom Rating (last 5 years): 12-15-22-18-19
(This post was last modified: 09-27-2021 01:14 PM by geewizNU.)
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