Northeast Conference primer

A team-by-team glance at the Northeast Conference heading into the 2007-08 season.

Central Connecticut State

Strengths: Tristan Blackwood is one of the best players in the conference and leads an experienced group of guards that have been through it. A key strength, of course, is coach Howie Dickenman.

Weaknesses: The CCSU frontcourt is young and unproven. The Devils have to make something happen inside.

Scouting the newcomers: F Marcus Palmer was a junior college All-American and heads the list of new faces. Fellow F's Ken Horton and Tamir Johnson are also expected to contribute to the new front line and G Jermaine Washington joins the backcourt.

Fairleigh Dickinson

Strengths: This team has quality guards, with Manny Ubilla and Cameron Tyler expected to provide the bulk of the offense after the losses up front. Eric Hazard can shoot.

Weaknesses: The Knights were hammered up front with the loss of Andre Harri, Michael Peeples and Jordan Ingram and have to hope the young guys come through quickly.

Scouting the newcomers: Freshman John Galvin was listed among the early starters. G Jordan Stasyszyn will provide outside shooting off the bench.

LIU-Brooklyn

Strengths: Guard play. Jaytornah Wisseh and Tyrone Mattison are coming off strong seasons and will have to lead this team. There is some depth up front, but probably too many questions.

Weaknesses: Overall talent. Is there enough? Can the frontcourt players do enough to truly complement the guards? There are so many questions that have to be answered

Scouting the newcomers: The biggest name in the new class is the name of the New York City legend. Transfer Ron Manigault, a cousin of New York playground legend Earl "The Goat" Manigault, could wind up starting at a forward. He can play four spots on the floor. There are five other newcomers, including freshman G David Hicks and transfer F Nehemiah Weicks.

Monmouth

Strengths: Jhamar Youngblood was the NEC Rookie of the Year last year and should get even better. He has help in the backcourt from Whitney Coleman and freshman Jim Hett.

Weaknesses: The Hawks will enter the season with very little experience up front after the loss of Marques Alston, Dejean Delic and John Bunch. This team also has to learn how to win again.

Scouting the newcomers: If you had to name a starting lineup a month before the start of the season, freshmen John Hett would probably have to be one of three guards in the lineup, while fellow freshman George Barbour would start at forward.

Mount St. Mary's

Strengths: The backcourt is small, but it's very good, with 5-9 Jeremy Goode and 6-foot Chris Vann leading the way. Coach Milan Brown is a strength and there is some depth here.

Weaknesses: There are questions that have to be answered up front, but all signs point to this conference being heavily guard-oriented.

Scouting the newcomers: While none figures to start, F Shawn Atupem and G Jean Cajou appear to have the best chance of getting real minutes.

Quinnipiac

Strengths: DeMario Anderson is a legitimate candidate for NEC Player of the Year honors as he enters his senior year. He is the strength of this team, with the other players knowing their roles.

Weaknesses: Is Anderson enough? Tom Moore was happy with his five-man recruiting class, but this team is looking for ways to replace the important players lost.

Scouting the newcomers: Brian Geffen transferred from Boston University and is ready to play and Louis Brookins is a transfer from Maryland-Eastern Shore. Ed Jajac is a 6-9 center. The Bobcats also have a pair of brothers; freshman Evann and junior college transfer Jeremy Baker. "I'm happy with the class I brought him," said new coach Tom Moore. "We tried to bring in good players, good people, kids who would fit in the Quinnipiac community. That was very difficult trying to start in April."

Robert Morris

Strengths: Start with two of the better players in the league -- A.J. Jackson and Tony Lee -- and add another top-flight contributor like Jeremy Chappell, and you can tell the Colonials are strong in the experience department. Mike Rice, whose last two jobs were at St. Joseph's and Pittsburgh, will bring a defense-first philosophy, and that can only help.

Weaknesses: The loss of Derek Coleman at the point has to hurt, but Lee slides in there and recruit Gary Wallace can help, too.

Scouting the newcomers: PG Gary Wallace led his high school team to a 59-4 record over the last two seasons. Big man Bas Rozendaal sat out last year. Transfer Bateko Francisco comes with credentials, as do freshmen Khalif Foster and William Royal.

Sacred Heart

Strengths: Scoring. Sacred Heart was 17th in the country in scoring last year, hitting 78.5 points per game, and that figure that could go up this season. This team is just loaded with perimeter players.

Weaknesses: The loss of Joey Henley, wiped out for the year after a football injury, will hurt, particularly inside. Fortunately, this is not a big-man-oriented league, which should help the Pioneers.

Scouting the newcomers: It will be tough for newcomers to get much time, but transfer Corey Hassan (Boston U.) and Turkish import Mehmet Sahan will play.

St. Francis (N.Y.)

Strengths: Robert Hines is one of the best players in the NEC, and he has help as three other starters return with him (even though not all are expected to start). The Terriers also have depth.

Weaknesses: Hines needs help inside if the team is to place higher than just the middle of the NEC pack.

Scouting the newcomers: Freshman Ricky Cadell was expected to step right in and start at the point as Jamaal Womack stays off the ball. Freshman Rocco Rubino, a local talent, is a fine 3-point shooter.

St. Francis (Pa.)

Strengths: Devin Sweetney is one of the best players in the conference and provides a difficult matchup because he doesn't really have a pure position. The Red Flash haves depth and will be a tough team to face at home.

Weaknesses: Hard to find one, really. This team is pretty good.

Scouting the newcomers: From overseas, Swedish import Sorena Orandi comes over to help at point guard.

Wagner

Strengths: Where do you start? The Seahawks get Durell Vinson back to patrol the inside and have plenty of help away from the basket. There's offensive talent, there's depth, and there's every reason to think about the possibility of a NEC title.

Weaknesses: The Seahawks had 438 turnovers to go with 393 assists last year, which contributed to the 11-19 record.

Scouting the newcomers: British import Clayfell Harris may well be the first player off the bench and PG Jaren Haley will get playing time. "They're freshmen but they're good freshmen and we'll be expecting contributions from them," Mike Deane says.