Busting Brackets
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NEC Basketball: 2021 Conference Tournament preview and predictions

By Benjamin Zacher

Dec 8, 2020; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Wagner Seahawks guard Alex Morales (2) dribbles up court against the Seton Hall Pirates during the first half at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 8, 2020; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Wagner Seahawks guard Alex Morales (2) dribbles up court against the Seton Hall Pirates during the first half at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Northeast Basketball Wagner Seahawks Alex Morales Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Northeast Basketball Wagner Seahawks Alex Morales Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /

Alex Morales – Wagner

2020-21 stats: 17.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.8 spg

The senior is coming off one of his worst offensive performances in his two-year career at Wagner, but there are not many scorers as deadly as Morales.  Sitting in the top 10 in the NEC in points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game, the 6-6 forward has registered double-digits in 15 of Wagner’s 18 games.

He’s a do-it-all type of player, too, and can stuff the stat-sheet in multiple ways.  Against Central Connecticut just a week and a half ago, he recorded 29 points (11-15 2PT, 1-5 3PT, 4-5 FT) to go with nine rebounds and four steals.  He already has a 14-assist game under his belt this season, as well.

Peter Kiss – Bryant

2020-21 stats: 17.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.0 spg

In just his first season with the Bulldogs, Kiss has already made history.  Fifth in the NEC in points per game, tenth in assists per game, and leading the league in steals per game, Kiss – after making his way from Quinnipiac to Rutgers and now to Bryant – has been an offensive force for the Bulldogs.  At 6-5, he has poured in double-digits in 17 of Bryant’s 19 contests.

At least 10 of those have been 20-point-plus performances, including a career-high 27 points (10-13 2PT, 1-3 3PT, 4-4 FT) against Central Connecticut on January 8th.  Just a day prior, against CCSU, Kiss notched the first triple-double in program history, with 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Tyler Thomas – Sacred Heart

2020-21 stats: 19.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.9 apg

There has not been a greater offensive force in the Northeast Conference than Thomas, who leads the conference in points per game – over a point better than second-place – all the while ranking second in three-point field goals made in a game with 2.8.  After struggling to see consistent time on the floor last season, Thomas has taken the reigns of Sacred Heart’s offense and has run with it.

Having just endured one single-digit game this calendar year, Thomas has recorded double-figures in his last six games – and has not missed a free-throw in that stretch, going a perfect 30-30 from the charity stripe.  Before that single-digit game, he registered a career-high 36 points (4-8 2PT, 7-16 3PT, 7-8 FT) – as well as six boards and four assists – in an overtime loss to Merrimack.

Damian Chong Qui – Mount St. Mary’s

2020-21 stats: 14.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5.6 apg

From glue guy to NEC Most Improved Player to the leader on the court, Chong Qui has made a name for himself with the Mountaineers.  At just 5-8, the junior guard has become the most significant cog in the Mount’s lineup, playing in 89.8% of the Mount’s minutes – 30th-highest in all of college basketball – and ranking at the top of the NEC in assists per game.

Since scoring a season-low three points to Wagner last month, Chong Qui has been on a tear in his last four games, averaging marks of 14.75 points, 6.25 boards, and 6.5 assists.  Already this season, he has set career-highs in points (30 at Central Connecticut), rebounds (11 at Fairleigh Dickinson), and assists (10 against Merrimack).

Elijah Ford – Wagner

2020-21 stats: 17.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.5 apg

While Morales is the gear that makes Wagner’s offense work outside, Ford is the force inside.  The 6-5 senior ranks among the nation’s best in effective field goal percentage and steal percentage, while maintaining blistering shooting clips of 60.9% (2PT) and 76.0% (FT).  He is the NEC’s second-leading scorer, just behind Tyler Thomas, and his 59.5% field goal percentage ranks second in the conference.

After fluctuating between single- and double-digit showings last season, Ford has been a consistent weapon this year.  He has scored single-digits just once this year, having recorded seven-straight double-figure games heading into the NEC Tournament.  Among them is a career-best 31 points (12-18 2PT, 1-1 3PT, 4-4 FT) against Saint Francis, where he also tallied seven boards and two steals.  Most recently, he nearly logged a triple-double against Merrimack with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and seven steals.