NEC Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

9. Cane Broome

Broome is a 6’0 guard from East Hartford, Connecticut who played both backcourt positions with a ton of success. He began his collegiate career at Sacred Heart back in 2014 and became a vital weapon across two seasons with the Pioneers. He’d transfer to Cincinnati and become a bench piece for the Bearcats later in his career, though those first two years in the NEC were pretty special.

As a freshman, Broome averaged 14.5 points per game and became a key part as Sacred Heart tripled their win total from 5 to 15. His sophomore season was even more explosive. He’d have a 39-point effort against Fairleigh Dickinson and a number of other 30-point performances, leading the Pioneers to a 2nd-place finish in the NEC. His individual numbers were clearly impressive, as Broome put up 23.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in a major leadership role for the program.

Two years was all the NEC saw of Broome, but he made to sure be remembered. His sophomore season ended with him named NEC Player of the Year, leading the conference in scoring and field goals and finishing 7th in the nation in points per game. Broome’s two seasons at Sacred Heart were full of production and he proved himself an excellent guard in the process. The numbers weren’t as impressive in those final years in the AAC, but he showed his true self while in the NEC.