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

21. Elijah Mitrou-Long

Mitrou-Long is a 6’1 point guard from Ontario who had quite the eventful collegiate career. Our focus today is on his first two seasons, which he spent becoming a great backcourt presence at Mount St. Mary’s under Jamion Christian. He’d then sit out a year and transfer into the Big 12 at Texas, spending an uneventful junior year there before his final year out at UNLV.

There weren’t many highlights in his freshman season, though he did earn a starting spot pretty quickly into the season. Things came together for both Mitrou-Long and the Mountaineers in his second season, as he’d average 15.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. He had a career-high 29-point outburst late in the year against Fairleigh Dickinson before taking Mount St. Mary’s to an NEC Tournament title (averaging 21.7 points per game) and a First Four victory over New Orleans.

Not only was he the conference’s leader in assists and one of the top scorers, but Mitrou-Long was named both First Team All-NEC and the Tournament MVP. Things really came together for him in the back half of that sophomore season, establishing himself as one of the best backcourt players in the NEC. It also allowed him to transfer off to the Big 12 and eventually the Mountain West, though that sophomore year at Mount St. Mary’s was certainly his best individual season.