Preseason Awards: All-NEC Second Team

Throughout the week, Big Apple Buckets will post their NEC preseason awards prior to the NEC Media Day on Tuesday, October 23rd. Today, we list our consensus selections for the All-Northeast Conference Second Team. For a summary of our All-NEC Third Team, click here.

Jason Brickman, PG, LIU-Brooklyn (9.6 ppg, 7.3 apg, 40.6% 3PT, 82.1% FT)

Of our second team selections, only Brickman could have been inserted into our All-NEC first team with good reason. The quiet point guard masterfully ran the fast-paced, highly efficient LIU offense, finishing fifth in the nation in assists per game as a second year player. His exceptional court vision, ability to penetrate the lane, and terrific thee-point range made Brickman the best pure point guard in the NEC. With a final season of Julian Boyd, Jamal Olasewere, and C.J. Garner to look forward to, Brickman will once again be one of the great floor generals in the country.

Kyle Vinales, SG, Central Connecticut (17.9 ppg, 3.6 apg, 1.2 spg, 38.6% 3PT)

It was a sensational freshman season for Vinales, which essentially came out of nowhere.  Vinales was fortunate enough to play with two All-NEC players in Ken Horton and Robby Ptacek alongside him, and he took full advantage. Vinales was fairly efficient scoring the basketball with a shooting percentage line of 39.3%/84.3%/38.6%. Now as a sophomore, Vinales is in an odd position – the Central Connecticut Blue Devils are his team. Howie Dickenman has given Vinales a “dark green light” to shoot, yet the silky smooth playmaker will need to avoid morphing into an inefficient volume scorer. We think he’ll do just fine.

Latif Rivers, SG, Wagner (14.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, 88.4% FT)

Rivers wasn’t the quickest or most talented player on a 25-win Wagner team, but when the Seahawks needed a big play late, it was Rivers controlling the rock more often than not. The junior can score in three levels – at the rim, in the mid-range, and behind the arc – which makes him such a difficult cover for most opponents. Rivers’ defense holds him back somewhat, but with defensive studs Kenneth Ortiz and Naofall Folahan sharing the court, Rivers can focus on his strengths, which is providing excellent value on the offensive side of the ball.

Lucky Jones, G/F, Robert Morris (8.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.2 spg)

Jones is probably the riskiest pick of our All-NEC second team selections, yet we simply can’t ignore his upside. What’s not to like for a freshman that finished in the top 15 of the conference in rebound and steal rate? This season, Jones’ athleticism may be featured more at the “3” for Robert Morris, and if that’s the case, you can expect an uptick in scoring. For Jones to finish as an all-conference second teamer, he’ll need to improve his on-the-ball skills. Given the reports of Jones’ extensive work on his jumper this off season, we’re comfortable making that bet.

Alex Francis, F, Bryant (17.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 53.0% EFG)

Up until now, Francis has been one of the best kept secrets of the NEC, mainly due to the poor performance of his team, the Bryant Bulldogs. Francis finished last season in the top seven of the conference in both scoring and rebounding, despite having a weak supporting cast around him. Now surrounded with capable Division I players, the sky is the limit for Francis, who will need to work on his defense and his turnover rate. If he can improve his game, and more importantly if Bryant can actually compete for a NEC playoff spot, then it wouldn’t shock us to see Francis receive strong consideration for the All-NEC first team.