| NEC Men's Basketball Player of the Year | |
| File:Northeast Conference.svg | |
| Awarded for | the most outstanding basketball player in the Northeast Conference |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| First awarded | 1983 |
| Currently held by | Ken Horton, Central Connecticut State |
The Northeast Conference (NEC) Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual college basketball award given to the Northeast Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1982–83 season, when the league was known as the ECAC Metro Conference.[a]
The most well-recognized NEC Player of the Year is Marist's Rik Smits, who won the award in 1987 and 1988. Smits went on to have a successful National Basketball Association (NBA) career for 12 seasons (1988–2000), all with the Indiana Pacers.[1] In 1998, Smits was named an Eastern Conference All-Star.[1]
Central Connecticut State, Long Island and Robert Morris have the most all-time winners with five each. All charter members of the Northeast Conference that are still members have had at least one winner. Of current NEC members, only Bryant and Sacred Heart have had zero players of the year.
Key[]
| † | Co-Players of the Year |
| * | Awarded a national Player of the Year award: the Naismith College Player of the Year or the John R. Wooden Award |
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the Player of the Year award at that point |
Winners[]
Rik Smits of Marist went on to have a successful NBA career with the Indiana Pacers.
| Season | Player | School | Position | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | Steve Smith | Marist | Shooting guard | Senior |
| 1983–84† | Chipper Harris | Robert Morris | Shooting guard | Senior |
| 1983–84† | Robert Jackson | St. Francis (NY) | Senior | |
| 1983–84† | Carey Scurry | Long Island | Power forward | Junior |
| 1984–85 | Carey Scurry (2) | Long Island | Power forward | Senior |
| 1985–86 | Terrance Bailey | Wagner | Shooting guard | Junior |
| 1986–87 | Rik Smits | Marist | Center | Junior |
| 1987–88 | Rik Smits (2) | Marist | Center | Senior |
| 1988–89 | Vaughn Luton | Robert Morris | Guard | Senior |
| 1989–90 | Desi Wilson | Fairleigh Dickinson | Forward | Junior |
| 1990–91 | Mike Iuzzolino | Saint Francis (PA) | Point guard | Senior |
| 1991–92 | Myron Walker | Robert Morris | Shooting guard | Sophomore |
| 1992–93 | Darrick Suber | Rider | Point guard | Senior |
| 1993–94 | Izett Buchanan | Marist | Small forward | Senior |
| 1994–95 | Joe Griffin | Long Island | Power forward | Senior |
| 1995–96 | Chris McGuthrie | Mount St. Mary's | Point guard | Senior |
| 1996–97 | Charles Jones | Long Island | Point guard / Shooting guard | Junior |
| 1997–98 | Charles Jones (2) | Long Island | Point guard / Shooting guard | Senior |
| 1998–99 | Ray Minlend | St. Francis (NY) | Point guard | Senior |
| 1999–00 | Rick Mickens | Central Connecticut State | Shooting guard | Senior |
| 2000–01 | Rahsaan Johnson | Monmouth | Point guard | Sophomore |
| 2001–02 | Corsley Edwards | Central Connecticut State | Forward | Senior |
| 2002–03 | Jermaine Hall | Wagner | Small forward | Senior |
| 2003–04 | Ron Robinson | Central Connecticut State | Forward | Senior |
| 2004–05 | Blake Hamilton | Monmouth | Power forward | Senior |
| 2005–06 | Chad Timberlake | Fairleigh Dickinson | Shooting guard | Senior |
| 2006–07 | Javier Mojica | Central Connecticut State | Shooting guard / Point guard | Senior |
| 2007–08 | Tony Lee | Robert Morris | Point guard | Senior |
| 2008–09 | Jeremy Chappell | Robert Morris | Shooting guard | Senior |
| 2009–10 | Justin Rutty | Quinnipiac | Power forward | Junior |
| 2010–11 | Ken Horton[2] | Central Connecticut State | Small forward | Junior |
Winners by school[]
| School (year joined) | Winners | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Central Connecticut State (1997) | 5 | 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2011 |
| Long Island (1981) | 5 | 1984†, 1985, 1995, 1997, 1998 |
| Robert Morris (1981) | 5 | 1984†, 1989, 1992, 2008, 2009 |
| Marist (1981)[b] | 4 | 1983, 1987, 1988, 1994 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson (1981) | 2 | 1990, 2006 |
| Monmouth (1985) | 2 | 2001, 2005 |
| St. Francis (NY) (1981) | 2 | 1984†, 1999 |
| Wagner (1981) | 2 | 1986, 2003 |
| Mount St. Mary's (1989) | 1 | 1996 |
| Quinnipiac (1998) | 1 | 2010 |
| Rider (1992)[c] | 1 | 1993 |
| Saint Francis (PA) (1981) | 1 | 1991 |
| Bryant (2008) | 0 | — |
| Sacred Heart (1999) | 0 | — |
Footnotes[]
- a The Northeast Conference was founded in 1981 as the ECAC Metro Conference, but member schools changed the name beginning with the 1989–90 school year.
- b Marist College was a charter member in 1981 but left in 1997. They are now in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
- c Rider University left in 1997 after spending five years in the NEC. They are now in the MAAC.
References[]
- General
- "Records & History" (PDF, pg. 20). 2009–10 Northeast Conference Men's Basketball Media Guide. Northeast Conference. http://www.northeastconference.org/Sports/mbball/2009-10/guide/guide(68-100).pdf. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- Specific
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Rik Smits Bio". National Basketball Association. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/rik_smits/bio.html. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ↑ CCSU's Ken Horton Named Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, accessed March 1, 2011
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