Watch (Free) | Listen Live (Free) | Live Stats | Follow On Twitter
New Britain, CT - Wagner (6-7), which has lost its last seven road games to Central Connecticut (4-9) by an average of 15.1 points per game, will be aiming for its second-straight victory in the Northeast Conference (NEC) opener for both teams on Thursday, January 9 at 7:00 pm. As always, as Joey Wahler will have the call beginning at 6:50 pm through
Red Zone Media.
Top Storylines
#1 - Wagner opens up its 33rd season of NEC basketball against the Blue Devils.
#2 - The Seahawks will be playing for the first time since a December 30th win at Monmouth after NCCU was unable to make it to Staten Island.
#3 - The Green & White will be looking to snap a seven-game road losing streak to the Blue Devils, having last won on January 22, 2004.
Quick Hits
* Wagner, which has lost its last seven road games to Central Connecticut by an average of 15.1 points per game, will be aiming for its second-straight victory after posting a decisive 59-52 win at former league rival Monmouth.
* Due to the NCCU cancellation, the Seahawks have played just once in the last three weeks, with that MU game sandwiched between a pair of 11-day breaks.
* Wagner has eliminated the Blue Devils in the NEC Tournament in each of the last two years. Additionally, the home team has captured all six match-ups during that time.
* The Seahawks are 16-16, all-time, in NEC openers.
* Wagner is 18-18, all-time, against CCSU, including going 16-17 since moving to Division I for the 1976-1977 season. However, the Seahawks are just 3-12 as a D-1 school in New Britain.
* Since joining the NEC for the 1997-1998 season, Central Connecticut is 173-117 in league games with three league titles.
* The NEC-opener with the Blue Devils represents a homecoming of sorts for Wagner graduate manager
Obie Nwadike, who established himself as one of the top rebounders in CCSU history from 2003-2007. Nwadike ranks 20th in Central Connecticut annals with 1,265 points and sixth with 980 rebounds while earning First Team All-NEC accolades in helping the Blue Devils to the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
* In the win over Monmouth, senior
Naofall Folahan set a single-game school-record with 10 blocks and is now just one off of Frantz Pierre-Louis' school-record total of 176.
* Led by Folahan, who broke
Miladin Mutavdzic's 21-year school record of eight rejections, the Seahawks blocked 15 shots against the Hawks.
* The 10 Folahan rejections and the 15 Wagner blocks are tied for the most in the Division I ranks this season with four others in each category.
* Folahan's 10 rejections are the most by a NEC player since Monmouth's John Bunch had 10 vs. St. Francis Brooklyn on February 3, 2007 while the Seahawks' 15 are the most since FDU notched 17 against Hartford on November 22, 1997.
* Folahan now ranks 34th nationally with a league-best 2.6 blocks per game and is 10th in the NEC with 5.3 rebounds each time out.
* Since the start of the 2011-2012 season, Wagner, which was picked to win the 2014 NEC Championship by the league's coaches, are 50-25, including 27-9 during conference play and 21-14 in non-conference action.
* The Seahawks have also now won six-straight games against the Hawks with each victory coming by six points or less, while also improving to 13-1 (6-1 road) against New Jersey schools since the start of the 2010-2011 season.
* Senior
Kenneth Ortiz led the offense at MU with a game-high 20 points but failed to record an assist for the first time in 67 games and just the second time as a member of the Green & White.
* For Ortiz, it was his second 20-point outing this season and the fifth of his career. He is among the league leaders in scoring (13.8-13th), rebounding (4.2-18th), assists (3.7-t-8th), steals (1.5-8th), field goal percentage (.444-15th) and free throw percentage (.783-6th).
* Ortiz, the Wagner Student-Athlete of the Month for December, averaged 16.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game last month. A two-time NEC Defensive Player of the Year, he also became the first Seahawk player to earn NEC Player of the Week accolades after averaging 13.5 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game in leading the Green & White to wins over Vermont and Coppin State earlier this season.
* Junior
Mario Moody also had a huge game against Monmouth, scoring 12 points with a personal-best matching 14 rebounds in notching his first double-double of the season and the fourth of his career. He also blocked three shots and is now averaging 8.2 points, a team-best 6.2 rebounds (5th NEC) and 1.5 blocks (3rd NEC) per game.
* Wagner has now won five-straight games when recording a double-double and are 7-1 over the last three years.
* Thanks to Folahan and Moody, the Seahawks have more blocks (75) then steals (74) this season as the duo is the top shot-blocking tandem in the NEC.
* Folahan has now blocked four or more shots on 12 occasions with Wagner going 10-2 in those games. Moody, meanwhile, cracked the Seahawks' top-10 list and now has 81 blocks, needing three to match Mark Porter for ninth place.
* Junior
Marcus Burton rounded out the double-figure scorers with 14 points off the bench as the Seahawks improved to 4-1 when the North Carolina native notches double-digits. He is one of just two players that have not started to rank among the league leaders in scoring, checking with 9.2 points per game (29th NEC).
* Wagner limited Monmouth to just 52 points on 29.0 percent shooting. Both were season-lows for the Hawks and season-best performances for the Seahawk defense. It was the first Green & White win this season when limiting the opposition to less than 60 points. Over the last three years, Wagner is 21-0 when holding opponents to that standard.
* The Seahawks also defeated a MAAC school for the first the time since posting a 59-58 win over St. Peter's on December 12, 2009.
* Second year head coach
Bashir Mason, who was a finalist for the
CollegeInsider.com Joe B. Hall First-Year and Ben Jobe Minority Coach of the Year awards last season, is 25-19 in this his second year on Grymes Hill. He reached the 20-win plateau for his career in his 33rd game against Chestnut Hill on Tuesday, November 12, matching Chester Sellitto's 47-year school record.
* For the second season in a row, Mason, who is 29 years and 332 days old, is the youngest Division I head coach as well as the lone head man under the age of 30. In 2012-2013, Mason led Wagner to a 19-12 record (12-6 NEC) in 2012-2013. Both his overall and NEC win totals represented school-records for a rookie coach.
* Despite missing the last two games, senior
Latif Rivers has 1,290 points and with 10 more will become just the fourth Seahawk (
Jermaine Hall,
Mark Porter,
Dedrick Dye) to notch at least 1,300 since the turn of the century. He has also now paced the Seahawks in scoring 30 times with Wagner going 20-10 during that time.
* Rivers ranks among the league leaders in scoring (14.7 ppg, 9th), field goal percentage (.455, 12th), 3-point percentage (.395, 11th) and free throw percentage (.768, 8th).
* Thanks to Rivers, Ortiz, junior
Jay Harris and Burton, the Seahawk guards have accounted for 71.4 percent of the offense (642/899) of the team's scoring.
* Folahan, Ortiz,
Orlando Parker and Rivers comprise the Green & White senior class, which has registered 63 wins since descending on Grymes Hill and has accounted for 49.4 percent (444-of-899) of the team's offense this year. Parker also ranks 14th in the NEC with 4.8 rebounds per game.
* Wagner is 26-12 in games decided by less than 10 points or in OT the last three years. 38-2 when limiting opponents to less than 70 points and 33-5 when scoring at least 70.
* The Seahawks have now won 39-straight games when leading with five minutes to play and are 46-1 in those situations over the last three years. The Green & White is also 37-2 when leading at the half, 16-6 following a loss and 29-3 when shooting 45 percent or higher.
* Wagner is off to a solid start on defense, leading the NEC in rebounding (36.8), blocks (5.8) (33rd NCAA) and three point field goal percentage defense (.310) (75th NCAA) while also ranking second in field goal percentage defense (.402) (69th NCAA), second in rebounding margin (-2.7) and third in scoring defense (72.8).
* Since Mason took over as coach last season, the Seahawks have limited their opposition to 40 percent or less shooting in 24 of their 44 games. Additionally, the Green & White is a perfect 9-0 during the Mason era when holding teams to less than 35 percent from the field.
SCOUTING CCSU
Central Connecticut enters with a record of 4-9 and is led by their high-octane junior trio of Kyle Vinales (17.4 ppg, 3.7 apg), Faronte Drakeford (12.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Malcom McMillan (10.1 ppg, 3.2 apg).
THE VINALES FACTOR
Vinales has been explosive in his brief two-year career against Wagner, averaging 23.5 points per game while shooting 40.4 percent (19-for-47) from long range. The Michigan native also scored a Spiro Sports Center record 42 points last season in the Seahawks' 101-82 victory.
HOWIE LEADS THE CHARGE
The venerable Howie Dickenman is back for his 18th season at the helm of the Blue Devils. The former UConn assistant has led CCSU to three NEC titles while winning four NEC Coach of the Year awards and is the league's longest tenured coach. He is 266-250 during that time, including going 173-117 during NEC play.
DYK??
Dickenman has a winning record against every current NEC team at home with the exception of Robert Morris.
BURTON DOMINATION
In Wagner's two wins over Central Connecticut last season, Burton averaged 19.0 points, 6.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game off the bench while shooting a blistering 55.6 percent (10-of-18) from the field, 60.0 percent (6-of-10) from long range and 92.3 percent (12-of-13) from the line.
MONDAY, MONDAY
Thanks to their win over Monmouth, the Seahawks improved to a perfect 3-0 on Mondays this season.
DEFENSIVE STATE OF MIND
Wagner also won for the 23rd-straight game when limiting a team to less than 60 points, including going 21-0 over the last three years.
TELL-TALE SIGNS
The Seahawks are a perfect 6-0 this season when outshooting the opposition and 42-5 over the last three years, including 23-2 since the start of last season. Wagner is also 4-1 this season when winning the rebounding battle and 34-7 since 2011-2012.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
As a result of the NCCU game being cancelled this past Saturday, the Seahawks will play five-straight on the road and 10-of-12 away from Staten Island.
A TALE OF TWO HALVES
Wagner is averaging just 30.1 points per game in the first half while shooting 36.0 percent from the floor, including 26.9 percent from deep, and 67.9 percent from the line. After halftime, the Seahawks are scoring 38.1 points each time out while shooting 45.5 percent from the field, including 36.7 percent from deep, and 73.4 percent from the line.
HIGH-POWERED BACKCOURT
Thanks to the stellar play of Burton, Harris, Rivers and Ortiz, the Wagner backcourt has accounted for 71.4 percent (642-of-899) of the team's offense while posting 36 of the Seahawks' 43 double-digit performances. Against Lafayette, the backcourt scored 61 of the Green & White's 65 points while shooting 50.0 percent (21-of-42) from the field, including 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from long range.
MOODY BOUNCES BACK
After failing to score a point for the first time this season against Lafayette, Moody bounced back in a big way against Penn, scoring 12 points, on the strength of 8-of-9 shooting from the line, with six rebounds and three blocks over 32 minutes to lead the frontcourt. The Garden State native has notched six of the seven double-figure scoring performances from the frontcourt and is averaging 9.3 points, 8.0 rebound and 2.0 blocks per game over his last four games.
DWAUN STEPPING UP
Sophomore
Dwaun Anderson is averaging 8.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game over his last two games and delivered a thunderous dunk to the put the finishing touches of Wagner's win at Monmouth.
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN
Ortiz's 10 helpers also represent the 16th time in his career that he has notched at least seven in a game. During that time, the Seahawks are an impressive 14-2. The Newark native, is first among active players in the conference with 139 steals and fourth with 347 assists, as Wagner is 50-25 over his three years.
MASON ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2018
Mason recently announced the signings of
Joseph Cooper (Wilmington, DE / Concord),
Aaren Edmead (Deer Park, NY / Deer Park) and
Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, MD / DeMatha Catholic) to National Letters of Intent. Cooper will be playing his senior season at Concord High School averaging 13.0 points, 4.0 steals, 3.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game as a junior at the Tatnall School. As a junior, Edmead averaged 14 points per game while helping lead Deer Park to a 17-4 record, a league championship and the Suffolk Class AA title game. Henson averaged 10.7 points while draining 48 three-pointers for DeMatha Catholic as a junior and is the top returning scorer for the Stags.
WAGNER PICKED TO REIGN SUPREME
For the first time in 21 years Wagner was picked in the annual NEC Coaches Poll to stand atop the summit at the end of the season as The Seahawks received seven of the 10 first place votes. Robert Morris and Bryant tied for second with the Colonials earning two first place nods. Three-time defending champion LIU Brooklyn garnered the final first place vote and was tabbed fourth. Central Connecticut was fifth, followed by last year's runner-up Mount St. Mary's, St. Francis Brooklyn, Sacred Heart, SFU and FDU.
NEC TELEVISION PACKAGE ANNOUNCED
For the third-straight year Wagner will play at least two televised games at home, including one on national television as part of the NEC package. Before the aforementioned two televised home games, the Seahawks will play before a
Fox College Sports (FCS) audience at Mount St. Mary's on Thursday, January 16 at 7:00 pm. Exactly one month later, the Green & White will host Bryant on Sunday, February 16 at 12:00 pm on the
CBS Sports Network before welcoming
FCS back to the Spiro for Senior Day vs. Robert Morris on March 1 at 6:00 pm.
THE NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
Wagner finished up the 2013-2014 non-conference slate with a 6-7 record. The Seahawks opened the season with a loss at Penn State (11/9), before defeating Chestnut Hill (11/12) in their home opener. After dropping a 73-57 decision to St. John's (11/15), the Green & White rebounded with victories at Coppin State (11/18) and Vermont (11/21). After going 1-2 at the Gulf Coast Showcase, Wagner lost to Lafayette (12/3) before defeating Penn (12/7). After losing to Rider (12/14) and La Salle (12/19), the Seahawks capped non-league play with a resounding victory at Monmouth (12/30).
SENIORS PACE RESURGENCE
The senior class of Folahan, Ortiz, Parker and Rivers is arguably the main reason that Wagner in considered among the elite of the NEC. The Seahawks are an impressive 63-42, including 36-18 during league play, since the foursome arrived on Staten Island.
MEET THE STAFF
Mason will be joined on the bench by
Mike Babul,
Marquis Webb,
Scott Smith,
Scott Butterworth and
Obie Nwadike in year two. Babul came to Wagner from Auburn, where he served as the Director of Basketball Operations for two years. The former UMass standout and
Parade All-American also worked at UTEP, Drexel, Youngstown State and Memphis. Webb descended on Staten Island after spending a year at George Mason, where he helped the Patriots to 24 wins in 2011-2012. A 1,000-point scorer at Rutgers, he ranks among the Scarlet Knight all-time leaders with 305 assists. Smith is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Seahawks and the third overall as a member of the staff. Butterworth, who played collegiately at Colby-Sawyer University, begins his first season as the Director of Operations after working in the corporate world. Rounding out the staff is former NEC First Team selection and Central Connecticut standout Nwadike, who notched 1,265 points and 980 rebounds for the Blue Devils from 2003-2007 and most recently played professionally overseas.
WAHLER TO AGAIN SERVE AS OFFICIAL VOICE OF WAGNER BASKETBALL
Mason announced that
WFAN Update Anchor and
News 12 New Jersey Sports Anchor/Reporter Joey Wahler will return for his second season as the official voice of all Seahawk broadcasts for the 2012-2013 season. During the home portion of the schedule, Wahler will broadcast all 10 home games that are slated to be streamed via the Northeast Conference's (NEC)
Front Row Platform.
UP NEXT
Wagner hosts three-time defending NEC Champion LIU Brooklyn on Saturday, January 11 at 4:00 pm.
Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@wagnerathletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department, @WagnerHoops for news and updates on the men's basketball program and Bashir Mason">@BashirMason for news on the second-year coach.
