Photo By: Larry Levanti

Brooklyn, NY – Junior forward Nigel Jackson and redshirt junior guard Morgan Lenahan of the Wagner College men's and women's basketball teams will represent the program in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Basketball "Social" Media Day on Wednesday, October 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
 
Jackson is one of three returning Seahawks for eighth-year head coach, Bashir Mason. The Baltimore, MD native started in 16 of the 28 contests a season ago in which he hit for double figures on nine occasions, highlighted by a career-high 22 point outing on the road against the 2019 league-champions Fairleigh Dickinson. An instrumental factor on both sides of the ball, Jackson notched a season-best eight ebounds in a 64-58 road victory at Patriot League member, American (11/30/18), while dishing out a season-high five assists at home against New Rochelle (12/9/18). The 6-7 forward had four games in which he rejected two shots, the last coming on the road at Bryant (2/21/19).
 
Lenahan, who missed the entire 2018-19 season due to injury, is one of six returning upperclassmen for fourth-year head coach, Heather Jacobs. The Haddonfield, NJ native will look to rekindle the performance from her first year on Grymes Hill, when she averaged 9.5 points per game while starting in 23 of 28 games. In conference games that season, she upped her scoring production to 10.8 points per game. In total, Lenahan hit for double-digits on 13 different occasions, headlined by a career-high 23-point outburst vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (1/6/18).
 
Both student-athletes, along with both head coaches, will be on hand for the eighth edition of NEC Basketball "Social" Media Day, presented by Franklin Group.
 
NEC hoops followers can expect an immersive experience for an event dubbed #NECinNYC, as fans can join the conversation on social media while watching the proceedings live on both NEC Front Row and ESPN3 beginning at 11:00 a.m. Longtime NEC commentators Dave Popkin, Joe DeSantis, Pam Roecker and Craig D'Amico will serve as hosts of the telecast.

As part of the proceedings, the NEC will unveil the trailer for season two of the league's "All In, Ball Out" basketball branding campaign.

And in a new addition to the event, NEC basketball student-athletes will compete in a All In, Ball Out arcade style shootout tournament with the semifinals and finals to air on Instagram Live.

"We are incredibly excited to return to the Barclays Center for the eighth straight year to tip off the NEC men's and women's basketball seasons," said Noreen Morris, NEC Commissioner. "Hosting our Basketball Social Media Day in this venue within the largest media market in the world is an amazing experience for our student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. And our fans will have an equally exciting opportunity to follow the live action on NEC Front Row and #ESPN3, and interact with our student-athletes through social media posts and stories throughout the day."
 
Players and coaches will be interviewed during the telecast and made available to media attending the event. NEC preseason polls and All-Conference teams will be announced, and a number of NEC hoops alumni will engage in a roundtable discussion reflecting on their journey from the college ranks to establishing a career post-graduation.

Fans can tweet questions in advance for NEC coaches and players to @NECsports or by using the hashtag #NECinNYC. NEC Assistant Commissioner Ralph Ventre will engage fans during the telecast with the best tweets displayed on air.

NEC fans can begin the day at approximately 10:45 am by watching the pre-show on Facebook Live with special guest speaker Tim Capstraw, the longtime NEC and Brooklyn Nets analyst.

Once the proceedings are underway, keep an eye on the NEC's IG story, with men's and women's basketball student-athletes providing content throughout the day.

Barclays Center's college basketball franchise BROOKLYN HOOPS™ is presented by Ticketmaster. For tickets to all of Barclays Center's college basketball games, please visit barclayscenter.com.
 
ABOUT THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
Now in its 39th year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 11 institutions of higher learning located throughout seven states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Boston (#9), Pittsburgh (#24), Baltimore (#26), Hartford/New Haven (#33) and Providence (#53).  Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 23 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 17 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU, Merrimack, Mount St. Mary's, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, all @NECsports.