NEC Release
Staten Island, NY – Graduate student
Alex Morales of the Wagner College men's basketball team became the fourth player in Northeast Conference (NEC) history to repeat as NEC Player of the Year while also earning Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-NEC honors, the conference announced on Tuesday.
Graduate student
Will Martinez and redshirt-senior
Raekwon Rogers were named to the All-NEC Second Team, while graduate student
Elijah Ford earned Third Team All-NEC honors. Freshman
Zaire Williams rounded out the awards with his selection to the NEC All-Rookie Team.
Morales joins LIU's Carey Scurry (1983-84 and 1984-85), Marist's Rik Smits (1986-87 and 1987-88) and LIU's Charles Jones (1996-97 and 1997-98) as the only players to win NEC Player of the Year twice while becoming the first Wagner player ever to achieve the feat. Last season, Morales became Wagner's third-ever player to win the award, joining NEC Hall of Famers Terrance Bailey (1985-86) and Jermaine Hall (2002-03).
Additionally, Morales and CCSU's Rick Mickens (1999-00) are the only two NEC Players to win NEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. The Seahawks have won more NEC Defensive Player of the Year awards than any other school in the history of the league, as Morales joins Kenneth Ortiz (3x winner in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14), DeEarnest McLemore (2004-05), Nigel Wyatte (2003-04) and Courtney Pritchard (2001-02) as winners of this award.
A five-time NEC Player of the Week who scored his 1,000th career point earlier this month, Morales is the lone NEC competitor who ranks in the top-10 in scoring (18.5, third), rebounding (7.8, third), assists (3.7, sixth), steals (1.9, third) and FG percentage (.510, ninth). He is the only player in the nation this season averaging at least 18.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg and 1.5 spg. In three years on Grymes Hill, Morales has amassed 1,141 points, 486 rebounds and 256 assists. With 14 more boards, the Paterson, NJ native will become the 13th player in NEC history to compile 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 250 assists. Morales is a two-time All-NEC first team award winner, becoming the fourth Wagner player to earn two First Team All-NEC selections.
Martinez picks up the first All-NEC honor of his career in his third year on Grymes Hill. Wagner's sixth man is second on the team with 13 points per game, which ranks 13
th in the conference, while also ranking 10
th in the league in field goal percentage (49.1%), 12
th in assists per game (3.0), and seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.4).
After transferring to Wagner from Division II Henderson State, Rogers finished the regular season with the NEC's best field goal percentage, converting on 59.2% of his shots. The 6-8 forward compiled three double-doubles throughout the regular season, while sitting in 14
th in the conference in blocked shots with 0.7 rejections per game on the defensive end.
Despite missing the final six regular season games due to injury, Ford earns a spot on the third team after being a first team selection a year ago. The dynamic playmaker still ranks 19
th in the NEC in scoring at 11.8 points per game and fifth in the circuit in field goal percentage (55%). Ford scored in double digits in 12 of his 18 games while grabbing eight or more rebounds five times throughout his shortened season.
Williams becomes the second Seahawk in as many years to earn a spot on the All-Rookie Team, joining last year's NEC Rookie of the Year
DeLonnie Hunt. The Brooklyn native started 20 games in his first season on Grymes Hill, scoring in double digits three times. An active force on the defensive end, Williams ranks in the Top-15 in the NEC in steals (1.3 spg).
Wagner will take on #7 Saint Francis U on Wednesday in the NEC Quarterfinal at the Spiro Sports Center. For tickets, visit wagnerathletics.com/tickets.
