TWO WAY PLAYER

Bowling Green’s Javontae Campbell turned in a record-setting performance on the road Saturday at UMass. Down by three, with ten seconds remaining, Campbell was fouled beyond the arc. He went to the line and hit all three to send to game to overtime. The 6-foot-2 senior finished with 47 points, and the Falcons needed every one of them, in a 101-100 overtime win.  

The 47 points were the most by a Falcon since 1964 and the most ever in a road game.

Campbell, who was recently named to the Lou Henson Early Season Watch List, is averaging 17.7 points per game and is shooting over 50% from the field. He makes Bowling Green go and he does it at both ends of the floor.

In addition to being a candidate for the Lou Henson award, Campbell is a player to watch for the 2025-26 Lefty Driesell Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in division I college basketball.

Bowling Green leads the nation with 12.5 steals per game and Campbell contributes 3.4 thefts per contest to the cause. He’s on pace to pass the school record for steals, which he set last season with 90, and the Mid-American Conference single-season record of 103.

Campbell is a unique defensive talent. He has great length and his instincts are unbelievable. He has really quick feet and body control, so he is really difficult to shake. Head coach Todd Simon likes to have him pick up full court.

With Campbell leading the way, the Falcons are tops among all MAC teams, limiting the opposition to 68.7 points per game and opponents shoot 42.3% from the field.

Javontae Campbell is a terrific two-way player and the ideal point guard for a Todd Simon team and a very worthy nominee for the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award.

SHARK ALERT

After two tough seasons, Rod Strickland led Long Island University to a 12-4 second place finish in the NEC last season. This season, the Sharks look like the team to beat. The unanimous preseason favorite in the Northeast Conference started league play with two wins, including a victory over defending NEC champion Central Connecticut last Friday.

Strickland’s team is super athletic, and they are lethal in transition.  Defensively they switch everything with their great athletes and force opponents into turnovers or quick shots.  And then they are off to the races. 

The Sharks are led by their Big 3 who are all seniors. Malachi Davis is a 6-foot-3, long, athletic point guard who can score. He’s second on the team, averaging just under 16 points per game. 6-foot-5 Greg Gordon (pictured above) is the best athlete in NEC. He contributes 14.5 and 5 rebounds per contest. And Jamal Fuller has stepped up his game this season. The 6-foot-5 Toronto native is a three-level scorer.

January 31 on ESPNU the Sharks travel to Central Connecticut for the rematch. Those two teams may meet a third time in March for the NEC crown.

WARRIORS COME OUT AND PLAY

Merrimack’s debut in the MAAC, last season, ended with a 14-6 second place finish and the Warriors have picked up with their left off. Albeit with a new cast, led by two young guards. 

Head Joe Gallo has a knack for finding really talented point guards, and Kevair Kennedy (pictured above) is the latest. The 6-foot-2 freshman plays with great poise for a first-year player. He has a great motor and he’s hard to keep out of the paint. He makes Merrimack go both offensively and defensively. As a senior he led Father Judge High School to the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship and his transition to division I has been pretty smooth. He’s scoring over 20 points per game in MAAC play. Kevair Kennedy is a winner.

The emergence of Ty Dorset has also helped the Warriors get off to 5-0 start in the MAAC. As a freshman he came off the bench last season, doing a little bit of everything in his limited minutes. This season, the 6-foot-3 sophomore is getting 35 minutes and contributing 11 points per contest. He’s a jack of all trades who can play multiple spots on the floor, which gives Gallo a lot of flexibility. He’s a valuable part of the starting five.

With young guards and seasoned veterans like Todd Brogna, Andrés Marrero and Ernest Shelton, Gallo has a nice mix, and his Warriors aren’t going away.

BUILDING SOMETHING SPECIAL

2024-25 was an historic season for St. Thomas.  With 24 wins and a second-place finish (12-4) in the Summit League, the Tommies had a lot of momentum coming into this season. The preseason favorites in the Summit, have not disappointed.

It’s a very tough, physical, well coached team. As a unit, they know their identity and play to it -- one possession at a time on both ends of the floor. Individually, each player contributes to the overall goal of winning based on their role. It’s a very disciplined group that is fun to watch.

Nolan Minessale (pictured above), who was recently named to the Lou Henson Watch List, is a stud. The 6-foot-5 Wisconsin native is top 20 nationally in scoring with just over 21 points per contest and he’s shooting just under 55% from the field.

They are the best team in the Summit League, and the brand-new state-of-the-art Lee & Penny Anderson Arena is a real homecourt advantage for the Tommies and John Tauer who can really coach.

THE TALENT RICH IVY

When the Lou Henson Watch List was announced last month, three Ivy League players headlined the list with Robert Hinton (Harvard), Kenny Noland (Columbia) and Nick Townsend (Yale). But there easily could have been more. There is no lack of talent in the Ivy.

Cooper Noard, Cornell
Noard is a “tough as nails” kid who competes at a high level. He’s an elite shooter and cutter and has become a good finisher at the basket as well, which has made him an even more complete offensive player.  The 6-foot-2 senior, who opened the season with 34 against Kent State, is the top scorer in the league, averaging just over 19 points per game.

Kareem Thomas, Dartmouth
Thomas is really good at getting downhill and drawing fouls, while also being a shooting threat from beyond the arc. At 6-foot-5 the sophomore has great size and length. After getting just 4.5 minutes of run per game as a freshman, Thomas is having a breakout season. He’s scoring 18.5 per contest, including a 27-point performance in December at Wyoming. He’s shooting 56% from deep. He can play.

Ethan Roberts, Penn
Roberts picked up Lou Henson Player of the Week honors in November after back-to-back 30-point games for the Quakers. He’s a tremendous perimeter shooter and he added the ability to get the basket, off the bounce, to his game.  He can now score at all four levels.  Unfortunately for Penn, Roberts got hurt against Villanova in the Big 5 Championship on Dec. 6 and has not returned, but he is expected back soon. He's a terrific player.


 

HIS GAME IS LOUD

When Charleston Southern head coach Saah Nimley looked to the transfer portal for offense, he was drawn to a 6-foot-5 JUCO at Gulf State College. Brycen Blaine, who spent parts of two seasons at James Madison before transferring, was a good shooter who put up solid numbers. Not eye-popping numbers. 

But Nimley loved his mindset and approach. And that he plays with edge. 

“I think his personality stood out the most during recruiting,” said the Nimely now in his second full season as head coach. “He's very type A personality. Outspoken. Loud. Willing to ruffle feathers. Willing to be coached hard. Just the type of dude he is really drew me to him and thought he'd be a great fit with the type of coach I am.”

Blaine has certainly fit in very nicely. On opening night, he was 6-of-12 from beyond the arc on his way to a career-best 22 points against Virginia Tech. Seven days later he raised the bar with a 42-point performance at The Citadel. And he has continued to ruffle feathers, averaging 20.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.8 assist per game. 

The Richmond, Virginia native, can really shoot it from deep, but he is a strong and physical player who can score at all three levels. He does a great job of making all the proper reads in Nimley’s offense, but when things break down -- he's good enough to go make a play on his own.

“Brycen's game is elite for our system,” said Nimley. “His ability to move without the ball and make shots makes him extremely hard to keep up with in our system especially with the pace we play at. He's done a great job making plays for himself and others in these early games.”

His game is loud, and Charleston Southern (7-5) is making noise. The Buccaneers have their best record before Christmas since the 2011-12 season, which is why Brycen Blaine is a deserving candidate for the 2026 Riley Wallace Award, presented annually to the most impactful transfer in division I college basketball. 

WAITED HIS TURN

It wasn’t that long ago when young players arrived on campus, competed in practice, got stronger in the weight room, and waited behind upper classmen before getting their opportunity to play. Of course, the transfer portal has changed all that, but there are still a few young men who have taken that path to stardom.

Darin Smith, Jr., (pictured above) spent the past two seasons developing his game at Central Connecticut State. After redshirting his first season, Smith earned Northeast Conference All-Rookie Team honors, averaging 6.8 and 18.0 minutes on a team that won 25 games. Good minutes and good numbers on one of the best teams in program history. In fact, the 45 wins over the past two seasons are the most in a 2-year span in school history.

As a young player, there is no substitute for being a part of a winning culture. Last year’s 25-win team featured four 4-year seniors including Riley Wallace Award finalist Devin Haid, and Lou Henson All-American Jordan Jones. 

Head coach Patrick Sellers is one of best young coaches in the game, but all good coaches love to have those veteran leaders to set the tone and lead by example. Smith has grown and matured with the help of some great mentors. He learned to approach the game in the correct way. 

There was little doubt that he could score. He showed flashes last season, scoring double figures eight times. This season, his role changed. Now he was the go-to-guy, and it didn’t take long for him to deliver. On Nov. 11 at Boston College, Smith made the game-winning layup, with 3.2 seconds to play, to give the Blue Devils a 60-59 upset win. Two weeks later he dropped a career-high 38 on Sacred Heart just before Thanksgiving. 

He's a natural scorer. He can shoot if from deep, he can beat you off the bounce and he can post up. The 6-foot-7 sophomore is averaging 20 points, 5.2 rebounds, and is shooting 50% from the field. 

Working hard and waiting for your opportunity is still in vogue.

DIFFERENCE MAKER

Tyler Lundblade is the number one option for Casey Alexander’s Belmont Bruins (11-1), which are currently ranked No. 5 in the Mid-Major Top 25®. The 6-foot-5 senior, who began his career at TCU, has scored in double figures in all 12 games this season and is averaging just over 16 points per contest. 

Much like his arrival his two years ago, there wasn’t a lot of hype surrounding the announcement in April that Nic McClain was transferring to Belmont. Nor was there an overabundance of suitors for McClain who started 21 games last season for Eastern Washington and averaged 10.6 points and 3.8 assists per game. Washington State, coached by David Riley who had recruited him to EWU, was one of a handful of schools that expressed interest in the Florida native.

The 6-foot-3 senior has been ideal fit for the Bruins. He’s a talented, unselfish guard. He likes to drive and create, but he can shoot it. McClain doesn’t take a lot of shots in the very efficient Belmont offense, but he also rarely takes a bad shot. He’s shooting over 50% from the field.

Belmont is 5th in the nation in effective field goal percentage at .609% and McClain’s steady presence is a big part of that. He currently ranks top 20 in the country in assists with 6.3 per contest. He’s also an excellent rebounder (4.5 per), coming with just one rebound of a triple-double on Nov. 30 at Charleston with 12 points, 11 assists and 9 boards.

Belmont fans know the McClain name well. Older brother Kevin helped the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament back in 2019, scoring 27 points in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship game. In the First Four against Temple, big brother dropped 29 on Temple, as the Bruins advanced with an 81-70 victory over the Owls. That was the last time Belmont went to the Dance, something the younger McClain and his teammates will look to change.  

Nic McClain has been a difference maker.