Our look at the bottom tier conferences rolls on at CFHI. Today, we look at a quartet of conferences on the east coast: the Northeast, the Ivy League, the America East, and the MAAC.
Greg Mangano, center, Yale
It may surprise you to learn that one of the nation's best centers comes from the Ivy League, but that's exactly the case with big Greg Mangano. Mangano owned the defensive glass finishing fourth in the country in defensive rebounding percentage (28.6). He averaged 16.3 points and 10.0 rebounds last year. Mangano dominated the league recording 13 double-doubles a season ago with standout performances against Brown (23 points, 17 rebounds), Penn (26 points, 11 rebounds), and Columbia (20 points, 16 rebounds). The 6-foot-10 Yalie was also a menace in the paint defensively averaging three blocks a game. Ivy League teams simply don't have the personnel to match up with a NBA caliber center with the size and skill of Mangano on a nightly basis. This makes him a must-own in any format.
Keith Wright, forward, Harvard
If Mangano is the best big man in the Ivy, Harvard's Keith Wright isn't a far too distant second. Wright (14.8 points and 8.3 rebounds) was honored with being the only Ivy League player named as a finalist for the Wooden Award. Wright had 12 double-doubles a season ago, and proved he could excel against touch competition outside of the Ivy League with stellar performances against George Mason (22 points, 16 rebounds) and Michigan (18 points, 12 rebounds). It's also worth noting the Crimson boast one of the best assist men in the country: Brandyn Curry. Curry averaged almost six assists a game last season and recorded double digit assists in three games.
Zack Rosen, guard, Penn
Entering his final year, Rosen has been the face of Penn basketball for the last three seasons. The senior guard has had the ball in his hands a lot, and this year will be no different. Rosen finished second in the conference last year in percentage of minutes played (89.4). He saw his production dip somewhat last season (14.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists), but he is still the Quakers' go-to-guy. In his career, Rosen ranks fourth all-time in Penn history with 415 assists, and has been a good three point shooter (38.9%).
Michael Glover, forward, Iona
Iona is a favorite to win the MAAC and Glover is a big reason for that. The Seton Hall transfer is the league's top returning scorer and rebounder (18.4 points, 10.1 rebounds). Glover is a Tier 1 talent that is as good as any big man in the MAAC. Guard Scott Machado provides a nice outside compliment to Glover. He isn't the best shooter in the world, but ranked eleventh in the country in assist rate last season (39.2). If that isn't enough, the Gaels add former Arizona guard Lamont Jones. Jones (9.7 points, 2.4 assists) was granted a hardship waiver and will be eligible this year.
Brian Voelkel, forward, Vermont
Voelkel (7.0 points, 9.6 rebounds) was America East's rookie of the year last season. While his offensive game probably needs some work, he is a ferocious rebounder. He recorded double digit rebounds in 16 games with his best performance coming against Marist (23 points, 16 rebounds). With some development in his post game, we could be looking at a future double-double machine in Burlington.
George Beamon, guard/forward, Manhattan
It seems forever ago that Bobby Gonzalez was coaching at Manhattan and having success in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, the Jaspers won just six games. One of the few bright spots was swingman George Beamon. The 6-foot-4 Beamon (16.3 points, 6.1 rebounds) is a steady scorer who did most of his damage from inside the three-point line. He shot 15% on just 40 attempts from beyond the arc.
Ken Horton, forward, Central Connecticut State
Ken Horton may be the best college basketball player you've never heard of. He is the Northeast Conference's player of the year and the league's top returning scorer and rebounder. Horton (19.5 points, 8.9 rebounds) scored 20+ points 14 times last season including a season best 35 points against Quinnipiac. He has a nice inside-outside game which enables him to score anywhere on the floor. His shooting percentages are solid across the board and he rarely turns it over. The Blue Devils' NCAA Tournament hopes rest on Horton's shoulders so expect him to run roughshod on the NEC again this year.
Julian Boyd, forward, Long Island
The Blackbirds are the class of the Northeast and have an up-tempo offense that is very friendly to fantasy players. They are led by 6-foot-7 Julian Boyd (13 points, 8.9 rebounds). He is one of the best rebounders in the conference. Last year, Boyd ranked fourth in offensive rebounding percentage (12.8) and first in defensive rebounding percentage (22.1) in the NEC. The junior forward impressed in last year's NCAA Tournament with 18 points and 12 rebounds against North Carolina.
Ian Hummer, forward, Princeton
The big question this year for Princeton is how they will replace some key cogs off last year's NCAA Tournament team. Head coach Sydney Johnson is at Fairfield, and forwards Kareem Maddox and Dan Mavraides are gone. The good news is that the Tigers return leading scorer Ian Hummer (13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds). The 6-foot-7 forward finished strong last season scoring in double figures in the team's last 8 games. With the losses in the Princeton front court, Hummer will be asked to do more. Even with the change at head coach, this is still Princeton we're talking about. The system won't be changing any time soon.
Noruwa Agho, guard, Columbia
Agho (16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists) doesn't get much attention outside of the Ivies, but he deserves to be on your fantasy radar. The 6-foot-3 guard earned first team All-Ivy honors last season and can contribute in a variety of categories. His standout performance was in the finale against Brown when he scored 31 points. Agho has even shown the potential to get a few blocks as he recorded five in a game against Lafayette. With fellow guard Brian Barbour (13.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists); the Lions quietly have one of the best back courts in the Ivy League.
Chris De La Rosa, guard, Maryland-Baltimore County
De La Rosa (15.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists) is one of the best players in the America East. Unfortunately for him, he is stuck on one of the worst teams in the country. The Retrievers don't have much else around him so De La Rosa will have the ball in his hands a lot. He ranked second in the league in percentage of minutes played last season (88.0) and the number this year shouldn't be much different. The diminutive guard will be the catalyst for a UMBC team trying to get out of the America East cellar.
Derek Needham, guard, Fairfield
Needham (14.1 points, 4.5 assists) is a talented combo guard that new coach Sydney Johnson will build his team around. The 5-foot-11 junior earned first team all-MAAC honors last season and has led the Stags in scoring the last two seasons. Keep an eye on Boston College transfer Rakim Sanders. Sanders averaged 11.3 points for BC in 2009-2010 and should be able to make an impact in the MAAC this season.
Jeff Jones, guard, Rider
In keeping with the theme of ACC transfers in the MAAC, we have Jeff Jones. Jones sat out last season after spending three seasons at Virginia. Jones averaged 7.3 points in his final season for the Cavs and shot 43% from three. He has shown potential scoring 15 points against Duke in an ACC Tournament game. The Broncs are replacing two excellent players in Mike Ringgold and Justin Robinson, so they will need a Tier 1 prospect like Jones to produce immediately. Full disclosure: Jones and I attended the same high school so I root for him to do well.
James Johnson, guard, Quinnipiac
Johnson (16.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists) is one of the best scoring guards in the Northeast Conference. The one thing that stands out about Johnson is that he is a volume shooter. He recorded 10+ shots in all but three of the Bobcats' games last season. Johnson isn't the most efficient scorer, but has the capability to score in bursts evidenced by a 38-point performance against Robert Morris.
Tyler Murray, guard, Wagner
Many of the same things I said about Johnson could be said about Murray (16.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists). He is about as a consistent scorer as you'll find anywhere. Remarkably, he failed to score in double digits only once last season. I think I can forgive his 4-point performance at Texas A&M. Under the tutelage of Dan Hurley, Murray and Latif Rivers (13.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists) should keep blossoming into one of the best back courts in the NEC.
Lastly, thanks to KenPom.com for some of the stats I used. Ken Pomeroy's site is invaluable to college basketball fans. If you have any feedback, feel free to email me at hsmall111@gmail.com.