CCSU moves to 2-1 as quest for NEC title gets off to hot start

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — It feels like the Northeast Conference is changing every year.

That’s probably because the league is in the midst of a massive overhaul with teams coming and going to the point where it's feeling like a transitional league. Sacred Heart and Merrimack jumped ship to the MAAC after last season. Le Moyne joined for its first year as a Division I program last year, much like Mercyhurst this year. Chicago State was the last independent left in the sport before joining the NEC in July.

There are some key programs that have stayed through all the movement, one of which is Central Connecticut State, the reigning NEC regular season champions. The Blue Devils lost a tough matchup to eventual NEC tournament champion Wagner in the semifinals, but still had one of their most successful seasons in recent memory.

Now in 2024-25, CCSU is hungry to get back to that top spot. On opening night, the Blue Devils led Providence for a majority of the second half on opening night and fell just short at the end. Last Friday, they went down to Hawk Hill and were in control from the opening tip to the final buzzer in an impressive win over Saint Joseph’s.

On Monday, the Blue Devils returned to Detrick Gymnasium for their home opener and defeated Division III Vermont State Johnson, 117-68, for their second win of the season.

“Coming off a really good road win at St. Joe’s, sometimes you have a chance to have a letdown,” head coach Patrick Sellers said. “(This was a) pretty good win for us.”

The Blue Devils dominated from the opening tip and were clearly a step ahead of their opponents, which was expected.

“We knew that we were playing an opponent that we were better than,” Sellers said. “For the most part, we locked in.”

CCSU lost three key contributors to graduation a year ago in Kellen Amos, Allan Jeanne-Rose and Tre Breland. The latter two exercised all of their eligibility while Amos transferred to Rice. Back again for one last ride is Jordan Jones, a second team All-NEC selection a year ago. Jones is at the forefront of the Blue Devils’ offensive attack once again and brings his experience. Last year, he took over some games with his scoring ability and has already showcased that this season with 21 in the loss to Providence.

In the frontcourt, Sellers has both of his forwards returning from last year in Jayden Brown and Abdul Momoh. Momoh backed Brown up last year, but this year, the pair are starting beside each other. Brown finished with 15 points in the win and Momoh had 10.

“Those guys are just dominant,” Jones said. “It’s great to have them back.”

Joe Ostrowsky is back in an expanded role as the team’s lead facilitator. He had 11 points and six assists Monday, and looked very comfortable leading the offense. Division II transfer Devin Haid comes in as the lone transfer on the squad and is starting right away.

“Joe just does everything right,” Jones said. “He rarely makes mistakes and is always looking towards the next play.”

Off the bench, the Blue Devils have some pretty interesting pieces. Darin Smith, Jr. redshirted his first season in New Britain last year and has blossomed early on this season with a 13 point outing at St. Joe’s and a game-high 23 points against VSU Johnson, knocking down six 3-pointers.

“He’s been doing it all summer,” Sellers said of Smith. “He’s one of the guys we need to get defending better, but he can really put the ball in the hoop.”

“I feel like I put a lot of work in,” Smith said. “If I just keep going, it can be bigger than what it is right now.

All 5’8” of Davonte Sweatman is back for another year as the backup point guard, a spot he’s been in the past couple of years. He finished with 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting against VSU Johnson, a new personal best for the senior.

“For me, coming off the bench isn’t a bad thing, you bring that spark,” Sweatman said. “I feel like I bring that spark.”

Lastly, true freshman James Jones showed off his versatility as the eighth guy in the rotation, grabbing 13 rebounds and dishing out five assists. Jones played the typical jack-of-all-trades role on Monday and looked like a piece that Sellers can work with all season.

“I’m not really worried about my minutes,” James Jones said. “I just want to win.”

Even if it was against a Division III school, the Blue Devils looked like a team that is ready to defend their NEC regular season crown. Sellers has confidence in his group early on, a confidence that stems from the leadership returning from last year’s squad.

“It doesn’t matter who we play,” Jordan Jones said. “We’re just going to play Central Connecticut State basketball. It’s what we do.”

CCSU is next in action north of the border, as the Blue Devils travel to New Brunswick, Canada to take on a tough Northeastern team Saturday in the Atlantic Slam.