By Chris Garvin
3 19 2024
Dayton, OH – The Wagner College men’s basketball team will take on Howard in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday at 6:40 pm on truTV.
The Road To The Big Dance
For the first time since 2003, the Wagner men’s basketball team hoisted the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship trophy, earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in a thrilling, 54-47, victory over #2 Merrimack at Lawler Arena last Tuesday evening.
The Seahawks became the first NEC team to win three road games en route to a conference championship, running the perpetual gauntlet by defeating #3 Sacred Heart and #1 CCSU before dethroning the reigning NEC Champion Warriors.
This year’s Wagner team is tied with the 1999 Mount St. Mary’s team for the lowest seed to ever win the NEC title after becoming the first team since the 2005 Seahawks to qualify for the NEC championship game as the #6 seed.
On Tuesday, junior Tahron Allen led the Green and White with 22 points and was named NEC Tournament MVP, while junior Melvin Council Jr. joined Allen in double figures with 12 points. Sophomore Keyontae Lewis had eight points and 12 rebounds in the victory.
Wagner led 41-30 with 12:38 remaining in the contest, but Merrimack rattled off 13 consecutive points to take a 43-41 lead with 8:07 left to play. However, the Seahawks finished the game on a 13-4 run, cementing their legacy as the first Wagner team to make the NCAA Tournament in over 20 years.
Junior Javier Ezquerra and Council scored on consecutive possessions to take a three-point lead just ahead of the final media timeout. An Allen bucket with 2:38 on the clock made it 48-43, before clutch free throws down the stretch capped off the upset.
The Seahawks punched their ticket to the NEC title game with a 66-56 victory at #1 CCSU three days prior. The Seahawks were led by sophomore Julian Brown’s 20 points, while Council Jr. and sophomore Keyontae Lewis added 12 points apiece. Tahron Allen was the fourth Seahawk in double figures with 11 points.
Wagner led for 32:48 minutes of the contest, but battled foul trouble for most of the second half. Lewis and Council fouled out throughout the second half, leaving Wagner with just five players for the final minutes of the contest.
The Blue Devils tied the game at 39-39 with 9:06 to play, but never took the lead, as back-to-back buckets by Council extended the Wagner lead to 52-45 with 2:57 to play. A clutch basket by Ezquerra with 2:23 to play put Wagner up six at 54-48, with Wagner staying calm at the line late to earn the victory.
Three days earlier, Wagner earned a 60-57 victory over #3 Sacred Heart in the NEC quarterfinal. In a game that was a one-possession game for the final 11:13 minutes of the second half, the Green and White prevailed late in dramatic fashion.
Wagner was the lone road team to earn a victory in NEC quarterfinal action.
One year after falling at Sacred Heart in the quarterfinal round, Wagner took a one-point lead on a clutch layup by Allen with 46 seconds remaining, before a pair of free throws by Council Jr. with 17 seconds left made it a three-point game. A last-second shot attempt by the Pioneers fell short, giving the Seahawks the victory.
Defying The Odds
Wagner has been limited to just seven scholarship players for the entirety of conference play due to injury. The Seahawks have not had a live practice since December 27, 2023.
Wagner In The NCAA Tournament
This marks Wagner’s second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Prior to this year, the Seahawks won their lone NEC championship in 2003, and reached the NEC final in 1993 (losing to Rider), 2005 (losing to FDU), 2016 (losing to FDU), 2018 (losing to LIU), and 2022 (losing to Bryant). No current Wagner player has been to the NCAA Tournament.
In 2003, the #15-seeded Seahawks lost to Pitt 87-61 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Wagner earned an 88-66 victory over LIU in the NEC quarterfinals, followed by a 61-54 victory over Quinnipiac in the semifinals and a 78-61 triumph in the NEC Championship game against St. Francis Brooklyn.
The 2003 Seahawks won the title behind Wagner Hall of Famer Jermaine Hall, who was a unanimous selection as the 2002-03 NEC Player of the Year. He was also named MVP of the NEC Tournament where he averaged 22.3 points per game and 6.7 rebounds in the three games, highlighted by a magnificent 27-point, 12-rebound effort in the championship game win over St. Francis Brooklyn. For his career, Hall is Wagner’s second all-time leading scorer with 2,278 points, which also ranks fourth on the NEC all-time scoring list.
In 2002-03, Dereck Whittenburg was head coach of the first Wagner men’s basketball team to win the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship and accompanying NCAA Tournament bid. Named the 2002-03 NEC Coach of the Year, ‘Whitt” had the distinction of being the first men’s basketball coach in Wagner’s Division I era with a career winning percentage of over .500 (67-50-overall; 46-30 NEC). Additionally, he was the first Wagner men’s basketball coach in the D-I era to achieve two post-season tournament bids. (2002 NIT and 2003 NCAA). All told, he coached and helped develop seven players who went on to play professionally overseas in: Jermaine Hall, Dedrick Dye, Nigel Wyatte, Doug Viegas, Courtney Pritchard, Sean Munson, and DeEarnest McLemore. The coach of an exciting brand of basketball, the former NC State star and member of the 1983 Wolfpack’s national championship team under Jim Valvano, Whittenburg’s teams led the NEC in scoring in three of his four seasons at Wagner. During his time on Grymes Hill, his teams also paced the league in: FG % (2002-03) 47.0%, 3pt FG % (2002-03) 38.2%, FT% (1999-00) 71.6%, Scoring Margin (2002-03) 3.2, Assists/Game 2X (1999-00) 17.2 (2000-01) 17.3, Steals 2X (1999-00) 309 (2000-01) 292.
Wagner’s Dedrick Dye was tabbed as a Verizon Third Team Academic All-American in 2003.
Wagner Coaches In The NCAA Tournament
This marks the fourth NCAA Tournament appearance for head coach Donald Copeland. As a player at Seton Hall, the Garden State product helped lead them to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in his sophomore (2004) and senior (2006) seasons.
In helping lead the Pirates to an 18-12 record and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a senior in 2005-06, Copeland led the Hall in a host of statistical categories including scoring (16.1 ppg), assists (4.5), steals (41), three-pointers (71) and free-throw percentage (84.4). For the season, he ranked third in the Big East in assists per game (5.1) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.69).
As an assistant coach in 2021-22, Copeland was part of a Seton Hall team that earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament after compiling a 21-11 record along with an 11-8 mark in Big East play.
Copeland has played in three NCAA Tournament games. He made his NCAA Tournament debut on March 18, 2004 against Arizona. In an 80-76 win, Copeland scored four points off the bench. In the second round of the tournament, Copeland’s Pirates lost 90-62 to Duke, who eventually advanced to the Final Four.
As a senior, Copeland’s Pirates fell 86-66 to Wichita State in the first round of the tournament as the 10th seed. Copeland led the Pirates with five assists while contributing 17 points and two rebounds.
Wagner Director of Player Development Malik Boothe appeared in the 2011 NCAA Tournament for St. John’s as a senior.
Council Earns All-NEC Honors
Junior Melvin Council Jr. was named a First Team All-NEC selection.
Voted on by the league’s head coaches, Council becomes the first Seahawk to earn First Team All-NEC honors since Alex Morales in 2022.
The league-leader with 35.82 minutes per game during the regular season, Council entered the NEC Tournament ranked fourth in the circuit in scoring (15.3 ppg), eighth in rebounding (5.8), sixth in assists (3.61), and third in assist/turnover ratio (2.02).
Council has scored 20 or more points on six occasions, including two of the last three regular season games, and scored in double figures in 15 of 16 conference games. The Rochester native recorded four double-doubles throughout the regular season.
The first-year Seahawk led the Green and White to a road victory at Saint Francis U on February 15 with the game-winner in overtime as part of a 20-point night.
Merrimack’s Jordan Derkack earned Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, while the Warriors’ Adam “Budd” Clark was voted Rookie of the Year. CCSU’s Patrick Sellers took home Jim Phelan Coach of the Year honors.
Joining Council on the NEC First Team were Derkack, CCSU’s Allan Jeanne-Rose, FDU’s Ansley Almonor, and Le Moyne’s Kaiyem Cleary.
The Series
Tuesday’s game marks the second-ever matchup between Wagner and Howard. The only time Wagner and Howard have squared off came on November 28, 1997, at the Pepsi Marist Classic in Poughkeepsie, NY. The Seahawks, coached by Tim Capstraw, went on to earn a 79-54 victory for their first win of the season that year.
They would finish the season with a 13-16 (7-9) record and would go on to be the #6-seed in the 1998 Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament. After a first round upset in overtime over #3-seed St. Francis Brooklyn, 77-76, the Seahawks would go on to lose to #2-seed FDU in the semi-finals.
The Tournament MVP
Junior Tahron Allen earned NEC Tournament MVP honors. Allen delivered a star-studded 22-point outing in the championship game, which matched his career-high in a Seahawk uniform. The junior forward averaged 18.3 ppg and 6.0 rpg over three games to earn Tournament MVP honors.
Joining Allen on the All-Tournament Team from Wagner was Council Jr.Putting up 12 points against the Warriors, he charted 8.7 points and 5.3 boards during the Seahawks’ storybook title run.
The Wagner DNA
At 62.6 points per game, Wagner is 8th in the country in scoring defense while also leading the Northeast Conference (NEC).
In three road games in the NEC Tournament, Wagner limited opponents to 35.8% shooting from the field and 53.3 points per game.
The Hameline Hat-Trick
Former Director of Athletics and current Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Walt Hameline’s last three coaching hires are all represented in the NCAA Tournament this year. UConn’s Dan Hurley, Saint Peter’s’ Bashir Mason, and current Wagner head coach Donald Copeland all got their head coaching careers started at Wagner.
Downtown Staten Island
Defensively, the Seahawks hold teams to 29.7% shooting from long range, good for 10th in the country. Wagner held opponents to 24.4% from downtown in the NEC Tournament.
Offensively, Wagner is 5-2 when connecting on nine or more threes per game. Against Sacred Heart in the NEC quarterfinals, the Seahawks connected on seven three-pointers in the first half.
Ezquerra Closing In On Milestone
Junior Javier Ezquerra is closing in on 250 career assists. The NEC’s active leader has 133 assists on the year and 249 for his career.
The Key
Sophomore forward Keyontae Lewis has scored in double figures in six of Wagner’s last nine games. He shot 50 percent or better from the field in 13-of-16 NEC regular season games this season and ranked first in the league in field goal accuracy in conference play at 60.9 percent. Against CCSU in the NEC semifinal, Lewis scored 10 points in the game’s first six minutes before contributing eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds in the NEC Championship Game.
Brown From Downtown
Sophomore Julian Brown has connected on two or more threes in five of Wagner’s last seven games. Brown led Wagner with 20 points against CCSU in the NEC semifinals and is averaging 9.5 points on the season.
Taking Care Of The Ball
Wagner’s 9.9 turnovers per game are 32nd in the country and first in the NEC. As a team Wagner’s assist/turnover ratio of 1.32 leads the NEC. Individually, the Seahawks have two of the top three players in the NEC in assist/turnover ratio in junior Javier Ezquerra (2nd / 2.10) and Council (3rd / 2.00).
The Wagner – Dayton Connection
While the Seahawks may not be playing the Flyers in this game, Dayton will forever be a part of Wagner history. The greatest day in the long and illustrious football history of Wagner College came on a sunny December 12, 1987 in Phenix, Alabama, as the Seahawks captured the 1987 NCAA Division III National Championship with a 19-3 victory over the University of Dayton in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. Winners of seven straight and 12 of 13 heading into the championship, Wagner rose to the challenge, jumping out to a 19-0 first-half lead. The Green And White never looked back in cruising to the College’s first and only national championship in any sport.
About Wagner College
Wagner College in New York City supports students on their journey toward professional and personal success. Wagner’s comprehensive academic offerings include renowned majors in nursing, business, education and the arts, and growing graduate programs. Wagner boasts a diverse and vibrant community of more than 2,000 students, each of whom completes an internship or other practical, hands-on learning experience during their college career. Through partnerships with industry, government and nonprofits, Wagner forges close ties with the rest of New York City and offers a unique blend of experiential learning opportunities under the Wagner Plan. Wagner’s beautiful, 105-acre residential campus on Staten Island overlooks the five boroughs from the second-highest point in the city. Manhattan is a short ferry ride away. A founding member of the Northeast Conference (NEC), Wagner College competes in 27 Division I sports.
Scouting The Bison
Howard entered the year as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) preseason favorites, but fell to 15-16 (9-5) by the end of the regular season. However, the Bison, as the #4-seed in the MEAC Tournament, won three games in three days to win their second straight title.
Led by a trio of double-digit scorers, Howard defeated #5-seed Morgan State, 78-65, in the quarterfinals, #1-seed Norfolk State, 80-74, in the semi-finals, and #6-seed Delaware State, 70-67, in the championship game
Junior Bryce Harris is the team’s scoring leader, averaging 16.6 points on the year, good for second in the MEAC. Harris averaged 20.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks during Howard’s three-game run to a second consecutive MEAC championship.
Next Up
The winner of Tuesday’s game will take on #1 North Carolina in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
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