Remaining games before the NEC tournament, with first matchup result

Stonehill College Feb 12 Chicago- Beat CSU in Easton on a last second fluke
Le Moyne College Feb 14 Syracuse- Beat CSU 72-57 in Chicago
FDU Feb 19 Chicago- Beat CSU 70-63 in Teaneck
Central Connecticut Feb 21 Chicago- Beat CSU in CT 78-67
LIU Feb 26 Brooklyn Beat CSU 74-55 in Chicago, very early in NEC play
Wagner College Feb 28 Staten Island- Beat CSU by 7 in Chicago in NEC opener

3 of the next 4 are at home. They are all winnable games. Le Moyne on the road will be a challenge as they are near the top of the league standings.

But as you can see, all 6 teams Chicago has left in the schedule have defeated the Cougars. But of the 4 teams Chicago State has played twice, Chicago lost the first and won the 2nd in 3 of them. Only 1 of those 4 conference teams has defeated the Cougars twice so far.

LIU on the road probably won’t be a win. It would definitely be an upset if it happened. Wagner on the road will likely be a decisive game in terms of conference tournament seeds.

This time of year, injuries, disappointment, and then complacency can grind some teams down to the point they really just want the season to end and don’t have many expectations left. Perhaps they don’t want it to end and still play hard, but if they got down in a game, there is simply less to play for and some of that grit and determination is waning. That can help a team like Chicago State who is playing their best ball of the season get a couple more wins.

Third win in a row and 4th in 5 games for a surging Cougar squad.

Let it get closer than I’d have liked, but it barely got in single digits briefly, so much better than the St Francis game let down.

I was still frustrated by the offense and defense alike in the second half, but some big plays like the baseball pass and dunk to break the press helped seal the deal. Late rebounding helped too, as Stonehill didn’t get some key second looks as they tried to narrow the gap.

If the Cougars can win 3 of their last 5, I believe they will pass another team in the standings. Maybe two. It’s important to not get LIU in the first round.

Big missed opportunity to jump a little in the rankings. But Le Moyne seems to have the Cougars number this season. Despite holding the lead in the second half, Le Moyne simply outplayed Chicago Statendown the stretch. By a lot…

Biggest win of the season for the Cougars in their final home game.

Defeated #2 CCSU by 19 in one of the few complete games the Cougs have played. All around effort.

Down to crunch time for the conference tournament so they need to more big efforts in the road trip to #1 LIU and Wagner.

CJ Ray was selected to the all NEC 3rd team. He was the only Cougar to receive a postseason award. I thought Marcus Tankersly might, but he had a lot stronger early season and faded some as the season progressed.

I also thought Malek Robinson might receive something for his defensive efforts, as he ranked near the top of the conference in steals, but his limited minutes probably hurt him.

Here is the sloppy, disjointed, jumbled announcement from the NEC.

https://necsports.com/news/2026/2/19/MBB...lease.aspx

Despite missing the first half because of a sad excuse for an NEC streaming site, I did get to see the Cougars put in a damn fine effort versus the number 1 seed. If not for a couple late turnovers by Chicago State,MWC might have even seen a victory instead of a 4 point loss.

Now the long off season, wondering if any eligible returnees actually return, or if it will all start from scratch once again…

Underclassmen include

Doyle Cockrill- Could be a solid foundation for next year
Malek Robinson- Leagues steal leader, cheated out of the All defense NEC team IMO
Daniel Zatsepin- solid rebounder, reliable player. Fouls too much, need better defense
Chauncey Gibson- athletic and has a lot more potential than we got to see
Lionel Larvadain- Under used, stuck on a deep bench
Dakari Thomas- came from Alcorn, didn’t get to see a lot, but Bussie brought him, so he must see something in him that perhaps we’ll see more of next season

Possibly someone I missed?

And possibly some that are listed as seniors but have eligibility remain, if any.

If most of them return, the cupboard would be far from bare. Coachs large player rotation means that a lot of those guys got a decent amount of playing time. Maybe equally important, they were truly part of the game, and could be called on to go in at any moment.

With the way the results of the other NEC QF fell, this would’ve been the year CSU shocked the world and went to March Madness. So. Close.

If the team can retain players, they will be improved next year in a very winnable league.

The Cougars played 9 games versus teams with post season invites-

5 versus NCAA tournament teams
2 NIT teams
1 Crown team
1 team, Indian declined all invites

The transfer portal has been open for a few days now, and Chicago State has no players in it.

Doesn’t mean there won’t be any.

But it does mean there isn’t a long list of players looking for the exit at the first chance possible.

And a number of programs any given year have most of the team enter the portal on day 1.

Simply not being that way means something.