WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Monmouth University freshman guard Jhamar Youngblood (Newark, N.J./St. Patrick's) was selected as the 2006-07 Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year in a vote conducted by the league's head coaches. Youngblood, also named to the All-Rookie Team, becomes Monmouth's first Rookie of the Year since Alpha Bangura earned the honor in 1998-99.
CCSU senior guard Javier Mojica was tabbed the NEC Player of the Year, while his coach Howie Dickenman was named the Coach of the Year for a second straight season. CCSU junior guard and Mount St. Mary's senior guard Mychal Kearse were named the Co-Defensive Players of the Year.
This season, Youngblood established himself as one of the NEC's future stars. Stepping into a lead role in Monmouth's backcourt with the graduation of four-year stalwarts Tyler Azzarelli and Chris Kenny, Youngblood earned a starting spot by late December and finished the season as a three-time Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week award winner. A lightning quick combo guard, Youngblood leads all NEC freshman in field goal percentage (.525; sixth overall) and ranks second in steals (1.7 spg; fifth overall) and scoring (12.3 ppg). The Newark, NJ native is not only difficult to contain off the dribble and leading the break, but has also showed range on his shot, hitting 17-33 (.515) from beyond the arc in league play. Youngblood capped his season with a 31-point, eight rebound performance against Sacred Heart on February 23. The 31 points were the most scored by an NEC freshman since St. Francis (NY)'s John Quintana hit for 31 on February 22, 2003.
Youngblood scored in double-digits on 20 occassions as a rookie and registered his first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds in a victory at Wagner in early February.
He was 49 minutes shy of becoming just the third freshman in program history to play 900 minutes in a first season, and ended the campaign with 369 points. Bangura led all Monmouth freshman with 467 points in his first year.
Alex Blackwell (1989-90) was the only other NEC Rookie of the Year in the Hawks' history.
