Grant, Kasperzyk, Townes earn All-NEC honors

SOMERSET, N.J. – Three members of the Bryant University men's basketball team earned All-Northeast Conference honors for the 2018-19 regular season, as juniors Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) and SaBastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.) and freshman Joe Kasperzyk (New Haven, Conn.) took home awards Tuesday for their performances this year.

Grant and Townes were named third-team all-conference honorees, while Kasperzyk earned a spot on the NEC all-rookie team. The three selections are tied for the most in Bryant's time in the Northeast Conference.

Grant ranked seventh in the league in scoring at 15.9 points per game during the regular season while knocking down 80 three-pointers, the third-most in the conference. The junior turned up the offense in the month of February, averaging 20.0 points per game on 52.3 percent shooting and 50 percent from three. Grant has scored 27 or more points in three of his last six contests entering the NEC Tournament. The third-team all-conference honor is the second in as many years for Grant, who was also an all-rookie selection in 2016-17.

Townes enters the NEC Tournament tied for eighth in the conference at 15.3 points per game. The junior forward has eight games of 20 or more points this season, including a 34-point outing against Hartford that ranks fifth in Bryant's Division I era. Townes' rise offensively has been helped by the addition of a three-point shot, as he has drained 29 this season – including two game-winners – after making zero as a sophomore. It is the first All-NEC honor for Townes.

Kasperzyk made an instant impact in his first year in Black & Gold, playing in all 29 games. The New Haven native ranks third among NEC freshmen in scoring at 10.6 points per game and has been in double figures in 13 of his last 20 games entering the conference tournament. Kasperzyk averaged 16.2 points per game over a six-game stretch in December and January in which he won three NEC Rookie of the Week honors.

Bryant opens NEC Tournament play with a quarterfinal Wednesday at Saint Francis U. The 7 p.m. tip in Loretto can be seen on NEC Front Row.

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