One more month of the season remains and conference races are heating up throughout the region.
On a national scale, four New England programs appear in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25: No. 5 Trinity, No. 9 Tufts, No. 14 Endicott and No. 18 Wesleyan.
Players, both stars and reserves, stepped up in big games in January across the region.
These seven shined bright in the first month of 2026 and will certainly play big minutes down the stretch heading into conference tournament time.
Jack Bleier, WPI
Junior, 6-2 guard
Hometown: Victor, N.Y.
A bench regular for the Engineers this season, he’s played big minutes throughout the season but caught fire across a four-game stretch of January. After scoring in double-digits twice in the first 14 games of the season, Bleier went for an average of 13.8 points over a 4-0 stretch for WPI. The highlight was a career-high, 17-point performance over MIT on Jan. 17.
Luka Vlajkovic, Western New England
Senior, 6-6 forward
Hometown: Melrose, Mass.
The leading scorer for the Golden Bears led WNEU to a 7-2 January. Vlajkovic scored 20 or more points three times and had four double-doubles highlighted by a 21-point, 21-rebound performance in a 79-65 win over Nichols. With the Golden Bears in a fight for the two-seed in the CNE, and trying to chase down nationally-ranked Endicott, Vlajkovic’s play the rest of the way should set the tone for how the squad ends the season.
Remijo Wani, St Joseph’s (Maine)
Junior, 6-3 guard
Hometown: Portland, Maine
After a brutal 3-7 start, the Monks went 8-1 in January and Wani was a huge reason why. The veteran who has played 70 college games put up a month to match, scoring in double figures every game the Monks played in a stretch that included wins over Bates, Ithaca and six GNAC league wins. The 28-point, 15-rebound game he had against Emmanuel should remind the league that the Monks are still the standard bearers in the conference until knocked off the top.
Marcus Montanigno, Endicott
Senior, 6-4 guard
Hometown: Gloucester, Mass.
Yep, he’s back. Three 30-point games. Three double-doubles. An average of 4.4 assists per game. Montanigno was incredible once again for the Gulls. His craftiest performance may have come against North Shore rival Gordon. The Scots held Montanigno to just four points and he still almost carved out a double-double with 13 rebounds and nine assists. Despite being in just his second year in Beverly, Montanigno enters February just 39 points shy of 1,000 in his Endicott career.
Joe Okla, Worcester State
Sophomore, 6-6 forward
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
January just kept getting better and better for Okla and the Lancers. Over 10 games he averaged 17 points and saved his best for last, as he led WSU to a 5-1 finish to the month and averaged 20.8 points and 11.5 rebounds a game during that run. The Lancers sit second in the MASCAC and get league-leading Westfield State to open February.
Elias Rodl, Brandeis
Senior, 6-6 forward
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
A 5-2 month for the Judges was carried offensively by the play of Rodl. The senior averaged 23.1 points per game including a 27-point, 14-rebound game against Rochester. In a wildly deep UAA, Rodl’s play has him at 21.7 points per game, good for second in the conference. His 7.4 rebounds is good for seventh in the league as well. Huge games await against Wash. U, Chicago, and Emory, and Rodl’s play will go a long way on if the Judges play in March or are on the wrong side of the bubble.
Zach McLaughlin, Maine-Farmington
Sophomore, 6-2 guard
Hometown: Hampden, Maine
Sixth in the country in scoring at 25 points per game, McLaughlin has been on all cylinders for the Beavers and went supernova over 10 games in January. McLaughlin led Farmington to an 8-2 month on the back of 27 points per game and three games with 30-plus points. At 14-1 in conference play, the Beavers are in prime position to make a run through the North Atlantic Conference.
