With a new season about to begin, energy is high around Northern Essex Community College for basketball. After a strong 2024-2025 season, fans are excited to see what this year’s team can do.

The Knights finished last season with a record of 29-4, including a conference mark of 20-2. They averaged 90.5 points per game and shot 49 percent from the field, ranking among the top scoring teams in the NJCAA.

Even though their tournament run had ended sooner than they hoped with a close loss to Dallas College Richland in the first round, the success of last season has set up a strong foundation for what comes next.

Head Coach Darren Stratton will return for his 23rd season in 2025-26. A four-time Region 21 Coach of the Year, Stratton became the first coach to lead his program to three consecutive Region 21 and Northeast District Championships at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season which had not been accomplished in the Region in 37 years.

Liam McNally, a former NECC student, said he knows how much effort the players put in. “Yeah, I had a friend on the team a couple years ago,” McNally said. “He was always practicing and putting in extra work. I don’t really follow the team super closely now, but I know they take it seriously.”

The Knights are preparing for their first game of the season on Saturday, November 1, at Robert J. Collins Arena at 2:30 p.m. where they face Rockland Community College. Their first home game is set for Thursday, November 6, against Bristol Community College at 7:30 p.m. at the Sport and Fitness Center at the Haverhill campus.

Mathew Heidt, who plans to attend NECC in the spring, said he first met Coach Stratton during a high school camp. “I went to a basketball camp he ran a couple years ago,” Heidt said. “You could tell right away he pushes his players to work hard. I think that’s a big reason why the team’s been so good for a while.”

Fans are also looking forward to returning to the stands. Hayden Lowell, who attended NECC’s Midnight Madness event in 2023, said the experience made him want to see more. “That game was so cool,” Lowell said. “Having it at midnight was a cool idea, and the crowd was way more into the game than I thought they would be. I had a lot of fun.”

With practices underway and fans ready to return, the Knights will look to build on last year’s performance and give students even more to cheer for.