Niego’s homecoming
Lyons graduate was content at Holy Cross, but allure of playing at Lewis brought him back
Joining a team midseason is never easy. Doing it in a time where everything is complicated by a pandemic is even tougher.
Junior forward Connor Niego, however, has embraced the challenge while making his Lewis debut.
“So far, so good,” Niego said. “It’s definitely not the easiest situation, but it’s been great. I’m grateful to be here and to be local. These guys have been great to play with.”
Niego, a Lyons graduate, left behind a solid situation for the chance to play near home and continue a family legacy.
The 6-foot-8 forward became an NCAA Division I starter in the Patriot League, averaging 8.8 points and 5.1 rebounds last season, his third at Holy Cross.
Niego talked to other Division I programs after deciding to transfer last fall, but he felt the pull of coming back home to Division II Lewis.
“Even simple things like going home on a day off are great,” he said. “It’s really enjoyable having family close by. When I was out East, I didn’t have that. I was kind of stuck where I was. I still enjoyed it, but this is different, for sure.
“Hopefully when everything gets back to normal, I can get some family out to the games.”
Niego enrolled at Lewis for the second semester and was able to join the team at the beginning of January. He has played in 11 games for the Flyers (8-8), starting six, and is averaging 8.4 points and a team-best 8.1 rebounds.
“He’s been a welcome addition,” Lewis coach Scott Trost said of Niego. “He’s done a lot of really good things. I know it’s hard to come in at the semester and try to navigate your way through that. Then you add the pandemic in.
“We haven’t been able to do a lot of film sessions, team meetings, a lot of those things. For him to come in and fit in and adjust, it speaks volumes to his character and IQ.”
The Niego legacy at Lewis began in the mid-1980s. Connor’s dad, Joe, and three uncles — Charlie, Tom and Mark — all started in the same lineup for the Flyers. All four scored over 1,000 points in their Lewis career.
Connor’s mother, Julie, also played basketball at Lewis.
“It’s big-time,” he said. “I’ve talked to all my uncles, aunts and my dad. There’s a long lineage of the Niego name here.
“It’s definitely cool to get to talk to those guys about how they experienced similar things on this campus, whether it’s staying in a similar dorm or all that other good stuff. It’s a really cool opportunity.”
Coming down from Division I, Niego has been impressed with the talent in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
“It’s a fantastic league with a lot of guys that could play at that mid-major level,” he said. “There’s more size at the mid-major level, but skill-wise, I don’t think there’s a huge gap.”
Niego said his teammates also have helped him make the transition easier.
“Playing with new guys is always a challenge with communication, learning plays, stuff like that,” he said. “But I think this group of guys, it speaks volumes about them and how they are as people because they have been very accepting. They’ve been helping me with plays, helping me with classes.
“It’s been really cool how receptive they’ve been to the new guy coming in second semester. I want to continue to get in a rhythm with everyone, and hopefully we can get on a roll and make the NCAA Tournament.”