Freshman forward Jameel Warney, who graduated from Roselle Catholic High School as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,968 points, has continued to raise eyebrows since joining Stony Brook, the top-seeded team in this weekend’s America East tournament.

Warney has proven to be especially potent around the net, leading the conference with a field-goal percentage of 62.4 and tying for the top spot in blocks per game with 1.6. His 7.3 rebounds per contest rank sixth in the league.

Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said Warney’s outstanding freshman season didn’t come as a surprise to him.

“From day one, the first time I saw him play, I knew he’d have a tremendous impact on our program and in the league,” he said.

“The first thing [that stands out]: 6-foot-9, 260 [pounds],” Pikiell added. “That was the first thing that jumps right off the page. I mean he’s huge and he’s got tremendous hands and he’s really, really coachable. So he’s got three great things going for him.”

And those three qualities have made him a key player on one of the country’s best mid-major teams — the Seawolves ranked No. 17 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top 25.

Warney has started every game for the Seawolves, leading them with 12.2 points per contest. He has also posted the team’s second-highest rebounding average, trailing only senior forward Tommy Brenton’s 8.7 boards per night. And in an offense predicated on balance and passing, Warney has proven to be a real team player.

“He’s unselfish almost too much, to a fault sometimes,” Pikiell said. “He’s a real good passer, and he really is a great teammate. He’s got some great qualities for a big guy that are kind of rare.”

Though he still has room to grow, Warney is certainly off to an impressive start, having already broken two program records. On Nov. 11 against Mount Ida, he became the first Stony Brook player to shoot 100 percent from the floor (8-for-8) while attempting at least eight field goals. And no other Seawolf has ever earned as many as Warney’s eight America East Rookie of the Week awards.

But even though Warney is a prime candidate to win the conference’s Rookie of the Year honor, Pikiell said he and the team haven’t given the accolade much thought.

“We’re just trying to win a league championship,” he said. “We don’t really get too involved with the personal, individual awards and what-have-you. We preach the team, team, team stuff, so we don’t really talk about individual stuff.”

Warney has improved his play through the season, posting higher numbers in the conference slate than in earlier season play. In Stony Brook’s 16 America East games, he shot 65 percent and averaged 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.

It wasn’t a very steep change, but a tangible improvement, nonetheless.

“He’s gotten better at both ends of the floor,” Pikiell said. “Defensively he’s made great strides. He’s in great shape — he wasn’t in great shape early on, so his conditioning has improved a great deal. Just his overall basketball IQ is just really good and improving.”

And with three more years of eligibility still remaining, there’s no saying just how good Warney can be if he continues to improve.