WINTHROP, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) announced its 2023-24 Men’s Basketball All-Conference Teams and major award winners on Tuesday afternoon. The University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) led all teams with three selections.
Voting was conducted by the league’s 15 men’s basketball head coaches following the regular season and did not take postseason play into account.
The Blue Jays also had two student-athletes collect major awards as Tyree Mitchell and Jalen Samuels were voted the league’s Player and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. USJ head coach Glen Miller was picked as the 2024 GNAC Coach of the Year by his peers. Collecting the final major award of the season was Lasell’s Che Hanks, who was named Rookie of the Year. Saint Joseph’s (Maine) earned the Institutional Sportsmanship award.
The full list of All-Conference honorees, the All-Rookie Team, and the representatives on the All-Sportsmanship Team can be viewed below.
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PLAYER OF THE YEAR Tyree Mitchell, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) Mitchell was a major contributor for the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) this year, ranking near the top of the league in points and field goal percentage. He finished the regular season with 440 points, which placed him in the league’s top-10 with 273 of those coming in GNAC play, tied for third in the league. Mitchell did not waste his opportunities as he closed out the regular season with the conference’s third-best field goal percentage at 58.2 percent. His shooting efficiency was even better in GNAC play as he led the league with a 62.7 percent field goal percentage. Always a threat to hurt teams from downtown, Mitchell drained 51 three-pointers during the season. Mitchell eclipsed the 20-point plane 12 times during the regular-season, peaking at a season-high 42 points against Dean. He was recognized by the league as Player of the Week during the week ending Feb. 4. |
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DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jalen Samuels, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) Samuels was a key defensive piece to the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) unit that allowed the second fewest points in GNAC play at 66.9 points allowed per game. He ranked in the top-10 with 43 steals on the season and was one of the league’s best rebounders, averaging 5.80 defensive boards per game. Samuels also had 23 blocks during the year. There were five games when he had double-digit caroms off the defensive glass alone. He also had three or more steals on seven occasions. |
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ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Che Hanks, Lasell Hanks had no issues, stepping into the Lasell starting lineup as a rookie, finishing the year as one of the team’s top scorers and playmakers. He ranked third in the league in assists as the end of the regular season, dishing out 95 dimes. Hanks averaged double-digit scoring during his rookie year at 11.5 points per game, scoring 20 or more points on two occasions. He also had seven games in which he had five or more assists. His impressive performances were also recognized during the year as he was selected as the GNAC Rookie of the Week twice (weeks ending Dec. 10 and Jan. 28). |
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COACH OF THE YEAR Glen Miller, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) Miller earned his third-straight GNAC Coach of the Year honor after leading the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) to a perfect 14-0 GNAC (21-4 overall) record this year, earning the No. 1 seed in the GNAC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. Miller’s squad had the league’s top-scoring offense at 85.4 points per game, ranking it in the top-20 in all of NCAA Division III. Some of that could be attributed to the Blue Jays efficient performance from the floor as they ranked in the top-five nationally at the end of the regular season with a 49.9 field goal percentage. However, it wasn’t just the offense propelling USJ to success as they also ranked towards the top in scoring defense, allowing 70.2 points per game with that number dropping to 66.9 in conference play. Ball control was also strong for the GNAC Champions as they finished second in the league in fewest turnovers per game. |
2023-24 Men's Basketball All-GNAC Teams
ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
John Paul Frazier, So., Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Owen Liss, Jr., Norwich
Tyree Mitchell, Sr., University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Jalen Samuels, Sr., University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Justice Washington, Sr., Albertus Magnus
ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
Antonio Bonilla, Sr., Albertus Magnus
Marcus Lewis, Jr., Lasell
Donte Pope, Sr., Emmanuel
Russell Rau, Jr., Regis
AJ Weston, Sr., Dean
ALL-CONFERENCE THIRD TEAM
Lence Altenor, So., University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Jaylyn Clardy, Jr., Mitchell
Ryan Grijalva, Sr., Emmanuel
Devin Owens, Sr., Rivier
Aireus Raspberry, Gr., Johnson & Wales
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Che Hanks, Lasell
Andy Madesko, Lasell
Elijah Miller, Mitchell
Cameron Snowden, Emmanuel
Remijo Wani, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
MAJOR AWARDS
Player of the Year - Tyree Mitchell, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Defensive Player of the Year - Jalen Samuels, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Rookie of the Year - Che Hanks, Lasell
Coach of the Year - Glen Miller, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Institutional Sportsmanship - Saint Joseph's (Maine)
ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM
Jayquan Kirkland, Albertus Magnus
Christian Armstead, Anna Maria
Sadiq Abdullahi, Colby-Sawyer
Harlan Nichols, Dean
Tahquell Cadle, Elms
Teddy Kelly, Emmanuel
Jonah Phang, Johnson & Wales
Demerrick Warren, Lasell
Wilton Causey, Mitchell
Treyjon Lewis, New England College
Nabiyu Ndiaye, Norwich
Joshua Perez, Regis
Robenson Baguidy, Rivier
Ashtyn Abbott, Saint Joseph’s (Maine)
Friedrich Feldrappe, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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