BOSTON – For the first time in 30 seasons, a New Hampshire Wildcat is the America East men’s basketball Kevin Roberson Player of the Year. Clarence Daniels earned the league’s top honor, highlighting the 2023-24 award winners announced on Thursday afternoon.
Daniels led the six major award winners, which also included Vermont’s Shamir Bogues as Newcomer of the Year and NJIT’s Tariq Francis as Rookie of the Year. Maine’s Kellen Tynes earned Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season while Quinton Mincey took home Sixth Man of the Year accolades. Vermont’s John Becker closed out the major award winners by earning Coach of the Year for a league-record seventh time.
All of the conference’s 2023-24 major awards were announced along with the All-Conference, All-Defensive, All-Rookie and All-Academic teams. Award winners were determined in a vote by the league’s head coaches, who could not vote for their own players.
Full Awards Listing
Kevin Roberson Player of the Year
Clarence Daniels, Sr., Forward, New Hampshire
- Just the second Wildcat to ever win the league’s top men’s basketball honor and first since Scott Drapeau in 1994.
- League’s leading scorer at 19.6 points per game.
- Second in rebounding with 9.3 per contest.
- Has collected 12 double-doubles this season.
- Named AE Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 5.
- Also a first-team All-Conference selection for the second-straight season.
Defensive Player of the Year
Kellen Tynes, Jr., Guard - Maine
- Second-straight Defensive Player of the Year honor.
- Just the fourth player to earn the award a second time joining a prestigious list (Marqus Blakely, Tommy Brenton, Jameel Warney).
- Leads the league averaging 2.3 steals per game, which is tied for 16th-best in the country.
- Also an All-Defensive team and third-team All-Conference choice.
Newcomer of the Year
Shamir Bogues, Jr., Guard - Vermont
- Just the second-ever America East Newcomer of the Year, given to a player who is in his first year in the conference (transfer or freshman).
- Led Vermont to its conference-record eighth-straight regular-season title.
- Averaged 10.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 53 percent from the floor for the Catamounts.
- Also a first-team All-Conference and All-Defensive honoree.
Sixth Man of the Year
Quinton Mincey, Sr., Guard - UMass Lowell
- Second River Hawk to win the honor joining Antonio Bivens, who won the inaugural award in 2014.
- Averaging 14.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in 29 minutes per game off the bench.
- Upped his scoring average to 18.6 ppg in conference play, good for sixth in the league.
- Mincey was also selected to the All-Conference Second Team.
- Award given to a player who starts less than 50 percent of his overall and conference games played.
Rookie of the Year
Tariq Francis, Fr., Guard - NJIT
- First NJIT player to earn an America East major award.
- Ranked ninth among league leaders, averaging 14.3 points per game.
- Also averaged 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per contest.
- Was named #AEHoops Rookie of the Week a league-high eight times, the third-most in league history.
- Highlighted the All-Rookie team as one of five selections.
Coach of the Year
John Becker, Vermont – 13th Season
- Earned Coach of the Year honors for a league-record seventh time.
- Led Vermont to a 25-6 regular-season record and 15-1 mark in league play.
- The Catamounts are the #AEPlayoffs No. 1 seed for the seventh time in the last eight years and earned their eighth-straight regular-season title, another league record and the longest active streak in the country.
- Vermont’s 62.9 points allowed per game rank 10th nationally.
Vermont and UMass Lowell led the way with three All-Conference choices apiece while UAlbany, Bryant, Maine, UMBC and New Hampshire each had two.
Tynes and Bogues led the All-Defensive squad.
Francis paced the All-Rookie team consisting of two NJIT players, two UMBC Retrievers and a Binghamton Bearcat.
Peter Filipovity headlined the All-Academic team as the lone All-Conference member on the squad.
The majority of major award winners and All-Conference honorees will be in action on Saturday for #AEPlayoffs quarterfinals. Complete tournament information can be found at americaeast.com/mbbplayoffs.
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -