Miller, Martin, Samuels Headline GNAC Year-End Awards
WINTHROP, Mass. – A trio of accolades is the story for the No. 9 University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's basketball team, as senior point guard Jaecee Martin (Hartford, Conn.), junior forward Jalen Samuels (Franklin, Mass.) and head coach Glen Miller received All-Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) nods to close out another storybook season. The award-winners were announced by the conference front office on Monday afternoon following a dominant performance in the 2022 GNAC Championship.
"JC" was named GNAC Player of the Year (along with first team All-GNAC), while Samuels was named GNAC Defensive Player of the Year (his first-ever nod), with Miller completing the trio by being named GNAC Coach of the Year after leading the Blue Jays to a 23-1 record in the regular season and 26-1 overall entering the NCAA Division III Tournament, which the Blue Jays start Friday, March 4 against Penn St.-Harrisburg at 3:50 p.m. on the campus of WPI in Worcester, Mass. in the first round.
JC, who is now a two-time player of the year winner, is just the fifth player in GNAC Men's Basketball history to win both the player of the year (POTY) and defensive player of the year (DPOTY) in his career. He is also the sixth player to win POTY awards in consecutive seasons.
Won Player of the Year Awards (Offensive or Defensive) in Consecutive Seasons
GNAC Men's Basketball History
SEASONS
2020,2022 2 Jaecee Martin Saint Joseph (Conn.)
2017-18 2 Jaqhawn Walters Albertus Magnus
2014-15 2 Victor Ljuljdurjuraj Albertus Magnus
2008-10 3 Jeremy Shannon Emerson
2002-04 3 Rob Hennigan Emerson
2000-01 2 Eric Stewart Western New England
Miller meanwhile is the first coach since Jamie Benton at Johnson & Wales in 2015-16 to win Coach of the Year and the GNAC Title in the same season. Senior forward Jordan Powell (Middletown, Conn.) and senior forward and captain Jake Suliivan (Branford, Conn.) also claimed year-end awards. For the full list of award-winners, please see below.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Jaecee Martin, St. Joseph (Conn.)
DEF. PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Jalen Samuels, St. Joseph (Conn.)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – Josh Zangerle, Johnson and Wales (RI)
COACH OF THE YEAR – Glen Miller, St. Joseph (Conn.)
TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD – Norwich University
First Team
EJ Day, Lasell
Marc Trinidad, Regis (Mass.)
Miles Gillette, Rivier
Jaecee Martin, St. Joseph (Conn.)
Jordan Powell, St. Joseph (Conn.)
Second Team
Tyreek Perkins, Albertus Magnus
Terry Dawkins, Albertus Magnus
Donte Pope, Emmanuel (Mass.)
Josh Zangerle, Johnson and Wales (RI)
Kevin Nunez, Lasell
Third Team
Davon Warner, Albertus Magnus
Ralph Grasso, Jr., Anna Maria
Kevin Vanderhorst, Lasell
Donovan Lewis Jr., Norwich
Griffin Foley, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
All-Rookie Team
Gabe Armstead, Anna Maria
Kevin Cummings, Colby-Sawyer
Donte Pope, Emmanuel (Mass.)
Josh Zangerle, Johnson and Wales (RI)
Jalen Olivero, Norwich
All-Sportsmanship Team
Jordan Williams, Albertus Magnus
Kennedy Minix-Rogers, Anna Maria
Conor Kelly, Colby-Sawyer
Jared Kelly, Dean
Tahquell Cadle, Elms
Ted Weber, Emmanuel
Bryan Davis, Johnson & Wales
Zach Scott, Lasell
Samuel-Noah Osarenkhoe, Norwich
Thomas Ahlstrom, Regis
Jake Sullivan, USJ
Tyler Ricker, Saint Joseph's of Maine
The Blue Jays are fresh off their second straight Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship, defeating Albertus Magnus 94-67 Sunday. It was part of a string of postseason dominance for Saint Joseph, which won all three of its GNAC Tournament games by 25+ points, including the first two by 50+.
Saint Joseph is 26-1 overall, and was the last unbeaten D-III team in the nation before suffering its first loss of the season to then #24 Yeshiva, 87-76 in New York on February 17. The squad sits at No. 9 in the last D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, just behind fellow Connecticut school, Wesleyan University.
UP NEXT
USJ is headed to WPI for the NCAA Division III Tournament, where the team will play Penn St.-Harrisburg at 3:50 p.m. on Friday, March 4 in Worcester, Mass. in the first round. Catch the action live on usjbluejays.com.
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