UNH guard Clarence Daniels is the America East Player of the Year. (Photo courtesh of UNH Athletics)

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. UNH senior 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.

Daniels is just the second Wildcat to ever win the league’s top men’s basketball honor and first since Scott Drapeau in 1994. He was the league’s leading scorer at 19.6 points per game as well as second in rebounding with 9.3 per contest. Has collected 12 double-doubles this season, was named AE Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 5, and is also a First Team All-Conference selection for the second-straight season.

Daniels’ honor snaps a seven-year streak of the award going to a Vermont men’s basketball player.

Also, UNH guard Ahmad Robinson was named as an America East Third Team member. Robinson played in every game for the Wildcats, starting in all but one. Throughout the season, he had 24 games when he scored double digit points. Robinson led the team in assists, averaging 4.6 at the end of the season along with steals where he ended the season averaging 1.4 per game.

The Wildcats ended the regular season with a 15-14 overall record, 7-9 in conference. Within that, first year Head Coach Nathan Davis led the Wildcats to an undefeated home non-conference schedule. UNH secured the No. 4 seed for the second year in a row in the Jersey Mike’s America East Playoffs and will play host to no. 5 Binghamton at Lundholm Gym on Saturday, March 9 at 3 p.m.

Newsletter