NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. -- The Merrimack men's basketball team captured the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular-season title and it now has a lengthy list of individual accolades to go along with it.
The conference on Wednesday announced head coach
Joe Gallo and three players received regular-season awards, including the Coach of the Year, Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
To put it simply, the first-place Warriors (21-10, 17-3 in MAAC) cleaned up.
"Let's smile and be happy about those," Gallo told players inside the locker room after he announced the list of award winners. "Now, let's go get the ultimate prize."
Kevair Kennedy was named the Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, marking the first time it has happened in MAAC men's basketball history. The freshman guard was a unanimous selection for both Player of the Year and First Team All-MAAC. Siena's Gavin Doty and Kennedy were the only unanimous First Team All-MAAC selections. Unsurprisingly, after being named the league's Rookie of the Week seven times during the regular season, Kennedy also was named to the All-Rookie Team.
Merrimack junior guard
Ernest Shelton joined Kennedy as a First Team All-MAAC selection while junior forward
KC Ugwuakazi was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Ugwuakazi, who lead the league in blocks per game, also represented the Warriors as a All-Defensive Team selection.
In addition to the accolades awarded to players, Gallo was named the conference's Coach of the Year. Having joined the MAAC in before the 2024-25 season, it represents the first time Gallo has won the award.
Notably, with Merrimack women's basketball coach Kelly Morrone claiming the Coach of the Year award on the women's side, it is just the eighth time in 40-plus years two coaches from the same school earned the recognition in the same season.
The Warriors will try to transition their regular-season success into the postseason as they travel to the MAAC Men's Basketball Championships in Atlantic City. Following a first-round bye, top-seeded Merrimack will play the winner of Iona-Sacred Heart on Friday night. If the Warriors win three games over the course of five nights, they will advance to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament for the first time in program history.
