BOSTON – Brendan Mulson of the Suffolk men's basketball team was tabbed the GNAC Rookie of the Year, while teammates Thomas Duffy and Michael Hagopian represented the Rams on the second and third teams, respectively.
The trio marks the most all-league accolades for the blue-and-gold in the program history with Mulson grabbing the conference's best rookie status since Frantz Pinard in 2013-14. Duffy and Hagopian, meanwhile, are the first set of Suffolk teammates to be named to the all-conference team together since Winston Daly and Jason Luisi did so in 2001-02.
Suffolk had a season for the record books, putting together the most wins (15) since 2001-02 and vying for GNAC glory with a semifinals final run, the team's fourth-ever appearance in the conference's semis. The Rams put together the most conference wins (9-7) since 2005-06 (9-9) to seal their sixth straight appearance in the league's postseason and highest seeding at sixth since 2013.
Duffy, a sophomore guard from Fairfield, Connecticut, led the way for Suffolk. He dropped double digits in scoring in all, but two of Suffolk's 27 games, surpassing 20 points 12 times and 30 once, in the semifinals at Johnson & Wales. His 455 total points were good for a team-best 16.8 ppg, which sat seventh in the league. He also paced the Rams in assists, handing out 3.7 per game, while sitting second on the squad in the defensive effort with 4.7 rpg. Duffy became the fifth-ever Ram to represent Suffolk on the second team.
Hagopian grabs his second straight all-league honor, a feat that has only been accomplished by five student-athletes since Suffolk joined the GNAC ranks in 1999-00. His third-team nod comes after a season which saw the junior double figures in 18 games including a career-high 37 points in a 101-86 offensive onslaught over Mount Ida Jan. 27. The 6-foot-2 guard sat second on the team in points, 14.6 ppg, and was the third-best threat from downtown in the league, shooting an impressive 45.9 percentage (78-170) from behind-the-arc.
Mulson had an all-around freshman campaign as the Albany, New York product put together a stat line of 11.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.4 apg and 1.1 spg. He ranked third on the squad in points and led the way on the glass. The four-time GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week became the first Ram to be recognized as the league's best rookie since Frantz Pinard in 2013-14.
Cameron Powers represented the Rams on the conference's All-Sportsmanship team, which was established to honor one player from each team in the conference for outstanding dedication to sportsmanship and for their portrayal of good sportsmanship, fair play and positive attitude.
For the second straight season, Suffolk was recognized on the sportsmanship front as well as the Rams' earned the league's Institutional Sportsmanship Award.
Since joining the GNAC ranks in 2000, Suffolk has earned 24 All-GNAC honors including three rookies of the year, 10 first-team, five second-team and six third-team selections.
2017-18 ALL-GNAC MEN'S BASKETBALL
First-Team
Jaqhawn Walters, Albertus Magnus
Mike Rapoza, Anna Maria
Brian Hogan-Gary, Johnson & Wales
Stefan Masciarelli, Lasell
Darian Berry, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Second-Team
Jarell Lawson, Johnson & Wales
Tim Blair, Lasell
Ademola Afonja, Regis
Ian Mileikis, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Thomas Duffy, Suffolk
Third Team
Jahmerikah Green-Younger, Albertus Magnus
Amir Maddred, Albertus Magnus
Ryan Pittman, Albertus Magnus
Mike Hogervorst, Norwich
Michael Hagopian, Suffolk
Player of the Year – Jaqhawn Walters, Albertus Magnus *
Defensive Player of the Year – Mike Rapoza, Anna Maria
Rookie of the Year – Brendan Mulson, Suffolk
Coach of the Year – Mitch Oliver, Albertus Magnus
Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Suffolk
All-Sportsmanship Award
Jemaa Mwinila-Yuori, Albertus Magnus
John Birch, Anna Maria
Zachary Crisafulli, Emmanuel
Matt Madoian, Johnson & Wales
Derek McMahon, Lasell
Joe DeFillippi, Mount Ida
Joe Bertrand, Norwich
Shawn Wedderburn, Regis
Tarik Rivers, Rivier
Tatsuaski Sakai, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Cameron Powers, Suffolk
* unanimous selection