The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Basketball team continues to be well-represented with postseason honors this spring, as the annual Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association awards were released on Thursday. James Patterson was named the All-Met Division II Player of the Year and a First Team selection, while Head Coach Matt Capell, was tabbed the All-Met Division II Coach of the Year.
Patterson (Richmond, Va.) helped lead the Spartans to their fourth straight ECC Regular Season title, fifth consecutive ECC Tournament crown and ninth straight NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in 2023-2024, all while averaging 23.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. In recognition of his extraordinary season, the sophomore guard/forward adds to an already very full trophy cabinet, having previously been tabbed as an NABC and D2CCA All-American, an NABC All-East District First Team selection, a D2CCA All-East First Team choice, the East Coast Conference Player of the Year and a First Team All-Conference member.
Patterson was also named to the Bevo Francis Award Top 100, 50 and 25 Watch Lists, a nine-time ECC Player of the Week and a three-time Met Basketball Writer's Player of the Week. In addition, he scored his 1,000th career point on February 16, 2024 at Daemen University.
In James' outstanding two years in Sparkill, he has amassed 1,174 points, 474 rebounds, 72 assists, 105 steals and 11 blocked shots in 61 games played. He also becomes the 11th Spartan to earn the distinction of being named the MBWA Division II Men's Player of the Year.
Capell was awarded his second straight Coach of the Year honors, in his second season at the helm of the powerhouse STAC squad. Capell piloted his Spartans to an 25-6 overall record and a 14-2 mark within the ECC. The team won its seventh Regular Season title and eighth ECC Tournament crown in the last nine seasons in 2023-24, while also earning a bid to the NCAA Division II Tourney for a ninth consecutive year.
Capell's two-season record as a head coach is 51-11 overall (.823 win percentage) and 29-3 in ECC play. He also becomes the 13th STAC coach to be selected as the MBWA Division II Men's Coach of the Year.
The 2023-24 All-Met teams will be honored at the 91st MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner on Thursday, April 18, at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel & Conference Center in Tarrytown, NY. The Haggerty dinner is the longest running, media-managed college basketball awards program in the United States.