St. Thomas Aquinas College's Shaun Arnold was named the ECC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year and was one of four Spartans to earn All-ECC honors, the East Coast Conference announced on Thursday.
Arnold also took home Second Team All-Conference honors, while Hartnel Haye earned First Team accolades and Derrick James and Luis Risquez scored Second Team kudos.
Sophomore Shaun Arnold (Indianapolis, Ind.) topped the ECC and ranked 10th nationally in total steals (68), swiping the ball away 2.3 times per game in 29 regular season contests, and ranked fifth in total rebounds (192), eighth in rebounds per game (6.6), and 10th in total blocks (22). The ECC Defensive Player of the Year totaled 14 games with three or more steals and dropped five double-doubles after averaging 11.5 points per game on 48.0 percent shooting from the field. Arnold helped anchor STAC to a nation-leading 17.00 offensive rebounds per game and 19.43 turnovers forced per game, which topped the ECC and ranked eighth nationally.
Arnold was also named the ECC Defensive Player of the Week on November 11, 2024.
Hartnel Haye played in all 30 regular season games while averaging 25.4 minutes per game. The Camden, New Jersey native ranks first on the team in points per game (11.9) and total points (358), first on the Spartans (3rd ECC) in rebounds per game (8.1) and (2nd ECC) total rebounds (244), fourth on the maroon and gold in assists per game (1.1) and total assists (33) and second in blocks per game (0.7) and total blocks (20). Haye was also named the ECC Player of the Week on November 11, 2024.
Derrick James suited up in 27 regular season games while averaging 27.5 minutes per game. The Columbus, Ohio resident ranks fourth on the team in points per game (10.7) and fifth in total points (288), first on the Spartans (3rd ECC) in assists per game (4.7) and total assists (126) and second on the maroon and gold (5th ECC) in steals per game (2.0) and (4th ECC) total steals (54).
Luis Risquez took the court in 29 regular season games while averaging 21.7 minutes per game. The Barcelona, Venezuela native ranks second on the team in points per game (11.6) and total points (337), fourth on the Spartans (4th ECC) in field goal percentage (51.6%), third on the maroon and gold in rebounds per game (6.1) and total rebounds (178) and second in blocks per game (0.7) and third in total blocks (19).
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas takes on No. 3 Queens College in the semifinal round of the ECC Men's Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 8. The Spartans and Knights will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. inside of Lumsden Gymnasium on the Daemen University campus in Amherst, New York. STAC swept the regular season series with an 80-59 home victory on January 18 and a 75-68 road triumph on February 22.
2024-25 ECC Men’s Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Benjamin Bill, Daemen
Malik Brooks, Roberts Wesleyan
Hartnel Haye, St. Thomas Aquinas
Justin Hemphill, Daemen
Messiah Mallory, Staten Island
Rob Matos, Molloy
Second Team
Shaun Arnold, St. Thomas Aquinas
Justin Glover, Daemen
Derrick James, St. Thomas Aquinas
Luis Risquez, St. Thomas Aquinas
Nathan Robertson, Mercy
Third Team
Nasan Ayala, Queens
Shamar Chester, Queens
Bryce Merchant, Molloy
Justin Moore, D’Youville
Zach Philipkoski, Daemen
Player of the Year: Benjamin Bill, Daemen
Defensive Player of the Year: Shaun Arnold, St. Thomas Aquinas
Rookie of the Year: Nathan Robertson, Mercy
Coach of the Year: Mike MacDonald, Daemen