Volkerts & Clardy Earn GNAC Men’s Basketball All-Conference Honors
WINTHROP, Mass. – Two members of the Mitchell College men's basketball team earned All-Conference honors by the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), as announced by the league on Tuesday afternoon.
Junior Eddie Volkerts (New London, Conn.) was one of five players named to the All-Conference Second Team, while senior Jaylyn Clardy (Pensacola, Fla.) was one of five athletes to land on the All-Conference Third Team. The Mariners finished the season with a 15-12 overall record, having qualified for the GNAC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament for the first time in program history, while also reaching the Quarterfinal Round for the first time during just their second season in the conference.
Volkerts emerged as one of the premier two-way players in the GNAC during his first season in New London, finishing third in the conference in rebounds per game (8.8) and seventh in points per game (17.8), while ranking second in the GNAC with nine double-doubles. The junior shot the ball at a 46.6% clip and added 2.3 assists per contest, scoring in double-figures in 19 of 22 games he played in, highlighted by a 29-point, 13-rebound double-double in a win over New England College, where he shot 72.2% from the floor, also adding three assists and three steals.
During conference play, his numbers only elevated, as he averaged 19.2 points and 9.4 rebounds on 52.2% shooting in 11 games against GNAC opponents, ranking seventh, third, and 10th in each category respectively. Volkerts was a one-time GNAC Player of the Week (2/10/25), and landed on the D3hoops.com Team of the Week the same week for his performance.
A GNAC All-Conference Third Team Selection for the second consecutive season, Clardy continued to operate as one of the most dynamic scoring guards in the league during his senior campaign, which consisted of 27 games. Clardy averaged 20.9 points per game, good for second most in the GNAC, while adding 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 assists per contest. The senior shot 42.4% from the floor and 76% from the free-throw line, scoring in double-figures all but once and recording three double-doubles. His 216 made field goals place him 13th in the nation at the Division III level, and his 564 total points was tops in the GNAC.
During the final game of the regular season, Clardy became just the seventh player in the Division III era of the Mitchell men's basketball program to score 1,000 career points, eclipsing the milestone in just two seasons and 50 games.
Additionally, senior Wilton Causey (Worcester, Mass.) represented the Mariners on the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
MAJOR AWARD WINNERS
Player of the Year: Remijo Wani, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Def. Player of the Year: Wani Donato, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Rookie of the Year: Silvano Ismail, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Coach of the Year: Tyler Ackley, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Institutional Sportsmanship: Regis College
First Team
Ta'zhon Daniels, Albertus Magnus
Owen Liss, Norwich
Russell Rau, Regis
Remijo Wani, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Lence Altenor, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Second Team
Esmer Madesko, Lasell
Marcus Lewis, Lasell
Eddie Volkerts, Mitchell
John Paul Frazier, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Silvano Ismail, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Third Team
Ray Ford Jr., Albertus Magnus
Billy Ray Barnes, Dean
Jaylyn Clardy, Mitchell
Kyler Bosse, Rivier
Friedrich Feldrappe, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)
All Sportsmanship Team
BJ Holmes, Albertus Magnus
Reed Connolly, Anna Maria
Elijah Thomas, Colby-Sawyer
Harlan Nichols, Dean
Taje Green, Elms
Hansy Jacques, Emmanuel
Jonah Phang, Johnson & Wales
Gabe Qua, Lasell
Wilton Causey, Mitchell
Nick Gomeau, New England College
Quinn Twombly, Norwich
Dashon Smith-Adams, Regis
Ra'Quan Groves, Rivier
Derek Salvatore, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Friedrich Feldrappe, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)
