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Vermont's John Becker named America East coach of the year for seventh time
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- Vermont's John Becker named America East coach of the year for seventh time
University of Vermont men's basketball's John Becker extended his America East record for coach of the year honors to seven following the announcement of the league's major awards and all-conference teams on Thursday afternoon.
Becker, the Catamount bench boss since the 2011-12 season, previously was tabbed the league's top coach in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022. This winter, Becker's Catamounts (25-6) tore through league play with a 15-1 mark to earn the No. 1 seed and the program's eighth straight regular-season crown, which is the longest active streak in the country.
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Becker, who has led Vermont to six America East tournament titles and five appearances in the NCAA Tournament, also captured his 300th win in Burlington earlier this winter . A year ago, he became the school's all-time wins leader, eclipsing Tom Brennan.
Entering the America East tournament, Becker owns a 305-118 record at UVM.
In addition to Becker's COY honor, transfer guard Shamir Bogues was the lone Catamount to land on the America first team while also being named the league's newcomer of the year and earning a spot on the all-defensive squad.
More: 2024 America East basketball tournaments: What you need to know for UVM men, women
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Bogues, who arrived from Tarleton State in the offseason, is averaging 10.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals a game in 25 games.
Fifth-year senior Aaron Deloney, who scored a career-high 33 points to help the Cats clinch the top seed last weekend, was voted onto the second team, following back-to-back sixth-man awards. Deloney ranks second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7) and eighth in assists (3.1) while scoring at a 10.8 ppg clip.
TJ Long, who led Vermont in scoring at 12.0 ppg and the league in 3-point shooting (37.5%), was named to the third team. Ileri Ayo-Faleye, seventh in blocks among league leaders (1.4), picked up a spot on the all-defensive team.
Senior Matt Veretto made the all-academic team.
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New Hampshire's Clarence Daniels was voted the league's player of the year, breaking Vermont's stranglehold of the conference's top honor. A Vermont player had won the award in each of the last seven seasons. The award is named after the late, great UVM star Kevin Roberson .
Honors are based on voting by the league's nine coaches, who cannot vote for their own players.
The Catamounts start league playoffs Saturday at home vs. No. 8 Albany in a quarterfinal matchup. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com . Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5 .
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont men's basketball: Becker named coach of year for America East
