HADLEY, Mass. – Middlebury senior Alex Sobel has been selected as the NESCAC Player of the Year and the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year by the league's coaches. Sobel is the first player since the inception of the awards in 2001 to collect both the Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the same season.
 
Sobel, who was an All-NESCAC First Team selection for the second straight season, is the fourth Panther to be named NESCAC Player of the Year (Ben Rudin-2009, Ryan Sharry-2012, Matt St. Amour-2017) and the fifth player from Middlebury to earn the Defensive Player of the Year – (Tim Edwards-2009 & 2010; Andrew Locke-2011; Nolan Thompson-2013).
 
Sobel leads the NESCAC in scoring (19.1 ppg), rebounding (11.8 rpg), and blocks (3.8 bpg) and ranks second in the conference in field goal percentage (55.5%). Sobel grabbed a NESCAC-best 20 rebounds against Skidmore in the non-conference portion of the schedule and has registered six or more blocks five times this season. Sobel's play helped the Panthers post a 19-5 record his season and earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Middlebury will host first and second-round games at Pepin Gymnasium.
 
Henry Vetter is the third Bantam to be named the NESCAC Rookie of the Year (Tyler Thoten-2003; Robert Taylor-2004). Vetter ranked second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.8 points per game coming off the bench. Vetter, who saw action in all 25 games in his first season at Trinity, ranked second on the team in assists (2.5 apg) and 3-point field goals made (42). Vetter helped the Bantams qualify for the NESCAC Tournament for the ninth year in a row.
 
Hamilton head coach Adam Stockwell was voted the NESCAC Coach of the Year by his peers for the second time in his career (2018). Stockwell led the Continentals to a 7-3 conference mark and tied for first place in the NESCAC standings. Hamilton was the No. 2 seed in the NESCAC Tournament and went on to win its first NESCAC title. The Continentals earned the NESCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament to mark the program's first NCAA appearance since 2019 and 12th overall.
 
2023 NESCAC Men's Basketball Awards
Player of the Year & Defensive Player of the Year: Alex Sobel, Middlebury
Rookie of the Year: Henry Vetter, Trinity
Coach of the Year: Adam Stockwell, Hamilton

All-NESCAC First Team
Pos-Name	School	Yr	Hometown	Previous Honors
G - Nicky Johnson	Wesleyan	So.	Lexington, Mass.
G - Will King	Colby	Sr.	Glenview, Ill.	2020 ROY
F - Alex Sobel	Middlebury	Sr.	Setauket, N.Y.	2022 1st Team
G - Spencer Spivy	Williams	Sr.	San Francisco, Calif.
G - Dylan Thoerner	Tufts	Sr.	Irvine, Calif.	2022 1st Team
All-NESCAC Second Team
Pos-Name	School	Yr	Hometown	Previous Honors
F/C - Ben Callahan-Gold	Trinity	Jr.	New York, N.Y.
C - Nate Karren	Williams	Jr.	Sacramento, Calif.	2022 1st Team
G - Preston Maccoux	Wesleyan	Sr.	Big Bend, Wis.
F/C - David Murray	Conn. College	Jr.	Jackson Heights, N.Y.
G - Teja Singh	Hamilton	So.	Seattle, Wash.