HADLEY, Mass. – The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) announced its women's basketball awards for the 2025-26 season as voted by the league's coaches.
Tufts senior Scott Gyimesi was selected as the NESCAC Player of the Year. The three-time All-NESCAC First Team selection is just the second Jumbo to garner the honor in conference history. Gyimesi leads the Jumbos in scoring (16.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.8 rpg) while shooting 56 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from 3-point range. The Jumbos finished the regular season as the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and reached the semifinals for the fourth year in a row.
Trinity’s Drew Lazarre is the third consecutive Bantam (sixth overall) to be named the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year. Lazarre also earned a spot on the All-NESCAC Second Team for the second year in a row. The senior helped Trinity win its third consecutive NESCAC title by contributing 10.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 steals per game this season.
K.J. Neville was selected as the NESCAC Rookie of the Year. The first-year guard is the fourth Mammoth to earn the award. Neville ranks second on the Amherst squad in scoring (10.4 ppg) and shot 40 percent from 3-point range. Amherst finished the regular season as the No. 4 seed in the NESCAC Tournament.
The Wesleyan University staff was voted the NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year by their peers for the second season in a row. Led by head coach Joe Reilly, who is in his 18th season at the helm of the Cardinals, Wesleyan earned the top seed in the NESCAC Championship and finished as the NESCAC Runner-Up for the second consecutive season. Reilly is the first head coach in the NESCAC to earn the Coach/Coaching Staff of the Year honor at two different institutions. The 2026 season marks the third time the Wesleyan staff has been recognized (2022, 2025) and Reilly was the NESCAC Coach of the Year in 2006 as the leader of the Bates squad.
2026 NESCAC Men’s Basketball
Player of the Year: Scott Gyimesi, Tufts
Defensive Player of the Year: Drew Lazarre, Trinity
Rookie of the Year: K.J. Neville, Amherst
Coaching Staff of the Year: Wesleyan University (Joe Reilly, Noah Tyson, Nicky Johnson)
| All-NESCAC First Team |
| Pos |
Name |
School |
Yr |
Hometown |
Previous Honors |
| G |
Ray Cuevas |
Bowdoin |
So. |
Ipwich, Mass. |
2025 ROY |
| F |
Scott Gyimesi |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Fair Haven, N.J. |
2025 1st Team, 2024 1st Team |
| F |
Jarrel Okorougo |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Stoneham, Mass. |
2025 DPOY, 2025 1st Team |
| G |
Sam Pohlman |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
New York, N.Y. |
|
| F |
Babcar Pouye |
Bates |
Jr. |
Carpinteria, Calif. |
2025 2nd Team |
| G |
Henry Vetter |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Kenilworth, Ill. |
2025 1st Team, 2024 1st Team, 2023 ROY |
| G |
Zach Wolinski |
Wesleyan |
So. |
North Andover, Mass. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| All-NESCAC Second Team |
| Pos |
Name |
School |
Yr |
Hometown |
Previous Honors |
| C |
Joshua Bernstein |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Miami, Fla. |
|
| G |
Elias Chin |
Amherst |
So. |
Thousand Oaks, Calif. |
|
| C |
Dan Civello |
Colby |
So. |
South Weymouth, Mass. |
|
| F |
Elias Espinosa |
Conn. College |
Sr. |
Leonia, N.J. |
2025 1st Team, 2024 2nd Team |
| F |
Chris Hammond |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Los Angeles, Calif. |
|
| G |
Drew Lazarre |
Trinity |
Sr. |
West Haven, Conn. |
2025 2nd Team |
| F |
Dylan Watson |
Conn. College |
Jr. |
Mount Kisco, N.Y. |
|
