LANCASTER, Pa. - The Atlantic East Conference announced the Men’s Basketball weekly award winners on Monday, as Marywood’s Brendan Franko and Neumann’s Jarell Keel earned Player and Defensive Player of the Week respectively.
Player of the Week:
Name: Brendan Franko
School: Marywood
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
Hometown: Wantage, N.J.
High School: High Point Regional
Brief Outlook of Week: Franko led Marywood with 18 points per game and .565 shooting to secure the No. 3 seed in the conference playoffs, including the Pacers' first home playoff game since the 2018-19 season. In a 54-53 win over Cabrini, Franko finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. He made a crucial layup to give the Pacers a 54-50 lead with 2:57 remaining and earned a steal on the next possession. Franko scored 17 points in a loss to Gwynedd Mercy.
Defensive Player of the Week:
Name: Jarell Keel
School: Neumann
Class: First Year
Position: Guard
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
High School: Academy of the New Church
Brief Outlook of Week: Keel averaged 12.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in a 1-1 week for Neumann to wrap up the regular season. Against Marymount, the first year netted nine points and five rebounds. To wrap up the week against Immaculata, Keel scored 16 points and grabbed 16 board (12 defensive). He also finished the week with five steals and four blocks.
Weekly Honor Roll:
Marcus Stubbs (Sr., Guard, Marymount): Stubbs had a career week in the final two games of the regular season, helping the Saints secure their #1 seed in the AEC Tournament for the third season in a row. Notching 35 total points across both games, averaging 17.5 ppg, he put up a season high 25 points in the win over Centenary on Senior Day. Stubbs put his name in the record books, becoming yet another member of the 1,000 point club with a three in the early going of the win over the Cyclones. He added five assists and a steal over the course of the week.
Tyler Tillery (Gr., Forward, Immaculata): Tillery had a combined 19 rebounds, including 16 defensive rebounds, with four blocked shots, and one steal over two Atlantic East Conference games. He had 10 rebounds including nine defensive rebounds, three blocked shots and one steal in Immaculata's overtime win over Cabrini on February 14th. He had nine rebounds, including seven defensive rebounds, and one blocked shot vs Neumann on February 16th.
Bryan Warren (Fy., Guard, Cabrini): Warren had a 7 steal, 15 rebound week to close out the regular season. Warren had 11 rebounds and 3 steals in Wednesday's overtime loss to Immaculata and earned 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and a block in Friday's low-scoring affair with Marywood.6
Previous Weekly Award Winners:
Nov. 13, 2023 – Jalen Vaughns, Neumann & Tyler Tillery, Immaculata
Nov. 20, 2023 – Kyle Thompson, Neumann & , Marcus Beckett Marymount
Nov. 27, 2023 – Jalen Vaughns, Neumnan & Tyler Tillery, Immaculata
Dec. 4, 2023 – Jalen Vaughns, Neumann & D.J. Johnson. Gwynedd Mercy
Dec. 11, 2023 – Montell Cooper, Marymount & Bryan Warren, Cabrini
Dec. 18, 2023 – JoHaan Vinson, Gwynedd Mercy & Dylan Crews, Immaculata
Jan. 2, 2024 – Jalen Vaughns, Neumann & Aquil Stewart, Gwynedd Mercy
Jan. 8, 2024 – Montell Cooper, Marymount & CJ Highsmith Jr., Marymount
Jan. 16, 2024 – Manny Clark, Gwynedd Mercy & Jarell Keel, Neumann
Jan 22, 2024 – Jalen Vaughns, Neumann & Jarell Keel, Neumann
Jan 29, 2024 – Aziz Parker, Gwynedd Mercy & Tyler Tillery, Immaculata
Feb 5, 2024 – Jalen Vaughns, Neumann & Jarell Keel, Neumann