Hamilton Named MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year, Omot Earns Conference Rookie of the Year

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State senior forward Brendon Hamilton (Worcester, Mass.) and sophomore guard Juju Omot (Springfield, Mass.) both earned individual conference honors on top of their selections to the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball All-Conference First Team as voted on by the coaches throughout the league.

Hamilton, a four-time All-Conference selection and former MASCAC Rookie of the Year recipient, received the league's Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second time in his decorated collegiate career. He is tied for second in Division III in total blocks with 81 and is sixth in the nation in rebounds per game at 12.4 as the Owls as a team led the nation in blocks per game (6.4) and were second in rebounds per game (46.41). He led the MASCAC in total rebounds (334) as well as both defensive (238) and offensive rebounds (96).  

The Worcester native averaged a double-double on the year for the second time in his four-year stint with the Owls and was second on the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game. Earlier this season, in a victory over Mitchell College, Hamilton registered his 1,000-career point and then later in the year collected 1,000-plus points and 1,000-plus rebounds, joining Westfield State University and MASCAC Hall-of-Famer Russell Thompson '87 as the only two players to achieve such a feat in Owls history. 

Hamilton sits on several different statistical category lists for the program as he tied Matt Devine '13 for most games played at 108 while finishing second all-time in career rebounds (1,159), blocks (215), and blocks per game (1.99). On the offensive side of the ball, Hamilton is seventh in program history in field goals made (524), eighth in field goal percentage (52.2%) and 11^th all-time in points (1,309).

Omot earned the conference's Rookie of the Year after averaging 16.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while collecting 65 assists, 24 steals, and 14 blocks. He reached double-figure scoring 19 times in 27 games played, topping the 20-point mark 11 times which included a career-high 33 points in a win against Salem State.

Omot was a staple on the conference's weekly honors as he was named the MASCAC Rookie of the Week on four separate occasions. 

Westfield State finished with an overall record of 19-8 and a 9-3 record in the conference to earn the third overall seed in the MASCAC Tournament. The Owls defeated Fitchburg State 77-71 in the opening round before falling in the conference semifinals to Bridgewater State, 83-74.