Darin Smith Jr. Named to Men's Basketball All-ECAC First Team
Central Connecticut State men's basketball standout Darin Smith, Jr. was recognized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) on Wednesday with the announcement of its 2026 Division I Men's Basketball All-ECAC Teams and major award winners. Smith, Jr. was named to the All-ECAC First Team adding to his list of accolades this season.
Smith, Jr. became Central's seventh NEC Player of the Year and became the second straight Blue Devil to claim the league's top honor. As a sophomore, he led the circuit in scoring (20.7 ppg) and free throw percentage (.898). He was named Influxer/NEC Player of the Week six times, while also adding 5.4 rebounds and shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three-point range. He was among the league's statistical top-15 in seven categories, while scoring in double-figures in 29 games. He scored 20 or more points in a game 18 times and scored the most points in a game for a Blue Devil since Feb. 14, 2013 when he poured in 40 points at New Haven. His 621 points on the season is the third-most in a single-season in program history.
Player of the Year: Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's University
Rookie of the Year: Preston Edmead, Hofstra University
Coach of the Year: Shaheen Holloway, Seton Hall University
All-ECAC First Team
Zuby Ejiofor – St. John's University, Sr., F
Gavin Doty – Siena College, So., G
Cruz Davis – Hofstra University, Jr., G
Bryce Harris – Howard University, Gr., G
Darin Smith, Jr. – Central Connecticut University, So., F
All-ECAC Second Team
Nasir Whitlock – Lehigh University, Jr., G
Erik Pratt – Stony Brook University, Gr., G
Austin Benigni – Navy, Sr., G
Nick Townsend – Yale University, Sr., F
Bryce Hopkins – St. John's University, Gr., F/G
ABOUT THE ECAC
The ECAC is an eighty-six year old intercollegiate athletics organization with roughly 200 member schools for traditional sports across all three NCAA Divisions - I, II and III - that exists to enhance the experience of student-athletes participating in NCAA sports, and provide great value for universities, by sponsoring championships, leagues, bowl games, tournaments and other competitions throughout the country. The ECAC also hosts a comprehensive esports program, with over 300 schools, 4,000 teams and 10,000-plus participants in twenty-four different games titles.
