Atkins Tabbed ECC Preseason Player of the Year

10/31/2023 2:06:00 PM

AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen University graduate student Joey Atkins (Watervliet, N.Y.) has been named the East Coast Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year for 2023-24, the conference announced today. His selection comes after a vote of the nine head coaches representing ECC institutions.

Atkins is coming off a breakout season in 2022-23. After totaling just 131 points and 89 rebounds over his first two collegiate seasons (one at Jefferson, one at Daemen), he totaled 333 points (11.9 per game) and 174 rebounds (6.2 per game) last year. He also led the team and ranked ninth nationally among Division II players in blocks (65). Among the ECC leaders, he ranked 16th in points per game, 13th in rebounds per game, 18th in assists per game (1.9), third in blocks per game (2.3) and 10th in steals per game (1.5).

Atkins was named Most Valuable Player following the season-opening East Region Challenge presented by Western New York Knee and Orthopedic Surgery PC last year. He connected on 6-of-10 shots and totaled 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks in a 65-60 win over Georgian Court University and followed up with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and four blocks to lead the Daemen to an 81-69 victory over Saint Anselm College in a battle of regionally-ranked teams. Over the two games he shot 60-percent (12-20) from the field and averaged 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks. That effort also earned Atkins ECC Player of the Week honors. He would also be named ECC Defensive Player of the Week twice last season.

Atkins turned in two solid efforts for the Wildcats turning a pair of exhibition games against Division I opponents this past week. He scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in a four-point (71-67) loss to the University at Buffalo and registered 16 points and four rebounds in an 81-69 loss to Syracuse University.

Atkins and the Wildcats officially open the 2023-24 season this weekend (Nov. 3-5) when they make the trek to Western Canada to take part in the Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) D2 Canadian Tipoff Classic. The Wildcats will take on Western Washington University, tournament host Simon Fraser University and Seattle Pacific University during the three-day event.

Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen men's basketball program on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @DaemenMBB.

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