BEVERLY — Four members of the Endicott men’s basketball program have received postseason honors from the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), as announced by the league office earlier today.
Freshman guard Jalen Echevarria (Lynn, Mass.) and head coach Kevin Bettencourt headlined the group of award winners. Echevarria was named CCC Rookie of the Year, while Bettencourt earned Coach of the Year honors.
Along with those major awards, Endicott also saw Keith Brown (Pelham, N.H.) and Matt McDevitt (Cumberland, Maine) named to the All-CCC First Team.
JALEN ECHEVARRIA | FR. | G | Lynn, Mass.
With the announcement of the postseason awards today, Echevarria becomes the fifth student-athlete in Endicott men’s basketball program history to win Rookie of the Year honors and the first since 2011-12.
The freshman guard played in all 25 games this season for the Gulls and was a member of the starting five in 24 of those contests playing just over 30 minutes a game.
Echevarria led the team in field goal percentage shooting 50% from the floor, was third on the team in points averaging 15.1 per game, and assists 68. Echevarria also ranked fifth on the team in rebounding at 72.
Out of all CCC men’s basketball student-athletes, Echevarria ranked 12th in field goal percentage, 15th in minutes per game (31.2), 16th in points (378), and 18th in points per 40 minutes (19.4)
Echevarria also had 20 or more points in eight games this season for the Gulls.
HEAD COACH KEVIN BETTENCOURT
Bettencourt earns his second CCC coach of the year with the announcement from the league office today. The sixth-year head coach led Endicott to an 18-7 overall record in the 2019-20 season regular season, and a 12-4 record in CCC play which earned the Gulls the No. 1 seed heading into this week’s CCC tournament.
Under his tutelage, The Gulls ranked first in the conference in three-point percentage (39.1) and three-point field goals made (315), second in assists per game (18.8) third in points per game (86.8), and fourth in field goal percentage (46.8).
Nationally, the Gulls ranked second in assists to turnover ratio (1.81), seventh in three-point field goals made (315), 11th in assists per game (18.8), and 14th in three-point field goal percentage (39.1).
Throughout his six years in charge, Bettencourt has led the Gulls to six CCC tournament appearances, four CCC tournament championship games, and two CCC tournament championships.
(Photo Credit – Nick Grace ’20)
KEITH BROWN | SR. | G | Pelham, N.H.
In 25 games this season, Brown is averaging 21.5 points per game, (47.8 FG%, 41.0 3 PT FG%, 81.4 FT%), 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Brown currently ranks second in the conference in points per game (21.5), total points (538), three-point field goals made (94), and points per 40 minutes (29.2). The senior guard also is tied for second in total field goals made (187).
In addition to those stats, the senior guard scored 20 or more points in 10 games this season and registered five double-doubles.
Also during the regular season, Brown became Endicott’s all-time leading scorer, and first-ever, 2,000 point scorer. He currently sits at 2,001 points.
This is Brown’s third straight All-CCC first-team selection.
MATT MCDEVITT | JR. | F | Cumberland, Maine
McDevitt finds himself on the All-CCC first team for the first time in his career after averaging 16.4 points per game, (48.9 FG%, 44.9 3 PT%, 88.4 FT%) 6.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game in the regular season.
In the CCC McDevitt ranks first in three-point field goal percentage (44.9), third in three-point field goals made (80), third in free-throw percentage (88.4), ninth in points per 40 minutes (23.3), 11th in points per game, (16.4), and 18th in total field goals made (135).
In the 2019-20 regular season campaign, McDevitt scored 20 or more points in six games and registered four double-doubles.
McDevitt was a member of the All-CCC second team in 2018-19.
WHAT’S NEXT
First-seeded Endicott (18-7, 12-4 CCC) will host the winner of fifth-seeded Wentworth and fourth-seeded Salve Regina on Thursday, February 27 at a time to be determined later.
Endicott Hockey Earns National Ranking
BEVERLY – For the first time this season, the Endicott men’s ice hockey team finds itself nationally ranked as the Gulls have been tabbed No. 14 overall in the latest USCHO.com Poll.
Endicott (20-5-0, 16-2-0 CCC) maneuvered its way into the poll behind its current 13-game winning streak headed into this weekend’s Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament semifinal round matchup.
The second-seeded Gulls will host the winner of the second-lowest remaining seed that advances out of the CCC Quarterfinal round on Saturday, February 29 in the CCC Semifinals at 7:30 PM. The CCC Quarterfinals matchups include No. 6 Wentworth/No. 3 Curry and No. 5 Nichols/No. 4 Salve Regina.
Among all NCAA Division III programs this season, Endicott currently ranks tied for 12th in scoring offense (103 goals, 4.12 goals/game), fourth in scoring defense (45 goals allowed, 1.80 g/gm, four shutouts), sixth in scoring margin (2.32), 19th on the power play (31-for-134, two shorthanded, 23.1%), 17th on the penalty kill (122-for-142, 85.9%), ninth in combined special teams (153-for-276, 55.4%), and fourth in team winning percentage (20-5-0, .800).
