KANSAS CITY, Mo. – THE National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) has announced the 2023-2024 NABC Division III All-District Teams and District Coaches of the Year today and three members of the Keene State College men's basketball earned regional honors, which include District 2 First Team selections of Jeff Hunter and Octavio Brito, along with Hunter being named the District 2 Player of the Year and acting head coach of the Owls, David Hastings, being named District 2 Coach of the Year. The All-District honors are voted on by NABC-member coaches across NCAA Division III.
 
Hunter is named to the All-Region 2 First Team for the second consecutive year and Region 2 Player of the Year for the first time, after another great season for the Owls. Hunter finished the season averaging 17.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game. Hunter is at the top of a few categories across all Division III men's basketball players on the season, as he led the nation in double-doubles and rebounds, with 27 double-doubles (in 30 games, with second being at 21 double-doubles, in 27 games), and 404 rebounds on the season. Hunter also ranks third in rebounds per game (13.5), among the top 10 in blocks, with his 75 on the year putting him in sixth for most blocks in the country (along with the third most in a season in program history), twelfth in blocks per game (2.5), seventh in field goals made with 221, and sixteenth for field goal percentage, shooting 221-for-358, for a 61.73 FG%. 
 
Both the career rebounds and blocks records were beat by Hunter on the season, as his 1,395 career rebounds and 238 blocks are both the most in program history and were achieved this year against UMass-Boston (2/3/24) and Western Connecticut State University (2/10/24), respectively, while his 1,923 points put him in fourth place in a career in the program. Hunter was also one of 19 in Division III men's basketball to record a triple double this season, and one of five to do so with points, rebounds, and blocks, as he recorded 19 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 blocks against Western Connecticut State (1/11/24).
 
Hunter's All-Region Awards are more achievements to add to his legacy, as this season he was also named the LEC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, just the second to ever win both awards in a season, on two occasions, along with All-LEC First Team and All-Defensive Team, and Hunter has been selected to the 2024 NABC Reese's Division III College All-Star Game, a top ten finalist for the Jostens Award, a top fifteen finalist for the Trevor Hudgins Award, and on the top 50 watch list for the Bevo Francis Award.
 
For the second time in a row, Brito has been named to the NABC All-Region 2 First Team, earning the award in both his sophomore and junior years for the Owls. Brito continued where he left off after a dominant sophomore season, proving why he was named a d3hoops.com Preseason All-American, as he finished the season averaging 19.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game over the season for the Owls. He finished among the top 25 in numerous individual stat categories out of all Division III men's basketball after his great junior season, as he placed 11th with 591 points scored, 16th in free throw percentage, going 119-for-133 (89.47%), and 23rd in field goals made, with his 202 field goals made from 421 attempts. Brito also had some individual season record this year, as he had the 11th most points in a single season (591), tied for 11th in three-pointers made (68), and fifth in free throw percentage (89.47%). 
 
While recording individual season records, Brito also moved up on the program career record list, as he now ranks fifth in career points, after only three seasons (1,567), tied for 10th in points per game (17.8), sixth in field goals made (564), tied for fourth in three-pointers made (201), seventh in three-point percentage (40.1%), and tied for sixth in field goal percentage (81.0%). Brito scored 20 or more points in 15 of the 30 games on the year, including a career-high of 40 points in the second round of the 2024 Division III Men's Basketball Tournament against Eastern University. He shot 12-20 (60%) from the field, 8-13 from three (61.5%), and 8-10 (80%) from the free throw line, to go with his nine rebounds and four assists. Brito's 40 points were the most points scored by an individual in a game in over five years for the Owls, and his eight three pointers made were the most in a contest by an individual in over 15 years.
 
To go with his All-District 2 First Team selection, Brito has earned other accolades for his great season, which include All-Little East First Team and Little East All-Defensive Team for both the second consecutive year, 2x LEC Player of the Week, and he has been named a top 50 finalist for the Bevo Francis Award.
 
David Hastings also earned All-District honors, as he was named the NABC District 2 Coach of the Year, as he led the Owls to a 26-4 record, after being named acting head coach in July of 2023. The Owls reached the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year, in Hastings' first year leading the team, after being an associate head coach for the previous five years, and assistant for the two years prior to that. In his first seven years with the program, Hastings helped the Owls reach the NCAA Tournament four out of seven seasons, reaching the Sweet 16 or further twice.