MANSFIELD, Mass. – Freshman Erik Oliver-Bush (Trenton, N.J.) of the Saint Anselm College men's basketball team has been named the Northeast-10 Conference's Rookie of the Year, the league announced in its annual All-Conference release on Tuesday. He becomes the ninth student-athlete in program history to win the award and the first since Tim Guers '19, the program's all-time leading scorer, who won it in the 2015-16 season. Joining Oliver-Bush on the All-Conference roster was senior Sean McCarthy (Cork, Ireland), who grabbed a spot on the All-NE10 Third Team.
Oliver-Bush, who also earned a spot on the league's All-Rookie Team, was one of just three Hawks to start in all 30 games this season. He averaged 11.3 points per game, which ranked first among freshmen in the NE10, was fourth-highest on the squad, and was top 25 in the conference. He became the first freshman to average double-digit points for Saint Anselm since Tyler Arbuckle '24 did so during the 2019-20 season.
The high-flying, 6-foot-5 guard led the team with 27 blocks on the season, good for just under one per game. He also gathered 21 steals, which was third-most on the squad. Oliver-Bush proved himself to be efficient as well, shooting 49.2 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from deep, and 74.3 percent from the free throw line. His 38 made three-pointers were the second-highest total on the team. Additionally, he averaged 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 29.5 minutes per contest during his rookie campaign.
Oliver-Bush finished his debut season with at least 10 points in 18 games, which included a career-high of 27 points in a win over Bridgeport on December 21st. The three-time NE10 Rookie of the Week also stuffed the stat sheet defensively, recording at least a block and a steal in 10 games this year.
McCarthy was a force for Saint Anselm this season, leading the team in points and rebounds while playing 30.5 minutes per game. His 478 points ranked fifth in the NE10, while his 15.9 points per game ranked ninth. The two-time NE10 Player of the Week also finished third in the conference in total rebounds with 247, and was fourth with 8.2 rebounds per game. He ended the season shooting 49.0 percent from the field, good for fourth in the NE10 among eligible players, and dished out 2.2 assists per game.
Across 30 starts, the senior forward wrapped up the season with 10 double-doubles and set a new career-high with 16 rebounds on two separate occasions. He scored at least 10 points in 26 games, and had at least 20 points nine times. In his final game, the NE10 Quarterfinals at No. 2 seed Southern New Hampshire, McCarthy matched his season-high with 30 points and made a season-best 12 field goals on 70.6 percent shooting. He concluded his career with 1,373 points to his credit, with 907 of those coming in his final two seasons at Saint Anselm.
The Hawks closed out the year with an overall record of 15-15. The team produced a 9-11 record in conference play and earned the No. 7 seed ahead of the NE10 Men's Basketball Championship. Saint Anselm defeated No. 10 seed American International in the First Round, 84-53, before falling to Southern New Hampshire in the Quarterfinals, 78-70.
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