Harrison Named AE Coach of the Year

The Hartford men's basketball season came to an end Saturday with a loss in the quarterfinals of the America East tournament, but Head Coach Larry Harrison and his players brought home a number of postseason honors.

The Hawks lost to New Hampshire, 66-62, in a Saturday night game at the Binghamton University Events Center in Vestal, N.Y.

But the news was much better on Friday, when Harrison was named America East Coach of the Year at the conference's annual postseason banquet.

Three Hartford players also earned honors, all of which were determined by a vote of the conference's head coaches. Senior Kenny Adeleke was one of two unanimous selections to the all-conference first team while classmate Aaron Cook was named to the all-conference second team. Freshman Paris Carter was one of five players chosen for the all-rookie team.

Harrison became the first Hartford coach to be named Coach of the Year in the 24-year history of the America East. This season he led the Hawks to nine conference wins, more than double the team's total from a year ago, and the biggest turnaround in the league. After finishing 10th in the conference last season, the Hawks tied for third place this year and entered the America East tournament as the No. 4 seed.

"It's an honor to be named Coach of the Year," said Harrison. "It means a lot because it comes from your peers. I just want to thank both my coaching staff and my team – this award is just as much theirs as it is mine."