Major award winners and All-Conference squads, as determined by a vote of the E8 Head Coaches, were announced by the league office earlier today. 

The RSC coaching staff, led by Head Coach Brian Barnes, was voted the E8 Coaching Staff of the Year.  Barnes, who was assisted by: Brian Eastman, Kevin Blanchet, Andrew Zibro, and Todd Williamson '25, guided the Gators to the E8 Regular Season Championship and top seed for the Conference Championship Tournament. RSC, which won more than 20 games for just the second time in program history, went into the postseason as the top offense and rebounding squad in the E8. The Gators closed the regular season ranked 24th in the country in scoring and 13th in rebounding. 

"We're truly honored and grateful to be named Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year," commented Barnes.  "Coach Eastman rejoined our staff this year and made an immediate impact.  He is as good a motivator and relationship builder that you will find in our profession.  Coach Zibro is a tireless worker who refuses to accept anything less than the standard from himself or the team daily.  That growth driven mindset helped us raise the bar on our own internal expectations.  Coach Blanchet brought a youthful enthusiasm and an ability to connect in a meaningful way with today's student athlete.  He also was the architect behind our in-season strength and conditioning program that was crucial to our success.  Coach Williamson is Russell Sage College Basketball.  I can't tell you how much it meant to have Todd, a four-year player and two-year captain, join our staff.  His growth and development has been extraordinary and he has an incredibly bright future in coaching.  I would like to thank our student manager, Anthony Giso, who played a big role in all of the day to day operations and was a model of dependability.  I'd like to thank the administration at RSC, especially our Athletic Director, Jim Lyons and Vice President for Student Life, Trish Cellemme, for their direct support all season long.    I would also like to thank our athletic communications staff, athletic trainers, business manager and home event staff who keep everything running smoothly, and most importantly, our players who buy in every single day.  We're thankful for the recognition, but even more proud of the group of young men who make coming to work every day such a privilege." 

RSC (21-5/13-3 E8) did a tremendous job of pressuring opponents, starting the playoffs ranked in the top-16 nationally in steals per-game, turnovers forced per-game, and turnover margin. 

Spearheading that effort at the top of the Gator press was junior Khalel Noteman (Brooklyn, NY/Canarsie), the E8 Defensive Player of the Year. Noteman, a second-team All-Conference honoree, started the playoffs third on the circuit in field goal percentage and sixth in rebounding. 

"I couldn't be more proud of Khalel Noteman for earning second-team All–Empire 8 honors and being named Defensive Player of the Year," said Barnes. "Those awards speak to the impact he makes on both ends of the floor, but especially on the defensive side where he completely changes games. Khalel sets the tone with his toughness and effort, and fuels our full-court pressure with his energy and instincts.  Khalel truly is growth driven.  He has improved so much since last season and plays with a level of togetherness that elevates everyone around him. Defensive Player of the Year isn't just about stats; it's about heart, discipline, and will. Khalel embodies all of that, and this recognition is incredibly well deserved. He represents everything we want Russell Sage Basketball to stand for." 

Joining Noteman on an All-Conference team were senior guard Brandon Harris (Elmsford, NY/Alexander Hamilton/Herkimer CC), junior guard Pape Tunkara (Mount Vernon, NY/Iona Prep/Genesee CC), and senior forward Ben Aprilante (Fort Montgomery, NY/James I. O'Neil/SUNY Adirondack). 

Harris became just the second Gator to garner first-team All-E8 status, while Tunkara earned a spot on the second-team. 

Harris, who was voted third-team All-Conference last season, headed into the postseason third in the conference in steals, and steals per-game, and fifth in points per-game and assists per-game.  The guard concluded his time as a Gator second in program records with a 15.2 scoring average and ninth with 776 career points.  He scored 35 points, the second most in a game by an RSC player, in the home victory vs. Nazareth on January 23. On February 23, 2017 vs. Old Westbury, Rob Mills '17 went for 36 to help the Gators advance to the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament Finals.

"Brandon Harris' first-team All–Empire 8 selection speaks to the level he's performed at all season," remarked Barnes.  "Brandon is as fierce a competitor as there is and this honor is a direct reflection of the work he's put in every single day. Brandon has been the definition of growth driven in our program as he has consistently raised the bar not only for himself, but for our program as a whole.  Brandon will go down as one of the all-time Gator greats that we'll be talking about for years.  We're thankful to have had him in our program."

Tunkara concluded the regular season atop the E8 with 62 steals, 2.7 steals per-game. He was ninth in scoring average at 15.7 points per-game.

"It is a tremendous accomplishment for Pape Tunkara to be named second-team All–Empire 8," said Barnes. "This recognition is a testament to the steady growth he's shown throughout the season and the impact he makes for us on a daily basis.  I'm excited to continue to work with him to help our program take another step next season.  Aside from the statistics, Pape goes out of his way to intentionally demonstrate our core values of caring and togetherness towards his teammates. His commitment to our program and willingness to do whatever the team needs have been instrumental to our success. This honor is well earned and I'm excited for what's next."

The duo of Harris and Tunkara both headed into Saturday's E8 Quarterfinal round contest in the top-40 nationally in steals and steals per-game.

One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2025-2026 E8 Men's Basketball Tomorrow's Leaders Team. This team honors a student-athlete who has emerged as a leader not only on the field of play, but in the classroom and in the community. In addition, they "compete with honor and integrity" and have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen. Aprilante represented the Gators on the squad. 

"Ben Aprilante earning a spot on the Empire 8 Tomorrow's Leaders Team is a tremendous honor," remarked Barnes. "Ben represents everything we hope a senior stands for — character, togetherness, and leadership. He leads by example every single day, whether it's in the classroom, in practice, or in the community.  What makes Ben special is the way he lives our core values. He's growth driven in how he approaches his development, dependable in every responsibility he takes on, and he genuinely cares about the people around him. This award isn't just about leadership today — it's about the impact he's going to continue to make moving forward. It's a well-deserved honor for a young man who has made our program better in every way."

Gator Bites: Russell Sage College Men's Basketball captured its first Empire 8 Conference regular season title on February 17…The Gators, which won 20 games for just the second time in program history, spent much of the winter at or near the top of the Conference standings and were one of the first squads to secure a postseason berth…RSC made its second-straight appearance in the E8 playoffs…The Gators, which qualified for three-consecutive E8 Tournaments from 2020-2022, have now appeared five times in the postseason as a member of the E8…The 2025-2026 season marked the 17th for Barnes at the helm of Russell Sage College Men's Basketball…He achieved career win number 200 on November 15 at SUNY Cobleskill...RSC got off to its best five-game (5-0), ten-game (9-1), and 15-game (13-2) starts to a season in program history…The first loss was to top-ranked Trinity…The 2014-2015 edition of the Gators started their season at 6-1 and 7-3 on their way to a 23-5 overall record and capturing the Skyline Conference Tournament Championship, and accompanying NCAA Tournament berth...RSC started that historic season, and also began last year, with a 12-3 record… The Gators concluded the regular season as the top offense and rebounding squad in the E8…RSC began the Tournament ranked 24th in the country in scoring and 13th in rebounding…The Gators did a tremendous job of pressuring opponents, starting their playoff run ranked in the top-16 nationally in steals per-game, turnovers forced per-game, and turnover margin…Seven players are back from last year's squad…Noteman, Harris, and junior guard Deavion Springsteen (Albany, NY/Albany) headlined the returners…Harris, voted third-team All-Conference in 2024-25, topped the Gators with 12.9 points per-game last season…The senior converted the game-winning layup with two seconds left in the January 6 overtime victory at Utica…He headed into the postseason third in the conference in steals (58), and steals per-game (2.3), and fifth in points per-game (17.7) and assists per-game (3.3)…Tunkara concluded the regular season atop the E8 with 62 steals, 2.7 steals per-game…He was ninth in scoring average at 15.7 points per-game…The duo headed into Saturday's E8 Quarterfinal round contest in the top-40 nationally in steals and steals per-game…Noteman started the playoffs third in the Conference in field goal percentage (56.2) and sixth in rebounding (7.3)...As the season progressed, junior guard Adam Myers (Troy, NY/LaSalle Institute/Saint Rose) increased his role as a distributor, beginning the postseason second in the Conference with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and seventh with 3.1 assists per-game…Barnes added seven newcomers to the program…Sophomore guard Kyle Dhu (Ozone Park, NY/Brooklyn Law and Tech) was tabbed the E8 Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, November 16…He averaged 25.5 points on 60.7 percent shooting in the 2-0 week…The sophomore made 61.5 percent of his three-point attempts and totaled 11 rebounds, five steals and four assists across the pair of victories…Harris was selected the E8 Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, January 26…The guard averaged 26.0 points on 51.3 percent shooting across home wins vs. Nazareth (1/23) and Saint John Fisher (1/24)…He scored 35 points, the second most in a game by an RSC player, in the victory vs. Nazareth…On February 23, 2017 vs. Old Westbury, Rob Mills '17 went for 36 to help the Gators advance to the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament Finals…Jalon Borders '22 earned first-team All-E8 honors three times following the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 seasons.