The New York University men's basketball team celebrated its 2022-23 accomplishments at their End-of-Year Banquet at Amity Hall in Downtown Manhattan on Saturday, April 29.

Bringing closure to a season that exceeded expectations, the Violets finished tied for fourth in the University Athletic Association (UAA) after being voted to finish last in the coaches' preseason poll. The Violets also secured an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament for the first time since the 2015-'16 season.  

First-year Head Coach Dave Klatsky, who was named Region 4 Coach of the Year by D3hoops.com, and his staff (who were voted Coaching Staff of the Year by their UAA peers) handed out program awards at the banquet.  

After opening remarks by Klatsky, as well as NYU's Vice President for University Life and Global Engagement Jason Pina, the Violets staff recognized several players on their roster with year-end awards.   

Graduate student Spencer Freedman was given the Most Valuable Player award after leading the team with 17.0 points per game, 5.6 assists per game, and 1.3 steals per game while also playing a UAA-leading 35.1 minutes per game in conference play. D3hoops.com recognized Spencer as a Third Team All-American and cited him as the Most Valuable Player of Region 4. The UAA bestowed First Team All-Conference honors, as did the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. 

"Spencer is a magician on the court and we are all thrilled for the year he had, but also to see what he can accomplish next season," said Assistant Coach Ethan Feldman.
The newly-created Violet Award, presented to the player who "embodies the core values of the NYU Men's Basketball Program", was given to senior and four-year team member Ephraim Reed. A constant within the program, playing in 24 games this year, Reed  was duly recognized by both Klatsky and Assistant Coach Chris Thompson as the "Heartbeat of the Program."  

Reed also garnered several other awards during the season, including being named NYU Athletics' Martin Luther King Award recipient. He was also part of both the MLK Scholars Program and Gentlemen of Quality in his time on campus. 

"Although Ephraim may be on the quiet side when he does speak, his words are loud and powerful," Klatsky added.
The Men's Basketball Program also awarded a Most Improved Player award, naming first-year forward Quinn Clark as its recipient. The Springfield, VA, native found himself starting every game this season, averaging 28.9 minutes and anchoring the Violet defense.He scored 10.4 points per game and added a team-high eight rebounds per game while leading the team with 15 blocks. Clark battled to provide the team the consistency they needed in an undersized frontcourt. 
 
"Quinn never takes a moment off to help do what is needed for the team to win," Assistant Coach Maurice Kearney said. "As he figured out what those things were, he mastered them immediately."
In addition to the awards given out, seniors Reed, Nikola Lipovic and Eric Berschadsky were cited as being "essential in developing the culture and helping to propel the Violets to national recognition.They will be leaving the NYU program in a better position than when they arrived," Klatsky added.  

Friends and family also attended the banquet.