BOSTON, MA (Dec. 19, 2025) – Iona University’s CJ Anthony and Quinnipiac University’s Amarri Monroe have been named by CollegeInsider.com as ‘Early Season Watch List’ for the 2025-26 Lou Henson award, which is presented annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball.
Anthony, a graduate transfer from the University of Cincinnati, has emerged as one of the most productive guards in mid-major basketball during the opening stretch of the season. The graduate student leads the Gaels in scoring (16.3 points per game) and assists (5.8 per game), the latter also leading the MAAC, while adding 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per contest. He ranks first on the team in scoring, assists, and assist-to-turnover ratio, owns a 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio, and ranks second among Gaels in steals and three-point field goals made, serving as the primary catalyst for Iona's offense.
Quinnipiac senior forward Monroe earned a spot on the list for the second straight season. The reigning MAAC Player of the Year is averaging 15.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game so far in 2025-26. Monroe has three double-doubles already. He delivered one of his biggest performances of the season (25 points on 9-of-13 shooting) during Quinnipiac's first-ever win over an ACC opponent, a victory over Pitt on Nov. 23, 2025
The Lou Henson award honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons. Coach Henson is the winningest coach in Illinois basketball history with 423 victories. During his 21 seasons (1975-1996), Henson led the Fighting Illini to 16 postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA tournaments and a Final Four appearance in 1989. Henson, who is also the all-time winningest coach in New Mexico State history with 289 victories, is one of only 11 coaches to take two different schools to the NCAA Final Four. His teams have made 19 NCAA appearances and four NIT appearances. Coach Henson passed away on July 25, 2020.
The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
The 2026 award will be announced in Indianapolis, IN, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
The 2025-26 campaign culminates with the 2026 Air Force Reserve MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships from March 5-10 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. 2026 will be the seventh consecutive year Boardwalk Hall will host the annual championship dating back to 2020. For the second straight season, the championship field will feature the conference's top 10 teams. Additionally, with the shift of the basketball championship schedule to a week earlier, the women’s championship game will be a standalone contest on Monday, March 9, while the men’s championship game will air live nationally on ESPN or ESPN2 on Tuesday, March 10. For all information regarding the 2026 Air Force Reserve MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, please visit
MAACSports.com/basketball and by following @MAACHoops and #MAACHoops on X.
Air Force Reserve
The mission of the Air Force Reserve is to provide combat-ready forces to fly, fight, and win in air, space, and cyberspace, whenever and wherever needed. As a critical component of the United States Air Force, the Air Force Reserve supports global operations while remaining ready to respond to domestic emergencies and humanitarian efforts. It is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Reserve Citizen Airmen to execute a wide range of missions that contribute to national defense and global security.
The Air Force Reserve offers part-time and full-time service options, enabling individuals to serve while maintaining civilian careers or pursuing higher education. Each year, the Reserve recruits thousands of enlisted and officer personnel across core specialties including Aviation, Maintenance, Intelligence, Cyber, Medical, Security Forces, and Logistics. This flexibility allows members to develop valuable skills, gain leadership experience, and serve their country with pride.
More information about Air Force Reserve careers and opportunities is available at:
https://www.airforce.com/ways-to-serve/air-force-reserve.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.
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