Player of the Week
Braden Sparks, Fairfield
Sr., Villa Rica, GA, Indian Hills Community College/McEachern High School
Braden Sparks had a team-best 23 points in Fairfield's home win over Rider on Friday. Sparks – the MAAC's leading scorer – knocked down five three-pointers to lead the Stags over the Broncs. He filled out his statline with five rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes of action.
Co-Rookie of the Week
Declan Wucherpfennig, Fairfield
Fr., Teaneck, NJ, Bergen Catholic
Declan Wucherpfennig scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half to power Fairfield past visiting Rider on Friday in the Stags' only game of the week. Wucherpfennig shot 6-for-10 from the field and 5-for-7 from the free throw line. He also corralled 11 rebounds, including five from the offensive glass.
Co-Rookie of the Week
Francis Folefac, Siena
Fr., Lanham, MD, Mt. Zion
Folefac averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 59% from the field over a monster two-game week for the Saints. The freshman achieved his first collegiate double-double with career-highs of 22 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, while adding a pair of blocks in a narrow setback Friday night against then unbeaten Merrimack. Folefac scored all 15 of his points in the second half – eight of which came during a decisive game-ending 16-3 run – to propel Siena past defending MAAC Tournament Champion Mount St. Mary’s Sunday in Maryland.
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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