Five 'Cats Receive America East Annual Awards
2/25/2021 8:45:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nick Johnson Named Rookie of the Year; Jayden Martinez Voted All-Conference First Team
BOSTON – Redshirt freshman Nick Johnson (Bronx, N.Y.) was selected Rookie of the Year and junior Jayden Martinez (Cibolo, Texas) was voted to the All-Conference First Team to highlight six awards bestowed the University of New Hampshire men's basketball team by America East on Thursday.
Johnson was joined on the All-Rookie Team by Blondeau Tchoukuiegno (Montreal, Quebec), another redshirt freshman. Junior Nick Guadarrama (Newington, Conn.) was named to the All-Conference Second Team, and grad student Chris Lester (Barrington, Ill.) was an All-Academic Team selection for the second consecutive year.
Johnson is the fourth UNH player feted as the conference's Rookie of the Year; the previous recipients were Al McClain (1981), Pat Manor (1991) and Tanner Leissner (2015).
Martinez is the 10th All-Conference First Team honoree in program history. The most recent Wildcat was Leissner, who received that distinction three consecutive years (2016-17-18).
Johnson, a four-time America East Rookie of the Week honoree in 2020-21, is averaging 7.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 steals in 24.0 minutes per game. He has played all 18 games with 10 starts, including the last nine of the regular season.
Johnson ranks second on the team in field goal percentage (45.2%) and third in field goals made (52). He is UNH's top rebounding guard and ranks fourth on the team.
In three February games, Johnson was UNH's second-leading scorer at 13.7 points per game; he also averaged 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 34.6 minutes per game. Johnson's season highlights included career highs of both 18 points and 10 rebounds to record his first career double-double Jan. 23 at UAlbany.
Martinez is atop New Hampshire's leaderboard in 12 stats: points (245), field goal percentage (.484), field goals made (89) and attempted (184), 3-point field goal percentage (.434), 3-pointers made (26) and attempted (83), rebounding (8.5 rpg), offensive rebounding (2.7 rpg), defensive rebounding (5.8), blocks (18) and minutes (33.3 per game). The junior forward is also second in scoring at 13.6 points per game and leads all Wildcats with five double-doubles.
Martinez, the only 'Cat to start every game, eclipsed 20 points three times in the 2020-21 season, including a career-high 24 at Binghamton University (Jan. 31).
On the America East leaderboards, Martinez is: No. 1 in 3-point field goal percentage and offensive rebounding; No. 3 in rebounding and defensive rebounding; No. 4 in blocks (1.0 per game); No. 6 in 3-pointers per game (2.0) and minutes; and No. 8 in scoring and field goal percentage.
Martinez was nearly unstoppable near the end of the regular season. In three consecutive games spanning Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, he averaged 21.7 points with a .537 field goal percentage that included 70.0 percent (14 of 20) from 3-point range. He also cleaned the glass at 9.3 rebounds per game and averaged 39.9 minutes.
Guadarrama, elevated from his All-Conference Third Team selection last season, is UNH's top scorer at 13.9 points per game and also leads the team in free throws made (55) and attempted (66), as well as free throw percentage (.833). He is tied for the team lead in steals at 1.1 per game.
The junior forward, who started all 15 games in which he played, ranks second in all things rebounding at 6.5 rpg, 1.3 offensive rpg and 5.2 defensive rpg. Guadarrama is also second in field goals made (66) and attempted (149), 3-pointers made (21) and attempted (62), assists (2.1 per game) and minutes (31.9 mpg). He ranks third in both field goal percentage (.443) and 3-point field goal percentage (.339).
On the America East leaderboards, Guadarrama ranks: No. 2 in free throw percentage; No. 5 in rebounding and defensive rebounding ; No. 6 in scoring; No. 8 in steals; 11th in field goal percentage and minutes; and 14th in assists.
Guadarrama's season highlights include a career-high 34 points – the top scoring effort in the conference this season – vs. UMBC on Jan. 10. He made 11 of 20 FGs, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range, and hit all eight free throw attempts.
Tchoukuiegno, who also garnered four Rookie of the Week awards in 2020-21, is New Hampshire's leader in both assists (3.2 per game) and steals (1.1 per game). His .833 free throw percentage is tied for best on the squad, and his 35 made FTs ranks second. The point guard also ranks fourth in scoring (8.1 ppg) and fourth in minutes (27.3).
With those stats, he ranks fourth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.4), fifth in steals, and sixth in assists.
Tchoukuiegno has played every game with 11 starts, including the last five. In that regular-season-ending stretch, he averaged 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 35.4 minutes. Also in the last five games, Tchoukueigno had a .526 field goal percentage (20 of 38), .429 3-point field goal percentage (6-14) and .929 free throw percentage (13-14).
Tchoukuiegno's season highlights include a career-high 19 points in the regular-season finale at UMass Lowell and eight assists in the Feb. 5 game against UML.
Lester graduated with a Business Administration: Finance degree in just three years with a 3.79 GPA. And now he has a 3.90 GPA while pursuing a business administration: finance degree as a grad student. He's been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court three times and to the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll four times.
On the court, the forward has seven starts in 18 games played with averages of 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game.
New Hampshire (10-8 overall) finished third in the America East standings with a 9-6 conference record. The Wildcats were 69-67 road victors at UMass Lowell in the regular-season finale to earn the No. 3 seed in the 2021 Hercules Tires America East Men's Basketball Playoffs.
UNH plays host to the winner of the UMass Lowell vs. Stony Brook University game in a Feb. 28 quarterfinal at Lundholm Gym.
Johnson was joined on the All-Rookie Team by Blondeau Tchoukuiegno (Montreal, Quebec), another redshirt freshman. Junior Nick Guadarrama (Newington, Conn.) was named to the All-Conference Second Team, and grad student Chris Lester (Barrington, Ill.) was an All-Academic Team selection for the second consecutive year.
Johnson is the fourth UNH player feted as the conference's Rookie of the Year; the previous recipients were Al McClain (1981), Pat Manor (1991) and Tanner Leissner (2015).
Martinez is the 10th All-Conference First Team honoree in program history. The most recent Wildcat was Leissner, who received that distinction three consecutive years (2016-17-18).
Johnson, a four-time America East Rookie of the Week honoree in 2020-21, is averaging 7.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 steals in 24.0 minutes per game. He has played all 18 games with 10 starts, including the last nine of the regular season.
Johnson ranks second on the team in field goal percentage (45.2%) and third in field goals made (52). He is UNH's top rebounding guard and ranks fourth on the team.
In three February games, Johnson was UNH's second-leading scorer at 13.7 points per game; he also averaged 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 34.6 minutes per game. Johnson's season highlights included career highs of both 18 points and 10 rebounds to record his first career double-double Jan. 23 at UAlbany.
Martinez is atop New Hampshire's leaderboard in 12 stats: points (245), field goal percentage (.484), field goals made (89) and attempted (184), 3-point field goal percentage (.434), 3-pointers made (26) and attempted (83), rebounding (8.5 rpg), offensive rebounding (2.7 rpg), defensive rebounding (5.8), blocks (18) and minutes (33.3 per game). The junior forward is also second in scoring at 13.6 points per game and leads all Wildcats with five double-doubles.
Martinez, the only 'Cat to start every game, eclipsed 20 points three times in the 2020-21 season, including a career-high 24 at Binghamton University (Jan. 31).
On the America East leaderboards, Martinez is: No. 1 in 3-point field goal percentage and offensive rebounding; No. 3 in rebounding and defensive rebounding; No. 4 in blocks (1.0 per game); No. 6 in 3-pointers per game (2.0) and minutes; and No. 8 in scoring and field goal percentage.
Martinez was nearly unstoppable near the end of the regular season. In three consecutive games spanning Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, he averaged 21.7 points with a .537 field goal percentage that included 70.0 percent (14 of 20) from 3-point range. He also cleaned the glass at 9.3 rebounds per game and averaged 39.9 minutes.
Guadarrama, elevated from his All-Conference Third Team selection last season, is UNH's top scorer at 13.9 points per game and also leads the team in free throws made (55) and attempted (66), as well as free throw percentage (.833). He is tied for the team lead in steals at 1.1 per game.
The junior forward, who started all 15 games in which he played, ranks second in all things rebounding at 6.5 rpg, 1.3 offensive rpg and 5.2 defensive rpg. Guadarrama is also second in field goals made (66) and attempted (149), 3-pointers made (21) and attempted (62), assists (2.1 per game) and minutes (31.9 mpg). He ranks third in both field goal percentage (.443) and 3-point field goal percentage (.339).
On the America East leaderboards, Guadarrama ranks: No. 2 in free throw percentage; No. 5 in rebounding and defensive rebounding ; No. 6 in scoring; No. 8 in steals; 11th in field goal percentage and minutes; and 14th in assists.
Guadarrama's season highlights include a career-high 34 points – the top scoring effort in the conference this season – vs. UMBC on Jan. 10. He made 11 of 20 FGs, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range, and hit all eight free throw attempts.
Tchoukuiegno, who also garnered four Rookie of the Week awards in 2020-21, is New Hampshire's leader in both assists (3.2 per game) and steals (1.1 per game). His .833 free throw percentage is tied for best on the squad, and his 35 made FTs ranks second. The point guard also ranks fourth in scoring (8.1 ppg) and fourth in minutes (27.3).
With those stats, he ranks fourth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.4), fifth in steals, and sixth in assists.
Tchoukuiegno has played every game with 11 starts, including the last five. In that regular-season-ending stretch, he averaged 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 35.4 minutes. Also in the last five games, Tchoukueigno had a .526 field goal percentage (20 of 38), .429 3-point field goal percentage (6-14) and .929 free throw percentage (13-14).
Tchoukuiegno's season highlights include a career-high 19 points in the regular-season finale at UMass Lowell and eight assists in the Feb. 5 game against UML.
Lester graduated with a Business Administration: Finance degree in just three years with a 3.79 GPA. And now he has a 3.90 GPA while pursuing a business administration: finance degree as a grad student. He's been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court three times and to the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll four times.
On the court, the forward has seven starts in 18 games played with averages of 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game.
New Hampshire (10-8 overall) finished third in the America East standings with a 9-6 conference record. The Wildcats were 69-67 road victors at UMass Lowell in the regular-season finale to earn the No. 3 seed in the 2021 Hercules Tires America East Men's Basketball Playoffs.
UNH plays host to the winner of the UMass Lowell vs. Stony Brook University game in a Feb. 28 quarterfinal at Lundholm Gym.
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