Miller, Coffey Earn All-GAC Honors
FORT SMITH, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced its annual men's basketball awards and All-GAC selections Wednesday, with East Central University earning multiple honors behind the standout performances of
Jaden Miller and
Rustin Coffey.
Redshirt sophomore guard
Jaden Miller garnered All-GAC First Team recognition, marking the first all-conference honor of his career. He becomes the first Tiger to receive First Team distinction since Cameron Tally in 2020. Miller's selection caps a season defined by consistency, production and leadership, as he established himself as one of the premier guards in both the GAC and NCAA Division II.
Miller has dished out 222 total assists, averaging 8.2 per game to lead both the conference and Division II. He also paces the Tigers in minutes played (32.5 per game) and free throws made (93), while recording eight double-doubles this season.
In his first year in the orange and black, junior forward
Rustin Coffey earned All-GAC Honorable Mention recognition after making an immediate impact for the Tigers. Coffey started all 28 games, averaging 32.4 minutes per contest while knocking down a team-best 51 three-pointers. He ranks among the team leaders with 13.4 points and 111 rebounds on the year.
Coffey was also named a GAC Elite Scholar Athlete, highlighting his excellence in the classroom to complement his on-court success. Notably, he is the only men's basketball student-athlete across the conference to receive the Elite Scholar distinction this season.
Additional accolades went to
Kyler Mann who earned a spot on the GAC Academic Honor Roll.
As the No. 5 seed in the GAC Championship Tournament, ECU will face No. 4 seed Southern Nazarene University on Friday, March 6 at 12 p.m. in the quarterfinal round at Fort Smith, Arkansas.
The Tigers return to the conference tournament for the first time in three seasons, aiming to make a strong statement on the postseason stage.
