Campbell Named MAC Defensive Player Of The Year Among Trio Of MAC Accolades

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference announced the MAC Awards for the 2025-26 men's basketball season Wednesday morning (March 11). Of those named, the Falcons collected three different honors from the conference, all earned by Javontae Campbell. Campbell earned the MAC Defensive Player of the Year Award as well as being All-MAC First Team and All-MAC Defensive Team.

Campbell continues a streak of 25 consecutive seasons with at least one Falcon named to an All-MAC Team at the conclusion of the season. He is the third MAC Defensive Player of the Year for the Falcons, joining DeMar Moore (1997) and Richaun Holmes (2015). He is also the first player in program history to be named to the All-MAC Defensive Team multiple times, earning the recognition last year as well.

A native of Muskogee, Okla., Javontae Campbell put together another historic campaign defensively, leading the nation in steals with 96 and steals per game averaging 3.1 per contest. His 96 steals once again broke the BGSU program record, which he set last year at 90, and is currently third in MAC history. He's been named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Late-Season Team, one of 15 total players named and the only from a mid-major. Campbell is also a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Award, presented annually to the top defensive player in Division I.

As for his offense, Campbell has been just as impressive. This year, he has been one of just two players in the MAC to rank inside the top 10 during conference play for points, assists and steals, joined by the unanimous Freshman of the Year Leroy Blyden Jr. Campbell ranks first in both points (21.4) and steals (2.4) while being third in assists (6.0). Additionally, Campbell is only 18 points away from entering BGSU's top 10 for single-season points in program history and has already entered the top 10 for single-season assists. If he enters the top 10 for points during the postseason, he would join Antonio Daniels' 1996-97 season as the only two to be in the top 10 for both points and assists in a single season at BGSU.

2025-26 MAC Men's Basketball All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Travis Steele, Miami*
Player of the Year: Peter Suder, Senior, Guard, Miami
Defensive Player of the Year: Javontae Campbell, Senior, Guard, Bowling Green
Freshman of the Year: Leroy Blyden Jr., Guard, Toledo*
Sixth Man of the Year: Shammah Scott, Graduate Student, Guard, Akron
*unanimous selection

All-MAC First Team
Tavari Johnson, Senior, Guard, Akron
Amani Lyles, Senior, Forward, Akron
Javontae Campbell, Senior, Guard, Bowling Green
Delrecco Gillespie, Senior, Forward, Kent State
Peter Suder, Senior, Guard, Miami

All-MAC Second Team
Leonardo Bettiol, Graduate Student, Forward, Massachusetts
Brant Byers, Redshirt Sophomore, Guard, Miami
Eian Elmer, Junior, Guard, Miami
Jackson Paveletzke, Senior, Guard, Ohio
Sonny Wilson, Junior, Guard, Toledo

All-MAC Third Team
Shammah Scott, Graduate Student, Guard, Akron
Ryan Sabol, Junior, Guard, Buffalo
Marcus Banks Jr., Graduate Student, Guard, Massachusetts
Luke Skaljac, Sophomore, Guard, Miami
Leroy Blyden Jr., Freshman, Guard, Toledo

All-MAC Honorable Mention
Evan Mahaffey, Senior, Forward, Akron
Daniel Freitag, Sophomore, Guard, Buffalo
Morgan Safford, Graduate Student, Guard, Kent State
Antwone Woolfolk, Senior, Forward, Miami
Javan Simmons, Redshirt Junior, Forward, Ohio

MAC All-Freshman Team
Eric Mahaffey, Guard, Akron
Mohammad Habhab, Forward, Eastern Michigan
Quinn Woidke, Guard, Kent State
Danny Carbuccia, Guard, Massachusetts
Leroy Blyden Jr., Guard, Toledo

MAC All-Defensive Team
Amani Lyles, Senior, Forward, Akron
Evan Mahaffey, Senior, Forward, Akron
Javontae Campbell, Senior, Guard, Bowling Green
Nathan Claerbaut, Senior, Center, Central Michigan
Delrecco Gillespie, Senior, Forward, Kent State

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