PITMAN --- The New Jersey Athletic Conference has announced its men's basketball weekly award winners for the week ending Feb. 18 (through the end of the regular season).
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MATTHEW SOLOMON • The College of New Jersey
Senior • Forward • Spring Lake Heights, NJ/Manasquan
Solomon earns the final NJAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week honor of the 2025-26 regular season after delivering one of the performances of the year in TCNJ's stunning upset of undefeated and No. 1-ranked Montclair State on Feb. 18. The senior nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing with 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists while sitting for just nine seconds the entire game. He shot 6-of-10 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the foul line, adding two steals as the Lions played spoiler to the Red Hawks’ bid for a perfect regular season. Solomon finished the regular season with six total weekly honors – three Player of the Week and three Defensive Player of the Week nods – and as the only player in the NJAC to average a double-double in league play. He led the NJAC in regular season conference-only rebounding (12.2 rpg) and was 11
th in conference-only scoring (15.1 ppg). He also ranked second in conference-only field goal percentage (53.6%), and sixth in conference-only assists (3.3 apg).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
CHARLIE BELL • Stockton University
Sophomore • Guard • Miami, FL/Florida Christian
Bell collects the final NJAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week selection of the 2025-26 regular season as he was a force on the boards in Stockton's 90-70 regular-season finale win over Rowan on Feb. 18. The sophomore hauled in a career-high 14 rebounds — six on the offensive glass — while also posting a career-high 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting from three-point range, recording his second double-double of the season. He went on to drop in 18 more points in Stockton’s quarterfinal win over Kean on 7-for-11 shooting, with four more made threes. Bell finished up the regular season chipping in 10.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in NJAC action.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
MALACHI JEFFERS-VIERA • Kean University
Freshman • Forward • Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro North
Jeffers-Viera caps the 2025-26 regular season by claiming the final NJAC Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week honor after a standout effort in Kean's 77-65 win over Rutgers-Newark on Feb. 18. The freshman poured in 21 points on 10-of-18 shooting while pulling down 11 rebounds — including seven on the offensive end — and adding four assists and two blocks. He went on to record 24 points and six rebounds in Kean’s quarterfinal matchup at Stockton. Jeffers-Viera wrapped up the regular season ranked seventh overall (first among rookies) in conference-only scoring (15.7 ppg) and third overall (first among rookies) in conference-only free throw percentage (81.9%).