WALESKA, Ga.— The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) announced its 2025-26 Men's Basketball All-Conference Awards on Tuesday evening, and according to the release, five different Montreat College men's basketball players hauled in at least one athletic accolade.
 
Aden Taylor was one of two Cavaliers to receive a pair of honors from the conference. In addition to being named Second Team All-AAC, Taylor also captured the AAC Newcomer of the Year award. A native of Charleston, S.C., Taylor started in 26 of the Cavs' 27 contests during the regular season. He ranked eighth in the league with 15.4 points per game (PPG) while shooting a remarkably efficient 46.1 percent from the floor, 41.1 percent from deep and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line. Taylor also contributed 4.3 rebounds per game (RPG), notched a team-best 59 assists and was second on the squad with 37 steals and 20 blocks.
 
Owen Stewart also tallied a pair of honors, including Second Team All-AAC status and a spot on the AAC All-Freshmen Team. In his first season as a Cavalier, Stewart led the team and ranked 10^th in the conference with 6.8 RPG. The Simpsonville, S.C. native was third on the squad with 11.7 PPG, and he added 43 assists and 32 steals throughout the course of the year. Stewart was also the only Montreat College men's basketball player to start in all 27 games.
 
While injury forced him to miss 14 games, RJ Manginello's 13-game regular season proved impressive enough to garner Second Team All-AAC status. Manginello started in 11 of his 13 appearances, pacing his teammates with 19.4 PPG, which would've ranked third in the AAC had he met the games played threshold to qualify. Along with 3.8 RPG, 2.7 assists per game (APG) and 19 total steals, Manginello shot 43.2 percent overall, 36.7 percent from beyond the arc and 93.1 percent at the charity stripe.
 
Caleb Moore started in 25 of his 26 games played, working his way onto the AAC All-Defensive Team. The Willamette University transfer accumulated 39 steals during the year, tied for eighth-most in the conference. He also pulled down 3.9 RPG, with two-thirds of those boards coming on the defensive end of the floor.
 
Amare Elshoush rounded out the Cavaliers' 2025-26 honorees, doing so with an AAC All-Freshmen Team selection. A lethal shooter from beyond the arc, Elshoush finished with the league's second-best 3-point shooting percentage at 47.3 percent. In 25 appearances, the Fairfax, Va. native buried 52 of his 110 tries from three and scored 9.4 PPG. Elshoush also had 21 assists and 31 rebounds on the campaign.
 
All athletic awards were voted on and selected by the head men's basketball coaches of the AAC.
 
Along with the athletic honors, the AAC also shared its All-Academic Team recipient list. Dyllan Barnwell, Philip Brown, Zeke Bullington, Lawrence Cole, Amaree Gartrell, Tristan Herring, Cooper Jones, Manginello, Moore, Jace Ramirez and Wade claimed the annual academic accolade, while Bullington also appeared on the AAC Champions of Character Team.

To qualify for the AAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. Each institution in the league also received one spot on the AAC Champions of Character Team, and the honorees were selected by each program's head coach.
 
For a look at the 2025-26 AAC Men's Basketball All-Conference Awards, click here.
 
The Montreat College men's basketball team will play as the No. 6 seed against the third-seeded Johnson University Royals in the quarterfinal round of the upcoming AAC Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for Thursday at 5:15 p.m. at MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport, Tenn.