AMHERST, N.Y. - After compiling one of the most decorated seasons in Daemen basketball history, redshirt sophomore center Benjamin Bill (Hamburg, N.Y.) was tabbed the Daemen University Male Athlete of the Year. The announcement was made at the 2025 Wildcat Night of Honors, an annual event held to recognize the achievements of the university's intercollegiate teams and student-athletes.

We have been featuring each of the major award winners throughout this week on www.daemenwildcats.com.

The Hamburg, N.Y., native has compiled one of the most dominant seasons in program history as he was named to the NABC Division II All-America Team, ECC Player of the Year, a D2CCA All-East Region First Team selection, an All-ECC First Team honoree, NABC All-District First Team pick and was selected to the Bevo Francis Watch List Top 25. It all culminated with Bill becoming just the second consensus All-American in program history after he earned Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Third Team All-American accolades at the end of March. 
 
Bill ended the year as the team leader in field goals made (209), field goal percentage (.708), points (488), points per game (16.8) and total blocks (62) while playing less than 25 minutes per game. The Hamburg, N.Y., native set the program record for field goal percentage in a season at .708, breaking the record that was set by Stefan Van Duluitgaarden during the 1991-92 season. His 62 total blocks this past season rank sixth all-time while his 209 made shots rank 10^th all-time for a single season. Bill also helped pace Daemen in bench points per game with an average of 38.2 which ranked second in the nation at the end of the regular season. The redshirt sophomore center ended the 2024-25 campaign tied for the team lead in double-doubles with eight, highlighted by a 25-point, 11 rebound outing against Roberts Wesleyan (March 1). Across 29 games, Bill tallied 10-or-more points in all but three games and notched 10-or-more rebounds eight times. Bill joined redshirt senior forward Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) as the first Daemen duo to score 20-or-more points in a game since Dylan Fasoyiro (23 points) and Joey Atkins (20 points) accomplished the feat against the District of Columbia on Feb. 22, 2024. Bill and Hemphill combined to score 44 of Daemen's 88 points in the ECC Championship against St. Thomas Aquinas to propel the Wildcats to their first ECC postseason title in program history. This season, Bill earned six weekly awards as he was named the ECC Player of the Week on four occasions (Dec. 2, 9, 23 & Feb. 15) and the ECC Defensive Player of the Week twice (Dec. 9 & Jan. 13). 

Other nominees for the award were Juan Alvarez (MTEN), Zach Schneider (MVB), Adam Kamagate (MT&F) and his fellow teammate Justin Hemphill. 

Bill is the sixth different basketball player to earn the award since it's inception during the 2011-12 season. Overall, it marks the 11th time that a basketball player has been named Male Athlete of the Year as well.

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
2012 - Dom Mazzocchi, Basketball
2013 - Casey Sheehan, Basketball
2014 - Gerald Beverly, Basketball
2015 - Gerald Beverly, Basketball
2016 - Torrence Dyck, Basketball
2017 - Kevin Roginson, Cross Country/Track & Field
2018 - Andrew Sischo, Basketball
2019 - Andrew Sischo, Basketball
2020 - Andrew Sischo, Basketball
2021 - Andrew Sischo, Basketball
2022 - Andrew Sischo, Basketball
2023 - Zach Schneider, Volleyball
2024 - Zach Schneider, Volleyball
2025 - Benjamin Bill, Basketball

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Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.