The New York University men’s and women’s basketball teams received several Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) awards for the 2025-26 season, according to an April 14 announcement.
These recognitions highlight the achievements of both programs during a successful year. The MBWA awards are considered significant in college basketball, honoring standout players and coaches from across the metropolitan area.
Caroline Peper was named All-Met Division III women’s college basketball Player of the Year and First Team All-Met. Peper set a program record with 112 three-point shots made, tied an NYU single-game scoring record with 41 points against USMMA on November 30, and helped lead the Violets to their third consecutive Final Four. She led NYU with an average of 18.6 points per game and finished her season with 100 assists. Peper is ninth overall on NYU’s all-time scoring list with 1,426 points over four seasons. She also earned recognition as University Athletic Association (UAA) Player of the Year, WBCA National Player of the Year, and All-American.
Junior Brooke Batchelor was selected for the All-Met First Team after starting every game for NYU this season and averaging nearly thirty minutes per contest. Batchelor averaged 13.4 points per game, collected nearly six rebounds per game, and led her team in steals with eighty total.
Sophomore Zahra Alexander was named to the All-Met Second Team after appearing in all thirty games off the bench while averaging twelve points per game in just over twenty-two minutes each contest. Sophomore Yasmene Clark received Third Team honors; she started twenty-one games out of thirty played, averaged more than ten rebounds per game to lead her team on the boards.
Head Coach Meg Barber was chosen as Coach of the Year for a fifth straight season—the sixth time overall—after leading NYU to its fifth consecutive UAA title behind an undefeated league record during regular play. Barber has compiled a record of one hundred seventy-nine wins against twenty-two losses at NYU while guiding her team through ninety-one consecutive victories—the longest streak in Division III history (men or women), second only to UConn women’s NCAA mark at any level or gender.
On the men’s side, junior Carnegie Johnson earned All-Met Second Team recognition following his first campaign at NYU where he played major minutes and led his squad in assists while averaging more than fifteen points per outing across twenty-five appearances. Graduate student Luke Kolaja secured Third Team honors after averaging almost fourteen points plus five rebounds each night along with a team-high twenty-three blocks; fellow graduate Darren Rubin received Honorable Mention by appearing in every contest this year while leading his squad in field goals made.
The honored athletes will be recognized at this year’s ninety-third MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner scheduled for Thursday, April 23 at Sleepy Hollow Hotel & Conference Center in Tarrytown.
