FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NE10 All-Conference Teams, Award Winners Announced
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Southern New Hampshire senior forward Devin Gilligan has been named the 2016-17 Northeast-10 Player of the Year, it was announced on Thursday as the conference office unveiled its men’s basketball all-conference teams and major award winners.
For a complete list of all-conference members, all-rookie selections and individual award winners, as voted upon by the league's head coaches, please see below.
Gilligan helped lead the Penmen to the Northeast Division regular season title, as they posted a 15-6 mark in NE10 play. The senior scored 20 or more 15 times during the regular season, and averaged 20.2 points per game, sixth-best in the NE10. He was also among the league leaders in field goal percentage (58.3 - fourth), and three-point percentage (46.7 - third). The New Native also pulled down 6.8 rebounds per game, which put him among the top 15 in the NE10.
Gilligan was joined on the 2017 NE10 All-Conference First Team by his frontcourt teammate Chris Walters. Saint Anselm's Tim Guers, Saint Michael's Matt Bonds, Southern Connecticut's Michael Mallory, and Stonehill's Ryan Logan were also recognized. Mallory and Logan were also named to the First Team a year ago.
Merrimack's Juvaris Hayes was selected as the NE10 Rookie of the Year by the league's head coaches. The do-everything freshman point guard led the league in assists and steals in helping lead Merrimack to the postseason and their best season in nearly a decade.
Hayes is one of only two players that ranks among the top 25 in the league in scoring, rebounding, and assists. The Paterson, N.J. native ranks among the league leaders in scoring (14.0 ppg), rebounding (6.4 rpg), and is the national leader with his 9.4 assists per game. He was also named to the NE10 Second Team by the league's head coaches.
Le Moyne's Russell Sangster was honored as the 2016-17 NE10 Defensive Player of the Year. The junior wing helped lead the Dolphins to the Southwest Division title, and a 21-5 record overall. Sangster helped lead a defensive unit that led the NE10 in fewest points per game allowed, as well as field goal percentage defense.
The Maryland product has 32 steals on the season, and averaged 11 points per game and four rebounds per contest.
Sangster's coach, Patrick Beilein, was selected as the NE10 Coach of the Year by his peers after guiding the Dolphins to the Southwest Division crown. Beilein's team is currently 21-5 overall, 16-4 in conference, and has been the top-ranked team in each of the first two East Regional rankings that have been published.
Beilein has led a remarkable turnaround in Syracuse, as last year his team finished the season with a mark of 10-17 overall and 7-13 in NE10 play in his first year as the head coach. The Dolphins won their final seven straight games of the regular season, and have won 17 of 19 outings dating back to the month of December.
Adelphi, Franklin Pierce, and Saint Anselm led the league with three all-conference selections, while Merrimack, Saint Rose, Southern Connecticut, and Southern New Hampshire each had two.
Player of the Year: Devin Gilligan, Southern New Hampshire
Rookie of the Year: Juvaris Hayes, Merrimack
Defensive Player of the Year: Russell Sangster, Le Moyne
Coach of the Year: Patrick Beilein, Le Moyne
2017 NE10 Men’s Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Tim Guers, Saint Anselm*
Matt Bonds, Saint Michael's!
Michael Mallory, Southern Connecticut*>#
Devin Gilligan, SNHU
C. Walters, SNHU!
Ryan Logan, Stonehill>#
Second Team
Manny Suarez, Adelphi
Ryan Richmond, Bentley
Russell Sangster, Le Moyne
Juvaris Hayes, Merrimack
Tyler Sayre, Saint Rose$
Third Team
Michael Coffey, Adelphi
Donte Gittens, Franklin Pierce!
Ryan Boulter, Merrimack
Harrison Taggart, Saint Anselm?
Jerry Luckett, Jr., Southern Connecticut
Honorable Mention
Jack Laffey, Adelphi
Matt Banton, Franklin Pierce
Mike McDevitt, Franklin Pierce
Taylor Fortin, Saint Anselm
Mical-Ryan Boyd, Saint Rose
All-Rookie
Austin Beech, Adelphi
Branislav Vujadinovic, Assumption
Juvaris Hayes, Merrimack*
Kessly Felizor, New Haven
Daniel Largey, Stonehill
Will Moreton, Stonehill
* - Unanimous Selection
> - First Team Selection in 2016
? - Second Team Selection in 2016
! - Third Team Selection in 2016
+ - Honorable Mention Selection in 2016
^ - First Team Selection in 2015
% - Second Team Selection in 2015
# - Third Team Selection in 2015
@ - Honorable Mention Selection in 2015
$ - All-Conference Selection in 2014
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.