FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2016
NE-10 All-Conference Teams, Award Winners Announced
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Southern Connecticut guard Desmond Williams has been named the 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.
Williams, who was a unanimous first team all-conference selection, guided Southern Connecticut to its third straight Southwest Division title this season after a huge senior campaign in the Owls’ backcourt. The Torrington, Conn., native finished the regular season in the top 10 in the conference in nearly every major statistical category. His 22.3 points per game are good for third in the league, while his 9.9 rebounds per contest are second most in the NE-10.
Defensively, Williams leads the league in steals with 2.4 per game and is seventh with 1.3 blocks per game. He also is among the league leaders in assists averaging four a game while playing over 34 minutes per contest. Williams was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Division II National Player of the Week on Feb. 2 and scored 30 or more points six times during the regular season.
Williams was joined on the all-conference first team by his backcourt teammate Michael Mallory, Bentley forward Tyler McFarland, Saint Anselm forward Mike McCahey, Southern New Hampshire sharpshooter Rodney Sanders and Stonehill forward Ryan Logan.
Saint Anselm guard Tim Guers was chosen as the NE-10 Rookie of the Year after making an immediate impact with the Hawks as a freshman. Guers averaged 11 points per game while starting in all 26 contests for the Hawks during the regular season. He shoots 41.1 percent from three-point territory and averages 4.5 rebounds per game as well for the Hawks.
Southern Connecticut’s Austin Carter was tabbed as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Carter ranks second in the NE-10 with 2.1 blocks per game and has totaled 22 steals on the season as well. A regular contributor for the Southwest Division Champions, Carter started in 27 games during the regular season while logging just under 31 minutes per game.
Bentley’s Jay Lawson was selected as the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year by his peers after guiding the Falcons to the Northeast Division crown. Lawson’s squad went 16-5 in conference play this season, winning six more NE-10 games this season than the 2014-15 campaign. It is Lawson’s sixth NE-10 Coach of the Year award.
Saint Anselm and Southern Connecticut had the most overall honorees with four apiece, while Bentley, Southern New Hampshire and Stonehill each had three student-athletes recognized.
2016 Northeast-10 Men’s Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Tyler McFarland, F, Bentley %$
Mike McCahey, F, Saint Anselm $
Michael Mallory, G, Southern Connecticut #
Desmond Williams, G, Southern Connecticut *
Rodney Sanders, G/F, Southern New Hampshire ^$
Ryan Logan, F, Stonehill #
Second Team
Anthony Libroia, G, Adelphi
Keegan Hyland, G, Bentley #
Gelvis Solano, G, Merrimack ^$
Harrison Taggart, G/F, Saint Anselm
Tyler Sayre, F, Saint Rose $
Third Team
Donte Gittens, G, Franklin Pierce
Matt Bonds, F, Saint Michael's
Chris Walters, F, Southern New Hampshire
Pierce Cumpstone, F, Stonehill
Carter Smith, G, Stonehill @
Honorable Mention
Manny Suarez, C, Adelphi
Cameron Dobbs, G, American International #
Alex Furness, G, Bentley
Troy Hammel, G, Merrimack
Victor Joshua, G, Saint Anselm
All-Rookie
Michael Bourke, G, New Haven
Ryan Peterson, G/F, Pace
Tim Guers, G, Saint Anselm *
Levi Holmes III, G, Saint Michael's
Joey Wallace, F, Southern Connecticut
Daquaise Andrews, G, Southern New Hampshire
* - Unanimous Selection
^ - 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
Player of the Year: Desmond Williams, Southern Connecticut
Rookie of the Year: Tim Guers, Saint Anselm
Defensive Player of the Year: Austin Carter, Southern Connecticut
Coach of the Year: Jay Lawson, Bentley
ABOUT THE NORTHEAST-10
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 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 Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
