Courtesy of LehighSports.com
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After earning Patriot League Player of the Year for a second straight season, Lehigh men’s basketball junior Tim Kempton has also been named an NABC first team All-District honoree, as announced on Friday. Kempton’s second straight first team All-District honor comes after averaging 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, which included double-doubles in eight of his final 10 contests of the season. The Mountain Hawks have now placed at least one player on an NABC All-District team in seven of the last eight years.
Prior to Kempton’s honor last season, Gabe Knutson and Mackey McKnight were named to the second team in 2013. C.J. McCollum was named to the first team the previous three seasons while Zahir Carington earned second team laurels in 2009.
Joining Kempton on the first team this season was Justin Sears of Yale, Henry Caruso of Princeton, Chris Hass of Bucknell, and Maodo Lo of Columbia. The second team featured Makai Mason and Brandon Sherrod of Yale, Austin Tilotson of Colgate, Tanner Plomb of Army West Point and Zena Edosomwan of Harvard.
After earning Patriot League Rookie of the Year as a freshman and Player of the Year as a sophomore, Tim Kempton joined elite company as just the third player ever to earn two Player of the Year awards before his senior year – along with Lehigh alum C.J. McCollum and Colgate’s Adonal Foyle. For a second consecutive season, Kempton’s numbers improved. After averaging 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds as a sophomore, those numbers increased to 17.7 and 9.5, respectively. He also tallied more assists (41), blocks (13) and steals (20) than his sophomore season while shooting a career-high 55.5 percent from the field and 75.5 percent from the free throw line.
Over his last 10 games, Kempton averaged 18.8 points and 12.4 rebounds, which included consecutive games at Army West Point and vs. Navy in the Patriot League Quarterfinals when he combined to post 45 points and 35 rebounds. Kempton was named the league’s Player of the Week in two of the final three weeks of the regular season and he finished the season with 13 double-doubles to reach 33 in his decorated career.
Lehigh’s 2015-16 season was highlighted by its 11-game winning streak to tie a school record. The 11-game streak was also the program’s longest-ever against Patriot League opponents. The Mountain Hawks finished the regular season 13-5 in league play, marking a school record for Patriot League victories. Lehigh earned the No. 2 seed in the league tournament, beat Navy and American at home in the tournament and hosted the Patriot League Championship Game for the first time since 2010. The Mountain Hawks will return their top four scorers next season, including Kempton, first team All-Patriot League honoree Kahron Ross, third team All-League member Austin Price and All-Rookie team honoree Kyle Leufroy.
NABC All-District
District 13
First Team
Justin Sears, Yale
Henry Caruso, Princeton
Chris Haas, Bucknell
Maodo Lo, Columbia
Tim Kempton, Lehigh
Second Team
Makai Mason, Yale
Austin Tillotson, Colgate
Tanner Plomb, Army
Brandon Sherrod, Yale
Zena Edosomwan, Harvard
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