Courtesy of PatriotLeague.org
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Bucknell junior center Nana Foulland has been selected as the Patriot League Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming just the second League student-athlete to garner both honors in the same season when All-Patriot League Teams and Major Awards were announced on Monday afternoon.
Foulland joined former Bison Mike Muscala – who received both honors following the 2012-13 season – as the only Patriot League player to be selected as the League’s top player and defensive player since the League began awarding a defensive player of the year during the 2004-05 season. The junior center finished eighth in the League in scoring (14.8 ppg), second in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and a League-leading 1.9 blocks per game for the regular-season champion Bison.
Bucknell Head Coach Nathan Davis earns his second-consecutive Patriot League Coach of the Year honor after leading the Bison to their third-straight regular-season title. Davis becomes the fourth coach in League history to win the award in back-to-back years and the second to accomplish the feat during his first two seasons as a head coach in the League, joining former Lehigh coach Billy Taylor (2002-03, 2003-04). The Bison led the Patriot League in scoring offense (76.1 ppg) and scoring margin (+8.5) and have won six of the last seven regular-season titles.
Colgate freshman forward Will Rayman was selected as the Patriot League Rookie of the Year, after earning five-time Patriot League The Rock Rookie of the Week awards. He led the Raiders with 14.4 points per game, while pulling down 4.5 rebounds per game during his rookie campaign. Early in League play Rayman broke Adonal Foyle’s Colgate single-game rookie scoring record when he posted 34 points against Lafayette. He is the fourth Raider to earn Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors.
Foulland also earned a spot on the All-Patriot League First Team and was joined by a pair of unanimous selections in Lehigh senior center Tim Kempton and Bucknell junior forward Zach Thomas. Kempton, the two-time defending Patriot League Player of the Year, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Finalist and a six-time Player of the Week, leads the League in scoring (20.0 ppg) and rebounding (10.1 rpg) and is one of two players in the nation to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Thomas is the lone player to finish in the top-10 in the League in scoring (3rd, 15.9 ppg), rebounding (6th, 6.6 rpg) and assists (10th, 3.3 apg), while also finishing fourth in the League in 3-point field goal percentage (.423). Boston University senior guard Eric Fanning (14.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg,) makes his second-consecutive first team appearance, while Loyola Maryland junior guard Andre Walker (15.0 ppg, 3.9 apg) earns a spot on the first team, after being selected to the second-team following the 2015-16 season.
This year’s second team is highlighted by a pair of guards who are making repeat all-League appearances. Lehigh junior guard Kahron Ross (10.3 ppg, 5.4 apg) led the Patriot League in assists and became just the seventh player in League history to top 500 career assists this season, making his third-straight all-League appearance. Bucknell junior guard Stephen Brown (10.8 ppg, 4.8 apg) was second in the League in assists and the League-leader in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6) while helping the Bison to three-consecutive regular-season titles, earning all-League honors for the second-consecutive season. Navy junior guard Shawn Anderson (12.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.0 apg) led the Mids to the No. 4 seed in the Patriot League tournament and an eight-game win streak during conference play to earn his first all-League honor. Boston University senior forward Justin Alston (11.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and Loyola Maryland senior forward Jarred Jones (15.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.2 bpg) both earn all-League honors for the first time in their careers.
Holy Cross senior forward Malachi Alexander – the 2016 Patriot League Tournament MVP – earns a spot on the All-Patriot League Third Team after averaging 13.5 points and 5.1 rebounds in his final season. Lehigh senior guard Austin Price (12.6 ppg) earns a spot on the third team for the second-consecutive season, as the Mountain Hawks second-leading scorer. Lafayette junior forward Matt Klinewski finished second in the League in scoring, averaging 16.1 points per game to go with 6.0 rebounds per game to earn a spot on the third team, while teammate and senior guard Nick Lindner (13.4 ppg, 4.1 apg) also earns a spot on the third team and is two points shy of becoming the second player in League history to total 1,500 points and 500 assists over a career. Bucknell sophomore guard Kimbal Mackenzie posted a strong second season in Lewisburg to earn a spot on the third team after averaging 11.4 points per game.
Foulland highlights the Patriot League All-Defensive along with teammate Stephen Brown, who makes the team for the second-consecutive season. They are joined by American senior forward Charlie Jones (6.0 rpg, 1.6 spg, 0.6 bpg), who earns his first all-League honor. Alexander (5.1 rpg, 1.8 spg) was a key cog in Holy Cross’s League-leading scoring defense (62.5 ppg), while Navy junior guard Bryce Dulin helped a Mids hold opponents to just 64.8 points per game, the second-best mark in the League.
Rayman leads the Patriot League All-Rookie team along with American freshman guard Sa’eed Nelson, who led League freshman and fifth overall by averaging 15.1 points per game. Nelson also led the Patriot League and was among the nation’s leaders in steals (2.4 spg) and minutes played (37.9). Fellow American freshman Mark Gasperini (11.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg) also makes the all-rookie team after finishing among the League’s top-20 scorers. Army West Point freshman guard Tommy Funk finished fifth in the League in assists, averaging 4.5 per game while helping a young Black Knights squad outperform their preseason ranking. Boston University freshman forward Tyler Scanlon (8.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg) a two-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week earned the final spot on the all-rookie team.
The 2016-17 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Tournament begins with first round action on Tuesday, February 28. No. 8 Army West Point (12-18, 6-12) hosts No. 9 American (8-21, 5-13) at Christl Arena with the opening tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. No. 7 Loyola Maryland (14-15, 8-10) will host No. 10 Lafayette (9-20, 5-13) at Reitz Arena with the opening tip scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network.
2016-17 Men’s Basketball All-Patriot League Team and Major Awards
Player of the Year: Nana Foulland, Bucknell (Jr., C)
Defensive Player of the Year: Nana Foulland, Bucknell (Jr., C)
Rookie of the Year: Will Rayman, Colgate (Fr., F)
Coach of the Year: Nathan Davis, Bucknell
First-Team All-Patriot League
Eric Fanning, Boston University (Sr., G)
Nana Foulland, Bucknell (Jr., C)
Zach Thomas, Bucknell (Jr, F)
Tim Kempton, Lehigh (Sr., C/F)
Andre Walker, Loyola Maryland (Jr., G)
Second-Team All-Patriot League
Justin Alston, Boston University (Sr., F)
Stephen Brown, Bucknell (Jr., G)
Kahron Ross, Lehigh (Jr., G)
Jarred Jones, Loyola Maryland (Sr., F)
Shawn Anderson, Navy (Jr., G)
Third-Team All-Patriot League
Kimbal Mackenzie, Bucknell (So., G)
Malachi Alexander, Holy Cross (Sr., F)
Matt Klinewski, Lafayette (Jr., F)
Nick Lindner, Lafayette (Sr. G)
Austin Price, Lehigh (Sr., G)
All-Defensive Team
Charlie Jones, American (Sr., G/F)
Nana Foulland, Bucknell (Jr, C)
Stephen Brown, Bucknell (Jr., G)
Malachi Alexander, Holy Cross (Sr., F)
Bryce Dulin, Navy (Jr., G)
All-Rookie Team
Sa’eed Nelson, American (Fr., G)
Mark Gasperini, American (Fr., F)
Tommy Funk, Army West Point (Fr., G)
Tyler Scanlon, Boston University (Fr., F)
Will Rayman, Colgate (Fr., F)
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