NEW HAVEN, CT-Holy Family University senior guard Michael Sturns has been tabbed the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Men's Basketball Player of the Year in balloting released today. Felician College freshman forward Devon Young was selected as the Rookie of the Year, while Philadelphia University head coach Herb Magee was named Coach of the Year. CACC newcomer Chestnut Hill College was the pick for the annual Team Sportsmanship Award. The conference's 12 head coaches conducted the voting for the awards. The announcement was made by Commissioner Daniel Mara of Waterbury.
Sturns, a 6-5 guard from Fort Worth, TX, transferred to Holy Family for his senior season and established himself as the top scorer in all of Division II. Entering the week, he leads the nation in scoring by tossing in 26.7 points per-game. Sturns poured in 51 points at NYIT on February 2, which is the highest point-total by any player in Division II this season. The 51-point outburst ranks second in the CACC Division II-era single-game record book. Sturns ranks among league leaders in numerous other categories. He stands 14th in rebounding (6.4), sixth in field-goal percentage (.481), eighth in assists (3.07) and 3-pointers made per-game (1.70) and fifth in free-throw percentage (.774) and steals (2.22). Sturns was named CACC Player of the Week four times this season. Sturns and Holy Family (19-8, 12-4) will be the No. 2 seed in the South Division for the upcoming CACC Tournament.
Young, a 6-3 freshman forward from Monmouth Junction, NJ, enjoyed an outstanding first season with the Golden Falcons. He leads the team in scoring with 16.5 ppg, which also ranks seventh in the CACC. He is also 14th in the conference with 1.54 3-pointers made per-game. He scored in double-figures in all but three games this season and scored a season-high 28-points at Southern Connecticut State. He provided the game-winning bucket at the buzzer in that game
Herb Magee, who holds the Division II record for most career victories with 851, has led Philadelphia to an 18-11 overall record so far this season, along with a perfect 15-0 conference mark with one game left on the schedule. The Rams will have home-court advantage throughout the upcoming CACC Tournament, which gets underway on Saturday, March 1.
The other four All-CACC first team selections include Philadelphia sophomore forward Malcolm Ingram, Holy Family senior guard Ryan Lancaster, Post University senior guard Arthur Robertson and Goldey-Beacom College senior forward Derek Savage. Lancaster and Savage were both second team All-CACC picks last year, while Robertson was a third team choice. Lancaster was also a third team pick in 2005-06 as a sophomore.
Ingram ranks third in the CACC in scoring (17.1) and field-goal percentage (.510) and fourth in rebounding (8.3). He dramatically improved his scoring and rebounding numbers from last season, when he averaged 5.0 ppg and 2.9 rpg as a freshman. Lancaster stands second in the conference in scoring at 17.6 ppg, and fifth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.390).
Robertson ranks sixth in the CACC in scoring (16.8), eighth in free-throw percentage (.756) and despite standing 6-1, ranks second in rebounds with 9.8 per-contest. The 6-4 Savage is also among league-leaders in numerous categories, including third in rebounds (8.8), 10th in scoring (15.1), second in field-goal percentage (.514) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.397), fourth in steals (2.35) and sixth in assists (3.50).
The All-CACC second team includes Holy Family senior London Houston, Bloomfield College junior guard Omari Knox, Nyack College senior guard Sheanan Martinez, Caldwell College junior forward Manny Perez and Wilmington University senior forward Taurean Temple.
Houston, a 6-7 center, currently leads the CACC in rebounding (9.9) and blocks shots (3.89). He ranks fifth nationally in blocks. Perez leads the conference in field-goal percentage (.543). Perez, who missed last season due to an injury, was a second team All-CACC selection in both 2004-05 and 2005-06. He was the CACC Rookie of the Year as a freshman.
The All-CACC third team includes USP senior forward Keith Dundas, Philadelphia sophomore point guard Russell Frederick, Philadelphia senior forward Jason Hickenbottom, Post senior forward Peter Lawal and Felician senior guard Jason Romer. Frederick leads the CACC with an average of 5.29 assists per-game, while Romer tops the CACC with 44.7-percent accuracy from 3-point range.
The complete All-CACC team is listed below.
FIRST TEAM
F Malcolm Ingram Philadelphia So. Philadelphia, PA
G Ryan Lancaster Holy Family Sr. Egg Harbor, NJ
G Arthur Robertson Post Sr. Far Rockaway, NY
F Derek Savage Goldey-Beacom Sr. Lincoln, DE
G Michael Sturns Holy Family Sr. Fort Worth, TX
SECOND TEAM
C London Houston Holy Family Sr. Philadelphia, PA
G Omari Knox Bloomfield Jr. Brooklyn, NY
G Sheanan Martinez Nyack Sr. Haverstraw, NY
F Manny Perez Caldwell Jr. Egg Harbor, NJ
F Taurean Temple Wilmington Sr. Newark, DE
THIRD TEAM
F Keith Dundas USP Sr. Yardley, PA
G Russell Frederick Philadelphia So. Joppa, MD
F Jason Hickenbottom Philadelphia Sr. Philadelphia, PA
F Peter Lawal Post Sr. Uniondale, NY
G Jason Romer Felician Sr. New York, NY
Honorable Mention: Will Carty, Jr., G, Dominican; Mike Dunn, Jr., G, Philadelphia, Adrian Miles, So., G, Goldey-Beacom; AJ Reitter, Jr., F, Post; B.J. Suchy, Sr., F, Caldwell;
Player of the Year: Michael Sturns, Sr., G, Holy Family
Rookie of the Year: Devon Young, Fr., F, Felician
Coach of the Year: Herb Magee, Philadelphia
Team Sportsmanship Award: Chestnut Hill College