Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you the Season 22 accolades, as voted selected by the coaches.
Player of the Year: Kurt Schabowski//Washington University
19.6ppg (LL)/3.4apg/1.1spg
Kurt Schabowski turned in one of the most prolific scoring seasons in UCAC history. The 6-0 floor general from Salem, Missouri paired a conference-best 19.6 scoring average with a deadly 46.6 three-point percentage. Cut from the Allen Iverson, shoot-first/pass-second mold, Schabowski also managed a +1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. He posted three consecutive 30-point games at the beginning of the season, including a season-best 33-point performance vs. Manhattanville, where he buried 9 three-pointers.
6th Man Award: John Talarico//RPI
10.3ppg/7.3rpg/0.9bpg
At 6-6, 225, John Talarico is not your prototypical center. But he makes up for his size with pure talent. Talarico made his presence known on May 7, when he posted 22 points and 16 boards at Babson. Talarico tallied 11 double-digit scoring performances and five games where he collected 10+ rebounds. The Sheridan, Montana native averaged 10.3 points per game and hauled in 7.3 boards per contest.
Coach of the Year: mrpolo9//NYU
There's one coach at the top of the conference this year and they call him Mis-tah Polo (spot the reference). Polo put up his first 20-win performance in 10 seasons at the helm of the Violets. NYU's season-ending RPI has steadily declined since season 16 under mrpolo9. This year, he reached a career-best 20th ranking, thanks in part to the nation's toughest Division III schedule.
Rookie of the Year: There was a three-way tie. In the interest of time, we'll just list them: Eric Gibson//NYU, Ruben Hansen//NYU, and James Alber//SLU
ALL CONFERENCE TEAMS
FIRST-TEAM ALL-UCAC
BACKCOURT
Kurt Schabowski//Washington. UNANIMOUS SELECTION
James Wright//RPI
10.0ppg/4.2apg/1.0spg
James Wright was rarely wrong in season 22 (that was terrible, I admit). He proved to be an efficient scorer from the backcourt as well as a strong playmaker. Wright averaged 10 points per game for the Engineers, successful on exactly half of his scoring attempts (73-146 FG) and in 51 percent of his three-point tries. He was equally as dangerous at the point, pairing his 4.2 assists per game with a +2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio. BIG GAME: May 10 vs. Hobart. 20 points, seven assists and two steals in a 76-70 win.
SMALL FORWARD
John Richard//Hamilton
12.8ppg/3.2rpg
Breaking the "dumb jock" stereotype in season 22, John Richard posted high numbers on and off the court. His 12.8 points per game led a stellar Hamilton attack this year. In the classroom, he put up academic all-American numbers with a 3.9 GPA. No one is sure what Richard's major is, but given the fact that he hails from New Jersey, we can only hope that it is not urban planning or highway design. BIG GAME: May 25 vs. Hobart. 23 points, seven boards, five steals.
FRONTCOURT
Corey Sampson (Hobart) UNANIMOUS SELECTION
15/6ppg/9.7rpg/1.3bpg/91.9 FT (LL)
A force to be reckoned with, Corey Sampson was a shining star during the Statesman's .500 campaign. The senior power forward posted 15.6 points and 9.7 boards per contest and led the league with a 91.9 free throw percentage, simply unheard of for a 6-8 post player. BIG GAME: May 20 vs. NYU. 27 points, 14 rebounds, 1 block, 9-9 FTs.
Hugh Bussiere//Hamilton
16.1ppg/8.4rpg/1.5bpg
Wrapping up a stellar career, Hugh Bussiere posted nine double-doubles in his final campaign at Hamilton. A three-year starter, Bussiere assaulted opposing centers with 16.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, while blocking 1.5 shots per. BIG GAME: May 27 vs. Rochester. 29 points, 10 rebounds,1 block, 10-11 FG, 9-10 FT.
SECOND TEAM
BACKCOURT
Leon Osborn//Chicago
11.8ppg/2.5apg/82.2FT
Leon Osborn brought efficiency to the court in season 22. The Memphis native posted 11.2 points per game, doing so on 51.2 percent shooting from the field and 49.3 percent from long distance. Equally impressive was his 82.2 percent shooting from the charity stripe. BIG GAME: May 9, @RPI. 20 points, 5-6 FG (all threes), 5-6 FT, 4 assists.
Robert White//Hamilton
9.5ppg/5.6apg(LL)/45.3 3FG
Robert White's decision to stay at home for college paid off in his junior season. One of the best pure point guards in the league, White posted an assist-to-turnover ratio of +3.7, while adding 9.5 points a game for Hamilton. BIG GAME: 5/27 vs Rochester. 12 points, 12 assists, 3-3 3FG.
SMALL FORWARD
Richard Nelson (Hobart)
12.2 ppg/3.4rpg
Balance was the name of the game for Hobart this season and Richard Nelson played a big part in that mix. The Belmont, MA native was one of four Statesman to score more than 12 points per contest this year. BIG GAME: 5/3 vs. Becker, 29 points, 10-14 FG, 7-8 3FG.
FRONTCOURT
Ryan Calzada//RPI
15.0 ppg/8.8rpg/1.4bpg
Edged out for the sixth man award, Ryan Calzada made his presence felt in season 22. The senior power forward came off the bench most of the season and doubled his offensive output from the season before (7.2 ppg as a junior to 15.0 as a senior). BIG GAME: 5/26 vs. Skidmore. 20 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks.
Eugene Weaver//Washington
15.5ppg/7.8rpg/1.0bpg/91.6 FT
A major component of Washington's inside-outside attack, Eugene Weaver made the most of his senior season. Weaver's 15.5 points and 7.8 boards per game were highlighted by eight double-doubles and a 91.6 free throw percentage. BIG GAME: 5/28 @ St. Lawrence. 25 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks, 19-20 FT.
THIRD TEAM
BACKCOURT
Benjamin Johnson//RPI
13.3 ppg/2.9apg/1.0spg
BIG GAME: 5/13 vs. St. Lawrence. 26 points, 8-9 3FG.
Richard Morrison//Hobart
9.0 ppg/5.8apg (LL)/1.2spg/90.6 FT
BIG GAME: 5/20 vs. NYU. 14 points, 11 assists, 2 steals, 4 rebounds.
James Agnew//Rochester
12.8 ppg/3.5apg/42.1 3FG
BIG GAME: 4/29 vs. Hiram. 22 points, 5 assists.
SMALL FORWARD
Daniel Carson//Skidmore
11.3ppg/3.9rpg
BIG GAME: 5/24 vs. NYU. 27 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, 7-7 FT.
FRONTCOURT
Michael Daniel//NYU
11.1ppg/8.1rpg/1.1bpg
BIG GAME: 5/20 @Hobart. 20 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals.
Thomas Mann//Brandeis
12.8ppg/8.1rpg/1.0bpg/1.7spg (LL)
BIG GAME: 5/18 @ RPI. 26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 10-11 FT.