Buchanon Named NECC Player of the Year as Three Blazers Earn All-Conference Honors
Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Three members of the Elms College men's basketball team were named to the 2015-16 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) All-Conference team, headlined by senior Jerry Buchanon (Windsor, Conn.) as Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference, in a league release Monday afternoon. Buchanon is the second Blazers player to take home Player of the Year honors, joining Juan Maldonado in the 2009-10 season. Juniors Symon Smith (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Conny Ihearahu (Largo, Md.) received their first conference awards, earning Third Team All-NECC designations.
Buchanon composed a stellar senior season, ranking sixth in the nation in scoring, averaging 25.6 points per game, setting a new program record for single season average. Jerry became the eighth player to join the Men's Basketball 1,000-point club, and set program records for points in a season with 666 points in 26 contests. Buchanon netted double figures every game, including 30-point efforts in seven games, highlighted by a career-high 43 points at Regis College on February 13th, setting the program mark for points in a game. In conference play, Buchanon led the NECC with 26.4 points per game, shooting 50% from the field and 38.1% from three-point range, and 40 total steals. Buchanon became Elms second-leading scorer of all-time with 1,484 career points.
Ihearahu claimed his first conference award after averaging 11.8 points with a team-high 8.7 rebounds per game. Ihearahu ranked fourth in the NECC in rebounds per game and fifth in total rebounds (218), eighth-most in a season in program history. Ihearahu notched nine double-doubles on the season. Ihearahu tallied 26 blocks, third-most in the NECC, and moved into second all-time in career blocks in program history.
In his first season with the Blazers, Smith contributed 14.3 points per game, ranking tenth in the NECC, with 3.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds. Smith finished third in the NECC from the free-throw line (83.2%), and ranked fourth in steal with 40, including 29 in conference play.
Junior Dimitri Tessier (Brockton, Mass.) was selected to the All-Sportsmanship team.
Domenico Santiago started his collegiate career with some remarkable numbers, earning NECC Rookie of the Year honors. The freshman from Mitchell led the NECC in field goal percentage (63.8) from the field in conference games. He also ranked second in rebounds per game (9.5) for the season.
In just his third season with the Mountaineers Dan Engelstad takes home his second straight NECC Coach of the Year. Southern Vermont won the NECC Championship after they completed an unblemished NECC regular season. The Mountaineers finished the season with a record of 24-3 and will travel to Tufts for the first round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament.
Mitchell's Parris Hill was named to the NECC First Team as he ranks among the league leaders finishing second in points per game (24.8), third in field goal percentage (58.8), sixth in minutes per game (35.6), and ninth in rebounding with 7.4 per game.
The reigning NECC Player of the Year, DeShawn Hamlet, earned a spot on the NECC first team as he led the Southern Vermont Mountaineers to an NECC Championship. Hamlet averaged 15.2 points per game and 9.1 rebounds in just 23 minutes per game. The senior forward ranks fifth in the NECC in FG% (58.2), which is good for 46th in NCAA DIII.
Rondell Best was the leader on the Daniel Webster Eagles and landed a spot on the NECC First team after an impressive junior campaign. Best finished the season ranking fourth in points per game (19.7) and first in rebounds per game (9.8). In conference action, Best shot 57% from the field in the 15 games he played in.
Rounding out the NECC First Team was Samuel Durodola from Becker College. The Sophomore helped lead the Hawks to the NECC Title game as he averaged 18.3 points per game and 8.6 rebounds in conference matchups.
Men's Basketball Awards:
Player of the Year - Jerry Buchanon, Elms
Rookie of the Year - Domenico Santiago, Mitchell
Coach of the Year - Dan Engelstad, Southern Vermont
First Team
Samuel Durodola, So., F, Rosedale, N.Y., Becker College
Rondell Best, Jr., G/F, Brockton, Mass., Daniel Webster College
Jerry Buchanon, Sr., G, Windsor, Conn., Elms College
Parris Hill, Sr., F, Stockton, Calif., Mitchell College
DeShawn Hamlet, Sr., F, Hartford, Conn., Southern Vermont College
Second Team
Kyle Credle, Jr., G, Queens, N.Y., Becker College
Devon Mayo, Jr., G, Newport News, Va., Lesley University
Donavan McClean, Sr., G/F, Jersey City, N.J., Mitchell College
Casey Hall, Sr., F, Albany, N.Y., Southern Vermont College
Anthony Williams, Jr., F, White Plains, N.Y., Wheelock College
Third Team
Ray Farmer, Jr., F, Nashua, N.H., Daniel Webster College
Conny Ihearahu, Jr., G/F, Largo, Md., Elms College
Symon Smith, Jr., G, Oklahoma City, Okla., Elms College
Jeff Tagger Jr., Sr., G, Brockton, Mass., Regis (Mass.) College
Nicholas Fenton, Jr., G, East Hartford, Conn., Wheelock College
All Sportsmanship
Rashaun Liggon, Sr., F, Elizabeth, N.J., Becker College
Khial Watson, Sr., G, Ann Arbor, Mich., Daniel Webster College
Dimitri Tessier, Jr., G, Brockton, Mass., Elms College
Fabrice Louissaint, Jr., F, Everett, Mass., Lesley University
Brayvon Young, So., G, Port St. Lucie, Fla., Mitchell College
Dallas Serrano, Sr., G, Valley Stream, N.Y., Newbury College
Jordan Monts, Sr., G, Springfield, Mass., Regis (Mass.) College
Jackson Amankrah, Fr., G, New York, N.Y., Southern Vermont College
Joe Reedy, Sr., F, Orlando, Fla., Wheelock College
ELMS BASKETBALL
Source: (NECC)
