One-Bid Wonders

Postseason awards are a funny and fickle thing in the America East. The culmination of the season, they are often the highlight of the careers of players toiling in small-conference obscurity, many of whom will never experience the bright lights of March Madness.

Sadly, many times, the most deserving players don’t win the awards their play on the court should have earned. Awards are supposed to be based on merit, but the AE coaches and athletic directors often take other factors into account. Some of these factors are born from good intentions – the desire to give graduating seniors, many whom have previously been snubbed, one last piece for their trophy cases, one last “hurrah,” among them. But many elements that factor into the voting, sadly, fly in the face of what college basketball – and the America East – is all about. Grudges against opposing coaches and players, attempts to avenge previous players who were wronged, and trying to make a statement to 18-to-20 year old kids who are too outspoken are among the dozens of petty – not to mention stupid – reasons that have influenced the AE’s behind-closed-doors voting and contributed to countless snubs.

My awards are based solely on merit and merit alone. I don’t care what class someone belongs to – a fifth-year senior who has never won an award competes on equal footing with a first-year freshman. These are not “lifetime achievement” awards. Rather, these awards are simply based on my opinion about who has been the best player – or players – this season. I will update my rankings at the conclusion of the final regular season game of the America East slate for my final picks, but if the season were to end today, here’s how I think the awards should play out:

Player of the Year: Troy Barnies, Sr., F, Maine
Conference stats: 18.4 PPG (2nd in AE), 61.0 TS% (2nd), 8.7 RPG (4th), 118.6 ORtg (4th)
Troy Barnies has been the best player in the America East, hands

down. He also plays for what has been the league’s best team for most of the conference season. In my opinion, barring some sort of epic collapse down the stretch, he has already run away with the POY award. It’s been a magical season for Barnies, who has never won a postseason award and never averaged more than 7.7 points per game in any previous season. Barnies has finally put it all together as a senior, combining length, athleticism, and toughness, and is dominating the league on offense, on the glass, and at the defensive end. Down the stretch, as the double-teams have increased and the games have become more and more important, Barnies has continued to ratchet up his level of play. He’s also been taking the ball to the hoop with authority, throwing down some absolute sledgehammers.

Defensive Player of the Year: Mahamoud Jabbi, R-Sr., F, Binghamton
Conference stats: 13.5 PPG (8th), 3.6 ORPG (1st), 5.8 DPRG (4th), 2.4 BRPG (1st)
No one has been asked to do more on the defensive end this season

than Jabbi, who draws the best scorer on the opposing team every game, regardless of position. Jabbi blocks shots and controls the defensive glass, and also steps out to defend the perimeter. Jabbi has been asked to defend the likes of Troy Barnies, John Holland, Morgan Sabia, Evan Fjeld, Tim Ambrose, Tyrone Conley and even Chris De La Rosa this season, and has done an admirable job.

Rookie of the Year: Brian Voelkel, F, Vermont
Conference stats: 6.5 PPG, 2.8 ORPG (3rd), 7.2 DRPG (2nd), 4.0 APG (4th), 1.5 SPG (5th)
Voelkel has been phenomenal, and not only the league’s best rookie, but also one of the toughest players in the America East regardless of class. Rebounding, playing defense, dropping dimes and throwing elbows, the kid does it all. On the season, Voelkel ranks first in the league in rebounding. In conference games, Voelkel ranks second in both rebounding and defensive rebounding – barely trailing Brian Benson after Benson’s numbers got a bit of a bump from some outstanding overtime games – and has filled up the rest of the stat sheet game after game.

Coach of the Year: Mike Lonergan, Vermont
Lonergan currently has the Catamounts in first place by one-half of a game, but this isn’t about where they sit in the standings. Lonergan would be my choice if Vermont was in third place. The fact that he has quickly reloaded after losing all-everything forward Marqus Blakely as well as key seniors Maurice Joseph and Nick Vier from last seasons NCAA squad, bringing the Catamounts back to the top of the America East standings with spare parts and untested role players (not to mention no game-ready point guard), is remarkable. Lonergan has the ‘Cats executing their gameplan better than any other team in the conference, and showing up and playing hard day in and day out. That’s the mark of a great coach.

First Team All-Conference
Troy Barnies, Sr., F, Maine
Barnies isn’t just the best player on (arguably) the league’s best team, he’s simply the best player in the league.

Chris De La Rosa, R-Jr., PG, UMBC
Conference stats: 17.9 PPG (3rd), 6.6 APG (1st), 2.4 A/TO (2nd), 4.8 RPG 1.4 SPG (T-4th)
De La Rosa is, hands down, the league’s best point guard – it’s not even close. De La Rosa has the uncanny ability to shift gears and play at different speeds in a way that no other AE player can. He also has an incredible ability to see the floor and generate offense: that CDLR is leading the league in assists despite playing for UMBC is a testament to his amazing playmaking ability. De La Rosa does his damage by getting into the lane, drawing defensive attention, and either finishing acrobatically in traffic or hitting the open man. When you consider the numbers that De La Rosa has put up this season, and then take a step back and look at how bad the team around him has been, it’s been pretty amazing. He’s also been relentless at time on the boards. De La Rosa is the one player in the league this season who you can pretty much give the ball to and say, “go make a play,” and he will every time.

John Holland, Sr., F, BU
Conference stats: 19.4 PPG (1st), 55/66 FTM/FTA (1st/1st), 4.8 DRPG (6th), 1.4 SPG (T-4th)
I’ve been awful tough on Holland this season for the amount of shots he takes from beyond the arc instead of going to the hoop, but Holland is the America East’s leading scorer, top talent, and only true “star.” Holland is the league’s best scorer, and the only America East player who can score 20 on an off night. He has scored in double figures in nine of BU’s ten conference games, cracking the 20-point plateau in six. He scored the 2,000th point of his career, and more importantly put BU on his back when they needed him the most, in the Terriers’ biggest conference win, an 88-78 triumph over Maine.

Mahamoud Jabbi, Sr., F, Binghamton
Jabbi is a wonderful story and a wonderful kid. A former Division-III player who transferred to Binghamton and walked onto the team, he has now blossomed into a wonderful player. A tornado of energy, Jabbi does it all on both ends – he can finish with both hands around the hoop, elevate over traffic and hit the old school hook shot, or step out behind the arc and bury the triple. Defensively, Jabbi is as good as it gets in the America East – blocking and altering shots and crashing the glass hard. He currently ranks amongst the league leaders in rebounds, blocks, scoring, field goal percentage, and 3-point percentage. He also, somehow, always keeps his enthusiasm up despite playing for the lowly Bearcats.

Gerald McLemore, Jr., G, Maine
Conference stats: 16.1 PPG (5th), 64.4 TS% (1st), 46.2 3FG% (1st),
After a slow start to the season, McLemore has caught fire during conference play. In America East games, McLemore has been the best shooter in the league. The junior from sunny San Diego is the only America East player in the league to rank in the top five in both 3-point shooting percentage and 3-pointers made per game. The way McLemore is shooting the ball (30-of-65) cannot be understated: he’s pulling up in traffic and knocking down contested 3’s at a rate the America East hasn’t seen since Tyler Morris (2006-2007) and Billy Collins (2001-2003). But McLemore isn’t just a shooter: he can take the ball to the hoop and finish acrobatically, and is also one of the league’s better perimeter defenders.

Second Team All-Conference
Tim Ambrose, R-Sr., G, Albany
During the non-conference season, Ambrose looked ready to make a strong run at conference Player of the Year honors, but he has since cooled off. Ambrose spent most of the non-conference season at the top of the league in scoring, but his shot isn’t dropping from long-range anymore. He is, however, still getting to the hoop and finishing, doing a solid job distributing the ball, and is an unbelievable rebounder for a 5’10” guard.

Brendan Bald, Soph., G/F, Vermont
Bald has come out of nowhere for Vermont during league play, and during the past two weeks has been the best player in a Catamounts jersey. Bald is stroking it from behind the arc and beginning to assert his athleticism much more frequently, getting to the hoop and finishing with authority. Albany guard Logan Aronhalt is likely still feeling Bald’s dunk from a week ago. Bald is also defending the heck out of the ball as one of the league’s best perimeter defenders.

Tyrone Conley, Sr., G, New Hampshire
Conley is what he is: a player who is equal parts amazing scorer and horrifying chucker. In the absence of Alvin Abreu and Ferg Myrick, both of his extremes have become magnified. For stretches he has carried the Wildcats, and when he gets into a zone he can put the ball into the hoop at an unconscious rate. If he ever stopped shooting as much from behind the arc and tried to get his teammates involved, he could have made a run at Conference Player of the Year. Conley is a wonderful athlete, who has used his vertical (the league’s best) to not only finish fast breaks with jaw-dropping dunks, but also block an impressive amount of shots for a 6’1” guard – Conley ranks seventh in the league in blocked shots, and is the only guard in the league to rank among the top 10 in swats.

Evan Fjeld, Sr., F, Vermont
Fjeld was the best player in the league during the non-conference season, but his production has dropped off significantly due to the constant double-teams. Fjeld is still a solid low post scorer, and the attention he occupies from opposing defenses has opened up the floor for the rest of the Catamounts. He still hits the glass hard, blocks and alters shots, and is one of the best frontcourt players in the league. And while Fjeld has dropped down from the first to second team in my eyes, it should not diminish the wonderful season he has had to cap off an amazing career in perseverance. Fjeld is not only the heart, soul, and unquestioned leader of the Catamounts, but arguably the player who is the most admired by his peers in the entire conference.

Morgan Sabia, Sr., F, Hartford
Sabia, like Ambrose and Fjeld, was looking like a first-teamer up through two weeks ago, but several tough games and now a knee injury have knocked him down to the second team. That being said, Sabia has been brilliant for much of the season, finally channeling the talent that he has possessed since his freshman season. Sabia can still knock down the 3, but he’s been mixing it up in the paint, scoring around the hoop and giving the Hawks their first consistent presence on the glass since Bo Taylor graduated in 2007.

Third Team All-Conference
Logan Aronhalt, R-Soph., G/F, Albany
Aronhalt was one of the five best players in the America East during the non-conference season, burying it from behind the arc while getting to the hoop and finishing with authority. His percentages have gone down significantly during the conference slate, as have his scoring numbers, and he hasn’t been attacking the hoop at as great a frequency. However, he still ranks in the top 10 in scoring, plays physical defense on the perimeter, and can light it up when he is on.

Brian Benson, Jr., F, New Hampshire
A lot of people will scratch their heads at this selection, but the awards are based largely on performance in conference games. When Dane DiLiegro missed three games due to suspension, the springy 6’9” Benson took a big step forward. He has been terrific. Benson is leading the America East in both rebounds per game and defensive rebounds per game in league contests, and also ranks fourth in blocks per America East contest.

Milton Burton, Sr., G/F, Hartford
Burton has flown completely under the radar this season, but he is quietly having a very nice year for the Hawks. Burton hasn’t turned into the scorer that was projected last season, but he’s shown a nice ability to flash to the hoop and finish, as well as knock down the three. Burton has also spent a good deal of time handling the Hawks point guard duties, and has done a solid job despite playing out of position from his natural position of small forward. Where he’s made the biggest impact is on defense at the top of Hartford’s 1-3-1 zone, using his great wingspan to disrupt opposing offenses. As a result, Burton leads the league in steals.

Darryl Partin, R-Jr., G/F, Boston University
Partin has struggled a bit with consistency, but when he is on he can really light it up from the floor. In conference play, he ranks sixth in scoring and tenth in both field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. Partin can score from anywhere on the court and has shown the ability to slash to the hoop and finish around the rim. He has also surprised many with his defense, as he has been the Terriers’ best perimeter defender.

Brian Voelkel, Fr., F, Vermont
Voelkel does it all for the Catamounts – controlling the glass, bringing toughness, and running the offense as a point/power forward once across half-court. What largely keeps Voelkel on the third team are his pedestrian shooting percentages. Voelkel’s lack of ability – or perhaps unwillingness – to score allows teams to zone Vermont and, in essence, use five players to defend the other four Catamounts. Voelkel, like many forwards, can also be taken advantage of on the defensive end when he is forced to defend perimeter players, but that should not detract from the fact that he has been the best freshman in the conference and one of the toughest players in the league.

All-Defense
Brendan Bald, Soph., G/F, Vermont
Bald has become a lock-down defender on the perimeter, and draws the nightly assignment of defending the oppositions best back-court scorer.

DeAndray Buckley, Fr., G/F, New Hampshire
Sure, Buckley logs just under 15 minutes per game in America East action, but he’s the best perimeter defender in the league and quite possibly the best man-to-man defender in the America East. Buckley is asked to give New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion fifteen minutes of fury defending the opponent’s best scorer every night.

Milton Burton, Sr., G/F, Hartford
Burton’s length and athleticism have wreaked havoc at the top of the 1-3-1 zone. He also leads the America East in steals per game.

Patrick Hazel, R-Jr., F, Boston University
The leading shot blocker in conference games, Hazel is averaging 2.3 blocks per AE contest – with many of his swats being of the intimidating “don’t bring that weak ‘ish in here” variety. He also hits the defensive glass pretty hard.

Mahamoud Jabbi, R-Sr., F, Binghamton
No one has been asked to do more on the defensive end this season than Jabbi, who blocks shots and controls the defensive glass in the paint, and also steps out and defends the perimeter.

All-Rookie
Luke Apfeld, R-Fr., F, Vermont
After spending much of the season getting back into shape after redshirting last season following an ACL tear (the third of his career), Apfeld has begun to turn it on in the conference season, scoring in a variety of ways and bringing athleticism to the Catamounts front court.

Luke Devlin, Fr., F, Albany
Devlin is the rare breed in the America East who can play with controlled aggression and tenacity: He can knock your head off around the hoop and also step out and knock down the three. Physical and skilled, the Great Danes have a keeper in their Aussie big man.

Alasdair Fraser, Fr., C, Maine
Fraser hasn’t even scratched the surface of his immense potential, and already gives the Black Bears great size, tremendous physicality, and the ability to really score the ball around the hoop. Fraser’s touches have diminished as Barnies’ play has skyrocketed (the argument can be made that head coach Ted Woodward needs to get him the ball more), but the skill and upside are there, and he gives the Black Bears a new dimension and tremendous work ethic every night.

D.J. Irving, Fr., PG, BU
Who has been the most efficient freshman during league play? Offensively, it’s Irving by a country mile. The fastest player in the league – he possesses straight-line speed with the ball that I haven’t seen since Jose Juan Barea – Irving changes the game more than any other freshman in the conference, and arguably has the highest ceiling of any frosh. During conference play, he’s really put it together as a playmaker and shooter.

Brian Voelkel, Fr., F, Vermont
The Rookie of the Year.

Note: All rankings on conference statistical leaderboards are taken from Statsheet.com, and are accurate as of Friday morning.

Tags: Alasdair Fraser, Brendan Bald, Brian Benson, Brian Voelkel, Chris De La Rosa, D.J. Irving, Darryl Partin, DeAndray Buckley, Evan Fjeld, Gerald McLemore, John Holland, Logan Aronhalt, Luke Apfeld, Luke Devlin, Mahamoud Jabbi, Mike Lonergan, Milton Burton, Morgan Sabia, Patrick Hazel, Tim Ambrose, Troy Barnies, Tyrone Conley

This entry was posted on Friday, February 4th, 2011 and is filed under Feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.