Six Named to NABC District I First & Second Teams, King Rice Named NABC District I Coach of the Year
MAAC Sports
EDISON, NJ – Six Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) student-athletes were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District I First & Second Teams. Monmouth University Head Coach King Rice was named District I Coach of the Year.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced the 2016-17 NABC Division I All-District teams and coaches. Selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC in NCAA Division I, these student-athletes and coaches represent the finest basketball players and coaches across America.
Monmouth’s Justin Robinson, Fairfield’s Tyler Nelson and Iona’s Jordan Washington all earned District I First Team accolades. All three were named to the All-MAAC First Team.
Robinson was named the unanimous MAAC Player of the Year, becoming just the fourth player in conference history to win this award in back to back seasons. He ranked first in the conference with 19.7 points per game and fourth with 4.8 assists per game. Robinson made 2.8 three-pointers per game, which was third best in the MAAC. Robinson was also named to the All-Championship Team for the Hawks.
Nelson finished second in the league in scoring with 19.5 points per game for the Stags. He ranks first in the MAAC with 36.1 minutes played per game. Nelson also ranked fifth in the conference with an 85.6 free-throw percentage and fourth with 2.6 made three-point field goals per game. The junior also ranked 12th in the MAAC with 3.5 assists per game.
Washington was named unanimously to the All-MAAC First Team. His 18.0 points per game for the Gaels was third best in the conference. Washington also ranked third in the MAAC with a 55.2 field-goal percentage and fifth in the MAAC with 7.6 rebounds per game. He was named Tournament MVP for the Gaels, who won the MAAC Championship for the second consecutive season.
Monmouth’s Micah Seaborn and Siena’s Brett Bisping & Marquis Wright were named to the NABC District I Second Team.
Seaborn, an All-MAAC First Team selection, finished sixth in the MAAC with an 82.8 free-throw percentage and 12th in the MAAC with 2.0 made three-pointers per game. His 13.2 points per game ranked first among his sophomore class. Seaborn was named Rookie of the Year in the 2015-16 campaign.
Bisping and Wright were named to the All-MAAC Second Team. The duo was also named to the All-Championship Team for the Saints. Bisping led the MAAC with 9.7 rebounds per game and posted 13 double-doubles this season. Wright was named MAAC Player of the Week two times this season. He ranked third in the MAAC with 5.0 assists and sixth in the MAAC with 16.8 points per game. The duo led the Saints to the MAAC Championship Game while winning 13 of its final 19 games.
Monmouth University Head Coach King Rice was named NABC District I Coach of the Year. Rice, who was also named “The Rock” MAAC Coach of the Year for a second-straight season led the Hawks to 27 wins, its second-straight regular season title and National Invitation Tournament appearance. The Hawks became the first team in conference history to win 18 MAAC games in a season.
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About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City, MO, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men’s basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today’s student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.com.