2003 Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams Announced
Amherst's Zieja Named
Player of the Year
HARTFORD, Conn. - Senior forward
Steve Zieja was named 2002-03 NESCAC Men’s Basketball Player
of the Year in a vote by the conference coaches. Zieja, a repeat
first-team selection, averaged 17.6 points and 6.2 rebounds a game
while converting on 51.5% of his field goals and 81.9% of his free
throw attempts. Zieja, who is Amherst’s all-time leading
scorer (1,650 career points), is one of ten national finalists for
the Jostens Trophy, awarded annually to the outstanding men’s
and women’s basketball players in NCAA Division III. The
senior is also a two-time Verizon Academic All-District honoree.
NESCAC champion Williams placed two
members on the all-conference first team. Mike Crotty, NESCAC
Co-Rookie of the Year in 2000-01, and junior forward Ben Coffin led
the third-ranked Ephs to a 26-1 mark and their first NESCAC
Tournament title. Crotty, a junior guard, has averaged 12.3 points
and is currently ranked third nationally with 7.3 assists per game.
Coffin leads Williams in scoring and rebounds with 12.9 points and
9.3 boards per game while shooting 52.1% from the floor.
Kanem Johnson of Wesleyan
University earned first-team honors after leading the NESCAC in
scoring averaging 20.8 points per game. The junior forward pulled
down 7.0 rebounds a game while hitting 56.9 % of his attempts from
the field.
Tufts senior Mike McGlynn was named
to the first team after earning second-team honors last season.
McGlynn averaged 17.0 points per game from his guard spot while
shooting 78.9% from the foul line and hitting a league-best 68
three-pointers on the year.
Amherst’s Adam Harper was
named NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year. The junior guard leads
the conference and is currently ranked fourth in the nation in
steals averaging 3.73 per game. Harper was also honored as a
second-team all-conference selection.
Tyler Rhoten of Trinity was honored
as the NESCAC Rookie of the Year. The freshman forward was second
in the conference in scoring (19.6 ppg), sixth in rebounding (8.1
rpg), third in field goal percentage (54.8%) and led the league at
the free throw line hitting 83.6% of his attempts.
After leading his team to the
NESCAC title, Williams head coach Dave Paulsen was named NESCAC
Coach of the Year by his peers. Paulsen has guided the Ephs to a
26-1 overall mark this season, 8-1 in conference, and is 69-14 in
three seasons at Williams.
2002-03 NESCAC Men's Basketball
All-Conference
|
| First Team
| School
| Yr.
| Hometown
|
| F
| Ben Coffin
| Williams
| Jr.
| Westford, Mass.
|
| G
| Michael Crotty
| Williams
| Jr.
| Belmont, Mass.
|
| F
| Kanem Johnson
| Wesleyan
| Jr.
| New Haven, Conn.
|
G
| Mike McGlynn
| Tufts
| Sr.
| Medford, Mass.
|
| F
| Steve Zieja
| Amherst
| Sr.
| Hadley, Mass.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Second Team
|
|
|
|
| F
| Nate Anderson
| Middlebury
| Jr.
| Hinesburg, Vt.
|
| C
| Craig Coupe
| Tufts
| So.
| Niskayuna, N.Y.
|
| C
| Pat Fitzsimons
| Amherst
| Sr.
| Durham, N.C.
|
| G
| Adam Harper
| Amherst
| Jr.
| Washington, D.C.
|
| F
| C.J. Neely
| Bates
| Sr.
| North Easton, Mass.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Player of the Year
|
|
|
|
F
| Steve Zieja
| Amherst
| Sr.
| Hadley, Mass.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Defensive Player of the Year
|
|
| G
| Adam Harper
| Amherst
| Jr.
| Washington, D.C.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Rookie of the Year
|
|
|
|
| F
| Tyler Rhoten
| Trinity
| Fr.
| Ridgewood, N.J.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Coach of the Year
|
|
|
|
|
| Dave Paulsen
| Williams
|
|
|
