New England Small College Athletic Conference

NESCAC Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams Announced

3/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

Trinity's Rhoten Hauls Down Player of the Year

HADLEY, Mass. - Trinity senior forward Tyler Rhoten (Ridgewood, N.J.) added another accolade today to his already stellar collegiate career, as he was named the 2006 NESCAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. Rhoten helped the Bantams to an 18-6 overall record this season and a second-place finish in the NESCAC standings.

Rhoten, the NESCAC Rookie of the Year in 2003, also earned NESCAC All-Conference First Team recognition for the third consecutive year. Rhoten spent the entire season atop the NESCAC scoring chart, averaging 20.7 points per game through 24 games while grabbing a solid 8.0 rebounds per game, fourth among NESCAC players. Of those 24 outings, Rhoten was the leading scorer for the Bantams on 16 occasions, pouring in a season-high 34 points against Elizabethtown on January 8. Rhoten, the Bantams’ all-time leading scorer, surpassed the 2,000-point plateau midway through the season, finishing his Trinity career with 2,154 points.

Amherst senior guard John Bedford (Ridgewood, N.J.) joins Rhoten as the only holdover from last year’s All-Conference First Team. Bedford led a balanced Jeffs attack this season, helping his squad claim their second consecutive NESCAC Men’s Basketball Championship over the past weekend. Starting all 27 games for Amherst, Bedford has averaged 16.7 points per night, ranking fifth in the NESCAC in scoring. His season high of 29 came in what was probably the most important contest of the year for the Jeffs, as Amherst earned a 99-70 victory over visiting Tufts on February 11, thereby giving the Jeffs the top seed in the 2006 NESCAC Men’s Basketball Championship.

A total of four seniors received All-Conference First Team recognition, as Rhoten and Bedford were joined by Bowdoin’s Kyle Petrie (Iowa City, Iowa) and Tufts’ Dan Martin (Sandwich, Mass.). Petrie, an All-Conference Second Team selection in each of the past two seasons, saw action in all 25 games for the Polar Bears this year, leading his team in a variety of categories, including points per game (16.7), rebounding (6.8) and shooting percentage (49.9). Martin had a similar role for the Jumbos this season as well, averaging 17.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per outing while shooting 57.7 percent through 27 games, all of which ranked him among the leaders in the NESCAC.

Rounding out the All-Conference First Team is Colby junior center Drew Cohen (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.). Cohen, who also earned recognition as the Defensive Player of the Year, posted some impressive numbers while working in the paint for the Mules. Cohen finished first in the NESCAC in rebounds, averaging 10.7 boards per game, and was second among NESCAC players in scoring with 19.7 points through 23 appearances. As the individual award implies, Cohen’s greatest asset proved to be his defense, as he blocked on average an astounding 4.83 shots per contest, ranking him first in that category in all of NCAA Division III.

Middlebury freshman guard Ben Rudin (Scarsdale, N.Y.) came away as the NESCAC Rookie of the Year for the 2005-06 season. Rudin had a solid first season in the NESCAC, leading the Panthers and league rookies in scoring this season with 10.3 points per game. He also contributed an average of 4.7 assists and 2.03 steals. Rudin led Middlebury in scoring on six different occasions during the year, scoring a game-high 28 points against Connecticut College on January 13.

Bates head coach Joe Reilly was the choice among the coaches, earning NESCAC Coach of the Year. Reilly guided the Bobcats to a 20-6 overall record and a 6-3 mark in NESCAC play this season. Bates put together a string of 16 consecutive victories this year, a program record. The Bobcats were also a stellar 11-0 at home in Alumni Gymnasium during 2005-06.

2005-06 NESCAC Men's Basketball All-Conference