Men's Basketball All-NESCAC Selections Released
Amherst's Toomey Named Player of the Year
HADLEY, Mass. – Junior guard
Aaron Toomey of Amherst has been chosen by
the conference coaches as the NESCAC Player of the Year. Toomey has
helped Amherst to its second straight NESCAC Championship as the
25-2 Jeffs earned a bye in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament
and will host a Second Round game on Saturday, March 9. He is the
fourth Amherst player to be selected as Player of the Year and
first since Andrew Olson earned back to back
honors in 2007 and 2008.
Toomey makes his second straight First Team appearance after
being named Rookie of the Year in 2011. In 27 games, Toomey leads
his squad, averaging 17.1 points per game and 5.1 assists per game.
His points per game are fifth in the NESCAC, while he ranks second
in assists per game. Toomey also leads the league with a .908 free
throw percentage and is second with 2.89 three pointers made per
game. He also averages 4.6 rebounds per game and has helped Amherst
to big wins this year, including the game winning three in a
104-101 triple overtime thriller at Middlebury to lock up the top
seed in the NESCAC championship.
Joining Toomey on the First Team is teammate Willy
Workman. The senior guard earns his second straight
All-NESCAC selection, as he was a 2012 Second Team pick and
Defensive Player of the Year. Among conference players,
Workman is third in rebounds per game with 7.7 and third with 1.56
blocked shots per game.
Middlebury junior Joey Kizel picked up his
second straight First Team honor. Averaging 14 points and 4.2
rebounds per game, Kizel has led the Panthers to their sixth
consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. His 4.21 assists per game
are good for fifth in the NESCAC, while his 1.79 steals per game
are second.
Williams junior center Michael Mayer gets
his first All-NESCAC recognition with a First Team appointment.
Mayer leads the NESCAC with 8.9 rebounds per game, while his 17.4
points per game and 57.1 field goal percentage are good for
third.
Rounding out the First Team is Middlebury’s Nolan
Thompson. The senior guard has shut down numerous
opponent’s top scorers, while scoring 12.5 points per game,
averaging 2.08 three point field goals per game, and tying for the
team-lead with 5.3 rebounds a game. Thompson also garnered
Defensive Player of the Year honors, which is the fourth such
recognition for Middlebury in the last five seasons.
Tufts center Tom Palleschi was named the
conference’s Rookie of the Year. Emerging as a force in the
middle for the Jumbos, Palleschi averaged 13.7 points, 6.2
rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game in conference play. He shot .570
from the floor and scored a season-high 27 points against
Middlebury on January 5. He is the second straight Jumbo to earn
NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors, with sophomore guard Ben
Ferris being recognized last season.
Amherst head coach David Hixon was the choice
among his peers, garnering Coach of the Year for the third time in
his career. Hixon was also recognized in 2001 and 2005. In his 36th
season with the Jeffs, Hixon’s squad completed their second
straight undefeated NESCAC slate.
Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams
| First Team
All-NESCAC |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| G |
Joey Kizel |
Middlebury |
Jr. |
Short Hills, N.J. |
| C |
Michael Mayer |
Williams |
Jr. |
Durham, N.C. |
| G |
Nolan Thompson |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Akron, Ohio |
| G |
Aaron Toomey |
Amherst |
Jr. |
Greensboro, N.C. |
| F |
Willy Workman |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Northampton, Mass. |
| |
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| Second Team
All-NESCAC |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| F |
Scott Anderson |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Sudbury, Mass. |
| G |
Shasha Brown |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Harlem, N.Y. |
| C |
Mike Callaghan |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Madison, Conn. |
| F |
Taylor Epley |
Williams |
Jr. |
Louisville, Ky. |
| C |
Peter Kaasila |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Plaistow, N.H. |
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