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Patriot League Announces All-League Men's Basketball Teams and Major Award Winners
Feb. 26, 2007
www.patriotleague.com
Center Valley, Pa. - The College of the Holy Cross dominated the Patriot League men's basketball awards, as the Crusaders captured three of the four major individual awards, led by 2007 Patriot League Player of the Year Keith Simmons (Kingston, N.Y.) and 2007 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Torey Thomas (White Plains, N.Y.), Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich announced Monday. The honors are determined following a vote of the Patriot League's head coaches.
Holy Cross Head Coach Ralph Willard was tabbed as the Patriot League Coach of the Year award for the third time (2001, 2005, 2007), while Lehigh's Marquis Hall (Portland, Ore.) was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Hall is the first Lehigh student-athlete to win the Patriot League Rookie of the Year award.
Simmons is the fifth Crusader to win the Player of the Year award, joining Holy Cross graduates Kevin Hamilton (2005), Patrick Whearty (2003), Tim Szatko (2001) and Rob Feaster (1995). Meanwhile, Thomas follows Hamilton as the second-consecutive Crusader to capture the Patriot League's annual defensive award.
Simmons is one of three repeat honorees on the First-Team All-Patriot League squad, and joins Bucknell's Chris McNaughton (Leuterhausen,Germany/Dientzenhofer) for his third consecutive appearance on the First-Team All-Patriot League Team. Lehigh's Jose Olivero (Fairfax, Va.) is also back from last year's first-team squad. Meanwhile, American's Andre Ingram (Richmond, Va.) returns to the first-team after being a member of the second-team in 2006 and first-team selection in 2005. Simmons, McNaughton, Olivero and Ingram were all members of the 2004 Patriot League All-Rookie Team. Thomas was also voted onto the First-Team All-Patriot League this year, after earning second-team honors in 2006.
Meanwhile, Colgate's Jon Simon (Phoenix, Ariz.) repeats as a member of the Second-Team All-Patriot League squad for the second successive campaign. Navy junior forward Greg Sprink (Cardiff, Calif.) joins Simon on the second team, along with Holy Cross junior center Tim Clifford (Walpole, Mass.), Bucknell senior forward Donald Brown (Central Islip, N.Y.) and Army junior guard Jarell Brown (Cleveland, Ohio).
Hall headlines the 2006 All-Patriot League Rookie Team. He is the first Mountain Hawk named to the All-Rookie team since Olivero was named to the 2004 squad. Joining Hall on the Patriot League All-Rookie Team is Navy forward Trey Stanton (Friendswood, Texas), Holy Cross freshman forward Eric Meister (Boalsburg, Pa.), Army freshman guard Marcus Nelson (Richmond, Va.) and Lehigh freshman forward Zahir Carrington (Philadelphia, Pa.).
Notes: Willard and Bucknell's Pat Flannery are the only three-time recipients of the Patriot League Coach of the Year. Flannery won the award outright in 1995 and 2006, and shared honors with Navy's Don DeVoe in 1997 ... this is the 10th time in Patriot League history that the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year have come from the same school ... the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals begin on Wednesday, Feb. 28. 2007 Patriot League All-League Teams And Major Award Winners First-Team All-Patriot League
Keith Simmons, Holy Cross, Sr., G Second Team All-Patriot League Greg Sprink, Navy, Jr., F Patriot League All-Rookie Team Marquis Hall, Lehigh, G Patriot League Coach of the Year Patriot League Rookie of the Year Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Patriot League Player of the Year
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