MAC announces first post season awards
March 10, 2003
Three specialty awards and the all-MAC Freshman team were announced today as the first of the league's post-season honors signals the tipoff of this week's conference festivities that conclude Saturday night with the league's championship game from Gund Arena.
The five league freshmen who comprise the team, as voted by league head coaches, are Sammy Villegas of Toledo, Ron Lewis of Bowling Green, Josh Hausfeld of Miami, DeAndre Haynes of Kent State and Todd Peterson of Northern Illinois. MAC Defensive Player of the Year is Chris Kaman of Central Michigan, Freshman of the Year Sammy Villegas of Toledo, and the first ever Sixth Man of the Year winner is Whitney Robinson of league champion Central Michigan.
Kaman, a junior from Wyoming, Mich. (Tri-unity Christian), and Robinson, a senior from Detroit (Harper Woods Notre Dame) who is in his second year at CMU after transferring from Eastern Kentucky, helped the Chippewas to a 21-win season and a 14-4 MAC record while capturing the school's second league title in the last three seasons. Kaman, the first Chippewa to win the defensive award, led the league in blocked shots with 84 and was second in rebounds with 12.2 per contest. Kaman performed well on both ends of the court and averaged 22.5 points per game, second among all MAC players. Robinson played in 27 games, 26 off the bench, and averaged 7.8 ppg, fourth best on the team. Robinson contributed 18.2 minutes per game and added 42 assists and 24 steals on the season.
Villegas played just one-and-a-half seasons of high school basketball after moving to the United State from Carolina, Puerto Rico in 1999 and made third-team all-state at Lima Senior High School. This year for the Rockets, Villegas started all 28 games and led the team in assists with 101, was second on the team with 38 steals and third in scoring with 10.9 ppg. Villegas joins former Rockets Terry Reynolds (2001), Ken Epperson (1982) and Tim Reiser (1981) as MAC Freshman of the Year.
Joining Villegas on the all-Freshman Team are a pair of guards from East Division champion Kent State and No. 3 tournament seed Miami. Haynes stepped in at point guard for the defending champion Kent State and sparkled by leading his team to 19 wins and finishing third in the league in assists (4.37 per game) and assist-turnover ratio (1.79). Haynes averaged 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and was second on the squad with 38 steals. Hausfeld guided Miami through one of the nation's toughest schedules and to within one game of a share of the East title. Hausfeld had 18 starts in 27 appearances and was second on the team in assists (44) and steals (18) and fourth in scoring (7.1 ppg).
Peterson was a huge contributor to Northern Illinois' success of a school-record 11 MAC wins and a share of first place as late as mid-February in the league race. Peterson played in 28 games while averaging 6.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. He shot 40.2% from the field and was fourth on the team in scoring. Bowling Green's Lewis stepped into a lineup that lost all five starters from last year and helped the Falcons 4-0 league start. Lewis concluded the regular season with 10.9 ppg and his 4.9 rpg tied for the team lead. He was second on the squad in assists (64) and steals (34).
The 2003 MAC All-Freshman Team
Ron Lewis, Bowling Green, F, 6-4, Columbus, Ohio/Brookhaven
DeAndre Haynes, Kent State, G, 6-2, Detroit, Mich./Southwestern
Josh Hausfeld, Miami, G, 6-3, Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon
Todd Peterson, Northern Illinois, G, 6-6, Pekin, Ill./Pekin
Sammy Villegas, Toledo, G, 6-6, Carolina, Puerto Rico/Lima, Ohio Senior
2003 MAC Freshman of the Year - Sammy Villegas, Toledo (Lima, Ohio)
2003 Defensive Player of the Year - Chris Kaman, Central Michigan (Jr., Wyoming, Mich.)
2003 Sixth Man Award - Whitney Robinson, Central Michigan (Sr., Detroit, Mich.)
The league's all-MAC team, Coach of the Year and Player of the Year will be announced Wednesday, March 11.
