MAC Announces 2004 All-MAC Team
March 10, 2004
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CLEVELAND -- Nine familiar names and 11 new faces make up the roster of the 20-member 2004 all-Mid-American Conference team announced today by the league office. Voting was conducted among the league's 13 head coaches.
The divisional winners -- Western Michigan (West) and Kent State (East) -- led the way with three selections each. The Broncos had two first-team honorees, Mike Williams and Ben Reed, and honorable mention selection Anthony Kaan. The Golden Flashes had first-teamer John Edwards, second team member Eric Haut and honorable mention selection DeAndre Haynes.
Williams and Reed teamed to lead the Broncos to their first MAC title since 1998 with a 15-3 record and the tournament's No. 1 seed. Williams, also the MAC Player of the Year, averaged 18.4 ppg (third in the MAC) and 7.3 rebounds per game (seventh) while finishing second in field goal shooting at 54.4 percent. Reed, the 2002 MAC Freshman of the Year, finished seventh in the league in scoring at 16.4 ppg and currently ranks fifth in the nation in three-point shooting at 46.6 percent.
The Broncos duo was joined on the first-team by Kent State's Edwards, Miami's Juby Johnson, and Toledo's Keith Triplett.
Edwards anchored Kent State's fourth consecutive East Division title drive with a league high 74 blocked shots and a team-high 13.0 ppg scoring average. Also the league's Defensive Player of the Year, Edwards ranks 16th in the nation with 2.7 blocks per game, fifth in the MAC in field goal shooting at 51.6 percent and 10th in rebounding at 6.4 per game.
Miami's Johnson was the program's first first-team selection since Wally Szczerbiak in 1999. Johnson leads the RedHawks and ranks fourth in the MAC in scoring at 17.2 ppg. He also is listed fifth in free throw percentage at 77.8 percent and closed the regular season with back-to-back 30-point games as Miami secured the tournament's No. 3 seed. Johnson was a second-team all-MAC selection last year.
Triplett is the only MAC player to rank among the league leaders in steals (1st), scoring (2nd), free throw percentage (3rd), three-point percentage (5th), assists (11th), assist/turnover ratio (12th), field goal percentage (12th), and rebounding (19th). The Rockets won five more league games this year as compared to 2003 and are one win shy of 20 victories. Triplett was named honorable mention all-MAC in 2003. Triplett is second in the league in scoring at 20.0 ppg.
Three of the second-team all-MAC selections were on the all-league team in 2003 as Derek Tarver of Akron, Turner Battle of Buffalo and Haut of Kent State were again recognized. Bowling Green's Ronald Lewis and Marshall's Marvin Black are first-time honorees.
The honorable mention team is made up of six new honorees and four repeat selections. Garnering their second straight all-conference mention are Bowling Green's Kevin Netter, Northern Illinois' Marcus Smallwood and P.J. Smith and Western Michigan's Kaan.
First time all-league team picks are Cameron Echols of Ball State, Gerrit Brigitha of Central Michigan, Haynes from Kent State, Chet Mason of Miami, Jaivon Harris from Ohio and Sammy Villegas of Toledo.
2004 All-MAC First Team
Player School Pos. Cl. Hometown/High School
John Edwards Kent State C Sr. Hudson, Ohio/Hudson
Juby Johnson# Miami G Sr. Warrensville Heights, Ohio/W.Heights
Keith Triplett% Toledo G Jr. Toledo, Ohio/Bowsher
Ben Reed Western Mich. G Jr. Battle Creek, Mich./Central
Mike Williams Western Mich. F Sr. Detroit, Mich./Detroit City
2004 All-MAC Second Team
Derrick Tarver# Akron G Sr. Akron, Ohio/Buchtel
Turner Battle% Buffalo G So. Kernersville, N.C./East Forsyth
Ronald Lewis Bowling Green G So. Columbus, Ohio/Brookhaven
Eric Haut% Kent State G Sr. Lansing, Mich./Walter French Academy
Marvin Black Marshall F Sr. Cleveland, Ohio/John Jay
2004 All-MAC Honorable Mention Team
Cameron Echols Ball State F Sr. Chicago, Ill./Simeon
Kevin Netter% Bowling Green C Sr. Richmond Dale, Ohio/Southeastern
Gerrit Brigitha Central Mich. F/C Sr. Niles, Mich./Niles
DeAndre Haynes Kent State G So. Detroit, Mich./Southwestern
Chet Mason Miami G Jr. Cleveland, Ohio/South
Marcus Smallwood@ N. Illinois F Sr. Elgin, Ill./Elgin
P.J. Smith% N. Illinois G Jr. Maywood, Ill./Proviso East
Jaivon Harris Ohio G Sr. Alliance, Ohio/Alliance
Sammy Villegas Toledo G So. Carolina, Puerto Rico/Lima (Ohio) Senior
Anthony Kann% Western Mich. F/C Sr. Davison, Mich./Davison
@ first team all-MAC in 2003
# second team all-MAC in 2003
% honorable mention all-MAC in 2003
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