MAC Announces 2006 All-Freshman Team and Three Specialty Awards

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March 6, 2006

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CLEVELAND -- Three specialty awards and the All-MAC Freshman team were announced today as the first of the league's post-season honors signals the tip-off of this week's conference festivities that conclude Saturday night with the conference's championship game at Quicken Loans Arena.

The five freshmen who comprise the team, as voted by league head coaches, are Nate Linhart from Akron, Maurice Acker from Ball State, Chris Kellermann from Central Michigan, Carlos Medlock from Eastern Michigan and Jerome Tillman from Ohio.

MAC Defensive Player of the Year is junior James Hughes of Northern Illinois, Freshman of the Year is Acker of Ball State and the Sixth Man of the Year is senior Kevin Warzynski of Kent State. The Defensive Player of the Year and Sixth Man awards were voted by league head coaches, while the Freshman of the Year was selected by the MAC News Media Association.

Hughes helped the Huskies (17-10, 12-6 MAC) to their first-ever MAC West Division title this season and led them to a No. 2 seed in the upcoming FirstEnergy MAC Men's Tournament. Hughes led the MAC with 1.62 blocks per game and recorded three games where he blocked more than four shots in a single game, including swatting away five against San Jose State. Hughes also averaged 9.7 ppg., 3.6 rpg. and shot .585 from the field (100-of-171). It marks the first time that a player from NIU has won the award.

Warzynski keyed Kent State (22-8, 15-3 MAC) to its second-ever MAC regular season championship as he came off the bench to average 9.8 ppg. and 5.2 rpg. Warzynski averaged 24.9 minutes per contest for the 22-8 Golden Flashes and led the team in rebounds and defensive rebounds (3.9 rpg.). The senior is the first player in Kent State history to win the award.

Acker, a graduate of Hillcrest High School in Hazelcrest, Ill., led the Cardinals in assists (4.5 apg.), steals (1.5 spg.) and started in all 18 conference games this season. The freshman also averaged 9.3 ppg., 2.4 rpg. and 31.6 minutes in his first season. Acker nearly doubled his scoring average from non-conference to conference play. Through eight non-conference games, Acker averaged 6.0 points per game and was shooting 29 percent from the floor, while in 18 conference games, Acker averaged 10.9 points per outing. Acker joins Theron Smith (2000), Bonzi Wells (1995) and Ray McCallum (1980) as the fourth player in Ball State history to garner Freshman of the Year honors.

Joining Acker on the All-Freshman Team is Linhart, Kellermann, Medlock and Tillman. Linhart played in all 28 games for the Zips and worked his way into the starting role 17 times. He also averaged 5.8 ppg. and 3.7 rpg. for a Zips squad that finished the season perfect at home with a 13-0 record.

Kellermann started in all 27 games for the Chippewas and is the league's leading freshman rebounder (5.1 rpg) and ranks third among freshman scorers (8.7 ppg) in 26.7 minutes of action per contest. Kellermann is the fifth under Jay Smith to capture the honor joining Mike Manciel (1999), Chad Pleiness (2000), Gerrit Brigitha (2001) and Chris Kaman (2001).

Medlock is the only freshman to rank in the top-20 in scoring (20th, 11.5 ppg.). He also is ranked ninth in assists (3.26 apg.), third in steals (1.85 spg.) and fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.412). He also started 26 of 27 games in his first season for Eastern Michigan.

Tillman is averaging 7.0 ppg. and 3.8 rpg. for the Bobcats in his first season. The freshman also leads the Bobcats in blocked shots and is third on the team in rebounds.

The league's All-MAC team, Coach of the Year and Player of the Year will be announced Wednesday, March 8.