MAC Announces Men's Basketball Post Season Awards
CLEVELAND -- Today the Mid-American conference announced that Kent State’s Haminn Quaintance and Bowling Green’s Brian Moten have earned postseason honors for the 2007-08 basketball season. Quaintance was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, while Moten garnered Sixth Man of the Year honors. The 20 member All-MAC and All-Freshman team were also announced today as voted by the league’s 12 head coaches.
Quaintance was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year this season joining Demetric Shaw (2001 & 2002) as the only other KSU student-athlete to win the award. Q dominated the league defensively this season leading the circuit with 2.1 blocks and ranking four in steals at 1.8 per game, making him the only player in the conference listed among the top 15 in the MAC in both blocked shots and steals.
The only player in NCAA Division I history with over 1,300 points, 850 rebounds, 250 blocks, 250 assists and 200 steals, his season total (through March 9) of 65 blocked shots is more than the team totals for Ohio (61) and Ball State (47) and 18 more than the next closest player. Q is also one of just three players in the country this season and just the second MAC player in league history (Ron Harper, 1985-86) to have over 60 blocks and 50 steals in a single season.
“Q has been great for us all season,” said Head Coach Jim Christian, “I have never coach a player who can impact a game in so many different ways and his athleticism allows him to guard any position on the floor. I’m happy for him to earn the recognition for the outstanding season he has had this year.”
Moten, a native of Saginaw, Mich., has played in all 29 games this season, making just two starts. He currently ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.4 points per game. Moten is shooting 51.9 percent from the field, ranking second on the team, and has shot a BG-best 44.1% from the three-point line. He enters MAC Tournament play having made a team-leading 41 triples on the year.
In MAC play, Moten was second on the Falcons in scoring, with 12.7 points per contest. He had a team-leading 32 three-pointers in conference play, and also paced the Brown and Orange in field- goal pct. (51.4%) and three-point accuracy (44.4%). Moten has hit double digits in scoring 15 times this season, including 14 times in the last 18 games. He posted a career-high 24 points, also setting a career best with six three-point field goals made, in the Falcons’ 89-83 victory over nationally-ranked Kent State on March 1.
“Brian has given us a huge lift off the bench, and has energized us,” said BGSU Head Coach Louis Orr. “He was perhaps our most consistent scorer in MAC play this year, and has been invaluable. Brian embraced the role of sixth man for us this year, and I am excited for him to receive this award.”
The All-MAC First, Second, and Honorable Mention teams were also announced as MAC Player of the Year Al Fisher (Kent State) was joined by Miami’s Tim Pollitz, Ohio’s Leon Williams and Western Michigan’s Joe Reitz and David Kool on the All-MAC First Team.
Defensive Player of the Year Haminn Quaintance (Kent State) was joined on the All-MAC second team by teammate Mike Scott, Miami’s Michael Bramos, Central Michigan’s Giordan Watson and Akron’s Jeremiah Wood.
Honorable mention recognition went Akron’s Nick Dials, Ohio’s Jerome Tillman, Bowling Green’s Nate Miller, Toledo’s Tyrone Kent, Ball State’s Anthony Newell and Peyton Stovall, Eastern Michigan’s Carlos Medlock, Miami’s Kenny Hayes, Kent State’s Chris Singletary and Buffalo’s Andy Robinson.
The All-Freshman Team was led by Freshman of the Year Darion Anderson of Northern Illinois. Joining Anderson was Akron’s Steve McNees, Bowling Green’s Joe Jakubowski, Central Michigan’s Jeremy Allen and Ball State’s Melvin Goins
The 2008 FirstEnergy MAC Men’s Basketball Tournament begins today at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena as first round games will take place. No. 7 Eastern Michigan will take on No. 10 Ball State at 12:30 p.m., while No. 6 Akron faces off against No. 11 Northern Illinois at 3 p.m. The eighth-seeded Toledo Rockets will go up against No. 9 Bowling Green at 5:30 p.m., while No. 5 Miami squares off against No. 12 Buffalo at 8 p.m.
All-MAC First Team
Al Fisher, Kent State
Tim Pollitz, Miami
Leon Williams, Ohio
Joe Reitz, Western Michigan
David Kool, Western Michigan
All-MAC Second Team
Jeremiah Wood, Akron
Giordan Watson, Central Michigan
Haminn Quaintance, Kent State
Mike Scott, Kent State
Michael Bramos, Miami
Honorable Mention
Nick Dials, Akron
Anthony Newell, Ball State
Peyton Stovall, Ball State
Nate Miller, Bowling Green
Andy Robinson, Buffalo
Carlos Medlock, Eastern Michigan
Chris Singletary, Kent State
Kenny Hayes, Miami
Jerome Tillman, Ohio
Tyrone Kent, Toledo
All-Freshman Team
Steve McNees, Akron
Melvin Goins, Ball State
Joe Jakubowski, Bowling Green
Jeremy Allen, Central Michigan
Darion Anderson, Northern Illinois
