EMPIRE 8 ANNOUNCES MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Sean O'Brien of St. John Fisher Named Player of the Year

ROCHESTER, NY – Senior guard Sean O'Brien of conference champion St. John Fisher College was named Empire 8 Men's Basketball Player of the Year.  Jan Cocozziello of Hartwick College earned Rookie of the Year honors.  Rob Kornaker of St. John Fisher and Andy Goodemote of Utica College shared Coach of the Year Honors.
   O'Brien, a three-time all-conference first team selection, enters the national tournament averaging 12.5 points per game and leading the conference in assists (6.3 per game) and free throw percentage (90.2 percent).  He hit the game-winning jumper with 1.7 seconds left in overtime to send the Cardinals into the Empire 8 title game.
   Senior guard Justin Cichon, a second-team choice last year, and junior guard/forward Ray Bryant of Utica College were named to the all-conference first team.  Cichon enters the national tournament averaging 15.3 points per game and leads the Pioneers in three-point field goals (61) and free throw percentage (86.2 percent).
   Bryant ranks second in the conference in scoring (18.2 points per game) and rebounds (7.6 rebounds per game) and is shooting 54.2 percent from the floor and 74.6 percent from the free throw line.
Senior guard Jim Bellis of Ithaca College was named to the first team this season after receiving second-team all-conference recognition last year.  He averaged a team-high 18 points per game and also led the Bombers in 3-pointers (51), steals (49), and blocked shots heading into ECAC play.
   Senior guard Fran Snyder of RIT was named to the all-conference first team averaging a team-high 13.1 points per game and shooting 80.2 percent from the free throw line.  He also leads the ECAC-bound Tigers with 34 steals.
   Cocozziello, a five-time Empire 8 Rookie of the week, led the Hawks by averaging 14.8 points and 3.1 assists per game.  He also led the team with 31 steals.
   Kornaker guided St. John Fisher to its fourth consecutive league title to earn Coach of the Year honors for the fourth straight year.  Goodemote led Utica to the Empire 8 title game and its first NCAA appearance in school history.

2006 Empire 8 Men's Basketball Honors
Player of the Year: Sean O'Brien, St. John Fisher College
Rookie of the Year: Jan Cocozziello, Hartwick College   
Co-Coach of the Year: Andy Goodemote, Utica College
Co-Coach of the Year: Rob Kornaker, St. John Fisher College

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PAGE TWO – EMPIRE 8 ANNOUNCES...

Empire 8 Men's Basketball All-Conference
First Team      
Name   School   Year   Position
Jim Bellis   Ithaca   Senior   Guard
Ray Bryant   Utica   Junior   Guard/Forward
Justin Cichon   Utica   Senior   Guard
Sean O'Brien   St. John Fisher   Senior   Guard
Fran Snyder   RIT   Senior   Guard

Second Team      
Name   School   Year   Position
Nick Bennett   St. John Fisher   Senior   Forward
Quentin Bryant   Alfred   Senior   Guard
Joe Canori   Nazareth   Sophomore   Guard
Mike McGee   St. John Fisher   Senior   Guard/Forward
Micah Owens   Elmira   Senior   Center

Sportsman of the Year
Name   Yr.   School      
Chris Lemasters   Sr.   Alfred University
Joe Prunier   Jr.   Elmira College
John Montana   Sr.   Hartwick College
Jeff Bostic   Fr.   Ithaca College
Mike DeBlois   Sr.   Nazareth College
Chris Bocciolatt   Jr.   RIT
Pete Gillett   Sr.   St. John Fisher College
Dennis Munch   So.   Utica College

Honorable Mention
Justin Beigel, St. John Fisher; Jan Cocozziello, Hartwick; Willie Lucas, Utica; Ryan McAdam, Nazareth; Dan McSweeney, St. John Fisher; Dillon Stein, Alfred

-Empire 8-

I have been a law abiding citizen of Oneonta, NY for at least five years now. In the past 3 years I have gotten hooked onto Hartwick Basketball and some other selected athletics at Hartwick. I know Hartwick has had their fair share of struggles athleticlly. However, this year I can sense the beginning of a renaissance. Hartwick is very lucky to have Paul Culpo as Head Basketball Coach. He has brought a wealth of basketball knowledge to Hartwick over the past 3 years. Perhaps his greatest strength is recruiting. When he arrived at Hartwick he was forced to find his basketball team out of the study body. Over the past two years he has brought in a lot of kids who have promise. This years recruiting class was Coach Culpo's best by far. When I look at the shear number of rookie of the week candidates on the roster, it only confirms Coach Culpo's recruting success.

This past season has been very exciting to watch and be apart of. Going from 2 wins to 10 wins with a team of mostly freshmen and new transfers is big step forward. I am really looking forward to next season, especially seeing that some Empire 8 basketball teams will be hit hard by graduation. Hartwick Basketball is on the right path back to excellence.

Lastly, if Jan COCOZZIELLO doesn't win freshmen of the year. It will be a crime. Lord willing, I expect to see him back in blue and white next season

Congratulations to Fisher and Utica on making the NCAA tourney.