MBB: Liberty League

[magicman]

Here is the D3hoops All East Region Team


Players were nominated for these awards by the Sports Information Directors at the various schools.

Player of the Year: John Ivy, Sr., Brockport State
Coach of the Year: Joe Smith, Morrisville State
Rookie of the Year: Joey Lufkin, G, Hartwick

First team     
Pos. Player School Yr. Hometown
G Jordan Prior Morrisville State Sr. Cortland, N.Y.
G John Ivy Brockport State Sr. Rochester, N.Y.
F Brad Ford Nazareth Sr. Victor, N.Y.
F Richie Bonney Hobart Sr. Norwich, N.Y.
F Jared Suderley Hartwick Sr. Newport, N.Y.


Second team     
Pos. Player School Yr. Hometown
G Johnny Mrlik Vassar So. San Francisco, Calif.
G John Coleman Clarkson Jr. Potsdam, N.Y.
F Gordon Lyons Geneseo State Jr. Amherst, N.Y.
F Kevin McMahon Cortland State Sr. Hoosick Falls, N.Y.
F Evan Kupferberg New York University So. Boca Raton, Fla.

[magicman]

National Association of Basketball Coaches Announces 2014 NABC Division III All-District Teams and Coaches

*District Player of the Year

East Region

First Team                                                                                                 Second Team

Richie Bonney, Hobart                                                                                John Coleman, Clarkson
Brad Ford, Nazareth                                                                                   Joe Gibbons, Hobart
John Ivy, SUNY Brockport*                                                                     Evan Kupferberg, New York University
Gordon Lyons, SUNY Geneseo                                                                     Kevin McMahon, SUNY Cortland
Jordan Prior, SUNY Morrisville                                                                     Justin Mitchell, Buffalo State
Jared Suderley, Hartwick

Coach of the Year: Greg Dunne, SUNY Brockport

Here's the link to the complete list of All District Teams:
http://www.nabc.org/awards/all_district/2014_NABC_Division_III_All-District_Teams_and_Coaches.pdf
     

A special congratulations to Richie Bonney  from Hobart who was chosen on March 17th as the 2014 Jostens Award Winner.
The Jostens Trophy is emblematic of the top overall student-athlete in Division III basketball.

Here's the link to the story:
http://d3hoops.com/notables/2014/03/fischer-bonney-win-jostens-trophy 

[magicman]

The honors continue for some of our East Region players on Thursday, as the NABC released their All American Teams.

Brockport State's John Ivy is named to the 2014 NABC Coaches Division All America First Team.

Richie Bonney of Hobart is named to the All America Second Team.

Jared Suderley of Hartwick is named to the All America Third Team.

Congratulations on the latest post season honors these 3 players have racked up.

Here's the complete list of NABC All Americans:



2014 NABC COACHES' DIVISION III ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM
John Ivy, SUNY Brockport, 6-1, Senior, Guard, Rochester, N.Y.
Javae King-Gilchrist, William Paterson, 6-2, Senior, Guard, Teaneck, N.J.
Tyler Peters, Wheaton, 6-4,Senior, Guard, Medina, Ohio
Doug Thorpe, Wooster, 5-9, Senior, Guard, Columbus, Ohio
Tyler Tillema, UW Stevens Point, 6-3, Senior, Guard, Randolph, Wis.
Aaron Toomey, Amherst, 6-1,Senior, Guard, Greensboro, N.C.
Aaron Walton-Moss, Cabrini, 6-1 Junior, Guard, Camden, N.J.
DJ Woodmore, Virginia Wesleyan, 6-3, Senior, Guard, Virginia Beach, Va.


2014 NABC COACHES' DIVISION III ALL-AMERICA SECOND TEAM
Richie Bonney, Hobart, 6-6, Senior, Forward, Norwich, N.Y.
Brandon Gries, St. Norbert, 6-1, Senior, Guard, Kiel, Wis.
Malcolm Heard II, Wilmington, 6-5, Senior, Forward, Wilmington, Ohio
Dan Kornbaum, Augsburg, 6-9, Senior, Post, Little Falls, Minn.
Andre Nixon, SUNY Purchase, 6-3, Senior, Guard, Harlem, N.Y.
Brian Parker, Alvernia, 6-4, Senior, Forward, Chichester, Pa.
Kyle Schleigh, UT Dallas, 6-6, Senior, Forward, Houston, Texas
Darius Watson, Albertus Magnus, 6-5, Senior, Guard/Forward, New Britain, Conn.


2014 NABC COACHES' DIVISION III ALL-AMERICA THIRD TEAM
Mike Garrow, Eastern Connecticut,6-4, Senior, Forward, Terryville, Conn.
Adam Honig, Dickinson, 6-1 Senior, Guard, Chappaqua, N.Y.
Chris Klimek, Washington U-St. Louis, 6-5, Senior, Forward, Inverness, Ill.
Dustin McConnell, Whitworth, 5-11, Senior, Guard, Clarkston, Wash.
Dillon Stith, St. Vincent, 6-5, Senior, Forward, Bedford, Va.
Jared Suderley, Hartwick, 6-6, Senior, Forward, Newport, N.Y.
Larry Thomas, Birmingham Southern, 6-1, Junior, Guard, Atlanta, Ga.
Michael Woods, York (NY), 6-3, Senior, Guard, Brooklyn

[magicman]

D3hoops has released their All America Teams.

Richie Bonney from Hobart was named to the 3rd Team

The 2014 D3hoops.com All-America team

Player of the Year: G Aaron Toomey, Sr., Amherst
Rookie of the Year: F Duncan Robinson, Fr., Williams
Coach of the Year: Pat Miller, UW-Whitewater

First team       
Pos Player School Year Hometown
G Aaron Toomey Amherst Sr. Greensboro, N.C.
G Tyler Tillema UW-Stevens Point Sr. Randolph, Wis.
G Aaron Walton-Moss Cabrini  Jr. Camden, N.J.
F Jared Suderley Hartwick Sr. Newport, N.Y.
C Michael Mayer Williams Sr. Durham, N.C.

Second team       
Pos Player School Year Hometown
G DJ Woodmore Virginia Wesleyan Sr. Virginia Beach, Va.
G John Ivy Brockport State Sr. Rochester, N.Y.
F Jake Davis Emory  Sr.  Cincinnati, Ohio
F Andrew Ziemnik Illinois Wesleyan Sr. Oswego, Ill.
C Dan Kornbaum Augsburg Sr. Little Falls, Minn.

Third team       
Pos Player School Year Hometown
G Xavier Brown Wooster Jr. Bowling Green, Ohio
G Tyler Peters Wheaton (Ill.) Sr. Medina, Ohio
F Kyle Schleigh Texas-Dallas  Sr.  Houston, Texas
F Richie Bonney Hobart Sr. Norwich, N.Y.
C David Langan Wesley Sr. Sayreville, N.J.

Fourth team       
Pos Player School Year Hometown
G Andre Nixon SUNY-Purchase Sr. Harlem, N.Y.
G Trevor Hass UW-Stevens Point Sr. New London, Wis.
G Darius Watson Albertus Magnus  Sr.  New Britain, Conn.
F Duncan Robinson Williams Fr. New Castle, N.H.
F Malcolm Heard II Wilmington Sr. Wilmington, Ohio

Honorable mention       
Pos Player School Year Hometown
G Adam Honig Dickinson Sr. Chappaqua, N.Y.
G Julian Strickland Rose-Hulman Sr. Indianapolis, Ind.
G Brandon Gries St. Norbert  Sr.  Kiel, Wis.
G KJ Evans UW-Whitewater Jr. Beloit, Wis.
F Chris Klimek Washington U. Sr. Inverness, Ill.

Congratulations to all the award winners as so many outstanding players on this list wrap up their college careers. They will be missed.

[dcahill44]

Another Great season of Division 3 hoops! As a young kid i feel very happy that i am around these coaches and players who dedicate winter after winter to there teams! I love how Division 3 is a small community like atmosphere especially in the East Region. Was hoping Nazareth would be in the NCAAS and was Heartbroken that these seniors never won an Empire 8 championship or clinched a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Great years are coming with Coach Broderick at the helm.

Enjoyed chatting with everyone on the boards again this year!

[magicman]

In the news that slipped by me recently.

Greg Dunne from Brockport State was recently named as the winner of the  2014 Glenn Robinson Award which is presented annually to the National Coach of the Year. There were 12 finalists nominated from Division III schools and Greg was chosen as the winner and presented the award on April 4th during the Division I Final Four competition in Dallas Texas.

Nice to see a coach from the East Region grab that honor. Congratulations Coach Dunne  on a great season.

Here's a link to the complete write up: http://www.gobrockport.com/news/2014/3/31/MBB_0331140308.aspx

[hopefan]

Coach Mike Griffin retires at RPI.... thanks for everything my friend

TROY, N.Y. – Long-time Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) head men's basketball coach Mike Griffin has announced he will retire following a distinguished 30-year career at the helm.

Griffin's retirement is effective May 31 and a national search to find Rensselaer's next head men's basketball coach will begin immediately.

"I have been so fortunate to spend three decades in this wonderful educational environment where intercollegiate athletics are considered important," said Griffin. "Working with talented, dedicated colleagues in the Athletic Department and all around the campus has been a remarkable experience.

"Coaching literally hundreds of RPI student-athletes, sharing winning and losing with them and then watching them move on to successful, productive lives has been an experience to treasure."

"Mike Griffin's time at Rensselaer is marked with incredible successes on the basketball court.  League championships, NCAA bids, Players of the Year and Coach of the Year honors are all part of Mike's resume over the years," said Rensselaer Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton. "But what is even more impressive is the impact that he has had on hundreds of young men during his time as our coach. Mike has provided opportunity for growth both on and off the court. He has helped many to achieve at levels they never thought possible, and that will truly be Mike's legacy at Rensselaer. We are going to miss him dearly."

Griffin was named Rensselaer's 13th head men's basketball coach in August 1984. During his tenure he saw numerous team and individual records set – including his own for most wins in school history – and even more post-season accolades, Hall of Fame inductees and Dean's List student-athletes.

Griffin retires with a mark of 402-382 at Rensselaer, including one season as the head women's coach (1994-95). He guided the Engineers to eight post-season appearances, including three NCAA Tournaments (1991, 1996 & 2009) and he was the league's Coach of the Year five times (1990, 1991, 1995, 1999 & 2011). The Pittsburgh, Pa., native posted at least 20 wins twice and at least 17 victories eight times.

Griffin led the Engineers to the Liberty League Tournament Finals as recently as 2013 when the team won its final seven regular season games and the league semifinal, which was on the road. Just two years prior, he was the Liberty League Coach of the Year after 17 wins and a first place finish in the league's regular season standings.

Other highlights include the 1998-99 season when RPI was first in Division III men's basketball in rebounding margin and third in scoring defense, and 1995-96 when the Engineers were 20-8 and played into the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. That came just three seasons after RPI posted a 56-23 mark over the course of three years (1989-90 to 1991-92), in which they won 18 games twice and 20 games once. The 20-win season was 1990-91 when Rensselaer won a school-record 18 straight contests on its way to the NCAA Tournament.

Griffin coached more than 40 All-League honorees, five League Players of the Year, six All-ECAC selections, four D3hoops.com All-Region members and an All-State choice. He is a three-time Marvin H. Anderson Award recipient as Rensselaer's Coach of the Year, as voted on by his peers.

A former assistant varsity coach and the head junior varsity coach at RPI, Griffin returned to Troy from Thiel College, where he was the head coach for one year. Prior to that, he spent six seasons as the head coach at Division I Colgate University.

Griffin played varsity basketball at Columbia University from 1962-65, lettering three years, including two as a starter. He was fourth in the Ivy League in rebounding as a junior and finished second behind only Bill Bradley as a senior, averaging 12.5 per game. He also averaged 8.8 points per game as a senior.

Griffin spent two years at Temple Law School before returning to Columbia for three seasons as the top assistant coach, helping the Lions to three 20-win seasons, a 63-14 mark and an Ivy League Championship. He left Columbia in 1970 to join Kalbaugh at RPI, where he played a major role in recruiting student-athletes who helped the Engineers advance to the NCAA Tournament in 1973, 1975 and 1976 and he was Rensselaer's JV coach, posting a 31-11 record in three seasons.

After leaving RPI in 1973, Griffin made stops back at Columbia and the University of Vermont before landing his first head coaching assignment at Colgate. He spent a year in private business prior to coaching at Thiel, where he was also a member of the Dean of Student's staff.

Griffin has held numerous positions at Rensselaer in addition to head men's basketball coach. Among them were freshman lacrosse coach, a physical education instructor and assistant athletic director.

A graduate of Dormont High School in Pennsylvania and Columbia, where he was a pre-law student with a major in American history, Griffin currently resides in Latham with his wife, Priscilla. They have two grown daughters, Julia, who graduated from Harvard University and now teaches in Ohio, and Emilie, who graduated from Columbia and now teaches in New Hampshire.

[Upstate Hoops Dad]

Any word on the RPI coaching search? Seems like a very good opportunity for a top program assistant or small school head coach to move up into. . .

[Upstate Hoops Dad]

Any thoughts on LL incoming Class of 2018 players and potential impact on LL hoop programs? Who looks like the top four teams going into 2014-15?

[Ethelred the Unready]

Any information about who some of the new talent might be?  Not a lot of press upstate for DIII players

[dcahill44]

http://coachrejbasketball.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/my-top-10-rules-to-landing-that-elusive-coaching-gig/ Coach Mike Rejniak new blog. Very insightful about coaching and D3Hoops! Take a Look!

[Upstate Hoops Dad]

Lots of coaching changes pretty deep in the summer! Mike Neer with a somewhat surprising (timing-wise. . . in July) retirement, his assistant Russ Phillips gets his first head coaching job at Alfred U., Joe Burke from Skidmore written up as a potential candidate for the vacated Williams College job, RPI job still to be announced.

Seems like a number of programs are going to be hustling to get ready for the start of the season with new coaching staffs in place.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Well... Williams has announced, so Burke will stay at Skidmore... but good to see he got a chance at the job.

[d3d3d3]

RPI has hired Mark Gilbride away from Clarkson. He went 75-51 over five seasons there.

[Upstate Hoops Dad]

I understand the motive for the move to RPI by Mark Gilbride (bigger school, bigger metro area, closer to New England roots) but I was surprised to see a LL coach go for and get another LL job. Isn't that kind of like the manager of the Yankees leaving to be the manager of the Red Sox or is not a big deal? I would think it's tough to coach kids you competed against last year and then coach against kids you recruited the past few years. Sensitive situation but I guess everyone involved just tries to stay professional about it. Still, I gotta think there are some hard feelings at Clarkson particularly leaving them without a HBC less than 2 months before the season starts.