2014-15 Men's Basketball Honor Roll Released
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 2014-15 Sun Conference men’s basketball All-Conference teams and special awards were announced at the 2015 Sun Conference Tournament banquet hosted by Embry-Riddle on Sunday night. 14 players from nine league schools were named to the All-Conference roster, while five players were selected to the All-Defensive Team and five individual awards were handed out by Sun Conference Commissioner Mark Pope.
Embry-Riddle’s DeForest Carter took home the 2014-15 Player of the Year award, becoming the sixth Eagle to earn the honor all-time, and first since Michael Pyle in 2006-07. Carter, a senior guard from Big Cypress, Fla., led the Blue and Gold to a 29-1 regular season mark and 17-1 record in league action as the Eagles won the regular season title by six games. Carter averaged 12.7 points, 6.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 1.0 block per contest for Embry-Riddle. Carter led the league and the country in steals per game (3.6), setting an ERAU single-season record, while also leading the league and placing sixth in the nation in assists per outing (6.5). Carter earned Freshman of the Year honors in 2011-12 before claiming first team All-Conference accolades in both his sophomore and junior campaigns.
Earning the Newcomer of the Year award was Southeastern senior Andre’ Winston. The guard from Tacoma, Wash. led the league in scoring with 21.4 points per game, shooting 49 percent from the field. Winston also averaged 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game for the Fire. Winston scored in double-figures in all but one of his 25 regular season games, including three 30-point outputs.
Northwood’s Andrija Sarenac was named the league’s Freshman of the Year. The Belgrade, Serbia native burst onto the scene over the last month, scoring in double-figures eight times in the Seahawks last 12 games, connecting on 28 three-pointers since Jan. 24. Sarenac averaged 7.4 points in his rookie season with the Seahawks.
The All-Defensive Team consisted of Embry-Riddle’s Carter and Dalton Barnes, Southeastern’s Tim Mitchell, Northwood’s Fredricus Mattison and St. Thomas’ Lorel Beckford. For Barnes and Mitchell it marked the second straight year they earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team.
Steve Ridder took home the Coach of the Year award after leading the Eagles to their best regular season in program history. In his 26
th season at the helm of the Embry-Riddle program, Ridder guided the Eagles to a 29-1 overall record, 17-1 league mark and a No. 2 ranking in the NAIA II Coaches’ Poll for the last eight weeks. It is the fifth time Ridder has earned the conference Coach of the Year award.
The 2014-15 Cazzie Russell Champion of Character Award was given to Ave Maria’s Jelani Bonner. Bonner, a senior from Winter Springs, Fla., maintains a 3.37 GPA as an Economics major with minors in Math and Family & Society. Bonner, a second team All-Sun Conference honoree this season, volunteers his time with numerous service projects, as well as involving himself in the campus life at Ave Maria.
“Every good attribute you can think to attach to a student-athlete should be attached to Jelani Bonner’s name,” AMU Head Coach Ken Dagostino said. “There is a reason he is the face of Ave Maria University…he exemplifies the Cazzie Russell Champion of Character Award.”
Seven players from five different teams were also honored as Academic All-Conference performers in the classroom. To be eligible for the Academic All-Conference, a student-athlete must have completed one full academic year at the league institution and have a 3.5 or better grade point average.
First Team All-Conference
DeForest Carter, Embry-Riddle (12.9 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3.7 spg)
Andre’ Winston, Southeastern (21.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.6 apg)
Cesar Pastrana, Embry-Riddle (14.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, .641 fg%)
Fredricus Mattison, Northwood (12.6 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
Warren Hall, Warner (19.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.9 spg)
Dalton Barnes, Embry-Riddle (14.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.3 apg)
Lorel Beckford, St. Thomas (11.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.4 spg)
Brian Pace, Webber International (20.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 4.0 apg)
Alan Love, Thomas (17.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg, .579 fg%)
Second Team All-Conference
Tim Mitchell, Southeastern (14.1 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.8 bpg)
Ricardo Suarez, Johnson & Wales (16.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, .582 fg%)
Chris Solomon, Northwood (14.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.3 spg)
Michael Walker, St. Thomas (13.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.5 spg)
Jelani Bonner, Ave Maria (12.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Player of the Year
DeForest Carter, Embry-Riddle (12.9 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3.7 spg)
Newcomer of the Year
Andre’ Winston, Southeastern (21.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.6 apg)
Freshman of the Year
Andrija Sarenac, Northwood (7.3 ppg, 53 3-fg)
All-Defensive Team
DeForest Carter, Embry-Riddle (3.7 spg, 4.5 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
Tim Mitchell, Southeastern (10.3 rpg, 2.8 bpg)
Fredricus Mattison, Northwood (9.7 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
Lorel Beckford, St. Thomas (8.7 rpg, 1.4 spg)
Dalton Barnes, Embry-Riddle (4.7 rpg, 1.4 spg)
Coach of the Year
Steve Ridder, Embry-Riddle (30-1 OVR, 17-1 TSC)
Cazzie Russell Champion of Character
Jelani Bonner, Ave Maria
Academic All-Conference
Joseph Guernsey, Ave Maria
Brian Johnson, Embry-Riddle
Bradley Mapes, Embry-Riddle
Andy Schleitwiler, Embry-Riddle
Danny Nieman, Northwood
Hunter Jump, Warner
McDonald Jean-Louis, Webber International