March 1, 2012
RICHMOND, Va. (March 1, 2012) - Old Dominion University senior guard Kent Bazemore (Kelford, NC.) repeated as the Colonial Athletic Association's Defensive Player of the Year in voting by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and members of the media. Bazemore was also named first team All-CAA while teammate Chris Cooper (Dumfries, VA.) earned second team honors.
Senior guard Trian Iliadis (Perth, W.Australia) and sophomore center Anton Larsen (Copenhagen, Denmark) received All-Academic honors. The announcement was made Thursday night at the league's pre-tournament awards banquet in Richmond, Va.
George Mason senior forward Ryan Pearson (Far Rockaway, N.Y.) was selected as the Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball Player of the Year.
Bazemore earned CAA Defensive Player of the Year accolades for the second straight season. The senior guard ranked second in the conference and 24th in the nation with 67 steals. He made two or more thefts in 20 of 31 games, including seven in a victory over Big East foe South Florida. Bazemore, who topped the conference in steals in 2010 and 2011, ranks third on the CAA's all-time steals with 243. The first-team All-CAA selection also led the Monarchs in scoring with 15.3 points per game and was second on the team in rebounding (5.8 rpg).
Bazemore is ODU's 23rd in all-time scorer with 1,351 career points. He is second in career steals and16th in career assists with 363.
Chris Cooper averaged 10.6 points and 10-3 rebounds per game this season with 16 double-doublesWhich tie him for sixth nationally this season. He ranks 17th nationally in rebounding and is thirdIn the CAA. Cooper's 22 rebounds against JMU is the second highest single game total in NCAA DivisionOne this season. Cooper is the first Monarch to average a double-double since Cal Bowdler ('99) didit in 1998-99.
Trian Iliadis earns his third All-CAA Academic honor as he carries a 3.6 GPA in Bio Chemistry. Iliadis ranks 11th in the CAA in steals at 1.6 per game. He averaged 8.5 points and 2.4 assists this season.He scored a career high 22 points against JMU. Iliadis tore his ACL in the right knee in the second half of the Georgia State game and is out for the season. Anton Larsen averaged 1.3 points and 0.7 rebounds this year and carries a 3.26 GPA in International Business.
Also receiving top honors were Drexel's Bruiser Flint as the CAA Coach of the Year, Drexel freshman guard Damion Lee (Owings Mills, Md./St. Thomas More) as the CAA Rookie of the Year and Georgia State senior Jihad Ali (Atlanta, Ga./Martin Luther King) and William and Mary senior Quinn McDowell (Mason, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller) were recipients of the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award.
Pearson is the first George Mason player to earn CAA Player of the Year honors since George Evans in 2001. The senior forward was the league's third-leading scorer with 17.8 points per game and reached double figures in 27 of 31 contests. Pearson also ranked fifth in the conference with 8.5 rebounds per game and was seventh in field goal percentage (50.5%). He was Mason's leading scorer in 22 of 31 games, topped the team in rebounding 19 times and recorded 12 double-doubles. A two-time All-CAA selection, Pearson ranks fifth on Mason's all-time scoring list with 1,616 points and is ninth in career rebounds with 799. He is one of only four players in school history with more than 1,500 points, 750 rebounds, 100 assists and 100 steals in a career.
Flint guided Drexel to its most regular-season wins in school history with a 25-5 mark. The Dragons claimed their first CAA regular-season title with a 16-2 record by reeling off 16 consecutive victories after an 0-2 start. Drexel enters this weekend's CAA championship on a school-record 17-game winning streak, which is the second-longest in the nation behind only top-ranked Kentucky. It's the fourth CAA Coach of the Year award for Flint, who also received the honor in 2002, 2004 and 2009.
Lee is the second Drexel player to receive CAA Rookie of the Year honors, joining Chris Fouch in 2010. The freshman guard was the Dragons' second-leading scorer with 12.4 points per game, ranked third in assists (53) and was fourth in rebounding (4.2 rpg). He scored double digits 19 times and topped the 20-point mark four times. Lee, who drained a team-high 54 three-pointers, was sixth in the CAA in 3-point field goal percentage (38%), ninth in field goal percentage (45.7%) and 13th in free throw percentage (77.3%).
Joining Mason's Pearson and ODU's Bazemore on the All-CAA first team were VCU senior guard/forward Bradford Burgess (Midlothian, Va./Benedictine), Drexel sophomore guard Frantz Massenat (Ewing, N.J./Trenton Catholic), and UNCW junior forward Keith Rendleman (Iron Station, N.C./East Lincoln).
Burgess led the Rams in scoring with 13.5 points per game and was the team's second-leading rebounder (5.2 rpg). Burgess, who has started all 141 collegiate games, is one of only three VCU players with more than 1,600 points and 700 rebounds in a career. Massenat, who was a member of the CAA All-Rookie team a year ago, led the Dragons with 13.5 points per game from the point guard spot and was also third in the conference in assists (4.5 apg). He led the league in 3-point field goal percentage (46.6%) and shot 80.8% from the free throw line. Rendleman topped UNCW and was fifth in the CAA in scoring with 15.6 points per game and was second in the conference and 12th in the nation in rebounding (10.5 rpg). He has recorded 16 double-doubles this season, which is tied for the 6th-best total in the nation.
Joining Chris Cooper on second-team All-CAA honors were Drexel senior forward Samme Givens (11.7 ppg/7.8 rpg), Delaware junior forward Jamelle Hagins (12.7 ppg/11.3 rpg), Hofstra senior guard Mike Moore (20.0 ppg/4.6 rpg) and Delaware sophomore guard Devon Saddler (18.7 ppg/4.1 rpg).
Named to the All-CAA third team were Georgia State senior guard Jihad Ali (13.0 ppg/5.8 rpg), Georgia State senior forward Eric Buckner (10.8 ppg/7.0 rpg), James Madison senior guard Humpty Hitchens (15.0 ppg/2.3 rpg), Northeastern junior guard Jonathan Lee (14.6 ppg/4.0 rpg), VCU sophomore forward Juvonte Reddic (10.8 ppg/7.0 rpg) and VCU junior guard Darius Theus (8.6 ppg/4.7 apg).
Head coach Blaine Taylor with CAA honorees Kent Bazemore, Chris Cooper and Anton Larsen.
Bazemore with Commissioner Yeager
Chris Cooper and the 2nd Team All-CAA Squad
2011-12 CAA MEN'S BASKETBALL AWARD WINNERS
First Team All-CAACl.Pos.Ht.Kent Bazemore, Old DominionSr.G6-5Bradford Burgess, VCUSr.G/F6-6Frantz Massenat, DrexelSo.G6-4Ryan Pearson, George MasonSr.F6-6Keith Rendleman, UNCWJr.F6-8
Second Team All-CAACl.Pos.Ht.Chris Cooper, Old DominionSr.F6-9Samme Givens, DrexelSr.F6-5Jamelle Hagins, DelawareJr.F6-9Mike Moore, HofstraSr.G6-5Devon Saddler, DelawareSo.G6-2
Third Team All-CAACl.Pos.Ht.Jihad Ali, Georgia StateSr.G6-5Eric Buckner, Georgia StateSr.F6-10Humpty Hitchens, James MadisonSr.G5-9Jonathan Lee, NortheasternJr.G6-2Juvonte Reddic, VCUSo.F6-9Darius Theus, VCUJr.G6-3
2012 CAA Player of the Year - Ryan Pearson, George Mason2012 CAA Coach of the Year - Bruiser Flint, Drexel2012 CAA Rookie of the Year - Damion Lee, Drexel2012 CAA Defensive Player of the Year - Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion2012 Dean Ehlers Leadership Award - Jihad Ali, Georgia State and Quinn McDowell, William and Mary
CAA All-Rookie TeamCl.Pos.Ht.Quincy Ford, NortheasternFr.G/F6-8Damion Lee, DrexelFr.G6-6Adam Smith, UNCWFr.G6-1Marcus Thornton, William & MaryFr.G6-4Jarvis Threatt, DelawareFr.G6-2
CAA All-Defensive TeamCl.Pos.Ht.Kent Bazemore, Old DominionSr.G6-5Eric Buckner, Georgia StateSr.F6-10Jamelle Hagins, DelawareJr.F6-9Robert Nwankwo, TowsonSr.C6-8Briante Weber, VCUFr.G6-3CAA All-Academic First TeamCl.Pos.Ht.Jihad Ali, Georgia StateSr.G6-5Trian Iliadis, Old DominionSr.G6-3Quinn McDowell, William & MarySr.G/F6-6Dwan McMillan, HofstraSr.G6-0Tim Rusthoven, William & MarySo.F6-9
CAA All-Academic Second TeamCl.Pos.Ht.Brandon Britt, William & MarySo.G6-1James Fields, Georgia StateSr.G6-4Erique Gumbs, TowsonSo.F6-9Jonathan Lee, NortheasternJr.G6-2Tanner Milson, UNCWSo.G6-3
CAA All-Academic Hon. MentionCl.Pos.Ht.Rob Brandenberg, VCUSo.G6-2Kyle Gaillard, William & MaryJr.F6-8Matt Grogan, HofstraJr.G6-5Fred Heldring, William & MarySo.F6-9Doug Howard, William & MaryJr.G5-9Anton Larsen, Old DominionSo.F7-0Jacob Lerner, DrexelSo.G6-2Stevan Manojlovic, DrexelSo.G6-5Andrew Pavloff, William & MaryJr.F6-9Ryan Pierson, NortheasternSo.F/C6-10Gene Swindle, James MadisonJr.C6-11Will Townsville, DelawareJr.G6-3