Men's Basketball Awards Announced for 2015-16

Men's Basketball Awards Announced for 2015-16

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Men's Basketball Awards Announced for 2015-16

TOWSON, Md. - University of Scranton guard Brendan Boken took home Player of the Year recognition, while teammate John Vitkus was named Defensive Player of the Year. Moravian newcomer Oneil Holder was named Rookie of the Year and Susquehanna head coach Frank Marcinek and his assistants won their second consecutive, and third overall Coaching Staff of the Year honor.

Boken's name can be found near the top of several statistical categories. He finished first in points per game (22.6), second in rebounds (8.7), fourth in field goal percentage (56.9), and third in blocks with 29 swatted shots. The senior's quest to set the program's all-time scoring record will be featured this weekend as the Royals have earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. He currently has 1,898 career points, just five behind the school record, held by Gene Mumford (1968-71).

In his first year as a starter, Vitkus blossomed into a force on both ends of the court, with his work on the defensive end having the biggest impact for the Royals. He registered five double-doubles, seven games of 10 or more rebounds, 12 games with two or more blocks, and had a steal in 17 of 24 games. His ability to protect the rim kept opponents away from the basket, a big reason Scranton led the conference in field goal percentage defense at 40.0 percent. He's was at his best against conference foes, averaging 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in 27.1 minutes per game.

Holder exploded onto the scene in his debut season, ranking first in the conference among his counterparts in scoring (13.8), and finished his first campaign as the top rebounding freshmen, averaging 6.8. Defensively, Holder accumulated 27 blocked shots, 16 of which were in conference action.

Marcinek guided Susquehanna to a playoff spot for a seventh time in nine seasons. The Crusaders finished 13-3 in Landmark matchups this season, and they were 23-4 overall. Their 23 victories is a program best, which also included earning a NCAA tournament bid for the first time since 1993-94.

Boken was joined on the First Team by Catholic's Bryson Fonville and Jay Howard. Fonville was the Landmark Player of the Year last season. His game-high 33 points, propelled the Cardinals in the championship game, which helped secure the Landmark title. The stellar performance helped Catholic clinch a spot in the NCAA tournament for the third time in his career. Teammate Howard was also named Rookie of the Year in 2015. The sophomore ranked second in the conference in scoring, averaging 19.9 points.

Susquehanna's Josh Miller and Juniata's Marcus Less appear on the First Team list for the first time, while Drew's Mike Klinger makes his second appearance to round out the First Team list.

Miller ranked fifth in the conference in scoring average, putting up 17.6 points a game. His 45.5 percent from long-distance was second in the conference and he ranked third in rebounds, pulling down 8.3 boards per game. Lee ended his sophomore campaign ranked in top-10 in scoring (16.8), rebounding (6.2), and field goal percentage (51.7). He led the Eagles in scoring, and helped guide Juniata to a playoff spot in the conference tournament. Klinger led the Rangers in scoring average with 19.3 points a game. He shot 44.8 percent from the field (131-270) and averaged 3.3 caroms a game.

Five different institutions were featured among the six Second-Team All-Landmark members.




Player of the Year Defensive
Player of the Year		 Rookie of the Year Coach of the Year
Brendan Boken,
Scranton
 John Vitkus,
Scranton		 Oneil Holder,
Moravian
 Frank Marcinek,
Susquehanna

 

The 2015-16 Landmark Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams:

First Team           Second Team        
Brendan Boken *$
 Scranton
 Sr. F South Pasadena, Calif.
   Brandon Hedley $
 Susquehanna
 Sr.
 G
 Silver Spring, Md.
Bryson Fonville*$ Catholic Jr. G Greensboro, N.C.   Kevin Herring II Drew
 Sr.
 G Columbus, Ohio
Jay Howard $ Catholic So. G Pennsauken, N.J.   Brandon McGuire
 Moravian
 Jr.
 F
 Philadelphia, Pa.
Mike Klinger $
 Drew
 Sr.
 G Franklin Park, N.J.   Kevin Miles
 Goucher
 Sr.
 G
 District Heights, Md.
Marcus Lee
 Juniata
 So. C/F
 Carrolltown, Pa.   John Vitkus
 Scranton
 Jr.
 C
 Mahopac, N.Y.
Josh Miller
 Susquehanna
 Sr. G
 Strasburg, Pa.   Steven Weidlich
 Susquehanna
 Jr.
 G
 Watchung, N.J.

$ 2014-15 First Team All-Landmark
* 2013-14 First Team All-Landmark
^ 2012-13 First Team All-Landmark