Sleva, Diaz Earn PSAC Men's Basketball Athletes of the Year Recognition
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. --- Shippensburg junior Dustin Sleva and IUP Jacobo Diaz have been tabbed the PSAC Men’s Basketball Athletes of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches, the league announced Thursday afternoon in conjunction with the release of the men’s basketball all-conference teams.
Sleva grabbed the PSAC East Athlete of the Year award and is the only player in the PSAC averaging a double-double, the junior is fourth in the conference in scoring (21.8 ppg) and leads the conference in rebounding (11.1). Sleva is the only player in all levels of NCAA Basketball averaging 21 ppg, 11 rpg, 3 apg with at least 45 3-PT FG. The Raider has posted 18 20-point efforts and has made a three-pointer in every game this season. He is third in DII with 18 double-doubles. Sleva is the first Raider to garner the award since Chuck Davis (2006) and second in school history.
Diaz claimed the PSAC West Athlete of the Year and is the ninth player in IUP program history to garner the award, including the third straight and sixth in the last eight seasons. The sophomore has amassed 12 double-doubles this season, second most in the PSAC (Sleva); also the second most by an IUP since DII Player of the Year Darryl Webb had 16 during the 2010-11 campaign. Diaz has turned in 22 double-figure scoring games, six 20-point games; 16 double-figure rebounding games. He dropped a career-high 27 points at Seton Hill. Diaz is one of only five sophomores in PSAC history to be named Athlete of the Year and second West representative.
IUP’s Joe Lombardi was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year for the third time (2010 & 2012). He coached the Crimson Hawks to its best regular season (26-2) in program history; the 26 wins tied the PSAC regular season record (California 1991-92). IUP is riding an 18-game win streak, which is the longest in the Lombardi era and third longest in school history. The Crimson Hawks sit at No. 2 in the NCAA DII rankings and will host the PSAC Final Four. Lombardi became the 13th coach in PSAC history to win 250 games. IUP won its seventh consecutive PSAC West title in last eight years.
Shippensburg’s Chris Fite won the PSAC East Coach of the Year while his team currently sits at No. 13 in the DII rankings. Fit is the first coach in SU history with multiple 20-win seasons while the Raiders are 56-26 in the last three seasons under Fite. The Raiders lead the nation in three-point field goal defense (28.5 percent). SU paces the league and is 11th in DII in scoring margin (15.0). SU boasts road wins against No. 2 IUP and No. 5 Kutztown.
Seton Hill redshirt junior Spencer Casson claimed the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season after finishing the year with a triple-double and eight double-doubles. Since the award was established in 2012, he is the first player in PSAC history to win the award in consecutive years. Casson led the league in total blocks by a landslide with 108. The next closest competitor turned in 53. Casson leads the league and DII in blocks per game with 4.2.
Kutztown senior Josh Johnson lands on an all-conference team for the third time in his career and earned the PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year this season. The Golden Bear ranks seventh in KU history with 124 career blocks and is nine shy of the top 10 in career steals (137). Johnson becomes the first player in PSAC history to be named both PSAC Athlete of the Year and Defensive Athlete of the Year in his career. He is tied for eighth in the league in blocks per game (1.1) and is 17th in steals (1.4). KU sits at No. 5 in the DII polls.
Lock Haven’s Amir Hinton earned the PSAC East Freshman of the Year award after leading the conference in scoring at 23.8 points per game. Hinton was stellar in his first-year campaign after producing 642 points, including 39 three-point field goals. The Philadelphia, Pa., product was named PSAC East Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week twice while earning the East Freshman of the Week recognition on seven occasions. Hinton scored in double figures in every contest this season and had a career-high 42 against Mansfield. He scored at least 20 points in every game but six. Hinton is the first LHU player to win the award since 2006.
Gannon’s Jimmy Berger swiped the PSAC West Freshman of the Year while the Golden Knights earned the No. 2 seed in the West. The freshman dished out eight assists or more on 11 occasions. Berger dished out double-digit assists five times while playing in all 27 games. He has started the last 23 contests. During the regular season, he amassed 169 assists, tying for the 10th-highest single-season total in program history. Berger ranks ninth nationally in assists per contest and 40th in assist-to-turnover ratio. He is the first GU player to win the award since 2012 (Adam Blazek).
East Stroudsburg’s Rasheed Moore landed on an all-conference team for the fourth time in his career while Pitt-Johnstown’s A.J. Leahey was named to the All-PSAC West First-Team for the third time.
EASTERN DIVISION FIRST TEAM
| Pos. |
Player |
University |
Cl. |
Hometown / Previous School |
| F |
Dustin Sleva* |
Shippensburg |
Jr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Montour |
| F |
Rasheed Moore*^^ |
East Stroudsburg |
Sr. |
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. / Meyers |
| G |
Amir Hinton |
Lock Haven |
Fr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. / Abington |
| F |
Josh Johnson*^ |
Kutztown |
Sr. |
Norristown, Pa. / Norristown |
| G/F |
Christian Mortellite^ |
Bloomsburg |
R-Jr. |
Hammonton, N.J. / Hammonton |
| G |
Ethan Ridgeway |
Kutztown |
Jr. |
West Chester, Pa. / Bayard Rustin |
EASTERN DIVISION SECOND TEAM
| Pos. |
Player |
University |
Cl. |
Hometown / Previous School |
| G |
Justin McArthur |
Shippensburg |
Jr. |
Harrisburg, Pa. / Bishop McDevitt |
| G |
Anthony Lee^ |
Kutztown |
R-So. |
Willow Grove, Pa. / Abington |
| G |
Abe Massaley^ |
Shippensburg |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. / Imhotep Charter |
| G |
Malik Jackson^ |
West Chester |
So. |
Lansdowne, Pa. / Penn Wood |
| F |
Matt Tamanosky |
Mansfield |
Jr. |
Camp Hill, Pa. / Cumberland Valley |
| F |
Ryan Connolly^ |
Kutztown |
R-Sr. |
Harleysville, Pa. / Souderton Area |
WESTERN DIVISION FIRST TEAM
| Pos. |
Player |
University |
Cl. |
Hometown / Previous School |
| F |
Jacobo Diaz |
IUP |
So. |
Tenerife, Canary, Spain / CBA Gran Canaria |
| G |
Jaymon Mason* |
Edinboro |
Jr. |
Edinboro, Pa. / General McLane |
| F |
A.J. Leahey** |
Pitt-Johnstown |
Sr. |
Lilly, Pa. / Penn Cambria |
| G |
Matthew Dogan |
Gannon |
Sr. |
West Middlesex, Pa. / West Middlesex |
| G |
Dante Lombardi |
IUP |
So. |
Indiana, Pa. / Indiana |
| G |
Dale Clancy |
Pitt-Johnstown |
Jr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Seton-LaSalle |
WESTERN DIVISION SECOND TEAM
| Pos. |
Player |
University |
Cl. |
Hometown / Previous School |
| G |
Durrell McDonald |
Mercyhurst |
Sr. |
Henderson, Nev. / DePaul |
| G |
Zay Jackson |
Gannon |
Jr. |
Queens, N.Y. / Westside |
| F |
Noah Davis |
Seton Hill |
Sr. |
Bellwood, Pa. / Bellwood-Antis |
| C |
Spencer Casson |
Seton Hill |
R-Jr. |
Presto, Pa. / Chartiers Valley |
| G |
Naquil Jones |
Slippery Rock |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. / Genesee |
| G |
Anthony Glover |
IUP |
Jr. |
Toledo, Ohio / Chicago State |
*Indicates previous First Team All-PSAC selection
^Indicates previous Second Team All-PSAC selection
EASTERN DIVISION
Athlete of the Year: Dustin Sleva, Shippensburg
Defensive Athlete of the Year: Josh Johnson, Kutztown
Freshman of the Year: Amir Hinton, Lock Haven
Coach of the Year: Chris Fite, Shippensburg
WESTERN DIVISION
Athlete of the Year: Jacobo Diaz, IUP
Defensive Athlete of the Year: Spencer Casson, Seton Hill
Freshman of the Year: Jimmy Berger, Gannon
Coach of the Year: Joe Lombardi, IUP