Oakland's Benson Named Summit League Men's Basketball Player of the Year
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Oakland's Keith
Benson was selected as The Summit League Men's Basketball
Player of the Year in a vote of the league's 10 head coaches,
sports information directors and select media members announced
Thursday.
Oral Roberts' Michael Craion earned the
league's Newcomer of the Year award while IUPUI's Jon
Avery was named Sixth Man of the Year and Western
Illinois' Ceola Clark took home the Defensive
Player of the Year nod. Oakland's Greg Kampe was
named Coach of the Year.
Benson led The Summit League in rebounding (9.6 rpg in league)
and blocked shots (3.3 bpg in league) and was third in scoring
(17.9 ppg in league) while leading Oakland to the league's regular
season title. For the year, Benson had a league-high 16
double-doubles, including nine in league play. His 102 blocks
presently rank as the fourth-highest season total in Summit League
history while his 311 rebounds are sixth. Benson scored 20 or more
points 13 times, including eight occasions in league play.
Craion earned the Newcomer of the Year award after transferring
to Oral Roberts from Independence CC. During the season, he ranked
second on the team with 14.5 points per league game, and tied for
fourth in The Summit League with 7.2 rebounds per league contest.
Also a second team all-league selection, Craion tied for sixth in
the league with a 54.5 percent shooting percentage in league
games.
Avery garnered Sixth Man of the Year honors after coming off the
bench for IUPUI in all 18 league games while shooting a league-best
70.1 percent and averaging 9.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per
contest.
Clark claimed the Defensive Player of the Year accolade after
recording a Summit-best 50 steals in 18 league games (2.8 spg)
while compiling 71 steals for the year. A first team all-league
selection, Clark's 2.7 steals per game average for the season ranks
sixth nationally while his 44.8 three-point shooting percentage in
league play leads The Summit League and his 15.0 points per league
game are tops for Western Illinois.
Kampe earned the Coach of the Year award after guiding his team
to The Summit League's regular season championship and the top seed
in the tournament. Along the way, Oakland set Summit records for
league wins (17) and winning percentage (.944) while also matching
the longest league winning streak in history with 16.
Joining Benson and Clark as first team All-Summit selections
were the league's top two leading scorers in IUPUI's Robert
Glenn (20.8 ppg in league) and Alex Young
(20.2 ppg), the assists leader in Oakland's Johnathon
Jones (7.1 apg in league), and Oral Roberts'
Dominique Morrison (15.1 ppg in league).
Comprising the second team is Craion, Oakland's Derick
Nelson (11.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg in league), South Dakota State's
Clint Sargent (league-best 2.6 three-point field
goals per league game), North Dakota State's Michael
Tveidt (15.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and IPFW's Deilvez
Yearby (12.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg).
Receiving honorable mention Southern Utah's Davis
Baker (17.1 ppg), North Dakota State's Eric
Carlson (15.4 ppg), UMKC's Jay Couisnard
(14.2 ppg), Oral Roberts' Kevin Ford (12.3 ppg,
7.6 rpg) and South Dakota State's Kai Williams
(11.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg).
In addition Craion and Couisnard, the all-newcomer team includes
Oral Roberts' Warren Niles (13.9 ppg), South
Dakota State's Nate Wolters (10.8 ppg) and
Oakland's Larry Wright (11.9 ppg).
The Summit League Tournament begins March 6 at the Sioux Falls
Arena in Sioux Falls, S.D., and culminates with the title game on
Tuesday, March 8 on ESPN2 at 8 p.m.
-SUMMIT-
2009-10 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN'S BASKETBALL
AWARDS
|
FIRST TEAM
|
|
Name, School
|
Pos.
|
Yr.
|
Hometown
|
|
Keith Benson, Oakland
|
C
|
Jr.
|
Farmington Hills, Mich.
|
|
Ceola Clark, Western Illinois
|
G
|
So.
|
Gurnee, Ill.
|
|
Robert Glenn, IUPUI
|
F
|
Sr.
|
Indianapolis, Ind.
|
|
Johnathon Jones, Oakland
|
G
|
Sr.
|
Okemos, Mich.
|
|
Dominique Morrison, Oral Roberts
|
F
|
So.
|
Kansas City, Mo.
|
|
Alex Young, IUPUI
|
F
|
So.
|
Indianapolis, Ind.
|
|
SECOND TEAM
|
|
Michael Craion, Oral Roberts
|
F
|
Jr.
|
Kansas City, Mo.
|
|
Derick Nelson, Oakland
|
F
|
Sr.
|
Lansing, Mich.
|
|
Clint Sargent, South Dakota State
|
G
|
Jr.
|
South Sioux City, Neb.
|
|
Michael Tveidt, North Dakota State
|
F
|
Jr.
|
Pierre, S.D.
|
|
Deilvez Yearby, IPFW
|
F
|
Sr.
|
Detroit, Mich.
|
|
HONORABLE MENTION
|
|
Davis Baker, Southern Utah
|
G
|
Sr.
|
Coto de Caza, Calif.
|
|
Eric Carlson, North Dakota State
|
F
|
So.
|
Shakopee, Minn.
|
|
Jay Couisnard, UMKC
|
F
|
Jr.
|
Houston, Texas
|
|
Kevin Ford, Oral Roberts
|
F
|
Sr.
|
Portland, Ore.
|
|
Kai Williams, South Dakota State
|
F
|
Sr.
|
Regina, Saskatchewan
|
|
ALL-NEWCOMER
|
|
Michael Craion, Oral Roberts
|
F
|
Jr.
|
Kansas City, Mo.
|
|
Jay Couisnard, UMKC
|
F
|
Jr.
|
Houston, Texas
|
|
Warren Niles, Oral Roberts
|
G
|
Fr.
|
Cincinnati, Ohio
|
|
Nate Wolters, South Dakota State
|
G
|
Fr.
|
St. Cloud, Minn.
|
|
Larry Wright, Oakland
|
G
|
Jr.
|
Saginaw, Mich.
|
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Keith Benson, Oakland
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Michael Craion, Oral Roberts
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
Jon Avery, IUPUI
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ceola Clark, Western Illinois
COACH OF THE YEAR
Greg Kampe, Oakland
