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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Drew McDonald, Carson Williams and head coach John Brannen of the Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team collected postseason awards from the Horizon League on Wednesday following NKU’s exciting 21-win regular season.
Head coaches, sports information directors and media members voted McDonald to the All-Horizon League First Team. The sophomore forward had a tremendous season for the Norse, averaging 16.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. His 10 double-doubles this year were the second most in the League, trailing only player of the year Alec Peters from Valparaiso. The native of Cold Spring, Kentucky (Newport Central Catholic), was named Horizon League Player of the Week three different times throughout the year and earned Tarkett Sports Classic All-Tournament Team early in the season.
Williams earned a spot on the all-freshman team after starting all but one game this season (senior day), averaging 10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and shooting 59.3 percent from the floor. Williams, a native of Owenton, Kentucky (Owen County), collected a Horizon League-best four Freshman of the Week honors, including the final two of the season.
After guiding Northern Kentucky to the second-best turnaround in the country and exceeding preseason polls that picked the Norse to finish seventh in the Horizon League standings, Brannen was chosen as the League’s Coach of the Year. Northern Kentucky’s 21 wins are 12 more than it posted last season and trail only Minnesota’s plus-14 in the win column. The Norse also won nine of their last 11 games, including the season finale against league-leading Valpo, to earn a share of third place in the final standings.
NKU reached unprecedented heights this season. The 21 wins are a Division I-era record for the Norse and helped Northern Kentucky climb up to No. 102 in Monday’s NCAA RPI release. And, the Norse are peaking at the right time, winning nine of their last 11 games headed into postseason play.
As the No. 4 seed in the 2017 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship, Northern Kentucky will face off against No. 5 seed Wright State in the opening round at 7:30 p.m. at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
First Team All-Horizon League
Drew McDonald, Northern Kentucky
Jalen Hayes, Oakland
Alec Peters, Valparaiso
Mark Alstork, Wright State
Cameron Morse, Youngstown State
Second Team All-Horizon League
Rob Edwards, Cleveland State
Jaleel Hogan, Detroit Mercy
Charles Cooper, Green Bay
Martez Walker, Oakland
Shane Hammink, Valparaiso
All-Freshman Team
Corey Allen, Detroit Mercy
Carson Williams, Northern Kentucky
Isaiah Brock, Oakland
Tarkus Ferguson, UIC
Dominique Matthews, UIC
All-Defensive Team
Kenneth Lowe, Green Bay
Khalil Small, Green Bay
Isaiah Brock, Oakland
Tai Odiase, UIC
Tevonn Walker, Valparaiso
Player of the Year
Alec Peters, Valparaiso
Coach of the Year
John Brannen, Northern Kentucky
Freshman of the Year
Corey Allen, Detroit Mercy
Defensive Player of the Year
Tai Odiase, UIC
Sixth Man of the Year
Warren Jones, Green Bay