Bellarmine, Maryville, Rockhurst Earn Major #GLVCmbb Awards

2/27/2018 3:00:00 PM

Jeff Smith, Associate Commissioner

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INDIANAPOLIS – Maryville University senior center Nolan Berry has been named the 2017-18 Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year in men’s basketball, it was announced by the Conference office on Tuesday.  Bellarmine University senior guard Jarek Coles took home GLVC Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Rockhurst University guard Curtis Lewis garnered the GLVC Freshman of the Year award.  Bellarmine mentor Scott Davenport was recognized by his peers as GLVC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.  In addition, 20 student-athletes were picked as All-Conference honorees, 10 representatives were named to the league’s All-Defensive Team, five individuals were selected to the league’s All-Freshman Team, Truman State University earned the GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award, and 15 honorees were recognized as GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award recipients.

Berry becomes Maryville’s first-ever GLVC Player of the Year after finishing the regular season first in the league in rebounding (11.0 rpg), second in scoring (18.8 ppg), third in field goal percentage (.613) and fifth in blocks (1.2 bpg).  Among NCAA Division II leaders, Berry’s 16 double-doubles this season rank eighth nationally, while his 11.0 rebounds per game are also eighth and his 61.3 percent field-goal percentage is 13th.  He posted three games with 30 or more points and three contests with 17 or more rebounds this year.  Berry closed out the regular season with 31 points and 13 rebounds against Missouri-St. Louis and nearly secured a 20-20 game earlier this month with 21 points and 18 rebounds against Lewis.  The local St. Louis, Missouri product was a two-time GLVC Player of the Week honoree in his first year of competing with the Saints, having sat out the 2016-17 season after transferring from UC Davis following the 2015-16 season.  Berry, who was also one of two unanimous first-team All-GLVC selections as well as a member of the 10-man All-Defensive Team, played an integral role in the resurrection of the Saints ball club this year under the direction of first-year head coach Mark Stricker.  Following a season in which Maryville was 9-21 overall and last in the GLVC West with a 3-15 record, Berry helped guide the Saints to a 20-7 mark in the regular season along with a 12-6 record in GLVC play that earned them the Central Division title and the No. 5 seed in this week’s GLVC Basketball Championship Tournament.

Coles is the third consecutive Bellarmine standout to earn GLVC Defensive Player of the Year in as many years, as the award was first given to George Suggs following the 2015-16 campaign and presented to Al Davis one year ago.  The Omaha, Nebraska native had 32 steals on the season and was a lockdown defender that helped Bellarmine to the league’s top marks in scoring defense (61.2), field-goal percentage defense (41.4), and steals (per game (7.4).  The Knights’ scoring defense ranks second nationally, while their field-goal percentage defense is 26th.  The lone unanimous selection to the All-Defensive Team was also known for his ball management on offense as he is currently ranked 22nd nationally in assist-turnover ratio (2.78).

Lewis was voted by the coaches as the league’s top newcomer following his first season on campus.  The Kansas City, Missouri native is Rockhurst’s first GLVC Freshman of the Year in program history and the first Hawk to be recognized by the league with a major postseason honor since Aaron Hill was tabbed Player of the Year for the 2008-09 campaign.  In overall games, the All-Freshman Team member ranked second in assists (5.1 apg), 10th in assist-turnover ratio (1.6) and 12th in scoring (15.9 ppg).

Davenport takes home his second straight and fourth overall GLVC Coach of the Year accolade.  He was previously honored following the 2010-11 season prior to sharing the award with former University of Missouri-St. Louis head coach Steve Tappmeyer in 2011-12.  The Davenport-led Knights once again earned the GLVC East Division title with a 16-2 league record and have compiled a 25-2 mark overall and the top seed in this week’s GLVC Basketball Championship Tournament.  No. 6 Bellarmine, which currently owns the nation’s second-best field-goal percentage (53.4) and scoring defense (61.2), also has its scoring margin mark (18.0) rated third nationally, while its three-point field-goal percentage (41.7) ranks sixth.  Under Davenport’s watch, Bellarmine boasted two first-team All-GLVC picks in senior guard Brent Bach and junior forward Adam Eberhard, who joined Maryville’s Berry as the only two unanimous selections.   Coles, the Defensive Player of the Year, was joined on the All-Defensive Team by sophomore guard Parker Chitty, while newcomer guard CJ Fleming was one of five named to the All-Freshman Team.

Of the 20 All-Conference honorees, Truman State led the conference contingent with three first-team selections, including senior forward Zach Fischer, sophomore guard Brodric Thomas, and junior guard Jake Velky.  Thomas was also picked for the All-Defensive Team.  William Jewell also put three standouts on the two All-GLVC teams, including senior guard and first-teamer Patrick Whelan, as well as second-team honorees in redshirt junior guard Pharroh Gordon and junior guard Keith Hayes.

Other first-team picks included UIndy sophomore guard Tate Hall, Lewis senior forward Cristen Wilson, and Southern Indiana junior guard Alex Stein. 

The league also recognized Truman State as its annual GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award team recipient, as well as 15 student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees are now eligible to become one of their school’s two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, which will be announced at the end of the academic year.

A complete list of the 2017-18 GLVC All-Conference teams and postseason honors follows.
 

GLVC Player of the Year:  Nolan Berry, Sr., C, MU GLVC Defensive Player of the Year:  Jarek Coles, Sr., G, BU GLVC Freshman of the Year:  Curtis Lewis, Fr., G, RU GLVC Coach of the Year:  Scott Davenport, BU

First-Team All-GLVC Brent Bach, Sr., G, BU Adam Eberhard, Jr., G/F, BU # Tate Hall, So., G, UINDY Cristen Wilson, Sr., F, LEWIS Nolan Berry, Sr., C, MU # Alex Stein, Jr., G, USI Zach Fischer, Sr., F, TSU Brodric Thomas, So., G, TSU Jake Velky, Jr., G, TSU Patrick Whelan, Sr., G, WJC # Unanimous selections

Second-Team All-GLVC Andrew Ballock, Jr., G, DU Isaac Johnson, So., G, DU Eddie Longmeyer, Sr., G/F, UIS Ajay Lawton, Sr., G, UINDY Delaney Blaylock, Jr., G, LEWIS Robin Thompson, Jr., F, MU Justin Blanks, Sr., W, MCK Elijah Watson, Sr., G, UMSL Pharroh Gordon, R-Jr., G, WJC Keith Hayes, Jr., G, WJC

All-Defensive Team* Jarek Coles, Sr., G, BU # Parker Chitty, So., G, BU Douglas Moore, Jr., F, DU John Williams, Jr., G, DU Ajay Lawton, Sr., G, UINDY Nolan Berry, Sr., C, MU Connor Evans, Jr., F, RU Brodric Thomas, So., G, TSU Goran Zagorac, Sr., C, UWP Pharroh Gordon, R-Jr., G, WJC

All-Freshman Team CJ Fleming, G, BU Conley Garrison, G, DU Curtis Lewis, G, RU Quinton Curry, C, RU Emmanuel Little, F, USI

2017-18 James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Team Award
Truman State
 
2017-18 James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award Sport Honorees
Jarek Coles, BU
Conley Garrison, DU
Vince Walker, UIS
Jabree Bond-Flournoy, UINDY
Donovan Oliver, LEWIS
Grant Sims, MU
Gianni Otto, MCK
Gregory Lahm, S&T
D.J. White, UMSL
Demetrius Houston, QU
Gabe Brown, RU
Jacob Norman, USI
Zach Fischer, TSU
Espen Fjaerestad, UWP
Patrick Whelan, WJC