Matthews Selected as NABC DIII All-American and All-District Player of Year
- Matthews Named Atlantic District Player of the Year and Division III All-American -
Kansas City, Mo. - The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced the 2012 NABC Division III All-District teams and coaches on March 13, recognizing the best men's collegiate basketball student-athletes and coaches in the division, selected by member coaches of the NABC. On March 16, they announced the DIII All-Americans, the student-athletes who represent the finest basketball players across America.
Junior forward AJ Matthews (Brooklyn, N.Y./Van Arsdale) was tabbed as the 2012 NABC Atlantic Region Player of the Year and also a Division III NABC Coaches' First Team All-American. These two awards place AJ in the voting for Division III National Player of the Year, which will be announed in Salem, Virginia during the Final Four games on March 16-17.
This season, Matthews was named the Skyline Conference Player of the Year after leading the conference in Scoring, Rebounding, Blocks and Defensive Rebounds, while finishing 2nd for Field Goal Percentage. He averaged 22.4 points, 16.3 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks with a .614 field goal percentage. He led the Nation in double-doubles (26) and rebounding, and ranked 3rd for blocks per game, 11th for Points and 12th for FG percentage. Matthews scored a double-double in 26-of-27 games played and became the School's All-Time leader for Career Blocks (99) in just one year, shattering the school record for blocks in a season by 60. He also broke school records for Rebounds in a game (29), Blocks in a Game (9), Points in a Season (605), FG in a season (239), and Rebounds in a Season (439). The previous record for rebounds in a game was 20; AJ matched or broke that number six times this season. He now holds 10 single-season school records and six All-Time records.
2012 NABC DIVISION III ATLANTIC REGION TEAM
First Team Second Team
Andrew August, Montclair State Jerome Alexander, John Jay
DiAndre Brown, Richard Stockton Pedro Burgos, Rutgers-Newark
Lance Brown, William Paterson Chris Jimenez, St. Joseph's (L.I.)
Corey Chandler, William Paterson T.J. Tibbs, Staten Island
Winston Douglas, Medgar Evers Jordan Young, Staten Island
*AJ Matthews, Farmingdale State
Co-Coaches of the Year: Tony Petosa, Staten Island and Jose Rebimbas, William Paterson
*Denotes Region Player of the Year
Click HERE for Full List of 2012 NABC Division III All-District Teams and Coaches
2012 NABC COACHES' DIVISION III ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM
DaQuan Brooks, Western Connecticut, 5-10, Senior, Guard, Atlanta, Ga.
Chad Burridge, Oswego State, 6-7, Senior, Center, Hannibal, N.Y.
Chris Davis, UW-Whitewater, 6-6, Senior, Forward, Madison, Wis.
David Krombeen, Hope, 6-2, Senior, Guard, Grandville, Mich.
AJ Matthews, Farmingdale State, 7-0, Junior, Forward, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Tim McCrary, Wheaton (Ill.), 6-6. Senior, Forward, Wilmette, Ill.
Georgio Milligan, Franklin and Marshall, 6-2, Senior, Guard, Spring Valley, N.Y.
DJ Woodmore, Virginia Wesleyan, 6-3, Sophomore, Guard, Virginia Beach, Va.
Click HERE for the Full Release on 2012 NABC Coaches' Division III All-America Teams
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