Wednesday, March 11, 2009
All-Aussie Hoops America Team - March
All-Aussie Hoops Australia Team selections – March 2009
by Mike Green (AHA.com contributor)
The conference seasons are all concluding now, with finals played over late February and early March. The best Aussie players are starting to make an impact and if their teams are good enough should be tasting post-season tournament success pretty soon. The All-AHA teams (NCAA D1 unless noted) for Febraury are:
Men’s
1. Andrew Ogilvy (Sophomore Centre, Vanderbilt): AJs impact on one of the 10 youngest teams in D1 shows how important he is to the Nashville based team. He lifted his output during February seemingly at the same rate as his foot injuries improved, giuding he Commodores to key wins over Alabama, Ole Miss, Kentucky and South Carolina. They have continued this form into March beating nationally ranked #12 LSU away, where Ogilvy had a career high 33 points, and a win against Arkansas. They have a tough first up conference final game against Alabama on March 12.
2. Luke Nevill (Senior Centre, Utah): Nevill has been voted the 2009 MWC Player of the Year, and also named the MWC Defensive Player of the Year. Big Luke has reached the top of the MWC Rebound record book, pulling down his 866th career board in a loss to BYU. He is currently 3rd in blocks; however don’t expect him to reach this mark with the remaining games. The Utes claimed a share of the tightly contested MWC and are seeded #2, and play their first conference final game against TCU on March 12.
5. Ryan Bathie (Senior Guard, Nicholls State): The Colonels were another team to narrowly miss out on conference leadership, with SFA recording a win on the last day of conference play. Bathie leads the 5 Aussie-strong Louisiana team with strong contributions from emerging swingman Anatoly Bose. Expect to see the team challenge strongly and possibly sneak an NIT or CBI post-tournament invite on their performance. #2 Nicholls Sate face Texas State in game one of the Southland Conference finals on March 12.
4. Ben Magden (Junior Guard, Augusta State NCAA D2): On the back of 12 consecutive wins, Magden led his Jaguar team to first place in the tough Peach Belt Conference, and followed this up with a win in the Tournament final by a solitary point to be crowned PBC Champions for 2008/09. With the goal of returning to the D2 Championship game, they are currently ranked #5 nationally, and host the first round of the NCAA D2 tournament starting August 14.
5. Jesse Wagstaff (Senior Forward, Metro State NCAA D2): Wagstaff’s Roadrunners have certainly kept their best til last, having clinched the RMAC Championship, boosted their national ranking in the last weeks to #11. The Roadrunners, who were also the 2009 RMAC regular season champions, enter the tournament with a 27-3 record. It is their 13th NCAA men's basketball tournament bid and their 11th in the last 12 years. MSCD is the No. 3 seed in the tournament and will face sixth seed Winona State at 12 p.m. Wagstaff was named RMAC all-tournament and MVP, to go with his career 3rd ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American (college Division) selection.
Honourable mentions:
Anatoly Bose (Nicholls State) – Career high games in February .
Ryan Barnes (Texas Wesleyan, NAIA) – Leading rebounder on #10 ranked team
Cameron Gliddon (Concordia, NAIA) – Leading GSAC freshman on # 11 ranked team
Matt Schmettig (Hannibal La-Grange, NAIA) – 17 ppg on a 13-9 team,
Aron Baynes (Washington State) – Powerful inside player for a team struggling in the Pac10;
Women’s
1. Jillian Harmon – NZ (Senior Forward, Stanford): Tall-Fern Harmon is playing a great supporting role in a self-less system that sees the Stanford cardinal ranked 32 in the Nation. Her quiet 10 and 5 per game sees the team head into the Pac 10 conference finals full of confidence and nearly fully fit after stringing together the past 12 wins. They play the winner of WSU and Arizona on March 13 and expect this team to go deep into post-season play.
5. Louella Tomlinson (Sophomore Centre, St Marys): Although playing in a weak conference and in a less than successful team, Louella is smashing all types of records. Double-doubles, triple-doubles and block records are tumbling at conference and NCAA level and with a few more Aussies around her next year, perhaps St Mary’s women’s team may reach the lofty heights being set by Mills and co. Tomlinson was named in the WCC all-conference team, joining fellow Aussie Lauren Angel who was an honourable mention.
3. Tegan Cunningham (Junior Forward, Oklahoma State): Cunningham continued her 3rd fiddle role to perfection in February providing a real foil for Smith and Riley, and a tough match up for opposition teams. Playing in the tough Big 12, Cowgirl Cunningham has impressed coaching staff and should see a broader role next year and in the finals starting on March 12 in a match-up against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
4. Micaela Cocks - NZ (Sophomore Forward, Fresno State): Another Kiwi impressing in the Pac 10 is sharp-shooter Micaela Cocks, who has finally entered the Pac 10 top 25 career scoring records. She is the only Ducks player to have played in every game this year, after the team has suffered one of the worst injury records ever, with 6 players missing a combined 75 games this year. Cocks will bring all her experience to the younger Oregon team on March 12 when they face-off against lowly Washington in a game they would expect to win.
5. Megan Sinclair (Senior Forward, Metro State NCAA D2): Named to RMAC All-conference second team, Victorian Sinclair has led the under-talented Road Runners further than they and their supporters expected. Averaging 14.3 ppg and 6.1 rebounds a contest, Sinclair should be one of the picks of returning players next year. Expect to see her to be a star in the WNBL in 2009/10.
Honourable mentions:
Shannon Malone (Uni. Of Bridgeport, NCAA D2) – Big scoring Senior who earned all-conference honours;
Emma Langford (Wyoming) – Exciting freshman still getting it done.
Alison Lacey (Iowa State) – Tough PG with silky shooting touch;
Hayley Munro (Fresno State) – One of the best WAC Aussies going around.
Kylie Morrisey (Troy) – Leader of the Aussie-laden Trojans.
by Mike Green (AHA.com contributor)
The conference seasons are all concluding now, with finals played over late February and early March. The best Aussie players are starting to make an impact and if their teams are good enough should be tasting post-season tournament success pretty soon. The All-AHA teams (NCAA D1 unless noted) for Febraury are:
Men’s
1. Andrew Ogilvy (Sophomore Centre, Vanderbilt): AJs impact on one of the 10 youngest teams in D1 shows how important he is to the Nashville based team. He lifted his output during February seemingly at the same rate as his foot injuries improved, giuding he Commodores to key wins over Alabama, Ole Miss, Kentucky and South Carolina. They have continued this form into March beating nationally ranked #12 LSU away, where Ogilvy had a career high 33 points, and a win against Arkansas. They have a tough first up conference final game against Alabama on March 12.
2. Luke Nevill (Senior Centre, Utah): Nevill has been voted the 2009 MWC Player of the Year, and also named the MWC Defensive Player of the Year. Big Luke has reached the top of the MWC Rebound record book, pulling down his 866th career board in a loss to BYU. He is currently 3rd in blocks; however don’t expect him to reach this mark with the remaining games. The Utes claimed a share of the tightly contested MWC and are seeded #2, and play their first conference final game against TCU on March 12.
5. Ryan Bathie (Senior Guard, Nicholls State): The Colonels were another team to narrowly miss out on conference leadership, with SFA recording a win on the last day of conference play. Bathie leads the 5 Aussie-strong Louisiana team with strong contributions from emerging swingman Anatoly Bose. Expect to see the team challenge strongly and possibly sneak an NIT or CBI post-tournament invite on their performance. #2 Nicholls Sate face Texas State in game one of the Southland Conference finals on March 12.
4. Ben Magden (Junior Guard, Augusta State NCAA D2): On the back of 12 consecutive wins, Magden led his Jaguar team to first place in the tough Peach Belt Conference, and followed this up with a win in the Tournament final by a solitary point to be crowned PBC Champions for 2008/09. With the goal of returning to the D2 Championship game, they are currently ranked #5 nationally, and host the first round of the NCAA D2 tournament starting August 14.
5. Jesse Wagstaff (Senior Forward, Metro State NCAA D2): Wagstaff’s Roadrunners have certainly kept their best til last, having clinched the RMAC Championship, boosted their national ranking in the last weeks to #11. The Roadrunners, who were also the 2009 RMAC regular season champions, enter the tournament with a 27-3 record. It is their 13th NCAA men's basketball tournament bid and their 11th in the last 12 years. MSCD is the No. 3 seed in the tournament and will face sixth seed Winona State at 12 p.m. Wagstaff was named RMAC all-tournament and MVP, to go with his career 3rd ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American (college Division) selection.
Honourable mentions:
Anatoly Bose (Nicholls State) – Career high games in February .
Ryan Barnes (Texas Wesleyan, NAIA) – Leading rebounder on #10 ranked team
Cameron Gliddon (Concordia, NAIA) – Leading GSAC freshman on # 11 ranked team
Matt Schmettig (Hannibal La-Grange, NAIA) – 17 ppg on a 13-9 team,
Aron Baynes (Washington State) – Powerful inside player for a team struggling in the Pac10;
Women’s
1. Jillian Harmon – NZ (Senior Forward, Stanford): Tall-Fern Harmon is playing a great supporting role in a self-less system that sees the Stanford cardinal ranked 32 in the Nation. Her quiet 10 and 5 per game sees the team head into the Pac 10 conference finals full of confidence and nearly fully fit after stringing together the past 12 wins. They play the winner of WSU and Arizona on March 13 and expect this team to go deep into post-season play.
5. Louella Tomlinson (Sophomore Centre, St Marys): Although playing in a weak conference and in a less than successful team, Louella is smashing all types of records. Double-doubles, triple-doubles and block records are tumbling at conference and NCAA level and with a few more Aussies around her next year, perhaps St Mary’s women’s team may reach the lofty heights being set by Mills and co. Tomlinson was named in the WCC all-conference team, joining fellow Aussie Lauren Angel who was an honourable mention.
3. Tegan Cunningham (Junior Forward, Oklahoma State): Cunningham continued her 3rd fiddle role to perfection in February providing a real foil for Smith and Riley, and a tough match up for opposition teams. Playing in the tough Big 12, Cowgirl Cunningham has impressed coaching staff and should see a broader role next year and in the finals starting on March 12 in a match-up against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
4. Micaela Cocks - NZ (Sophomore Forward, Fresno State): Another Kiwi impressing in the Pac 10 is sharp-shooter Micaela Cocks, who has finally entered the Pac 10 top 25 career scoring records. She is the only Ducks player to have played in every game this year, after the team has suffered one of the worst injury records ever, with 6 players missing a combined 75 games this year. Cocks will bring all her experience to the younger Oregon team on March 12 when they face-off against lowly Washington in a game they would expect to win.
5. Megan Sinclair (Senior Forward, Metro State NCAA D2): Named to RMAC All-conference second team, Victorian Sinclair has led the under-talented Road Runners further than they and their supporters expected. Averaging 14.3 ppg and 6.1 rebounds a contest, Sinclair should be one of the picks of returning players next year. Expect to see her to be a star in the WNBL in 2009/10.
Honourable mentions:
Shannon Malone (Uni. Of Bridgeport, NCAA D2) – Big scoring Senior who earned all-conference honours;
Emma Langford (Wyoming) – Exciting freshman still getting it done.
Alison Lacey (Iowa State) – Tough PG with silky shooting touch;
Hayley Munro (Fresno State) – One of the best WAC Aussies going around.
Kylie Morrisey (Troy) – Leader of the Aussie-laden Trojans.
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