KUTZTOWN, PA (March 10, 2010) – The Kutztown University men's basketball team has reaped the rewards of another outstanding season. Three players were named to the all-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division first or second team. Senior guard Stephen Dennis was named PSAC East Player of the Year. (PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR DENNIS NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR PAGE)
Junior center Ryan Washington was also selected to the all-PSAC East first team and junior guard Julius Gray was named to the second team.
Together, the terrific trio helped Kutztown enjoy its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II tournament and another 20-win season. The Golden Bears (23-7 overall) had many brilliant moments this season which included winning their first 14 games, being nationally-ranked for 13 weeks and rising to as high as No. 2 in the NABC/Division Top 25 poll.
Kutztown, which was seeded sixth in the Atlantic Region, will meet third-seeded Saint Augustine's College (26-4) Saturday afternoon at West Liberty University (W. Va.) in Wheeling beginning at 5 p.m. If the Golden Bears win, they will advance to face the winner of West Liberty State/Alderson-Broaddus Sunday night at 7 p.m.
A four-time all PSAC honoree and three-time first team selection, Dennis is the second straight Kutztown men's basketball player to be named PSAC East Player of the Year. Last season, Dave Ben won the award. Overall, Dennis is the fourth Golden Bear – all under 10-year head coach Bernie Driscoll – to be named PSAC East player of the year. He joins Ben, Bruce Hall (2006) and Bilal Salaam (2005) as winners of the conference's top individual honor.
“It feels good to be named PSAC East player of the year,” Dennis said. “To win this award a year after Dave Ben won the same award; means a lot to me. I am really excited and overwhelmed with being named player of the year because there are a lot of great players in this conference. I want to thank my teammates because without them, I wouldn't have received this recognition.”
Dennis had a spectacular season in leading the nation in scoring (26.6 points per game). Dennis was also third in the conference in assists (4.6) and fourth in steals (2.2). He scored 30 or more points 10 times and handed out five or more assists 14 times this season. In addition, Dennis had five double-doubles. During the season, Dennis became the all-time leading scorer in Kutztown history. He currently has 2,386 career points, which is third all-time in PSAC history.
In addition to the career scoring mark, Dennis also became the Golden Bears' all-time leader in assists (444), field goals (844) and free-throws (613). With 797 points this year, Dennis broke the single-season scoring mark of 710 that he set last year. He scored a career-high 42 points during an 87-84 victory over undefeated and then-ranked No. 24 East Stroudsburg on Jan. 13.
He was named PSAC East player of the week five times and was featured in the Feb. 8 issue of Sports Illustrated. Dennis was also selected to participate in the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Dennis has scored in double figures in 45 consecutive games and 106 times in his sterling career.
Meanwhile, Washington enjoyed a nice season. He posted 18 double-doubles this season. Washington is third in the PSAC in scoring (17.9), rebounding (10.0), field goal percentage (60.2) and second in blocked shots (2.2). Nationally, Washington is 16th in both rebounding and blocked shots. Washington has scored 1,172 career points, which is 14th on the all-time KU scoring chart. Washington won consecutive PSAC East player of the week awards at the end of December and beginning of January.
Washington scored a career-high 31 points in consecutive games against Gannon and Clarion. He has scored at least 20 points nine times this season and in double digits 27 times. He grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds against East Stroudsburg. Washington has grabbed double digit rebounds 20 times this season and in four of the Golden Bears' last five games.
Gray was magnificent during Kutztown's run through the PSAC playoffs. Gray, the Golden Bears' third leading scorer at 13.8 points per game, scored 22 or more points in playoff contests against Mansfield, Clarion and Indiana (Pa) last week. He has scored at least 20 points in four of KU's last six games. Gray made a career-high six 3-pointers in the setback to IUP in the PSAC title game.
With 69 made 3-pointers, Gray needs four more to establish a single season record in that category. Gray scored in double figures 22 times this season. He also made three or more 3-pointers in a single game 14 times this season. Gray is ranked seventh in 3-pointers made per game (2.3). He also dished a career-high eight assists to go along with 22 points in a 98-72 victory over Clarion.
Dennis' player of the year award gives Kutztown at least one winner of a major award in each of the last six seasons, either a Player, Freshman or Coach of the Year in each year since 2004-05.
Three different teams led the way with three all-conference selections apiece: Kutztown, Cheyney and IUP.
Both division's all-conference teams featured several first-time honorees and only a few repeat selections. Dennis out of the East is the only four-time all-conference honoree on either team and will end his career as a three-time first team honoree. West Chester's Ralph Hegamin is the only other repeat first team member from last year.
Moving up to the first team this year from the second team last year is Mansfield's Yuseff Carr and Washington. Cheyney's Sharif Bray, the second-leading scorer in the PSAC behind Dennis, and East Stroudsburg's Andt Heimbach was also named to the first team.
The East second team was headlined by Cheyney's Tyrone Smith, who ends his career as a three-time All-PSAC East pick. He was a first team selection last year and a second team pick two years ago. The other five members of the second team were also first-time all-conference honorees - Ruben Britt of Bloomsburg, Ryan Callahan of Mansfield, Julius Gray (Lincoln University, PA/Oxford Area High School) of Kutztown, Robby Pines of East Stroudsburg and Kevin Presbery of Cheyney. All members of the second team except for Gray are seniors.
There was just one senior on the West first team, that being the Player of the Year in Young, but of the 12 total all-conference selections out of the West that make up the first and second team, only one is a repeat honoree, with the other 11 all earning their first all-conference recognition of their careers. Young was joined on the first team by teammate Darryl Webb, the only repeat selection in the West.
Also making the first team were juniors Maron Brown of Slippery Rock, George Johnson of Gannon and Byron Knight of Edinboro, and sophomore Eric Brennan of Lock Haven. Brown leads the PSAC in rebounding and is one of only two players in the PSAC to average a double-double for the season, with Kutztown's Washington being the other.
The second team featured senior Akida McLain from IUP, as well as juniors Jabril Bailey of Slippery Rock, Jamar Harrison and Lloyd Harrison of Clarion (no relation) and Heiden Ratner of Mercyhurst, and sophomore Kelsey Williams of California.
Jeff Wilson of East Stroudsburg and Joe Lombardi of IUP were named the East and West Coaches of the Year, respectively. Terrence King of ESU was named the East rookie of the year and Tanner Furno was named West rookie of the year.
--KU--
