MMBCWA Season Awards Announced

STANDISH, ME - The Maine Men's Basketball Coaches and Writers Association (MMBCWA) has announced its 2008-2009 men's basketball awards. The head coaches from the thirteen college programs in the State of Maine voted for the Player, Rookie and Coach of the Year awards as well as the All-State and Rookie Teams.

Colby College junior forward Adam Choice (Newport, RI) was selected as the Player of the Year, University of New England freshman guard Quentin Thompson (Austin, TX) is the Rookie of the Year and Saint Joseph's College Head Coach Rob Sanicola is the Coach of the Year.

Sanicola, who was also selected as the MMBCWA Coach of the Year following the 2006-07 campaign, led the Monks to their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship and earned the program's first NCAA tournament berth since 2003. Sanicola, a 1999 Saint Joseph's graduate, was voted GNAC Coach of the Year after leading the Monks to a 12-6 league record and 21-8 overall record. The sixth-year head coach notched his 100th career win during the season.

Saint Joseph's junior forward Ray Eatmon (Huntington, NY/Walt Whitman) has received his first All-State honors after being voted to the First Team, senior forward Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, NY/Albany Academy) has been named to the Second Team and freshman guard Zach O'Brien (Schenectady, NY/Bishop Gibbons) was voted to the All-Rookie Team.

Eatmon, a GNAC All-Conference First Team selection, led the Monks with 12.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game and his 58.8% (147-250) success rate from the field also ranked as a team-high. His FG% and RPG average both ranked second in the GNAC. Eatmon is the fourth player in team history to gather 250 rebounds in a campaign and was listed on the GNAC Weekly Honor Roll four times during the season. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team.

Murphy, a GNAC All-Conference Second Team honoree for the second straight year, averaged 11.1 PPG, 4.3 APG and 4.0 RPG this season for the Monks. He capped his senior season ranking in the top three in 11 statistical categories and is the third player in team history to reach 1,400 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists in their career. Murphy captured GNAC Weekly Honor accolades twice and was named to the All-Tournament Team. The senior leaves Saint Joseph's having been voted to the All-State team following each of his four seasons.

O'Brien averaged 8.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for the GNAC Champions in 2008-09. The guard shot 47.5 (84-177) from the field and 80% (36-45) from the charity stripe as a first-year player and paced the squad in scoring in three games. He also notched his first collegiate double-double with 19 points and 13 boards in an 87-86 win over Albertus Magnus on February 10th. O'Brien was named the GNAC Rookie of the Week on December 1st and was listed on both the conference and MMBCWA honor rolls on two occasions.

Choice has been named the Player of the Year for the second straight year after leading the Mules in scoring (15.7 PPG), rebounding (7.8 RPG) and blocked shots (.80 BPG). He led Colby in scoring, blocked shots, free throw percentage, and minutes played (32.9). Choice also was second in rebounding, field goal percentage, defensive rebounds, and was tied for second in steals. Was NESCAC Player of the Week and Maine State Player of the Week twice this year. Choice was the only Maine college player on the D3hoops.com All-Northeast Region Team after making the third team. Choice finished his junior season with 1,077 points and 486 rebounds in his career.

Thompson, a first-year guard from Austin, Texas, was voted state of Maine Rookie of the Year after averaging 11.8 points and 5.6 rebounds for the 24-5 Nor'easters. He shot 35.8 percent (39 of 109) from beyond the three-point and was second on the team in steals with 55. Thompson scored a game-high 20 points as UNE defeated Colby-Sawyer College, 90-79, in the TCCC championship game. Thompson was also voted The Commonwealth Coast Conference Rookie of the Year.


Player of the Year: Adam Choice, Colby College
Rookie of the Year: Quentin Thompson, University of New England
Coach of the Year: Rob Sanicola, Saint Joseph's College