University of Vermont forward Taylor Coppenrath became the second player in the 26-year history of America East to win the Roberson Award, given to the conference's Player of the Year, three times. Coppenrath joins the late Reggie Lewis, the former Northeastern University star, as the only three-time winners. Northeastern freshman Shawn James was named both the America East Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Northeastern's Ron Everhart was selected the Coach of the Year. All voting was conducted by the conference's head coaches. The awards were announced at the annual America East banquet at the Binghamton University Union.
Awards
Coppenrath, who leads America East and ranks third in the nation in scoring with 24.7 ppg, was a unanimous selection. The 6-9 forward also leads America East with 8.9 rpg and is one of six players in the nation to lead his conference in both offensive categories. Coppenrath, like Lewis, was chosen the America East Rookie of the Year in his initial year in the conference. He enters the Choice Hotels International America East Championship with 2,306 points, just two points shy of third place on the conference career scoring list. Coppenrath has helped lead Vermont to four-consecutive 20-win seasons, an 85-35 mark overall and two-straight NCAA Championship appearances.
James is second among the conference's rookies in scoring (10.0 ppg) and second in the conference in rebounding (7.8 rpg). His play at the defensive end has separated him from the rest as he leads the nation with 5.57 blocks per game (117 in 21 games). His block total is third in America East history and just 22 off the record of 139 set by the late Kevin Roberson of Vermont, who had 139 blocks in 28 games in 1991-92. Only one active player in America East (senior Nick Billings of Binghamton) has more career blocks than the 6-9 forward has accumulated this season alone.
Everhart has led the revival of the Northeastern program. Now in his fourth season, he has seen the program total increase each season from seven in 2001-02, his initial year, to a 19-8 mark entering the Choice Hotels International America East Championship. Everhart has guided the Huskies to the No. 2 seed in the championship, the program's best seed since 1993.
Coppenrath, who becomes only the eighth player in conference history to earn all-conference honors in each of his four seasons, is joined on the all-conference first team by teammate T.J. Sorrentine, senior forward Rashad Bell and senior guard Chaz Carr of Boston University and junior guard Jose Juan Barea of Northeastern, a unanimous choice for the second-straight season.
Sorrentine, a former America East Rookie of the Year (2001) and Player of the Year (2002), is a three-time first-team choice. The senior point guard is second on the Catamounts in scoring (18.5 ppg), leads the team in assists (4.6 apg) and has a conference-record 327 three-point field goals in his career. Bell and Carr have combined to lead Boston University to four-straight 20-win seasons, a program first. Bell (15.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg in 2004-05) has scored 1,335 career points, while Carr (13.5 ppg) will leave as the school's career scoring leader among guards, entering the Choice Hotels International America East Championship with 1,389 points. Barea ranks second in America East and xxth in the nation in scoring with 21.9 ppg and leads the conference with 7.2 assists per game, nearly two and a half assists more than his next closest challenger.
The second team consists of guards Jamar Wilson and Lucious Jordan of University at Albany, junior guard Andre Heard of Binghamton, junior guard Kevin Reed of University of Maine and forward Ben Sturgill of University of New Hampshire. Wilson, a second-team choice as a rookie in 2002-03, has bounced back from a season-ending knee injury last year to score 17.0 ppg with 4.2 apg. Jordan, a junior transfer from Loyola (Md.) has averaged 14.8 ppg in teaming with Wilson to lead the Great Danes to the No. 4 seed in the Choice Hotels International America East Championship. Heard, a transfer from Redlands Community College, leads the Bearcats in scoring with 13.9 ppg. Reed (12.4 ppg), a repeat selection on the second team from last season, is Maine's career three-point leader with 226 treys and leads the conference with 59 steals (2.2 per game). Sturgill leads the Wildcats in both scoring (13.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg) and leads America East in field goal percentage (.560).
James is joined on the third team by senior teammate Marcus Barnes, sophomore forward Etienne Brower of Boston University, junior guard Aaron Cook of Hartford and senior forward Joe Campbell of Maine. Barnes is second on the Huskies in scoring with 15.7 ppg. Brower is third on the Terriers in both scoring (8.9 ppg) and rebounding (5.5 rpg). Cook, who owns the school record with 192 three-pointers, leads the Hawks in scoring for the second-straight year with 14.9 ppg. Campbell (9.0 ppg) leads the Black Bears with 7.1 rpg.
James was joined on the all-rookie squad by Brent Wilson of Albany, Mike Christensen of New Hampshire, Antwan Hardy of Stony Brook University and Josh Duell of Vermont. Wilson has averaged 6.6 ppg. Christensen is third on the Wildcats with 8.9 ppg. Hardy leads all first-year scorers with 11.0 ppg. Duell is third on the regular-season champions with 5.9 ppg.
Each of the all-conference and all-rookie choices will be in action this weekend at the Choice Hotels America East Men's Basketball Championship. The championship begins with first-round games Friday, March 5. Quarterfinal games will be played Saturday, March 6 with the semifinals slated for Sunday, March 6. Each of the first three rounds will be held at the 5,511-seat Events Center on the Binghamton campus. The championship game returns to the home court of the higher remaining seed on Saturday, March 12. The game, which will air live on ESPN, begins at 11:35 a.m. For more information log onto AmericaEast.com.