RI’s College Hoops Players, Coaches Honored
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The annual Cox Sports Rhode Island College Basketball Media Awards Luncheon was held at the Radisson Airport Hotel in Warwick Monday where many of the state’s best players and coaches were honored. Here is a list of the award winners for the 2011-2012 season:
Men's Div. I Coach of the Year
Joe Mullaney Award
NO AWARD THIS YEAR – As college basketball fans in these parts well know, it was a lean year for our men’s division one programs in Rhode Island this year. Providence was the best of the lot finishing at (15-17) overall and (4-14) in the Big East. Brown was next at (8-23) and (2-12) in the Ivy League. URI struggled to a (7-24) season including (4-12) in the Atlantic Ten while Bryant went just (2-28) and (1-17) in the Northeast Conference. Jesse Agel was released by Brown and Jim Baron was fired by URI. Of the two remaining D-1 men’s coaches, Cooley did the best job. But apparently the committee felt that no one was deserving of the award this year.
Men’s Div. I Player of the Year
Bill Reynolds Award
Men’s Player of the Year
Vincent Council (Providence College) – Council led the Friars in scoring (15.9) and assists (7.5) while also averaging 4.1 rebounds per game. There has been speculation over the past couple of weeks that Council might leave PC and forego his senior year to play professionally but he told me Monday that he will be returning to Providence next year.
Women’s Div. I Coach of the Year
Vin Cullen Award
Women’s Coach of the Year
Jean Burr (Brown University) – Burr’s Bears had a terrific season finishing (16-12) overall and (7-7) in the Ivy League. The won two in-season tournaments in a year which saw Burr capture her 300th career victory as a head coach (all of them at Brown).
Women’s Div. I Player of the Year
Mary Burke Award
Women’s Player of the Year
Sheila Dixon (Brown University) – Dixon led the Bears (13.1) in scoring finishing 6th overall in the Ivy League. The junior also led the team in rebounding (6.1) and steals (2.1) and was third in assists (2.1).
Men’s Div. III/CC Coach of the Year
Jim Baron Award
Men’s Coach of the Year
Rick Harris (Community College of Rhode Island) – Harris’ 6th season at CCRI was a magical one wrapping up last weekend in the Division Two Junior College National Championship game. His team finished with a school-record 31 wins and is primed for another solid season next year.
Men’s Div. III/CC Co-Players of the Year
Steve McDonald Award
Men’s Player of the Year
Desmond Williams (Community College of Rhode Island) – He was the best player on the best team in Rhode Island this year. Williams averaged 19 points per game during the regular season and upped his production to 28 points per game in the postseason. East Carolina is already recruiting him and he will undoubtedly receive many division one offers next season which will be his last at CCRI.
Lamonte Thomas (Johnson & Wales University) – Thomas led the entire country (divisions one, two and three) in scoring at more than 34 points per game. It was the second year in a row that he has done that.
Women’s Div. III/CC Player of the Year
Kevin McNamara Award
Women’s Player of the Year
Cynthia Gaudet (Rhode Island College) – A local product from Coventry, Gaudet had a fine season for the Anchorwomen in her only year at the school. She led the team in scoring at 15.9 points per game.
Women’s Div. III/CC Coach of the Year
Tom Carmody Award
Women’s Coach of the Year
Marcus Reilly (Rhode Island College) – Reilly’s Anchorwomen had a great season going (25-4) overall and (13-1) in the Little East. Like Bob Walsh has done with the men’s program at RIC, Reilly has built a winner on the women’s side of things.
Team of the Year
Dave Gavitt Award
Team of the Year
CCRI Knights – The Knights came one win away from winning a national championship this season and made the state of Rhode Island proud in doing so. With 8 of the 15 players on the roster hailing from Rhode Island, this was truly a great local story. With leading scorer Desmond Williams and key contributor Bryan Yarce (Cranston West) back next season, the Knights should have a great season next year as well.
NOTES:
-New URI men's basketball coach Dan Hurley told GoLocalProv.com Monday that he expects to make his final decisions on assembling a coaching staff sometime this week. His brother Bobby Hurley will be joining him at URI. The question many Ram fans have is, will Preston Murphy be invited to be a part of his staff. "I'm talking to Preston and getting to know him just as he is talking to me and getting to know me," said Hurley. "We both have to see if it's the right fit for each other." What may help Murphy is the fact that one of Hurley's former assistants - Bashir Mason was named the head coach at Wagner so that will open up a spot at Rhode Island on Hurley's staff.
