MBB Takes Home Top NECC Honors
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Three members of the Mitchell College men's basketball team were recognized by the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) on Monday as the Mariners took home the top two individual postseason awards.
Junior forward Joshua Ford was selected as the 2013 NECC Player of the Year and earned one of five spots on the NECC All-Conference First Team. Freshman forward Devonta Mosley was also named NECC Rookie of the Year while junior guard Anthony Epps was picked for the NECC All-Conference Second Team. All honors were determined by a vote of the conference's head coaches.
Ford, a repeat first team selection, becomes the first Mitchell men's basketball player to be tabbed player of the year and is also the first junior to win the award in the conference's history. Mosley becomes the third Mitchell player to earn rookie of the year status, an award the Mariners have now won the past three seasons (Ford in 2012, Tim Quinn in 2011).
Ford led the league in shooting at 63 percent and averaged 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in conference play. A complete player, he ranked among the top five in the conference in scoring (2nd), rebounding (3rd), assists (2nd), steals (3rd), blocks (3rd), field goals (1st), field goal percentage (1st), free throws (2nd), minutes (4th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (5th). He scored in double figures in 15 of 16 NECC contests and recorded nine double-doubles.
Ford started and played in all 26 games this season and averaged 22.3 points per contest. His 580 points ranked second in the school's Division III single season history while his 286 rebounds topped the single season record he set last season (269). On the national scene, he ranks sixth in the country in field goal percentage, ninth in double-doubles, 11th in rebounding and 14th in scoring.
Mosley made quite an impact in his debut season, averaging 8.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in conference play and scoring in double digits in half of the league contests. He played in all 26 games and made 14 starts and ranked third on the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game. Mosley scored in double figures 14 times and netted a season-high 20 points at Albertus Magnus College on November 27.
Epps shined in his first season with the Mariners, playing in all 26 games while making 21 starts. He ranked second on the team in both scoring (14.1 ppg) and rebounding (5.7 rpg) and served as Mitchell's top defender. In conference play he averaged 13.2 points and 5.9 boards per contest and ranked among the league leaders in scoring (10th), rebounding (15th), assists (9th), steals (8th), blocks (9th) and field goals (6th). Epps scored in double figures 21 times and dropped in a season-high 30 points against Western Connecticut State University on December 4.
Mitchell (14-12 overall, 9-7 NECC) enjoyed its best season since joining the DIII ranks in 2004-05. The Mariners qualified for the NECC Championship as the fourth seed and picked up their first-ever NECC postseason victory by a 77-75 final over Becker College in the first round. Mitchell advanced to the semifinals and nearly upset top-seeded Elms College before being eliminated in an 80-78 final.
2012-13 NECC Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Joshua Ford, Mitchell (Jr, F - Jersey City, N.J.)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Devonta Mosley, Mitchell (Fr, F - Gainesville, Fla.)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Nate Hager, Regis
TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Wheelock College
ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
Peterson Bernard, Newbury (Sr, C - Boston, Mass.)
Joshua Ford, Mitchell (Jr, F - Jersey City, N.J.)
Andre French, Elms (Sr, G - Torrington, Conn.)
Bashir Hudson, Wheelock (Sr, F - Jamaica Plain, Mass.)
Taeshon Johnson, Southern Vt. (Sr, G - Charlotte, N.C.)
ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
Daris Cosby, Daniel Webster (Jr, F - Albany, N.Y.)
Anthony Epps, Mitchell (Jr, F - Norwalk, Conn.)
Osanto Marc, Regis (So, G - Kissimmee, Fla.)
Yahmad Rountree, Becker (So, F - Waterbury, Conn.)
Eric Watson, Newbury (Jr, G - New Rochelle, N.Y)
Tim Young, Newbury (Sr, G - Brockton, Mass.)
HONORABLE MENTION
Carlos Bermudez-Glean, Regis (Fr, G - Boston, Mass.)
Ryan Chambers, Regis (Jr, G - Abington, Mass.)
John Hickson, Daniel Webster (Sr, G - Springfield, Mass.)
Tyler Roberson, Becker (Jr, G - Irvington, N.J.)