Ford Selected to NABC All-District Second Team
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced today the 2014 NABC Coaches' Division III All-District teams, recognizing the best men's collegiate basketball student-athletes and coaches in the division, as selected by member coaches of the NABC in NCAA Division III.
Mitchell College senior forward Joshua Ford was one of 11 players in the Northeast recognized by the NABC, landing on the all-district second team. It marked the first time in Mitchell's history that a men's basketball player has received regional accolades from the NABC.
Ford, the New England Collegiate Conference Player of the Year, led the NECC in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles and also ranked among the top 10 in field goal percentage (3rd), assists (7th), blocks (T-7th) and free throw percentage (9th). He averaged 21.9 points and 12.5 rebounds in league play and posted a double-double in 14 of 16 NECC contests.
Ford finished the season with 25 double-doubles in 27 games to lead all of Division III in the category. He also ranked sixth in the country in rebounding (12.5 rpg) and 10th in scoring (22.5 ppg). Ford averaged 23.0 points and 11.5 rebounds during the NECC Championship and was named most valuable player of the tournament.
Ford led Mitchell to its best Division III season in the history of the college. The Mariners went 19-8 overall and 12-4 in league play en route to their first-ever conference title. Mitchell also earned the NECC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and made their postseason debut at ninth-ranked Williams College on March 7, falling 81-66 to a squad that has advanced to DIII Final Four.
2014 NABC COACHES' ALL-DISTRICT TEAMS AND COACHES – NCAA DIVISION III
SOUTH
First Team
Jonathan Blount, Centenary
Jaumonee Byrd, Maryville (TN)
AJ Myres, Schreiner
Kyle Schleigh, UT-Dallas
Larry Thomas, Birmingham Southern
DJ Woodmore, Virginia Wesleyan*
Second Team
Jake Davis, Emory
Derrick Jefferson, Hardin-Simmons
Robert Kitzinger, Trinity (TX)
Andre Simon, Randolph Macon
Donovan Whiteside, Centre
Coach of the Year: Terry Butterfield, UT-Dallas
NORTHEAST
First Team
Joey Flannery, Babson
Mike Garrow, Eastern Connecticut
Michael Mayer, Williams
Ryan Sheehan, Nichols
Aaron Toomey, Amherst*
Darius Watson, Albertus Magnus
Second Team
Joshua Ford, Mitchell
Dane Jobst, Worcester State
Joey Kizel, Middlebury
Gabriel Moton, Brandeis
John Swords, Bowdoin
Coach of the Year: David Hixon, Amherst
GREAT LAKES
First Team
Xavier Brown, Wooster
Shawn Greenfield, Mount Aloysius
Malcolm Heard II, Wilmington
Tyler Kruis, Calvin
Dillon Stith, St. Vincent
Doug Thorpe, Wooster*
Second Team
Tommy Fernitz, DePauw
TJ Gillespie, Mount Union
Scott Masin, Wittenberg
Isaac Turner, St. Vincent
Nate VanArendonk, Hope
Coach of the Year: Dave Niland, Penn State-Behrend
WEST
First Team
Tyler Gaffaney, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Matt Greenfield, Central College
Trevor Hass, UW Stevens Point
Dan Kornbaum, Augsburg
Dustin McConnell, Whitworth
Tyler Tillema, UW Stevens Point*
Second Team
Chas Cross, UW Platteville
KJ Evans, UW Whitewater
Connor Gunderson, St. Olaf
Kyle McAndrews, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges
Bryce Williams, Crown
Coach of the Year: Bob Semling, UW Stevens Point
ATLANTIC
First Team
Josh Blamon, Richard Stockton
Javae King-Gilchrist, William Paterson*
Ordel Goldson, Montclair State
Andre Nixon, SUNY-Purchase
John Snow, Rutgers-Newark
Michael Woods, York (NY)
Second Team
Bobby Brackett, The College of New Jersey
Javon Cox, College of Staten Island
Donte Howell, Mount Saint Mary
Bloochy Magloire, College of Staten Island
Joel Neri, SUNY-Purchase
Coach of the Year: Gerry Matthews, Richard Stockton
MIDDLE ATLANTIC
First Team
Mike Coleman, DeSales
Ross Danzig, Scranton
Adam Honig, Dickinson
David Langan, Wesley
Brian Parker, Alvernia
Aaron Walton-Moss, Cabrini*
Second Team
Kevin Agnew, Lebanon Valley
Brad Bolen, Messiah
Nick LaGuerre, St. Mary's (MD)
Fran Rafferty, Cabrini
Gerry Wixted, Dickinson
Coach of the Year: Jerry Kobasa, Wesley
EAST
First Team
Richie Bonney, Hobart
Brad Ford, Nazareth
John Ivy, SUNY Brockport*
Gordon Lyons, SUNY Geneseo
Jordan Prior, SUNY Morrisville
Jared Suderley, Hartwick
Second Team
John Coleman, Clarkson
Joe Gibbons, Hobart
Evan Kupferberg, New York University
Kevin McMahon, SUNY Cortland
Justin Mitchell, Buffalo State
Coach of the Year: Greg Dunne, SUNY Brockport
MIDWEST
First Team
Brandon Gries, St. Norbert
Chris Klimek, Washington U.-St. Louis
Tyler Peters, Wheaton*
Julian Strickland, Rose-Hulman
Austin Stueck, Milwaukee School of Engineering
Andrew Ziemnik, Illinois Wesleyan
Second Team
Alan Aboona, Washington U.-St. Louis
Kam Cerroni, St. Norbert
Victor Davis, Illinois Wesleyan
Landon Gamble, North Central
Brady Slagle, MacMurray
Coach of the Year: Gary Grzesk, St. Norbert
*District Player of the Year