The WCU Men’s basketball team’s season finally came to an end on Saturday with a 67-37 loss to Millersville. Kenneth St. George led the way for the Rams with 14 points, and no one else had more than six points for the Rams. Kevin Gallagher had a great game on the glass, as he snatched 11 rebounds in just 24 minutes of play, but it was not enough to defeat a very strong Millersville team.
While it is disappointing for the Rams to miss the post-season for the second straight season, one must assess their body of work and how they got there to determine whether or not this was a successful year. The Rams notched some wins against some very good teams this season, including Slippery Rock, California (Pa.) and East Stroudsburg. The team finished 12-15 and 3-9 in the PSAC East.
The Rams will say goodbye to their lone senior Lenwood Greenwood; however, they will return everybody else. Also coming back will be point guard Kevin Stokes, who sat out this season with a hip injury and used a medical redshirt to gain an extra year of eligibility. Stokes’ leadership will be invaluable to a team that will still be very young, yet one that that will be experienced.
The Quad started handing out our own awards last season to the team for different categories, and this year is no different. These awards were selected by myself and Matt Lombardo, Quad sports editor.
Rookie of the Year
So. F Kehinde Roberts
Runner-Up Jr. C Ralph Hegamin
Roberts was a great running mate to pair with St. George this season. A very athletic six-foot-four forward from London, England, Roberts averaged 13.8 points per game in addition to 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. Roberts doesn’t really excel in one area. Rather, he fills up the stat sheet in nearly every category. Roberts is able to go off for 25-30 points on any given night, but he’s also a likely candidate for a double-double and a couple of blocked shots. He and St. George will be one of the most feared duos in the PSAC next year.
Hegamin was limited to only 18 games this season due to an injury he sustained. However, he still managed 10.7 points per game to go along with 7.9 rebounds per game. Hegamin was often the third or fourth scoring option this year behind St. George, Greenwood and Roberts, so his stats are very likely to increase next season with more shots.
Sixth Man of the Year
So. F Sam Scott
Runner-Up Fr. G Roger White
Scott was the energizer bunny for this team. A supremely athletically gifted player, the six-foot-five small forward, who also plays outside linebacker for the Golden Ram football team, Scott specialized in crashing the boards to rack up rebounds. His energy off the bench may have been his greatest asset; however, as he seemed to provide a spark for the team whenever he entered the game. For the season, Scott averaged 2.9 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game, but he came on strong at the end of the year especially when Greenwood and Hegamin went down.
White was one of two freshmen point guards employed by Dick Delaney. Aaron Smith usually got the starting nod, so White came off the bench a lot. He averaged 4.5 points per game and 1.5 rebounds per game, and figures to be a part of a very crowded backcourt next year.
Offensive Player of the Year
So. G Kenneth St. George
Runner-Up Sr. F Lenwood Greenwood
St. George never met a shot or an interview he didn’t like. The Philadelphia native was the team’s leading scorer at 16.2 points per game and was the team’s most consistent three-point shooter at 37.1 percent. He also shot nearly 80 percent from the free-throw line. He was the focal point of the offense and will be again next year. If he starts to hit the midrange jumper with more frequency, this is a possible 20-22 points per game type of player.
Greenwood averaged 12.4 points per game. He did his best work in the paint, grabbing rebounds and scoring off of putbacks and layups, but showed he could occasionally step back and hit a three as he shot 37 percent from downtown.
Defensive Player of the Year
So. F Kehinde Roberts
Runner-Up Sr. F Lennwood Greenwood
Greenwood had the edge in rebounding, but Roberts led the team in steals, was second in blocks to freshman forward Kevin Gallagher, and was more of a defensive stopper. Greenwood did a great job on the rebounds, however, as he racked up 173 rebounds in only 20 games.
Most Valuable Player
So. G Kenneth St. George
Runner-Up So. F Kehinde Roberts
Roberts filled up every column in the stat sheet on a nightly basis, but St. George is the heart and soul of this team. His fiery demeanor, good defensive awareness, leadership and offensive wizardry make him the pick here. Both will be back next year, and both will likely challenge for All-PSAC honors.
The Quad would also like to acknowledge the outstanding work of Head Coach Dick Delaney and his staff for their outstanding work this season. 12-15 (3-9) doesn’t sound like much, but with so many rookies and overall inexperience, 12 wins might as well be 22. Well done.
Matt Chandik is a third-year student majoring in Spanish with a minor in jornalism. He can be reached at MC618553@wcupa.edu