NORFOLK, Va., March 6, 2015 - Delaware State’s senior center Kendall Gray was named the 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player and Defensive Player of the Year, announced by the conference on Friday.  Ryan Andino of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore was selected as Rookie of the Year.  Maryland Eastern Shore’s Bobby Collins was named the MEAC Coach of the Year.

All awards are voted on by the conference’s head men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.

Gray averaged 12.4 points and 12.4 rebounds, while starting all 30 games.  He leads the nation in total rebounds, defensive rebounds and rebounds per game, hauling in a total of 371 boards this season, including 106 on the offensive end.  He also ranks seventh in the NCAA in double-doubles with 17.  Gray concluded the season with 83 blocks, 33 assists and 13 steals.  In his final game of the season he recorded 33 points and 30 rebounds in a 104-92 victory over Coppin State.  This is the second time in conference history that a student-athlete earned both Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors during the same season.  In 2011-12, Norfolk State’s Kyle O’Quinn became the first MEAC student-athlete to earn both honors in the same season.

Andino totaled 229 total points (7.4 avg.), 32 rebounds, 21 assists and 16 steals in 31 games.  He ranked second in the MEAC in 3-point field goal average, hitting 43-percent of his shots (62-of-146).  He earned Rookie of the Week honors in December and closed the 2014-15 regular season with a career-high 18 points against Delaware State. 

Bobby Collins was named Coach of the Year after guiding the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks to an 11-5 MEAC mark and 18-13 overall finish.  In his first year at the helm, Collins led the Hawks to a third-place finish in conference standings, greatly improving upon the team success that notched just four MEAC victories in the 2013-14 season and finishing last in the MEAC standings. 

Gray is joined on the 2015 All-MEAC First Team by teammate Amere May, Norfolk State’s Jeff Short, North Carolina Central’s Nimrod Hilliard, and Howard’s James Carlton.

North Carolina Central recorded its second straight MEAC regular-season title this season with an unblemished 16-0 conference mark and 24-6 overall finish.  The Eagles were the only team in the conference to post a 20-win season and finished with an eight-game win streak, including winning the last 9-of-10 contests.  The Eagles finished the season with a 12-0 record at home. 

N.C. Central earned the first-round bye and will open up play on Wednesday, March 11 beginning at 6 p.m. They will face the winner of the No. 8 Bethune-Cookman/No. 9 Coppin State matchup set for Tuesday, March 10 at 6 p.m.

Norfolk State finished as runners-up with a 12-4 MEAC record and 19-12 overall finish. 

The 2015 regular season champion, regular season runners-up, first-team members and top honorees including Player/Defensive, Rookie and Coach of the Year selections will be recognized in pre-game presentations prior to their first games of the 2015 MEAC Basketball Tournament.  Tournament play tips off March 9-14 at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. 

-2015 MEAC All-MEAC Teams Attached -

 

2014-15 Men’s Basketball All-MEAC Teams

As voted on by the Conference’s Head Men’s Basketball Coaches and Sports Information Directors

 

Player of the Year: Kendall Gray, Delaware State

Rookie of the Year: Ryan Andino, Maryland Eastern Shore

Defensive Player of the Year: Kendall Gray, Delaware State

Coach of the Year: Bobby Collins, Maryland Eastern Shore

 

First Team

Name	Pos.	Cl.	School	Hometown
Jeff Short	G	r-Jr.	Norfolk State	Bronx, N.Y.
Nimrod Hilliard	G	Sr.	North Carolina Central	Madison, Wis.
Amere May	G/F	Sr.	Delaware State	Covert, Mich.
James Carlton	F	Sr.	Howard	Winterville, N.C.
Kendall Gray	C	Sr.	Delaware State	Dover, Del.

 

Second Team

Name	Pos.	Cl.	School	Hometown
James Daniel	G	So.	Howard	Hampton, Va.
Anthony McDonald	G	Sr.	North Carolina Central	Aberdeen, Miss.
Sterling Smith	G/F	Jr.	Coppin State	Chico, Calif.
Jordan Parks	F	Sr.	North Carolina Central	Queens, N.Y.
Karamo Jawara	C	Sr.	North Carolina Central	Bergen,Norway/Olsvikaasen

Third Team

Name	Pos.	Cl.	School	Hometown
Taariq Cephas	G	Sr.	Coppin State	Bear, Del.
Deron Powers	G	Jr.	Hampton	Williamsburg, Va.
Dante Holmes	G/F	r-Jr.	North Carolina Central	Baltimore, Md.
Mike Myers	F	Sr.	Maryland Eastern Shore	Camden, N.J.
Dominique Elliott	C	Jr.	Maryland Eastern Shore	Savannah, Ga.

 

 

Rookie Team

Name	Pos.	Cl.	School	Hometown
Ryan Andino	G	Fr.	Maryland Eastern Shore	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Jorge Rosa	G	Fr.	Florida A&M	Orlando, Fla.
Edward Stephens	G	Fr.	South Carolina State	Columbia, S.C.
Khalen Pinkett	G	Fr.	Savannah State	Norcross, Ga.
Jordan Butler	F	Fr.	Norfolk State	Hartford, Conn.