2008-09 GNAC All-Conference Teams Announced
Feb. 27, 2009
Lasell senior forward Jose Guitian was selected as the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Player of the Year in a vote by the conference coaches. Guitian, a first-team all-conference selection last year, leads the league in scoring (24.1), rebounds (13.5), and blocked shots (2.3), and also ranks in the GNAC for field goal percentage (.511), assists (2.8), and 3 point field goals made (1.7). Guitian is also making a mark nationally where he is ranked second for rebounding, seventh in scoring, and 18th in blocked shots per game. He has surpassed the 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds this season. He was recently named one of ten finalists for the prestigious Jostens Trophy and this season has earned GNAC Player of the Week eight times, ECAC Player of the week four times, and D3hoops.com Team of the Week three times.
Joining Guitian on the first-team all-conference team is Emerson junior guard Jeremy Shannon, another repeat selection, was named the 2009 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Shannon is second in the league for scoring (20.4), assists (6.1), and steals (2.1), fourth in assists/turnover ratio (1.5), and fifth in rebounding (8.8). Shannon's teammate junior Bryan Rouse also received first-team all-conference honors. Rouse was third in conference scoring (19.6), fifth in free throw percentage (.756), and sixth in field goal percentage (.527), and averaged 6.3 rebounds per game.
Emmanuel's all-time leading scorer Rob Williams-Hinton earned first-team accolades for the second consecutive season. The senior guard leads the conference in steals (2.2), ranked sixth in 3-point field goals made (2.), eighth in free throw percentage (.745), tenth in 3-point field goal percentage (.386), and averages 17.2 points per game. Saint Joseph's junior Ray Eatmon was also named to the first-team all-conference. Eatmon ranks second in the conference for rebounds (9.5) and field goal percentage (.594), tenth in blocked shots (1.0), and leads St. Joe's in scoring with 13 points per game.
Albertus Magnus freshmen forward Ray Askew earned GNAC Rookie of the Year honors. The first year forward ranks seventh in the conference for rebounds (8.4) and blocked shots (1.3), and averages 13.1 points per game, doing all of this while just averaging 20.1 minutes per game.
Saint Joseph's (Maine) sixth-year head coach Robert Sanicola was named the 2009 GNAC Men's Basketball Coach of the Year.
Player of the Year: Jose Guitian, Lasell College
Defensive Player of the Year: Jeremy Shannon, Emerson
Rookie of the Year: Ray Askew, Albertus Magnus
Coach of the Year: Robert Sanicola, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
First Team:
Rob Williams-Hinton Emmanuel Sr.
Bryan Rouse Emerson Jr.
Jose Guitian Lasell Sr.
Ray Eatmon St. Joseph's (Maine) Jr.
Jeremy Shannon Emerson Jr.
Second Team:
Ray Askew Albertus Magnus Fr.
Elbie Murphy St. Joseph's (Maine) Sr.
Brad Caravoulias Lasell Sr.
Mack Spellman Emmanuel Sr.
Lance Bisson Rivier Sr.
Third Team:
Francisco Cordova Albertus Magnus Sr.
Brian Small Suffolk Sr.
Matt Bennett Mount Ida Sr.
Lamonte Thomas Johnson & Wales Fr.
Robert Thurman Norwich Fr.
Sportsmanship Team:
Donald Poitras JR Rivier So.
Andrew Crawford Emmanuel Sr.
Kevin Blake Suffolk Sr.
Darren Martinez Mount Ida Jr.
Junior Sainval Lasell Sr.
Mike Filipek Norwich Sr.
Chris Davis St. Joseph's (Me.) So.
Darren Faust Johnson & Wales Jr.
John Donahue Albertus Magnus Sr.
Anthony Remias Emerson Sr.