WORCESTER – WPI junior Jake Wisniewski (West Brookfield, MA) and sophomore Reid Walker (Lithia, FL) were named to the Worcester Area College Basketball Association (WACBA) All-Star second team, as revealed on Wednesday in Jen Toland's weekly college column. The annual awards were voted upon by sports information directors or primary contacts from each of the nine NCAA schools in Worcester County, including Division I Holy Cross and Division II Assumption, as well as members of the local media.
Wisniewski was the catalyst for a team that held opponents to NEWMAC-bests of 42.4 percent shooting from the field, including 31.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 65.6 points per game en route to finishing second in the WACBA standings and in a tie for third place in the conference standings. Personally, Wisniewski was tasked with guarding the top players which includes multiple All-American and All-New England candidates. The local product was second in offensive rebounds and was lights out from the charity stripe making 96 percent of his attempts on the season and 91.6 in NEWMAC contests.
Walker ranked 11th in scoring and ninth in rebounding on the WACBA leaderboard. For the year, he was third overall (45) and fifth (24) in conference games in steals, and seventh in blocks (17) over the span of 25 games. He was also in the top 10 in rebounds (151), defensive rebounds (111) and assists (69). He scored double digits in 11 conference games and 21 of 28 on the year, including a career-best 25 in the season opener versus Albertus Magnus. The two-time NEWMAC Defensive Athlete of the Week hauled in a career-high 12 rebounds at Fitchburg State, logged five steals at Framingham State, and three blocks at Clark.
Nichols' Marcos Echevarria claimed the hardware for the third consecutive year while it was also a threepeat for the Bison with first-year head coach Scott Faucher earning Coach of the Year accolades. Assumption's Cal Connelly, meanwhile, became the second Greyhound in as many years to secure Rookie of the Year honors. For the women, Holy Cross' Lauren Manis narrowly missed out on a perfect ballot while fellow Crusader Avery LaBarbera was named as the Rookie of the Year, and Worcester State's Karen Tessmer was selected as the Coach of the Year.
Full WACBA Release
WACBA Reveals 2018-19 All-Star Selections; Nichols' Echevarria and Holy Cross' Manis Repeat as Players of the Year
WORCESTER – Nichols senior Marcos Echevarria and Holy Cross junior Lauren Manis have repeated as the Worcester Area College Basketball Association (WACBA) Players of the Year, as revealed on Wednesday in Jen Toland's weekly college column. The announcement also features the annual All-Stars, Rookies of the Year and Coaches of the Year as voted upon by sports information directors or primary contacts from each of the nine NCAA schools in Worcester County, including Division I Holy Cross and Division II Assumption, as well as members of the local media.
Echevarria claimed the hardware for the third consecutive year while it was also a threepeat for the Bison with first-year head coach Scott Faucher earning Coach of the Year accolades. Assumption's Cal Connelly, meanwhile, became the second Greyhound in as many years to secure Rookie of the Year honors. For the women, Manis narrowly missed out on a perfect ballot while fellow Crusader Avery LaBarbera was named as the Rookie of the Year, and Worcester State's Karen Tessmer was selected as the Coach of the Year.
Nichols' DeAnte Bruton and Matt Morrow joined Echevarria on the first team, as did Anna Maria's Mike Rapoza, Becker's Kareem Davis and Holy Cross' Jehyve Floyd. The second team was comprised of Fitchburg State's Nicholas Tracy, Worcester State's Tyler Dion, Assumption's Matthew Kelley, Clark's Tyler Davern, and WPI's Jake Wisniewski and Reid Walker.
Manis and LaBarbera along with Worcester State's Brittany Herring, Assumption's Morgan O'Donnell, Fitchburg State's Angelina Marazzi and Becker's Adrianna Dowdy were named to the first team. Clark's Ogechi Ezemma, Anna Maria's Amber Wilson, Becker's Cassidy Harrison, Fitchburg State's Catherine Coppinger, as well as, Worcester State's Catherine Sweeney and Kaitlyn Berkel landed on the second team.
This year's Paul N. Johnson and Pat Oroszko Courage Award recipients will be announced at a later date.
WACBA (Worcester Area College Basketball Association) is an organization billed as "one of its kind in the country" featuring nine colleges, 18 programs plus sports information directors and media members to foster friendships and camaraderie along with promoting the GREAT GAME OF BASKETBALL throughout the TRADITION RICH Worcester County Area.