Central Islip, N.Y. - St. Thomas Aquinas sophomore forward Justin Reyes (Haverhill, Mass.) has earned the 2015-16 East Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year award in a vote by the league's coaches. Queens junior guard Tyree White (Brooklyn, N.Y.) has been selected as the ECC Defensive Player of the Year, while St. Thomas Aquinas freshman guard Jonathan Lawton (Williamstown, N.J.) takes home the ECC Rookie of the Year honor.
Reyes has been a double-double machine for Regular Season Champions, St. Thomas Aquinas. He has compiled 17 double-doubles on the year, ranking fourth in all of Division II, on the way to averaging 17.3 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game. Reyes also ranks in the top 15 nationally and leads the league with a 62.5 field goal percentage. In addition, Reyes ranks among the conference leaders in defensive stats. Heading in to the ECC Championship, he is sixth in the conference with 49 steals and 37 blocks.
In his first season in a Queens uniform, White was a defensive menace in the Knights backcourt. The 6-4 guard leads the ECC and all of Division II with 83 steals and 3.3 steals per game. White was also an outstanding rebounder from the guard position, pulling down 8.5 boards per game, ranking fourth in the ECC. White added 21 blocks on the season, as well.
Lawton helped quarterback the first place St. Thomas Aquinas Spartans to an 18-2 record in ECC play from the point guard position. In 27 games, Lawton averaged 8.9 points per game with outstanding shooting percentages. His 52.4 field goal percentage ranked seventh in the conference, while his 49.4 percentage from three point range is second in the ECC. His three point percentage is also on pace to be among the top 10 in ECC history. Lawton, a three-time ECC Rookie of the Week, also contributed 2.1 assist per game and 1.9 rebounds per game.
Tobin Anderson from St Thomas Aquinas has been picked as the Coach of the Year by his peers for the second straight season. Anderson led the Spartans to their first-ever outright ECC Regular Season Championship and the top seed in the upcoming ECC Men's Basketball Championship. The Spartans have also posted a 24-4 overall record, their second straight 20 win season, and come in to the ECC Championship on an 18 game winning streak under Anderson's guidcance.
The ECC also announced its Men's Basketball All-Conference teams. Reyes is joined on the All-Conference First Team by Torrence Dyck, (Sr., G, Daemen), Devon Elliott (Sr., G, Bridgeport), Jared Hall (Jr., G, LIU Post), Chris Millender (Jr., F, Dowling), and Chaz Watler (Jr., G, St. Thomas Aquinas).
The ECC All-Conference Second Team members are White, Muhammed Ahmed (Sr., F, Bridgeport), Greg Dotson (Jr., F, LIU Post), Tyseem Lyles (Sr., G, Mercy), Arif Mehmetaj (Jr., F, Daemen).
The ECC Third Team is comprised of Khalif Chaplin (Sr., G, NYIT), Tyrel Dixon (Sr., G/F, Roberts Wesleyan), Evan Maxwell (Sr., C, Dowling), Jaylen Morris (Jr., G, Molloy), and Erin Senegal (Sr., G, Dist. Columbia).
2015-2016 ECC Men’s Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Torrence Dyck, Daemen (Sr., G/F, Rochester, N.Y.)
Devon Elliott, Bridgeport (Sr., G, Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Jared Hall, LIU Post (Jr, G, South Orange, N.J.)
Chris Millender, Dowling (Jr., F, Coram, N.Y.)
Justin Reyes, St. Thomas Aquinas (So., F, Haverhill, Mass.)
Chaz Watler, St. Thomas Aquinas (Jr., G, Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Second Team
Muhammed Ahmed, Bridgeport (Sr., F, Bronx, N.Y.)
Greg Dotson, LIU Post (Jr., F, Abington, Pa.)
Tyseem Lyles, Mercy (Sr., G, Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Arif Mehmetaj, Daemen (Jr., F, Jamaica, N.Y.)
Tyree White, Queens (Jr., G, Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Third Team
Khalif Chaplin, NYIT (Sr., G, Hempstead, N.Y.)
Tyrel Dixon, Roberts Wesleyan (Sr., G/F, Tobyhanna, Pa.)
Evan Maxwell, Dowling (Sr., C, East Islip, N.Y.)
Jaylen Morris, Molloy (Jr., G, Amherst, N.Y.)
Erin Senegal, Dist. Columbia (Sr., G, Lafayette, La.)
Player of the Year: Justin Reyes, St. Thomas Aquinas
Defensive Player of the Year: Tyree White, Queens
Rookie of the Year: Jonathan Lawton, St. Thomas Aquinas
Coach of the Year: Tobin Anderson, St. Thomas Aquinas
