Max Jones, Bryan Williams Earn All-SSC Honors
MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference recognizes 15 men's basketball student-athletes as All-SSC in 2020-21. Nova Southeastern University, SSC regular-season champion, boasts eight All-SSC awards, including Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year.
The University of Tampa had a pair of student-athletes recognized, highlighted by freshman Max Jones as a first-team selection. Sophomore transfer Bryan Williams earned a spot on the all-newcomer team.
All-SSC History: SSC Players and Coaches of the Year| All-SSC Teams
Coaches select Sekou Sylla of Nova Southeastern as the conference Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. The 6-5 junior guard/forward started all 25 Sharks' games this season, where he averaged league-leading numbers in points per game (22.7) and rebounds (9.9). The Brooklyn, New York native, poured in 568 points during the regular season with a .594 field goal percentage, second-best in the SSC. Sylla is the first NSU men's basketball athlete to be named Player of the Year and the third to win Newcomer of the Year1. He is the third athlete in league history to win Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year accolades during their career and the first to win both in the same season2.
RJ Sunahara is named the Defensive Player of the Year, making him the first NSU Shark to win the honor. The 6-8 sophomore forward from Bay Village, Ohio, registered 3.6 defensive rebounds, 2.7 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game across his 23 contests. Sunahara's 62 blocks and 2.7 blocks per game are the most in the SSC this season.
Will Lee becomes the first Palm Beach Atlantic University Sailfish to win SSC Freshman of the Year honors. The 5-11 guard from Woodside, New York, led the Sailfish per game in minutes (33.2), points (13.5), and assists (4.0). Lee is fourth in SSC three-pointers per game, averaging 2.9 across his 26 games played.
NSU's Jim Crutchfield has been recognized as the SSC Coach of the Year by his peers for the second time. Following a 25-0 regular-season record and 20-0 conference record, Crutchfield and the Sharks captured the program's second SSC title3. The 2021-22 NSU team scored 97.2 points per game with a 20.3 turnover margin on the way to becoming the first undefeated team in conference play since the 1981-82 expansion4.
Highlighting the repeat All-SSC winners are ERAU's Romeo Crouch and Tampa's Max Jones, who earn a second First Team All-SSC honor in their careers. Barry University's Jake Kakar repeats as a Second Team honoree from last season, while Lynn University's Christian Peevy repeats as Second Team from 2019-20. EJ Dambreville of Florida Southern College is named to the Second Team after First Team accolades last year.
All-conference selections and individual award winners are determined by a vote of Sunshine State Conference head coaches with oversight and approval from member institution Athletic Directors.
Player of the Year: Sekou Sylla, Nova Southeastern
Defensive Player of the Year: RJ Sunahara, Nova Southeastern
Newcomer of the Year: Sekou Sylla, Nova Southeastern
Freshman of the Year: Will Lee, Palm Beach Atlantic
Coach of the Year: Jim Crutchfield, Nova Southeastern
|
2021-22 Men's Basketball All-SSC First Team |
||||
|
Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
|
F |
Sekou Sylla |
Nova Southeastern |
Jr. |
Brooklyn, New York |
|
G |
Romeo Crouch†‡× |
Embry-Riddle |
Sr. |
Titusville, Florida |
|
F |
Max Jones*Δ! |
Tampa |
Fr. |
Clearwater, Florida |
|
G/F |
RJ Sunahara‡$ |
Nova Southeastern |
So. |
Bay Village, Ohio |
|
G |
Hutton Yenor |
Rollins |
Jr. |
Orlando, Florida |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2021-22 Men's Basketball All-SSC Second Team |
||||
|
Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
|
G |
Nick Smith |
Nova Southeastern |
Sr. |
Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania |
|
G |
EJ Dambreville* |
Florida Southern |
Sr. |
Dorchester, Massachusetts |
|
G |
Elijah Jenkins |
Embry-Riddle |
Sr. |
Atlanta, Georgia |
|
G |
Jake Kakar^ |
Barry |
Sr. |
Boston, Massachusetts |
|
G |
Christian Peevy~‡ |
Lynn |
Gr. |
Chicago, Illinois |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2021-22 Men's Basketball All-SSC Newcomer Team |
||||
|
Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
|
F |
Sekou Sylla |
Nova Southeastern |
Jr. |
Brooklyn, New York |
|
F |
Michael Schaefer |
Barry |
Jr. |
St. Cloud, Minnesota |
|
G/F |
Gianfranco Grafals |
Eckerd |
So. |
Fleming Island, Florida |
|
G |
Tampa |
So. |
West Palm Beach, Florida |
|
|
G |
Landon Kirkwood |
Barry |
Jr. |
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota |
* = 2020-21 All-SSC First Team ^ = 2020-21 All-SSC Second Team Δ = 2020-21 All-SSC Newcomer Team
! = 2020-21 Freshman of the Year † = 2019-20 All-SSC First Team ~ = 2019-20 All-SSC Second Team
‡ = 2019-20 All-SSC Newcomer Team × = 2019-20 Newcomer of the Year $ = 2019-20 Freshman of the Year
1 Mark Matthews (2018-19) & David Dennis (2017-18)
2 Elvar Fridriksson of Barry was named Newcomer of the Year in 2015-16 and Player of the Year in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Barry's Yunio Barrueta was Newcomer of the Year in 2013-14, Player of the Year in 2015-16.
3 Crutchfield was previously named Coach of the Year in 2018-19, which is the first time NSU won the SSC regular-season title
4 The SSC increased from six to seven men's basketball programs in 1981-82. Prior to NSU, the last undefeated conference season was in 1979-80 (Florida Southern)