Robinson and Shelton Earn All Sunshine State Conference Second Team Honors
MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference recognizes fifteen men's basketball student-athlete as All-SSC in 2016-17. The University of Tampa men's basketball team had a pair of players named to the All Sunshine State Conference Second Team.
Junior Marcel Robinson earns a spot after being the leading point scorer for the Spartans, recording 14.2 points per game. Robinson has tallied nine games with at least 20 points. He is top 10 in school history in 3-point field goal percentage (3rd, 39%) and 3-point field goals made (10th, 142).
Junior Duke Shelton earns a spot after being the second leading point scorer for the Spatans with 14 points per game. He has recorded 13 double-doubles this season and is top 10 in school history in field goal percentage (7th, 59.5%), defense rebound average (7th, 4.8), Blocked shots (10th, 84), and blocked shots average (10th, 1.1).
Elvar Fridriksson of Barry University has been selected SSC Player of the Year. Fridriksson guided the Buccaneers to a 21-5, 13-5 SSC record and the tournament No. 1 seed by averaging 16.5 points and 7.8 assists per game. The Njardvik, Iceland native is the second consecutive Buccaneer to be named Player of the Year1, third overall2. Fridriksson is also the second SSC athlete to be named SSC Newcomer of the Year and Player of the Year3.
All-SSC History: SSC Players and Coaches of the Year | All-SSC Teams
Butch Estes of Barry is selected SSC Coach of the Year by his peers. Estes brings Barry their second consecutive championship following a 21-win season that included a 15-1 home record. The honor is the first for Estes and third for Barry4.
Florida Southern College's Jarel Spellman earns the Defensive Player of the Year award. Spellman totaled the third most blocks in NCAA Division II (104) to become FSC's first SSC Defensive Player of the Year. Newcomer of the Year belongs to Lynn University's Marquan Botley. The Dallas native averaged 33.0 minutes and 16.9 points per game. He is the first Newcomer of the Year winner for the Fighting Knights. Connor Mckim from Rollins College is awarded Freshman of the Year. Mckim is the third Tar honored with the award and first since 1998-995.
Fridriksson, Adrian Gonzalez (Barry), Drushaun McLaurn (Eckerd College), Marcus Dewberry (Saint Leo University), and Sam Daniel (Florida Tech) make up the All-SSC first team. Dewberry repeats as a First Team All-SSC performer from last season, while McLaurn moves up to the First Team after Newcomer Team honors last year. Second team performer Jeff Merton (Rollins College) was a First Team performer in 2015-16.
Player of the Year = Elvar Fridriksson, Barry
Defensive Player of the Year = Jarel Spellman, Florida Southern
Newcomer of the Year = Marquan Botley, Lynn
Freshman of the Year = Connor Mckim, Rollins
Coach of the Year = Butch Estes, Barry
2016-17 ALL-SSC Men's Basketball Honors
| 2016-17 ALL-SSC First Team | ||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
| G | Elvar Fridriksson+^ | Barry | Jr. | Njardvik, Iceland |
| F | Adrian Gonzalez# | Barry | Sr. | Miami, Florida |
| G/F | Drushaun McLaurn+ | Eckerd | So. | Jacksonville, Florida |
| G | Marcus Dewberry* | Saint Leo | Sr. | Lake Wales, Florida |
| F | Sam Daniel | Florida Tech | Jr. | Kingsland, Georgia |
| 2016-17 ALL-SSC Second Team | ||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
| F | Jeff Merton* | Rollins | Jr. | Naples, Florida |
| C | Harrison Goodrick~ | Nova Southeastern | Sr. | Sydney, Australia |
| G | Marquan Botley | Lynn | Sr. | Dallas, Texas |
| F | Marcel Robinson | Tampa | Jr. | Montego Bay, Jamaica |
| G | Jordan Majors@% | Florida Tech | Jr. | Hopkinsville, Kentucky |
| F | Duke Shelton | Tampa | Jr. | Ocala, Florida |
| 2016-17 ALL-SSC Newcomer Team | ||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
| G | Marquan Botley | Lynn | Sr. | Dallas, Texas |
| G | Jeremiah Davis | Florida Southern | Sr. | Muncie, Indiana |
| G | Sawyer Glick | Barry | So. | Columbus, Indiana |
| G | Justin Satchell | Saint Leo | Sr. | Miami, Florida |
| F | Daniel Mortensen | Barry | So. | Islev, Denmark |
* = 2015-16 First Team
~ = 2015-16 Second Team
+ = 2015-16 Newcomer Team
^ = 2015-16 Newcomer of the Year
% = 2014-15 Newcomer Team
@ = 2014-15 Freshman of the Year
# = 2013-14 Freshman of the Year
1Yunio Barruetta (2015-16)
2Nick Ellingsworth-Perez (2004-05)
3Yunio Barruetta was named Newcomer of the Year in 2013-14 and Player of the Year in 2015-16
4Cesar Odio (2006-07 and 1994-95)
5Mike Veith (1998-99) and Jarvon Dolby (1994-95) of Rollins were named Freshman of the Year