» 2008-09 All-NCAC Team
Four players from the North Coast Athletic Conference-champion
College of Wooster men's basketball team were named all-NCAC,
highlighted by first-team honorees Marty
Bidwell (Middletown, Ohio / Bishop Fenwick) and Ian Franks
(Greenwich, Ohio / South Central), it was announced by the league
office Thursday. Justin
Hallowell (Worthington, Ohio / Thomas Worthington) was voted
the NCAC Newcomer of the Year as well as second-team
all-conference, while Nathan Balch
(Westerville, Ohio / Olentangy) picked up honorable mention
status.
Bidwell, now a two-time all-NCAC selection after earning honorable
mention last season, has served as the team captain and lone senior
of this Wooster team, leading the Fighting Scots to both the
regular season and tournament titles. The 6-4 forward is a standout
defensively, shutting down the opposition's top scoring threat on a
regular basis, and also leads the league in assists with 99 (3.54
per game) and scores just a shade under 10.0 points a game (9.8).
Bidwell's current scoring average, 3-point percentage (.417), and
assist average mark career highs, to go along with 3.6 rebounds and
1.2 steals per outing.
Franks, a 6-3 sophomore guard, made dramatic strides, going from
limited action as a freshman to one of the conference's top
players. He has been Wooster's leading scorer throughout 2008-09,
currently at 15.3 points, which ranks seventh in the NCAC. Franks
is directly behind Bidwell in assists with 96 (3.43 per game),
while sitting third in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.55) and eighth
in free throw percentage (.786). A versatile player, he contributes
4.3 rebounds, a team-leading 0.5 blocked shots, and 1.1 steals as
well. Franks has played particularly well down the stretch,
averaging 18.4 points and 4.8 assists over the last night
games.
Hallowell becomes the fourth Scot to collect NCAC
Newcomer-of-the-Year accolades since the award came into existence
in 1994-95. The 6-7 sharp-shooting freshman is atop the league in
both 3-pointers made (3.41 per game) and 3-point percentage (.517),
while contributing 14.4 points a night. Hallowell, who also is
Wooster's second-leading rebounder (4.5 rpg), has already shattered
the single-season school record for 3-pointers with 92. Most
recently, he put on an MVP performance during the NCAC tourney,
highlighted by a career-high 33 points during the finals. Hallowell
also scored 30 in a 102-92 double-overtime thriller over Denison
University Feb. 11, including a long-distance 3-pointer at the end
of regulation, and he made 8-of-9 3-pointers at Hiram College on
Feb. 4, leading the Scots to a key 89-87 win.
Balch, who transferred to Wooster following one year at NCAA Div.
I University of Missouri-Kansas City, has been consistent as the
squad's third-highest scorer. The majority of his 12.1 points per
game have come from outside, as the 6-1 guard has canned 56-of-119
3-pointers (.471) to rank fourth in the conference in percentage
and sixth with 2.15 3-pointers made per game. Balch would be second
in free throw percentage (.900; 45-of-50), but falls just short of
the minimum standard, and he also averages 2.9 boards, 2.3 assists,
and 0.9 steals. Balch's 20-point effort during the NCAC Tournament
quarterfinals extended his streak of double-digit scoring games to
11, however, he missed the semifinals and finals due to an
injury.
The Scots, despite being an inexperienced team, captured the
program's fifth-straight NCAC championship and are 22-6 heading
into this weekend's NCAA Div. III Tournament opening round action.
Wooster will play Gettysburg College (18-8) on the campus of
Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, at 6 p.m.
Four Scots on All-NCAC Team, Hallowell Newcomer of the Year
Posted: Mar 05, 2009