Four Scots on All-NCAC Team, Hallowell Newcomer of the Year

» 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.