Sage's Kai Deans Named All-American by NABC; Becomes First Sage All-American
Kansas City, MO–The greatest honor for The Sage Colleges' men's basketball team was awarded today as the National Basketball Coaches Association (NABC) announced the 2014-2015 Division III All-America Team. Senior forward and team tri-captain, Kai Deans (Miami, FL/Monsignor Pace) became the first Sage men's player recognized by the NABC as he was named to the NABC All-America Third Team for his outstanding play this season.
Deans becomes the first Sage student-athlete ever honored with an All-America citation.
Head coach Brian Barnes noted of Deans, "Our coaching staff is very proud and happy to learn of Kai's selection to the NABC All-American team, capping off what has truly been a memorable season for our program."
Barnes added, "Kai has worked extremely hard on developing all aspects of his game in the off season and has taken great pride in showing our younger players and newcomers "The Gator" way. His leadership, determination and drive for a Skyline Conference Championship for Sage propelled our team into the month of February playing our best basketball when it mattered the most. We thank Kai for his contributions to Sage Basketball! His coaches, teammates and the Sage community share our excitement with him on this special acknowledgment."
The awards comes on the heels of his NABC Atlantic Region First Team selection and caps the best season in the program's history. The 2014-2015 season marks the sixth season for the Gators as a Division III member and it was a record-setting campaign in every way possible for the Gators.
Deans became the first Sage player recognized by the NABC when he was named to the NABC Atlantic Region First Team and again with his selection as an All-American. Also a D3hoops.com regional honoree this season, he was named to the 2014-2015 Atlantic Region First Team and is a candidate for D3hoops.com All-America team. Deans was also named the Skyline Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year and is a candidate for the ECAC Metro Division III Player of the Year. The awards are all firsts for Sage's men's basketball team as Deans set records along the way this year for most points in a game (33) and most points in a season (468). He closed his career with 826 points in just two seasons as a Gator.
Deans finished with a team-best 19 points in the Gators' NCAA contest with Amherst College, marking the 14th time on the season he led the team on the hardwood. He caps his stellar career having helped to rewrite the Gator basketball record book. He stands No. 4 all-time in scoring and No. 5 in career rebounding while setting a new standard for best career point per game average with a 17.3 ppg average. He is ranked nationally in 12 different categories in the latest NCAA statistics release. He finished the season with a 53.7 FG% and added a 71.9% effort from the line with 35 blocked shots and added 231 rebounds on the year in 27 starts.
National Association of Basketball Coaches Announces 2015 NABC Coaches' Division III All-America Teams
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 19, 2015) -- The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced today the 2015 NABC Coaches' Division III All-America teams. Selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC in NCAA Division III, these student-athletes represent the finest basketball players across America.
2015 NABC COACHES' DIVISION III ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM
Joey Flannery, Babson, 6-5, Sophomore, Forward, Acton, Mass.
Alex Foster, Emory, 6-8, Senior, Forward, Portland, Ore.
Claude Gray, Ohio Wesleyan, 6-4, Junior, Post, Avon, Ohio
Gordon Lyons, Geneseo State, 6-5, Senior, Forward, Amherst, N.Y.
Aaron Walton-Moss, Cabrini, 6-1, Senior, Guard, Camden, N.J.
Gerry Wixted, Dickinson, 6-8, Senior, Forward, Moorestown, N.J.
Quardell Young, UW-Whitewater, 6-0, Senior, Guard, Kenosha, Wis.
Kyle Zimmerman, Bethel University, 6-3, Senior, Forward, Champlin, Minn.
2015 NABC COACHES' DIVISION III ALL-AMERICA SECOND TEAM
Josh Blamon, Richard Stockton, 6-2, Senior, Forward, Cinnaminson, N.J.
Jordan Brink, Calvin, 6-3, Senior, Guard, Dyer, Ind.
John Coleman, Clarkson, 6-4, Senior, Forward, Potsdam, N.Y.
Tyler Gaffaney, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 6-4, Graduate, Guard, Mill Valley, Calif.
Hunter Hill, Augustana (Ill.), 5-9, Junior, Guard, Byron, Ill.
Nick LaGuerre, St. Mary's, 6-3, Senior, Guard, Baltimore, Md.
Victor Ljuljdjuraj, Albertus Magnus, 6-8, Senior, Forward, Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
Matt McCarthy, Guilford, 6-3, Junior, Guard, Rockville, Md.
2015 NABC COACHES' DIVISION III ALL-AMERICA THIRD TEAM
Kai Deans, Sage, 6-7, Senior, Forward/Center, Miami, Fla.
Bernard Edwards, Defiance, 6-6, Senior, Forward, Detroit, Mich.
Bryson Fonville, Catholic, 6-0, Junior, Guard, Greensboro, N.C.
Lucas Hausman, Bowdoin College, 6-3, Junior, Guard, Westport, Conn.
Kenny Love, Whitworth, 6-1, Sophomore, Guard, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Dylan Overstreet, Illinois Wesleyan, 6-3, Senior, Guard, Paxton, Ill.
Keegan Ryan, St. John Fisher, 6-7, Sophomore, Forward/Center, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Larry Thomas, Birmingham-Southern, 6-1, Senior, Guard, Atlanta, Ga.
About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City, MO, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.
