Men's Basketball | 3/24/2016 1:52:00 PM
MATTHEWS, N.C. – West Liberty University senior All-American Seger Bonifant has been honored as the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year for the second consecutive season by Basketball Times magazine. It's the third time in the past four seasons that the national publication – which bills itself as "The Voice of College Basketball" – has chosen a Hilltopper as the National Player of the Year. Alex Falk was the 2013 honoree with Bonifant winning the past two years.
The 6-7 sharpshooter from Berlin, Ohio has followed up his stellar junior season with an even better senior campaign, shattering numerous school, conference and national records while leading Coach Jim Crutchfield's Black and Gold to their third NCAA Division II "Final Four" berth in his four years on the hilltop campus. The two-time first-team All-American will go into the record books as the top 3-point shooter in NCAA history after eclipsing the previous standard for career 3-point percentage, a record that had stood for nearly 25 years. Heading into Thursday night's national semifinal against No. 1-ranked Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.), Bonifant has connected on 372-of-707 (.526) 3-point attempts. The old record was held by Scott Martin of NCAA Division II Rollins (Fla.), who made 104-of-236 (.513) 3-point attempts from 1988-91.
Bonifant has also claimed back-to-back MEC and Atlantic Region Player of the Year Awards. He's leading the MEC in scoring (25.0 ppg.) and 3-point field goal percentage (113-of-227, .498) for the second consecutive season and ranks among the top 10 nationally in scoring, 3-point field goals, 3-point field goals per game and 3-point field goal percentage.
His 849 points are a school and MEC single-season record while his 2,245 career points make him the leading scorer in West Liberty history. Thursday's Final Four showdown with Augustana will be Bonifant's 137th career game – another school record and the most of any current NCAA Division II player. His 372 career 3-point field goals – also school and MEC career marks – rank among the top 15 career totals in NCAA Division II history.
Joining Bonifant on the 2015-16 Basketball Times NCAA Division II First-Team All-America list are four seniors: Peter Alexis, a 7-ft. post from Philadelphia University; Desmond Williams, a 6-5 wing from Southern Connecticut State; and the Augustana (S.D.) duo of 6-9 post Daniel Jansen and 6-6 wing Casey Schilling. West Virginia Wesleyan senior post Tanner McGrew was a second-team All-America pick.
Tom Billeter of No. 2-ranked Augustana (S.D.) – another Final Four participant – was chosen as the Basketball Times National Coach of the Year.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
2015-16 Basketball Times All-Americans
NCAA Division II
National Player of the Year: SEGER BONIFANT, WEST LIBERTY
National Coach of the Year: Tom Billeter, Augustana (S.D.)
First Team
Player, School Ht. Yr.
Peter Alexis, Philadelphia 7-0 Sr.
SEGER BONIFANT, WEST LIBERTY 6-7 SR.
Daniel Jansen, Augustana (S.D.) 6-9 Sr.
Casey Schilling, Augustana (S.D.) 6-6 Sr.
Desmond Williams, Southern Conn. State 6-5 Sr.
Second Team
Andy Avgi, Western Oregon 6-6 Sr.
Yunio Barrueta, Barry (Fla.) 6-5 Sr.
Tanner McGrew, W.Va. Wesleyan 6-8 Sr.
Justin Reyes, St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.) 6-4 So.
Ryan Stephan, Colorado Mesa 6-10 Sr.
Third Team
Connor Beranek, Nebraska-Kearney 6-6 Sr.
Brandon Norfleet, Indiana (Pa.) 6-5 Sr.
Stedmon Lemon, Johnson C. Smith (N.C.) 6-6 Sr.
Devin Schmidt, Delta State (Miss.) 6-4 Jr.
Gerel Simmons, Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) 6-2 Sr.
