Rapoza Named GNAC Rookie of the Year
WINTHROP, Mass.— Freshman Mike Rapoza (Charlton, Mass.) of the Anna Maria College men's basketball team has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Rookie of the Year and to the GNAC All-Conference Second Team. Also earning recognition this season is senior David Jean-Louis (Miramar Fla.) who was named to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team. The announcement was released by the league office on Monday afternoon.
Rapoza was a five-time GNAC Rookie of the Week. He finished the season averaging a team high 17.1 points and 12.7 rebounds per game making himself known as a double-double machine throughout the league. He recorded double-doubles in 20 out of 26 games this season while notching a career high 24 points in the AMCATS win over Mount Ida in December.
Anna Maria senior guard, David Jean-Louis was named to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship team this season. Jean-Louis was a 2017 team captain and averaged 9.9 points per game.
Albertus Magnus College junior forward Jaqhawn Walters has been voted as the 2017 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Basketball Player of the Year. The Hartford, Conn. product was named GNAC Tournament MVP on Saturday after leading the Falcons to their fifth conference championship in six years. Entering the NCAA Tournament, Walters is third among league leaders at 20.7 points per game and first with 13.4 rebounds. He is also shooting 55.1 percent from the floor.
GNAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades went to Mount Ida College junior guard Jayson Clark, a Third Team selection. Clark was second in the GNAC with 2.2 steals in a mere 25.4 minutes per game. He also led the league with 5.1 assists to go along with per-game averages of 10.3 points and 3.0 rebounds.
The AMCATS finished conference play with a 5-13 record and claimed the eighth-seed in the GNAC tournament. The team traveled No. 1 Albertus Magnus and suffered a 92-67 loss to conclude GNAC tournament action.
GNAC Men's Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Jaqhawn Walters, Albertus Magnus (Jr., Hartford, Conn.)
Anthony Jernigan, Johnson & Wales (Sr., East Hartford, Conn.)
Armin Omanovic, Lasell (Sr., Wilkesboro, N.C.)
John Powell, Lasell (Sr., Ashland, Mass.)
Ethan Dujon, Mount Ida (Sr., Warwick, R.I.)
Grant Ellis, Albertus Magnus (Sr., Newark, N.J.)
Mike Rapoza, Anna Maria (Fr., Charlton, Mass.)
Jarell Lawson, Johnson & Wales (Jr., Providence, R.I.)
Marc Corey, Saint Joseph's of Maine (So., Londonderry, N.H.)
Michael Hagopian, Suffolk (So., Watertown, Mass.)
Devin Coleman, Albertus Magnus (Sr., Bridgeport, Conn.)
Michael Kiser, Johnson & Wales (Jr., Pike Road, Ala.)
Tim Blair, Lasell (So., Newington, Conn.)
Jayson Clark, Mount Ida (Jr., Austin, Texas)
Mike Hogervorst, Norwich (Jr., Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands)
Player of the Year – Jaqhawn Walters, Albertus Magnus
Defensive Player of the Year – Jayson Clark, Mount Ida
Rookie of the Year – Mike Rapoza, Anna Maria
Coach of the Year – Benjamin Davis, Mount Ida
Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Suffolk University
All-Sportsmanship Team
Jemaa Yuori, Albertus Magnus (Jr., Ghana)
David Jean-Louis, Anna Maria (Sr., Miramar, Fla.)
Matt Raine, Emmanuel (Sr., Miami, Fla.)
Derek McMahon, Lasell (Jr., Hatfield, Mass.)
Matt Madoian, Johnson & Wales (So., North Kingstown, R.I.)
Kevin Conner, Mount Ida (Jr., Mansfield, Mass.)
Darius Bryant, Norwich (Jr., Calhoun Falls, S.C.)
David Lorden, Rivier (Sr., Pepperell, Mass.)
John Crawley, Saint Joseph's of Maine (Sr., Fitchburg, Mass.)
Steven DiPrizio, Suffolk (So., Medford, Mass.)
