2018-19 SSC Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams
MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference recognizes sixteen men's basketball student-athletes as All-SSC in 2018-19. Nova Southeastern University, regular season champions, boasts six All-SSC awards including Newcomer of the Year and Coach of the Year.
Jonathan Lawton of Florida Southern College has been selected SSC Player of the Year. The 6-2, guard led the Moccasins to 21-7 overall record, 14-6 conference record, and home court advantage in the tournament quarterfinals. The senior from Williamstown, New Jersey ranks first in SSC three-point field goals per game (3.3), first in free throw percentage (0.898), and second in points per game (22.8). He also ranks Top-5 in minutes per game (34.7), steals per game (1.8), assists per game (3.7), and three-point percentage (0.413). Lawton is the sixth Moccasin to be honored as player of the year, first since 2015
1.
All-SSC History: SSC Players and Coaches of the Year | All-SSC Teams
NSU’s Jim Crutchfield has been recognized by his peers as conference Coach of the Year. Crutchfield brought the Sharks men’s program its first-ever SSC title following a 24-win season that included an 18-2 league record. Under Crutchfield, the Sharks posted the league’s best scoring offense (99.3) and scoring margin (17.6). The hot-shooting Nova Southeastern team also lead the league in field goal percentage (0.491), three-point field percentage (0.416), rebounds per game (40.8), assists per game (19.96), and steals per game (12.00)
2.
Marco Downer from the University of Tampa earns Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman Player of the Year honors. Simultaneously, Downer becomes the first SSC men’s basketball player in history to win both awards in the same year and overall. The Portmore, Jamaica product was first in conference blocks (76) and blocks per game (3.3), doubling the second best in each category. Downer, a 6-9 center, becomes Tampa’s third SSC Defensive Player of the Year award winner, second consecutive
3, and the fifth Spartan to win Freshman of the Year
4.
For the second straight year NSU, has captured Newcomer of the Year honors
5. This year’s accolade belongs to Mark Matthews, a 6-6, junior guard/forward from Bonita Springs, Florida. Matthews is second in conference rebounds per game (9.5), third in scoring (19.7), third in field goal percentage (0.584), and fifth in assists per game (3.7).
Joining Lawton and Matthews on the All-SSC First Team is David Dennis (Nova Southeastern), Drushaun McLaurn (Eckerd College), and Mike Baez (Lynn University). McLaurn highlights the repeat All-SSC performers with his third consecutive First Team honor, while Lawton and Dennis repeat as First Team members for the second straight year. All three athletes were named to the Newcomer Team during their careers, with Dennis being named Newcomer of the Year in 2017-18. Nashad Mackey (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) and Brett Hanson (Florida Southern) repeat as Second Team selections from last year, as Daniel Mortensen (Barry University) moves up to Second Team from Newcomer Team honors in 2016-17.
Player of the Year = Jonathan Lawton, Florida Southern
Defensive Player of the Year = Marco Downer, Tampa
Newcomer of the Year = Mark Matthews, Nova Southeastern
Freshman of the Year = Marco Downer, Tampa
Coach of the Year = Jim Crutchfield, Nova Southeastern
2018-19 ALL-SSC Men’s Basketball Honors
-
| 2018-19 ALL-SSC First Team |
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| G |
Jonathan Lawton*† |
Florida Southern |
Sr. |
Williamstown, New Jersey |
| G |
David Dennis*†# |
Nova Southeastern |
Sr. |
Canal Winchester, Ohio |
| F |
Mark Matthews |
Nova Southeastern |
Jr. |
Bonita Springs, Florida |
| G |
Mike Baez |
Lynn |
Sr. |
Charlotte, North Carolina |
| G |
Drushaun McLaurn*^$ |
Eckerd |
Sr. |
Jacksonville, Florida |
| - |
|
|
|
|
| 2018-19 ALL-SSC Second Team |
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| F |
Nashad Mackey~† |
Embry-Riddle |
Sr. |
Nassau, Bahamas |
| F |
Daniel Mortensen@ |
Barry |
Sr. |
Islev, Denmark |
| G |
Kyran McClure |
Saint Leo |
Jr. |
Concord, North Carolina |
| G |
Brett Hanson~ |
Florida Southern |
Jr. |
Manchester, New Hampshire |
| F |
Derek Murphy |
Florida Tech |
Jr. |
Detroit, Michigan |
| - |
|
|
|
|
| 2018-19 ALL-SSC Honorable Mention |
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| G |
Jamal Palmer |
Lynn |
Sr. |
Delray Beach, Florida |
| - |
|
|
|
|
| 2018-19 ALL-SSC Newcomer Team |
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| F |
Mark Matthews |
Nova Southeastern |
Jr. |
Bonita Springs, Florida |
| G |
Darius Moore |
Lynn |
Jr. |
Brown Summit, North Carolina |
| G |
Mikkel Kolstad |
Nova Southeastern |
Jr. |
Bergen, Norway |
| F |
Tylan Birts |
Barry |
Jr. |
Florida City, Florida |
| G |
Alston Jones |
Embry-Riddle |
Sr. |
Kansas City, Missouri |
| - |
|
|
| |
* = 2017-18 First Team
~ = 2017-18 Second Team
# = 2017-18 Newcomer of the Year
† = 2017-18 Newcomer Team |
^ = 2016-17 First Team
@ = 2016-17 Newcomer Team
$ = 2015-16 Newcomer Team
|
1 Kevin Capers (2014 & 2015), John Thompson (2010), Chris Brooks (2004), Christophe Humbert (2001), Innocent Kere (2000), Corey Turner (1999).
2 Overall season numbers
2 Duke Shelton (2018), Johnathan Ball (2008)
4 Pat Bacon (2016), Rob Brooks (1991), Matt Streff (1990), Fred Lewis (1988)
5 David Dennis won NSU’s first Newcomer of the Year award in 2018