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Three Chippewas Honored on All-MAC Men's Basketball Team
3/13/2024 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Tony Barbee is the MAC Coach of the Year; Anthony Pritchard is the league’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year, All-MAC First Team selection, and All-Defensive Team member; Brian Taylor earns Third Team All-MAC honors.
CLEVELAND, Ohio—Three members of the Central Michigan men's basketball program were honored by the Mid-American Conference as the league announced its 2023-24 all-league teams and specialty awards on Wednesday morning. Central Michigan was represented by head coach Tony Barbee, who earned the MAC's Coach of the Year Award, guard Anthony Pritchard, who was named the Co-Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-MAC, and to the All-Defensive Team, and guard Brian Taylor, who was a Third Team All-MAC selection.
Barbee becomes the fifth coach in school history to earn the MAC Coach of the Year Award after guiding the Chippewas to an 18-13 overall record and fourth place finish in the MAC with a 12-6 record. CMU's 12 league victories were the most since the 2014-15 season. In the offseason, Barbee rebuilt CMU's roster with only four players returning as he added 12 new players and blended them into a team that challenged for the MAC regular season title. In the preseason coaches poll, Central Michigan was picked to finish in 12th place out of 12 teams.
Barbee joins Dick Parfitt (1975), Charlie Coles (1987), Jay Smith (2001 and 2003), and Keno Davis (2015) as MAC Coach of the Year honorees.
Pritchard becomes just the second player in Central Michigan basketball history to earn the MAC Defensive Player of the Year Award and the first Chippewas player since 2017 to earn First Team All-MAC accolades. The only other player in school history to earn the MAC Defensive Player of the Year award was Chris Kaman in 2003.
A 6-foot-2-inch, 185-pound junior guard from Tulsa, Okla., Pritchard leads the Chippewas in points (13.1 ppg.), field goals (142), assists (129), and steals (46). He also averages 5.2 rebounds per game and converts 74.2 percent (69-93) of his free throw attempts. Pritchard has scored 20-plus points four times, reached double-figure scoring 20 times and dished out five or more assists 15 times on the year while leading the Chippewas in scoring 12 times and assists 20 times. He has also served as CMU's catalyst on defense as he ranks No. 5 in the MAC in steals (46) and No. 3 in steals per game (1.64). Pritchard earned the MAC Player of the Week on Jan. 29, 2024.
A 6-foot-6, 220-pound graduate senior from Detroit, Mich., Taylor earns All-MAC honors for the first time in his career. Taylor leads the Chippewas in minutes per game (35.1 mpg), rebounds (249), rebounds per game (8.0), and blocked shots (37), and ranks second in scoring (11.4 ppg.) and field goals made (135). He has registered seven double-doubles on the year, 11 for his career, 18 double figure scoring games (53 in career) and has pulled down 10 or more rebounds eight times this year and 12 times for his career. Taylor became the 36th player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points and currently has 1,035 points in his three years at CMU. A versatile all-around player, Taylor can play and defend all five positions on the court as evidenced by his 14-point, career-high 22-rebound effort in CMU's final regular season game against Eastern Michigan.
Central Michigan opens MAC Tournament play on Thursday with a Quarterfinal matchup against Bowling Green at approximately 1:30 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
Here is a look at the 2023-24 All-MAC men's basketball teams:
2023-24 MAC MEN'S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS
Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Tony Barbee, Central Michigan
Player of the Year: Enrique Freeman, Senior, Forward, Akron*
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Pritchard, Junior, Guard, Central Michigan
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Tyler Cochran, Junior, Guard, Toledo
Freshman of the Year: Javan Simmons, Forward, Toledo*
Sixth Man of the Year: JaVaughn Hannah, Sophomore, Guard, Western Michigan
All-MAC First Team
Ali Ali, Senior, Guard, Akron
Enrique Freeman, Senior, Forward, Akron
Marcus Hill, Junior, Guard, Bowling Green
Anthony Pritchard, Junior, Guard, Central Michigan
Ra'Heim Moss, Junior, Guard, Toledo
All-MAC Second Team
Basheer Jihad, Junior, Forward, Ball State
Rashaun Agee, Senior, Forward, Bowling Green
Jaylin Hunter, Senior, Guard, Ohio
Dante Maddox Jr., Junior, Guard, Toledo
Tyler Cochran, Junior, Guard, Toledo
All-MAC Third Team
Brian Taylor, Graduate Student, Guard, Central Michigan
Tyson Acuff, Junior, Guard, Eastern Michigan
Jalen Sullinger, Junior, Guard, Kent State
David Coit, Junior, Guard, Northern Illinois
AJ Clayton, Junior, Forward, Ohio
All-MAC Honorable Mention
Greg Tribble, Senior, Guard, Akron
VonCameron Davis, R-Junior, Forward, Kent State
Anderson Mirambeaux, Senior, Center, Miami
Darweshi Hunter, Graduate Student, Guard, Miami
B. Artis White, R-Junior, Guard, Western Michigan
MAC All-Freshman Team
Arne Osojnik, Guard, Eastern Michigan
Eian Elmer, Wing, Miami
Will Lovings-Watt, Guard, Northern Illinois
Javan Simmons, Forward, Toledo
Sonny Wilson, Guard, Toledo
MAC All-Defensive Team
Greg Tribble, Senior, Guard, Akron
Enrique Freeman, Senior, Forward, Akron
Anthony Pritchard, Junior, Guard, Central Michigan
Tyler Cochran, Junior, Guard, Toledo
Ra'Heim Moss, Junior, Guard, Toledo
* - unanimous selection by 11 opposing head coaches
Barbee becomes the fifth coach in school history to earn the MAC Coach of the Year Award after guiding the Chippewas to an 18-13 overall record and fourth place finish in the MAC with a 12-6 record. CMU's 12 league victories were the most since the 2014-15 season. In the offseason, Barbee rebuilt CMU's roster with only four players returning as he added 12 new players and blended them into a team that challenged for the MAC regular season title. In the preseason coaches poll, Central Michigan was picked to finish in 12th place out of 12 teams.
Barbee joins Dick Parfitt (1975), Charlie Coles (1987), Jay Smith (2001 and 2003), and Keno Davis (2015) as MAC Coach of the Year honorees.
🏆 @CoachTonyBarbee named @MACSports Coach of the Year!
— CMU Men's Basketball (@CMUMensBBall) March 13, 2024
✔️ Guided Chippewas to 4th place finish (12-6)
✔️ 12 MAC victories were the most at CMU since 2014-15
✔️ In preseason coaches poll, CMU was picked to finish in last place
📰 https://t.co/I52ZrYH79B#FireUpChips 🔥⬆️🏀 pic.twitter.com/ouEOgRj1CR
Pritchard becomes just the second player in Central Michigan basketball history to earn the MAC Defensive Player of the Year Award and the first Chippewas player since 2017 to earn First Team All-MAC accolades. The only other player in school history to earn the MAC Defensive Player of the Year award was Chris Kaman in 2003.
A 6-foot-2-inch, 185-pound junior guard from Tulsa, Okla., Pritchard leads the Chippewas in points (13.1 ppg.), field goals (142), assists (129), and steals (46). He also averages 5.2 rebounds per game and converts 74.2 percent (69-93) of his free throw attempts. Pritchard has scored 20-plus points four times, reached double-figure scoring 20 times and dished out five or more assists 15 times on the year while leading the Chippewas in scoring 12 times and assists 20 times. He has also served as CMU's catalyst on defense as he ranks No. 5 in the MAC in steals (46) and No. 3 in steals per game (1.64). Pritchard earned the MAC Player of the Week on Jan. 29, 2024.
🏆 Anthony Pritchard named First Team All-@MACSports, MAC co-Defensive Player of the Year, All-MAC Defensive Team!
— CMU Men's Basketball (@CMUMensBBall) March 13, 2024
✔️ Leads CMU in pts (13.1 ppg.), FGM (142), assists (129), and steals (46).
✔️ 2nd player at CMU to earn Def. POY!
📰 https://t.co/I52ZrYH79B#FireUpChips 🔥⬆️🏀 pic.twitter.com/LboVdYxoz2
A 6-foot-6, 220-pound graduate senior from Detroit, Mich., Taylor earns All-MAC honors for the first time in his career. Taylor leads the Chippewas in minutes per game (35.1 mpg), rebounds (249), rebounds per game (8.0), and blocked shots (37), and ranks second in scoring (11.4 ppg.) and field goals made (135). He has registered seven double-doubles on the year, 11 for his career, 18 double figure scoring games (53 in career) and has pulled down 10 or more rebounds eight times this year and 12 times for his career. Taylor became the 36th player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points and currently has 1,035 points in his three years at CMU. A versatile all-around player, Taylor can play and defend all five positions on the court as evidenced by his 14-point, career-high 22-rebound effort in CMU's final regular season game against Eastern Michigan.
🏆 Brian Taylor named Third Team All-@MACSports!
— CMU Men's Basketball (@CMUMensBBall) March 13, 2024
✔️ Leads CMU in minutes (35.1 mpg), rebounds (249), RPG (8.0), and blocks (37), ranks 2nd in scoring (11.4 ppg.)
✔️ 7 double-doubles on year/11 career
✔️ 36th 1,000-pt scorer at CMU
📰 https://t.co/I52ZrYH79B#FireUpChips 🔥⬆️🏀 pic.twitter.com/VnlgAwOxdr
Central Michigan opens MAC Tournament play on Thursday with a Quarterfinal matchup against Bowling Green at approximately 1:30 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
Here is a look at the 2023-24 All-MAC men's basketball teams:
2023-24 MAC MEN'S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS
Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Tony Barbee, Central Michigan
Player of the Year: Enrique Freeman, Senior, Forward, Akron*
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Pritchard, Junior, Guard, Central Michigan
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Tyler Cochran, Junior, Guard, Toledo
Freshman of the Year: Javan Simmons, Forward, Toledo*
Sixth Man of the Year: JaVaughn Hannah, Sophomore, Guard, Western Michigan
All-MAC First Team
Ali Ali, Senior, Guard, Akron
Enrique Freeman, Senior, Forward, Akron
Marcus Hill, Junior, Guard, Bowling Green
Anthony Pritchard, Junior, Guard, Central Michigan
Ra'Heim Moss, Junior, Guard, Toledo
All-MAC Second Team
Basheer Jihad, Junior, Forward, Ball State
Rashaun Agee, Senior, Forward, Bowling Green
Jaylin Hunter, Senior, Guard, Ohio
Dante Maddox Jr., Junior, Guard, Toledo
Tyler Cochran, Junior, Guard, Toledo
All-MAC Third Team
Brian Taylor, Graduate Student, Guard, Central Michigan
Tyson Acuff, Junior, Guard, Eastern Michigan
Jalen Sullinger, Junior, Guard, Kent State
David Coit, Junior, Guard, Northern Illinois
AJ Clayton, Junior, Forward, Ohio
All-MAC Honorable Mention
Greg Tribble, Senior, Guard, Akron
VonCameron Davis, R-Junior, Forward, Kent State
Anderson Mirambeaux, Senior, Center, Miami
Darweshi Hunter, Graduate Student, Guard, Miami
B. Artis White, R-Junior, Guard, Western Michigan
MAC All-Freshman Team
Arne Osojnik, Guard, Eastern Michigan
Eian Elmer, Wing, Miami
Will Lovings-Watt, Guard, Northern Illinois
Javan Simmons, Forward, Toledo
Sonny Wilson, Guard, Toledo
MAC All-Defensive Team
Greg Tribble, Senior, Guard, Akron
Enrique Freeman, Senior, Forward, Akron
Anthony Pritchard, Junior, Guard, Central Michigan
Tyler Cochran, Junior, Guard, Toledo
Ra'Heim Moss, Junior, Guard, Toledo
* - unanimous selection by 11 opposing head coaches
—CMU—
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