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/ Men's Basketball
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Two Chippewas Honored on NABC All-District Team
4/19/2024 11:07:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Tony Barbee is the NABC District 14 Coach of the Year; Anthony Pritchard earns Second Team All-NABC honors.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.—Two members of the Central Michigan men's basketball program were honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches as Tony Barbee was named the District Coach of the Year and guard Anthony Pritchard earned Second Team All-District honors. Central Michigan is a member of the NABC District 14.
In March, Barbee became 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.
Pritchard became 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.
In March, Barbee became 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.
Pritchard became 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.
—CMU—
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