PITMAN—Rutgers University-Newark senior forward Jordan McDaniel and New Jersey City University senior forward Chinwe Wosu have been selected as the “Pony Wilson” Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and the league Defensive Player of the Year respectively in the New Jersey Athletic Conference for the 2015-16 season. Their selections highlighted the 17-member 2015-16 NJAC men’s basketball all-conference team which was announced on February 24. All selections were made via a vote of the league’s 10 head coaches and were based on conference-only statistics.
A two-time all-conference selection, McDaniel finished the NJAC regular season ranked second in conference-only scoring (21.5 points per game) and third in conference-only field goal percentage (.559). Named a first-team all-league honoree for the second straight season, McDaniel also wrapped up his senior conference campaign ranked sixth in conference-only three point field goal percentage (.405) and ninth in conference-only rebounding (6.4 boards per game).
Wosu was tapped as the league’s top defender after finishing the NJAC season ranked third in conference-only rebounding (8.2 boards per game). A Week 5 NJAC Player of the Week selection, Wosu finished league play ranked fourth in conference-only field goal percentage (.540) and 24th in conference-only scoring (10.6 points per game).
Kean University freshman guard Diego Pujols was named the NJAC Rookie of the Year. A two-time NJAC Rookie of the Week selection, he finished his first NJAC season as the league-leader in conference-only steals (2.7 per game). Pujols also ranked third in conference-only assists (4.6 per game) and 22nd in conference-only scoring (11.4 points per game).
New Jersey City University head coach Marc Brown was named the “John K. Adams” Coach of the Year by his peers. Selected to finish fourth in the NJAC men’s basketball preseason coaches’ poll, Brown guided the Gothic Knights to an 18-7 overall record and the NJAC regular season championship with a 15-3 mark in conference play. Now in his ninth season at the helm of the NJCU program, Brown has guided the Gothic Knights to an overall record of 133-105.