PITMAN, NJ --- The College of New Jersey senior forward Travis Jocelyn (Verona, NJ/Verona) was named the 2020-21 NJAC Men’s Basketball Pony Wilson Player of the Year. Stockton University senior Tariq Baker (Brooklyn, NY/St. Anthony’s (NJ)) and New Jersey City University sophomore Michael Clement (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Twp.) were named NJAC Co-Defensive Players of the Year, and NJCU freshman Ryan Savoy (Lakewood, NJ/Lakewood) was tabbed the conference’s Rookie of the Year.

Their selections highlighted the NJAC men’s basketball all-conference team which was announced on March 31. All NJAC special awards and all-conference honors were determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches.

Jocelyn capped off his four-year career in Ewing averaging conference-best 20.9 points along with 7.1 rebounds per game. The 7.1 rebounds were the third-highest in the NJAC this season. He led the Lions to a 6-0 mark in regular season league play and the top seed in the NJAC tournament, where the Lions advanced to the semifinals. Jocelyn, a two-time NJAC All-Conference First Team honoree and all-region pick last season, has been a key component of the Lions’ success over the last few years. As a junior in 2019-20, he led the Lions to the conference title and NCAA berth. Over his junior and senior seasons, he averaged nearly 18 points per game.

Baker was a key part of Stockton’s defense in a run to the NJAC championship game. The forward averaged 9.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, including a 20-point output in the title game. He shot over 47 percent on the year and was nearly 94 percent from the free throw line. However, his contributions were more than a stat sheet could show, as the 6-3 post was well known for his ability to draw charges.

Clement becomes the fourth different Gothic Knight to earn Defensive Player of the Year since the conference began awarding it in 1998-99. The 6-6 sophomore center ranked second in the NJAC in blocked shots (1.9 bpg) and 10th in rebounding (5.9 rpg) in leading NJCU to its 13th  conference title in program history. He blocked a season-high five shots in the Gothic Knights’ quarterfinal win over Rutgers-Camden and scored a season-best 10 points as NJCU powered back from a 21-point deficit to win the conference title at the buzzer.

Savoy became the ninth NJCU player to be named NJAC Rookie of the Year since the 1982-83 season. He was named both the NJAC Player and Rookie of the Week on March 1 after his first two career double-doubles (20 points, 11 rebounds; 19 points, 11 rebounds) in back-to-back games against Montclair State. Savoy averaged 9.5 points and 6.9 rebounds in his rookie campaign. The 6.9 rebounds was best among NJAC rookies and fifth among all conference players. He was also fourth among all NJAC players with 1.3 blocked shots.

NJCU head coach Marc Brown was selected by his peers at the NJAC Coach of the Year. This marks his fourth Coach of the Year honor and fourth in the last nine seasons. His father, legendary Knight coach Charlie Brown, is the only NJCU coach to have received the award more times (6). Marc Brown led NJCU to its 13th NJAC title in program history, the most of any conference school.  

PONY WILSON PLAYER OF THE YEAR:		Travis Jocelyn, TCNJ
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR:		Tariq Baker, Stockton and Michael Clement, NJCU
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:		Ryan Savoy, NJCU
JOHN K. ADAMS COACH OF THE YEAR:		Marc Brown, NJCU

 
 

FIRST TEAM   Name School Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School   Denzel Banks^% NJCU SR G Newark, NJ/East Orange Campus DJ Campbell# Stockton SO G Vineland, NJ/Vineland Travis Jocelyn* TCNJ SR F Verona, NJ/Verona Luciano Lubrano Stockton SR G Ocean City, NJ/Ocean City Yvens Monfleury William Paterson SO F Newark, NJ/American History
SECOND TEAM
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
JD Daniels	Kean	SO	G	Monroe Twp., NJ/Monroe Twp.
Kyion Flanders*	Stockton	JR	G	Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood
Myles Mitchell-White$&	Montclair State	JR	G	Trenton, NJ/Lawrence
PJ Ringel	TCNJ	SR	G	Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro
Derryen Whyte	NJCU	SO	G	Irvington, NJ/Union

 

HONORABLE MENTION
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Danny Bodine	TCNJ	JR	F	Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy
Steven Breeman	Montclair State	JR	F	Oak Ridge, NJ/Jefferson
Irving Callender IV	Montclair State	SR	G/F	Somerset, NJ/Franklin
Domenic Mignone%	William Paterson	SR	G	Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford
Quincy Rutherford#	Rutgers-Newark	SR	G	Kearny, NJ/Eastern Christian
Ryan Savoy	NJCU	FR	F	Lakewood, NJ/Lakewood

 

Key:

* - First Team All-Conference 2019-20 ^ - Second Team All-Conference 2019-20 # - Honorable Mention All-Conference 2019-20 $ - Second Team All-Conference 2018-19 % - Honorable Mention All-Conference 2018-19 & - First Team All-Conference 2017-18