PITMAN, NJ --- Stockton University junior guard DJ Campbell (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) was named the 2021-22 NJAC Men’s Basketball Pony Wilson Player of the Year. Stockton University senior guard Kyion Flanders (Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood) was named NJAC Defensive Player of the Year, and Ramapo freshman forward Shane Rooney (Hawthorne, NJ/Hawthorne) was tabbed the conference’s Rookie of the Year.

Their selections highlighted the 14-member NJAC men’s basketball all-conference team which was announced on February 23. All NJAC special awards and all-conference honors were determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches.

Campbell led Stockton to a 15-3 conference record and the top seed in the NJAC Tournament. The NJAC’s top scorer this season, Campbell poured in 18.9 points per game against conference opponents. He scored in double figures in 17 of the 18 conference games this season. He also ranked first in conference-only total points (341), second in conference-only free throw percentage (85.9%), and third in both conference-only 3-point percentage (36.2%) and conference-only made threes per game (3.0). The guard also ranked sixth in conference-only steals (2.0 spg) and chipped in 5.2 rebounds per game. Campbell is now a three-time NJAC All-Conference honoree, twice on the First Team.

Flanders was a key part of Stockton’s defense that ranked second in the league in scoring defense (68.9 ppg) and first in scoring margin (+11.6). The three-time All-Conference honoree ranked third in conference-only steals (2.3 spg) and 10^th in conference-only rebounding (6.1 rpg). He was also a scoring threat, hitting 12.1 points per game in league play. He ranked sixth in conference-only made threes per game (2.2) and 13^th in conference-only assists (2.7 apg).

Rooney led a solid freshman class at Ramapo after the Roadrunners program returned this season from a one-year pandemic hiatus. Rooney ranked seventh in conference-only rebounding this season (7.7 rpg) and in the top 20 in conference-only steals (1.3 spg). The highly efficient shooter shot 64 percent from the field to chip in 9.6 points per game against NJAC opponents. He scored in double figures 10 times in his rookie season, including in each of the final four games of the season where he averaged 16.0 points per game in that span.

Stockton head coach Scott Bittner was selected by his peers at the NJAC Coach of the Year for the second time in his six years at the helm. Bittner led Stockton to a 15-3 conference record to clinch the NJAC regular season title and top seed in the NJAC Tournament. His Ospreys are currently ranked No. 25 in the nation and first in Region IV. Bittner’s record stands at 88-52 in six seasons.
   

PONY WILSON PLAYER OF THE YEAR:		DJ Campbell, Stockton
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:		Kyion Flanders, Stockton
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:		Shane Rooney, Ramapo
JOHN K. ADAMS COACH OF THE YEAR:		Scott Bittner, Stockton

FIRST TEAM Name School Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School DJ Campbell$# Stockton JR G Vineland, NJ/Vineland Kyion Flanders@* Stockton SR G Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood Domenic Mignone~% William Paterson GR G Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford Marcellus Ross Rowan SO G Sicklerville, NJ/St. Joseph’s (Hammonton) Quincy Rutherford~# Rutgers-Newark SR G Kearny, NJ/Eastern Christian
SECOND TEAM
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Denzel Banks$^%	NJCU	SR	G	Newark, NJ/East Orange Campus
Irving Callender, IV~	Montclair State	SR	G/F	Somerset, NJ/Franklin
Anthony DiCaro	TCNJ	JR	G	Marlton, NJ/Cherokee
Abe Kromah	Rutgers-Newark	SR	G	Linden, NJ/Linden
Letrell West	Kean	JR	G/F	New Brunswick, NJ/St. Joseph’s (Metuchen)

 

HONORABLE MENTION
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Steven Breeman~	Montclair State	SR	F	Oak Ridge, NJ/Jefferson
Kadian Dawkins	Stockton	JR	G	Eastampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley
Shane Rooney	Ramapo	FR	F	Hawthorne, NJ/Hawthorne
Andrew Seager	Rowan	SO	F	Ocean Township, NJ/Ocean Township