SEWANEE, Tenn. – Sewanee's
Fletcher Bigham earned First Team All-Region VI honors and
Nikolas Avaliani was named Rookie of the Year, as announced Monday by
www.d3hoops.com.
Bigham was voted SAA Player of the Year, averaging 19.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game with 15 double-doubles and 17 double-digit rebounding contests. The Charlotte, N.C., native posted 12 games this season with 20-plus points, two contests with 30 or more points and a 40-point outing. He led the SAA in 12 different categories and ranked in the Top 20 nationally in six categories.
He started the season with 35 points and 20 boards versus Maryville College and tallied 35 points and 16 rebounds against Covenant College. He registered 22 points at LaGrange College, 21 points and 21 boards at Welch College, and collected 21 points against both Rhodes College and Millsaps College. He posted 22 points at home versus Trinity University and collected 25 points and 11 boards versus Berry College after dropping 40 points and 14 boards in the first meeting with the Vikings.
Bigham ranked first in the SAA in blocks (68), blocks per game (2.72), double-doubles (15), field goals made (186), total points (484), total rebounds (276), defensive rebounds per game (9.72), total rebounds per game (11.0), 3-point percentage (.386), 3-pointers per game (2.84) and total 3-pointers made (71). He ranked in the Top 20 nationally in blocks (11th), blocks per game (9th), double-doubles (9th), total rebounds (20th), defensive rebounds per game (2nd) and total rebounds per game (16th) while ranking in the Top 75 in five other categories.
Avaliani contributed 18.0 points per game, ranking second on the team and fourth in the SAA. The Marietta, Ga., native scored in double figures in 23-of-26 contests this season, recording eight games of 20-plus points and three 30-point outings. He made 45-for-138 (32.6 percent) from 3-point range while pulling down 4.5 rebounds per game.
He scored 33 points versus Brevard College and 32 against Asbury University and at Trinity University. He finished with 25 points at Piedmont University, collected 26 points at Southwestern University and netted 25 points against Covenant College and versus Millsaps College.
He led the conference in free throws made (98), ranked second in field goals made (163) and total points (469) and third in field goal attempts (357).
Players were nominated for these awards by the Sports Information Directors at the various schools, with 797 players nominated nationwide. The ballot was then made available to a number of SIDs, who voted for a predetermined number of players in their region.
It's the 25th season
D3hoops.com has named All-Region teams. The regional Rookie of the Year award honors the top freshman in each region, while
D3hoops.com also names a regional Coach of the Year.
Division III basketball is organized into 10 regions. A region with 40 teams or more has three All-Region teams honored, while a region with fewer than 40 teams has a first and second team. This organization results in approximately 10 additional players being recognized when compared to full seasons in the old eight-region alignment.
Players from these lists are eligible for the
D3hoops.com All-America teams. The women's basketball All-America team will be released March 21, at the national championship game, and the men's basketball All-America team will be released in the following week.
Player of the Year: Ben Pearce, Emory University
Coach of the Year: Jason Zimmerman, Emory University
Rookie of the Year:
Nikolas Avaliani, Sewanee
First Team All-Region VI
G – Ben Pearce, Emory University
G – Jair Knight, Emory University
G – Kye Robinson, Mary Washington
F – Chase Morgan, Maryville College
F –
Fletcher Bigham, Sewanee
Second Team All-Region VI
G – Phil Dotson, Rhodes College
G – Omari DeVeaux, Virginia Wesleyan
G – Jabril Robinson, Randolph-Macon
G – Toa Hollenbeck, Christopher Newport
G – Jackson Bell, Roanoke College
F – Doug Smith, Pfeiffer University
