Posted: Feb 27, 2012
FREDONIA – The State University of New York Athletic Conference has announced the Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year awards for the 2011-12 men’s basketball season. The awards are voted on by the conference coaches.
The Player of the Year award goes to Oswego State’s Chad Burridge (Hannibal/Hannibal) for the second straight year. Burridge, a senior forward, averaged 16.4 points and 7.4 rebounds in 18 conference games as he led the Lakers to a perfect 18-0 conference record and the No. 1 seed in the SUNYAC tournament for the second time ever. He shot 54.0 percent from the floor and totaled 44 blocks in SUNYAC play. The Lakers won the SUNYAC Championship for the first time since 1965 and Burridge was named the tournament MVP. Overall, Burridge is averaging a team-high 16 points on the season and will look to continue his impressive play in the NCAA tournament.
The Player of the Year award goes to Oswego State’s Chad Burridge (Hannibal/Hannibal) for the second straight year. Burridge, a senior forward, averaged 16.4 points and 7.4 rebounds in 18 conference games as he led the Lakers to a perfect 18-0 conference record and the No. 1 seed in the SUNYAC tournament for the second time ever. He shot 54.0 percent from the floor and totaled 44 blocks in SUNYAC play. The Lakers won the SUNYAC Championship for the first time since 1965 and Burridge was named the tournament MVP. Overall, Burridge is averaging a team-high 16 points on the season and will look to continue his impressive play in the NCAA tournament.
Oneonta State freshman Frankie Kelly (Brewster/Kennedy Catholic) was named the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year. He started all 18 conference games and averaged 12.2 points while making 82.2 percent of his free throws. In addition he added 3.3 rebounds and ranked third in the conference with 4.2 assists during league play. He led Oneonta in scoring in nine games as he finished with a team high 273 points on the year. Kelly is Oneonta’s second SUNYAC Rookie of the Year recipient and first since Greg Gibbs in the 1998-99 season.
Oswego State head coach Jason Leone has been named the Coach of the Year. In his first season guiding the Lakers, his team posted an undefeated 18-0 mark in conference play and went on to earn the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament for the second straight year. Oswego won the SUNYAC Championship for the fifth time in school history and the first time since 1965. Leone’s team has a current 25-3 record and will be making its second national tournament appearance is program history when they host the first and second rounds March 2 and 3. The Lakers will face Endicott College (20-8) in the first round. Leone is the fourth Laker coach to earn the SUNYAC coach of the year honor, joining Paul Callaghan (1986), Kevin Broderick (1998) and last year’s recipient Adam Stockwell (2011).
2011-12 All-Conference Teams
