CORTLAND, N.Y. - The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) announces its Men's Basketball Athlete of the Decade, Coach of the Decade and All-Decade Team as nominated and voted on by the institution's sports information directors.

To be eligible for the All-Decade Team, athletes must have competed in the SUNYAC at least one season during the 2009-10 academic year through 2019-20 and athletes must have been named to the All-SUNYAC team more than once or named Athlete of the Year once. Athlete and Coach of the Decade recipients were previously named SUNYAC Athlete of the Year or Coach of the Year. 

SUNYAC Men's Basketball Athlete of the Decade - Jonathan Patron, Plattsburgh
Patron competed for the Cardinals from 2015-19. During that time he was a two time NABC All-America (first-team in 2017-18 and second-team in 2018-19), a D3hoops.com honorable mention All-America (2017-18) a DIII News third-team All-America (2017-18) and a NABC first-team All-District (2018-19). Patron was named the 2017-18 NABC East District Player of the Year, the 2017-18 D3hoops.com East Region Player of the Year and a two-time SUNYAC Player of the Year (2018-19, 2017-18). He was also named to the D3hoops.com first-team All-Region twice (2018-19, 2017-18), he was selected to the BCANY All-Upstate team two times (2018-19, 2017-18), he was named to the first-team All-SUNYAC two seasons (2018-19, 2017-18) and the second-team All-SUNYAC in 2016-17. Patron was named the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year in 2015-16. He was honored as the 2017-18 SUNYAC Tournament MVP as well as being named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team as he helped his team win the SUNYAC title that year. During the 2018-19 season, Patron was a participant in the Reese's Division III College All-Star Game, he was named a D3hoops.com Preseason All-America and a Street and Smith Magazine Preseason All-America (2018-19). He was the Plattsburgh Male Athlete of the Year twice (2018-19, 2017-18) and honored with the Plattsburgh Male Senior Achievement Award (2018-19).

Patron is a program record holder in career scoring (1,936 points) and ranks fifth in program history in career rebounds (993). In his career he averaged 19.8 points per game, 9.3 rebounds per game, 1.5 assists per game, 0.7 steals per game and shot 51.6 percent (736-of-1,425) from the field for his career. In 2018-19, he ranked among NCAA Division III leaders in free throw attempts (eighth, 232), double-doubles (12th, 16), total points (17th, 620), total field goal attempts (18th, 459), total field goals made (19th, 217), total rebounds (22nd, 285), points per game (23rd, 23.0), rebounds per game (25th, 10.6), free throws made (19th, 217), defensive rebounds per game (33rd, 7.56) and offensive rebounds per game (83rd, 3.0). In 2017-18 Patron ranked among Division III leaders in double-doubles (31st, 12), total field goals made (54th, 194) and total points (99th, 498. In 2016-17 he ranked among Division III leaders in rebounds per game (84th, 9.0), total field goals made (94th, 180) and defensive rebounds per game (97th, 6.25). Finally, in 2015-16 Patron ranked 77th in Division III in field-goal percentage (55.1 percent).

SUNYAC Men's Basketball Coach of the Decade - Jason Leone, Oswego
In nine seasons, Leone accumulated a 181-75 (.707) overall record and 114-48 (.704) in conference play. Oswego has five NCAA appearances, including two  trips to the Sweet 16 in the decade. Under his leadership, the Lakers won four SUNYAC championships (2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2018-19) and appeared in every SUNYAC championship during the decade. Leone is a four-time SUNYAC Coach of the Year (2012, 2015, 2017, 2019) and three-time Regional Coach of the Year (2011-12 NABC East Region & BCANY, 2015-16 BCANY, 2018-19 NABC East Region and BCANY).

2010's SUNYAC Men's Basketball All-Decade Team (PDF)