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CoBL 2016-17 City 6 Awards

03/27/2017, 12:00pm EDT
By CoBL Staff

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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Okay, so maybe this year wasn’t the best ever for the City 6.

Only one team made the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the last three years, though Villanova kept alive the City of Brotherly Love’s streak of sending at least one team dancing in every season since 1977. The others battled a mix of injuries, inexperience and on-court issues that made it difficult for any of them to present significant threats in their respective conferences.

It wasn’t all bad, however -- the crop of underclassmen in the city looks about as strong as ever, and a number of seniors broke through with the best years of their careers.

Without further ado, here are our Division I awards for the 2016-17 season:


Villanova senior Josh Hart (above) was the CoBL staff's unanimous pick for City 6 Player of the Year. (Photo: Mark Jordan/CoBL)

Player of the Year
Josh Hart
(Sr./Villanova)

In a city loaded with Division I college basketball talent, Hart was far and away the best player in the area in the 2016-17 season. The 6-foot-5 guard out of Sidwell Friends (Md.) did it all for Villanova this year as he averaged 18.7 points per contest while also reeling in 6.8 rebounds, dishing out 2.9 assists and also registering 1.6 steals per game. He was undoubtedly the driving force behind Villanova’s 32-4 season, which leaves him and his classmates as the winningest group to ever come through the Main Line, going 129-17 (.883) in their time in Wildcat uniforms.

Hart’s stellar numbers were good enough to earn him the Big East Player of the Year Award, Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year and he was also named a finalist for the Naismith Award, which is given to the top player in all of Division I hoops. A standout player since he arrived, Hart finished his time at ‘Nova with 1,921 career points which puts him 10th in the program’s illustrious history.

Unfortunately, Hart’s career didn’t end the way he’d hoped, as he and the rest of the Villanova seniors were upended by WIsconsin in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, ending their repeat bid a bit earlier than they would have liked. But that certainly doesn’t change the impact that Hart had over his tremendous four years at Villanova. Now, his shot at the NBA awaits.

First Team
Shizz Alston Jr. (Soph./Temple)
If we did a “Most Improved” award it would certainly go to this 6-4 Haverford School product, who went from a rather passive reserve as a freshman (2.0 ppg in 10.6 mpg) to the Owls’ leading scorer as a sophomore, chipping in 13.9 ppg while shooting 40.8 percent overall and 34.5 percent from the 3-point arc, averaging 4.1 apg and 3.6 rpg with a terrific assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.7:1. Should team with the injured
Josh Brown next year to form a terrific backcourt tandem for Fran Dunphy.

A.J. Brodeur (Fr./Penn)
Brodeur made his first season in a Quaker uniform a memorable one. The 6-foot-8 forward from Northborough, Mass. was put into the starting lineup immediately upon his arrival on campus and he responded. Brodeur led the Quakers in scoring (13.8 ppg), rebounding (6.9 rpg), blocks (2.4 bpg) and field-goal percentage (.526) while ranking second on the squad in assists (1.9 apg) and third in steals (1.0 spg). In his best performance, he put up 35 points and six rebounds to help the Quakers to a Big 5 win at La Salle, and also surpassed the 20-point mark three other times.

Jalen Brunson (Soph./Villanova)
A unanimous First Team All-Big East choice, the 6-foot-2 Brunson enjoyed a terrific sophomore season on the Main Line. After serving as second fiddle to
Ryan Arcidiacono in his freshman campaign, Brunson took over the floor general role for Villanova this season and thrived. After averaging 9.6 points, 2.5 assists and 1.8 rebounds per contest last season, Brunson’s numbers improved greatly this year as he turned in a final line of 14.7 points per game, 4.1 assists per contest and 2.6 rebounds. Brunson’s most impressive performance of his sophomore campaign came in a February 18 win over Seton Hall where he cashed in for 22 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting while also dishing out 10 assists and grabbing four rebounds.

B.J. Johnson (RS-Jr./La Salle)
Johnson’s first season in a La Salle uniform proved to be a successful one for the Lower Merion graduate. After sitting out last season following his transfer from Syracuse, Johnson was a force to be reckoned with in the Atlantic 10. Johnson’s season totals of 17.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game were team-highs for La Salle and also both ranked in the top 10 in the conference. Johnson was also La Salle’s most consistent performer as he failed to reach double figures in scoring in just three of the Explorer’s contests in the 2016-17 season.

Rodney Williams (Sr./Drexel)
During Williams’ first three years at Drexel, it never quite seemed like he was living up to the abilities he’d flash, even though his numbers ticked up each season. But he finally broke through as a senior, averaging a team-high 15.6 ppg on 52.6 percent shooting, grabbing 6.8 rpg as well.


Matt Howard (above) was named to the City 6 Second Team after averaging 12.5 ppg and 6.8 rpg as a senior. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Second Team
Matt Howard (Sr./Penn)
After turning in a solid first three seasons in a Penn uniform, Howard saved his best for last. The 6-foot-4 guard did it all for Penn in his last go around as he averaged 12.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. Howard turned in his best performance of his career in his final regular season game as he turned in a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double in a win over Harvard that put Penn into the Ivy League playoffs.

Kris Jenkins (Sr./Villanova)
In his first three years at Villanova, Jenkins was primarily a three-point specialist but that all changed in his senior campaign. Though his scoring average dropped from 13.6 points to 13.1 points per game, the 6-foot-6 forward saw improvements in both rebounds (3.9 to 4.1) and steals (0.8 to 1.1) while also taking on a noticeable leadership role for the highly-successful Wildcats.

Lamarr Kimble (Soph./Saint Joseph’s)
Though Kimble’s season was cut short by a season-ending injury incurred on February 11, the sophomore made the most of his healthy time on Hawk Hill. After turning in solid numbers of 6.0 points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game as a freshman, Kimble improved incredibly over the offseason turning in sophomore year averages of 15.5 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game in 37.4 minutes of action per contest.

Kurk Lee Jr. (Fr./Drexel)
The third true freshman in a row to start for the Dragons at point, Lee certainly looks to have grabbed the starting gig for the next three seasons. The 5-foot-9 dynamo, whose father played for Towson in the late 80s, averaged 14.9 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.9 rpg and 1.6 spg, making 40 percent of his 145 3-point attempts, nearly as well as he shot from inside the arc (42.3 percent); He and fellow freshman
Kari Jonsson give the Dragons a lot to look forward to moving forward.

Shavar Newkirk (Jr./Saint Joseph’s)
It was certainly a tough call whether or not to include Newkirk on here, as the 6-0 guard only played in 12 games before an ACL tear suffered against George Washington on Dec. 30 in the conference opener ended his season. But ultimately, his play over those 12 games -- 20.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.5 apg, shooting 46.6 percent overall and 39.6 percent from 3-point range -- was too good to ignore. Now the question is whether he’ll be able to find that level of play again after coming back from injury in the fall.

Pookie Powell (RS-Soph./La Salle)
Powell took a bit to shake the rust off after sitting out last season following his transfer from Memphis, but after a 27-point performance in La Salle’s near upset of Villanova on December 6, Powell was ready to play. Though he missed six games due to injury, Powell still turned in stellar season averages of 13.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

~~~


A.J. Brodeur (above) showed his talent, toughness and versatility in his first season at Penn. (Photo: Mark Jordan/CoBL)

Rookie of the Year
A.J. Brodeur
(Penn)

Though his numbers slowed down somewhat towards the end of the year as the rest of the Ivy League began focusing on Brodeur -- he still hit double figures in nine of his last 10 games, but didn’t get more than 16 in any of those outings -- there’s no doubt that his two-way abilities will anchor this program for the next three years. He’s a very underrated defender as well, with at least one block in all but one game, and multiple blocks in just over half of their season (18 games); a 10-point, nine-rebound, six-block, five-assist game against Brown shows how versatile he can be.

All-Rookie Team
Ryan Betley (Penn)
Brodeur’s teammate, a local product out of Downingtown West, missed the Quakers’ first 10 games of the season and then waffled in and out of the starting lineup for the next 10 games, during which he scored fewer than five points five times. But then the 6-5 guard absolutely exploded, averaging 17.8 ppg over the last eight games to earn his spot here: on the season, he averaged 11.9 ppg and 4.6 rpg, shooting 40.2 percent from the 3-point arc and 47.5 percent overall.

Charlie Brown (Saint Joseph’s)
The former George Washington HS standout went up to St. Thomas More (Conn.) last year for a prep year, and came back two inches taller and primed for his first year of college basketball. A super-talented 6-7 wing with a ton of upside, Brown averaged 12.8 ppg and 5.0 rpg for the Hawks, weathering a huge load (34.2 mpg) due to those injuries but generally acquitting himself well. A terrific perimeter threat, he shot 38.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Donte DiVincenzo (Villanova)
The only redshirt freshman on the list, DiVincenzo certainly benefitted from seeing action in nine games a year ago (1.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg) but became an integral part of the Villanova rotation this year, averaging 8.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 1.7 spg in 25 minutes of reserve action a game. Introduced himself to a national audience by averaging 18.0 ppg and 9.5 rpg in the Wildcats’ two NCAA Tournament games.

Kurk Lee Jr. (Drexel)
Part of a dynamic freshman backcourt with 6-3 Icelandic native
Kari Jonsson, Lee’s performance this season gives Drexel fans a lot to look forward to moving forward. The biggest knock on him is his size, but clearly that’s never bothered him in the slightest; with a tightened shot selection inside the arc and cutting down on his turnovers (2.9/game) he’s got a chance to set some records in his career.

Quinton Rose (Temple)
At the beginning of the season, there was a freshman in the Temple lineup -- but it wasn’t Rose, as
Alani Moore II started alongside Alston in the backcourt. But it was Rose, a lanky and talented 6-5 guard out of Rochester (N.Y.) that had the more impressive rookie season, showing some flashes of real dominance though still rather infrequently. Averaged 9.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 1.8 apg, but went for a career-high 26 points against Florida State in arguably Temple’s best win of the year.

~~~

Game of the Year
Penn 75, Harvard 72
-- March 4, Palestra
Penn’s entire season came down to one game: beat Harvard at home on March 4, and the Quakers would make the Ivy League’s first-ever playoffs, held in its home gym at the Palestra. Lose, and they were out. And with Harvard leading by six with eight minutes to go against a Penn team that hadn’t won any big games since before anybody on the roster was in college, the prospects didn’t look great. Instead, Penn ripped off a 13-3 run to go up by four, setting the stage for the biggest shot in recent Quaker memory.

In a tie game with the clock running down, sophomore guard Jackson Donahue found space on the right wing and let fly, knocking down a 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds left. Harvard had a good look to tie it but couldn’t connect, and Penn raced onto the court in euphoria after completing a rather improbable comeback -- not just in that game, but in the season, as they were 0-6 to begin Ivy League play.

Honorable Mention
Villanova 61, Virginia 59 -- Jan. 29, Wells Fargo
Villanova 55, Seton Hall 53 -- March 10, Madison Square Garden

Coach of the Year
Steve Donahue
, Penn

This was by far the toughest call on here: it was either Donahue or Jay Wright, who coached Villanova to a 32-4 record and berth in the NCAA Tournament second-round despite mostly playing with a seven-man rotation thanks to one key injury (Phil Booth) and his best recruit (Omari Spellman) kept ineligible due to an NCAA technicality due to his reclassifying shortly into his 9th grade season.

But ultimately, we decided to give it to Donahue, who had to make the toughest coaching call of all. While Wright’s rotation was basically set due to circumstances, Donahue had struggled keeping a hold on the Penn rotation, with nine different players starting multiple games. But with the Quakers sitting at 7-12 (0-6) after a loss to Princeton on Feb. 7, Donahue made a gutsy move, inserting Ryan Betley into the starting lineup and cutting his rotation down to just eight players -- including three freshmen, all playing major minutes.

Penn ripped off five straight wins, found its way back into the Ivy League playoffs, and even though the Quakers lost to Princeton in the Ivy League semifinals, they re-ignited the Palestra and provided some solid proof that the program is moving in the right direction again.


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