City of Basketball Love

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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The CoBL kept a close eye on the small-college landscape this past season from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, up to State College and over to the Lehigh Valley. It was another strong year among the local Division III programs, highlighted by Swarthmore’s run to the Final Four. There were a number of players from area programs who put together standout campaigns. Here’s our list of the 2022-23 Division III men’s basketball awards:

2022-23 CoBL Division III All-Area Teams

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Vinny DeAngelo — Jr. | G | Swarthmore
It’s hard to ignore the “best player on the best team,” and when it comes to area Division III squads, DeAngelo certainly holds that moniker. The junior helped lead a deep Garnet team to the Division III men’s national semifinals, while holding team highs in scoring (17.6 ppg) and steals (1.2 spg). He also tacked on 4.2 rpg and an impressive 3.3 apg and shot a blistering 44 percent from 3-point range. DeAngelo earned NABC All-America First-Team honors, was named to D3Hoops.com’s All-America Fourth Team, and won the award for Centennial Conference Player of the Year. 

FIRST TEAM

Dominic Dunn — Gr. | SF | Widener
Dunn’s first season at Widener was an impressive one, as the 6-5 wing brought his versatility down from Susquehanna and led Widener to a 19-9 (11-5) record, averaging 18.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg with .446/.388/.855 shooting splits, making 76 3-pointers on the season. A first team All-MAC Commonwealth selection, Dunn will be returning to Widener for his final season of college hoops.

Malik Green — Sr. | F | Alvernia
The MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year put together a strong statistical campaign to couple with solid team success. Green was a key piece on an Alvernia’s team that made postseason runs to the MAC Commonwealth and ECAC championship games; the Golden Wolves were runners up in both tournaments. On the year, Green averaged 17.4 points and 7.5 rpg, which closely mirrored stats from his 2021-22 season, including a five-game stretch in early February in which he averaged just shy of 25 points. 

Jordan Shewbridge — Gr. | G | Lancaster Bible
Shewbridge’s fifth season at Lancaster Bible saw him notch the school’s all-time scoring record at 2,243 career points and earned him an array of postseason honors, including his second-straight CoBL All-Area First Team nod. The graduate guard, who averaged 18.8 points and 2.6 assists, was named to the D3Hoops.com and NABC All-Region First Teams, as well as the NABC Reese’s Division III All-Star Game. Shewbridge was an efficient scorer at all levels this season, shooting 40 percent from the field, 45 percent from beyond the arc, and 84 percent from the free-throw line.

Jalen Vaughns — Jr. | F | Neumann
Last season’s CoBL All-Area Division III Player of the Year put together another standout campaign in 2022-23, averaging 23 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 58 percent from the field. Vaughns was named Atlantic East Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season, and led the conference in both the scoring and rebounding categories, as well as field goal percentage. Vaughns also ranked among the league’s Top 10 in blocks, and averaged 26.5 points in Neumann’s pair of ECAC Tournament contests, including 31 in a season-ending loss to Alvernia. 

Jalen Watkins — Sr. | F | Arcadia
Watkins racked up a variety of MAC Freedom honors in his senior season, including Player of the Year, All-Conference First Team, conference tournament MVP, and five Player of the Week honors. A 59 percent shooter from the field, Watkins led the Knights in scoring (18.7 ppg) and rebounding (12.0 rpg) — both of which were career-highs — and tallied 18 double-doubles. Watkins logged 21 points and a staggering 21 rebounds in Arcadia’s NCAA Tournament First Round loss to Case Western Reserve. 

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SECOND TEAM

Jamal Cannady Jr. — Soph. | G | Bryn Athyn
CoBL’s Rookie of the Year in 2021-22, Cannady backed up his strong freshman year with an impressive sophomore campaign. The All-CSAC First Team selection filled up all aspects of the stat sheet, averaging a staggering 23.4 points — good for sixth nationally — 5.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals. An efficient scorer, Cannady shot 48 percent from the field, 42 percent from distance and 80 percent at the free throw line. His scoring and assists numbers were both team highs. He's currently in the transfer portal, with scholarship-level schools involved.

Ryan Hughes — Sr. | SG | Ursinus
Hughes logged an impressive 17.7 ppg, 14.4 rpg, 3.1 apg and 1.4 spg while shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc and 50 percent from the field in his final season with the Bears. All of the above also earned Hughes a First-Team Centennial Conference selection for the second year in a row. Hughes rounded out his career with more than 1,500 points at Ursinus, and will leave the school in fourth place on its all-time scoring list.

Collin Jones — Sr. | F | Lebanon Valley
One of just a small handful of area players to average a double-double, Jones tallied 18.7 ppg and 10.0 rpg on his senior season, en route to a third-consecutive All-MAC Commonwealth First Team nod. The Dutchmen struggled, finishing 7-18 on the season and 5-11 in conference play, but Jones was a steady and consistent bright spot up, logging at least 15 points in all but four of his 25 appearances, and tallying a total of 13 double-double, including six in a row during the month of January.

Howie Rankine Jr. — Sr. | G | Susquehanna
Rankine took a big jump in production from his junior to senior year, averaging 17.1 ppg and 6.2 rpg, ranked sixth and eighth in the Landmark Conference, plus 3.0 apg, starting all 26 games as Susquehanna finished 16-10 (11-3). The 6-0 guard from Carlisle (Pa.) set a career best with 33 points against Lebanon Valley, and has one year of eligibility remaining. 

Giovanni Rubino — Jr. | G | Muhlenberg
Rubino just had one of the better individual seasons in Mules history, scoring 510 points (18.9 ppg), the third-most in program history, setting the school record by shooting 88% from the foul line, hitting more shots than anyone else in the Centennial and coming in fifth in the league in shooting percentage (55.4%) despite taking 100 more shots than anybody above him. The 6-2 guard from Jersey, a first team All-Centennial selection, scored in double figures in all but two games, topping out at 35 in a playoff win over Ursinus. 

Alex Salata III — Sr. | G | PSU-Abington
PSU-Abington had a breakthrough season under first-year head coach Ryan Van Zelst, winning 18 games for the first time in recent history and going to its first-ever league championship game, falling short to Lancaster Bible. Salata, a 6-2 guard from Boyertown, had a career year, averaging 17.3 ppg and 3.3 rpg on .445/.400/.812 shooting splits, making 56 3-pointers and topping the 20-point mark 13 times, earning first team all-UEC honors in the process.

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THIRD TEAM

Nate Curry — Sr. | G | Penn State-Harrisburg
A United East First Team selection, Curry is just the second player in PSU-Harrisburg history to finish his career with 1,000 points and 600 rebounds, averaging 15.4 ppg — on 48.4% shooting — plus 8.2 rpg, 2.3 apg and 1.3 spg for the Lions, who finished 15-11 (12-4) this season. A muscular 6-3 guard out of Christ the King (N.Y.), Curry hit the 20-point mark four times this season, topping out at 29 points. 

Elijah Eberly — Jr. | F | DeSales
Eberly, a 6-4 forward from Elizabethtown, Pa., might not have the gaudy stats of some, but he was the guiding force for a squad that dominated the MAC Freedom for most of the season. He averaged 10.6 ppg on 57.5 percent shooting and team-best 6.4 rpg to earn first team All-MAC. Eberly left his impact on both ends of the floor, leading the Bulldogs in blocks (39) and finishing second in steals (22). He was a D3Hooops.com All-Region second team selection.

Dan Gaines — Sr. | G | Muhlenberg
Gaines capped off his career with his fourth All-Centennial selection, earning First Team honors after averaging 16.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg for the Mules, who went 18-9 (12-6). The 6-2 guard from Colts Neck (N.J.) made 37.7% of his 3-pointers (57-of-151) and had a team-high 81 assists, his best game a 22-point, 8-rebound, 6-assist outing against Haverford, though he topped out at 35 points (with no rebounds) against Franklin & Marshall.

Dyson Harward — Sr. | F | Lycoming
Harward was named to the All-MAC Freedom First Team for the third time in a row, the 6-7 forward from Danville (Pa.) averaging 13.7 ppg — by 0.6 ppg his career high — and 9.7 rpg, a bit of a drop from a year ago, though he increased his 3-point shooting 39.2% (56-of-143), his overall field goal shooting (45.7%) staying the same. Harward has 1,172 career points and 839 career rebounds, and has a year of eligibility remaining if he chooses to use it.

Pat Holden — Sr. | G | Widener
The starting point guard on the Pride’s NCAA squad, Holden — who’s started 66 games in his college career — had his best season this past year, averaging 13.9 ppg and 4.0 apg with an assist-to-turnover ratio just below 2:1, his 34 steals second on the team. A 5-8, 160-pound guard, Holden was picked to the MAC Commonwealth First Team, along with Dunn. 

George Visconti — Sr. | G | Swarthmore
Visconti was the No. 2 option on a loaded Swat squad, coming in as an All-Centennial Second Team selection, averaging 14.4 ppg and 3.3 rpg, shooting 46.8% overall and a Centennial-best 51.3% from the 3-point arc. His season high was a 30-pointer against Haverford, but he scored 20 points in back-to-back games against Nicols and Christopher Newport in the Elite 8 and Final Four. The 6-3 guard from Clark (N.J.) finishes his Swat career with 1,519 points.

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FOURTH TEAM

Gavin Barrett — Soph.  | G | Penn College
A 6-1 guard out of Union (N.J.), Barrett nearly doubled his freshman year scoring output, averaging a team-best 18.4 ppg on .474/.407/.631 splits for Penn College, which went 10-15 (5-11 UEC) this year; he also averaged 5.7 rpg and 6.7 apg, with a team-high 47 steals. Barrett had two triple-doubles this season, with 12 assists and 10 rebounds in both, and also had a 31-point scoring outing against Clarks Summit. 

Manny Clark — Jr. | G | Gwynedd Mercy
The first-team All-Atlantic East select from Pottsgrove averaged a career-high 16.5 ppg plus 5.5 rpg, shooting .443/.377/.819 to lead a Gwynedd Mercy squad that went 14-13 (7-5 AEC). His biggest output of the season was a 38-point outburst against Marywood where he shot 14-19 from the floor and 4-5 from deep; he didn’t lead the AEC in any category but was in the top 10 in 11 different categories, second in total points. 

Jaron Fairweather — Sr. | G | Eastern
Fairweather averaged 12.9 ppg and 4.8 rpg for an 18-win Eastern squad. The  6-4 senior guard was a first team MAC Commonwealth selection after garnering second team honors a season ago. Along with leading Eastern in scoring, he was second in rebounding, assists (66) and blocks (18) and was second in the Landmark in steals (70), averaging 2.6 spg.

Zaire Mitchell  — Gr. | F | Rosemont
Te 6-2 forward from Phillipsburg (N.J.), was an All-CSAC selection for the second straight year, starting all 26 games for Rosemont (11-15, 9-6 CSAC) and leading the Ravens in scoring (16.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 ppg), as well as blocks (23), shooting 58% from the floor, with three double-doubles, including 23 points and 13 rebounds on 9-11 shooting against Cabrini. He became the first Rosemont player to eclipse the 1,000-point total this season, becoming the school's all-time scoring leader.

Marquis Ratcliff  — Fr. | F | Moravian
A 6-7 forward out of Nativity BVM in Pottsville, Ratcliff had an outstanding first season of college hoops, averaging 17.5 ppg and 8.6 rpg while making 57.7% of his shots, including going 12-of-36 (33.3%) from 3-point range, plus blocking a couple shots per contest in 25 games (23 starts). He’ll be a nice building block for the Greyhounds, who went 8-17 (5-9 Landmark) this season.

Grant Sereyka — Jr. | G | Lancaster Bible
Sereyka pitched in a little bit of everything on Lancaster Bible’s road to an NCAA Tournament berth; his 2.8 rpg, 2.1 spg and 2.3 apg paired nicely with 15.3 ppg, good for second among all Chargers, en route to First Team United East All-Conference marks. The junior scored with solid efficiency, shooting .460/.380/.767, and had 17 points in Lancaster Bible’s first round tournament victory. 

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FIFTH TEAM

Michael Caprise — Jr. | F | Swarthmore
Caprise is a steady presence on the block, the 6-6 forward from Virginia averaging double figures (10.0 ppg) for the first time in his career, adding in 8.2 rpg. Caprice was efficient with his touches, shooting 57.7% from the floor; his best game was a 22-point, 19-rebound effort against Muhlenberg. 

Tony James — Sr. | F | Neumann
The 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year in the Atlantic East, James — a 6-2 forward from Harrisburg — averaged 10.9 ppg and 7.1 rpg, with 75 assists against 41 turnovers. He’s averaged 34.8 mpg in two years at Neumann, shooting 48% from the field this year, a small uptick from the season before . 

Josh Parra — Jr. | F | Franklin & Marshall
A 6-6 forward out of Milton Hershey, Parra was a second-team All-Centennial Conference selection, averaging team highs in scoring (13.1 ppg) and rebounding (7.6 rpg), doing that all despite playing only 21.5 mpg. Parra shot 60% from the floor, second-best in the conference, and his rebounds were also second-best in the league.

Rance Russo — Soph. | G | Elizabethtown
Russo’s had quite the start to his Elizabethtown career, starting 47 out of 48 games and averaging 15.5 ppg for his career. The 6-5 guard improved all of his numbers from freshman (13.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg) to sophomore year (18.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg), shooting 46.1% overall and 39.4% from 3-point range, earning All-Landmark Conference second-team honors as E-Town finished 10-14 (4-10).

Ahmadu Sarnor — Soph. | G | Cabrini
Sarnor has been all over the place in his hoops career, from Collegium Charter to the Ranney School, then starting his career at D-I Mississippi Valley State before taking a few years off, re-emerging at Cabrini this season. The 6-1 wing started all but four games, averaging 14.7 ppg and 8.0 rpg with seven double-doubles, earning second team All-AEC honors.  

Carl Schaller — Soph. | G | Gettysburg
Schaller’s become an instantly big part of the Gettysburg rotation, starting all 51 games he’s played in the last two years, leading the Bullets to a 16-11 (12-6) season. The 6-0 guard from Garnet Valley averaged 14.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 2.4 apg this year on .422/.358/.655 splits, with a season-high 33 points at Swarthmore in the regular-season finale. 

HONORABLE MENTION

Mason Barnes — Jr. | G | DeSales
Derian Bradford — Jr. | F | Cairn
Ryan Byars — Sr. | G | Cabrini
Eric Chamberlain — So. | G | Albright
Kai Cipalla — So. | F | York
Kameron Clark — Gr. | F | Cairn
Nigel Cooke — Jr. | G | Alvernia
Nate Ellis — Fr. | G | DeSales
Steven Hamilton — Jr. | G | Lycoming
Jakob Kelly — Jr. | F | Alvernia
Zubair Lee — Fr. | F | Eastern
Martin Mann — Gr. | F | Dickinson
Jackson Mascari — So. | F | York
Jaryn McCann — Sr. | F | Bryn Athyn
Justin Money — Sr. | G | Arcadia
Tyler Penley — Gr. | F | Messiah
Brian Randolph III — Sr. | G | Penn State-Abington
Brandon Lavitt — Fr. | Susquehanna
Jesse Rivera — Gr. | G | Cairn
Ahmadu Sarnor — So. | G/F | Cabrini
Zegary Scott III — Gr. | G | Penn State-Harrisburg
John Seidman — So. | G | Franklin & Marshall
Jordan Stafford — So. | G | Gettysburg
Ryan Starr — Sr. | G | Neumann
Aquil Stewart — So. | G | Cabrini
Adam Stoltzfus — Sr. | F | Lancaster Bible
Mo Terry — Sr. | F | Lycoming
Tyler Tillery — Sr. | F | Immaculata
Nate Torres — Sr. | F | Haverford
Trevor Wall — Jr. | G | Ursinus
Kaeshawn Ward — Jr. | G | Eastern
Jay White — Fr. | G | Valley Forge
Andrew Zentner — Jr. | F | Lancaster Bible

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2022-23 CoBL Division III All-Rookie Teams

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Marquis Ratcliff — Fr. | F | Moravian 
Ratcliff came to Moravian after earning Class 1A first team all-state honors at Nativity BVM in Pottsville. The 6-7 forward made an immediate impact for the Greyhounds, averaging 17.5 ppg and 8.6 rpg. Ratcliff was a second team All-Landmark Conference selection and the conference’s Rookie of the Year, doubling as CoBL’s D-III Rookie of the Year. Ratcliff reached double figures in 21 of 24 games this season, including his last 13 contests as he saved some of his best ball for the end of the season, also recording two-or-more blocks in six straight to finish off the year. The highlight was a 30-point, 12-rebound, two-block performance in a Feb. 8 over Goucher.

ALL-ROOKIE

Nate Ellis — Fr. | G | DeSales
The Bulldogs went 21-6 and 14-2 in the MAC Freedom this season with Ellis leading the balanced group in scoring at 11.2 ppg. The 5-11 guard from William Allen High School averaged 22.2 mpg off the bench, which ranked fifth on the team. He was the MAC Freedom Rookie of the Year and an all-league honorable mention as well as the D3hoops.com Region IV Rookie of the Year.

Brandon Lavitt — Fr. | Susquehanna
Lavitt started all 30 games and averaged more than 30 minutes per game for a Susquehanna squad that won 16 games, including an 11-3 mark in the Landmark. The 6-5 forward from Charlotte, N.C. posted 13 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest, while shooting 51 percent from the floor. His rebounds per game and shooting percentage both ranked fifth in the Landmark.

Zubair Lee — Fr. | F | Eastern
After a standout high school career at Eastern (N.J.), Lee fit into his new college home for more reason than just the name. The 6-7 forward was second on the team in scoring (11.1 ppg), first in rebounding (7.8 rpg) and blocks (2.0 bpg) to earn MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year honors. He was second in the conference in field goal percentage (54.2%) and blocked shots (53). 

Justin Savage — Fr. | G | Delaware Valley
The Cheltenham product was a starter from Day 1 for the Aggies this season and ended as the team's leading scorer (11.6 ppg), reaching double figures in all but six games to help keep a youthful Del-Val squad competitive. Savage, a 6-4 guard, was also third on his team in rebounding (4.7 rpg) and second in blocks (14). 

Jay White — Fr. | G | Valley Forge
The 6-2 guard from Pennsauken Tech was a bright spot for Valley Forge, which went 1-21 this season. He averaged 19.4 ppg and 7.3 rpg, starting in 15 of the 16 games he played. White led his team in points per game, rebounds per game and minutes per game, also tying for second with 40 assists. He went for double figures in 15 of the 16 games he played, including a 36-point, 10-rebound effort.

HONORABLE MENTION

Myles Bright — Fr. | G | Widener
DJ Johnson — Fr. | G | Gwynedd Mercy
Vakaris Grauslys — Fr. | G | Franklin & Marshall
Nick Nocito — Fr. | G | Ursinus
Kevin Nowoswiat — Fr. | G | Franklin & Marshall
Chase Robinson — Fr. | G | Penn State-Harrisburg
Tyriq Toney-Bailey — Fr. | G | Delaware Valley

2022-23 CoBL Division III Coach of the Year

Landry Kosmalski, Swarthmore

A few other coaches deserve a nod, particularly Arcadia's Adam Van Zelst, Widener's Chris Carideo and Lancaster Bible's Jon Mack, who led their programs to conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearance. Mack, Carideo and DeSales' Scott Coval were named Coach of the Year in their respective conferences as well. But when it comes to CoBL's D-III award, there's no denying Kosmalski as the clearcut winner. His Scarlet team finished 28-4 this season and 16-2 in the Centennial, which was tied for first. Swarthmore then went on to win the Centennial Conference tournament title and advanced all the way to the Final Four for the second time in Kosmalski's tenure as head coach. The 10th-year head coach was named D3Hoops Region V Coach of the Year as well as the The Glenn Robinson Award for the Division III Coach of the Year.