2017-18 All-Conference Men's Basketball Team (PDF)


FINDLAY, Ohio – A total of 20 student-athletes were officially named to the 2017-18 Great Midwest All-Conference Men’s Basketball Team on Wednesday evening at the league’s championship banquet.
 
The annual all-conference team consisted of five first-team selections, five second-team honorees and 10 honorable mention picks, all made by a combined vote from the league’s head coaches.
 
The Great Midwest Championship banquet was conducted on site at host Findlay in the Winebrenner Theological Seminary as all eight institutions gathered (minus Kentucky Wesleyan due to bus trouble) to reflect on the season.
 
Head coaches were able to provide their thoughts and thank their senior classes while the evening was launched with a welcome from Findlay President Dr. Katherine Fell.
 
Regular-season conference champion Findlay was recognized for the program’s 19-1 record through in league play. The Oilers’ senior class accepted the trophy as they continue to be ranked No. 2 in the Midwest Region going into the postseason.
 
As a result of the Oilers’ dominance throughout the year, Charlie Ernst was presented with Great Midwest Coach of the Year honors as selected by his peers. UF had the league’s highest scoring offense and won their games by over an average of 15 points in the final margin.
 
The Oilers also collected their fair share of hardware as the night continued, including Great Midwest Player of the Year honors for senior forward Taren Sullivan.
 
Sullivan, one of two Great Midwest players on the watch list for the Bevo Francis Award for the top player in DII, was a two-time conference athlete of the week while averaging 17 points per game.
 
Sullivan shot almost 54 percent from the field and is averaging over six rebounds per contest in his final season.
 
He suffered an injury early in the ESPN3 game against Kentucky Wesleyan but has since returned to form after a brief absence. Sullivan has helped key the Oilers to a 25-3 overall record going into the Great Midwest Championship.
 
Sullivan was joined on the Great Midwest All-Conference First Team with senior teammate Martyce Kimbrough, who leads UF in scoring at 18.3 ppg. Cedarville’s Patrick Bain also got a first-team nod after putting up stellar numbers before his season ended due to a knee injury.
 
Malone’s senior floor general Ty Jordan made the first team for the second season in a row as one of the league’s top scorers and assist leaders. Walsh sophomore forward Chandler Vaudrin, a three-time conference athlete of the week, and premier triple-double threat also was voted to the first team by the coaches.
 
Helping lead Walsh to the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament was Great Midwest Freshman of the Year Darryl Straughter. The 5-9 guard from Canton, Ohio, is averaging 12.3 points per game and had one of the year’s best highlights with a buzzer-beating three to sink Hillsdale.
 
The top two league leaders in scoring headlined a strong second team, including Alderson Broaddus’ Mike Davis and Trevecca’s Devin Whitfield. Hillsdale’s Stedman Lowry and Nick Czarnowski also made the list along with Ohio Dominican sophomore forward Hasan Varence.
 
Four quarterfinal contests will tip off the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championship tomorrow starting at noon from Findlay’s Croy Gymnasium. All games will be streamed live on the Great Midwest Digital Network.