Babson Park, Mass. - March 1, 2011 - The senior tandem of Matt Cavalieri and Billy Harkins were selected to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams on Tuesday afternoon. For the second-straight season, Cavalieri earned first-team honors, while Harkins was named to the second team for the first time in his career.This marks the second-straight season that Springfield had a pair of all-conference selections, as both Cavalieri and Pat Crean were selected a year ago.
Cavalieri was Springfield's go-to guy this season as he has averaged 17.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, both of which rank third in the conference. The senior forward posted seven double-doubles this season and scored at least 20 points on 10 occasions. In conference play, Cavalieri averaged just over 15 points per game, scoring 20 points in five of 12 league contests. While leading in the league in minutes played per game, Cavalieri has shot 44% from the floor and 35% from beyond the arc.
Harkins had a standout senior year as he has been Springfield's most consistent player down the stretch. In league play, Harkins netted 12.8 points per game, while ranking second in the conference in field goal percentage (52.9%). In addition, Harkins slashing ability allowed him to get to the line often, attempting 88 free throws in league play, making 72 of them. Harkins led the league in both assists (4.9) and steals (2.9) per game as Springfield's floor general.
2011 NEWMAC Men’s Basketball Awards
Athlete of the Year
Jeffrey Robinson, WPI
Rookie of the Year
Kevin Sowers, Coast Guard
Coach of the Year
Chris Bartley, WPI
Sportsmanship Award
Coast Guard
First Team All-Conference
Brian Vayda, Clark
Will Tashman, MIT
Matt Cavalieri, Springfield
Matt Carr, WPI
Jeffrey Robinson, WPI
Second Team All-Conference
Russell Braithwaite, Babson
Jevon James, Coast Guard
Mitchell Kates, MIT
Billy Harkins, Springfield
Anthony Coppola, Wheaton
Charlie Brock in 2012-13 will enter his 15th season as the head coach at Springfield College and his 33rd season as a head coach overall. Brock’s achievements as a coach are certainly impressive. He has taken three schools to the NCAA Division III Tournament and has an overall, 32-year record of 440-397. Read more.