by By Ryan Mosher | @ryan_mosher, ERAU Athletics
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – DeForest Carter (Seminole Tribe of Florida) was named the 2014-15 Sun Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year while Head Coach Steve Ridder claimed the Coach of the Year award at the Sun Conference Tournament banquet on Sunday evening. The banquet, hosted by the top-seeded Eagles, featured the presentation of the regular season championship trophy to Embry-Riddle, as well as the release of the 2014-15 All-Conference honors and superlative awards.
Carter, a senior guard from Big Cypress, Fla., became the sixth Eagle to earn the league’s Player of the Year award, and first since Michael Pyle in 2006-07. Carter led the Blue and Gold to a 29-1 regular season mark and 17-1 record in league action as the Eagles won the regular season title by six games. Carter averaged 12.7 points, 6.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 1.0 block per contest for Embry-Riddle. Carter led the league and the country in steals per game (3.6), setting an ERAU single-season record, while also leading the league and placing sixth in the nation in assists per outing (6.5).
Carter, who was the league’s Freshman of the Year in 2011-12, also earned first team All-Conference accolades for the third time in his Embry-Riddle career, becoming the sixth Eagle to do so, joining all-time greats Owen Busch, Tom Fagley, Rob Padgett, Harold Pierson and Tyler DeBord.
Joining Carter on the All-Conference first team were Cesar Pastrana and Dalton Barnes. The three Eagles on the first team marked the first time any conference school had placed three on the top All-Conference roster since the 2009-10 season when David Butler, Blake Touchard and Eric Lorenzi grabbed the honors. For both Pastrana and Barnes it marked the first time either had been named to the first team, both were second team selections a season ago and Pastrana also earned second team accolades as a sophomore.
Pastrana, a senior center from Cartagena, Colombia, averaged 14.2 points and 8.0 rebounds for the Blue and Gold, shooting 64.1 percent from the field, the best mark in the conference and fifth-best in NAIA II. Pastrana recorded a team-high six double-doubles in 2014-15, bringing his career total to 19. Pastrana became the program’s 28th member of the 1,000th-Point Club early in the year, and now ranks 18th all-time with 1,297 points. Pastrana’s 844 career rebounds ranks third in the ERAU record books. Pastrana was named The Sun Conference Player of the Week a total of four times in his senior season, more than any other player in 2014-15.
Barnes, a sophomore from Port Orange, Fla., added to his already impressive Eagle career in just his second season in 2014-15. Barnes averaged 14.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. The Blue and Gold guard shot 50 percent from the floor and 45 percent from long range, leading the Eagles offensively on 10 different occaasions, including a career-high 28 point outburst against Fisher on Nov. 15. Barnes also went for 27 points in an overtime victory at St. Thomas on Jan. 14.
Carter and Barnes were both named to the league’s five-player All-Defensive team. For Barnes, it was a repeat selection after he earned the same honor as a freshman. The pair of Eagles were the only teammates on the All-Defensive team.
Ridder took home the Coach of the Year award after leading the Eagles to their best regular season in program history. In his 26th season at the helm of the Embry-Riddle program, Ridder guided the Eagles to a 29-1 overall record, 17-1 league mark and a No. 2 ranking in the NAIA II Coaches’ Poll for the last eight weeks. It is the fifth time Ridder has earned the conference Coach of the Year award.
Brian Johnson, Bradley Mapes and Andy Schleitwiler all earned Academic All-Conference honors as Embry-Riddle was the lone school to have multiple representatives on the roster. To be eligible for the Academic All-Conference, a student-athlete must have completed one full academic year at the league institution and have a 3.5 or better grade point average. Schleitwiler became the sixth Eagle in program history to earn the honor three times.
The Eagles will return to the court on Monday evening at 7 p.m. when they host Warner in the second semifinal of The Sun Conference Tournament. The St. Thomas Bobcats and Southeastern Fire will square off in the first semifinal at 5 p.m. at the ICI Center.
First Team All-Conference
DeForest Carter, Embry-Riddle (12.9 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3.7 spg)
Andre’ Winston, Southeastern (21.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.6 apg)
Cesar Pastrana, Embry-Riddle (14.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, .641 fg%)
Fredricus Mattison, Northwood (12.6 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
Warren Hall, Warner (19.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.9 spg)
Dalton Barnes, Embry-Riddle (14.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.3 apg)
Lorel Beckford, St. Thomas (11.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.4 spg)
Brian Pace, Webber International (20.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 4.0 apg)
Alan Love, Thomas (17.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg, .579 fg%)
Second Team All-Conference
Tim Mitchell, Southeastern (14.1 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.8 bpg)
Ricardo Suarez, Johnson & Wales (16.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, .582 fg%)
Chris Solomon, Northwood (14.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.3 spg)
Michael Walker, St. Thomas (13.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.5 spg)
Jelani Bonner, Ave Maria (12.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Player of the Year
DeForest Carter, Embry-Riddle (12.9 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3.7 spg)
Newcomer of the Year
Andre’ Winston, Southeastern (21.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.6 apg)
Freshman of the Year
Andrija Sarenac, Northwood (7.3 ppg, 53 3-fg)
All-Defensive Team
DeForest Carter, Embry-Riddle (3.7 spg, 4.5 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
Tim Mitchell, Southeastern (10.3 rpg, 2.8 bpg)
Fredricus Mattison, Northwood (9.7 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
Lorel Beckford, St. Thomas (8.7 rpg, 1.4 spg)
Dalton Barnes, Embry-Riddle (4.7 rpg, 1.4 spg)
Coach of the Year
Steve Ridder, Embry-Riddle (30-1 OVR, 17-1 TSC)
