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Thrice the best

Herrera earns 3rd Defensive Player of the Year award

Metro State may have three consecutive conference players of the year, but Fort Lewis College has its own hat trick of awards to celebrate this year.

Alex Herrera, a 6-foot-9 center from Ignacio, was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year on Monday for the third consecutive season.

He averaged 23.9 points, 11.8 rebounds and recorded 92 blocked shots – an average of 3.28 per contest – in 28 games this season. He recorded 22 double-doubles.

Herrera now has the three best seasons of blocking shots in FLC history. His 92 this season rank second behind his 97 one year ago, and his sophomore season he finished with 84.

“I’m sure he received votes for player of the year, too,” FLC head coach Bob Hofman said of Herrera. “I’m not real sure if anyone has won (three) of these awards in a row before.

“Alex works as hard as any player I’ve ever had. Everything he receives, he deserves.”

Herrera had more blocked shots this season than any other player in Division II men’s basketball. He finished first in free-throw attempts and second in made free throws. He had the second most double doubles in the nation and ranked seventh in the country in points and rebounds per game.

Herrera was one of three players the RMAC coaches had to pick from for RMAC Player of the Year. That award went to Metro State senior guard Mitch McCarron, who led the Roadrunners to the No. 1 seed in the RMAC Shootout and a share of the conference title.

McCarron averaged 20.4 points, six rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He also had 33 steals in 28 games.

Left out was Derrick White, the UC-Colorado Springs junior guard who finished second in the country in points per game with 24.5. He also averaged 7.3 rebounds and five assists per game. He collected 66 steals and 51 blocked shots in 28 games.

McCarron was fourth in the RMAC in scoring behind Ryan Stephan of Colorado Mesa (25.4), White and Herrera. White also was fifth in rebounding, with Herrera first. White ranked third in the RMAC in assists, with McCarron sixth, and White also led the RMAC in steals.

McCarron is Metro State’s third consecutive RMAC Player of the Year, following Jonathan Morse in 2013 and Brandon Jefferson in 2014.

“The truth is I think the team that won the league factors in a lot. It also might have been in the back of the mind of some coaches that White has another year and McCarron was a senior,” Hofman said. “White had the best stats, but Metro State won more games. There were three very deserving players.”

Another Skyhawks’ player was honored Tuesday, as redshirt freshman guard Rasmus Bach was named the RMAC Freshman of the Year. Bach returned from a meniscus injury his true freshman season to average 11.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He scored in double figures in 17 games and dropped 20 points at Adams State on Jan. 31.

Bach, a native of Denmark who also has lived in Australia and played high school basketball in Texas, also struggled through illness and injury all season, particularly a bruised back during the late stretch of the season.

“He’s a really tough kid,” Hofman said of Bach. “He’s mentally and physically tough. His parents were Olympic athletes in (Denmark), and he’s a heck of an athlete.”

Bach and Herrera both played together last summer in a league in Australia. Hofman credited that experience to helping both men grow as players.

“They worked hard all summer and came back terrific,” Hofman said. “All that hard work all year round has really shown in their performances.”

FLC junior guard Cade Kloster also was named to the All-RMAC second team. He averaged 12.9 points, three rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.

Hofman was disappointed junior guard Jared Smith didn’t at least earn an honorable mention. Smith averaged 7.4 points and 3.7 rebounds but played solid perimeter defense in a league loaded with guards all season.

Pryor Orser, head coach of Colorado Mines, was named the conference’s coach of the year after leading the Orediggers to a share of the RMAC regular-season title with a 23-3 overall record and 19-3 conference record.

jlivingston@durangoherald.com

RMAC All-Conference Awards

Player of the Year

Mitch McCarron, senior guard, Metro State

Defensive Player of the Year

Alex Herrera, senior center, Fort Lewis

Freshman of the Year

Rasmus Bach, redshirt freshman guard, Fort Lewis

Coach of the Year

Pryor Orser, Colorado Mines

First Team All-RMAC

Juwan Buchanan, senior guard, Adams State

Alex Herrera, senior center, Fort Lewis

Nicholas Kay, senior forward, Metro State

Mitch McCarron, senior guard, Metro State

Bronson Moton, junior forward, CSU-Pueblo

Brian Muller, senior guard, Colorado Mines

Trevor Ritchie, senior guard, Colorado Mines

Ryan Stephan, junior forward, Colorado Mesa

Alex Welsh, junior forward, UC-Colorado Springs

Derrick White, junior guard, UC-Colorado Springs

Second Team All-RMAC

Mason Biddle, senior guard, Western State

Michael Brown, junior guard, Colorado Christian

Cade Kloster, junior guard, Fort Lewis

Tyron Marshall, senior center, CSU-Pueblo

Jonathon Mines, junior guard, N.M. Highlands

Gokul Natesan, sophomore guard, Colorado Mines

Shakir Smith, junior, Adams State

Rico Spikes, junior guard, CSU-Pueblo

Julian Vasquez, junior guard, Colorado Mesa

Caleb Waitsman, sophomore forward, Colorado Mines

Honorable Mention

Rasmus Bach, freshman guard, Fort Lewis

Tim Billingsley, senior guard, UC-Colorado Springs

Joe Dellenbach, junior forward, Colorado Mines

Brett Hartsthorne, senior forward, Regis

Mike Hemsley, senior forward, Adams State

Kendrick Holliman, senior forward, Chadron State

Mikey Hope, senior guard, Adams State

Josiah Lee, senior guard, Chadron State

Kendrick Nichols, junior guard, N.M. Highlands

Darius Pardner, senior guard, UC-Colorado Springs

Terrez Scott, senior guard, Western N.M.

Tyler Shields, senior forward, Colorado Christian

Will Sinclair, junior center, Metro State

Mar 3, 2015
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