Five Reivers earn All-Region XI honors

Five Reivers earn All-Region XI honors

By Dan Haugo ICCAC Conference Assistant Commissioner/Sports Information Director

The ICCAC announced the 2017-2018 Division I All-Region teams today (3/6/18). Conference champion Indian Hills had three First Team All-Region players, while two Region finalist's Iowa Western players earned First Team All-Region honors. 

Three Indian Hills sophomores headlined the All-Region honorees. Two guards, Shane Gatling and Antonio Williams received honors while forward, Ivan Aurrecoechea was their third selection.

Shane Gatling, also tagged as the ICCAC Division I Men's Basketball Player of the Year, led the team in scoring at 16.6 per game. He was fourth on the team in assists and steals with 2.8 assists per game and one steal per game.

Antonio Williams led the Warriors in assists with 4.7 per game and was tied for first in steals with 1.2 per game. He was second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per contest.

Sophomore forward Ivan Aurrecoechea shot 60-percent from the field this season and averaged a double-double scoring 13.3 points per game grabbing 11.1 rebounds per contest. His rebound numbers are ninth-best in all of Division I.

Iowa Western placed two players on the first team in Patrick Dembley and Isaiah Wade, both sophomores.  

Guard Patrick Dembley was a key contributor to the Reivers' success in the 2017-18 season. He led the Reivers in both scoring at 20.2 points per game and in assists with 3.9 per contest.

Isaiah Wade started all 32 games at the forward position this season. He ranked third on the team with 12.1 points per game, first on the team in rebounding with 9.4 rebounds per game, and had 16 "double-double" (ten or more in both points and rebounds) games.

Rounding out First Team All-Region was sophomore Mohamed Thiam from Marshalltown.  The Senegal native played the forward spot and led the team in scoring and rebounding. He averaged 19.7 points per contest and 9.6 rebounds per game.  Thiam is first on the team in free throws made and attempted per game with 2.5 and 3.2, respectively.

Indian Hills Hank Plona was voted unanimously by the coaches as Coach of the Year. 

NOTE: Three other Iowa Western Reivers were honored with All-Region selections. Emmanuel Ugboh, Shadeed Shabazz, and Jevon Smith all recieved votes from the other coaches in the conference, thus earning Honorable Mention All-Region XI honors. Ugboh is one of just four freshman in this year's All-Region XI class.

The All-Region teams were determined by a vote from each head coach, with no coach being able to vote for players on their own team. 

DIVISION I FIRST TEAM ALL-REGION

Position Name Class School Hometown
G Shane Gatling SO Indian Hills Baldwin, NY
G Mohamed Thiam SO Marshalltown Dakar, Senegal
G Patrick Dembley SO Iowa Western Minneapolis, MN
F Isaiah Wade SO Iowa Western Waterloo, IA
F Ivan Aurrecoechea SO Indian Hills Madrid, Spain
G Antonio Williams SO Indian Hills Chicago, IL

DIVISION I SECOND TEAM ALL-REGION

Position Name Class School Hometown
F Steven Wooten FR Northeast Madison, WI
G DeAndre Barton FR Southeastern Augusta, IA
F Oscar Kao SO Marshalltown Taipei, Taiwan
G Patrick Jackson SO Southeastern Massapeque, NY
G Kourtney Ware SO Southeastern Hopkinsville, KY

DIVISION I HONORABLE MENTION ALL-REGION

Position Name Class School Hometown
F Melkisedek Moreaux SO Northeast Hamburg, Germany
F Jamel Allen SO Indian Hills Brentwood, NY
C Emmanuel Ugboh FR Iowa Western Lagos, Nigeria
G Shadeed Shabazz SO Iowa Western Seattle, WA
G Devontae Lane FR Indian Hills Iowa City, IA
F Jevon Smith SO Iowa Western Milwaukee, WI

Player of the Year: Shane Gatling, Indian Hills

Coach of the Year: Hank Plona, Indian Hills 

Photo Credit(s): Don Kohler, Liz Johnson (Iowa Western), Bryan Stewart (Indian Hills), Michele Frost, Nick Harvey (Marshalltown)