NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men’s basketball duo of senior guard Jonathan Wade and junior guard Zaynah Robinson earned more accolades recently, as both players were named to postseason teams for the 2016-17 season.
The duo was named to the BOXTOROW HBCU Division I All-America team as well as the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 15 team. Wade was named first-team by both organizations, while Robinson earned second-team nods from both.
Wade garnered first-team All-MEAC honors this year after averaging 19.4 points per game and ranking fourth in the nation with a scoring increase of +13.5 points from the previous season. He totaled 658 points this year, the second-most in NSU’s D-I era, while setting the D-I record for most free throws (163). Wade also led the team with 6.8 rebounds per contest to go along with 1.9 assists.
He ranked second in the MEAC in scoring, third in defensive rebounds (5.2), fifth in rebounding, sixth in minutes (34.9) and eighth in both field goal percentage (48.4) and 3-point field goal percentage (38.4). Wade scored in double figures in 33 of the team’s 34 games while ranking 52nd in the nation in scoring.
Robinson was a second-team All-MEAC honoree this season, tallying 13.5 points, 4.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He led the league in both steals (1.6) and assist-turnover ratio (2.7) and ranked third in minutes (35.6), fourth in assists, 10thin free throw percentage (77.8) and 15th in scoring. He also stood 26th in the nation in assist-turnover ratio.
Both players were named to the MEAC All-Tournament team after leading the Spartans to the championship game for the first time in five years.
The BOXTOROW All-America team honors players from Division I Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). BOXTOROW has administered the All-America team since 2009.
Patrick Cole of North Carolina Central was named the BOXTOROW Player of the Year, while Mike Davis of Texas Southern and LeVelle Moton of NCCU were named the coaches of the year.
The NABC All-District 15 team consists of players from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Voting was done by member coaches of the NABC.
NSU posted a 17-17 overall record this year and a 12-4 ledger in the MEAC. The Spartans finished second in the regular season standings.
BOXTOROW HBCU All-America Teams
First Team
Phillip Carr, Morgan State (F, 6-8, Jr., Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Patrick Cole, North Carolina Central (G, 6-5, R-Sr., Newark, N.J.)
Tiwian Kendley, Morgan State (G, 6-5, Jr., Harlem, N.Y.)
Zach Lofton, Texas Southern (G, 6-3. R-Jr., St. Paul, Minn.)
Wayne Martin, Tennessee State (F, 6-7, R-Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Tahjere McCall, Tennessee State (G, R-Sr., Philadelphia. Pa.)
Shawn Prudhomme, Southern (F, 6-4, Sr., Beaumont, Texas)
Marcus Romain, Mississippi Valley State (G, 6-2, Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Jonathan Wade, Norfolk State (G, 6-4, R-Sr., Panama City, Fla.)
Second Team
Bakari Copeland, Maryland Eastern Shore (F, 6-6, Sr., Decatur, Ga.)
Dajuan Graf, North Carolina Central (G, 6-0, R-Sr., Charlotte, N.C.)
Reginal Johnson, Alcorn State (F, 6-5, Jr., Monroe, La.)
Zaynah Robinson, Norfolk State (G, 5-11, Jr., Atlanta, Ga.)
Sam Jared, Southern (C, 6-9, Jr., Baton Rouge, La.)
Brandon Tabb, Bethune-Cookman (G/F, 6-5, Jr., Hampton, Va.)
Avery Ugba, Grambling State (C, 6-7, Jr., Silver Spring, Md.)
Marquis Vance, Alcorn State (F, 6-7, Sr., Tchula, Miss.)
BOXTOROW Player of the Year: Patrick Cole, North Carolina Central
BOXTOROW Coaches of the Year: Mike Davis, Texas Southern; LeVelle Moton, North Carolina Central
NABC All-District 15 Teams
First Team
Patrick Cole, North Carolina Central
Jonathan Wade, Norfolk State
Bakari Copeland, Maryland Eastern Shore
Phillip Carr, Morgan State
Eric Eaves, South Carolina State
Second Team
Dajuan Graf, North Carolina Central
Zaynah Robinson, Norfolk State
Tiwian Kendley, Morgan State
Desmond Williams, Florida A&M
Troyce Manassa, Savannah State
Originally published at nsuspartans.com
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