Horizon League Announces Men's Basketball All-League Teams and Specialty Award Winners

Feb. 28, 2005

Senior guard Ed McCants and head coach Bruce Pearl of regular-season champion UW-Milwaukee were named the Horizon League's 2004-05 men's basketball Player and Coach of the Year, respectively, to highlight the League's all-conference team and individual award winners, which were announced Monday (Feb. 28).


The Horizon League's third individual award went to Detroit sophomore guard Brandon Cotton, who was selected the Newcomer of the Year. Voting was conducted by the head coaches and sports information directors of each member school plus selected media that cover the League.


McCants, who has averaged 17.5 points per game and has made a League-best 87 three-pointers this season is the second straight player-of-the-year winner from UW-Milwaukee, following former teammate Dylan Page. McCants has scored 20 or more points 12 times this season, including a career-high 38 against Detroit in January, and has surpassed the 1,000-point mark in just two years in a Panther uniform.


Pearl garners his third coach-of-the-year honor in four years at Milwaukee after leading the Panthers (22-5, 14-2) to their second straight regular-season title and third consecutive 20-win season. Pearl becomes the fourth League coach to receive the award three or more times, joining Pete Gillen of Xavier (five times), Barry Collier of Butler (four) and Jim Crews of Evansville (three).


Cotton would rank second in the League with 18.3 points per game but has not played in the minimum number of games to be included. He became eligible at the semester break after transferring from Michigan State and led the Titans to third place in the regular-season standings.


Joining McCants on the All-League First Team are senior guard Cedrick Banks of UIC, senior guard Javier Mendiburu of regular-season runner-up UW-Green Bay, sophomore forward Blake Schilb of Loyola and junior forward Joah Tucker of UW-Milwaukee. McCant's and Tucker's selections mark the second year in a row that two Milwaukee players have been selected to the first team.


Banks who is averaging a League-high 18.4 points per game, becomes the League's first three-time first-team selection since Detroit's Rashad Phillips from 1999-2001 and only the fourth four-time All-League pick (first- or second-team) in League history, joining Mark Acres (1982-85) of Oral Roberts and Brian Grant (1991-94) of Xavier. Last week Banks surpassed 2,000 career points and became UIC's all-time leading scorer. McCants earns his second consecutive All-League honor as the only other player to repeat from last year's team.


Cotton was voted to the All-League Second Team and was joined by UW-Green Bay junior forward Benito Flores, Butler junior forward Brandon Polk, Cleveland State senior forward Omari Westley and Wright State sophomore guard DaShaun Wood.


Cotton, Flores and Polk also were named to the All-Newcomer Team, along with Cleveland State sophomore guard Raheem Moss and Wright State senior forward Zach Williams.


The five-member All-Defensive Team, which was voted upon by the head coaches only, features Banks, Cleveland State senior guard Walt Chavis, Detroit junior center Ryvon Covile, Detroit senior guard James Thues and UIC senior forward Armond Williams. Covile, Thues and Williams are repeat performers from last season's all-defensive squad.


The 2005 American Family Insurance Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship will begin with first-round games March 1 at campus sites, followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals March 4-5 at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee. The semifinal games will be aired on FSN in various markets. The championship game will be played March 8 at the higher remaining seed and be broadcast live on ESPN.

2004-05 Horizon League All-League Teams and Specialty Award Winners

All-League First TeamNameSchoolHt.Cl.Pos.HometownNotable statisticsCedrick Banks#UIC6-2Sr.GChicago, Ill.18.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 72 three-pointersEd McCants^UW-Milwaukee6-3Sr.GMarion, Ohio17.5 ppg, 87 three-pointers, 82.8 FT%Javier MendiburuUW-Green Bay6-5Sr.GBadalona, Spain11.5 ppg, 7.3 apg, 4.6 rpg, 36 stealsBlake SchilbLoyola6-7So.FRantoul, Ill.17.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.2 apg, 44 stealsJoah TuckerUW-Milwaukee6-5Jr.FMilwaukee, Wis.14.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 35 steals

All-League Second TeamBrandon CottonDetroit6-0So.GDetroit, Mich.18.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apgBenito FloresUW-Green Bay6-7Jr.FSanto Domingo, D.R.13.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 56.5 FG%Brandon PolkButler6-6Jr.FWichita, Kan.13.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 22 blocks, 58.6 FG%Omari WestleyCleveland State6-7Sr.FCleveland, Ohio17.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 25 blocks, 50.2 FG%DaShaun WoodWright State6-0So.GDetroit, Mich.15.1 ppg, 3.7 apg, 44 steals

All-Newcomer TeamBrandon CottonDetroit6-0So.GDetroit, Mich.18.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apgBenito FloresUW-Green Bay6-7Jr.FSanto Domingo, D.R.13.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 56.5 FG%Raheem MossCleveland State6-4So.GColumbus, Ohio13.0 ppg, 61 three-pointers, 39.9 3FG%Brandon PolkButler6-6Jr.FWichita, Kan.13.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 22 blocks, 58.6 FG%Zach WilliamsWright State6-7Sr.FNew York, N.Y.10.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg

All-Defensive TeamCedrick BanksUIC6-2Sr.GChicago, Ill.18.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 34 stealsWalt ChavisCleveland State5-11Sr.GSteelton, Pa.4.7 ppg, 4.2 apg, 52 stealsRyvon Covile+Detroit6-9Jr.CDetroit, Mich.7.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 19 blocksJames Thues+Detroit5-10Sr.GDetroit, Mich.10.1 ppg, 2.8 apg, 52 stealsArmond Williams+UIC6-4Sr.FHillside, Ill.10.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 35 steals

Player-of-the-Year:   Ed McCants, UW-Milwaukee

Coach-of-the-Year:  Bruce Pearl, UW-Milwaukee%

Newcomer-of-the-Year:  Brandon Cotton, Detroit

Awards voted upon by Horizon League head coaches and sports information directors plus selected media that cover the League; All-Defensive Team selected by head coaches only.

Previous All-League Honors:# All-League First Team in 2002-03 and 2003-04, All-League Second Team in 2001-02^ All-League First Team in 2003-04+ All-Defensive Team in 2003-04% Coach of the Year in 2001-02 and 2002-03