Greg Burghardt

CLEVELAND – To the victor goes the spoils.

The CMU men’s basketball team reaped the benefits of its MAC regular season championship, garnering multiple conference postseason awards, including Player of the Year and Coach of the Year.

For the second time in three years, the Chippewas boast the MAC’s best player, as junior Chris Kaman earned the Player of the Year Award that David Webber won in 2001. The center averaged 22.5 points, 12.2 rebounds and 3.23 blocks a game this season. Kaman also shot a league-best 63 percent from the floor.

“The awards wouldn’t have been possible without my teammates,” Kaman said. “We all worked extremely hard towards our goal of winning the MAC Championship.”

The award was Kaman’s second, as he also was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Kaman is the first player to win both awards since Ball State’s Bonzi Wells did so in 1998.

“I’m honored with the awards and I’d like to thank the coaches, my teammates, my family and our fans,” Kaman said. “But our focus is on the MAC Tournament right now.

Kaman (37 votes) edged out Kent State’s Antonio Gates (15) and Ohio’s Brandon Hunter (seven) for the Player of the Year Award. He is the fourth CMU player to win the award, joining Dan Roundfield, Melvin McLaughlin and Webber.

Joining Kaman, Gates and Hunter on the  All-MAC team was NIU’s Marcus Smallwood and Ball State’s Chris Williams.

Head Coach Jay Smith reached familiar territory, as he was named MAC Coach of the Year for the second time in three years.

Smith guided the Chippewas to a 21-6 regular season record, and the outright MAC title.

“It’s a credit to our staff,” Smith said. “They’re the one that did it, not me. It takes hard work and a group effort to turn a basketball program in the right direction. We are thankful for the award and we will continue to work hard, just like we have from day one.”

Smith’s team improved 12 games upon a disappointing 2002 season, when CMU finished 9-19. This year’s squad was picked to finish sixth out of seven MAC West teams in the MAC Preseason Poll.

Smith joins Dick Parfitt and Charlie Coles as the Central coaches to have won the award.

Last season, senior Whitney Robinson started 24 games as CMU’s point guard. Robinson took a different role this season, coming off the bench to be an effective Sixth Man.

Robinson was so effective at his new job that he was honored with the MAC’s inaugural Sixth Man of the Year award.

“I’m definitely thankful for it,” Robinson said. “I credit it to the team’s success this year. When you win a conference championship, the awards are bound to come.

Robinson averaged eight points a game this season, including knocking down 43 three-pointers. He also shot 80 percent from the free throw line.

Seniors Mike Manciel and J.R. Wallace also were recognized on the conference’s All-MAC teams.

Manciel was named Second Team All MAC. It is the second time he has won a MAC honor, as he was named Honorable Mention in 1999. Manciel averaged 16.6 points and 4.8 rebounds during the season, and shot 52 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free throw line.

Manciel ranks seventh on Central’s all-time scoring list and is one of only 13 players to reach the 1,000 point-400 rebound club.

Wallace earned Honorable Mention honors, after posting the best season of his career. The guard averaged 14 points and a team-high 3.4 assists a game. Wallace also is the team’s top free-throw shooter at 84 percent. Wallace hit double figures in 16 of Central’s 18 conference games. 

E-mail the author: Jeremy SpeerLife Assistant Sports Editor