ROCHESTER, NY – The Empire 8 Athletic Conference has announced the Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year awards for the 2013-14 men’s basketball season. The conference coaches vote on the awards and all-conference teams.
The Player of the Year award goes to Hartwick College’s
Jared Suderley. Suderley, a senior forward, is the only Hawk to earn the top conference honor and previously did so during the 2012 campaign. He is the third player in E8 history to earn the honor twice, joining RIT’s Brandon Redmond (2001, 2002) and Ithaca’s Sean Burton (2008, 2009).
Suderley leads the Hawks and Empire 8 conference in scoring and rebounding this season, averaging 20.2 points and 10.8 boards per contest. An efficient scorer, he has shot 50.4 percent from the field, 43.9 from the arc and 87.8 percent from the line. Suderley has poured in 20 or more points 12 times and has accumulated 14 double-doubles on the season, which ranks 18th in Division III.
Hartwick freshman
Joey Lufkin was named the Rookie of the Year. He has appeared in all 25 games to date, making 23 starts. He is averaging 16.1 points while shooting 42.4 percent from the field, 41 percent from the arc and 75 percent from the free throw line. In addition he has dished out 53 assists, led the team in scoring in six games and was named the E8 Rookie of the Week three times. Lufkin is Hartwick’s fifth E8 Rookie of the Year recipient. He joins previous winners David Orr (2001), Ian Cocozziello (2006), Mark Blazek (2009) and Suderly (2011).
This marks the first time in Empire 8 men’s basketball history that the Player and Rookie of the Year have represented the same team.
Alfred University’s head coach
Dale Wellman enjoys his first Coach of the Year award. The Saxons have earned the No. 4 seed in the upcoming E8 tournament, after being picked to finish last in the conference’ preseason poll. Alfred, making its first E8 postseason appearance, earned the No 4 seed after posting a 9-5 record in conference play and finished with an 18-7 overall regular season mark. As a team, Alfred leads Division III in total rebounds (1,243) and ranks second in Division III in points per game (98.0) and steals per game (12.6).
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2013-14 Men’s Basketball Sportsman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.
Empire 8 2013-14 Men’s Basketball All-Conference Teams