Men's Basketball | 2/27/2023 9:19:46 PM
The Empire 8 Conference announced its 2022-23 Men’s Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team on Tuesday, February 28. St. John Fisher University senior forward Daniel Cook was named Empire 8 Tournament Most Valuable Player after leading the fourth-seeded Cardinals to their tenth league title in program history on February 25.
Cook averaged 15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor in the three postseason contests. He scored 18 points, pulled down six boards and dished out four assists in the E8 first round win Tuesday evening over No. 5 seed Hartwick. On Friday, Cook recorded a double-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in a 70-65 victory over top-seed Utica University. On Saturday versus No. 2 seed Nazareth College, Cook, who was also named the Empire 8 Player of the Year for the third consecutive season last week, scored 17 points, while grabbing nine rebounds to help the Cardinals earn a 78-62 win in the title game.
St. John Fisher graduate student Ryan Gentile joined Cook on the All-Tournament Team after averaging 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the three wins, while shooting 50 percent from the field and draining 10 made 3-pointers. He also hit the 3-pointer late in regulation to break a 63-63 tie and put the Cardinals up for good in the win over Utica Friday.
Jonathan Park, a graduate student, averaged 14.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks, while shooting 67 percent from the floor in two games with a pair of double-doubles for runner-up Nazareth to earn All-Tournament Team accolades. Graduate student guard Darius Hopkins of Utica University and senior guard Mike Schmidt of Alfred University were also named to the All-Tournament Team. Hopkins scored a team-high 17 points for top-seed Utica in the E8 Semifinal versus St. John Fisher. Schmidt averaged 17.0 points, 7.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in the tournament for Alfred, who knocked off Medaille University in the opening round and battled No. 2 seed Nazareth in the semifinals.
2022-23 Empire 8 Men’s Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team
Mike Schmidt, Sr., G, Alfred
Jonathan Park, Gr., F, Nazareth
Daniel Cook, Sr., F, St. John Fisher *
Ryan Gentile, Gr., G, St. John Fisher
Darius Hopkins, Gr., G, Utica
* Named Most Outstanding Player
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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