Big day for Gators as Sage men haul in Skyline Honors for Deans, Gill, Robinson and Coach Barnes
SAGE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM HONORED WITH RELEASE OF SKYLINE ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM; GATORS SPORT THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND THE COACH OF THE YEAR
New York, NY–The Sage Colleges' men's basketball team is enjoying the best season in the program's six-year history and the honors keep coming. With the release of the 2014-2015 Skyline Conference men's basketball team, Sage has reeled in the Player of the Year in senior forward Kai Deans (Miami, FL/Monsignor Pace), the Defensive Player of the Year in junior Travis Gill (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) and the Coach of the Year in Brian Barnes. Junior Andre Robinson (Fort Pierce, FL/Fort Pierce Westwood) joins Deans on the First Team for his efforts in leading the Gators to a 21-4 record and a 15-3 performance in the Skyline Conference.
Link to complete Skyline Conference release
Deans was named the 2014-15 Skyline Men's Basketball Player of the Year in voting conducted among the Conference's ten head coaches.
Deans leads the league in rebounding (8.9 rpg.) and ranks second in scoring (17.6 ppg.) as Sage secured the program's first-ever regular-season title. The team tri-captain was a four-time Skyline Player of the Week selection thus far on the year. He is shooting a team-best 53.3 percent (145-of-272) from the field. He has scored in double figures in 20 of the Gators' 25 games this season, including a program-record 33-point performance on January 31 in a 106-81 win over the College of Mount Saint Vincent.
On his career, he has 780 points in just two years as a Gator with 407 rebounds. He is the No. 4 all-time leading scorer, while standing No. 5 in rebounding. His 422 points this season is also a school-single-season scoring record. He is nationally ranked in 11 different categories including No. 36 in total rebounds and No. 91 in points per game average.
Gill earns Defensive Player of the Year distinction as the Gators enter their Skyline semifinal contest versus SUNY-Old Westbury on this evening and is leading the conference in field goal percentage defense (.372) and ranked second in scoring defense (66.2 ppg.). The junior swingman is averaging 7.3 points and 3.5 rebounds with 26 steals and nine blocked shots in 23 starts with 59 assists.
Also named to the First Team, Robinson is third in scoring for the team with an 11.0 ppg average and has made 41 three-pointers with a 5.3 rpg average. He has 82 assists with 45 steals in 24 games played. He is nationally ranked in four categories including a No. 105 ranking in total steals.
Now in his sixth season, Barnes has guided Sage to a program-best 21 victories and the top seed in this week's Skyline Championship after capturing the regular season crown with a 15-3 mark in league play. Barnes graduated from the University at Albany in 2003 with a degree in Communications and earned his master's degree in Educational Administration from the University at Albany in 2005.
The Gators are the No. 1 seed in the Skyline Tournament and will host the semifinals against SUNY-Old Westbury on February 26 with the winner advancing to the championship on February 28. Sage, which is ranked No. 6 in the latest Atlantic Regional rankings, brings a nine-game win streak into the Skyline Semifinals, while standing at 11-0 this season in Kahl Gym.
