Four Reivers gain All-Region XI selections
Des Moines, IA -- Four Iowa Western Reivers from the 2018-19 season garnered post season honors from fellow ICCAC coaches Monday afternoon (3/4/19).
The Reivers' Christian Bentley joined Tomas Woldentensae and Torrey Patton of Indian Hills along with AJ Cox of Southeastern, and Kelton Edwards of Marshalltown on the All-Region XI 1st Team roster. The 6'3 transfer from Siena College averaged 12 ppg for the season, but improved that mark to 16.3 ppg in conference play. Bentley finished fourth in the conference in total assists (95) on the season; and second in assist during conference play (31); leading the Reivers to another 20 win season at 21-9; Iowa Western's 8 straight such season of 20 wins or more in a year.
Sophomores Emmanuel Ugboh and Travon Broadway earned 2nd Team All-Region XI honors as well; joining Southeastern's Tyler Maye, Emmette Page of Northeast, and Tyler Chisom of Indian Hills. It is the second season that the 6'11 Ugboh has been on the All-Region squad, as he was an honorable mention member for his freshman campaign's efforts. The lone returning player on a very "new" Reiver roster this year; Ugboh almost averaged a "double-double" for the entire season averaging 12 ppg, while grabbing 9.6 rebounds per contest; and collected twelve in game "double-doubles" on the season. Broadway, a JC transfer from Florida, led the Reivers in scoring both in the regular season (16.6 ppg) as well as in conference (16.9 ppg). The 6'4 wing is the lone Reiver to have signed in the early fall signing period when he committed to NCAA D1 member of the Mid-American Conference: Central Michigan University in early November.
Finally, Valparaiso University transfer Parker Hazen rounded out the honored Reivers by the conference's coaches. The 6'8 power forward was named as an honorable mention member of the 2018-19 ICCAC Region XI team. Hazen was second in rebounds per contest (6.8) and in field goal percentage (52%) for Iowa Western, as well as fourth on the squad in points per contest at 8.5 ppg.
It is of note, that all four of these honored Iowa Western sophomores above will graduate in May and already have NCAA D1 scholarship offers. The fifth and final sophomore on the 2018-19 Reiver men's basketball roster, Boubacar Diakite, who despite his season ending early with an ACL injury, has already received and accepted a scholarship offer to attend and play at NCAA D1 member of the Big Sky Conference: Weber State University.
Finally, Amadou Sylla, the Reivers reserve post/center behind the aforementioned Ugboh, signed with Tennessee Tech University of the Ohio Valley Conference. Sylla marks the 6th Reiver off this season's 2018-19 team to sign with an NCAA D1 institution, and remarkably the Reivers 21st D1 signee in just the last four season's from Iowa Western's program.