2015-16 NAIA Division II Men?s Basketball All-America Teams Announced
By Scott Barker, Communications and Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 2015-16 Division II Men’s Basketball All-America teams. Dominez Burnett of Davenport (Mich.) was named the NABC-NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Player of the Year. The All-America Teams are selected by the NAIA All-America Committee.
Burnett, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, ranked No. 4 in the NAIA Division II in scoring (24.8). The defending National Player of the Year scored in double figures in 35-of-36 games this year. His season-high in points came on Nov. 18, 2015, where he poured in 40 points on 14-of-21 shooting against Michigan-Dearborn. Burnett led the nation in total steals (77) and total scoring (895). The Flint, Mich. native was No. 8 nationally in steals per game averaging 2.1 thefts per contest. Burnett led his team in total rebounds (269), rebounds per game (7.5), assists (111), steals (77), total points and point per game. The Panthers had their season end in the national semifinals – for the second-straight year – on Monday in a 66-65 loss to Indiana Wesleyan.
Burnett joins former Bethel (Ind.) star Rico Swanson as the only Division II men’s basketball player to repeat as National Player of the Year since the awards establishment in 1994. Swanson accomplished the feat in 1997 and 1998.
Indiana Wesleyan, who defeated Saint Francis (Ind.) to take home the 2016 NAIA Division II National Championship, placed Lane Mahurin and Jonny Marlin on the All-America First Team.
Indiana Wesleyan head coach Greg Tonagel was named the NABC-NAIA Division II Coach of the Year for the second time in his career (2014). Tonagel led the Wildcats to a 33-5 overall record and a national title.
Chad LaCross, Saint Francis’ head coach, was named Rawlings-NAIA Coach of the Year after leading the Cougars to a 33-5 overall record, the No. 1 overall seed at the national tournament and an appearance in the national championship game.
Nine players return to the All-America list from last year – Burnett, Austin Fox of Saint Francis, Kyle Steigenga of Cornerstone (Mich.), Mahurin, Clay Yeo of Bethel, Marlin, Ilya Ilyayev of St. Francis (Ill.), Aaron Larson of Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) and Brequan Tucker of Jamestown (N.D.).
NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball All-America Teams
| First Team | ||||
| NAME | SCHOOL | POS | YR | HOMETOWN |
| Dominez Burnett* | Davenport (Mich.) | F | SR. | Flint, Mich. |
| Austin Fox | St. Francis (Ind.) | F | SR. | Muncie, Ind. |
| Trey Bardsley | Nebraska Wesleyan | G | SR. | Beatrice, Neb. |
| Kyle Steigenga | Cornerstone (Mich.) | F | SO. | Holland, Mich. |
| Trae Bergh | Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) | G | SR. | Crooks, S.D. |
| Lane Mahurin | Indiana Wesleyan | F | JR. | Rockville, Ind. |
| Clay Yeo | Bethel College (Ind.) | G | JR. | Bourbon, Ind. |
| Jonny Marlin | Indiana Wesleyan | G | SR. | Greenwood, Ind. |
| Ilya Ilyayev | St. Francis (Ill.) | F | SR. | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| Warren Hall | Warner (Fla.) | G | JR. | Tampa, Fla. |
| * - Denotes NAIA/NABC Player of the Year | ||||
| Second Team | ||||
| NAME | SCHOOL | POS | YR | HOMETOWN |
| Javonte Byrd | Northwest Christian (Ore.) | G | SR. | San Diego, Calif. |
| Cameron Coleman | York (Neb.) | F | JR. | Allen, Texas |
| Tyler Rogers | Alice Lloyd (Ky.) | F | SR. | Lexington, Ky. |
| Leland Robinson | Tennessee Wesleyan | F | SR. | Jackson, Tenn. |
| Kyle Kilgore | Dakota State (S.D.) | F | JR. | Adrian, Minn. |
| Lance Carter | Tabor (Kan.) | G | JR. | Troy, Ohio |
| Stanley Whittaker | Keiser (Fla.) | G | JR. | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Joel Spear | Southern Oregon | G | SR. | Adalaide, Australia |
| Aaron Larson | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | F | SR. | Tolono, Ill. |
| Miles Robinson | Indiana Tech | G | JR. | Grand Rapids, Mich. |
| Third Team | ||||
| NAME | SCHOOL | POS | YR | HOMETOWN |
| Ryan Atkins | West Virginia Tech | G | SO. | Miami, Fla. |
| Lucas Huffman | Indiana East | G | SO. | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Ethan Murray | College of the Ozarks (Mo.) | G | SR. | Neosho, Mo. |
| Brequan Tucker | Jamestown (N.D.) | G | SR. | Joliet, Ill. |
| J.D. Tucker | Union (Ky.) | G | SR. | Charleston, S.C. |
| Bryce Lienhoop | St. Francis (Ind.) | F | SO. | Columbus, Ind. |
| Alex Houston | Mount Mercy (Iowa) | F | SR. | Chicago, Ill. |
| Larry Motuzis | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | G | SO. | Darien, Ill. |
| Jesse Jones | Midland (Neb.) | G | SR. | Houston, Texas |
| Taylor Young | Warner Pacific (Ore.) | G | SR. | Hawthorne, Calif. |
Honorable Mention |
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| Dominique Bolden | Goshen (Ind.) | F | SR. | Chicago, Ill. |
| Brian Bridgeforth | Washington Adventist (Md.) | F | JR. | Washington, D.C. |
| Jake Bullock | Aquinas (Mich.) | G | JR. | Lansing, Mich. |
| Cameron Clark | Southwestern (Kan.) | G | SR. | Lewisville, Texas |
| Brandon Cole | Bryan College (Tenn.) | F | SR. | Crossville, Tenn. |
| Eddie Delegal | Warner (Fla.) | F | SR. | Brunswick, Ga. |
| Roman Delgado | California State Maritime | G | SR. | Santa Clarita, Calif. |
| Jayden Ferguson | Valley City State (N.D.) | F | SO. | Williston, N.D. |
| Chandler Folkerts | Concordia (Neb.) | F | JR. | Milford, Neb. |
| Bryan Forbes | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | G | JR. | Lone Tree, Iowa |
| Kelvin Goodwin | Point Park (Pa.) | G | SR. | Wheeling Park, W.V. |
| Terrelle Green | Robert Morris (Ill.) | G | SR. | Chicago, Ill. |
| Grant Greenberg | Saint Mary (Kan.) | G | JR. | Leavenworth, Kan. |
| Clayton Herrald | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | G | SR. | Williams, Iowa |
| Lawrence Jackson | Northwestern Ohio | G | JR. | Rocky Mount, N.C. |
| D.D. Joiner | Rio Grande (Ohio) | G | SR. | Columbus, Ohio |
| Earl Jones | Warner Pacific (Ore.) | G | SR. | Henderson, Nev. |
| Zach Kirschbaum | Trinity International (Ill.) | F | JR. | Las Vegas, Nev. |
| Ben Lanning | Cornerstone (Mich.) | F | SR. | Grandville, Mich. |
| Tate Martin | Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) | G | JR. | Mitchell, S.D. |
| Deion McClenton | Keiser (Fla.) | F | SO. | Columbus, Ga. |
| Austin Morris | Brescia (Ky.) | F | SR. | Evansville, Ind. |
| Joey Nebeker | College of Idaho | F | JR. | Melba, Idaho |
| Cameron Paschke | College of the Ozarks (Mo.) | G | JR. | Fayetteville, Ark. |
| Nick Riley | Union (Ky.) | G | SR. | Hopkinsville, Ky. |
| Kyle Stidom | Taylor (Ind.) | G | SR. | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Franky Teran | Antelope Valley (Calif.) | G | JR. | Tucson, Ariz. |
| Brandon Vanderhegghen | Grace (Ind.) | G | SR. | Mishawaka, Ind. |
| Michael Walker | St. Thomas (Fla.) | G | JR. | Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. |
| Chris Waller | Southwestern (Kan.) | G | SR. | Houston, Texas |
| Dominique Walls | Indiana Tech | F | SR. | Chicago, Ill. |
