By: Andrew Gavin (@GBGavin)
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Senior Keifer Sykes (Chicago, Ill.) is one of the most accomplished basketball players in the history of the Green Bay men's basketball program and the Horizon League. On Monday, his resume added another major accomplishment when Sykes was named the Horizon League Player of the Year for the second-straight season.
Sykes becomes the first player since Detroit's Rashad Phillips in 2000-01 to win back-to-back player of the year awards and the fifth player in the league's history to win player of the year two or more times. Sykes joins Tony Bennett (1990-91, 1991-92) as the only players in Green Bay's Division I history to be named the conference player of the year twice.
For the second-straight season, media members, head coaches and sports information directors voted Sykes as the top player in the league. He also was voted All-Horizon League for the third time in his career, earning a spot on the first team for the second-straight season.
Senior Greg Mays (Chicago, Ill.) was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team for the first time in his career, and junior Jordan Fouse (Racine, Wis.) earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team for the third time in as many seasons and finished as the runner-up for Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season.
Keifer Sykes
Horizon League Player of the Year
All-Horizon League First Team
Defenses have brought out all the stops to slow Sykes throughout the season, but the Phoenix senior still led the Horizon League in scoring for the season (18.5) and in Horizon League play (19.7).
Sykes is also third in steals (1.7), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0) and fourth in assists (4.2). The Chicago native ranks among conference leaders in rebounding (4.5), field goal percentage (.460), free throw percentage (.772), three-pointers made per game (1.4), defensive rebounds (3.7) and minutes played (34.8).
The senior, who was also the Preseason Player of the Year, scored in double figures in 15 of 16 league games and 28 of 30 games for the season, including scoring a career-high 36 at UIC and 34 at Milwaukee.
During the season, Sykes won the Horizon League Player of the Week award three times, including on Monday morning after averaging 28.5 points, 5.5 assists, five rebounds and three steals in wins over UIC and Oakland last week. In his career, Sykes won the weekly award a league record 13 times.
In his career, Sykes has scored 2,038 points, ranking second in program history and tied for sixth in Horizon League history. With 519 assists and 453 rebounds, Sykes is the only player in Horizon League history to accumulate 2,000 career points, 500-plus assists and 400-plus rebounds.
Sykes is also the nation's only player with 2,000-plus points, 500-plus assists and 400-plus assists. During the 2014-15 season, he has been named to the Wooden Award and Naismith Award Watch Lists among the nation's best players as well as one of only 17 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the nation's top point guard.
Sykes has reached 500 points for the third-straight season, becoming the second Phoenix player in school history to accomplish that feat. He has also dished out 100 or more assists for the fourth-straight season. The point guard has also put together his best season on the defensive end of the floor, totaling a career-high 52 steals while creating countless five-second counts. In his career, he has tallied 152 steals to sit eighth in program history.
Greg Mays
All-Horizon League Second Team
A 6-foot-9 senior, Mays earned All-Horizon League honors for the first time in his career. The senior is averaging 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game for the season while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and making posting career-highs with 12 three-pointers and 72 free throws.
In Horizon League action, the Chicago native upped his numbers to 15.4 points (seventh in HL), 5.8 rebounds (10th) and 2.3 blocks per game (2nd). He reached double figures in 13 of 16 games and shot 53.1 percent from the field and 71.2 percent from the free-throw line.
On Feb. 18 at the Resch Center, Mays scored a career-high 34 points on 10-of-15 shooting against Detroit. He made 26 first-half points to tie the Resch Center record for points in a half. Mays also scored 23 points against Youngstown State, 20 against UIC and 21 against Oakland while posting three double-doubles.
In his career, Mays has played 119 games, starting 79 times. He has totaled 964 career points and 513 rebounds while shooting 53.2 percent for his career.
With a career-high 45 blocks this season, Mays has the ninth-most single-season block total in program history. The senior's 105 career blocks rank sixth in the Phoenix record books.
The high-flying Mays has 38 dunks this season and 109 dunks in his career, believed to be the most in program history.
Jordan Fouse
Horizon League All-Defensive Team
A 6-foot-7 junior, Fouse has earned a spot on the Horizon League's All-Defensive Team for the third time in as many seasons. He is just the second player in Green Bay's history to be voted to the team three times, joining four-time honoree Terry Evans. Fouse is the first three-time selection since Butler's Ronald Nored (2009-12).
In 2014-15, Fouse is averaging 7.2 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. The junior leads the conference in steals per game and ranks fifth in both rebounding and blocks. Fouse is also sixth in defensive rebounds per game.
The versatile Fouse guards four different positions on the floor and also plays the top spot in Green Bay's matchup zone. With 63 steals, Fouse has more than any junior in program history and is just six steals away from breaking his own single-season school record, set in 2013-14.
Despite not being named to an All-League team, Fouse is having the best offensive season of his career as well. The Racine native is posting career-high averages in points (7.9), field goal percentage (.508, 4th in HL), assists (3.5, 6th), assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0, 1st) and offensive rebounds (2.4, 3rd).
Green Bay (23-7, 12-4 HL) enters this week's Horizon League Championship as the No. 2 seed. The Phoenix will play in a semifinal contest against Oakland, UIC or Wright State on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. CST.
All-League First Team
Keifer Sykes, Green Bay (Sr., G)
Kahlil Felder, Oakland (So., G)
Alec Peters, Valparaiso (So., F)
Anton Grady, Cleveland State (Jr., F)
Trey Lewis, Cleveland State (Jr., G)
All-League Second Team
Juwan Howard, Jr., Detroit (Sr., F)
Corey Petros, Oakland (Sr., C)
Greg Mays, Green Bay (Sr., F)
Matt Tiby, Milwaukee (Jr., F)
Steve McWhorter, Milwaukee (Sr., G)
All-Freshman Team
Paris Bass, Detroit (G/F)
Tevonn Walker, Valparaiso (G)
Jalen Hayes, Oakland (F)
Grant Benzinger, Wright State (G)
Nick Daniels, Oakland (G)
All-Defensive Team
Vashil Fernandez, Valparaiso (Sr., C)
Jordan Fouse, Green Bay (Jr., F)
Dante Williams, Oakland (Sr., F)
Anton Grady, Cleveland State (Jr., F)
Charlie Lee, Cleveland State (Sr., G)
Player of the Year: Keifer Sykes, Green Bay (Sr., G)
Defensive Player of the Year: Vashil Fernandez, Valparaiso (Sr., C)
Freshman of the Year: Paris Bass, Detroit (G/F)
Sixth Player of the Year: Jubril Adekoya, Valparaiso (So., F)
Coach of the Year: Bryce Drew, Valparaiso
#
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Green Bay Athletics, please visit GreenBayPhoenix.com.
Follow us on Twitter: @GBPhoenix and @GBPhoenixMBB.
Like
Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball and
Green Bay Phoenix Athletics on Facebook.
