The USCAA announced its Division II men's and women's basketball All-Americans on Sunday afternoon during the skills competition at the Virginia State University Multipurpose Center in Petersburg, Virginia, and Berkeley College's basketball teams were well represented. On the men's side, Marc Combs and Jihadu Brunner were named Honorable Mention All-Americans, while for the women, Amal Mahmoud and Zanya Henderson earned spots on the All-Academic team. Following the announcement of the awards, Head Coach Jonathan Pena spoke glowingly about his honorees.
"Marc has been tremendous for us this season, as evidenced by him leading our team in scoring, and being named he Most Valuable Player of the HVIAC Tournament," Pena said. "We count on Mark to set the tone for us, and he has done that exceptionally throughout this 2022-2023 campaign. As it pertains to this National tournament, we'll go as far as he takes us. We're very gratified that he was able to get recognized on this stage. As for Jihadu, he brings a tremendous amount of toughness to our team, and it makes us a much more difficult squad to deal with throughout 40 grueling minutes of basketball. I'm happy to see him earn this praise at this level."
Combs has had an incredible impact on the program in his first and only season as a Knight, as he's led the squad with a scoring average of 17.9 points per game, while also pulling down 4.7 rebounds per contest, as well as a team-leading 2.6 steals per night. Combs dominated the HVIAC this year, as his 17.9 points per game average is second amongst all players, and he currently leads the conference in three-point field goal percentage (41.6 percent) and steals per contest (2.6). His 77.5 percent conversion rate on his free throws currently place him fourth amongst all players in the HVIAC.
He was named the Most Valuable Player of the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, averaging 17 points per game while shooting 60 percent from the floor in those contests (12-20), as the Knights won their eighth consecutive HVIAC crown.
Brunner, who Sunday captured the USCAA Dunk Contest championship, has had a fantastic year for Berkeley College in his first season with the program. He's averaging 16.1 points per game, placing him second behind Combs. He also averages 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals, establishing himself as an extremely versatile player. Brunner has scored 20 points or more seven times, and eclipsed 30 points or more twice. He's also registered two double-doubles, and has pulled down seven rebounds or more five times.
The No. 4 seeded Knights will open tournament play on Tuesday afternoon at 4:00pm, as they'll face either No. 5 seeded Kent State-Tuscarawas. To follow the Berkeley College men's basketball team's quest for its fifth consecutive National Championship, visit the USCAA website at www.theuscaa.com. Live statistics and live video streaming will be available for select games. Recaps of all Berkeley College contests will be available by the Knights' athletics website – www.berkeleycollegeknights.com.
Berkeley College women's basketball Head Coach Candice DeRisi, when asked about Mahmoud and Henderson's USCAA All-Academic recognition, spoke proudly of the two student-athletes.
"Amal and Zanya, in addition to working diligently and becoming two incredible contributors to our program on the court this season, dedicated themselves to their studies and truly starred in the classroom. It is gratifying for me to see them continue to excel academically, and to see them receive USCAA All-Academic honors makes me extremely proud of them. Amal is headed for great things in the post-college world, and Zanya will continue to be an amazing piece of our puzzle next year during her junior season."
