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MAR.
16 — Walsh Named To NAIA All-America Third Team
Junior
forward becomes first player in program history to obtain
lofty status |
Olathe, KS — After leading the Goshen
College men’s basketball program to consecutive 21-win seasons and
finishing runner-up in the 2004-2005 Mid-Central Conference Player of
the Year voting, junior forward Eric Walsh was named to the 2005 NAIA
All-America Third Team on Wednesday, becoming the first player in Leafs’ program
history to garner such an award.
Walsh, who led the Leafs in both scoring (18.7 points per game)
and rebounding (8.0 rebounds per game) this season, was named
to NAIA All-America Honorable Mention status following his sophomore
season. His most recent award
places him among the top 30 players in the nation, as voted on
by the NAIA All-America committee.
“Obviously this is an incredible honor for Eric, and one which
I feel he is very deserving to receive because of the work he
has put in to getting better,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head
coach. “Eric
has put in an incredible amount of time in his off-seasons, trying
to get stronger, quicker and better. This award is a reflection of just
how
much he has worked in both the weight room and the gym during
his career here.”
Walsh needs just 192 points to become Goshen’s all-time career scoring
leader — he currently has 1,708 career points — and is just
92 rebounds away from claiming the Leafs’ all-time rebounding
record. Walsh’s 716 career boards in three seasons put him on pace
to break current assistant coach Mark Landes’ record of 808 career
caroms.
Perhaps the most impressive stat Walsh has produced over his
career has came at the free throw line, as in just three seasons
he has obliterated the Goshen record book, making 608 out of
817 charity tosses
(74 percent). Prior to his arrival in 2002, the school records
stood at 277 made free throws and 442 attempts. Walsh’s 223 made
free throws and 312 free throw attempts this season led the nation
for the second consecutive
year, as nearly eight of his 18.7 points per game
occurred at the foul line.
“It’s uncanny how he has the ability to get to the foul line
at the rate that he does,” Daugherty said. “He’s very
hard to defend without fouling, though. He is one of the most competitive
players
I have ever coached in over 30 years of doing this. That fire
inside is what makes him such a great player.”
Walsh finished second in the MCC coaches vote for conference
player of the year this season behind Huntington College sophomore Alex
Koch. Koch was named to the NAIA All-America Second Team, along with Taylor
University junior Eric Ford. For a complete list of the 2005 NAIA All-America
players and teams, click here.
Goshen finished the 2004-2005 season with an overall record of
21-11 and a MCC mark of 9-7, good for a third-place finish. That league
performance allowed Goshen to host a MCC Tournament game for the fist
time in school history.
Walsh’s All-America honor is the latest accolade in what has been
a highly decorated season for the Leafs, as Daugherty was named
the 2004-2005 MCC Coach of the Year while junior guard Jordan
Buller joined Walsh as
an all-conference selection, making the All-MCC’s second team. Buller
also was the program’s first player to be honored with NAIA National
Player of the Week recognition, as the local product secured
the award after the week of Feb. 15, when he helped the Leafs
to wins over then
8th-ranked Huntington and 12th-ranked Taylor.
In addition to these performance-based awards, the team also
recorded the highest team grade point average in Daugherty’s four-year
tenure at the helm, achieving a 3.45 GPA during the fall semester.
“We have been fortunate to attract quality young men who also
happen to be good basketball players,” Daugherty said. “I
am very proud of what we have been able to accomplish.”
Check back to this website for the most up-to-date team information
during the off-season, including recruiting news and team events. |
  Junior
Eric Walsh
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