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FEB.
21 — Walsh Again Voted First Team All-MCC
Senior
just misses out on Player of the Year; posts third straight
first-team award |
Marion, IN — Capping perhaps the most
impressive career of any player in the history of the Goshen College men’s
basketball program, senior Eric Walsh was named First Team All Mid-Central
Conference by league coaches Monday, just missing out on Player of the
Year honors in his third consecutive First Team All-MCC honor.
Walsh, who led Goshen this season with a 19.6 points per game
scoring average and 8.0 rebound per game average, finished as the school’s
all-time leading scorer and rebounder, amassing 2,277 career points and
947 career rebounds. Walsh finished third overall in the MCC coaches’ voting
behind Co-Players of the Year Eric Ford (Taylor University) and Alex Koch
(Huntington University).
“It was a great honor for Eric to be named to the First Team All-MCC
for the third consecutive year,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head
coach. “There are so many good players in the league that it speaks
highly of Eric’s talent and his consistency over his career. He
has brought so much to our program and has set a high standard
for all future players to attain. Although he never received conference
player
of the year honors, it was always a tight vote and he was obviously
one of the top performers in the league for the last two years. He will
be
greatly missed, but his influence will be left here for years
to come.”
Despite losing a classmate Tyler Sheerer to a career-ending injury
in January (click here for article) and the Leafs dropping their
last 10 contests of the season, Walsh incredibly upped his production
in conference play,
leading the league in scoring (22.8 points per game) and finishing
third in rebounding (9.6 boards per contest). His 1.88 steals
per game were
second-best in MCC competition, while 49.2 percent clip from
the field was 13th best in league play.
Walsh, who led the NAIA Division II nation in both free throws
made and attempted as both a sophomore and a junior, found getting to
the free throw line slightly more difficult as a senior, going 180 for
228 from the charity stripe (78.9 percent) — his lowest single-season
totals though good for the fourth-highest totals in the nation. His 788
for 1,045 career free throw mark shattered a school record (the previous
mark was 277 and 422), while no player in the nation attempted or made
more free throws over the past four years than Walsh.
And while Walsh’s career accomplishments are far from solely individual
in nature — the program won more games (68) over the past four years
than in any previous quadrennial period— the 6-5 forward from Fulton,
Indiana has tattooed his name all over the Goshen College record books.
In addition to being the program’s all-time leader in scoring, rebounding
and free throws made and attempted, Walsh finished first in career field
goals made (725), second in career field goals attempted (1,334), seventh
in career assists (239) and ninth in career field goal percentage (54.3
percent).
“I think, if there are any two words that describe Eric the best,
they would be relentlessness and consistency,” said Cory Furman,
Goshen assistant coach. “I’ve never been around a player who
thought that every shot taken would be a miss, and every rebound
would be his. I’m also impressed in the manner of how he accomplished
what he did. He ended his career as our program’s leading scorer,
but just one of his season scoring totals (599 points as a junior)
ranks in our program’s top five single-season scoring lists. To
me, that shows true consistency. He accomplished what he did
over a long period
of time. Accomplishments like that are even more impressive
because of the persistence involved.”
It still remains to be seen whether or not Walsh will repeat
as an NAIA All-American — he finished as a Third Team selection
last season — as that award will be revealed upon the conclusion
of the NAIA National Tournament on Mar. 14. Walsh was an Honorable
Mention NAIA All-American following his sophomore season. He is also a
two-time
NAIA Daktronics All-America Scholar-Athlete, as Walsh has maintained
a grade point average of 3.96 during his four years at Goshen.
“That may be what has made this group of seniors so enjoyable
to coach,” Daugherty said. “In addition to them being very
good basketball players, they were exceptional students who enjoyed
being true student-athletes. They embody everything that we strive to
be as
a program.”
Senior Jordan Buller was named to the All-MCC’s Honorable Mention
list, as the point guard was second on the team in scoring (11.6 points
per game) and first in assists (4.4 assists per game). His 3.94 assists
per game in conference play were fifth best in the league, while his 479
career assists are second best in the Goshen program record books. Buller,
a Second Team All-MCC award winner last season, upped his scoring to 12.5
points per game in league play this season.
“Jordan was very deserving of his honorable mention award,” Daugherty
said. “He has been an outstanding and consistent player for us all
four years. When you look at all of the good players in our league,
it is an honor for Jordan to be mentioned among the best. Jordan certainly
left his mark on the program and will be missed.”
The University of St. Francis’ Mike Campbell took home the MCC’s
Newcomer of the Year award, while first-year Indiana Wesleyan University
head coach Greg Tonagel was named the MCC’s Coach of the Year. For
a complete look at the All-MCC teams and award winners, click here. |
  Senior
Eric Walsh
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