Feb. 29, 2016
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Navy senior center Will Kelly has been named the 2015-16 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, the league office announced Monday. Kelly has also been named to the All-Patriot League Second Team and the inaugural all-defensive team. Senior point guard Tilman Dunbar has been named to the All-Patriot League Third Team.
Kelly averages 10.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. He leads the Patriot League in both field goal percentage (.620) and blocks per game. Kelly ranks ninth in the NCAA in total blocks (91) and is 14th nationally in blocks per game. Kelly led the Patriot League in blocks per game for the second straight season.
Kelly's 81 blocks this season are the fifth most in a single season at Navy and his 193 career blocked shots rank second in program history behind only David Robinson.
Kelly averaged 11.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in Navy's 18 conference games this season.
Kelly ranks second in school history in career field goal percentage (.559), fifth in games played (123) and 19th in career rebounds (546).
Kelly is the first Navy player to be named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year in the 12-year history of the award.
Dunbar averages 11.3 points, 3.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals. Dunbar ranks seventh in the Patriot League in assists and is eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4).
Dunbar averaged 13.3 points and 4.1 assists in Navy's 18 conference games this season.
Dunbar became just the fourth player in Navy history to amass over 1,000 career points and 400 career assists, while becoming the 23rd player at Navy to score 1,000 career points.
Dunbar ranks fifth at Navy in career games started (102), sixth in career assists (423), 15th in career free throws (294), 21st in career steals (101) and 22nd in career points (1,056).
Dunbar was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team as a freshman in 2013.
With their all-conference team accolades, Kelly and Dunbar follow 2015 graduate Worth Smith, who was named to the all-league first team last season. Last year Smith was the first Midshipman to be named to an all-conference first, second or third team since 2011.
No. 7 Navy (18-13, 9-9 PL) will open Patriot League Tournament play by hosting No. 10 Lafayette (6-23, 3-15 PL) on Tuesday in the first round at 7:00 PM.
2015-16 Men's Basketball All-Patriot League Team and Major AwardsPlayer of the Year: Tim Kempton, Lehigh (Jr., F/C)Defensive Player of the Year: Will Kelly, Navy (Sr., C)Rookie of the Year: Delante Jones, American (Fr., G/F)Coach of the Year: Nathan Davis, Bucknell
First-Team All-Patriot LeagueEric Fanning, Boston University (Jr., G)Chris Hass, Bucknell (Sr., G)Tim Kempton, Lehigh (Jr., F/C)Tanner Plomb, Army West Point (Sr., F)Kahron Ross, Lehigh (So., G)Austin Tillotson, Colgate (Sr., G)
Second-Team All-Patriot LeagueKevin Ferguson, Army West Point (Sr., C)Nana Foulland, Bucknell (So., C)Will Kelly, Navy (Sr., C)Jesse Reed, American (Sr., G)Andre Walker, Loyola (So., G)
Third-Team All-Patriot LeagueStephen Brown, Bucknell (So., G)Tilman Dunbar, Navy (Sr., G)Austin Price, Lehigh (Jr., G)Kyle Wilson, Army West Point (Sr., G/F)
• Six players on the first team, five players on the second team and four players on the third team due to ties in the voting.
All-Defensive TeamStephen Brown, Bucknell (So., G)Nathan Dieudonne, Boston University (Sr., F)Kevin Ferguson, Army West Point (Sr., C)Ryan Frazier, Bucknell (Sr., G)Will Kelly, Navy (Sr., C)
All-Rookie TeamKarl Charles, Holy Cross (Fr., F)Kyle Foreman, Boston University (Fr., G)Delante Jones, American (Fr., G/F)Kyle Leufroy, Lehigh (Fr., G)Malcolm Regisford, Colgate (Fr., F/C)
