2015 All-Brooklyn Team: College Basketball All-Stars

March 24, 2015 By Rob Abruzzese Brooklyn Daily Eagle

LIU Brooklyn had a very talented crop of freshmen this season, and Martin Hermannsson was the best with an average of 10.1 points and 3.3 assists per game. The future is bright in Downtown Brooklyn. Eagle photos by Rob Abruzzese

Share this:

It was a great year for college basketball teams in Brooklyn this year. All of the top college teams made their respective conference playoffs with the St. Francis women and the St. Joseph’s women both winning their championships.

Here are the All-Brooklyn players as chosen by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

All-Brooklyn MVP: Jalen Cannon, St. Francis, forward, senior

As St. Francis’ all-time leading scorer and rebounder, Cannon is easily in the conversation for the best ever to have played on Remsen Street. He averaged 16.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game and just fell short of being the first player to lead the Terriers to the NCAA tournament. An NIT bid was a nice consolation as was Cannon’s NEC Player of the Year award.

All-Brooklyn Coach of the Year: John Thurston, St. Francis women’s team

In four years Thurston has transformed the Terriers from a team that could count its wins on one hand to Northeast Conference champions. He might as well be a chemistry professor as the girls overcame what looked like big odds to turn this season around to make their first NCAA tournament.

All-Brooklyn Rookie of the Year: Martin Hermannsson, LIU Brooklyn, guard, freshman

The Icelandic guard averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game during a rookie year where it was easy to forget that he was a freshman. In fact, LIU Brooklyn is loaded with talented freshmen; it might not be long before the team is playing for another NEC title.

All-Brooklyn First Team

David Louison: St. Joseph’s, forward, senior

Louison had another monster season at St. Joseph’s this season as he averaged 16.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and led the Bears to an 18-10 overall season which ended with a loss to Berkeley in the championships. He was named Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Sarah Benedetti: St. Francis, forward, senior

Benedetti averaged 14.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this year and had a huge game in the NEC final where she scored 29 points to give the school its first conference title.

Samantha Retas: St. Joseph’s, forward, senior

Retas averaged 13.6 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. She led the Bears to an HVIAC championship against Albany Pharmacy where she played through an injury.

Brent Jones: St. Francis, guard, senior

Jones averaged 14.1 points and 5.3 assists per game as he became the school’s all-time assists man.

Egzon Gjonbalaj: Brooklyn College, forward/guard, junior

Gjonbalaj was the best player on a talented Brooklyn College team. He averaged 18.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game and led his team in total steals and blocks.

All-Brooklyn Second Team

Lorenzo Williams, Brooklyn College, forward, junior

Gerrell Martin, LIU Brooklyn, guard, senior

Michael Megafu, St. Joseph’s, forward, junior

Megan Campbell, Brooklyn College, forward, senior

Sophie Bhasin, LIU Brooklyn, guard, junior