Another Repeat All-America Honor for West Liberty’s Bolon
ALBANY, N.Y. – West Liberty University men’s basketball standout Dalton Bolon picked up his second repeat NCAA Division II All-America honor of the day Tuesday afternoon when he was one of 15 players named to the 2020-21 Division II Conference Commissioners’ Association (D2CCA) Men’s Basketball All-America Team.
The D2CCA All-America Team is voted on by sports information directors from the more than 300 NCAA Division II schools and consists of three 5-man units. Bolon – who was named to the prestigious NABC Coaches’ All-America Team on Tuesday morning – was a second-team D2CCA All-America selection.
A 6-4 graduate student from Gnadenhutten, Ohio, Bolon leads all active NCAA D2 men with 2,232 points and 349 career 3-pointers and ranks among the nation’s Top 25 this season in scoring (21.6 ppg.), 3-FGs/Game (3.00/gm), 3FG Percentage (.446), Free Throw Percentage (.908) and Double-Doubles (7).
The Hilltoppers’ leading scorer and rebounder for the second straight year, Bolon scored double-figures in all 22 games this season as WLU rolled to its fourth straight MEC championship, 12th consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament berth and sixth NCAA Division II Elite Eight run since 2011. Bolon has hit double figures in 102 of his 116 career games.
An honors graduate in Biology now working toward his master’s degree at West Liberty, Bolon has started every game but one since arriving on campus and led the Black and Gold to a sparkling 99-17 record over that span. His 2,232 career points and 349 bonus bombs trail only former NCAA D2 National Player of the Year Seger Bonifant in the Hilltopper record book but he’s closing in quickly. Bonifant scored 2,289 points and drained 374 3-point field goals in his four seasons on the hilltop.
Nine of the 15 D2CCA All-Americans will be in action on Wednesday when the NCAA Division II Elite Eight tips off at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. Bolon and the Hilltoppers will take on defending national champion Northwest Missouri State in a much-anticipated 7 p.m. national quarterfinal. The Bearcats were the only team with two first-team D2CCA All-Americans in junior guard Trevor Hudgins and senior forward Ryan Hawkins. Hudgins was selected as the Ron Lenz NCAA Division II National Player of the Year.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
2020-21 D2CCA Division II
All-America Team
First Team
NameSchoolPos.Ht.Cl.Hometown
Trevor Hudgins NW Missouri State G 6-0 Jr. Manhattan, Kan.
Andrew Sischo Daemen C 6-9 Sr. Guilderland, N.Y.
Ryan Hawkins NW Missouri State F 6-7 Sr. Atlantic, Iowa
Parker Fox Northern State F 6-8 Jr. Mahtomedi, Minn.
Qua Grant West Texas A&M G 6-1 Jr. Waxahachie, Texas
Second Team
NameSchoolPos.Ht.Cl.Hometown
Cam Martin Missouri Southern F 6-9Sr. Yukon, Okla.
TJ Crockett Lindenwood G 6-1Sr. University City, Mo.
Jaizec Lottie FlaglerG 6-2 Sr. Aurora, Colo.
DALTON BOLON WEST LIBERTY G 6-4 SR. GNADENHUTTEN, OHIO
Joel Murray West Texas A&M G 6-0 Jr. Rowlett, Texas
Third Team
NameSchoolPos.Ht.Cl.Hometown
Tyler Geiman Washburn G6-1 Sr. Stilwell, Kan.
Brendan Sullivan Colorado School of Mines G6-6 Jr. Highlands Ranch, Colo.
John Williams Glenville State G6-4 Jr. Augusta, Ga.
Cade McKnight Truman State F 6-9 Jr. Grinnell, Iowa
Patrick Cartier Hillsdale F 6-8 So. Brookfield, Wis.
Honorable Mention: Devin Whitfield, Lincoln Memorial; Chandler Jacobs, Dallas Baptist; Kaden Anderson, Point Loma; Josh Price, Southern Indiana; Aaron Lucas, Southern Arkansas