Hilltoppers' Bolon Repeats as NABC All-American
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – West Liberty University men’s basketball standout Dalton Bolon was named Tuesday to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II All-America Team.
Selected and voted on by NCAA Division II NABC member coaches across the country, the 16-man honor roll is regarded as the most prestigious of all post-season All-America teams.
Tuesday’s honor placed Bolon in pretty select company as the 6-4 graduate student from Gnadenhutten, Ohio was one of only two players to earn NABC All-America honors for the second consecutive year. Daemen (N.Y.) senior center Andrew Sischo was the other repeat honoree.
The post-season honors are once again beginning to stack up in a hurry for Bolon as he and his WLU teammates prepare for Wednesday night’s NCAA Division II Elite Eight national quarterfinal against defending national champion Northwest Missouri State. He was voted Mountain East Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season and was named to the MEC and Atlantic Region All-Tournament Teams. Bolon collected his third consecutive NABC All-Atlantic District honor on Monday.
The leading scorer and rebounder on the nation’s highest-scoring team, Bolon played a major role in leading the Hilltoppers to their fourth straight MEC championship, 12th consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament bid and 13th national scoring title in the past 16 seasons. He averaged 21.0 points and 8.7 rebounds during WLU’s Atlantic Region run, capped by back-to-back routs of No. 15 Charleston (82-63) and No. 9 Hillsdale (78-61), to send the Hilltoppers to their sixth Elite Eight since 2011.
A four-year starter on the hilltop, Bolon leads all active NCAA Division II players with 2,232 points and 349 3-point field goals. He’s hit double figures in 102 of his 116 career games, including all 22 this season. The West Liberty veteran ranks among the Top 25 nationally this season in in Scoring (21.6 ppg.), 3-Point Field Goals/Game (3.00/gm), 3-Point Field Goal Percentage (.446), Free Throw Percentage (.908) and Double-Doubles (7).
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 gaining ground fast. Bonifant completed his stellar West Liberty career with 2,289 points and 374 3-point field goals
Bolon and Hillsdale (Mich.) sophomore forward Patrick Cartier were the lone Atlantic Region selections on the 2020-21 NABC All-America honor roll. Seven of the 16 NABC All-Americans are in Evansville this week competing in the Elite Eight.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
2020-21 NABC ALL-AMERICA TEAM
NCAA Division II
PlayerSchoolHtYrPosHometown
DALTON BOLONWEST LIBERTY6-4GR.GGNADENHUTTEN, Ohio
Patrick CartierHillsdale (Mich.)6-8So.FBrookfield, Wis.
Parker FoxNorthern State6-8Jr.FMahtomedi, Minn.
Parker HicksLubbock Christian6-6Sr.FDecatur, Texas
Trevor HudginsNW Missouri State6-0Jr.GManhattan, Kan.
Chandler JacobsDallas Baptist6-3Sr.GMissouri City, Texas
KJ Jones IIEmmanuel6-6So.GAtlanta, Ga.
Jaizec LottieFlagler6-2Sr.GAurora, Colo.
Cade McKnightTruman State6-9Jr.FGrinnell, Iowa
Ethan MenziesColorado Mesa6-7So.FHalf Moon Bay, Calif.
Sam OrfAlabama-Huntsville6-2Sr.GSt. Charles, Mo.
Grant SingletonSt. Thomas Aquinas6-0Jr.GSumter, S.C.
Andrew SischoDaemen (N.Y.)6-9Sr.CGuilderland, N.Y.
Brendan SullivanColorado Mines6-6Jr.FHighlands Ranch, Colo.
Owen WhiteMichigan Tech6-6Jr.GRhinelander, Wis.
Devin WhitfieldLincoln Memorial6-5Sr.GLipscomb, Ala.