Lehigh University Athletics
Patriot League honors four Mountain Hawks
9/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Bethlehem, PA – First year head coach Billy Taylor was named Patriot League Coach of the Year while senior Zlatko Savovic earned First Team honors, senior Matt Logie earned Second Team honors and freshman Mitch Gilfillan earned Rookie Team honors. The four awards, based on voting by the league’s eight coaches, marked the most Lehigh has ever received since joining the Patriot League. Taylor, the all-time winningest first year men’s basketball head coach in school history, guided the Mountain Hawks to 16 wins, more than three times the amount from last season. In becoming the first Lehigh coach to ever win Coach of the Year honors in the Patriot League, Taylor led a team that recorded 11 more wins than last year, the second best turnaround in NCAA Division I basketball this year. Taylor’s accomplishment stands out in part because the Mountain Hawks returned only one starter from last year’s 5-23 team and were picked seventh in almost every preseason poll including the Patriot League Coaches Poll. "Billy Taylor has done an outstanding job in more ways than would be defined by his win-loss record," said Lehigh Athletics Director Joe Sterrett. "He is an excellent teacher of the game, he is committed to the academic ideals of this institution, he has hired an excellent staff, and he appears to be an excellent recruiter. We are excited about his fit at Lehigh, and his winning 16 games to this point is a bonus. He truly deserves this award." Savovic was the Patriot League’s most improved player this season. As a junior, "Zo" averaged only 3.4 points per game and played an average of just 15 minutes per game. Under Taylor, his playing time nearly doubled while his points per game output nearly quintupled. This year Savovic averaged 14. 6 ppg. (6th in league), 4.1 rebounds per contest (17th in the league) and dished out 4.1 assists per game (5th in the league). "Zo is a remarkable young man," noted head coach Billy Taylor. "He transformed himself from a little used sub to a first-team all league player. He has a relentless work ethic and his passion for the game along with his commitment to become better has enabled him to achieve a high level of success." Logie’s second-team selection makes him one of only three players in Lehigh history (Daren Queenan and Mike Polaha) to be recognized on the all rookie team as well as being at least a second-team member the following three years. Logie, third in Patriot League scoring this year, became the Mountain Hawks all-time leader in three point shots made (262), ranks seventh in school history in scoring (1,489 points), and 11th among all-time Patriot League scorers. Logie also ranks second nationally in free throw shooting (94.6%) and is the top all-time free throw shooter in the Patriot League (90.7%). "I am proud of all that Matt has accomplished over his four years at Lehigh," said Coach Taylor. "He is a major contributor on and off the court and will be able to leave here knowing that he helped establish a winning program. I hope some day he will be able to look back on his records and accomplishments and be able to truly appreciate what he has meant to Lehigh." Gilfillan led the Patriot League in three-point shooting, shooting 51.9% for the season. He was third on the team with 27 three-point goals. Gilfillan played in all 27 games this year, averaging 17.3 minutes per game and 4.3 points per game. Over his last four games Gilfillan averaged 8.5 points per game. "Mitch is a great kid and a hard worker," quipped Taylor. "He is a vocal leader on this team and from day one has never been afraid to step up and make big plays." Lehigh begins its quest for a Patriot League title on Saturday when the fourth-seeded Mountain Hawks take on the fifth seeded Bucknell Bison in a quarterfinal match-up. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:35 from The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The game will be broadcast live on Oldies 1470-AM, WKAP and on the Lehigh web site. Tickets for the tournament can be purchased through the Lehigh Ticket Office at (610) 7LU-GAME. 2002-2003 All-Patriot League Team
First Team | |||||
Name | School | Year | Hometown | ||
Zlatko Savovic (G) | Lehigh | Sr. | Everett, WA | ||
Boakai Lalugba (F) | Bucknell | Sr. | East Orange, NJ | ||
Jave Meade (G) | Holy Cross | Jr. | Long Island City, NY | ||
Patrick Whearty (F) | Holy Cross | Sr. | Poughkeepsie, NY | ||
Steven Miles (G) | American | Sr. | Alexandria, VA | ||
Second Team | |||||
Name | School | Year | Hometown | ||
Matt Logie (F) | Lehigh | Sr. | Mercer Island, WA | ||
Mark Linebaugh (G) | Colgate | Jr. | Cleona, PA | ||
Brian Wilson (G) | Holy Cross | Sr. | Plainfield, NJ | ||
Justin DeBerry (G) | Lafayette | Jr. | Tucson, AZ | ||
Glenn Stokes (G) | American | Jr. | Silver Spring, MD | ||
All Rookie Team | |||||
Name | School | Year | Hometown | ||
Mitch Gilfillan (G) | Lehigh | Fr. | Morton, IL | ||
Kevin Bettencourt (G) | Bucknell | Fr. | Peabody, MA | ||
Alvin Reed (G) | Colgate | Fr. | San Bernardino, CA | ||
Raimondas Petrauskas (F) | American | So. | Mazeikiai, Lithuania | ||
David Hooper (G) | Navy | Fr. | Dale City, VA | ||
Coach of the Year: Billy Taylor | Lehigh | ||||
Player of the Year: Patrick Whearty | Holy Cross | ||||
Rookie of the Year: Kevin Bettencourt | Bucknell | ||||
