Lehigh University Athletics
ECAC honors McCollum as ROY, All-Star selection
3/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – C.J. McCollum was named the 2010 ECAC Rookie of the Year as well as a Third-Team ECAC All-Star on Wednesday. The first-year standout, who is the nation’s number-one scoring freshman, was joined on the teams by student-athletes from the likes of Syracuse, Maryland, Duke, Villanova, West Virginia, Georgetown and Temple. The honor came one day after McCollum was named a First-Team All-District Selection by the NABC. The ECAC is the second outlet to name McCollum its Patriot League Rookie of the Year after Sporting News did so last week.
McCollum made history earlier this month when he became the first player in Patriot League history to be named the league’s Player and Rookie of the Year. McCollum was also named to the All-League First-Team, as well as the All-Rookie Team. That same day the 6-3 guard tied the league mark for the most Rookie of the Week awards with his ninth, tying teammate Marquis Hall (2006-07) and Bucknell’s Kevin Bettencourt (2002-03). McCollum was also named to the Sporting News All-Freshman Team and the outlet named him its Patriot League Player and Rookie of the Year. With his selection to the Sporting News All-Freshman Team, it marks the second time in the last four years that Lehigh has produced a Freshman All-America. Hall garnered the honor in 2007.
McCollum, who was only the second Lehigh player to be named P.L. Player of the Year (Austen Rowland – 2004) is Lehigh’s third Rookie of the Year in the last four seasons (Hall, Rob Keefer). He currently leads the Mountain Hawks in scoring at 18.9 points per game and his 605 points this season are the most by a freshman in Lehigh and Patriot League history. He is also averaging 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals and he is shooting 43% from downtown and 81% from the free throw line.
McCollum and his Mountain Hawk teammates are currently in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma preparing to play in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Lehigh, seeded 16th, will take on the number-one overall seed Kansas Jayhawks on Thursday evening inside Ford Center with tip-off slated for 9:40 PM eastern time.
Fans can listen to the game live on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 with veteran Matt Kerr and Jeff Tourial calling the action. The game will also be shown live on CBS with Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner on the call.
