EDINBURG, TX–The University of Texas-Pan American won three of the six individual awards and had three players named All-Independent as the 2001-2002 Independent Basketball Awards were announced. The awards were voted on by the head men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors at nine independent NCAA Division I schools.

Guard Mire Chatman of the Broncs, named second team All-Independent, Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season, was one of three multiple award winners. Chatman, who ranked third in Division I in scoring (26.2 points per game) and steals (3.6 per game), was named 2001-02 Independent Player of the Year, Independent Defensive Player of the Year, and was named first team All-Independent.

Centenary guard Andrew Wisniewski and guard Jeff Dancy of Lipscomb also received multiple honors. Wisniewski, who ranked 29^th in Division in assists per game (5.7) and 46^th in scoring (19.6 points per game), was named Independent Newcomer of the Year and earned first team All-Independent honors. Dancy, named Independent Co-Freshman of the Year and second team All-Independent, averaged 10.3 points per game.

Gardner-Webb’s Otis Daniels and Birmingham Southern’s Jakob Sigurdarson joined Dancy as Independent Co-Freshmen of the Year. Daniels averaged 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs, while Sigurdarson averaged 9.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for BSC.

Texas-Pan American’s Bob Hoffman was named Independent Coach of the Year. In his third year at UTPA, Hoffman led the Broncs to their best season in 12 years, posting a 20-10 record, winning the championship of the San Juan Shootout, and receiving consideration for a berth in the National Invitational Tournament.

Joining Chatman and Wisniewski as All-Independent first team members were Brian Evans of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Bruce Fields of Gardner-Webb, and Marcus Quinn of Texas-Pan American. In addition to Dancy, the second team included Kevin Atamah of Centenary, Brian Hamilton of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Kevin Mitchell of Texas-Pan American, T.R. Reed of Birmingham Southern and Nick Wise of Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne.

2001-2002 MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-INDEPENDENT AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR-Mire Chatman, Texas-Pan American

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR-Mire Chatman, Texas-Pan American

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR-Andrew Wisniewski, Centenary

CO-FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR-Jeff Dancy, Lipscomb

                                                   Otis Daniels, Gardner-Webb

                                                   Jakob Sigurdarson, Birmingham Southern

COACH OF THE YEAR-Bob Hoffman, Texas-Pan American

ALL-INDEPENDENT FIRST TEAM:

Mire Chatman, Texas-Pan American

Brian Evans, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Bruce Fields, Gardner-Webb

Marcus Quinn, Texas-Pan American

Andrew Wisniewski, Centenary

ALL-INDEPENDENT SECOND TEAM:

Kevin Atamah, Centenary

Jeff Dancy, Lipscomb

Brian Hamilton, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Kevin Mitchell, Texas-Pan American

T.R. Reed, Birmingham Southern

Nick Wise, Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne

Members of the first and second All-Independent Teams are listed alphabetically. Three players were chosen as Freshmen of the Year and six players were named to the All-Independent Second Team because of ties in the voting.

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