Temple University Athletics
COLLINS, TYNDALE EARN A-10 HONORS
3.8.05 | Men's Basketball
CINCINNATI, OHIO -- Junior Mardy Collins was named First Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference and all-Defensive Team and freshman Mark Tyndale was selected to the league's all-Rookie Team at the annual awards banquet Monday night held at Paul Brown Stadium. Collins, a contender for A-10 Player of the Year honors, was joined on the first team by Saint Joseph's Pat Carroll, La Salle's Steven Smith, UMass' Rashaun Freeman and George Washington's T.J. Thompson. Carroll and Smith shared co-Player of the Year honors.
The All-Conference second-team consists of Bryant Dunston of Fordham, Dwayne Jones of Saint Joseph's, Mike Hall and Pops Mensah-Bonsu of George Washington, and Duquesne's Bryant McAllister. On the third-team are Justin Cage of Xavier, Rhode Island's Scott Hazelton, Monty Scott of Dayton, St. Bonaventure's Ahmad Smith, and Richmond's Kevin Steenberge.
Dunston, the A-10 Rookie of the Year, earned six Rookie of the Week awards in 2004-05. The 6-8 forward from Queens, NY, is the Rams' leading scorer (14.9 ppg) and rebounder (8.7 rpg). His rebounding average is the highest by an Atlantic 10 freshman since Xavier's David West averaged 9.1 rpg in 1999-00. On Feb. 9, Dunston scored a game-high 21 points and added 19 rebounds to lead Fordham to an 84-62 Atlantic 10 win over St. Bonaventure. The 19 rebounds were the most by an Atlantic 10 player this year and the third-best single game total by a freshman in Atlantic 10 history.
Joining Dunston on the All-Rookie team are teammate Marcus Stout, Stanley Burrell of Xavier, Dayton's Brian Roberts, and Tyndale.
Jones, who was named the Atlantic 10's Defensive Player of the Year, enters the A-10 Championship as the Conference's leading rebounder at 11.5 ppg. Also selected to the All-Conference second-team, the 6-11 native of Chester, PA, leads the league in blocks with 83. He had 21 games of 10 rebounds or more and 14 double-doubles - both tops in the Atlantic 10.
The All-Defensive team is comprised of Jones, teammate Dwayne Lee, Cage, Collins, and Carl Elliott of George Washington. Achara was named the Atlantic 10's Chris Daniels Award winner, presented to the Conference's most improved player. A year ago, the 6-9 native of Stirling, Scotland, averaged 6.0 points and 3.7 rebounds while seeing time in 29 games. This season, Achara is averaging 11.5 points and a team-best 6.6 rebounds a game. He also has 46 blocked shots.
Phil Martelli earns his fourth Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year award, having been previously honored in 1996-97, 2000-01, and 2003-04. In what was expected by many to be a rebuilding year, Martelli guided the Hawks to their fifth straight A-10 East division title in going 14-2 in league play and 17-10 overall. The Hawks are just the second team in A-10 history to earn five straight division titles, joining UMass which won crowns from 1992-96. In addition, the Hawks' 30-2 A-10 record over the past two seasons is the best two-year mark since Temple went 35-1 during the 1987 and 1988 seasons. In 10 years on Hawk Hill, Martelli's teams have combined for a 196-109 (.643) record, including a 105-55 (.656) mark in A-10 play.
