By: Chuck Stogel, MBWA, 914-428-6111, chstogel@aol.com
NEW YORK (April 20, 2021) – Ryan Turell of Yeshiva University was selected as the All-Met Division III men’s college basketball Player of the Year for the second consecutive season as announced Tuesday by the Met Basketball Writers Association.
Elliot Steinmetz of YU also repeated by being named Coach of the Year for a second straight occasion.
The rest of the All-Met team: Denzel Banks, NJCU; Eitan Halpert and Gabriel Leifer, Yeshiva; Howard McBurnie Jr. and Lybrant Robinson, Drew; Yvens Monfleury, William Paterson.
The MBWA selected a single seven-player All-Met team for this past season due to reduced schedules and the reduced number of competing schools during the coronavirus pandemic.
A 6-7 junior guard from Los Angeles, CA, Turell --- who was named to the All-Met First Team last season in addition to being honored as MBWA Player of the Year --- led the Maccabees (7-0) this past season with 26.0 points per game (No. 5 in the nation), was second on the team in averaging 8.3 rebounds, and added 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
Three times this past season Turell scored at least 30 points, including a 36-point, 13-rebound outburst in a Yeshiva victory over Manhattanville. Overall he scored at least 20 points in six of YU’s reduced schedule of seven games. He shot 51.2% from the floor (66-of-129), including 42.1% from 3-point range (16-of-38).
In addition to capturing the All-Met Player of the Year accolade in 2019-20, Turell was named the Skyline Conference player of the year. This season the Skyline did not issue All-Conference honors.
A 2002 Yeshiva grad and former player, Steinmetz guided the undefeated Maccabees to a No 3 final national ranking in Division III. After losing the first game of its 2019-20 season, YU reeled off 29 straight victories and has now reached 36 consecutive triumphs, tied for the second-longest winning streak in Division III history.
Steinmetz, now in his seventh season coaching at Yeshiva, was named Skyline coach of the year in 2019-20 when the Maccabees won both the conference regular season and tournament titles, and then won two NCAA tournament games to reach the Sweet Sixteen stage before the postseason was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. This season the Skyline did not conduct a tournament and did not name a coach of the year.
SUMMARY
NEW YORK (April 20, 2021) – The 2020-21 All-Met Division III men’s college basketball team announced Tuesday by the Met Basketball Writers Association.
Denzel Banks, New Jersey City • 6-2, Sr., G • Newark, NJ
Eitan Halpert, Yeshiva • 5-11, Sr., G • Los Angeles, CA
Gabriel Leifer, Yeshiva • 6-6, Sr., F • Lawrence, NY
Howard McBurnie, Jr., Drew • 6-6, So., F • Sayreville, NJ
Yvens Monfleury, William Paterson • 6-6, So., F • Newark, NJ
Lybrant Robinson, Drew • 6-5, Sr., G • Manchester, NJ
Ryan Turell, Yeshiva • 6-7, Jr., G • Los Angeles, CA
Player of the Year: Ryan Turell, Yeshiva
Turell's Highlight Video • Turell's Acceptance Video
Coach of the Year: Elliot Steinmetz, Yehsiva
Steinmetz' Acceptance Video
For a list of previous Men's Division III Awards:
Players of the Year - Coaches of the Year
-- www.metbasketballwriters.org --