AU’s Welton and Lancaster Honored by NABC

AURORA, Ill. March 22, 2005 - The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) named its 2004-2005 men’s basketball region All District teams. Aurora University Spartan Larry Welton and Head Coach James Lancaster were both honored by the NABC for their achievements this season.

Welton (Chicago, Ill./Thornwood), a freshman forward, was named NABC Midwest All-District. The award marks Welton’s fifth post-season award following his first season as a Spartan. On the year, Welton averaged 20.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and blocked 1.46 shots per game, while shooting 53 percent (220-415) from the field. Welton was previously named Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference (NIIC) Player of the Year, NIIC Newcomer of the Year, NIIC All-Conference, and D3hoops.com First-Team All-Region, as well as being named a finalist for the V Foundation Comeback Award.

Spartan Head Coach James Lancaster was named NABC Midwest Coach of the Year. Lancaster led the Aurora University men’s basketball team this season to a 23-5 record and a second-round appearance in the 2004-2005 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championships. He was named Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference Coach of the Year, where AU went 11-1 and were regular-season and tournament NIIC champions. The regular season conference championship marked the Spartan men’s second consecutive title. In his 11 seasons at the helm of the men’s program, Lancaster is 199-88 overall and 94-31 in the NIIC. The NIIC Coach of the Year award was Lancaster’s fourth in his 11 years as men’s basketball coach, the other three coming after the 1997-1998, 1998-1999, and 2003-2004 seasons.

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