Spartans Prominent on NABC Postseason Teams

AURORA, Ill. March 22, 2007 - The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) named its 2006-2007 men’s basketball All-Region and All-American teams. Aurora University had several members recognized for the fantastic on court play in the 2006-2007 season. Junior forward Larry Welton, senior guard Darrick Leonard and Head Coach James Lancaster were each selected for post-season awards.

Welton (Chicago, IL/Thornwood HS) was named to the NABC First-Team All-Midwest district and a Second-Team All-American. Leonard (Hazel Crest, IL/Rich Central HS) was named NABC Second-Team All-Midwest district, while Head Coach James Lancaster was named the Midwest Coach of the Year.

The prestigious awards keep racking up for Welton in his three seasons as a Spartan. This season, Welton averaged 20.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, en route to being named NABC Second-Team All-American, D3hoops.com Third-Team All-American, NABC and D3hoops.com First-Team All-Region, Northern Athletics Conference Player of the Year and First-Team All-Conference. Both conference awards mark the third-consecutive year that Welton has been recognized for his tremendous on-court play. The previous two seasons came in the former Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference.

In his three seasons at AU, Welton tallied double-figure scoring outputs in 80 of the 84 contests, while tallying 20 or more points 46 times in his career. Welton has been named to five All-American teams, All-Region six times, conference Player of the Year three times and All-Conference three times. Welton continued to add to his AU legacy during his junior season, which included moving into the top five on the AU all-time scoring list with 1,736 points, which places him fifth. The all-time leading scorer is AU legend Mickey Johnson with 2,453 points.

Leonard, in his only season as a Spartan, averaged 15.7 points, 5.71 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game and was a First-Team All-Conference selection in the Northern Athletics Conference.

Spartan Head Coach James Lancaster was named the NABC Midwest Coach of the year for the second time (also the 2004-2005 NABC Midwest Coach of the Year) and was also named the 2006-2007 Northern Athletics Conference Coach of the Year as selected by his fellow coaches. Lancaster led the Aurora University men’s basketball team this season to a 25-3 record and went 16-2 in the NAC. In his 13 seasons at the helm of the men’s program, Lancaster is 240-102 overall. The NAC Coach of the Year award is Lancaster’s sixth in his 13 years as men’s basketball coach, the other five coming after the 1994-1995, 1997-1998, 1998-1999, 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 seasons in the former Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference.

Welton and Leonard helped lead the Spartan men to a 25-3 record (the 25 wins are an AU school record) and a 16-2 record in the NAC, including winning the regular season and tournament championships. The Spartans advanced to the NCAA Division III championship but fell to Calvin College 69-68 in AU’s Thornton Gymnasium.

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