2016-17 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball All-Americans Announced
By Chad Waller, Director of Athletics Communications & Media
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2016-17 Division I Men’s Basketball All-America Teams on Thursday. Delarian Williams of Life (Ga.) was named the 2017 NABC-NAIA National Player of the Year. Williams becomes the second Running Eagle – the first since Jimmie Hunter in 2000 – to earn this distinction.
All of the selections are made by the All-America Committee and comprises a First, Second, Third and Honorable Mention Team. There are 10 members on each of the first three All-America teams.
Williams, a native of Pensacola, Fla., finished his senior season fifth in the NAIA in scoring average (21.6) and 16th in field goal percentage (.537). He led his program, which ended its season with a 26-11 record and its first wins in the national championship tournament since 2000, in blocks (1.0 bpg) and steals (1.2 spg) and was second in rebounding (7.2 rpg). In 37 games played, Williams hit 10-or-more points 35 times, including 30-plus points on seven occasions. In two seasons at Life, Williams compiled 1,270 points (20.5 ppg) and 414 rebounds (6.7 rpg). He was also honored as the Mid-South Conference Player of the Year.
Williams was equally impressive in the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship, where he averaged 22.4 points, grabbed 6.8 rebounds, averaged 1.8 steals and shot 44.2 percent (42-of-95) from the field. His best statistical performance came in the first round victory over Martin Methodist (Tenn.), when he went for 31 points on 12-for-20 shooting and added nine rebounds and five steals. He led the Running Eagles to the title contest, where Life dropped an 86-76 decision to Texas Wesleyan on March 21.
Xavielle Brown of Park (Mo.) was the only individual to repeat on the NAIA All-America First Team. Joe Jackson of Our Lady of the Lake (Texas), Kieston Standfield of Middle Georgia State and Zach Taylor of Carroll (Mont.) are listed on the NAIA First Team, one year removed from a NAIA Second Team selection.
Following the conclusion of the national championship title game on Tuesday, Brennen Shingleton of Texas Wesleyan was named the 2016-17 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. Shingleton led the Rams to its second-ever national title – the other one coming back in 2006 – and a 29-7 overall record.
Prior to the national championship, LSU Alexandria (La.) head coach Larry Cordaro won the 2016-17 NABC-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year honor. Cordaro was the sideline general of a team to finish 34-1 overall and spot in the national semifinals.
For more NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball information, click HERE.
2017 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball All-American’s
| First Team | ||||
| Name | School | Pos. | Yr. | Hometown |
| Zach Taylor & | Carroll (Mont.) | Guard | Sr. | Duvall, Wash. |
| Liam Hunt | Hope International (Calif.) | Center | Jr. | San Anselmo, Calif. |
| Dalarian Williams ^ | Life (Ga.) | Forward | Sr. | Pensacola, Fla. |
| Brian Sylvester | LSU Alexandria (La.) | Forward | Sr. | Breaux Bridge, La. |
| Kieston Standfield & | Middle Georgia State | Center | Sr. | Birmingham, Ala. |
| Xavier Smith | Oklahoma City | Center | Sr. | Richardson, Texas |
| Joe Jackson & | Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) | Forward | Sr. | San Antonio Texas |
| Xavielle Brown* | Park (Mo.) | Guard | Sr. | Ft. Wayne, Ind. |
| Dion Rogers | Texas Wesleyan | Guard | Sr. | North Brunswick, N.J. |
| Torren Jones | William Penn (Iowa) | Forward | Sr. | Chandler, Ariz. |
| Second Team | ||||
| Name | School | Position | Class | Hometown |
| Andre Yates | Benedictine (Kan) | Guard | Sr. | Dayton, Ohio |
| Dakari Archer * | Biola (Calif.) | Guard | Sr. | Downey, Calif. |
| Carnilious Simmons | Dalton State (Ga.) | Forward | Jr. | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Demetric Austin & | Dillard (La.) | Forward | Sr. | Washington, D.C. |
| Brandon Moss | LSU Alexandria (La.) | Forward | Jr. | Bessemer, Ala. |
| Dom Robinson | Montana Western | Guard | Jr. | Tacoma, Wash. |
| Darrion Leslie | Pikeville (Ky.) | Forward | Jr. | Huntsville, Ala. |
| Taran Buie % | Science & Arts (Okla.) | Guard | Sr. | Albany, N.Y. |
| Reid Shackleford | The Master's (Calif.) | Guard | Sr. | Murrietta, Calif. |
| Cory Blau & | Westmont (Calif.) | Guard | Sr. | Laguna Niguel, Calif. |
| Third Team | ||||
| Name | School | Position | Class | Hometown |
| Ryan Imhoff | Carroll (Mont.) | Forward | Jr. | Napa, Calif. |
| Ron Lee Jr. | Central Methodist (Mo.) | Guard | Sr. | Oak Park, Calif. |
| Jackson Dubinski | Columbia (Mo.) | Guard | Jr. | Columbia, Mo. |
| Curtis Jones | Langston (Okla.) | Guard | Sr. | Chicago, Ill. |
| Caleb Chowbay | Martin Methodist (Tenn.) | Guard | Sr. | Nashville, Tenn. |
| Justin Randall | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | Forward | Sr. | Burlington, Iowa |
| Shyke Smalls | Montana Western | Guard | Sr. | Great Falls, Mont. |
| Jordan Washington* | Talladega (Ala.) | Guard | Sr. | Memphis, Tenn. |
| Naiel Smith | Texas Wesleyan | Guard | Sr. | Brookyln, N.Y. |
| Leo Garrett | William Carey (Miss.) | Guard | Sr. | Brookhaven, Miss. |
| ^ 2017 NAIA Player of the Year | ||||
| * 2016 All-America First Team | ||||
| & 2016 All-America Second Team | ||||
| % 2016 All-America Third Team |
| Honorable Mention | |
| Name | School |
| Chris Sterling | Arizona Christian |
| Caelan Tiongson | Biola (Calif.) |
| Eric Kinney | Campbellsville (Ky.) |
| Jaylen McBride | Central Baptist (Ark.) |
| Malik Ray | Columbia (Mo.) |
| Nic Reynolds | Columbia (Mo.) |
| Diondrey Holt Jr | Cumberland (Tenn.) |
| Marquis Yates | Cumberlands (Ky.) |
| Isaiah Box | Dalton State (Ga.) |
| Quinton Jackson | Dillard (La.) |
| Jalen McGaughy | Dillard (La.) |
| Dennis Hightower | Dillard (La.) |
| Di'mar Hill | Faulkner (Ala.) |
| Fitzgerald Hopkins | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) |
| Troy Steward | Georgetown (Ky.) |
| Quan Poindexter | Georgetown (Ky.) |
| Jeremy Deemer | Graceland (Iowa) |
| Nathan Washington | Grand View (Iowa) |
| Jjuan Hadnot | Grand View (Iowa) |
| Jalen Fletcher | Harris-Stowe State (Mo.) |
| Malcom Ballard | Huston-Tillotson (Texas) |
| Doug McDaniel | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
| Zavon Jackson | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
| Zach Landis | Life (Ga.) |
| Charles Sutton | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
| Dmitry Utolin | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
| Johnny Griffin Jr. | Loyola (La.) |
| Gilbert Talbot | LSU Alexandria (La.) |
| Benjamin Batts | LSU Shreveport (La.) |
| AJ Lynch | Martin Methodist (Tenn.) |
| Olajuwon Garner | Mid-America Christian (Okla.) |
| Jared White | Missouri Baptist |
| Brody Gronewold | Missouri Valley |
| Ben Struss | Mount Mercy (Iowa) |
| C.J Parker | Mount Mercy (Iowa) |
| BJ Watson | Park (Mo.) |
| Rashad Brackeen | Peru State (Neb.) |
| Christopher Ward | Philander Smith (Ark.) |
| Zach Hinton | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
| Riley Bradshaw | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
| Keyunta Watkins | SAGU (Texas) |
| Isaak Rowe | SAGU (Texas) |
| Rodney Smith | St. Gregory (Okla.) |
| Marvin White | Southwestern Christian (Okla.) |
| Najeal Young | Texas Wesleyan |
| Lawrence Russell | The Master's (Calif.) |
| Andravious Smith | Tougaloo (Miss.) |
| Zach Allmon | Vanguard (Calif.) |
| Denzel Famble | Voorhees (S.C.) |
| Maurice Redmond | Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
| Jerry Karczewski | Westmont (Calif.) |
| Ricardo Artis | Wiley (Texas) |
| George Page | Wiley (Texas) |
| Chris Murry | William Jessup (Calif.) |
| Lionel Ellison | William Penn (Iowa) |
| Trey Mitchell | William Woods (Mo.) |
