Railsplitters Cap Season By Presenting Four Awards At LMU Athletics Banquet
April 27, 2012
Compliments of Allen Earl PhotographyHARROGATE, TN -- The Lincoln Memorial University men's basketball team and head coach Josh Schertz shone a light on the 2011-12 season as they presented four awards at the LMU Athletics Banquet on Wednesday evening. The Banquet serves as a celebration of the year that was in Railsplitter athletics.
The Railsplitters saw another milestone this season as they became the first team in South Atlantic Conference history to earn the No.1 national ranking, coming midway through the season. LMU finished the year at 26-6 and 14-4 in the SAC. The Railsplitters fell in the semi-finals of the SAC Tournament to Wingate University. They earned a berth into the NCAA Southeast Region for the second-consecutive season and picked up the first NCAA Tournament win in school history with a victory over King College. LMU fell to the University of Montevallo in the semi-finals of the NCAA regional.
The first award went to C.J. Wakeley as he was honored with the Most Improved Player distinction. Down the stretch of the season, Wakeley became one of the key components of the Railsplitters' squad. The Gainesville, Florida native played in 27 games, starting six of those, and compiled 90 points, 39 assists, and 34 rebounds. He logged 319 minutes on the season.
The Defensive Player of the Year Award went to senior Justin Allen, a 6'3" guard out of Lithonia, Georgia. Despite suffering a wrist injury midway through the year, Allen was an impact player for the Railsplitters, playing in 23 games and starting 20 of those. Consistently guarding the other team's best player, Justin averaged 6.9 points a game with 59 assists, 71 rebounds, seven blocks and 18 steals.
The Coaches Award went to senior Tony Martin, who coach Schertz noted, "nobody cared as much about the team as him." Martin, a Cincinnati, Ohio native, was a do everything guy for the Railsplitters as he played in 26 games, compiling 172 minutes, 46 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
The Most Valuable Player of the Year Award was shared by senior Desmond Johnson and Brandon Armstrong. Armstrong, a 6'1" product of Decatur, Georgia, led the Railsplitters with 29 starts and 977 minutes logged. He ranked third on the team with 9.9 points per game while dishing out 110 assists, recording 40 steals, 92 boards and 52 three-pointers. Johnson, a 6'6" forward out of Lynch, Kentucky, capped his final season at LMU by finishing second on the team in scoring at 10.5 per game. He led the team in rebounding at 6.9 a game. Overall, Johnson compiled 220 rebounds, 43 assists, 14 blocks and 27 steals. For their efforts this season, Armstrong and Johnson were named All-SAC First Team. Johnson was also tabbed as a Division II Bulletin All-American Honorable Mention.
Coach Schertz also thanked his seniors, Justin Allen, Tony Martin, Brandon Armstrong, and Desmond Johnson for their four years of service to LMU. They will be remembered for the legacy they have left in rebuilding the Railsplitters into a program of national relevance.
Prepartions are underway for the 2012-13 campaign.
