Silas named All-MAC Honorable Mention

Is Xavier Silas really the sixth best player in the MAC West? The league's coaches seem to think so.

After a conference season where Silas ranked second in the league in scoring (20.4 ppg), 19th in rebounding (5.6 rpg), eighth in free throw percentage (.832) and fourth in three-point field goals per game (2.25), MAC coaches named Silas All-MAC Honorable Mention, behind five players from the West who appeared on the first and second teams.

I just don't get that. Now Silas didn't get my vote for Player of the Year (mine went to Western Michigan's David Kool, who won the award), but I think he's a better player than Central Michigan's Robbie Harman and Eastern Michigan's Brandon Bowdry.

"Xavier (Silas) certainly deserves to be recognized for the impact he had on our league this season," NIU coach Ricardo Patton said in a news release. "Particularly early on in our MAC schedule, it was evident that coaches were designing their defensive game plan around him, and he did a nice job of adjusting to that

"Along with all of his teammates, Xavier has a big offseason ahead of him. I'd like to see his field goal percentage numbers improve, and he also has the potential to be a great defender next season. He was a huge part of our team this year, and I expect him to be one of the top players in our league again next season."

That said, here are the All-MAC teams:

All-MAC First Team
Jimmy Conyers, Akron
Rodney Pierce, Buffalo
Kenny Hayes, Miami
David Kool, Western Michigan
Chris Singletary, Kent State

All-MAC Second Team
Jordan Bitzer, Central Michigan
Robbie Harman, Central Michigan
Carlos Medlock, Eastern Michigan
Brandon Bowdry, Eastern Michigan
Justin Greene, Kent State

All-MAC Honorable Mention
Chris McKnight, Akron
Brett McKnight, Akron
Jarrod Jones, Ball State
Scott Thomas, Bowling Green
Calvin Betts, Buffalo
Justin Dobbins, Eastern Michigan
Julian Mavunga, Miami
Xavier Silas, Northern Illinois
D.J. Cooper, Ohio
Armon Bassett, Ohio

All-Freshman Team
Zeke Marshall, Akron
Jauwan Scaife, Ball State
D.J. Cooper, Ohio
Jake Barnett, Toledo
Nate Hutcheson, Western Michigan