Though the season is over for the Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team, the accolades keep on coming.
Monday brought All-South Central Region honors to senior Joshua Blaylock and junior Rasmus Bach. Wednesday, Blaylock was selected play in Reese’s Division II All-Star Game which will take place Friday, March 24, at the NCAA Division II Elite Eight Tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D. Head Coach Bob Pietrack also earned more national recognition Wednesday as he was named as one of four finalists for the Red Auerbach College Coach of the Year Award.
Blaylock, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year, was named to the South Central Region’s First Team Monday for the second consecutive season. The senior led the league with an average of 20.8 points this season and played a league-high 35.7 minutes per game. The left-handed guard led the Skyhawks to their first postseason win against a Lone Star Conference team as he poured in a game-high 36 points in the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament’s opening-round overtime win against Tarleton State. He will be the third player in FLC history to play in the All-Star game after Alex Herrera (2015) and Tim Crowell (2008).
“Josh is very deserving and I know he’ll represent our school and the RMAC very well,” Pietrack said. “There are so many good players in our region. To be one of the top five players out of 36 teams, that’s really impressive. He is deserving of every ounce of credit he gets.”
Colorado Mines’ Gokul Natesan was also selected to the first team along with Tarleton State’s Romond Jenkins, West Texas A&M’s David Chavlovich and the region’s Player of the Year Daeshon Francis of UT Permian Basin.
Bach’s second-team All-South Central honor made FLC the only team in region with two players selected. The junior averaged 18.2 points per game, which was fifth in the RMAC. He started all 33 FLC games and earned All-RMAC First Team honors for his work during the regular season. Bach is likely to be a top candidate for RMAC Preseason Player of the Year next season.
“Rasmus has been a mainstay on our team over the last three years,” Pietrack said. “His career track has been unreal here. He’s got a chance to break the FLC scoring record next season and probably all-time wins record as well. He’s the ultimate competitor and he is certainly one of the 10 best players in our region.”
Pietrack has been nominated for the Red Auerbach Award for the second consecutive season. The award goes to the top Jewish college basketball coach as voted on by the Jewish Coaches Association. The winner will be honored at the Final Four next month in Phoenix, Arizona.
“I’m flattered to be nominated for any award with Red Auerbach’s name connected to it,” Pietrack said. “It’s a really nice honor that wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and dedication of my team and our staff.”
jfries@durangoherald.com
