Men’s basketball earns six All-Cal Pac awards

Cal Pac Men's Basketball Championship Central

 
VALLEJO, Calif. – Cal Maritime received six All-Cal Pac awards when California Pacific Conference Commissioner Don Ott announced this season's recipients at Saturday's Men's Basketball Championship Awards Banquet. Senior forward Lawrence Long and sophomore guard Nick Stone were members of the First Team, junior guard/forward Jordan Morency, junior guard Luka Popovic and sophomore guard Justiz Wilson earned Honorable Mention.

League officials also named Popovic to its five-member All-Defensive Team.

Long, a two-time All-Cal Pac selection, is the league's sixth-highest scorer, averaging 14.3 points per game, and second in rebounding with his 7.5 per-game average. The Oakland native is No. 2 among all players in defensive rebounds (119), total rebounds (142) and No. 6 in points scored (272).

Stone, last season's Freshman of the Year, led the team in scoring and enters Sunday's 2:30 p.m. Championship semifinal versus Northern New Mexico ranked No. 3 at 16.8 ppg. Nobody in the league holds a higher free throw percentage (.909) than the native of Sacramento; he also ranks No. 4 in points (285), No. 5 in three-point field goals made (41), three-point percentage (.402), and No. 9 in free throws made (50). 

As is the case with all three of his teammates who received Honorable Mention, this is the first time Stone was named to one of three All-Cal Pac teams.

Popovic is the program's second All-Defensive Team selection and sits alongside Eric Norton (2021-22) as the only recipients of this award. Even though he made a name for himself due to his defensive prowess and ability to neutralize opponents' top players, he is equally dangerous on the opposite half of the court for his ability to set up his teammates.

Ranked No. 4 in the league with 60 assists, the first-year Keelhauler from Rocklin holds the second-highest field goal percentage (.571) in the league, ranks No. 8 in offensive rebounds (26), defensive rebounds (81), total rebounds (107) and No. 9 in field goals (88). 

Morency and Wilson are key reasons why Cal Maritime enjoyed success this season, both joined the program this year and bring well-rounded skill sets to the program.

Hailing from Las Vegas, Morency was a force to reckon with in the paint as his 32 offensive rebounds and 96 total rebounds ranks him No. 3 and No. 10 in the league, respectively. Averaging 9.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, his 88 field goals were the eight-highest total and his shooting percentage (.447) placed him among the Cal Pac's top 15.

Even though Wilson's first game took place on January 31 at Stanton, his play throughout the last five games of the regular season made him an undeniable selection for All-Cal Pac honors. Throughout that timespan, the Vallejo local averaged 15 ppg, shot .489 overall, .522 from three and .810 at the free throw line.

The winner of Cal Maritime's 2:30 p.m. Sunday semifinal will face the winner of that day's 12 p.m. matchup, between Simpson and Stanton, at 5 p.m. Monday evening inside PEAC Main Gym for the Cal Pac Championship title and an automatic berth for the NAIA's National Championship Tournament.