The Mid-American Conference announced its men’s and women’s postseason awards Tuesday and Wednesday, and multiple Ohio players received honors.
On the men’s side, Dwight Wilson III was named to the All-MAC Second Team, Jaylin Hunter received an All-MAC Honorable Mention and A.J. Brown and Elmore James were named to the MAC All-Freshman team.
Wilson being on the Second team instead of the First Team come as a surprise, as he averaged 15.9 points per game, finishing just outside the top 10 in the MAC. In addition to that, he finished third in the MAC in rebounding at 9.1 rebounds per game and led the conference in field goal percentage at 62%. This is Wilson’s second All-MAC selection, as he was named to the Third Team in 2020-21.
Hunter improved steadily as the season went on and finished fourth in the MAC in assists per game and third in assist-to-turnover ratio. His excellent play over the last month or two of the season was a huge part of Ohio’s strong finish. Hunter scored in double figures in all but three of Ohio’s MAC games, including four 20-point games.
Brown and James have become major parts of Ohio’s rotation over the course of this season. James entered the starting lineup after a loss to Toledo, and Ohio went 9-4 in his starts. Brown has dealt with a couple of injuries this year but still finished the year as Ohio’s fourth-leading scorer at 9.5 points per game.
On the women’s side, Ohio had two selections. Yaya Felder was named to the All-MAC Second Team and Jaya McClure was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team.
Felder not making the First Team is even more mystifying than Wilson not making it, as Felder led the MAC in scoring at 22 points per game, finishing a full four points clear of MAC Player of the Year Quinesha Lockett in second place. Felder scored in double figures in all but three of Ohio’s games and finished the year with 20, 20-point games, five, 30-point games and an incredible 40-point performance against Central Michigan.
She also finished third in the MAC in assists per game and steals per game. She was also ranked eighth in field goal percentage despite taking more shots than any other player in the conference.
McClure was Ohio’s third-leading scorer, averaging 8.0 points per game. However, her role increased over the course of the season, averaging 11.2 points per game over the final five games the season, all of which she started.
While Wilson is leaving after this season and Hunter is a junior, Felder is only a sophomore. And with three All-Freshman selections in James, Brown and McClure, the future looks bright for both Ohio teams.
wc425318@ohio.edu
